Dog won't eat dry food

iMax

Hi,

Just looking for some advice on this, I have a year old rescue (got him at eight months old). The dog just won't eat dry food at all.

We've tried him on everything from Pedigree, Earls (aldi because I heard it was good), Royal Canin & Purina.

The first couple of days is great, he wolfs it down & then at about day three starts turning his nose up at it.

We used to leave the food down all day & he'd spend the full 24 hours eating it & under advice we now lift it after 30 minutes.

The only time he'll eat everything is if I fry off some mince & mix it in (with the fat).

I've gone out today & got some cans of Pedigree to see if he'll eat that, but don't want to be giving him something that's not good for him.

Any advice ?

Honey-ec

Just keep doing what you're doing - leaving the food down for half an hour, then taking it back up whether he's eaten it or not. Believe me, he'll eat it when he gets hungry enough.

It might take up to two days, but he will eventually realise that he's not getting anything else and give in, you just need to be strong.

Obviously, you need to stop all treats as well while you're doing this.

andreac

Ok, for starters, stop the free feeding. Hes learned that if he doesnt eat the food, you will give in and give him something tastier.

Dogs wont go hungry and if hes eating it for a few days then hes well able to eat it.
Heres what you do:
Offer the food at set mealtimes, leave it for 15 mins to give him a chance to eat it, then whether he has eaten it or not, take up the bowl, and offer nothing until next mealtime.
Repeat this again at next meal. The dog will learn if he doesnt eat the food, he gets nothing else til his next mealtime. It might take a few days for him to catch on and realise you arent going to give in and give him something nicer and will start eating the food.

My dog held out for 3 days without eating a crumb before he realised he wasnt getting anything else so just be patient and stick to this.

lorebringer

Andrea hit the nail on the head - your dog isn't stupid, it won't go hungry if there is food available and he's just holding out for something better.

Just to add to that, you need to pick a good quality dry food you are happy with and stick to it. If you are chopping and changing your dog will get fussy as to what food they want to eat. Also, wetting the food slightly with some warm water will help it seem more appetising to your dog. Once the dog is eating regularly, you can phase this out by leaving the food in the water for shorter periods every day until it is totally dry.

Asphyxia

My dog was very fussy at the start also but he will eat when he's hungry.

I also mix in a tiny bit of gravy.

**Vai**

Try adding a little veg oil or dried garlic, worked wonders for my dogs.

gregers85

i agree with andreac too!! however if you do want to give your dog treats make him/her work for it do a little sit stay down routine then treat him as a reward!!

Cherry Blossom

My dog has gone 4 days without eating, it was her own decision so I've no need to feel guilty about it, as others have said put a little water in it, gradually reduce the amount of water once it is being eaten and when you have phased out the water you can still give the dry nuts a bit of a blitz in the microwave for 3 seconds to bring out the smells. Make her work for her food, exercise will make her hungry, take her for a good long walk or throw a ball around the garden for her to chase for 20 minutes, let her settle for an hour, then feed her.

LucyBliss

I have a dog like that. She won't even get out of bed for her food some days and I know she's not sickening for anything because she's quick enough to run over when she hears the fridge being opened.
It's a common enough thing and I will admit that at the start, I did entertain the notion of changing her food and then I thought the hell with it and cut out all treats and fed her nothing else. That did the trick, though bless her she did her best to hang on as long as she could.

She is partial though to some warm tea being poured over her food so something like that do the trick.

iMax

He's gone up to four days without eating (apart from eating his poop which got progressivly smaller. Even at that he still wouldn't eat the whole lot & he seems to have a huge amount of energy.

Tonight I gave him some chopped up burger that was left over mixed in with the dry & a little bit of gravy & he wolfed it down, he may have just been extra hungry though.

As mentioned, I have some cans of wet, so going to try him on that for a couple of days & see if it makes any difference.

Shazanne

I had this nightmare for months with my first dog! She refused point blank to eat dry food so I gave in an started buying pouches of tasty "rubbish" to encourage her to eat. She loved it!!
Then I got a second dog and he had no problem with the dry food but I felt bad giving her a delicious smelling concoction while he crunched his way through the dry stuff - even though I knew it was better.
So I gradually withdrew the wet food from her and have, after alot of patience, got her back on all dry food. (It helps if she thinks he's going to eat it on her!)
A tip I heard along the way was to place the dry food in the microwave for a couple of seconds, which releases the odours and flavours and makes it more appealing.

Shanao

**Vai** wrote: »

Try adding a little veg oil or dried garlic, worked wonders for my dogs.

I'm sure the veg oil is okay, but garlic is actually poisonous to dogs.

Op, best thing to do is get him a good quality dry food and stick with it, like andreac said, he'll eat it when he's hungry enough. I've known dogs to refuse to eat for five days straight, but sixth day they're more than happy to eat anything you put in front of them cos their instincts kick in- eating= survival.

If you are going to give him cans, i would reccommend something of a lot higher quality than pedigree. But even then, the canned food isn't great for them. Most of them are 80% water, even the good quality ones.

ISDW

Shanao wrote: »

I'm sure the veg oil is okay, but garlic is actually poisonous to dogs.

