My small, thin dog prefers cat food. How do I get her to eat?

You may try adding a scoop of canned weight loss dog food. This would likely have less calories than chicken or hamburger. You must also remember that dogs try to train us. As long as she is healthy, she will eat when she is hungry. It is OK for most dogs to miss a meal here and there as long as they don’t have a metabolic health concerns (like diabetes). You may also try mixing the canned food with water to create a gruel and pour this over the kibble and mix well. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

As long as she eats and is not losing weight, don't stress out over it. It is true that smaller breeds can be a bit more finicky. Switching foods would not be recommended as it can lead to gastrointestinal upset and reinforce her finicky nature. Instead, try mixing in a bit of warm water or a teaspoon of baby food to stimulate the appetite.

Have you tried to mix it with canned dog food? Also you could give her boiled or canned chicken (no bones) over her food to help her gain weight. Both of these are ok and safe. Finally, if you want to make her on food I would check out some of the recipes on www.balanceit.com to ensure she is getting all the nutrients she needs. Unfortunately chihuahuas are known for not wanting to eat regular dog food often!

Great question! In my opinion, grain free diets are a current fad. There is actually no scientific evidence that grain free diets are beneficial to dogs at all. Grains are fine for dogs, they provide a source of fiber which helps fill them up and keeps them satisfied. It sounds like Koda is letting you know he likes grains if he's picking the Royal Canin over Blue. Also in my opinion, Blue is a terrible food and you will find many, many veterinarians agree with that opinion. It is not a well regarded food in the veterinary community. Many vets have seen terrible cases of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis in dogs in Blue, as well as a lot of gas. In addition, they have been caught a number of times lying about what goes into their product, false advertising, and no quality control over how their food is made (they don't own their own factories, they send the recipe out to be made). Royal Canin is an excellent brand of food, and the best part of it is that they have veterinary nutritionists on staff. Blue, as far as I'm aware, does not. I would think a veterinary nutritionist would be best to know what a dog does and doesn't need in a diet. If Koda likes the Royal Canin, I recommend feeding that to him. Just be sure to switch his food over slowly so that he doesn't get GI upset from a quick change. I hope this helps!

First, consider an exam with your veterinarian to diagnose any underlying medical causes. Next, you can feed a high quality performance diet to get weight on her. Once she is at weight, you can adjust the diet as needed for maintenance. You can also try a puppy diet until she is at weight.

You need to make a place for the cat to eat so Coco cannot get her food. Typically we use a baby gate to close off the doorway to a room where the cat's food, water and litter box are. Like this one. The cat can jump over or you can leave a small gap at the bottom so the cat can go under but the dog cannot. https://www.amazon.in/Gate-Extra-Extension-Walk-Thru-Protective-Lock-Safety/dp/B0818NR17W/ref=sr_1_11?crid=398CDM9GRTBUX&dchild=1&keywords=baby+gate&qid=1588002437&sprefix=baby+gate%2Caps%2C286&sr=8-11 I suggest you feed her a high quality diet. If you do that she does not need any other supplements. She may not like the taste of the food you have now. If you give her only dry food you may need to mix in some wet/gravy food. https://www.petsworld.in/royal-canin-german-shepherd-adult-dog-food-3-kg.html This gravy food is for picky eaters: https://www.petsworld.in/royal-canin-exigent-gravy-dog-food-1-02kg.html

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend Purina Pro Plan shredded blends chicken and rice. This specific diet is very palatable and also very good in terms of nutrition. You could also consider adding dog grade gravy to her food which may improve her appetite. Another thing you can do is add pieces of chicken to the kibble at least for now to encourage her to eat. Good luck!