Help with fussy eater?

ClubDead

Hi

I’ve an 8 month old Yorkshire terrier that has been a fussy eater since I got her but recently it’s become worse. I’ve feed her Royal Caine (Yorkshire Terrier Junior version) from day 1 and since then tried to vary it up for her in many ways. I tried adding water to make gravy, adding water and mashing it up, mashing it up and adding chicken (or ham). I’ve also tried mixing in a little bit of different brands (Burns) but in every instance she goes off it within a few days.

Our vet says she’s fine, that some dogs are just fussy and that she’ll eventually just get hungry and eat but I don’t like the idea of her not eating. Yorkshire terriers are prone to hypoglycaemia and with her being such a hyper mad little thing I’m afraid she’ll just pass out one day.

Please! Does anyone have any suggestions/tip about how to deal with this????

anniehoo

ClubDead wrote: »

I tried adding water to make gravy, adding water and mashing it up, mashing it up and adding chicken (or ham). I’ve also tried mixing in a little bit of different brands (Burns) but in every instance she goes off it within a few days.

Personally id stop mixing up things every few days just because shes turned her nose up at it. If she knows shes going to get a tasty new variety every few days, im not surprised shes doing this as she knows you'll give in.

What quantity of Royal Canin are you feeding? If the recommended amount there is NO need to add anything else. Us as owners think because a dog food doesnt look appealing, its not appealing to a dog and start adding all sorts of unnecessary ingredients eg. gravy as mentioned.

She's learned to be fussy thats all.

wrote:

Our vet says she’s fine, that some dogs are just fussy and that she’ll eventually just get hungry and eat but I don’t like the idea of her not eating. Yorkshire terriers are prone to hypoglycaemia and with her being such a hyper mad little thing I’m afraid she’ll just pass out one day.

Did you ask your vet about this? They wouldnt recommend leaving her for long periods without food if as a breed this is likely to happen.How common is it?

What ive heard other owners do is place her food down on the ground with no fuss, walk away and leave for 30 mins. If she doesnt eat, take it up and she doesnt get anything until later in the day (set times for yourself). She should learn that you arent going to make a big song and dance over meal times, a routine has been set and if she doesnt eat she gets nothing. Dogs wont starve themselves, but you may find she will seriously test your willpower before she gives in

ClubDead

anniehoo wrote: »

What quantity of Royal Canin are you feeding? If the recommended amount there is NO need to add anything else. Us as owners think because a dog food doesnt look appealing, its not appealing to a dog and start adding all sorts of unnecessary ingredients eg. gravy as mentioned.


Did you ask your vet about this? They wouldnt recommend leaving her for long periods without food if as a breed this is likely to happen.How common is it?

I feed her 45g of dry food (in accordance with her body weight). I started adding in chicken/ham out of desperation tbh, it got to the stage were she would pick her food and maybe eat 15g for the whole day!

I read about hypoglycaemia and panicked mainly because she is so hyper and doesnt seem to know her own limits. I havent asked my vet about this condition because I suspect he already thinks Im a crazed over protective owner He said that missing a meal would do her no harm but I just want to see her eat as she's a tiny little thing. Ive never know a dog to have such little interest in food!

Thanks for the advice.

anniehoo

We all worry about our pets, but i think you need to take a step back for a minute and ask yourself why the vet would think you're a "crazed protective owner"? He doesnt...you do which means you know already you're worrying too much.

Yorkies have very delicate digestive systems as you know, so keeping to the same food is preferable over chopping and changing. Some dogs dont need the recommended allowance to satisfy them. Its "recommended" not "essential"! If shes energetic and not losing condition then id be happy enough. Break her meals up into 2 or 3 daily portions, be strict for 1 week with her and see how you get on.

DogsFirst

ClubDead wrote: »

I feed her 45g of dry food (in accordance with her body weight). I started adding in chicken/ham out of desperation tbh, it got to the stage were she would pick her food and maybe eat 15g for the whole day!

I read about hypoglycaemia and panicked mainly because she is so hyper and doesnt seem to know her own limits. I havent asked my vet about this condition because I suspect he already thinks Im a crazed over protective owner He said that missing a meal would do her no harm but I just want to see her eat as she's a tiny little thing. Ive never know a dog to have such little interest in food!

Thanks for the advice.

Try a little salmon brine on her food (avoid veg oil on dry food, it's already high in all that stuff). She'll lap that up, then over time, add in the fish (5% more each day). No dog says no to salmon!! €1.20 in aldi! Oils great for her skin and coat too.

Interesting, the pickiness thing is all about experience while young (drinking amniotic fluid, mothers milk, food regurgitated by parents, first 6 wks of food), they build their food selection process on this. Dogs kept on one protein source do not try new proteins, those fed only plant will eat no meat, those fed only meat eat little plants, those on a mixed diet while young (or if mother ate different things) will try all sorts. Bit of trivia!

Vince32

Honestly in my experience dogs just might not be hungry when you decide its feeding time, stick to the plan and feed her allowance meal / day.

If she turns her noes up and doesn't eat in 5 minutes, take it up and give it back in 30 minutes, when she is hungry she will eat - She Wont! if she is Given an Option -

Remove the option and she will realise in a day or two that she eats what she is given, or she doesn't eat.

Also, if you use treats as a reward for training, discount the weight from her food, her appetite might be spoiled by between meals feeding. For the next few days stop giving her treats and see if she has a better appetite at meal times.

Gravy is mainly corn, starch, maize, we humans love the stuff it tastes great and makes a meal better, but it can be bad for you dog, as a rule I only feed my dog treats, foods or snacks that are "first ingredient meat".

As already said, salmon oil is great, add a teaspoon to each meal, roughly 5ml.

SingItOut

My Jack russel was like that for the first year of her life and I know first hand how frustrating it is trying to find something they will actually eat! With the cairn terrier x we had before my jack russel, she had my mam jumping through hoops trying to get her to eat. In the end all she would eat were the ham and cheese from dairylea lunchables! :P

You can get a food called natures harvest (I get mine in pet mania but i'm sure it can be got else where too), Its a non jelly, non fatty , high meat wet food. Its only €1.25 per tray. One tray lasts my dog a week because you only need the tiniest little chunk to mix in with her dry nuts as the wet food crumbles and coats the nuts. Unlike unhealthy wet food it doesn't clump together in big chunks so your dog can't be sneaky and only eat the meat around the nuts. It also contains salmon oil. Natures Harvest Adult & Natures Harvest Puppy

Small dogs are a pain when it comes to finding food they like! Everyone here has given great advice so just keep trying and whatever she likes the most don't change it when she decides she doesn't like it