What can I feed my small dog he only weights 12 pounds? I have tried everything on the market and he will only eat a few bites. All he wants is people food and that's not good for him. I have even made homemade gravy to pour over his food. Should I try canned cat food or dry? That I haven't done yet. I'm going crazy over this dog I call Beanie. Please can you help?
Thanks.
By Gloria from Cedar City
A lot of people food is good for a dog such as: cooked skinless-boneless chicken or turkey and a little bit of boiled in water chopped beef liver from time to time.
Human Foods dogs should never have are: onions, garlic, salt, greasy meats and bacon, grease gravy,
spinach, kale, walnuts, chocolate, pomegranates, mushrooms: you get the picture...you can even do a google search for other human foods not to give dogs. (I have a file folder just on this subject)
Cat foods are not meant for dogs; totally different ingredients made especially for cats. That's why it's specified on the label for cat or dog.
You could try a really good quality dry dog food. When you change brands know that your pet might get diahrrea from the change, so add some regular brand you buy with the new for a couple weeks until the dog gets adjusted to the change. Pet food stores sell highly rated dog foods, so I'd start there and you can get their suggestions before buying any new brand.
Check Beanie's back teeth since it's a small breed of dog and maybe there's a problem gone unnoticed and a vet needs to clean teeth. They could be causing pain and the reason for slacking off food.
The first thing you need to do is have Beanie checked by his vet. Make sure there's not a medical or dental reason for his not eating dog food. Assuming he gets a clean bill of health, then you need to get stubborn yourself.
You need to be persistent and more stubborn than Beanie is. He won't starve himself to death. Many dogs are extremely stubborn, but their will to live is stronger.
Start out by adding a handfull of dry food to the people food you feed him now. Don't give him anymore till he's cleaned his dish. This is where your persistencce comes in. Even if it takes him 2-3 days to finish it, YOU BE MORE STUBBORN THAN HE IS. Make sure he always has plenty of water tho.
After about a week, lessen the people food and put 2 handfuls of dog food in.
In another week, lessen the people food again and put 3 handfuls of dog food in. Continue to do this till he's eating all dog food. Don't worry if he goes on a stubborn streak and refuses to eat again. Just remember that his will to live is stronger than his stubborn streak. He will eventually learn that you can't be conned into spoiling him with the people food.
Lorelei was right in that some people foods are good for dogs. But they are not intended to be the dog's entire diet. Like cat food, it's called people food for a reason. Dog foods have the specific nutrients that dogs need in their diets. Feeding a dog nothing but people food will cause his system to not work properly over time. Also with a dog as stubborn about his diet as Beanie is, you're better off not giving him any people food at all because it will negate everything your've done to get him swtiched over to dog food. If you want to feel like you are giving him special people food treats, there are many online sites which have recipes for homemade doggy treats that you can make for him. Just google "homemade doggy treats" and you'll get lots of sites listed.
So gradually switch Beanie over to dog food, and you be more stuborn than he is. In the end his system will thank you, even if Beanie doesn't!
This happened to me. I have a 2 yr old Chihuahua.I use to share my meals with her."Don't do it". You have to be "mean".Stop feeding your dog human food. Stop! Offer your dog dry dog food and water. You have to be strong! Keep talking to the dog. Say "Eat your food, cant have my food anymore". My dog went 5 days without eating. I just knew she was going to die of starvation. But on the 6th day she started eating her food. She still begs for my food, but I say "NO" you have your own food. She gets her treats also. Once in a while, i will give her a raw carrot, the baby ones. She is happy now. Its hard, but you have to be tough for you dogs sake.
Cat food has too much protein for dogs, try Blue Buffalo, its natural and none of the garbage the other companies add in for fillers. If your dog still won't eat, put a little water in his bowl with the food and warm it for a few seconds and mix it up.
