What To Do When Your Dog Is A Picky Eater

Today, I have a  post from Linda at Pawsometalk on picky eating and how to address it. Enjoy!

It is said that stomach is the easiest way to reach anyone’s heart. Good food can do the wonders! The same applies to both humans and dogs. Well, most of the dogs eat without hesitation, but few of them are not interested in what we put in front of them.

If your dog starts disliking the food being served to them, you should be concerned. It took me great time understand why my dog, ‘shaggy’ used to look at the food and walk away.

It was related to its health. His stomach was upset; so, he didn’t like the food being served to him and would ask for the food in my plate. Stomach problems or allergies or gums and sore tooth could be the reason why dogs can get choosy with the food and at this time, visit the vet for sure.

Make sure that your dog is in good health.

The best way to rule out your dog’s picky nature is by checking whether they are in good health or not. Don’t take a ‘NO’ when your dog avoids eating the food being served. Feed him good homemade dog food and maintain his health.

Shaggy, used to maintain his diet and used to eat good food. But, last month his appetite was diminished, and he started losing weight. He used to refuse everything I fed him and used to pick into my dish. Sometimes, he even didn’t like food from my dish.

The very next week, he developed diarrhea. I checked his throat for infections and teeth for gum problems. But, I found nothing. I took him to the veterinarian and he diagnosed the problem in his stomach. The doctor changed his diet and gave few pills, and he was back to health in three days.

What is the reason if not bad health?

What can be the reason if the health isn’t the reason for your dog being picky? Reasons can be any of the below:

• You feed him more than you should. I contacted Shaggy’s veterinarian, and he told me that as my dog grew old, I needed to change his dietary. He portrayed a simple chart to explain to me that growing dogs need a different amount of food than the grown one. And he ended up drawing a dietary chart for shaggy. Even you should visit dog’s veterinarian today!
• Monotonous food diet! As humans enjoy different delicious recipes, so does the dogs. If you would keep feeding him the same dog food, of course, they are going to get bored and would start peeking in your dish. So, look into it that you feed your dog with wet food occasionally and also try to serve homemade dog food.
• Spoiled habits. If you start giving treats to your dog on a daily basis, yes they will get spoiled. They would crave for more. This thing happened to me once. I used to feed shaggy from my dish every other day, and he got addicted to it. Soon he started refusing the food I used to keep on his plate. So, it’s better to be cautious before the things get spoiled enough.
• The place where you feed them! The place where you feed your dog makes a great effect on its appetite. Shaggy and I were so compatible with our eating habits that he sometimes used to eat while sitting in my lap. But, eventually, it spoiled him in a way that he refused to eat without sitting in my lap. Also, most of the dogs enjoy a peaceful atmosphere while eating and so, I was not able to watch my television during this time. Yes, so do remember from this that dogs feed well in a peaceful

So, stop feeding your dog with scrap food from your table. Your food may be dry or could have your saliva that could affect your dog’s health. Dog’s love wet food rather than daily boring, dry food. Feed your dog with nutritious and healthy food and your dog would be so energetic that you would love to play with him or her. Maintain their schedule and feed them on time. No one wants to be left hungry.

Better feeding choices and methods to make your picky eater eat whatever is served

Check whether your dog is being offered the correct food on time or not. Just be careful that the food isn’t spoiled. That can be the reason why your dog might not eat.

The food should be safe, healthy and nutritious and shouldn’t be changed continuously, or else it would disturb your dog’s digestive system.  Can cats eat dog food? If you are worried about it, then don’t be because cats cannot digest dog food.

Once in a while you may add treats with his regular food to satisfy your dog’s appetite. If your dog refuses to eat the dry food offered; add some canned food to add the flavor and to make it easier for swallowing. Also, those packed can be re-heated in the oven.

• Take your dog every morning for a walk. It is advisable to go for a walk before eating, and if maintained regularly, it can increase your dog’s life and the health.
• Talk to your dog and play with them before feeding them to encourage them to eat from the bowl.
• Also, make your dog solve some puzzles to improve its brain and make it eat happily.

I also limited the time for shaggy to eat and it helped. He started eating whatever was served, and it made his health good.

To conclude, I would say that if there is even a small change in the liking of your child, be cautious and first check the health and take your dog to the veterinarian. If your dog is good at health, check for other reasons. Follow the tips given, and my personal experience says, your dog will start eating.

Well, before going, do share your experience and let others learn from it. Your valuable reviews are welcomed in the comment section below and do follow what I just shared. I am sure your dog will not get sick and start eating whatever would be served in the bowl. Don’t get picky and don’t let others get picky.