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Help please! Emma doesn't want to eat her own food.

4K views 21 replies 9 participants last post by  Jnfr 
#1 ·
Hello everyone! Emma doesn't seem interested in her food anymore. She wants to eat Oscar's food all the time and she is eager to take treats or anything else we offer. Just not her regular staple food. Oscar and Emma both eat the same brand food, it's just ones for puppy and ones for adult. I like this brand because Emma's poop is good, her coat is shiny and she doesn't have skin problem. What should I do? I am tempted to try another brand but I am afraid the problem will resurface once she is 'bored' with the same old food everyday. I try to add kong peanut butter filling or a tablespoon of canned food but she will only lick off the surface and not really work on the kibbles itself. I feel pretty helpless now. My husband says we should just let her be and she will learn what hungry is and eat better at her next meal. Just like our kids. Do you think so? Do I need to intervene or just let her decide what's enough for her? She is 12 weeks now, weighing around 17 pounds and we are feeding her 1 cup, twice a day. Any advice is greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!


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#3 ·
My husband says we should just let her be and she will learn what hungry is and eat better at her next meal.
in that reguard your husband is correct picky eater at taught by the actions of their owners to be picky they are not borm. It is very likely if you were to feed emma adult food and oscar puppy food she would once again want "his" ie the grass is aleways greener. Depending on the food it might or might not be ok to feed the puppy the adult version.
 
#4 · (Edited)
If she is not eating what is put down, she is not hungry. When she's hungry, she'll eat.

Switching foods, adding "goodies" and fussing over whether she eats or not just trains her to hold out for something "better" and attention.
 
#5 ·
We are feeding both dogs Iams now. That was what she was eating before we got her.Since Oscar is only 1.5 anyways, should I feed them both the same puppy food? I thought all dog foods probably taste the same? You guys are right...the grass is definitely greener on the other side. I try not to feed them at the same spot since they are eating different amounts and Oscar will finish first and may want to work on hers. Do you guys have any suggestions on a better brand that might be more appealing to her? Thanks everyone! I really appeciate any help.


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#7 ·
Sorry but I think sometimes dogs don't like their food - especially if it's some dry kibble put down day after day... move on try a new one and introduce it slowly. If they are fed something day in and day out make sure they like it....:)
 
#8 ·
Sorry but I think sometimes dogs don't like their food -
of course dogs have preference but feed to the dogs preference can lead nutritional problems, the quest is will a dog stoave tiself to death when presented a food it does not particularly care for and the answer is no. Cats are know to dogs will eat and eat in sufficient quality to maintain a healthy body mass
 
#9 ·
If they are fed something day in and day out make sure they like it....
not likely a healthy nutritional practice.

The myth of !00% complete and Blaanced pet food

Even though people may think they are being smart by relying on the pet expert industry, stop and think about this for a moment. Nobody in their right mind would ever eat the same processed food, meal after meal, day after day for a lifetime. Nobody would make his or her child eat the same processed food at every meal. So why on earth would we ever think of doing it to our pets? Yet virtually every pet owner feeds the same processed food, meal after meal, day after day, and does so thinking they are doing their pet a favor because the label says "100% complete and balanced."
 
#11 ·
I know this dosen't help get her to eat, but at 12 weeks I'd be feeding 4 meals or at least 3 till she's 4 months & then 3 times a day.
 
#13 ·
Yes vectivagrant, I tried feeding her 3 times a day in smaller portions and she couldnt bothered to even look at her food. Spoiled brat!!

No bless her she's not a spoiled brat, she's still a baby. If it's been said, sorry to repeat but have you tried adding a little warm water to it, kibble is very dull. Used to add tripe to moist kibble when ours was a pup, though know they have different digestion rates. I am surprised at her not eating, ours have always eaten whatever is put infront of them like basking sharks :eek:, have you taken her to a vet just to be sure everything is OK, she needs the nourishment when growing so fast? Can't recommend a kibble (loath the stuff) as ours are raw fed. Good luck.