I have a 5 1/2 pound Chihuahua who also will not eat dry kibble, and I have tried all brands out there. But finally I found a way. I put the dry food in a small bowl, add water to it and put it in the fridge a day to soften it up. Then I put it in my small blender till it is like canned food. To that I add some kind of veggie and sometimes some small pieces of chicken or ground beef and some brown rice. Also about once a week I put 1/2 tsp. of olive oil over it. She eats all of it, problem solved. Some say I spoil her, but to me it's a labor of love. Also she gets a vitamin each day to cover all bases.
Sometimes, warming up the food helps. What food are you feeding? I am no expert. I do not know if puppy is eating kibble or not, but if she is, you can add warm water to kibble. It should bring up aroma and she may want to eat it more.
Or is it possible that you are putting the food out all day long? If so, you can feed it only when it is meal time.
If you want him to clean his teeth get raw hides.they do wonders for dogs teeth! And it's a treat (:
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
My 17 yr old dog has totally quit eating her food. I tried to ignore it as usually a dog will go back to eating once hungry enough. She lost 10 plus pounds and I have given her cat food and baby food and she gobbles up both. She will not eat chicken broth either I tried that. At 17 and being so skinny is cat food really that bad for her? I have been mixing rice in with the food to keep her from getting the runs.
By Courtney
I bet that your dog has a tooth problem. If he/she is only eating food that is soft and mushy (baby food/rice etd) and refusing food that would need chewing (the chicken) I bet she/he has a toothache and it hurts to chew and break up food with its teeth. Get your dog to the vet as he will spot a bad tooth straight away. My 16 year old cat was the same. The tooth came out and he's tucking into his food again.
Bless you for trying to keep your old dog happy and healthy. I dont see any problem with feeding her cat food or baby food. One thing to consider is whether she has a dental problem. This can cause dogs to stop eating food that may hurt a bad tooth. It might be a good idea to have that checked out. Best of luck to you both.
I have a pitbull boxer mix that refuses to eat his dry food or human food. I have tried hot dogs, I tried various different dog foods as well. My pitbull boxer mix goes after my cat's food but we don't allow him eat it and also snatches food from my one year old.
I need advice on how to get my pitbull boxer mix breed to eat.If it were my dog, I would talk to my vet or an dog trainer. If he is eating your childs and the cats food, he may not be hungry when his food is down. I would not even allow him to be in the same room as my child at eating time to avoid food aggression issues. Perhaps once he sees he is no longer able to snatch food from your child, he might start eating his own.
Most likely he is grabbing more of the cat's food and 'baby' food than you know and since he undoubtedly likes the taste he is waiting for the chance to grab again.
Maybe you can place all cat food at a higher level so he has no chance to secretly steal some without you knowing - even a piece or two will keep him going until he gets another chance. It is not uncommon for dogs to like cat food but it does not have the nutrients that dogs need. Perhaps you could find a dog food that has some of the ingredients that are in your cat food.
You do not say if you are feeding him wet and/or dry food or which type of cat food so perhaps there is different type?
Please try to never feed your dog human food as this type of food throws them off balance and confuses them about when to eat and what to eat.
Human food usually is more salty than dog food and that is not good for them but they like it.
You may have to refuse to provide any type of food other than his normal dog food.
It would probably be a good idea to have 'food time' and stick to a routine as much as possible. But - leave the food down for 30 minutes and then put it away or throw it away.
This will start his retraining but it will take some time for this to really work and you may think he's starving but if you give in even one time it will show him that whatever he's doing it is working and you'll have to start all over again.
I should add that it's not a good thing for the dog to take food away from your baby or even for the baby to give him food.
Fortunately, your dog has an appetite. Most dogs have desire to eat cat food instead the dog food. This is because cat food is mainly made up of meat, whereas dog food needs to contain more fiber than meat. Due to this, your dog wants to eat cat food only because he enjoy the taste. You can occasionally allow your dog to feast on cat food, but this food certainly is not a nutritious supplement for his health. Just dogs are adjusted to have plants in their diet, meat is not so necessary like it is for cats, but your dog wants more meat.
