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Bored of food!

3K views 21 replies 5 participants last post by  Teddy Bear 
#1 ·
I put Teddy on a home cooked diet several months ago.
He disliked dog food at the time and seemed happy with his home cooked meals.

His home cooked diet is nutritionally balanced (except for the few additional treats that he gets which isn't part of the diet).

Since I got him the home cooked diet, I cut out all the table scraps and reduced the treats (he still gets some treats but its not a big proportion of his diet)

However, for the last week, he seems to dislike his food and will sniff it then walk away without eating.
He isn't sick but I think he may be bored of his food....

Do you change your dog's food? If you do, how often do you do that?
 
#2 ·
The only time I've changed foods have been because of a manufacturer change or an allergy problem. I'm a firm believer that healthy dogs won't starve themselves. But healthy HAVANESE can EASILY "train" their owners into an endless cycle of catering to their whims... at which point you have a VERY picky, spoiled dog. :)
 
#4 ·
I think its pretty much agreed upon that keeping variety in protein sources is advantageous. Feeding the same one forever can cause food sensitivities. But I agree with Karen that a healthy adult Havanese won't starve to death. Dance will sometimes sniff her food and walk away, but I just pick it up and try again at her afternoon feeding. I don't even leave it down for a few minutes as I have 2 other dogs that will happily eat what she doesn't want. What I've noticed with Dance is that she is not spoiled; she actually is not hungry. I suspect this is due to occasionally having a little nausea in the morning. Once she wakes up and drinks water and gets going she eats her food just fine. But again, she has to wait till the afternoon meal. Also, you might want to reduce the amount that you are offering. Sometimes a scantily filled bowl will encourage a pup to eat more quickly. Bottom line - a hungry dog will eat.
 
#6 ·
That's a very good point. Dogs that are fed too much can also be picky. The saying is "a lean horse for a long race", and that's true for dogs (and people!) too! :)

I should also explain that Kodi is on a single protein because of allergies. In general, Karen is right, with a dog without allergies, it's a very good idea to rotate proteins.
 
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#7 ·
His meal plan has 3 types of meat - fish, beef and chicken.
I usually make his food for the week and mix them all together (not sure if this is wrong). He occasionally gets mutton or lamb as well depending on availability.

How do you know if your dog is allergic to a certain type of meat?
I tried asking a few vets for allergy tests and they all laugh and say they don't offer allergy tests for dogs and that allergies are detected by trial and error!

Teddy loves meat in general.
He ate half his body weight in meat in one sitting over the weekend (was a mix of beef, chicken and mutton) and still seemed to want my KFC! right after.

I get him beef on bone and he loves it but whines as he eats unless its cut up for him... not sure if its something I should be worried about (eg an allergy) or if he just thinks it may be easier to whine and make me cut it up for him so he has less work to do!
He happily eats the meat (no whining) when i give it to him cut but will whine (only with the beef or lamb) as he eats it even if eating alone.

He does love playing with the bone and eating out the bone marrow when he finishes the meat so I still have to give the bone to him when I take off the meat.

The vet didnt seem bothered when I mentioned this but then again, its probably not a common complaint he hears out here..

We usually mix all his blended veggies, rice, meat and supplements (as per per his diet plan) but he eats the meat and leaves the rest. We're trying to top up only when he finishes but he seems to have realised that we have to throw out the old food every day and give him more and will only pick out the meat and leave the rest. If he cant walk away with the meat (eg with mince), he wont eat. He did this for 5 days until I got worried and gave in.

I don't know is he is just testing me and acting up but he wont eat his own food but always tries to get food from the grass.
(we have some filthy people in the neighbourhood who eat meat or snacks as they walk and throw the bones or left overs in the grass. Stray dogs seem to benefit most from this but sometimes, I've had colleagues (in another areas) who's dogs ate scraps from the roads and died - they are some cruel people who poison meat and throw it so they can kill dogs & cats - just for their own amusement!).
Its not happened in my neighbourhood but why take a chance!

Teddy found a donut and chicken bone during our morning walk today - I asked him to drop it. He let go of the donut but had eaten half and refused to let go of the chicken bone. I had to force his mouth open (dont worry, the vet taught me how to do this properly when I had to give him tablets) and he almost bit me! He doesnt usually try to bite me if I force him to drop anything (inc his toys or food) so not sure if he was just starving.

