I have a litter of 6 week old pups. I am trying to feed them Eukanuba. I say trying because they really don't seem to like it. I have put in mince, tinned food and they pick it out and leave the Eukanuba. I have tried the Euk. softened and also dry. I have even used gravy to soften it but they just won't eat it. Does anyone know of a REALLY tasty complete food i can give them. I have tried Bakers complete but they don't like that either.

Glad I found this one!! I am having the exact problem with my lot at the moment. My adult dogs are fed on Eukanuba and so I automatically put the pups on it and they HATE it. they run up to the dish, take one smell and recoil in distaste. I decided to tough it out and just put it down at the normal times, gave them half hour to eat it, then removed it. They did not eat for 15 hours so I thought they would be starving but when I put the Eukanuba down again, STILL they would not eat it. I have tried some fishy whiskas mixed in but like Alie said they just pick it out. If any one does know of a really tasty complete food guranteed to get them scrapping and squabbling at the bowl I would love to hear of it. All I get at the moment is "after you, no after you, oh lets just leave it then".

Nutro puppy??? My cocker loves it and clears her bowl in seconds - better than she ever did with Eukanuba, Bakers or Pedigree Advance.

Blue Pet do next day delivery.

Fiona
x x x

I always wean using Eukanuba, and never have a problem. I start the pups off at between 3 - 4 weeks (depending on how ready they seem to be), pre-soak the puppy Eukanuba until it is in 'light & fluffy' balls, thoroughly mash it, then mix into puppy porridge using warmed goats milk. They might not love it the first couple of feeds, but soon realy get into it. I was very worried that my new pups (pugs for the 1st time) might not suit this method, but after one or two false starts we had no problems. At about 5 weeks I stop mixing it into porridge, and just feed it in the pre-soaked 'balls". Very occasionally, if a puppy realy needs tempting (have had this with Cavaliers in the dim and distant past) after the porridge stage is finished, I have found adding a little cooked, shredded chicken works wonders. Hope this helps,
Gwen

Hi, Gwen, mine are 5 weeks and so past the puppy porridge stage. When they were younger they did have goats milk and I had awful diahorrea problems after it, so they had chicken and mash to clear it up. then I put the Euk. into the mash and slowly decreased the mash until they are now on complete Euk and as I said they HATE it. they will eat it (at a push) mixed in with the mash but it is so time comsuming to peel all those spuds and I don't really want to hand over a pup that will not eat his food unless mashed potaoes are added. I could add the shredded chicken and I am sure they would love it but from experience of adding tasty tit bits, they will just pick it out and leave the Euk.

How about pre-soaking in either beef or chicken stock, leaving just a little liquid to pour over?
Gwen

Do you mean like an oxo cube?

Wouldn't that be too salty?? Have you tried heating in the microwave or soaking in boiling water?

Fiona
x x x

Puppy food should never be soaked in boiling water, boiled and hot but not boiling, as it kills some of the nutrients.

I always soak it in warm water but whether the food is hot or cold they won't eat it. I am not a fan of tinned food and biscuits but I am seriously considering putting them onto pedigree puppy and biscuit. Although the protein levels in tinned food are awful compared with the complete.

I have tried that Gwen and it made no difference whatsoever unfortunately. I too was worried about the salt levels. I think the basic problem is the Euk, they just don't like it.

hi ali
seems most don't like the uka,i changed to iams same group that make it i think and she loved it,once she got to six months changed over to beta jnr as find most uka and iams to high in protein, she was less hyper as well once i changed regards tina

I have always used soaked puppy food (of whatever make) with Puppy milk to form a porridge. Gradually the consistency is allowed to become firmer and proportion of puppy food to milk increased, until they are eating just soaked puppy food, with the milk as a drink.

I have in recent times used several brandsof puppy food mixed together. Arden Grange, Pedigree Formula Beta and Wafcol. the pups leave with a good supply of food, and the new owners have a choice of food that pups are used to, to continue with!

They also get one meat and bisuit meal. I think this helps ensure minimal problems with upset tummies, when they change home.

