Why won't my dog eat her food unless I add human food to it?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I understand your frustration. Soska will not choose starvation. I would put her meal down and give her a set amount of time to eat it then pick it up. Do that for several days to a week and see if she starts to finish her meals. Keep treats to a minimum. If after a week she still isn't finishing her meals then try adding water to the food to make it more tempting. You can try a different type of food after 2 weeks in case she doesn't like the food. If she continues for several weeks Soska should be evaluated by your Vet for any medical reason for her poor appetite. I hope this helps. For my dog it simply took adding water to his dry food and now he eats it without us having to sit with him.

It sounds like Bella is being picky about her food. First off, have a health check with the vet to make everything is ok health wise. If she is healthy, then I would say it's time to get tough with her. Give her the bowl of dog food in the morning and leave it down for 15-20 minutes. Make sure it is just dog food, no peanut butter, chicken, coconut oil, etc. After this time period, take her food away even if she hasn't eaten. This next part is very important. Do NOT give her any other food at all until her next meal time at dinner. NOTHING. No treats, human food, etc. She needs to learn she only gets dog food to eat. At dinner time, put down her bowl with dog food only in it and leave it for 15-20 minutes. Again pick it up after that time even if she hasn't eaten. Again no more food until breakfast the next morning. You are teaching her that she has to eat when given her dog food or else she gets nothing. She will get hungry enough that she will eat her dog food. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Given he has not been showing any other signs of illness, this may just be that he needs a diet change. Sometimes dogs can get bored of their diets periodically. You can try a new diet or possibly mix his current diet with canned food to see if that helps. Best of luck!

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Princess may be a bit depressed due to the departure of the other dog. This is fairly common in these scenarios. However, it is very likely that she will normalize soon perhaps in a few days. One thing you can do is entice her appetite by adding things like pieces of chicken or beef to her food for a few days just to encourage her to eat. If there is no improvement in the next few days then have her examined by your veterinarian to ensure there is not a medical reason to explain this. Good luck!

Have you tried some other food options? Canned food? Homemade diet? They have now formulated some gravy that you put on the food that may help. Also there is a food enhancer additive: https://www.chewy.com/dr-tims-flavor-booster-genuine-freeze/dp/105062 https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-food/wet-dog-food/dog-food-rolls-toppings Don't stand next to her while she eats, ignore her. She is training you to stand there which is what she wants. That is going to get old for you real soon. If she is not underweight then don't worry about how much she is eating. She will not starve herself. If she is underweight then you should take her to your vet for an exam and some testing.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, this is known as dietary indiscretion and it could be the reason. He may be showing signs of dietary indiscretion which can happen from eating something that does not sit well in the stomach. Clinical symptoms that can occur include not eating, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Sometimes this resolves on its own. However, sometimes this does require some form of therapy which is mostly supportive in nature. If she develops any vomiting, diarrhea or inappetence, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and best wishes!