He has fresh food in his bowl but still didnt eat it after his walk! Could it be an issue with the veggies?
 
#8 ·
His meal plan has 3 types of meat - fish, beef and chicken.
I usually make his food for the week and mix them all together (not sure if this is wrong). He occasionally gets mutton or lamb as well depending on availability.

How do you know if your dog is allergic to a certain type of meat?
I tried asking a few vets for allergy tests and they all laugh and say they don't offer allergy tests for dogs and that allergies are detected by trial and error!

Teddy loves meat in general.
He ate half his body weight in meat in one sitting over the weekend (was a mix of beef, chicken and mutton) and still seemed to want my KFC! right after.

I get him beef on bone and he loves it but whines as he eats unless its cut up for him... not sure if its something I should be worried about (eg an allergy) or if he just thinks it may be easier to whine and make me cut it up for him so he has less work to do!
He happily eats the meat (no whining) when i give it to him cut but will whine (only with the beef or lamb) as he eats it even if eating alone.

He does love playing with the bone and eating out the bone marrow when he finishes the meat so I still have to give the bone to him when I take off the meat.

The vet didnt seem bothered when I mentioned this but then again, its probably not a common complaint he hears out here..

We usually mix all his blended veggies, rice, meat and supplements (as per per his diet plan) but he eats the meat and leaves the rest. We're trying to top up only when he finishes but he seems to have realised that we have to throw out the old food every day and give him more and will only pick out the meat and leave the rest. If he cant walk away with the meat (eg with mince), he wont eat. He did this for 5 days until I got worried and gave in.

I don't know is he is just testing me and acting up but he wont eat his own food but always tries to get food from the grass.
(we have some filthy people in the neighbourhood who eat meat or snacks as they walk and throw the bones or left overs in the grass. Stray dogs seem to benefit most from this but sometimes, I've had colleagues (in another areas) who's dogs ate scraps from the roads and died - they are some cruel people who poison meat and throw it so they can kill dogs & cats - just for their own amusement!).
Its not happened in my neighbourhood but why take a chance!

Teddy found a donut and chicken bone during our morning walk today - I asked him to drop it. He let go of the donut but had eaten half and refused to let go of the chicken bone. I had to force his mouth open (dont worry, the vet taught me how to do this properly when I had to give him tablets) and he almost bit me! He doesnt usually try to bite me if I force him to drop anything (inc his toys or food) so not sure if he was just starving.

He has fresh food in his bowl but still didnt eat it after his walk! Could it be an issue with the veggies?
Oh my! A lot of questions!

When feeding multiple protein sources, it's best to rotate them every few months rather than mix them all together.

Food "allergies" (really "intolerance", which is a little different, though we often call it an allergy) CAN be identified by test. The HemoPet lab here in the U.S. is the one we use. I't possible that there isn't one easily available in Kenya. It does sound like your vet care is a little behind what we can get here in the States. You can TRY an elimination diet if you suspect a food intolerance, but they can be pretty confusing and take a LONG time to figure out that way.

If you are "topping up" his food when he finishes, it sounds to me like part of your problem may be that you are over-feeding Teddy on a regular basis. You need to find out the approximate calories in the food mix you are feeding him, find out from your vet the approximate number of calories a dog of his size should consume and feed him just that amount. If he gains weight, reduce the amount slightly, if he loses too much weight, increase it slightly until you get the amount of food needed to keep him at his optimum weight. There are MANY more "too fat" pet dogs than "too thin" pet dogs. That is doubly true of small breeds. Both of mine finish their meals in under 30 seconds... And they don't get more until their next meal. (other than small, nutritious training treats which are figured into their caloric intake) :) If Teddy keeps picking out just parts of his home cooked food, you may need to grind or mash everything together so he doesn't have that option. It's not a balanced diet if he only gets the parts he chooses.

I suspect that what's happening when Teddy whines when he has a bone is that he's a bit frustrated and impatient that it's taking him longer to get the meat off. Let him work at it! It's good for him! :) Ignore the whining.

