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This article was co-authored by Brian Bourquin, DVM. Brian Bourquin, better known as “Dr. B” to his clients, is a Veterinarian and the Owner of Boston Veterinary Clinic, a pet health care and veterinary clinic with three locations, South End/Bay Village, the Seaport, and Brookline, Massachusetts. Boston Veterinary Clinic specializes in primary veterinary care, including wellness and preventative care, sick and emergency care, soft-tissue surgery, dentistry. The clinic also provides specialty services in behavior, nutrition, and alternative pain management therapies using acupuncture, and therapeutic laser treatments. Boston Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) accredited hospital and Boston’s first Fear Free Certified Clinic. Brian has over 19 years of veterinary experience and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University.
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Do you have a dog that won’t eat his dry dog food? Before doing anything else, you should take your dog to the veterinarian for a thorough check-up because picky eating may indicate a more serious problem. If your dog is just picky due to conditioning, then you will need to take steps to change your dog’s eating habits. These steps can include getting a high quality dry dog food, feeding your dog on a schedule, and adjusting your dog’s diet over time.
Steps
Take your dog to the veterinarian. There are two main reasons a dog may be a picky eater. The first reason is that your dog may be sick.[1] The second reason is that your dog is a picky eater because he has often had the luxury of wet food or human food.[2] To find out the cause of your dog's picky eating, you will need to take him to the veterinarian for a checkup.- If your dog is well, then he may be a picky eater due to conditioning. Feeding a dog human food can teach it not to eat its regular dry food.[3] In this case, you will need to work with your dog to change his habits.
Consider when the picky eating started. Be sure to tell your veterinarian when the picky eating started. A dog that is sick may become a picky eater overnight. You may notice that your dog only nibbles at his food or that he is not eating at all. This may be because he is nauseated or has lost his appetite.- Medical conditions such as heart, kidney or liver disease, digestive problems, tumors, or dental problems can all be a cause of picky eating.[4]
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Be aware that many problems may result from picky eating habits. Even if your dog is healthy, being picky eater may cause health and behavior problems ranging from mild to severe and even life-threatening. These problems may include:[5]- Obesity
- Pancreatitis
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Difficulty treating a chronic disease later in life
- Diarrhea
- Behavioral problems, such as begging
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Understand the importance of feeding your dog a high quality dog food. Dog food is formulated to meet all the nutritional needs of dogs. Dogs have different requirements than humans for fat and protein and particularly for minerals and vitamins. They cannot thrive for long on human food.[6]- Dry dog food helps to remove some of the bacteria and plaque that collects daily on your dog's teeth.
- Nutrients in dog food, like calcium, help to build strong teeth and bones.
Make sure that meat is the main ingredient in your dog’s food. The most desirable ingredient in dry dog food is meat. Examine the ingredient labels on a few brands of dry dog food. If meat (not meat by-product) is the first ingredient (or the first two or three) there is a good chance that it will be a better tasting dry food.- Steer clear of any dog food that lists corn as a top ingredient.[7]
Adjust your dog’s food slowly. If you are trying to switch your dog from one brand of food to another, begin by mixing a small amount of the new food in with the old food. Over the a course of one to two weeks feed more and more of the new food and less and less of the old food until it is only eating the new food.
Mix wet food with human food. If your dog is hooked on human foods, then you can start the conversion to dry food by giving your dog wet food that is the same brand as the dry food that you want him to eat. Mix some of the wet food in with the human food that your dog likes to eat. Then, reduce the amount of human food and increase the wet food over the course of a week or two until you aren’t feeding any human food.- After your dog is eating the wet food, then start mixing in dry kibble with the wet food over a two week period gradually feeding less and less wet food until the dog is only eating dry food.
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Provide small amounts of human food to keep your dog happy. If the picky eater is just not able to break the human food habit you can add a small amount of meat broth (can be warmed) or a tablespoon of pureed banana or pumpkin to the dry food. You can also add cottage cheese or a little bit of a hard-boiled egg. Just remember that human food should not be more than 10% of the total daily food fed to your dog.[8]
Cut out treats. While you are making the switch to dry food, stop feeding your dog treats all together. You should also only feed your dog twice a day until your dog is regularly eating dry dog food. After the dog is regularly eating dry food you can begin giving treats again, but never use human food as treats or the dog may relapse.- It is especially important to be consistent with your dog. Make sure that everyone in your household is aware of the rules and does not break them.[9]
Place a time limit on feeding times. Having a regular schedule for your dog’s mealtimes and taking the food away when meal time is over will encourage your dog to eat when the food is offered. It is a good idea to put food out at the same times each day and to leave the food out for your dog for 15 minutes. After this time, pick the food up and discard any leftovers. Then, feed your dog again in 12 hours and follow the same protocol. Do not give your dog anything to eat between mealtimes.[10]- If after 2 days your dog still refuses to eat give him a little of the food he is used to eating (about ½ the normal amount). Then, try again. You may also want to doctor up the dry food with a small amount of human food (no more than 10%) to increase the chances that your dog will eat.[11]
Try hand feeding. You can also try hand feeding your dog. Sit with your dog and place a few pieces of kibble in your hand. Then, offer it to your dog to see if he will eat it. If your dog is used to you handing him human food, then he may accept the kibble from your hand as well.
