# Food for Picky Eaters



## BlondieAMC (Apr 22, 2006)

Ok, some of you have probably read where we got our new rescue chi. She was hand feed on table food and i am having a hard time firguring out what she will and won't eat at this point. I have her right now on ground beef, rice and green beans. But i can't continue to cook for her. I have tried to get her to eat dog food but she refuses and turns her nose up and walks away like she is too good for it. 

I was just wondering if any of you have extemely picky eaters and could give me some suggestions on dog food that i can maybe get her to eat. I have thought about trying that Beniful in the containers because it's full of veggies and i thought maybe she'd think it's people food? I don't know. I'm not quite at my wits end yet, but i'm fast approaching. Please help.

Thanks for any replies, they will be greatly appeciated.


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## ngtah00 (Jun 20, 2005)

Hello, 
I have the same problem, Sami is very picky! I found something that she loves and will eat every time! give this a try!

natural balance rolls
http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/DFRolls.html

now the ingredients list doesn't sound that great, but the reviews, testimonials have been great. other people's dogs and there's a similar story on petco's web site review about how these people rescued a dog who wouldn't eat anything but table scraps. 

Also I would recommend going to a pet store and getting samples. You can feed each sample by hand and see which one your chi will like. It was like a big sample party at my house! My picky eater finally found one she would eat after 5 different samples. People on this forum really like chicken soup, timberwolf organic, innova, evo, natural balance...etc do a search for food. Someone told me to call natural balance and ask for samples. they will send out samples to your home if you don't have a place you can get samples from. I wish you the best and I certainly hope you can find something for your picky eater! please let me know if your chi likes the rolls.


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

How about trying some canned food. Merrick canned food is holistic, so it's really good for your baby. You can try the Merrick Thanksgiving Dinner. I know my baby really like it, and I've never seen a dog that doesn't like canned food. Also, if your baby likes this, you can try getting some kibbles. I would suggest getting a holistic brand, such as Chicken Soup, Timberwolf Organics, Wellness, Solid Gold, Innova, etc. and then get some of the kibbles and but hot water over it. This way, the kibbles will get soggy. Then, do a half and half mixture of the soggy kibbles and the canned food. You may want to put the canned food in the microwave for a few seconds to heat it up. This will really bring out the flavor and make it even more yummy. Good luck!


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## BlondieAMC (Apr 22, 2006)

I've tried canned food....that is what she is turning her nose up to. I was like you, i thought how can any dog turn their nose to canned dog food, untill little Miss Nixie came along.


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

May I ask what kind of canned food you tried? I've been around several dogs, and not one of them has not like the Merrick canned food I'm referring to. Also, they have this vitamin supplement that you can get from vets and it's in a little pump type bottle, and you give one squirt a day. It's supposed to make the food taste better. Maybe you could try that out? Other than that, I'm out of ideas. Maybe get some ground beef or something and sprinkle little bits over the kibble? I mean this isn't something you would want to continue doing, but just until your baby is used to the dog food...On second thought, maybe little bits of chicken would be better.


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## BlondieAMC (Apr 22, 2006)

Purina Filet Migon Flavored. I've also got chicken. And she is on ground beef rice and grean beans now as i stated in my first post. I've been mixing dry food in with that but she just picks around it. I will find something eventually. I think i will run to petsmart tonight and look through all the food and see what i can find.


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## chimom06 (Jun 25, 2006)

My puppy use to nibble at merrick canned, now he won't touch it. I swear he goes through phases and cravings like a pregnant woman LOL

Now I can get him to eat Nutro Natural choice Canned food, but I'm sure that won't last long LOL

You may want to try Royal Canin Chihuahua kind... I know it's not the best food, but I hear picky chi's love it.


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## BlondieAMC (Apr 22, 2006)

chimom06 said:


> You may want to try Royal Canin Chihuahua kind... I know it's not the best food, but I hear picky chi's love it.


Thanks i may try that.


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

Maybe you could take your chi along with you when you go to PetSmart and ask if they have samples for your baby to try? Then, you can let your baby pick out the one she likes. Oh, one last thought...in alot of food posts that we've had on here, I've stated that as long as your baby is healthy, she will not starve herself. In other words, maybe you should just wait until your baby gets really hungry. I mean I totally understand that you wouldn't want your baby not to eat, but sometimes you just have to put your foot down and let her know that she needs to eat what you give her even if it's not human food, which is what she's used to. Others on this forum have also stated that unless there's something medically wrong with your dog, the dog will eventually eat if he or she gets hungry enough. I guess this is more of a last resort type thing, but my roommate did this, and now her dog eats very heartily. I hope you do find something that your baby likes. Good luck!