Finally as far as Teddy picking up trash-food on the ground, you need to teach strong "leave it" and "drop it" commands. PM Dave Gabby, and I'm sure he can give you links to good articles and/or videos on the subject. Or look up Kikopup videos. I'm sure she has one or more addressing this. MANY dogs become very possessive of food that they've found, (this is called "resource guarding") and this CAN lead to bites if the dog is not taught how to respond appropriately. That teaching can take some time and effort, but is SO worth-while!!!
 
#9 ·
Great info Karen!

One more thing, please make sure you're not feeding Teddy cooked bones. The only ones you should give him should be raw, and only under supervision. Cooking makes bones more brittle, which could cause them to splinter and cause internal injuries to your dog.
 
#10 ·
Thanks Karen,
you're right. The services here are really not as good as in the US. Its changing slowly as more people see their pets as part of their families rather than an addition for security.

I do need to be a lot stricter with Teddy. He never ever tried to bite or gets mad at me when I take anything away from him so I'm still surprised about that reaction.
Were going to spectate at the annual dog show next month (our first time to ever go to a dog show!! - Hopefully he doesn't misbehave out there and/or try chase someone's dog or kid (fingers crossed!!!)).
I'll try see if there's a better vet there and possibly a trainer that can help.

I probably am feeding Teddy a little more that I should! His diet plan was 70% of what he gets right now but he started losing too much weight so I increased it to keep him at a decent weight. Probably because he seems a little bigger than the standard Hav size and is quite active.
He gets 3 bowls of food a day so I'm going to reduce that and see how it goes.

He has a fixed amount of food each day but we dont give him his next meal until he clears his bowl from the previous meal.
Its still strange that he seems to suddenly not want to eat anything other than his meat.
I did find a pink growth/lump under all that fur (on his leg) this morning. Not sure if its something I should be concerned about or if its related to his change in diet but were going to the vet tomorrow just to be sure!

Marinagirl,
Thanks for your tip on the bones.
Teddy loves to play with everything and usually eats the meat and bone marrow but doesnt eat the bones. we usually throw it out after he finishes playing!
 
#11 ·
Him being unwilling to give up a "prize posession" isn't at all unusual or abnormal... It's just something you need to train... It usually starts by asking him to "trade" something he likes, like a toy or his regular food, for something he likes even more, like a piece of yummy meat. Then you hand him back his toy so he doesn't think it always means you are going to take something away. As I said, I'm sure Dave can point you to artcles or video that show exactly how to train this.

I would not leave Teddy's food down. Either he eats right away, or it gets picked up and put away till the next meal time. That little doggy is playing you! ;) how old is he now? I think he's over 6 months? It's probably time to think about dropping the midday meal too. Typically only small puppies need 3 meals a day.
 
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#14 ·
I just switched Rudy over from Royal Canin Mini Puppy choi to Fromm Gold Puppy. He's doing really well on it. I even notice a difference in his coat. I switched his food very gradually and never had a problem. I was going to use Orijen but was afraid it would have been too drastic of a change from the Royal Canin. He did great on the Royal Canin, but wanted to switch to a better quality dry food.


Our last dog was a Westie and had a lot of allergies and in her later years was diabetic. She was also a very picky eater. I basically had to make all her food due to allergies and because she was so picky. It was hard to leave her with anyone when we went on vacation because I felt like I was asking a lot to regarding her food, heating it up etc. Rudy does so well on the dry food. He eats it in about 30 seconds. I see no signs of allergies. If we go out of town, I feel my mother-in-law (Grandma) can easily feed him 1/4 cup twice a day. It's also easier when we take him out of town.
 
#15 ·
Thanks Lisa & Karen,

I had switched Teddy from Beef to lamb due to high availability of lamb in the shops. He does eat it (i chop it in cubes) but whines when I give it in bigger chunks that he has to work on.
I've noticed him scratch alot but he does it in hiding (and stops scratching as soon as he notices me watching him). I think he is afraid of getting a bath (which I would do using dog shampoo for fleas if he has fleas).

Not sure if he is scratching from fleas, dry skin or an allergy. He's got so sneaky lately about his scratching so I cant be too sure if its getting better or worse. I tried checking for fleas but couldn't see anything.

