Author Topic: I think my dogs don't like their food  (Read 4568 times)

Offline macybean

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I think my dogs don't like their food
« on: September 09, 2006, 02:59:44 pm »
They're interested in anything I eat, of course, and they love, love, love canned food and those rolls from Natural Balance.

I feed Natural Balance dry food (the blue bag) right now. I fed Nutro Natural Choice and Eukanuba Natural before this (I guess I have a thing for foods labeled "natural"). They seemed to like Nutro and Eukanuba. Sadie's always been a pretty picky eater (and will get loose stool pretty easily), and I think Eukanuba was her favorite. I know there are issues with Iams (Eukanuba), though, so I don't really want to go back to it.

Not that my dogs look underfed, but I want them to like their food and not eat it because they are super hungry from not eating! That food thread that popped back up made me think about this. It's such a dog-specific thing... But also such a pain to figure out!
« Last Edit: September 09, 2006, 03:05:45 pm by macybean »

Offline shangrila

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Re: I think my dogs don't like their food
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2006, 03:06:38 pm »
One thing you can do if you don't think they like the taste is mix in something - beef broth, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc that will 'enhance' the flavor.
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Offline macybean

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Re: I think my dogs don't like their food
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2006, 03:11:56 pm »
I've tried that a few times, and they love it. I have to be careful, though, b/c Sadie gets loose poop so easily. Maybe if I add the same thing each time, she'll get used to it.

Also, what would be the best thing to add to avoid upset stomachs? I know that she likes cottage cheese (anything dairy), but dairy isn't the best for her (gas, tummy issues). Beef broth sounds like a good option, but is salt an issue? (I only have a kitchen b/c it came with the house, so if this is a stupid question, I apologize. I just thought that canned foods were high in sodium.)  :D

I tried those gravies from Iams a year ago to help with this, but she wasn't that interested in them.


Offline shangrila

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Re: I think my dogs don't like their food
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2006, 03:27:35 pm »
Yeah, canned beef broth is usually pretty high in sodium, but they make low-sodium ones. Also, one thing you can do that is kinda like broth that I know someone else on BPO does is soak some meat in warm water, and that will make meat-flavored water that you can add (with the meat ;) ) to their food
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Offline macybean

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Re: I think my dogs don't like their food
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2006, 04:06:36 pm »
I'm not opposed to trying another food; I was just going with the suggestion, since my dogs have liked added stuff in the past. I guess I just worry about making sure they get on a "good" food (the definition of which seems to vary person to person) and about Sadie being able to handle it, stomach-wise.

I've tried Innova Evo with my cats, and they didn't do well on it. They didn't like Chicken Soup (and their poop was loose and smelled much worse than usual) and ended up back on Nutro Natural Choice Indoor formula (green bag only-one cat throws up on any other flavor), which they love. I was thinking of trying the dogs on Innova or Solid Gold. We briefly tried Wellness but was told by the people who run the little pet store we shop at that it was probably too rich for my dogs, since they are still so young. They didn't seem all that into Wellness, either. I think they're holding out for an all canned food, raw meat, or cooked by mom diet. ;)

It's a big experiment, and there's such a juxtaposition between my picky eaters and the rottie next door, Shaggy, who will eat whatever I give him. My dogs even turn their noses up at most dry treats (especially Mother Hubbard and Natural Balance for some reason). LOL


Offline kathryn

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Re: I think my dogs don't like their food
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2006, 04:12:14 pm »
I think it's the Natural Balance treats and not your pups.  Mine eat the Natural Balance kibble and love it but they can't stand the treats.  I didn't think we were ever going to get through that small bag and neither did they. 

I am on the food search as well.  I just added my story to the what do you feed your dog thread. 
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Offline shangrila

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Re: I think my dogs don't like their food
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2006, 04:06:55 am »
We briefly tried Wellness but was told by the people who run the little pet store we shop at that it was probably too rich for my dogs, since they are still so young. They didn't seem all that into Wellness, either
I'm suprised to hear that, since Zoey also has sensitive tummy issues, and wellness was one of the only brands she did well on. ironically though, I switched her off of it because she stopped liking it after they got a "new and improved taste"
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Offline hugo~monster

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Re: I think my dogs don't like their food
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2006, 04:27:55 am »
Part of the problem is very similar to the problem with getting kids to eat their veggies.  Poorer quality foods have loads of artificial flavors that are very yummy, so they make the food extra palatable--but that doesn't mean they are better, just that they taste better.  Kind of like a kid choosing Cheetos over green beans as a side dish.

This is an excellent way of putting that!!  Wish I had thought of it  ;)  But you are correct.  Just because a dog eats it up doesnt mean it is good (nutritionally) for him.  Antifreeze tastes good to dogs, but obviously is a bad bad thing.  When a customer comes in the store and says their dog love XXX brand whether it be kibbles n bits or moist and meaty (fill in any low quality brand) but they wont eat wellness, innova (fill in any high quaility brand) I usually tell the customer well it is like trying to raise your kids on potato chips and candy.  just because they love it doesnt mean it is healthy.  you cant have good health on junkfood, same with the dogs....

One thing to mention, another customer came and said his dog had been eating happily a certain good quaility brand.  that was what he always bought, same brand, same formula everything.  Then about 3/4 into a bag the dog stopped eating it.  He could not make her eat it.  In fact she turned her nose up to it in disgust.  He found that very odd since she was NOT a picky eater, so he contacted the company and he sent the remained of the bag in for analysis.  Come to find out a little dampness had found its way into the sealed bag (a processing/packaging error) and caused a dangerous mold to grow affecting the bottom portion of that bag of dog food.  They told him it was a good thing the dog smelled/sensed/detected that mold.  The company sent him out several coupons for free bags.  it was not the Diamond mold that happened a few months ago, but this was in Nutro Natural CHoice.  WHich I am a big fan of and feed currently.
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