Picky Eater

[Jenny G]

Berman is fed 1/4 cup of dry Wellness food 2 times each day.  Lucy and Mango immediately begin eating when their bowls are set down and continue eating till it's all gone. Lucy finishes in about 30 seconds (I don't think she chews!) and Mango finishes in about a minute or so.  Berman will sniff his food then walk away. Sometimes he'll go get a toy and try to play.  When he does eat, it takes 5 or 10 minutes because he picks up one kibble at a time and eat it. 

I've tried EVERYTHING - adding warm water, soft food, chicken broth, or parmesan cheese to his food. I've sat beside him and even tried hand feeding him.  We've tried different brands of food. Some times we're late for different things because we're waiting on Berman to eat.  The whole time his food is setting there, Mango and Lucy are circling just waiting for us to let them have his food.

We're to the point where if he's hasn't started eating by the time Lucy and Mango are done, we'll pull his food up and he misses that meal.  I hate doing this because I worry about his health. He has infrequent seizures so I'm ALWAYS worried about him. 

Any ideas of how to make Berman eat in a reasonable amount of time or even eat at all?

[Barb]

Jenny, I feel your pain...... my Brandy is the same way.... and it seems to just have come on about 6 months ago.

I thought she was just tired of her food (she is fed Solid Gold canned food), so I began the process of trying other things..... pretty much the same result.  Now, I cook a chicken breast each week (boil it) and crumble up and mix with her food every meal.  Although she is very slow (Rudy has inhaled his and staring at her bowl !!!)  she eventually eats, as long as I stand there and verbally encourage her the whole time !!!   I also make sure that there is no chill to the food at all - I think it may bother her mouth if it is cold, or even cool.

I was also adding her daily vitamins to the food, and she would snub that food all together.  Now I give her those separatly with Pill Pockets and she thinks she is getting a treat  :thumb:

Once a month or so, I will cook hamburger and rice and mix that in with her dog food, instead of the chicken.

She is always chowing on treats (I think you mentioned before that Berman did fine with treats) - and any nips of people food that I may give her (cheese or other very small tastes) - but she still is picky when it comes time for the true meal.   In the mornings, I have to keep telling myself to relax, as I wish she would hurry and eat - because I have to get to work.... but she knows that when I push her, so I have to make sure she has time.....

Very frustrating.... because I worry about her getting enough - she is very slender, but always has been.    One other thing I did too was, instead of serving her in her food bowl - I now put hers on a small plate - she seems to be able to get to it easier....

Not sure if any of it is helping or she is just pushing my buttons.... but ya do what ya have to do !!!!

LEt us know about Bermie !!!

[Jenny G]

Thanks, Barb! How much chicken or rice & hamburger do you add to her food? I feed Berman 1/4 cup of his food each time. Would I cut that in 1/2 or so if I'm supplementing with chicken or hamburger & rice?

[Barb]

Is he at the right weight now?  If so, yes, cut back on his kibble.  I started with half and half - just to give her a kick start and now am about 2/3 dog food and 1/3 chicken.  I mix it up really well so she gets a lot of bites with chicken.

If Berman is underweight, I would add about a 1/3 serving to his current 1/4 cup and then monitor if he starts gobbling all and puts on some weight.

It is very frustrating when you put their bowl down and they sniff and walk away, isn't it?  I tried feeding Brandy with a spoon too and she would eat some and then walk away....   

If Berman eats kibble - to keep him from digging the chicken out and leaving the kibble, might use a small amount of canned to stick it all together.   Hamburger and rice would mix better with the kibble - hard to pick out those pieces of rice and crumbled hamburger meat !!!!

Let me know how it goes !!!  What we do for our kids..... I don't even cook for myself anymore - LOL !!!!   

[Jenny G]

He's right at weight now - exactly 11 lbs.  I may make up a big batch of beef and rice and keep some frozen. My dad's a rancher and gives my sister and me a bunch of beef each year. We have a TON of cube steak that we haven't eaten. This would be the perfect way to get rid of it! Thanks again!

[April]

The only time one of mine won't eat is if they are sick and I just put it up until the next meal.  Usually they are hungry and will eat then.  Have you tried cutting back on his treats?  I ask because it may be that he is holding out for them since he seems to prefer them over his food.  If he didn't get quite so many treats he may be more willing to eat his regular food.  Also you could try mixing plain yogurt or cottage cheese in his food that might make it more appetizing to him. 

How is mixing the beef and rice with it working?