Have lots of friends who use Pedigree Advanced puppy food too, and the pups seem to like it. Are you soaking in hot or cold water? I alwasy use cold, as the consistency of the soaked kibble is much better - maybe it effects the taste too? When I said beef or chicken stock I didn't mean a stock cube but proper home made stock with bones & veg - you can make a big pan then chill/freeze for daily use. I know it is a hassle, so it might be a good idea to buy a little tub of it first - lots of the supermrkets sell it chilled. I dont think the stock cubes like Oxo would be good - definetly too much salt and too many additives.

What happens if yo try feeding them a little plain chicken or fish, will they take that? And what breed/ size. The puppy Eukanuba comes in 3 formulas, and I only just found out that it is not just the size which is different between the small and medium breeds formula, so perhaps the taste is different?

I soak in hot water and it does smell horrible. I have ground it up in a food mixer so they can cope with the size and fed it dry but they don't like that either. I am using the puppy/junior large breed because mine are malamutes. I have just fed them on Euk and potatoes but they did not want to eat that either. So I added a little cooked mince and that also got rejected. This morning when I put in some tinned puppy food they were growling at each other to get at the food (of course when it was gone they left the bulk of the meal which was Euk.) I may have to resort to this type of food just to get them to eat before they starve to death!!Would this be alright with a puppy biscuit mixer? Or would the protein levels be too low.

Why not give it a try soaked in cold water - it doen't take took long, but to make sure I dont forget, I put lunch to saok as I feed breakfast, and so on. I have never tried the large breed (got American Cockers, and now Pugs) but never had a puppy refuse the medium breed - they realy love it. Why not buy a small bag of medium just to see if they like it. I do feel sorry for you both, you must be worried to death about the refusal to eat.
Gwen

Forgot to say, yes they eat fish on its own and chicken but not when mixed with the Euk.

Well MM, I was thinking of trying the Chum tinned pup food too. I know my four adults will scrap for it, almost to the point of starting a fight and they don't do that over the complete :-) Like you, I see the protein levels are low compared with complete. I think its only about 8-9%. Would a diet of this and say small bite mixer suffice for them folks? Or would I have to add a nutritonal suppliement like SA37 as well?

I don't think Iams will pay us for advetising their products will they alie :D My dog is a bit fussy he can take it or leave it at times but he dosn't worry me......at 7 stone he can either eat or not and generally he does in the end but these pups are so young, its worrying when they don't eat isn't it? I thought that if I just left them to it instinct would force them to eat but after 15 hours and still rejecting it I am not so sure.

Well I've soaked the 3 o clock feed in cold water, Gwen. I'll let you know how it goes. While I'm waiting I may just nip out and get some tinned stuff just in case.

Just hope it works for you! I have been racking my brains to remember how we used to wean puppy before converting to complete. I think we had most success using a combination of puppy meal, tinned puppy chum, scrambled eggs and flaked white fish. Used to give a milky/cereal breakfast (somethinglike farex and goats milk) then soak the puppy biscuit in hot water so it was soft for next feed, lunch and supper would be soaked puppy biscuit with puppy chum, and tea would be soaked puppy biscuit with either scrambled egg, chicken or fish. Used to add cod liver oil to the tea time feed, and a calcuim/multi-vitamin powder to 1 other feed.

I just hope they will like the "cold soak'method, and you dont have to revert to the old ways - it was certainly much more time taking, and was never so easy to pass on accurate feed instructions to new owners - you always felt that they would ignore all the menus and simply chuck a tin at them (if I rmeember, we used to get a lot of 'upset tummy call" in the first weeks after they left.

