Can anyone help us please??

Brody our male golden retriever of 18 months has been fussy with his food since the day we had him.  We have trialled a variety of brands from Hills, JWB, Jolleys own, Chudleys etc.  We have been strict with his diet and desperately want him to be on dried food, and not give into wet.  When he starts a new food he eats all of it, with no problems however as the days go on he gets bored of it.  So we leave it down for 30 mins morning and night and if he doesn't eat it we pick him.  This is the advice we have been given.  However it's getting to the point now where he is having a mouthful of food and leaving the rest.  I know he wouldn't starve himself and would eat when he wants to, however we're getting a little concerned about him.  He's quite trim and active, and walked regularly, however we are at the point now where we don't know what to do for the best? Do we stick at it...and hope that one day he will eat it all? or can anyone advise anything new we haven't tried. I would also like to add he has no titbits, or dog treats.....

Thanks

Nicci.q

Hi nicci.q
I also have a young fussy golden of 2yrs old. she will not eat any complete on its own...i always use jwb wet food as toppers.
Like you i have tried many different complete foods and we have now settled on jwb turkey and veg cereal free and thats seems to suit her with the wet jwb topper.
I would rather give her something she will eat...than loose wait.

> fussy with his food

It's very disheartening when you have a seriously fussy eater. One of ours has been fussy in the past but since changing to a raw diet she is very nearly a reformed character. Occasionally she has a hormonal wobble and I don't mind her having a tin or two under those circumstances - I know it will pass. There's lots of info on here about raw feeding if you do a search. Try not to let it get you down, as you say he won't starve himself. Pain though :-(

> We have been strict with his diet and desperately want him to be on dried food

Why?  Why are you desperate?

I always have the view that I would be pretty bored with a mundane complete diet.   Even my large dogs get a wet food added to make it more appetising.  They even get the odd treat, and it hasn't hurt them one bit.

Why not give in to wet, I don't blame the dog how boring to have dried food all the time!! Raw feeding is the way to go.

My young Golden has decided she too doesn't like complete foods. She was weaned on Arden Grange and happily ate it until just over 12months.
I always add either raw or some tinned meat/pilchards/sardines to evening meal, but breakfast is just complete. She started leaving breakfast first, so I added a little meat, then she was leaving her evening meal too.

She would eat the meat and clean it off the complete, putting little piles of kibble on the floor!  I didn't want her to lose weight, so she is now on meat and biscuit- what a difference- she eats with real gusto. I have tried a couple of other completes and it is just no go. She is my first real fussy eater, in nearly 50 years of dogs. My other two are still happily munching their AG, plus extras.

She is thriving on her new diet (which after all is the way a lot of us fed for years) so maybe she knows something I don't!  My advice would be to go with the flow! :-)

Thanks for the advice everyone.  I'm going to try adding a small amount of meat to his food now to see if that makes and difference and also to add some variety to his diet bless him.  After reading this I'll try anything because I'd rather him eat than not. Tonight he's got pilchards mixed in with his complete. Will let you know.

Thanks

I think maybe your dog is telling you he doesn't like the food you are giving him.

As long as he has been checked out at the vet and he is healthy then my advice would be to try a raw diet (I don't think many dogs turn their noses up at that) or add something tasty to his diet or change over from dry food - I can't think of anything which could be less appetising than dried food for every meal!

I have 2 toy poodles one of whom is a very fussy eater so after trying a few different good quality foods I now buy Natures Menu in tins (not the pouches as he doesn't like these as much and also Royal Canin Mini Sensible kibble which is especially for fussy eaters. Royal Canin do a sensible kibble for larger dogs as well. I know from your post that you are not so keen on feeding a wet food but the natures menu is very good quality with a high meat content and no fillers so although I would have liked to feed my two on dry as it is supposed to be better for their teeth I am happy that they will eat the natures menu as their main food and the kibble I put in a treat ball or a kong for them to nibble at as well. I also clean their teeth every evening as poodles are prone to bad teeth.

He ate every last bit of his dinner last night when i added one pilchard to it.  We have also bought some of the natures menu as well so hopefully this is problem solved.  He's a lovely boy, but he gets bored so easily on his food....Variety is the way to go!  If only all dogs could eat like my sisters choc lab who demolishes his dried food in seconds!!

Thanks again

Hi Nicci,

We use 'tasty topper' from Barker and Barker. It works for our huskies if they get picky. We just sprinkle it on the normal meal. Its healthy as it contains only human grade dessicated liver powder and haemoglobin powder and that's it.

Mikey