Feeding your dog is a way to meet one of their most basic needs. Dog owners can be alarmed when their dog “inhales” their food or eats it very fast. Owners can equally be concerned when their dog picks or fusses at their food.
It’s difficult when you have a dog that can’t clearly communicate why they pick at their food. A common question among dog owners is how to get a picky dog to eat.
People that own dogs like Pugs and Labradors; usually have little to worry about, as these breeds are hearty eaters and live for their mealtimes! Dog breeds, like the Maltase and German Shepherds have potential to be less than enthusiastic about their food. Often, they eat because their instincts tell them they must have energy.
What can be done if your dog is among the ones that does not show great excitement when the food dish comes around? In this article, How to Get a Picky Dog to Eat, we’ll look at identifying a picky eater, reasons dogs can be picky eaters, tips for how to get a picky dog to eat and knowing when to call your veterinarian.
Is My Dog a Picky Eater?
Whether you are a new dog owner or a seasoned dog owner that is used to having a dog that shows excitement at mealtimes. Either way, it’s good to try and identify if your dog is truly a picky eater, slow eater or showing the beginning signs of an illness.
Before we dive into how to get a picky dog to eat, we will look at five common ways to identify a dog as a picky eater.
- Your dog is fussy at mealtime, spreading their food about without eating it.
- It takes your dog more then 20 minutes to eat their food.
- Refuses the food in the dog dish but is happy to eat table scraps or doggie snacks.
- The dog has lost interest in mealtime and does not even come over to the dish.
- Your dog plays with their food, spitting it in and out.
If your dog does one or more of the above, you might have a picky eater on your hands. Before you begin switching dog food brands and flavors, we’ll look at the many reasons dogs can be picky eaters.
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How to Get a Picky Dog to Eat: Reasons for a Picky Dog
It can be stressful knowing your dog is not eating their daily food. Dog food is formulated to provide your dog with a balanced diet of nutrients and vitamins. It is important our dogs eat to stay strong and healthy.
Why do dog become picky eaters? There are many reasons that your dog could be turning their head at mealtimes.
Your dog prefers food off your plate or “table scraps”. The size of the dog and breed of the dog does not matter when it comes to begging for people food. Once your dog has sampled one of your meals, they might prefer that over their dog food.
While some “people food” is good for your dog, there is plenty that can bring harm to your dog. Food that was pre-prepared or came from a box/package could have harmful preservatives, seasonings, fillers, and hidden ingredients that can make your dog quite ill.
Food that is toxic to dogs include, chocolate, alcohol, grapes, raisins, onions, alcohol sugars like xylitol, candy, yeast in dough, and citrus. For the health of your dog, keep this food away from your dog.
Toxic food may not show up with a sudden illness. Sometimes the illness can occur over time. Inappropriate people food could give your dog specific symptoms. A few symptoms that would make a dog not want to eat are intestinal gas, abdominal pain, and lethargy.
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The American Kennel Club says that picky eating is tied to your dog’s genetics. It’s no secret that Labrador Retrievers are known to live for mealtimes. They are usually not among the picky eaters. German Shepherds have specific dietary needs that their dog food might not be providing, that can make them slow to eat their food.
Maltese and Yorkshire Terriers are known to be sensitive to taste and textures of dog food. The Pekingese and Bison Frise love their treats and can fill up on special snacks and turn their nose up at regular mealtimes.
As we learn how to get a picky dog to eat, we can look at more reasons for fussy eaters.
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Your dog ingested a foreign object. Dogs are curious and one way to explore their world is through taste. There are still dogs that just like to eat their favorite human articles like hair ties, pacifiers, socks, blanket pieces, and even underwear.
Nonedible foreign objects can cause an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract. Your dog might feel uncomfortable for days and even weeks as their body tries to process the foreign object.
In some cases, your dog could begin to vomit, become lethargic or have diarrhea. Contact your veterinarian immediately if you suspect they swallowed a foreign object.
Stress can contribute to a dog becoming a picky eater. Dogs are sensitive to routines, especially when it comes to eating times. If your schedule is about to change, and you need to feed your dog at different times, transition slowly to the new mealtime.
Dogs could become stressed if your family moved to a new home or someone in the family goes away to school. The stress levels of the home environment can be sensed by your dog as well. As the stress goes up, your dog stops eating, then you need to know how to get a picky dog to eat.
Your dog is holding out for better options. If they wait long enough, they can convince their owners to give them people food or switch to a different flavor dog food. It’s good to remember that dogs are opportunists.
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Anxiety can be a reason for a picky eater. Dogs can become anxious for many reasons. One reason is your dog might not have had adequate socialization. Lack of early socialization does not allow the dogs to know how to deal with strangers, children, other dogs, small animals, and different sounds. Therefore, they are fearful of the world around them.
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Separation anxiety can be a very a real reason dogs refuse treats and regular meals. Dogs demonstrate their anxiety through barking, destructive behaviors, eliminating in the house, and not eating regular meals.