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## *Nikki* (Jun 25, 2006)

i say get whatever dog food you choose and then buy one of theese gravy things u can buy to put on the food its for dogs cant emeber who makes it maybe she will like it


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## Sidech (Apr 3, 2006)

The way I see it, there's only one way to go about this. Choose the best possible food and stick to it. Don't give her a choice. Fill her bowl and let her be. When she's hungry she'll eat. No treats before she's been eating for at least a week. Depending on her weight (4 pounds and up ok, unless she has medical problems or other extraordinary conditions), she can stay 1 1/2 to 2 days without eating without problems. Every 4 hours or so, offer her some kibbles from your hands. If you're not too grossed out, you may even put it in your mouth 1 second to help soften it and add your scent (I've done it and it has worked). Even try playing around with the kibbles (throwing it on the floor, like a toy). She's so used to table scraps she probably won't accept any dog food, no matter how hard you try, unless you make it a point not to give in. No dog food in the world will ever taste as good as human food. Just my opinion. Good luck!


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## Lin (Jun 7, 2006)

Sidech said:


> The way I see it, there's only one way to go about this. Choose the best possible food and stick to it. Don't give her a choice. Fill her bowl and let her be. When she's hungry she'll eat. No treats before she's been eating for at least a week. Depending on her weight (4 pounds and up ok, unless she has medical problems or other extraordinary conditions), she can stay 1 1/2 to 2 days without eating without problems. Every 4 hours or so, offer her some kibbles from your hands. If you're not too grossed out, you may even put it in your mouth 1 second to help soften it and add your scent (I've done it and it has worked). Even try playing around with the kibbles (throwing it on the floor, like a toy). She's so used to table scraps she probably won't accept any dog food, no matter how hard you try, unless you make it a point not to give in. No dog food in the world will ever taste as good as human food. Just my opinion. Good luck!


I heartily agree! The one thing that I will add is that Chicken Soup for the dogg lovers soul is what's appealed more than anything to my picker eater.


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## BlondieAMC (Apr 22, 2006)

Sidech said:


> The way I see it, there's only one way to go about this. Choose the best possible food and stick to it. Don't give her a choice. Fill her bowl and let her be. When she's hungry she'll eat. No treats before she's been eating for at least a week. Depending on her weight (4 pounds and up ok, unless she has medical problems or other extraordinary conditions), she can stay 1 1/2 to 2 days without eating without problems. Every 4 hours or so, offer her some kibbles from your hands. If you're not too grossed out, you may even put it in your mouth 1 second to help soften it and add your scent (I've done it and it has worked). Even try playing around with the kibbles (throwing it on the floor, like a toy). She's so used to table scraps she probably won't accept any dog food, no matter how hard you try, unless you make it a point not to give in. No dog food in the world will ever taste as good as human food. Just my opinion. Good luck!


Thank you i definetly needed that, sometimes just the cold hard truth works best. Starting tonight it's dog food or nothing. A little tough love might do the trick for her.


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## *Tiffany* (Sep 27, 2005)

i agree, she will eat when shes hungry!


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## MomofLeo (Aug 18, 2006)

I've heard that Royal Canin is good for picky eaters. They claim to be the most palatable.


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

Someone posted here once that their vet told them they never found a dog starved to death next to a full bowl of food! I think if you get the best quality food you can find and offer ONLY that, she'll eat it eventually.

Dolly is weird...she is 6.6 pounds so I don't worry about her getting her food as much as when she was 4...but anyway, she'll eat if the other dogs are looking at her food, or if I hand-feed her but otherwise, she is SO picky. However, when she is really, truly, hungry...she eats just like any other dog. I cut out all treats and it made a big difference. She still prefers to eat when she thinks another dog will take it. I guess it's the drama she likes.


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## trixiesmom (Jan 31, 2006)

I think it is made by Purina.


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## BlondieAMC (Apr 22, 2006)

Just an update. Nixie is eating the dry dog food that is in her bowl. She is being really stubborn about it but she is eating it. So thanks guys. So far so good.


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## babydoll (May 18, 2006)

I heard a while ago that dogs only have about a third of the taste buds that we do so majority of their like or dislike of food is by smell and texture. Not positive about this but it was interesting.


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## tuckersmommy (Aug 5, 2006)

Iwent through a rough time with Tucker. I believe he was also table food fed. I have no idea of how many brands of food I have tried. To this day he will eat anything that isn't dog food in 2 seconds. Since I wanted him on a dry food, I finally found he will eat the Natural Balance Ultra Premium. He likes the organic Natural Balance even better. Sometimes I add a little water and mix it up, he thinks it's a gormet special that way. Also, Natural balance isn't nuggets, it's tiny flat round pieces that are very easy to chew.


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