Op, best thing to do is get him a good quality dry food and stick with it, like andreac said, he'll eat it when he's hungry enough. I've known dogs to refuse to eat for five days straight, but sixth day they're more than happy to eat anything you put in front of them cos their instincts kick in- eating= survival.

If you are going to give him cans, i would reccommend something of a lot higher quality than pedigree. But even then, the canned food isn't great for them. Most of them are 80% water, even the good quality ones.

In moderation, I've always found garlic to be a brilliant flea repellant, obviously giving too much can be very dangerous, but I've known dogs on garlic every day for their whole lives and they've lived well into their mid-teens.

Shanao

Garlic contains thiosulphate, a toxic ingredient, though thankfully not as much as onions. Garlic is a good flea repellent, but I suppose I should have elaborated and explained that the OP shouldn't give the dog garlic with his food everyday.

Graces7

Wise dog of discrimination and good taste. To be listened to and heeded.

Dry food is not compulsory. Or even very good for dogs.

Raw chicken etc is much healthier and wonderfully enjoyed. Also vegetables cooked in stock, rice, pasta the same. Easy to do too.. We have a slow cooker that always has dog food a brewing.

We keep a bag of kibble in in case of dire need; hardly ever gets used.

And they are reluctant to eat it of course as they are used to better food.

Kibble is totally unnatural.

VERYinterested

When we got our dog she was as fussy, would not eat dry food, we put all sorts of stuff in it to try and coax her to eat. I tried the starvation thing and it resulted in her eating all the other dog's dirt in the park and I had her at the vets every couple of weeks, it was not good! In May last year I tried Luath's food and she was delighted with it, ate it every meal time for 4 weeks without any hassle.

Then she got a little less keen on it. Then I discovered a little trick. When we have roast chicken for dinner I get the carcass and juice and boil it for about twenty minutes. The meat falls off the bone and I take all the bones out and pour the mixture into a dish. I leave it to sit overnight and it turns to jelly and meat. I divide it up into freezer bags, usually you'll get about 12 dog portions. Each night I take a bag out of the freezer and in the morning it's ready to mix in with her Luath's. Sometimes I'll give it a dart in the microwave for about 30 seconds, sometimes she gets it cold. The sound of her plate being licked clean is a joy to behold and I haven't had to have her at the vets since!

ISDW

VERYinterested wrote: »

When we got our dog she was as fussy, would not eat dry food, we put all sorts of stuff in it to try and coax her to eat. I tried the starvation thing and it resulted in her eating all the other dog's dirt in the park and I had her at the vets every couple of weeks, it was not good! In May last year I tried Luath's food and she was delighted with it, ate it every meal time for 4 weeks without any hassle.

Then she got a little less keen on it. Then I discovered a little trick. When we have roast chicken for dinner I get the carcass and juice and boil it for about twenty minutes. The meat falls off the bone and I take all the bones out and pour the mixture into a dish. I leave it to sit overnight and it turns to jelly and meat. I divide it up into freezer bags, usually you'll get about 12 dog portions. Each night I take a bag out of the freezer and in the morning it's ready to mix in with her Luath's. Sometimes I'll give it a dart in the microwave for about 30 seconds, sometimes she gets it cold. The sound of her plate being licked clean is a joy to behold and I haven't had to have her at the vets since!

The stock from chicken carcass is brilliant. Obviously its working great for you, but just a word of warning, although you would have noticed if she'd been putting on weight, I use it for getting weight onto underweight dogs, as you've noticed, the jelly is in it, pure fat. So if you think she's putting on weight, just cut down slightly on the kibble.

Well done for coming up with a solution that works and that your dog loves:D

portgirl123

Graces7 wrote: »

Wise dog of discrimination and good taste. To be listened to and heeded.

Dry food is not compulsory. Or even very good for dogs.

Raw chicken etc is much healthier and wonderfully enjoyed. Also vegetables cooked in stock, rice, pasta the same. Easy to do too.. We have a slow cooker that always has dog food a brewing.

We keep a bag of kibble in in case of dire need; hardly ever gets used.

And they are reluctant to eat it of course as they are used to better food.

Kibble is totally unnatural.

sounds good, but would a dog get everything it needs out of this diet?

LucyBliss

The Raw Food diet is considered more natural to what a dog is biologically set up to consume, from what I've read on it. If given in the right amounts to suit your breed and their eating habits, it will give them everything they need. It's the price and set up that can put people off but I have seen freezers in some pet shops where a company (can't remember the name right now) have packets of the raw food and you would just defrost it and give it to your dog, like you would with the portions you'd set out yourself.

A friend of mine switched her dogs over to the diet last year; the dog was getting allergic reactions to beat the band, she tried every brand of dog food available and it looked like the dog would need daily shots. So she tried it as a last resort and it worked fantastically. The dog is thriving on it.

**Vai**

Shanao wrote: »

I'm sure the veg oil is okay, but garlic is actually poisonous to dogs.

Apparently the dry stuff isnt bad, Im talking a pinch once or twice a week anyway, it would take a few cloves to start making the dog sick.