He used to have tear stains but over the last 2 weeks, it seems to be alot less. Would that be a sign of an allergy or is it just normal for white dogs?

I might have to move him back to commercial dog food so he gets a balanced diet. I agree its not balanced if he is picking what to eat. He wont eat if its minced. I've tried several times and given up on that idea.
Also as Lisa points out, its easier when you have to leave him with someone (or the Vet).

Any recommendation on dry dog food? we only get the following:

- Local dog food (usually a wheat based product cooked with fresh meat)
- local dog rice with bone meal
- Pedigree
- Skinners chicken and rice
- Field and trial
- Bobtail (South African company)

Everyone using local dog food usually cooks it with fresh meat (some add veggies too)

We also get some German brand but I cant understand the ingredients. All in German!
Tried an Irish one called Mundo. Teddy refused to eat that. My parents GSD who would eat their plates if given a chance refused to eat it too so probably not Teddy's fault!

Also, with Kibble, do you add fresh meat? I'd love to give him fresh meat too and am getting too much of a mix in opinions when I check online.
This whole dog food issue (for picky eaters) is just too confusing!
 
#16 ·
Thanks Lisa & Karen,

I had switched Teddy from Beef to lamb due to high availability of lamb in the shops. He does eat it (i chop it in cubes) but whines when I give it in bigger chunks that he has to work on.
I've noticed him scratch alot but he does it in hiding (and stops scratching as soon as he notices me watching him). I think he is afraid of getting a bath (which I would do using dog shampoo for fleas if he has fleas).

Not sure if he is scratching from fleas, dry skin or an allergy. He's got so sneaky lately about his scratching so I cant be too sure if its getting better or worse. I tried checking for fleas but couldn't see anything.

He used to have tear stains but over the last 2 weeks, it seems to be alot less. Would that be a sign of an allergy or is it just normal for white dogs?

I might have to move him back to commercial dog food so he gets a balanced diet. I agree its not balanced if he is picking what to eat. He wont eat if its minced. I've tried several times and given up on that idea.
Also as Lisa points out, its easier when you have to leave him with someone (or the Vet).

Any recommendation on dry dog food? we only get the following:

- Local dog food (usually a wheat based product cooked with fresh meat)
- local dog rice with bone meal
- Pedigree
- Skinners chicken and rice
- Field and trial
- Bobtail (South African company)

Everyone using local dog food usually cooks it with fresh meat (some add veggies too)

We also get some German brand but I cant understand the ingredients. All in German!
Tried an Irish one called Mundo. Teddy refused to eat that. My parents GSD who would eat their plates if given a chance refused to eat it too so probably not Teddy's fault!

Also, with Kibble, do you add fresh meat? I'd love to give him fresh meat too and am getting too much of a mix in opinions when I check online.
This whole dog food issue (for picky eaters) is just too confusing!
The dogs that I know who itch from food allergies can't "hide" their scratching... they do it all the time, often to the point of casing skin irritation or hot spots. So I'm not sure that What Teddy is doing could be from his food. Fleas will CERTAINLY make them itch!!!

As far as what KIND of food is concerned, you are right, you'll get almost as many "answers" as you have dog owners. And part of the reason for that is that dogs can do fine on a wide range of foods... unless they don't. Many people are happy with a kibble diet, and there are dogs who live long and healthy lives on nothing more than "grocery store" kibble. Other people wouldn't THINK of feeding their dog ANYTHING but a home made raw diet. YOU have to decide what is the best balance between nutrition for Teddy and convenience for you.

HOWEVER, Teddy's pickiness is a learned behavior, and one you can untrain. You just need to decide what YOU think is a healthy diet for him, and be hard hearted until he realizes he has no other options. Healthy dogs WON'T starve themselves to death, but they might give their owners a nervous breakdown before they give in! ;)
 
#17 ·
Oh... forgot about the eye question. There are many things that can contribute to tear staining... water, food (rarely allergies, though) yeast, bacteria... This is almost as hotly debated a topic as food.

