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Havanese Puppy Won't Eat

8K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  novaleemn 
#1 ·
I have a Havanese puppy, Coco, that was born in early March. He is a very picky eater, and I am concerned that he is not gaining weight. Does anyone have any food brands that their picky eaters prefer?
 
#2 ·
If he's really not gaining weight, you should see your vet. There may be something more going on than being a picky eater. Healthy dogs rarely eat so little that they don't gain (or maintain) weight properly.
 
#5 ·
Do you regularly weigh your puppy? Its a good idea to do it weekly to monitor their growth. He may be gaining and you just don't notice it. Some Havanese lines are notoriously picky eaters, others are not. But a growing puppy should have a good appetite. What are you feeding her? Are you free feeding?

It is my experience that these companion dogs love people food. That includes most fruits and veggies. I've had many other breeds that would eat meat, but turn their noses up at anything green. With that said, don't be afraid to add bits and pieces of table scraps to whatever you're feeding him.

In general kibble is frowned on as a desirable food, mainly because of its highly processed nature, but I use a good quality kibble and supplement with a little commercial raw and whatever table scraps I happen to have at the time and my dogs do fine.

I have one picky eater and as long as I stir in something real, she'll eat happily.

A note about the vet.....while you certainly should let him rule out any health issues, I would take most vets nutritional advice with a grain of salt. You'll get better advice here on nutrition.
 
#6 ·
It is my experience that these companion dogs love people food. That includes most fruits and veggies.
Willow is picky too. When we first got her I was so worried that she wasn't eating enough. I had recently lost my corgi. Corgis are foodaholics and will inhale their food within about 30 seconds. My corgi Foxy also loved most fruits and vegetables. Willow is just the opposite. She turns her nose up at any fruit of vegetable. When we adopted her from her prior owners, I asked if there was any food she particularly liked (thinking she would like bananas or apples or some other fruit like Foxy did). The lady said, "Well, she likes bacon and eggs"!

Turns out, Willow will eat but she eats to live, not lives to eat.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Emmie was not a picky eater when she was a puppy nor is she one as an adult. She sometimes eats a lot less than usual but when that happens I don't add additional things or change her food to coax her to eat; instead, I let her be. Eventually she'll start eating normally again. I believe she's better able to gauge if she's hungry or full or not. I also find that if I give her too much food she won't finish it all. IMO, the most important thing is to select a good quality food and not add more yummies to it. My research has led me to commercial raw dog food, not kibble, and she's doing great with this approach. But not all dogs are the same and what works for us may not be what works for your family.

Emmie's not a big fruit or veggie eater, and prefers them frozen when she does eat them (e.g. blueberries and carrots). :)
 
#9 ·
Molly has been a picky eater since day one. No kind of food excites her, including raw and canned. After throwing away alot of expensive food we went back to kibble. One thing that has gotten her a little more interested in eating is the Treat Tower toy that was recommended by another member of this forum. She enjoys batting the toy with her nose or paw to get the kibble to come out and I really think it has helped her become more interested in her food.
 
#11 ·
My eight month old Havanese is also a picky eater. As she doesn't like kibble I have her on a raw diet. (Also found that with kibble the tear stains were much worse). Unless she gets plenty of exercise she turns her nose up at the food and walks away. However, if I take her for a brisk long walk before breakfast she comes home and gobbles up her food.
 
#12 ·
Coco is doing great! He is still a very picky eater. My other dogs will basically inhale any food put in front of them. Coco is unusual, because one day he will love something, and the next day he walks away from it. I still haven't found a food that he really likes. He does sometimes really like the raw frozen food. But, as I stated, sometimes he won't touch it. It is really hit and miss! But, he is growing. He now weighs over 8 pounds and is very active.
 
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