My dog is suddenly picky. Is he bored or are table scraps the problem?

Some dogs are just picky eaters or are not very food driven. So we have some dogs, like your typical labrador, that will eat anything and everything within 30 seconds of it being put down, and others that are more picky and graze throughout the day. There are not necessarily medical drawbacks to leaving her food down throughout the day, or at least leaving it down for a few hours in the morning and a few in the evening. Sometimes unfortunately with dogs who are picky we just have to be tough and not offer them a different food every time they decide they aren't excited about their current one. We can predispose dogs to food allergies if we are changing their foods all the time and we do get allergies later in life it is much harder to find a good diet for them. I would choose one food and stick with it, and she will eventually get hungry and eat it. The exception is toy breed puppies which can develop hypoglycemia if they go too long without eating https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952329 , but adult dogs should be able to tolerate this. I am a fan of the purina pro plan line, which is available at most pet stores and is good quality, they also have dry diets, wet diets, and their Savor line has kibbles along with softer/chewy kibbles which my dogs love. If there is some treat that she is very fond of you can mix it in with the food that you want her to eat and slowly decrease the amount of the treat each day so she gets used to the other food. Some people find putting some low sodium chicken broth on the food can entice them to start eating a food and you can slowly decreas the amount placed on the food, or warming food up slightly makes it more appetizing.

What a cute puppy! With him being 7 months old and a small breed dog, I think that Lucas is slowing down on his growing. This can cause a reduction in his appetite. I find that the more that we change a dog's food- the more pickier they become. I would stick with one brand, offer 1/3 of slightly less than the daily recommended amount (they sell dog food, so the more he eats the more you buy) three times daily. Give him a set amount of time and then pick up the bowl. This will create some urgency. He will eat if he is hungry. The more we change and add things, the more he will wait to eat to see what good stuff will be added. I would keep track of his body condition score- you should be able to feel his ribs with a little bit of fat cover, but not see them. As long as he is in good body condition, I would not worry. Some dogs are not food motivated and will just eat what they need. If you have any questions about his weight or body condition score, you can ask your veterinarian. I don't think that grain free food are necessary. Dogs are omnivores.

What Ozzy has done is train you to feed him what he wants when he wants. You can break this habit (and save money amd food) by choosing just one diet that he eats. Dogs thrive on routine, so if he isn't on a feeding schedule, start one. Prepare his food at the scheduled time and leave it down for 30 minutes before picking it up whether he has eaten or not. If he spills the food, clean it up without a word. Repeat this at the next mealtime. Do not offer any food or treats between meals. Don't worry, he will not starve. Once he realizes no other choices will be made available, he will begin to eat. Be patient and be firm.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Causes of a decrease in appetite are: intestinal parasites, viral or bacterial infection, he ate something gross that is upsetting his stomach, he ate something that is stuck, food allergy/intolerance, Inflammatory Bowel disease, Addison's disease, new treat/food/table food. Sometimes this can be behavioral as well, he is waiting for something better like the Pedigree. If there is not other symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy then that is likely the problem. If you recently got a new bag of his food the company may have changed the formula or there is a issue with that bag of food. If you really don't want to feed him Pedigree then hold your ground. Offer his normal food, you can add water to it to make it more tempting, and if he doesn't eat it then pick it up. Do not offer treats or any other food and then he is not fed again until his next meal time. You can also consider feeding him once daily. If he is otherwise sick, please repost with his symptoms and we will provide advice. I hope this helps and I wish you and Puku the best!

Hi there! Scooby sure sounds like he's becoming a very picky eater! A lot of dogs do this, and the more you give in, the more they will demand new and different foods mixed in and people food. The best way to break the behavior is to offer him his food, and no matter how long he takes to eat it, wait it out. Eventually he will realize that that's what he's getting to eat and that's it! If some people still have trouble at this point, I tell them to try balanceIT.com. it is a website that teaches you how to make a home cooked diet for your dog and also offers a supplement you can add into the food to make sure that they ate getting enough of the minerals and vitamins that they need. From the way it sounds, no matter what you add to scooby's food he's going to want something different in a few days, but you can try some plain low fat Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or pumpkin mixed into the food, or even just some warm water to help bring out the fragrance. Also make sure of course that scooby is up to date on his vet visits, vaccines, dewormings, and other preventive care, and that he is not having any signs of illness like diarrhea or vomiting. If he absolutely will not est, a vet visit is in order, but it doesn't seem that way.

It may be that Milo is just being a picky eater. If he's receiving any people food or treats, it is best to stop those for a few days and only offer his food in his bowl. Dogs will not starve, and once hungry enough he should start eating again. However, if you are seeing any signs of illness in addition to his refusal to eat, such as vomiting or diarrhea, this may indicate an underlying issue instead which should be checked out by your vet.

Since Marshall will eat in general, and is only refusing his own food, I would not believe there is anything wrong with him at this time. I agree it is strange that Marshall would suddenly decide he doesn't like his food. 7 months old is often what can be described as the "teenager time" for a dog. This means he might be asserting his opinions more for a few months. I would suggest one of the following strategies; Try adding boiled boneless chicken breast or extra lean ground beef to his regular food. Over time reducing how much you add until you don't add any or only a small amount. Try a new brand or flavour of dog food. try mixing the new with the old to limit the drastic change, and potentially upsetting Marshall's gastrointestinal tract. Signs that something else may be going on and warrant a vet check; Vomiting Diarrhoea Lethargy Blood in vomit or fever I hope that this answer helps and that Marshall starts enjoying his own food or a new food soon.