Gwen

Hi Gwen,
Well the cold soak eukanuba went down like a lead balloon.:-) I gave it to them, they trotted up, took a sniff and backed away quicker than if a crocodile had just surfaced out of it. I did a quick dash to the shops and got some pedigree complete puppy and some tins of puppy meat, the sort you can buy in threes. So I soaked the Ped. complete in cold water for a while and gave that. Two or three of then ate a thimble full then stopped and the others looked at me as if I was trying to poison them. so in desperation I mixed in a tin of the pedigree tinned puppy food and the differrence was amazing. I actually had to break up a couple of fights so frantic and possessive were they. I think I will go with this and see how long its lasts but the sight of a clean dish was lovely. I will probably end up with squashy poo until they adjust but I can cope with that as long as they are eating. Trouble is, I know you are supposed to break new foods in slowly but if they are not eating, there is nothing to mix it in with!!! The pedigree complete isn't bad and easily available, I am just going to have to put the tinned food in with it to make them eat it but at least they do and don't leave it like they did the Euk. I also give whelpi in their water to give them an extra nutrient boost. God, this is such a bother, I thought solids would be so easy. My lot do prefer tinned food (not that the adults get it) but if I happen to have a tin open, my male won't let another dog in the kitchen while its there. He gets very growly. Seems the pups prefer it too but I shall try to get the pup I'm keeping onto complete when the others go but its easier doing it with one than it is with nine:D

That is encouraging MM :-) Do you think the complete is better than an odinary puppy mixer? With the tinned stuff I mean.

Well I would say so Alie, though what do I know ;-) A mixer is just that, a bit of biscuit to bulk out the tinned food. This pedigree complete puppy is a complete food so if you can get them to eat it, its all they need in theory. My lot just don't seem to like complete food on its own, hence the hastily applied tin of puppy meat. they finished off the Complete and the meat so all the diet should be OK. The only trouble is, as I've said, I am bound to get squishy poo until their stomachs adjust but if they are not eating anything, there is nothing to wean it slowly in with is there? I had to use a whole tin to mix in with the complete because I am feeding 9 pups. Give it a go, the sight of that clean bowl after 24 hours hours refusal was lovely. Let me know because I have every sympathy with you

I thought that mixers were complimentary, meaning that they are designed to be added to tinned meat to give the extra nutrients required Where as biscuit was only to bulk out food. 'Complete' is a complete food and needs nothing added (Just what I thought though :) ) Our old BC was on mixer and meat (pedigree chum) and lived to a ripe old age :)

I am so glad they are eating something! I know several people who feed Advanced Complete mixed with Tinned Puppy Chum, and their pups look good, so I think it is definetly better to go with the complete and tinned for taste, rather than relying on the tinned for al the nutrients and plain small bite mixer for crunch!
Gwen

thats what I thought Gwen, so if I can get them to eat the complete plus the tin for a bit of taste I may be OK. Its funny that they don't mind the pedigree complete plus meat (or at least they can ignore it enough to eat it) but would refuse the Euk plus meat. Well, they would pick the meat out and leave the Euk. They must simply not like Eukanuba. I hope this eating lasts before I go grey with worry over them. Next I shall be on complaining about mountains of squishy poo!!!!!:-)

Right get Nutro puppy, if your breed is small get the mini choice variety, I mix a little tinned Chum puppy food through it, or buy a packof Tesco Value mince and cooked it, put a bit of that in plus some of the cooking liquid. Mine didn't take to the Nutro Choice puppy, so I wondered if it was because it is lamb based, the mini and large breed varieties are chicken based.

The puppy food my 15 week old has really taken a shine too is Burgess Supadog Puppy, it's found in Pets at Home etc. It's main ingredient is Rice then chicken meat, not Wheat like so many puppy foods. For a milk supplement, you cannot beat Welpi, my boy is still on a daily drink of this and he has never had an upset stomach with it

Christine.

Hope I'm not going to have to help clear up squishy poo when I visit!! :D

Mind you having said that I think I owe you one all the times you've trotted 'round plastic bag in hand after Blaze for me in the ring at numerous shows - he does pick his moments :rolleyes: :D

Hope I'm not going to have to help clear up squishy poo when I visit!!

Jacquie ...isn't that what Grandma's are for?

:D :D

Melody

You cannot compare the protein levels in dry and wet food until you reduce both to dry matter weight.