My dog is a picky eater. How to transition from soft to dry food?

Mix a teaspoon or two of canned food in with the kibble. Leave it down for 20-30 minutes before picking it up whether they have eaten or not. Repeat this at the next mealtime. Do not offer any food between meals. Be consistent, dogs thrive on routine. Be firm, they will not starve.

Dogs can sometimes be very picky! You can try mix together the dry and canned food so he can have both at the same time. You can also try soaking the dry food in gently warmed low sodium beef or chicken broth. Over time, decrease the amount of broth you add to the dry food until he is eating the dry food only. It's ok for Buddy to eat canned food only, but I would give him dental chews daily to help keep tartar build up on his teeth. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Having a good source of a special treat like chicken is a blessing and a curse! IT sounds like he's learned that he can hold out for the food stuff. I would recommend very intentionally, slowly increasing the amount of kibble while decreasing the amount of chicken over about 2 weeks. Wetting and warming the dry food can make it more appetizing to him as well. Make sure to shred/cut the chicken as small as possible to mix with the food. Additionally, put the food down for 15 minutes, then pick it up and offer again later (2-4 times a day). If you wet and warm the food, just throw it away and start over each time. Also for a healthy, adult dog, it's ok if he goes a day or two without eating while you're transitioning. Good luck!

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are a few things you can do to make his food more palatable while he gets used to it. For example, you may add low sodium chicken broth, veterinary approved gravy which you can get at your pet store or pieces of boiled chicken to it. Good luck!

Some dogs can be very picky, and if Brownie enjoys eating food with a little wet food mixed in, that's not a problem. Many brands of dry dog food also carry equivalent wet foods, and you can mix that in while still providing a balanced diet that is healthy for Brownie to eat. If you do add in wet food, you may just want to decrease the amount of dry food slightly to account for the increase in calories for adding extras.

It definitely seems like Benji likes his soft food, so it's going to take some time to get him transitioned to the dry food. The good thing is that dogs don't tend to not be finicky for too long before they give up and just eat what's available. It may take a few times of him missing a meal though. I think that is where most owners get concerned, because they feel like they are starving/torturing their dog. My opinion is that it's totally fine for them to miss a meal or two if you're giving them a food that's better for them. It is definitely not harmful for them, because it will take a long time (many days) before he would actually starve. I think the chicken broth idea is great! It may take a couple of weeks, but maybe you could continue wetting it with the broth and reduce the wetness gradually. Food allergies to grains is exceedingly rare, so you may double-check that this was diagnosed by a veterinarian. Usually, the owner gets some bad advice from the pet store employee, or reads some bad info on the internet and that's why they get the grain-free food. If that's the case, then this could open up some more options for feeding dry food. Dry food is better for dogs that tend to have bad teeth, because it does not build-up on the teeth as much. If you brush Benji's teeth regularly, then there is not as much need for the dry food; so you may consider that if all else fails. I hope that helps. Below is a link to a short article that has some more helpful information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-every-dog-owner-should-know-about-dental-care/

Hello, and thank you for your question. Stela is a beautiful dog. It is possible that she is just being picky. I would try to very gradually mix in the dry food into her wet diet, for example each day feed a bit more kibble and less wet food. I generally advise against raw diets, as they can harbour bacteria and cause serious illness in both dogs and the people who handle the food. Try sticking to commercial kibble and wet food, with the goal of transitioning onto kibble over time. Experiment with different brands, and hopefully you will find something that she likes! If she seems at all unwell (low energy, vomiting, diarrhea), then I would worry about a medical cause for the low appetite, and recommend taking her to the vet. They can check for things like a gut infection, parasites, food allergies, etc. I hope this helps, and that Stela is feeling well!