What do you do if your dog is a picky eater? It sounds like a funny question, especially if you have a vacuum dog (one of those pups that will literally eat everything in sight!). Some dogs will eat pretty much anything you put in front of them, but there are those that will only eat certain food and stick up their nose at others. It can be extremely frustrating when your dog refuses to eat their food and just walks away when placed in front of them. Trust me, I know! There is no need to fret, though. Here are some things you can do if your dog is a picky eater.
What if Your Dog is a Picky Eater?
Don’t feed them table scraps
If you give your dog table scraps, there’s a good chance they’re not going to want their boring old dog food. They’ll con you into letting them fill up on your leftover steak, then turn their noses up at their kibble. Trust me on this. Another tip: DO NOT fall prey to the whole “I’ll just give them a little people food on top of their regular food to entice them to eat” routine. Once you start doing this, your dog will not eat regular kibble. Instead, she will get really good at picking out the people food scraps, no matter how well you mix it into the kibble.
Create a feeding plan and be consistent
You should have a plan when it comes to your dog and feeding. For instance, do you want to give them dry food only or a mixture of dry and wet food? Does your dog need a certain type of food, like a hypoallergenic kibble? The reason for the plan: it’s easy to start throwing all different types of foods in their bowl when you’re just trying to get them to eat. That’s not good for your dog or your budget.
Make a feeding schedule and stick to it
It is important to keep your dog on a schedule when it comes to mealtimes. Most dogs eat twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. By sticking to a feeding plan, your dog knows when to expect food. SOME dogs are grazers. If you do try the grazing strategy, make sure you’re only putting out as much food as they should have in a day. Also, if you have more than one dog, they all need to be grazers, otherwise the Hoover will suck up all the food in a minute, leaving your grazer with nothing.
Find a dog food they like and stick to it
It is important that you find a dog food that your dog is going to like. Just because they are dogs, doesn’t mean they will like every single dog food. Be sure that when you are choosing a dog food, choose one that contains real meat or chicken as the main ingredient, since it will be healthier for them. Once you find a food they like, you can consider a rotation diet within the brand if you want to avoid allergies. Or just stick with the single food. That depends on your dog.
Follow these tips for your picky eater and you should see a change sooner than later. Keep in mind that most dogs will not starve themselves. If all you offer is a certain food, they’ll eat it. If they’re absolutely refusing to eat, they very likely have a medical condition that needs attention, so please talk to your vet. If your dog throws up or exhibits any other signs of distress after eating, he could also have food allergies. Again, talk to your vet.
Have you ever dealt with picky eating in your dog? How did you handle it? Share in the comments!
