How do I get a fussy eater onto kibble?

Inexile

I need some suggestions for feeding a fussy greyhound that I’mfostering. Ideally I need tips on how toget it take dried kibble. The dog who isin great condition, in fact is a bitoverweight, was previously fed on chicken, soup and bread. I didn’t know her previous diet so when Igot her so I gave her dried kibble with a bit of fish, as I do all my fosters, and she ate the fish only.

So here is what else I have tried:

Kibble soaked in gravy with fish – only the fish was eaten

Kibble mixed with wet tinned dog food, not good stuff I knowbut usually the dogs lap it up – about ¾of the tinned food was eaten.

Kibble mixed with pate like dog food – hardly touched.

Homemade veg soup with a spoonful of porridge – no good

Added slice of bread to the soup porridge mix – no good.

Added some sausages to the soup,porridge bread mix – she atesome of the sausages but not all of them.

Added cooked chicken breast to the mix and she ate thatonly.

So now I bought some turkey breasts and am added one of themto each meal with some kibble, slice of bread and wet tinned dog food. She eat the turkey but not the rest.

I need to get the dog onto the kibble as I/the rescue cantafford to keep buying her turkey* and most likely her new home will feed her a kibble based diet so I need tomake it easier for them too.

All suggestions welcomed.



(*obviously the rescue would pay for a dog with specialdietary needs but this dog is just fussy and like all rescues at the moment weneed to save money where we can)

Toulouse

Wow! Looks like you've tried all of the combinations.

One thing I've noticed with my fussy grey is portion size. If I put a big bowl of food in front of her she will be put off immediately and will walk away. Smaller portions seem to do the trick for her although seeing the amount of work you've already done on the combos, it's probably something you've already tried.

How are her teeth? Any issues there? I know you've tried softening the kibble so that should have worked if it was indeed an oral problem.

If I were you I'd try poaching some chicken with some veg, softening the kibble with the poaching liquor and mushing in the chicken and veg. Give it to her little and often but take it up if she doesn't eat. I know it's difficult with a fussy dog but all the chopping and changing may be making her hang out longer in case she's going to get something better.

Inexile

Thanks Toulouse . Don't think there is a problem with her teeth, there is some plague on them but I've seen worse and she can eat the turkey no bother.

I will try smaller portions and see how that works but it may difficult when you are trying to feed five dogs at the same time. I will have to take it up if she doesn't eat it as the others will hanging around looking for it otherwise.

I may also amend your poaching idea and put some kibble in some chicken stock and see does that work.

Normally I would just try and stick it out but her stomach was rumbling yesterday which put me on a guilt trip.

Toulouse

I know, dogs that won't eat suck for pulling on the heart strings.

But she's not underweight and you are doing a huge favour for the person who adopts her so try not to feel so bad

DBB

I did not know that about portion size, so thanks for the tip Toulouse!
I'd also echo Toulouse's advice to soften the kibble right down to a powdery mush, and then mix it through something she likes. But only a small bit of kibble mush at first, gradually increasing the proportion of it. If you get her to the stage where she's eating a fair bit of the mush, then gradually make it less mushy, so that it gets more of a crunch going.
I'd a foster terrier once who starved for days, eating nothing I offered. Eventually, I discovered that she'd devour home-made brown bread and butter. Not sliced pan brown bread. And not margerine. That was interesting, getting her to eat kibble :-D

Inexile

Just soaked 1 slice of bread (the stuff that looks like white but is meant to have brown in it) and half cup of kibble in chicken stock (the Marco Pierre White stuff no less) shredded the turkey breast and mixed it in.

Little minx eat some of the turkey and left the rest. She even left some of the turkey . This one is weird

Am leaving her in the crate to see if she will nibble at it later on. Will try again tomorrow with even less kibble, - perhaps three pieces!

DBB your terrier had taste. Margarine is yucky stuff and he gave you a chance to hone your baking skills

boomerang

When Boo had a dicky tum during the summer I cut the cooked chicken into little pieces and then added some rice and rice water and turned it into a smoothie with the hand-held blender. Pretty labour intensive I know, but if you mixed it through the kibble at least she wouldn't be able to pick the chicken out and maybe if she accepts that you could gradually phase out adding the smoothie?

I mostly got cooked chickens reduced to clear in Tesco and Dunnes. Used to time it for my way home between 7pm-9pm and if there were a few reduced to clear I'd debone them and freeze the meat in little baggies. They sell a lot of turkey mince reduced to clear too. That might help with the cost?

I'm wondering what this lady ate with the trainer? Maybe she only got fatty meat scraps/bones that they get for free in big bags from the factory? Isn't it very rare to have a picky greyhound? Jaypers you've really tried everything, fair play!

