Hi I have a one year old shih tzu bitch called Mischa who is a very fussy eater. She came to me on James Wellbeloved from the breeder and has been on it ever since. Problem is she doesn't seem to like it. She never eats a full bowl (about 70g over the day). Can anyone recommend a good alternative?

Price isn't really an issue I'm just looking for the best for her.

Thanks :)

Try Orijen, a lovely no cereal food, my neigbour had a dog who absolutely refused to eat anymore dry food ( she tried a few different makes ). When offered Orijen the dog started straight away, her coat has improved and she looks a picture, however I am a raw meat feeder have you considered mixing a little raw mince to her food to interest her ? mixing does NOT upset the tummy if offered carefully.      There is also Ancana which is very similar.

Is she underweight?   Can you feel her ribs without digging?

It's possible that she isn't fussy, she just doesn't need as much food as you think ;-)

The feeding guides on dog food bags are very generous, I wouldn't expect any of my dogs to eat as much.

Once a puppy stops growing  at around 6 months for smaller breeds, their food requirements reduce, and by a year old I would expect a small breed such as this to be adult size.   This is usually the stage where owners get worried as their young dog appears to not be eating enough, or has 'gone off' their food.   By swapping and changing foods the dog then becomes fussy ;-)

It's possible that she simply doesn't need to eat as much :-)

She's what you would probably call an imperial shih tzu. Perfectly healthy just smaller than normal. She's her adult size and about 5kg you can feel her ribs and her backbone without having to try very hard which is a bit worrying. She gets kibble twice a day and treats such as dried duck when training etc.  She's always been weird with food. She will eat human food such a chicken and beef but sometimes she takes a bite then spits it out. I'm willing to try any food be that raw or kibble. I'd like to avoid wet dog food as as far as I am aware it's not good for dental health with little dogs.

70g sounds about right for an adult shih tzu. Manufacturers usually overstate the recommended daily amount. My Cavaliers eat about 90-95g JWB per day. Check if you can feel but not see her ribs, or ask the vet about her weight if you're not sure, but she may be fine how she is.

Most feeding guides say between 70-100g for adult shih tzus. I reckon she eats about 40-50g a day at the moment and just leaves the rest in her bowl.

Feeding requirements vary even within breeds. One of my dogs weighs about 15kg and only eats 100g of dry food per day.

our bichon weighs 5kg sometimes less she eats 100g james wellbeloved and looks abit fat if she dont get alot of walking on that.

It's no good reckoning or estimating, you need to actually weigh the food.  Then weigh how much is left.   If the food is fed 2x a day, weigh out the full amount and see what's left at the end of the day  ;-)

I would weigh the food, then put it down.   Once she's finished eating, pick it up.   Don't offer any more food (or treats) until the next meal, then after she's finished eating, pick it up, don't leave food lying around in the hope she might eat, it won't work.       If she thinks the food is not always going to be available, she might change her mind about it.

In addition, what amount of food does she get in treats and tidbits?     You might be astonished at how this mounts up ;-)

To find out,  every time you give her something, put an equal amount in a little tub with a lid.   At the end of the day, check out how much extra is there this goes for EVERYONE in the home.  Remember, everything extra she gets will dull her appetite for kibble and make you think she isn't eating much, when, in fact, she may be eating a lot more than you think ;-)

I know how tempting it is to chop and change foods to tempt her to eat, but that really is the way to get a fussy dog.    I have been through this, and eventually you get to a situation where there are no more novel foods, but the dog still expects novelty and refuses to eat.   Then you just have to harden yourself, ignore those huge eyes and decide on a food and stick to it, no matter what.   It's easier to not get to that stage ;-)

Curious.... what's an Imperial Shih Tzu?

An imperial is a smaller version of a shih tzu. Some people are advocating them to be classed as a seperate breed. Also known as tea cup or miniature. Mine is just a small version simple.

i do weigh my dogs food i always have so i know if i need to lower or give more.

Sorry, whitelily, that wasn't meant for you, but for Rarariley ;-)

>Also known as tea cup or miniature

What country are you in?  We don't have teacups in the UK.  The only people using that expression are not reputable folk.

From the Shih Tzu breed standard on the Shih Tzu Club Uk

Weight: 4.5-8 kgs (10-18 lbs). Ideal weight 4.5-7.5 kgs (10-16 lbs).

Can't find an mention of tea cups or imperials on any responsible UK site,   responsible US sites mention them, but to warn against being deceived.

If the dog is 5 kg then she is within the normal range.

Thanks for clarifying that Rarariley.
I don't know of any special requirements for that sort of Shih so I would follow whatever any experienced Shih Tzu owners or breeders recommend for the size of yours, as they can vary. As they are not a well known or recognised breed it's difficult to suggest the right way to feed. But whatever breed you have, you can learn to judge good condition in your dog, you should be able to feel the ribs easily, and leaner is better, then you can work out for yourself if you are feeding too much or not balancing exercise with calorific input. There are a lot of overweight dogs around these days!