 
#15 ·
Gosh it's 5pm now and she behaved like I just offered her poison!!! I had some leftover pedigree puppy food and I mixed it with her regular food. She gobbled them down. Maybe she just doesnt like the same food day in day out? i dont know. I am nervous at mealtimes now. Oscar always ate everything we gave him. Took her to the vet last week. Clean bill of health and growing like a weed on her own chart. We used to add some water to the dry kibbles but she prefers it dry. And she loves treats and I have to limit them so that she has appetite for her regular food. Maybe I'll have to tough it out and let her go hungry one or two meals? I am just obsessed with my kids/dogs eating well.


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#17 ·
I’m from the old school that as long as your hound isn’t sick and is only being finicky – I put the food down for half hour or so – then pick it up. If they don’t eat - they don’t eat. When they get hungry they will.

My hubby on the other hand is the complete opposite of me – and because he gets so worried when they don’t eat started spoon feeding my hounds when Flash was a baby. Yes you read that right – spoon feeding. For a few years we couldn’t make plans to do anything around breakfast or dinner because Flash & Lucy would not eat unless we fed them with a spoon. When I would put the bowl down I would get a look of “what may I ask am I to do with that” it took a long time for me to finally get them to eat on their own and a lot of battles with my hubby to stop feeding them that way. I think I have a video posted of hubby spoon feeding them.

Flash was always finicky and would throw her bowl across the room until I finally found a weighted tray to feed her on. But even then she would lay down and stare at her food for what seemed forever, then finally eat one little piece at a time. The pups I have now – some days they don’t eat all or much of their food and other days they don’t leave a drop. Again, as long as they are healthy I don’t let it bother me. But I do keep an eye on them when they leave a lot of food just to be sure it’s not health related. In fact just last month – it cost me $600 at a visit to the emergency vet because mine was closed when Page my pup didn’t eat for a few meals in a row – only to find out she missed her brother that went hunting with my husband. When we were at the vet my husband came home and when Page saw Rickie it was like one of them commercials of lost love – she devoured all her sisters food that was left. The little stinker missed her squeaky toy Rickie.

Also I’d ease up on the treats so you’ll have a better chance of them being hungry when you put the food down. Don’t let them lay a guilt trip on you – keep in mind these guys eat poop – so when they turn their nose up at “good quality” food that I buy – I just give them an “oh, REALLY” look – poop is better than this? Yea right!

Best of luck – I’m sure she’ll be fine – just let it ride out….

Jen~
 
#18 ·
Honestly. Joey is getting fussy aswel. He gets half cup of dry kibble in the morning and its a hit or miss weather he eats it. Yesterday he wasn't keen but this morning he wolfed it down. He gets a pedigree puppy pouch for lunch and he absolutely loves them. Then it's dry kibble again at evening meal around 6ish! Again it's a hit or miss with it. If I put a few human veggies in it he will eat it but if its plain he sometimes doesn't bother.
He gets royal canin food, even though its supposed to be really good for them I think he's getting bored of it. X


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#19 ·
Thank you Jen and Lisa! It makes me feel better that I am not the only one facing the same problem. I spoke to the breeder last night and realized Emma's parents are fussy eaters too. Emma's mum will miss her food at least twice a week. Guess it runs in the family!!! But yeah, they also suggest not to add "goodies" or change her food because she will learn to be even more picky. She ate 3/4 of her food this morning so I think I should just let it go and be happy.


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#21 ·
Most of my "picky eaters" eventually outgrow it if you don't make an issue of it.
 
#22 ·
Ellie can be a real pain in the ass at feeding. I give both dogs the exact same thing for dinner... She want's Jake's food, He want's hers. I figure between them switching bowls, they are getting enough food.

Neither of them are "starving to death" but by their actions at times you would think they are! Of course between picking at each others foods, and the "extra" daddy gives they are doing fine.
 
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