Unlike dog food, cat food has two main ingredients: taurine - an amino acid that dogs make in their bodies; arachidonic acid, which cats need for their bodies. Therefore, you should always limit your dog's intake of cat food. Dogs with a sensitive stomach could get sick from it. Cat food can be hard on dog's livers and kidneys. Cat food has also a large amount of fat.
Cat food is not extremely harmful in rare and small quantities for dogs, unless they have a sensitive stomach. But do not encourage this. In the long run, cat food may harm dog's body.
Feed your dog and cat in different areas. Feed your cat up high.
Make sure your dog is receiving he nutrients they need, with protein and fiber.
If your dog is so obsessed with cat food, then I would advise you to consult a vet and check for health concerns of your dog.
I adopted a little four year old Bichon Frise dog three weeks ago after his owner passed away. He has settled in perfectly and is such a happy and affectionate little soul. My one worry is he won't eat dog food, not any dog food wet or dry.
I have tried all the usual tricks that I have been told to try and still he holds out. I was told that he had been fed only table food mostly from his owner's plate. How do I break this habit? He can hear me crunch into a piece of toast from a mile away and comes running expectantly and looks at me accusingly when I don't give in to him. Any advice would be much appreciated.
I would say that put the dog on wet food, if you do not want to go the raw food route which I've heard is good but can be expensive.
You can get fairly cheap canned wet food
down the line you can mix it with dry food to habituate your dog to dry food if budget is a concern though wet food is probably healthier and more satisfying than dry food
I have a 2 year old female Shih Tzu. She didn't have a problem with her eating habits until recently. She doesn't eat dog food, only human food (like chicken). 3 days ago, we tried to put dog food (Pedigree) together with her chicken lunch. She obviously didn't like it as she immediately threw it up. Earlier this day at 7am, she started to eat already, but after an hour or so she vomitted what she ate, undigested. We gave her dinner again this evening at 7pm and she ate it again, but after an hour or so, she vomitted it again, undigested.
Was it because she didn't like the meal we gave her? We're so worried.
By Rianne
I would be worried too. I would be getting to the vet as soon as possible. The food may be off, but many other possibilities exist, and only your vet can sort them out. Do not wait to get your dog the help she deserves. Things can get much worse if you wait.
Can my Shih Tuz eat homemade food? I have a problem with my puppy not eating his food. He will wait until we are not looking and then go and eat the cat food all the time. Can you please help me with what kind of food to feed him?
By Mary Coleman from Pittsburgh, PA
You can make home made food for your dog. Google homemade dog food to see if this is something you want to do. Is there somewhere you could put the cat's food so the dog cannot reach it? When my toy poodle was doing this, I put the cat food dispenser in the bath tub. My two cats could access it, but Pookie could not. It only took the cats about a day to figure out the change. Moving the food and rinsing the tub before a shower was easy.
I have a 14 year old Pekingese, named Jazzy, and she will not eat. For the past 3 days she would not eat at all or at the least a piece of bacon or egg. We have always given her dried food and she has always been fine with it, but for some reason she just stopped. So today we gave her wet food and it still didn't work. I am really worried about my baby girl.
Please help.
Any time a dog's appetite changes, I call the vet. He/she can tell you what's going on.
Usually it is something as simple as the heat (or cold) is getting to them and when the weather goes more moderate, all is fine, but we have had issues with teeth that needed pulled, and other general health issues that the vet figured out with blood work and meds.
Post back with an update. Prayers for healing for Jazzy!!
Whenever I feed my dog, a Chocolate Lab, he is trying to bury his bowl. He pushes it with his head around the floor. I had a small rug under his bowl and he tried to pull it up and bury his bowl with it. Most of the time he won't eat either. I have tried all kinds of dog food. I have to coax him to eat. I usually end up mixing it with some of our food to get him to eat, but I don't like doing that. Anyone else had this problem and any suggestions? I have tried everything, I even changed his feeding bowl.
By Deb F.