70g sounds about right for a small dog.  What makes you think she isn't eating enough?

What is her weight like is she skin and bone or nicely lean? 

She should have a waist and you should be able to easily feel her ribs and backbone, but not play a washboard tune on them.

thats ok dill :)

Imperial is just the best way I thought to describe her. I'm not saying she is one
:) she's lean you can feel her ribs and bet backbone but they don't stick out. I certainly don't want to over feed her and make her fat!

Back to the main point lol I've been weighing her food for about a month and she tends to leave between 20-35g a day from 70g. Would you say this is cause for concern or do you think she only has a small appetite?

As long as she isn't losing weight, I don't think you need to worry. Feeling ribs but not seeing them is about right. :-)

Have you tried 'potting' her treats over a few days ?      you might be surprised at how much she is getting, especially if other members o the family are giving tidbits ;-)

As she is very small, and weighs 5kg it sounds like she is about right.  When on JWB my own dogs didn't eat nearly as much as the feeding guide suggested they should ;)

Are you satisfied with her condition on the food?    is her coat good?  is she active?   Does she have muscle?

Really the question seems to be 'are you satisfied that the food you are feeding is the right food for her ? '  

If you do decide to change, read up on what constitutes a good food, don't be blinded by advertising - and if the company won't write on the ingredients list exactly what the meat/cereal etc. is (rather than generic terms - meat, cereal ;-) ) ask yourself why not ;)

She seems happy she has loads of energy still so I'm guessing she can't be too bad. She's got strong back legs and jumps on anything possible. I'm starting to think we either over fees her treats or she just has a small appetite. Ill try taking away treat for a few days and see how that goes.

And to be fair yeah I am concerned the foods not as good as it could be. I'm concerned the James Wellbeloved has too high of a grain content. Where do you stand on JWB?

When feeling your dog to assess if it is the correct weight I was told - if it feels as though it has a duvet covering it's ribs then it is overweight, feels like a sheet then it's too thin and if it feels as though it is wearing a thin blanket then it is just right. IMHO being on the lean side is far better than being porky :-)

Rarariley

If you are thinking of changing, I have toy breeds,, and they are doing well, and love Applaws.  I feed half wet, half dry.  Their sachets and tins are well received,, and the dogs look good on it.  I buy the large sacks of dry food, but I assume that they do smaller size sacks.

I feed my dogs raw including my once picky toy x breed. You could consider that if you want to change from current feeding. Certainly no grain then :)
We can give plenty of information on raw of you decide to go that way and give you links to reading>
Personally if I was to change from Raw ( unlikely ) I would choose grain free something like orjen. 

Jean I've heard wet food is bad for toy breeds so I've tried to avoid that route. Would you say it's ok as long as you keep an eye on the dental health?

I have to agree with the others re Raw feeding.

It's sometimes hard to get across the benefits without seeming like an evangelist - and also taking into account other reasons why it doesn't suit everyone - but it can and does make a difference. Not just to the dog's appetite but there are other benefits such as faeces being smaller, firmer, easier to pick up and less smelly - and the teeth staying in great condition, even into old age... my oldie rescue is at least 10 probably 12 but she has cleaner teeth than many dogs half her age.

*hands up* Disclaimer: I know it's not for everyone, but its is easy to start, much more so than some years ago as most pet shops now stock frozen minces etc.

I have raw fed cats as well and that's harder... but even with a 50/50 raw and kibble there is a noticeable improvement across the board, especially when a lactating female is raw fed and her kittens are weaned on to raw.

Rarariley

Only just seen your question re wet feed for toys.  Some say that dogs will pick out the dry and leave it if you feed mixed.  It has never happened to me, and I have a lot of dogs.  I tried the tinned, and pouches of Applaws, just bought at PAH to see if they went down ok.  Then did some googling to see what the best deal was.  I got almost 50p off every tin! 

Yes, I agree that toy breeds have rubbish teeth on the whole.  So, yes you need to be aware, and clean their teeth

There is no such thing as an imperial shiz tzu or tea cup in my opinion these are generally the runts of litters which back yard breeders usually advertise. The Shih Tzu breed standards do not have any mention of smaller tea cup etc this is something which was started abroad and should not be encouraged!!!

I have two toy poodles one who is a very fussy eater so understand what a pain it can be. I have tried various foods but have for a long time now fed natures menu (tins) not pouches as this seems to be the only food he will eat besides lily's kitchen which is too expensive. I also buy Arden grange mini lamb and rice which they sometimes get as an extra if they seem particularly hungry. I think the reason a lot of people use dry is because it is supposedly better for their teeth. As mine wouldn't eat a bowl of dry kibble i get around this by brushing their teeth every day with dog tooth paste.