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How Do You Know How Much To Feed Your Dog?
Expert Q&A
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- QuestionMy 8-month-old puppy wont eat kibble from his bowl and I have to force feed him. How can I get the pup to eat kibble from his bowl?
Pippa Elliott, MRCVSDr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
VeterinarianUnfortunately, force feeding will make the pup resent the kibble and even less likely to eat it. Start fresh with a different brand, so he doesn't associate the kibble with distress. Put the kibble in his bowl and leave the room. Return after 20 minutes and throw any uneaten kibble away. Don't offer anything else until the next meal time, and then repeat. Eventually the dog will learn to eat if he's hungry. Also, check the kibble size is appropriate for the dog, and moisten the kibble with a bit of hot water. - QuestionWhat can you feed your dog if you run out of food?Pippa Elliott, MRCVSDr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
VeterinarianIn the short term, it's fine to serve a portion of boiled white rice, pasta, or even potato, along with some cooked chicken or fish. Additionally, cooked eggs can provide good protein content or a little cottage cheese (provided the dog is not lactose intolerant). - QuestionWhat is good to mix with dry dog food?Pippa Elliott, MRCVSDr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
VeterinarianMost dry dog foods are nutritionally balanced (look for the words 'Complete and balanced' on the packaging). Therefore, you don't need to add anything from a nutritional perspective. However, some dogs do like the addition of something like chicken, to tempt them to eat it.
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Tips
- Check your dog's dry food to make sure it hasn't gone bad. Dry food can actually go rancid because of the fat content.[12]Thanks
- You can add a little (less than ¼ cup) of warm chicken broth (low sodium) to dry kibble to make it more appealing.Thanks
- You may need to try a few brands of dry food before you find one your dog like. Purchase a small bag so you’re not out a lot of money if your dog doesn’t like your choice.Thanks
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Warnings
- Make any food changes gradually. A sudden switch may upset the stomach causing vomiting and/or diarrhea.Thanks
- If your dog suddenly becomes picky make sure to contact a veterinarian if this continues for more than two days. It may be sick.Thanks
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References
- ↑ Brian Bourquin, DVM. Veterinarian. Expert Interview. 20 December 2019.
- ↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/when-your-dog-is-a-picky-eater
- ↑ Brian Bourquin, DVM. Veterinarian. Expert Interview. 20 December 2019.
- ↑ Nelson, R, and Couto, G, (2013), Small Animal Internal Medicine, ISBN 978-0323086820
- ↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/when-your-dog-is-a-picky-eater?page=2
- ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care
- ↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/when-your-dog-is-a-picky-eater?page=3
- ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care
- ↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/when-your-dog-is-a-picky-eater?page=2
- ↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/when-your-dog-is-a-picky-eater?page=2
- ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care
- ↑ Brian Bourquin, DVM. Veterinarian. Expert Interview. 20 December 2019.
About This Article
Veterinarian
This article was co-authored by Brian Bourquin, DVM. Brian Bourquin, better known as “Dr. B” to his clients, is a Veterinarian and the Owner of Boston Veterinary Clinic, a pet health care and veterinary clinic with three locations, South End/Bay Village, the Seaport, and Brookline, Massachusetts. Boston Veterinary Clinic specializes in primary veterinary care, including wellness and preventative care, sick and emergency care, soft-tissue surgery, dentistry. The clinic also provides specialty services in behavior, nutrition, and alternative pain management therapies using acupuncture, and therapeutic laser treatments. Boston Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) accredited hospital and Boston’s first Fear Free Certified Clinic. Brian has over 19 years of veterinary experience and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. This article has been viewed 210,946 times.
Co-authors: 18
Updated: November 28, 2023
Views: 210,946
Categories: Feeding Dogs
Article SummaryX
To get your dog to eat dry food, start by picking a food that has meat as the first ingredient. If your dog is used to you handing it human food, then try offering the kibble by hand to begin. You can also add a small amount of meat broth, cottage cheese, a bit of hard-boiled egg, or a tablespoon of pureed banana or pumpkin to the dry food to entice a picky eater. Additionally, cut out treats, only feed the dog twice daily at the same time, and set a time limit to get it used to a regular eating pattern. For more tips from our Veterinarian reviewer, including how to pick a high-quality dry dog food, keep reading!
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Reader Success Stories
"Our 14 yr. old Golden-Chow mix has a heart murmur and lately has stopped eating for up to 5 days. We've taken her to the vet twice for this, but they have been unable to solve the problem. She is on glucosamine/chondroitin for hip dysplasia and canine probiotics to calm her sensitive digestion - that's when she actually does eat the food we put it on. She is still refusing to eat, but I am encouraged to try the appetite stimulant suggestion mentioned in your article. Thanks."..." more
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