Toulouse

Rare indeed, most of them hoover their food so fast you'd be forgiven for thinking you didn't actually fill the bowl.

Although mine will refuse food to the point where she really starts to look scrawny. When and why she will eat is anyone's guess! Her sister was the same though so maybe a genetic thing, they certainly weren't badly raised. They don't even do treats, just not interested although the sardine ice-lollies during the summer were a hit.

Oh I forgot to add! Sardines and sardine oil can also help sometimes, mush it into the kibble.

Inexile

boomerang wrote: »

Isn't it very rare to have a picky greyhound? QUOTE]

I find they can be funny for a day or two and after a spay op which is to be expected. But this girl is peculiar. She is a large girl, approx. 70lbs, so wouldn't expect her to be too picky . She is getting on well with the other dogs in the house and isnt being shy with us either so don't think she is stressed . Even dogs that I've had that were stressed ate up after their first two days.

I just hate it went a dog leaves me in worse condition than when they came in. It doesn't happen often but after a spay they can lose weight and they sometimes they are transferred before they get the weight back up. This girl hasn't been done yet !

boomerang

Poor aul' Josie was very bad after her spay. She was three. I think the adult bitches find it more painful in the days afterwards but I think greyhounds have a low pain threshold as well!

nala2012

Haven't met a greyhound with a bad appetite or low pain threshold yet and i've met quiet a few! We had a hound who tore the webbing between his toes, looked so sore, even the vet commented how brave he was when it was been cleaned and stitched! Try heating the food, if she was a race dog a lot of them are fed a stew (brown soda bread, rice, veg and meat) or else the kibble is soaked for an hour in hot water.

Inexile

"Haven't met a greyhound with a bad appetite or low pain threshold yet and i've met quiet a few!"


I know this girl is about my 50th foster and I cant get over her.


"Try heating the food, if she was a race dog a lot of them are fed a stew (brown soda bread, rice, veg and meat) or else the kibble is soaked for an hour in hot water."

The sausages I tried were lukewarm but she rejected them. I know some dogs wont eat unless you put warm tea into the food as some trainers give it to them with their food.

I gave her the kibble, bread and turkey this morning. She most of the turkey a only a fraction of the bread and kibble i.e. the bits she couldn't avoid.


Awh well will keep offering it to her and maybe one day she will go for it. May even try the cup of tea trick.

boomerang

nala2012 wrote: »

Haven't met a greyhound with a... low pain threshold yet

You mean you haven't heard of the Greyhound Scream of Death?

("Oh, oh, oh, I stood on a daisy! I think my foot is broken, waaaaaah!")

Inexile

boomerang wrote: »

You mean you haven't heard of the Greyhound Scream of Death?

("Oh, oh, oh, I stood on a daisy! I think my foot is broken, waaaaaah!")

Or in abbreviated form GSOD. When I first encountered the abbreviation I thought it was good sense of danger or something.

Greys can cry like babies over the smallest things or and then be brave troopers over something big.

jimf

a few years back 1 of my springers had a very picky appetite at a young enough age just happened to mention it to a vet one day who advised he may be vitamin b12 deficient maybe some of the more knowledgeable posters on here might give us their thoughts on his thinking he gave me a small bottle of a red syrup 1 teaspoon per day and it certainly improved his eating after about 2 weeks

boomerang

It's an appetite stimulant; my vet will often give a course of Multivit injections for sick or inappetant patients. Never thought of it jimf, nice one.

Inexile

Interesting jimf. But this dog is just fussy. She is in great condition, glossy coat, her thighs are fully covered with hair (some greys aren't). She is just bloody fussy! This morning the offering was turkey and some mash potatoe. I was wondering about taking away the turkey so she would have to eat the remainder but that seems cruel.

I brought a tray of turkey steaks in Aldi. There is about four in a pack and I don't think they are full breasts more like half (unless it was a tiny turkey). She is getting one of those morning and evening which seems like a lot of meat to me but then she is a big dog.

Otherwise she is a pure pet

jimf

funny enough as you say fussy mine was picky he would not eat like the rest as a rule springers are great grubbers

my fella had great condition all over as well you should see him now hes more like a big cuddly bear and could eat for Ireland

but I see where your coming from it can be a nuisance when you have others to feed as well

1 menu for all then you get the sad eye so its off to fridge for something so you don't feel guilty

greys are fab we had them for years as I was growing up people don't actually realise the brilliant and loyal companions they make

Inexile

Small progress.

I got some whole chickens today and roasted them. I then pulled the meat of one , skin and all, put it into a bowl, added some left over potatoe and slice of bread that I have soaked up the juices at the bottom of the roasting tray and gave it to her royal highness.

She ate it all

Not sure if the hunger is getting to her or my cooking is winning her over.. I suspect the former.

I cant believe Im so happy over a dog eating a slice of bread!