Picky eater

[sesakaso4]

My border collie Princess is one of the world's pickiest eaters. I spent the whole first year I had her trying to find a food she would eat. I tried the "she won't let herself starve" method. Almost a week into it the vet said feed her wet food. Tried pretty much all of those I could find and the only 2 she would eat was One Source and Blue Buffalo. The vet recommended I mix her dry food(Authority grain free) with it. The moment it crunched she decided she wasn't even eating wet food anymore. After a lot of trial and error(and a few creative ways of "tricking" her into eating) I found that she will eat Taste of the Wild, Blue Buffalo, and One Source dry foods...eating isn't her favorite thing to do, but she is eating enough that she is maintaining her body weight.

 

Taste of the Wild is what she's on now but it gives her and the new puppy HORRIBLE gas. I remember my mom saying that's why she switched her dog off of it. Does anyone use either Blue Buffalo or One Source? Any problems with gas? Both are more expensive than TOTW so I don't really want to blindly try another. Or is there something I can add to the food to make it not so bad? I'm starting to consider buying a family pack of gas masks(and a few extra for guests)! Anyone else have a picky eater that may use a food I havent tried?

[GentleLake]

I can't help with the picky eating, but maybe I can help with the gas.

 

Not sure, since I haven't tried it yet, but I just ordered a product called Gas Be Gone. It's a blend of herbs and digestive enzymes. Chewables made by PetNC. I ordered it from Swanson (https://www.swansonvitamins.com/) though I'm sure you could find it other places. If you look into Swanson, be sure to sign up for their email list. They offer lots of discounts.

 

FWIW, I also ordered activated charcoal at the same time to try. My dogs are all raw fed and they can have some really nuclear farts if i feed pork or turkey when they haven't had it for a while. Bad enough at home, but kinda awful when Bodhi's making therapy visits.

[Cass C]

As for the picky eating just get a small bag of the food you are wanting to try or ask for samples of foods (some pet stores will give you free samples if you just ask.)

 

Also have you tried adding something smelly like fish oil or plain low sodium broth to the food? When my dog decides to be picky she will usually eat the food with fish oil.

[sesakaso4]

I haven't tried fish oil, but I did try broth. She didn't eat it. I will try the fish oil thoughand see how that goes. And let me know if the herbal blend works. I'd prefer not to have to change her food again.

[Chanse]

I second the fish oil. I use grizzlys salmon oil with Orijen kibble. My pup never cared much for kibble (he ate it, just was never impressed). Now he will go back to lick his bowl to make sure he got all the fish oil.

Also, it might help to use a supplement for intestinal health. The honest kitchen makes an herbal supplement called Perfect Form which is for GI health. This helped a lot when my pup was suffering from loose stools (EDT: after ruling out medical issues), and it is supposed to help with gas, but I can't say how effective it is. I always just mixed the recommended amount with some PB and kibble, and my pup seemed to enjoy it (the fennel in it adds a very strong smell, I guess a lot of dogs like it, some dogs don't). This stuff is kinda pricey though, I only bought 1 jar of it for ~$15 and I think I used it over about a month or two. I was happy with how my pup was doing after it ran out so I haven't bought it again. I definitely will buy it again if my pup starts to have some prolonged digestive upset though, I do believe that it helped.

 

Lastly, the honest kitchen (I like their supplements) also makes Pro Bloom. Not sure if this will help, but it is another product aimed at intestinal health so I thought I would mention it. It is a dehydrated goats milk with pro biotics. You can use it to add moisture to the kibble if you want, I just used it as a drink for my pup. I started using it when my pup got sick and he loved the stuff. He would lick the bowl clean and then look at me for some more (once he realized that I wasn't giving him more he would lick the bowl a few more times just to make sure he got it all).

 

EDIT: Just wanted to add that I have no idea how effective Pro Bloom is. My pup liked it and it supposedly has probiotics in it. My pup was having some GI issues after being sick and I just wanted to get him something that might help his recovery. Also, since he found it so delicious I figured I would mention it as an option to add to kibble. Like others have mentioned, raw goat milk might be even better. Pro Bloom was just convenient for me.

 

Good luck with the eating and gas issues.