It's the quality of the dog food that is repulsive to him. Search the web for 4D meat you will be horrified with what you find. It's meat that comes from: Diseased (cancer), Drugged, Down & Dead animals carcass's.
With corporate greed running rampart you can't really trust what they list on the dry & moist dog food containers. As an example: 20 yrs ago a "Top High Quality (expensive) dog food was caught putting old rubber tires in the dog food! The dogs coats started to dull and flake so one owner had the food analyzed and that's what they found. That was then - what do you think the industry is doing now?
I've had my dogs go into convulsions from a brand. Another brand made them sick with some type of bad bacteria.. Another brand made it impossible to switch from their product without making my dogs sick (It was also a "Highly" recommended brand.
Also read the ingredients and if it has corn in it you don't want it! Very bad for dogs the only reason they eat it is the sugar that they put in it. Don't-buy it if it has colorful pictures of fish, meat veggies & corn on the bag the dog would be better off eating the bag not the contents.
After spending a lot of money at the Vets I decided to cook for my dog and skip the bagged crap. Chicken is cheap, rice and veggies are always on sale. My dogs never got sick again and they always ate everything in their bowl. My suggestion is search the web for making dog food yourself the dog will probably live several years longer - mine did.
I have a Chow Chow; he is around 12 years old. He will not eat dry or wet food. I have changed his dry food and tried adding wet, he still won't eat and he is losing weight.
What can I do to get him to eat? He does want people food.He may have tooth problems which may make chewing dry dog food uncomfortable. Ask your vet.
I really do think you should take him to the vet and have a check-up.
Chow Chows usually live between 9 and 15 years and as you dog is already 12 years, there might be some health problems.
I would take your dog to the vet to make sure it isn't something that can be fixed easily. I agree with Judy that it might be something to do with teeth or mouth pain, but it could be so many other things. The weight loss is a concern.
Since you say that he wants people food, how about making healthy food for him at home. You could make something with chicken and rice and some safe vegetables, like carrots. Or a meatloaf type meal, but without any onions or garlic, which are toxic to dogs. You could also try the "fresh" dog food that you can get in the refrigerator case at a pet store or large grocery store.
Good luck! Let us know how he is doing. I have a 10 year old Chow Chow and she is starting to slow down. Such a difference from that bouncy puppy we got so many years ago.
You could make his food using "people" food. I would check with his vet, but a few friends of mine have started making their dog food. One lady who had several Shih Tzu dogs made her dog's food every day...hamburger (cooked) to which she added a bag of mixed vegetables. Another friend had the same breed of dog, but she cooked chicken and rice for her dog.
My dog will not eat dog food. He has been spayed! We have tried all different kinds of food and he still will not ea.
Dogs will not starve themselves. Your dog may have tooth or jaw issues, making it hard for him to eat. I would ask the vet.
This is frequently a sign of gum or tooth infection which can be very serious if left untreated. PLEASE contact your vet ASAP and be safe rather than sorry.
If there is no infection, talk to your vet about possible causes for him to stop eating and see what solutions he offers. They are the experts!!!
I will send up prayers for you and your pup!!!
My husband and I rescued a Chihuahua. We took her to the vet; she's fine other than gum disease. She sees the doggy dentist on the 23rd.
Anyway she won't eat and when she does its only a burger. Help me plz.A dog will not starve herself. She probably needs to get used to her new environment. Maybe she likes her food moister. Put a little water in it to make it easier to chew.
Don't give her the burger. You might have to switch dog foods but eventually she will learn that she has to eat it.
My dog won't eat dog food. What should I do?
By Gloria
Apparently you have given him scraps/human food in the past for him not to have a taste for his own food I'm guessing? If he has never had human food and has stopped eating dog food, then it is sick. It is not a good sign.
I agree have you talked him to the vet? Is it the same food you have feed him in the past? Is there any reason that you can think of to cause him not to eat? Is he just old because if he is then maybe you need to soak the biscuits with warm powered milk so he can eat it.
Good luck and hope everything is ok with your dog.
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