What we DO know is that dogs with rounder eyes tear more, and that wet faces stain more. So wash his eyes a couple of times a day, and dry them carefully. Some people use a dab of corn starch to absorb moisture. Close attention to hygiene can solve the problem in many dogs. Other people just decide they don't care that much, and leave it. There's no harm to the dog from eye and/or beard staining.
 
#18 ·
You said in an earlier post that you leave his food down until he finishes it and it takes a very long time. That tells me you are feeding him too much. Also, it would explain why he's picking out what he likes. There's too much food offered.

Dogs scratch for lots of reasons. Fleas are the most obvious cause to rule out. Food sensitivities is another but more complicated to isolate. Toxins from chemicals in vaccines and parasite prevention is another. Unbrushed dry skin is another simple and often overlooked reason. A clippered dog usually doesn't get brushed to the skin regularly and this can cause dry itchy skin. Especially with a dander free, low shedding breed like the Havanese. Other breeds release oil on their own, but a hypoallergenic breed that doesn't have the "doggy odor" needs frequent brushing to remove dead skin cells and release natural lubricating oils that moisture the skin. Not rinsing shampoo well enough at bath time is another. My mentor used to tell me to rinse as thoroughly as possible until I was certain there was no more shampoo residue and then rinse again. Also, never put concentrated shampoo directly on your dog. Always dilute first. I bathe mine in a shampoo bubble bath. I only apply diluted shampoo to the dirty spots. Face, feet and bottoms.
 
#19 ·
You said in an earlier post that you leave his food down until he finishes it and it takes a very long time. That tells me you are feeding him too much. Also, it would explain why he's picking out what he likes. There's too much food offered.

Dogs scratch for lots of reasons. Fleas are the most obvious cause to rule out. Food sensitivities is another but more complicated to isolate. Toxins from chemicals in vaccines and parasite prevention is another. Unbrushed dry skin is another simple and often overlooked reason. A clippered dog usually doesn't get brushed to the skin regularly and this can cause dry itchy skin. Especially with a dander free, low shedding breed like the Havanese. Other breeds release oil on their own, but a hypoallergenic breed that doesn't have the "doggy odor" needs frequent brushing to remove dead skin cells and release natural lubricating oils that moisture the skin. Not rinsing shampoo well enough at bath time is another. My mentor used to tell me to rinse as thoroughly as possible until I was certain there was no more shampoo residue and then rinse again. Also, never put concentrated shampoo directly on your dog. Always dilute first. I bathe mine in a shampoo bubble bath. I only apply diluted shampoo to the dirty spots. Face, feet and bottoms.
Karen,
Are you in a profession dealing with dogs (eg vet or groomer)? You always have some fabulous recommendations!

Teddy now eats half a bowl of food (its all he seems to be able to eat which I think is ok). I take his food away now and it does make some difference in how soon he almost finishes his food (esp when we hide his favorite new toy (just before meal time) that he seems to be inseparable from!).

With the scratching, he is absolutely hilarious. He would be scratching himself then look slowly to see if I am watching and if I am, he stops immediately and just lies down before getting up and running off to his toys! A little like a little kid who seems to like sucking their thumb but knows that they are not supposed to do that so they do anyway in secret! He's absolutely hilarious (esp his facial expression!).

with baths, if you give him a doggie bubble bath (that sounds so cool!), do you rinse him after? how many rinses would you do? Teddy hates baths and always tries to run off and actually trembles during bath time.

He seems to hate baths and wont even eat his favourite treats if he is anywhere near the bath (even if its empty!) so I always have to try rush to get him out quickly.
 
#22 ·
Must be fun going to dog shows. Am sure your dogs do really well at the competitions.
We're going to spectate at our first dog show in a few weeks. Excited but nervous about being the one with the naughtiest dog there!

I've not seen leave in dog conditioner out here. we just have a handful of shampoo brands so were trying to go through different ones to find the perfect one for Teddy's fur type! I do take him to the vet for grooming once a month but he wont let me see how he grooms him and wont tell me what he uses (he asks us to leave the dog and leave until he calls to say that he is done).

On the plus side, I've finally managed to get Teddy to eat his meals. I'm reworking out his home cooked diet and will be asking the nutritionalist to modify it to what he actually likes. So much easier now that I know his tastes better.
Our forest walk did make a huge difference too!
 
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