[GentleLake]

My dogs are re-acclimating to pork now, so it won't be guaranteed that the Gas Be Gone will be the cause if they're not gassy next time feed it.

 

Another thing that might help with both eating and gas would be to try adding some yogurt or kefir. Both have good probiotics, though I think kefir may have more, or at least different ones from yogurt.

 

I also use Grizzly salmon oil. You may want to start out on the lower end and work up, as some people find their dogs get loose stools if they add fish oil too quickly.

[Liz P]

1) Get your dog to your vet to rule out medical problems such as parasites (not all show up on a simple float), IBD, food allergies, IGS, etc.

 

Don't move on to numbers two and three until you have addressed number one.

 

2) Pick a good food and stick with it. Changing foods all the time just makes them more picky. The rule is, "eat it or lose it."

 

3) In 99% of the cases where owners are telling me they have a picky eater, the dog is either ideal weight or obese. Are you sure your dog is picky or just calorie eater (only consuming as many calories as she needs)? Most young Border Collies are on the thin side. Most pet owners try to keep their dogs overweight because they are not used to seeing fit dogs.

 

Yogurt really doesn't have enough live bacteria to make much difference. There are probiotic supplements from several companies that work very well.

[waffles]

I just googled pro bloom and man, I need to start dehydrating my goat milk and selling it for $24/lb! I could be rich in the pet market. I give my dog some of our goats' milk sometimes just cause he likes it and we have so much of it. But it is fresh and raw, much different than pasteurized and dehydrated.

 

I would just second what Liz said as well. Before spending money on fancy products I would spend my money on a vet visit first. If your dog is not underweight, then there probably isn't a problem, from the dog's perspective anyways.

[gcv-border]

Waffles - you are lucky to have fresh goat milk. Too bad about the fact that US regulations require pasteurization. I prefer no pasteurization, but there is no way to get it here in VA unless I invest in a goat or cow and milk it.

 

Not sure is $24 per lb (of dried product) would be enough. What percent of goat milk is water? Then do the math.

[waffles]

Some states including NY where I live do allow raw milk to be sold but with lots of regulation. I believe pasteurization takes a lot away from the milk we work hard to create, plus it would add a lot of labor for me.

 

I guess I was just rubbed the wrong way by that product as I feel it is marketed as goats milk as the selling point but it is cooked (pasteurized) and dehydrated which takes out the good stuff... Which is why the product even states "with added probiotics and digestive enzymes". If they could sell it fresh and raw, you wouldn't have to add back some of what was taken out by cooking, as those are naturally occurring in raw goats milk. With usda licensed farms near me selling raw goat milk for $10/gallon, I would rather buy that if I felt my dog needed it. It is too bad a lot of states don't allow the sale of it (here in ny raw has to be sold on site).

 

I caught a quick piece on NPR a week or so ago about how some states are trying to regulate raw milk, basically because they know people are buying/selling it already.

[Chanse]

I guess I was just rubbed the wrong way by that product as I feel it is marketed as goats milk as the selling point but it is cooked (pasteurized) and dehydrated which takes out the good stuff... Which is why the product even states "with added probiotics and digestive enzymes".

 

This is getting a little off topic, but I do want to point out that the honest kitchen does actually understand this and have posted about their process. The pasteurization is why they added the probiotics and enzymes. Basically, they know that pasteurization reduces the nutritional value, so they supplement it after pasteurizing. While I know their goal is to make money, they do still seem to be a decent company that still holds onto some of its values (which is definitely not true of many other companies). Here's a quote from their site, and they even mention a raw alternative from a company called Answers (their site has a list of stores that sell their products).

 

Of course, it’s not the same as fresh milk, but the trade of is a shelf stable product that doesn't have to be refrigerated or frozen. I think there will be customers for both types of products; those who demand a truly raw form and those who like the idea of a potent probiotic / enzyme supplement in a really delicious, appealing format! For customers who do want a truly raw product, there are some already available on the market that we love, such as Answers, which is frozen.

 

http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/thk-blog/pro-bloom-a-unique-product-and-a-unique-process/

[Liz P]

I bought their dehydrated goat milk product to use for my last litter of pups. It was really convenient to have for weaning them. I mixed that with water and canned salmon puppy food for their "soup." They LOVED it.

