I have a  20wk old staffy cross pup, who was being fed on Pedigree which we changed to Arden grange which she seems to be thriving on, shes gaining weight nicely and seems to be filling out muscle wise but not an ounce of fat, or so it seems. However she seems to be turning her nose p at the arden grange, for the last couple of days I have added scrambled eggs (without milk) to her AG and she has eaten, well inhaled actually, lol. What other food stuffs can be recomennded for staff pups to be added to her AG to make more interesting. Any advice gratefullt received.

Thanks

Mich

Maybe you could try a good quality wet food, I use natures menu in tins which is very good for my two poodles one of whom is very fussy. They are not keen on the pouches of natures menu and they don't like nature diet. I also give them Royal Canin mini sensible but am going to try Arden Grange mini lamb and rice for small dogs when it is available in small bags which should be in about 3 weeks time according to Arden Grange. I give my two the wet food on its own and put the dry food in kongs for them as they would leave the dry food if i mixed it in with the wet as i have tried this in the past. However your dog may be quite happy to eat the two. wet and dry mixed together. Hope this helps.

ACANA or Orijen are awesome foods!

Arden Grange also do a tinned food that you could add to her dry food if she liked it.

personally I wouldnt have added anything at all to the food when she started turning her nose up at it.  You will end up making a rod for your own back otherwise and she will always be looking for something nicer to be on offer other than dried complete food.  If I start to get dogs fussing about food I will leave it down for 20 mins and then pick it up, they soon get the idea as it is very rare that a dog will starve itself.

Hi

I now feed predominantly raw but used to, and still do sometimes, feed Arden Grange.  Even my fussyish one loves this stuff!

Puppies definitely go through phases with eating so don't assume that because yours is turning her nose up for a few days that she needs a change in food.  You can certainly add some extras if you think she needs it but there are a few things you might want to check first.

How many meals a day is she on?   A complete food can be bulky so feeding more often may be the key - I'd still have her on 3 meals but you could go back to 4 for a week or two.
Watch the volume you are feeding in one meal.  Sometimes they can get a bit outfaced by large bowls of food, it can be better to add a little more as she eats.

Finally are you soaking her food?  Once mine had progressed from soaked food I'd still add a little water and microwave the whole lot for 30 seconds.  Warming the kibble certainly activates the smell and makes it more tempting.  Mine quite like the crunch but some dogs prefer soaked kibble.

Plain chicken stock from a boiled carcass is great to make it all a bit more interesting if you don't want to add much else but I also use tripe and tinned sardines.  Sometimes just a tablespoon is enough to tempt them

Good luck

Were you giving her it dry? My pup recently went fussy with his dry food so I soaked it and gave him it that way and (touch wood) he's been great since!

> personally I wouldnt have added anything at all to the food when she started turning her nose up at it.&nbsp; You will end up making a rod for your own back otherwise and she will always be looking for something nicer to be on offer other than dried complete food.&nbsp; If I start to get dogs fussing about food I will leave it down for 20 mins and then pick it up, they soon get the idea as it is very rare that a dog will starve itself. <IMG class=qButton title="Quote selected text" alt="Quote selected text" src="/images/mi_quote.gif" width=20 height=10>

Totally agree with this, non of mine are fussy because i stuck to the simple rule of not adding anything else and they are thriving on AG.

Peanuts

PS They do have their doggy sweets i'e pigs ears etc

try soaking it for 5 mins this brings out the smell of the lamb.

Plus also agree with Peanuts.

My pups often went on and off their food at this age due to teething..would eat well for
3 or 4 days, then not be interested in any food of any kind for a couple of days..So its not unusual.

my boy had to move to ag after reacting badly to burns ( from the breeder)  he has it varied, some nights i'll add a sardine, or a raw egg or some meat, but only for one meal, the others he has 1 dry and 2 wet ( soaked)
meat wise i vary it, chicken chappie, nature diet, (chicken or puppy), or natures harvest which is his fave!

All our 4 dogs are fed Arden Grange, 3 are on adult and 1 is on senior. They are terrier, cocker spaniel and staffords and I personally dont add anything, if they don't eat it then it gets removed, might seem a bit harsh but they eat it at the next meal.

x

As you can see - there are two camps!!

I have a dislike of feeding totally dry feed, and I choose to feed wet and dry.  I don't feed it at seperate meals, they get it mixed together.

Your youngster will probably like the odd couple of sardines, bit of chicken etc.

I don't consider this making a rod for my own back either.  Even a bought in puppy, fed on dry, would eventually be gradually introduced to things added.  As I said, they eat what I choose to give them, and I choose to add things  to dry food.

I have never ended up with a dog that picks out the wet, and leaves the dry behind by the way.

I too feed dry complete and add bits to it but this is not everyday but 3 or 4 times a week and I wouldnt add additional bits to a meal to get a dog to eat as I believe it is that that makes a rod for your back so I think I am probably between camps LOL

I'm in both camps too.  :)  My girls have Royal Canin maxi adult and I mix it with either Natures Diet, Forthglade, freeflow minces, chicken, sardines/pilchards, and sometimes just a mulch of various veggies. 

I'm lucky as all my dogs are greedy and will eat most things good or bad lol

Good choice changing to AG ;-)  My youngster was on AG from 8 weeks, then completely went off it. I perservered and have worried much as she just seemed to eat survival rations. I finally accepted that she really did not like it and she's now on a wheat feed! Seems some dogs really do not like, nor want to be on, wheat gluten free! I now have her litter brother who also refused to eat wheat/gluten free. Interesting, considering they were both raised on Oscars (w/g free) to 8 weeks!!
I'd probably stick with the AG, and try soaking it as someone else suggested. I'm happy to add 'nice' bits to pups food anyway ... goat's milk (not cow's), egg, good quality tinned or fresh meat. I'd just add a little and mash it all in to add some excitement to the taste. Sounds as though she's doing fine though.