Age can play a role in your older dog developing anxiety. Older dogs can develop cognitive dysfunction syndrome that affects their memory and perception of their surroundings. Older dogs that were great eaters in their younger years, can become picky as they age.
One often overlooked reason that people want to know how to get a picky dog to eat is for illness or dental issues.
Your dog may develop negative association to food that makes them sick. If you find that they have a sensitive stomach, you may try a food specifically formulated for sensitive stomachs.
Dental issues can account for dogs becoming picky eaters. They might have a cracked tooth, a loose tooth, missing tooth or developed periodontal disease. Your dog might eat slowly, drool during mealtimes and have bad breath.
Signs to look for are blood on chew toys, lumps or bumps in the mouth, bloody saliva and even being shy about you touching their head.
If you suspect your dog has dental issues, make an appointment with your veterinarian.
Now that we know the many reasons a dog could be a picky eater, we can incorporate tips to aid your dog into eating regular meals.
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Tips for How to Get a Picky Dog to Eat
Now that we’ve looked at the many reasons your dog could be a picky eater, we’ll dive in with suggestions that have worked for other dog owners.
Tip #1: Establish a routine. Dogs like schedules. Feed your dog around the same time every single day.
Tip #2: Allow your dog 15-20 minutes to eat their meals. Fill their dog dish with the appropriate amount of food, call them over and set it in front of them. Allow the dog 15 minutes to decide if they are going to eat that food.
After the designated time, pick up the food and put it away until the next mealtime. Canned or moist food will need to be thrown away. Dry food can also dry out further. Be sure to keep the food in a sealed container.
Tip #3: Reduce daily treats. Decide if refraining from treats during the day will encourage your dog to eat their food. Your dog will not allow themselves to starve, but they will try to convince you that regular treats are wonderful.
Note about treats: Treats were made for training and rewarding our dogs. Most were not intended to replace a well-balanced and formulated dog food.
Tip #4: Try a variety of food textures. If using kibble, add in semi-moist food or wet food. Once you find a texture your dog enjoys, stick with it.
Tip #5: Choose a topper for dry kibble. Crumble boiled or scrambled eggs, cooked vegetables like green beans and broccoli, salad sprouts, sardines (salt free/packed in water), and cooked chicken.
Warning: Once you begin adding a topper to your dog’s food, you will need to be consistent.
Tip #6: Increase food appeal with chicken broth. Homemade chicken broth (made without onions/garlic) and commercial (salt-free) chicken broth adds moisture, natural collagen and nutrients to your dog’s mealtime.
Changing food textures was one of the tips for how to get a picky dog to eat. Should you decide to change dog food textures, dog food brands, or incorporate homemade toppers, always do introductions slowly.
4 Steps for Changing Dog Foods – in How to Get a Picky Dog to Eat
- Gradually mix the new food in with the old food ¼ new food with ¾ old food for several days.
- Mix ½ new food with ½ old food for several days.
- Mix ¾ new food with ¼ old food for several days.
- Serve new food. Make a note of healthy stools for confirmation the switch was successful.
How to Get a Picky Dog to Eat: Know When to Call the Professionals
It’s important to know when to call a veterinarian when trying to figure out how to get a picky dog to eat. One huge area of concern is illness whether it be chronic or sudden.
5 Reasons to call the Veterinarian Immediately
- If you currently had a dog that was a good eater, and they suddenly stop eating.
- Puppies under 6 months old.
- Vomiting, diarrhea, tired, and weight changes in your dog.
- Diagnosed with diabetes.
- The dog appears to want to eat but fuses with their food.
When you talk to your veterinarian about how to get a picky dog to eat:
Stay calm and provide useful information.
It’s helpful if you can tell them the approximate time your dog last ate and drank water. Know the quantity of food they ate as well. Let the vet know the time of your dog’s last stool and was it firm or loose.
Any events that led up to the appetite change or illness, whether it be travel, a visit to the dog park, or puppy training class, it is all helpful information.
Sometimes we are not able to trouble-shoot why our dogs are not eating their food, in this case it’s best to talk to the professionals trained in veterinarian medicine.
How to Get a Picky Dog to Eat: Goal is a Healthy Dog
Ultimately the goal for getting your picky dog to eat is so they will be healthy and increase their longevity.
Once you identify whether your dog is truly picky then you can move on to how to get a picky dog to eat.
It is not always easy to figure out the reasons why our dogs are not interested in eating. The biggest place to begin is avoid sharing your meals and snacks, reduce anxiety when possible, keep stress to a minimum and rule out they haven’t digested a foreign object.
When navigating how to get a picky dog to eat, remember to establish a routine. Your dog will quickly pick up on mealtimes and hopefully get nourishment every day. If needed, try food toppers and flavor enhancers like chicken broth.
“Always take care of your dog, because he will always be there for you.” Leila Grandemange
Your dog is worth the extra time and effort to keep them happy and healthy.
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