 

I did fresh, raw goat milk for my litter before that, but it got expensive and inconvenient to keep picking up fresh milk.

[RemsMom]

My dogs (three) and cats (two) have been fed TOTW for a few years now and have thrived on it. Even my Miniature Schnauzer who had severe allergies (she would toss back most food given to her a couple of hours after feeding). How long have you been feeding TOTW? I'm not promoting the food but have you given it a chance to settle with your dogs? I tend to be overly cautious when changing foods and take a longer time to switch then recommended. I wouldn't worry about a picky eater as long as they are not underweight. My Schnauzer could be very picky but she was never underweight so I just fed her what agreed with her tummy and let it go. Good luck finding a food that agrees with your dogs.

[sesakaso4]

Princess has been on TOTW for about 6 months now and Malachi has been on it since I brought him home. My akita has been on it(he is allergic to just about everything) for 3 years. All of them clear the room, even the guilty party leaves the room till it airs out. I personally LOVE TOTW but I don't want to have to buy a gas mask to continue living in my home...hahaha

[simba]

I like drinking unpateurized milk (can't say I've noticed much difference in taste though, but then I don't get wine tasting either) but I get the 'no raw sold' thing. Too many people used to get sick.

 

Why the enzymes? Is it for dogs with pancreas problems who can't produce their own? Because for anyone else, there's no likely benefit to enzymes in food.

[waffles]

I don't think people drink raw milk for better taste but rather they think it is healthier in it's natural state. It would just be too much work for me to pasteurize our milk. I also know exactly how it is handled and chilled since I do it, so I feel safe drinking it. I don't know how I would feel buying raw milk from someone though.

 

I do think that pet supplements, just like human ones are mostly a cash grab. Most don't need them and are just a waste of money. Just look at the supplements recently pulled from shelves that didn't even have the ingredients in them that were on the label! And I'm sure people who bought those thought they were 'working'.

[SS Cressa]

Have you tried Fromm or Victor? I have a dog who is allergic to fish and any fish oil. Another one was allergic to rosemary extract. And my youngest one was super picky. He is already skinny and has never had any to spare. As a pup he would turn his nose up to most dry food. Like just wouldn't touch it. I found he likes food with certain protein and fats. He really liked Fromm and he is now on Victors with success. We ended up doing homemade food for a bit which he LOVE like begging for more. (Also how I figured what my dogs were allergic to! If I added any type of fish my one dog would get a reaction... we tried sardines, cod, salmon, herring, fish oil, alaskan salmon oil all ended with her super itchy, bad coat, bad stool, etc...)

[Riika]

I have two picky eaters and for the most part I treat it as "If you don't want to, you don't have to" and they are both figuring it out well.

What I use when I have to buy a food that I know they don't like is goat's milk. Same as waffles, we raise our own goats and are currently getting about three gallons of milk a day. A lot of it is going to the bottle fed kids but there is still plenty for whatever we want to use it for. Also, eggs. We have an overabundance of eggs too and if I know they don't like that brand, I'll crack an egg on top. I usually stick with one brand-the cheapest that is grain free and good quality- however if others are on sale and meet my standards, I won't hesitate to buy it.

Duke hates TOW so if I get that, I doctor it up. Last winter however, the goats were dry and the chickens weren't laying and he didn't eat for three days I think it was. He eventually did and it seemed to be a turning point for him-he never skips more than two meals now and rarely even one.

A little off the picky eater subject, but a lot of goat people have these signs in their barn. "Feel like a kid again-drink goat milk." And for Sadie, it really works! I began giving her goat milk last spring and she became a pup again! At ten years old, she was quite stiff and moved slowly. After a week with supplemental goat milk, she was racing around and playing with Duke again. She hasn't gotten any since the goats were dried last fall. We needed every last drop of milk for bottle kids until a week ago, and then I dewormed them so am waiting for the withdrawal time to be up. And we're selling most of the milkers on Saturday so we'll be scrimping and pinching milk again until the next two kid.

[GentleLake]

Since we've already strayed into the area of goats' milk and this showed up in my inbox today . . . http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/goat-milk-for-dogs/

[simba]

It's a long shot but have you tried any offal? Liver, tripe etc cut up small?