**Vai**

Really, we should all be eating raw meat ourselves but its just not realistically possible. Dogs have survived on kibble for a long time now and although its as unnatural to them as pasta is to us, we survive.

Honey-ec

The raw food movement has just as much going against it as it does for it - there are pros and cons to every type of diet. I did a LOT of research about BARFing (as it's charmingly referred to) a year or two ago and decided against it in the end.

ISDW

Honey-ec wrote: »

The raw food movement has just as much going against it as it does for it - there are pros and cons to every type of diet. I did a LOT of research about BARFing (as it's charmingly referred to) a year or two ago and decided against it in the end.

BARF and raw feeding are two different things.

Honey-ec

ISDW wrote: »

BARF and raw feeding are two different things.

Not really - some people consider BARF different because of its high veg. content, but I really don't consider Bones And Raw Food fundamentally different to raw feeding.

Graces7

portgirl123 wrote: »

sounds good, but would a dog get everything it needs out of this diet?

Absolutely so. We have healthy dogs, shiny coats, bright eyes and a great deal of pleasure on all counts.

Dry food is a relatively new thing; dogs were fed on table scraps many generations. Feeding dogs well is simple and cheap.

For us it was reading what went into kibble in the US andn Canada and Europe that made us forbid kibble. Dead cats and dogs especially.

And we share the slow cooker meals with the dogs. We get raw chicken cheaply here and that is the basis of their diet.

Graces7

**Vai** wrote: »

Really, we should all be eating raw meat ourselves but its just not realistically possible. Dogs have survived on kibble for a long time now and although its as unnatural to them as pasta is to us, we survive.

Strange analogy. And pleasure matters too; food is a gift and a joy.

ISDW

Graces7 wrote: »

Absolutely so. We have healthy dogs, shiny coats, bright eyes and a great deal of pleasure on all counts.

Dry food is a relatively new thing; dogs were fed on table scraps many generations. Feeding dogs well is simple and cheap.

For us it was reading what went into kibble in the US andn Canada and Europe that made us forbid kibble. Dead cats and dogs especially.

And we share the slow cooker meals with the dogs. We get raw chicken cheaply here and that is the basis of their diet.

Please stop scaremongering. Put up the evidence to that statement, or maybe retract it. And surely not Canada, they wouldn't allow that, would they?

I too have healthy dogs, shiny coats, bright eyes and OMG, they're fed mainly kibble:eek:

ISDW

Honey-ec wrote: »

Not really - some people consider BARF different because of its high veg. content, but I really don't consider Bones And Raw Food fundamentally different to raw feeding.

But they are actually two different things. BARF is almost a trademark name now.

Graces7

ISDW wrote: »

Please stop scaremongering. Put up the evidence to that statement, or maybe retract it. And surely not Canada, they wouldn't allow that, would they?

I too have healthy dogs, shiny coats, bright eyes and OMG, they're fed mainly kibble:eek:

Well ok; no need to be aggressive.

Not scaremongering either; unpalatable facts re US and Canadian kibble and not sure now re European.. Remember cannibal cows and BSE?

I have not the time to google this given this connection but true it is and that is why we rarely feed kibble, period. A matter of.. taste.. also home cooked is much cheaper which matters to us greatly as pensioners.

I was appalled to read of it by the way. As of course you are. But prefer always to be sure what I am feeding and in home cooking am sure..

ISDW

Graces7 wrote: »

Well ok; no need to be aggressive.

Not scaremongering either; unpalatable facts re US and Canadian kibble and not sure now re European.. Remember cannibal cows and BSE?

I have not the time to google this given this connection but true it is and that is why we rarely feed kibble, period. A matter of.. taste.. also home cooked is much cheaper which matters to us greatly as pensioners.

I was appalled to read of it by the way. As of course you are. But prefer always to be sure what I am feeding and in home cooking am sure..

Please point out where in my post I am aggressive. You cannot make a statement like that without backing it up. But maybe you feel you have a sovereign right to do so?

I do indeed remember cannibal cows, so do you and your dogs never eat beef?

Cherry Blossom

Graces7 wrote: »

For us it was reading what went into kibble in the US andn Canada and Europe that made us forbid kibble. Dead cats and dogs especially.

And we share the slow cooker meals with the dogs. We get raw chicken cheaply here and that is the basis of their diet.

I agree that an awful lot of 'bad quality' dry foods exist, there are a lot more 'bad quality' wet foods though and you have not mentioned those.

You cannot however tar the entire worldwide industy of dog kibble with the same brush though! I would be very interested to know what brand this emergency bag of kibble is that you keep? There is a lot of conflicting expert opinion on whether commercially prepared/ nutritionally correct home cooked food or raw feeding in its various forms win out. And yes commercially prepared and home cooked food are on the same side of the balance, they are basically the same thing but either have to be nutritionally correct. As I am no expert on canine nutrition I will go for the option that is manufactured with input from people who are every time.

It looks like you have looked into an awful lot of very low quality foods. Is it normal for dog food here to be imported from the US and Canada? I wouldn't have thought that to make good business sence as it would decrease the profit margins or make the product massively expensive.

This thread has gone way off topic now.