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struggling with dog foods :(

RoyalRuby

Member
ive got my puppy on james well beloved, she loved it at first but has got bored so i added gravy bites into it and now shes even pickier. and all my family insist on treating herwith meats e.g chicken sausage i was told by the vet to starve her until she eats her dog food (he told me to do this as she was getting poorly due to an unbalanced diet) when i tell my family this they say its cruel and still give her meats. is there any alternatives to dog food that will still give her a balanced diet or should i stick with what the vet says and feed her one dry puppy kibble untill she eats it?? im really struggling i just want whats best for her :( but dont want to be cruel and for her to be hungry
advice please :( :(
 
If your family keep feeding her with processed meats like chicken sausage they will shorten her life -- they are full of fats and nitrite preservatives that are NOT healthy and she will not be getting a balanced complete diet that is extremely important while she is a puppy in particular!!

Maybe the whole family needs to go in for a serious talk with the vet about how they are cutting short her life by doing this. I'd stop buying processed meats as well so that if the family cannot restrain themselves, they don;t get those foods either. That's better for their health, too!

You do need to stop trying to add in different foods (you can give a varied diet but better to do this when she is older and not holding out for food) and if your family is serious about her having a long and healthy life they absolutely MUST stop random feeding or her diet will be seriously short on the nutrients she needs and she will get fat -- which a recent study shows cuts on average 3-4 YEARS off a dog's life. This breed almost all get heart disease eventually -- some are prone to it very early -- which means any ounce of extra weight limits their lifespan, too, as the heart must work harder to pump blood. Please, please tell them to take her health more seriously -- I know they will want her to be with you for as long as possible.

Read this post for more information on managing a fnicky eater:

http://board.cavaliertalk.com/showthread.php?t=24168

The problem will get far worse if this isn't managed right away so do be strong and stick with giving her a healthy, balanced diet. (y) Her future depends on everyone being responsible, not selfishly feeding her whatever they want.

There are several threads in the Caring for your Cavalier section on what to feed -- have a read of those threads as that will give you ideas of what is nutritious and healthy to add to her diet. But really it is so, so crucial for people to STOP FEEDING HER EXTRA TREATS and additional meals!!! That is the fastest way to having a fat, unhealthy dog with a shortened lifespan. :(
 
thanks for that karlin :) i wll stick with the vets advice but is even a little chicken or sausage for a treat badfor her f they are limited? i dont seem to be able to grasp how much treat to give? at the minute i dont really mind giving her a bit of chicken or meat in with the dog kibble but is that bad?
 
My vet says chicken and rice! when got upset stomach and is off food, i done this with ruby when she was ill she is back on her dried food now! I do add chicken for treats.
 
Hi

Been there and done all that including sitting on the floor and spoon feeding ,pls pls pls take in all the good advice i did in the end and it does work, the dogs eat heathier and its far far better for everybody , pls ignore what your family says and try to re-educate them over titbits and pls listen to what Karlin says.

Kindest Wishes

Brian (y)(y)(y)
 
Hi
Have you tried various flavours of JWB?
I give my dogs meal over 2...i give one flavour in the morning and another in the afternoon.Sometimes i adda little hot water to it...it smells more appealing.And now JWB do wet meat pouches which i add as a little treat just so dinner doesnt get boring for them! :p

I give mine 15 ims with their food.....if not eaten then it is removed. I tried hand feeding, spoon feeding you name it i tried it and ended up with a fussy dog.As directed by my vet.....15 mins the food goes down for and if not eaten then remove it! I persevered with it and am so glad i did! My dog now loves her food!!!! And no more hand feeding for us.:rah:

I hope you manage to get the problem sorted soon....(y)
 
thanks for that karlin :) i wll stick with the vets advice but is even a little chicken or sausage for a treat badfor her f they are limited? i dont seem to be able to grasp how much treat to give? at the minute i dont really mind giving her a bit of chicken or meat in with the dog kibble but is that bad?


It is fine to mix in a little baked or boiled fresh chicken or meat into the kibble but I think what Karlin was saying earlier is that you really want to stay away from processed, fatty meats. Prepared sausages are very high in salt, fat, nitrates/preservatives that are unhealthy for dogs. You can certainly add some fruits and veggies to the diet and see how your dog handles it. Some are sensitive to changing foods but I think variety is a good thing for a healthy diet, and to keep the dog from getting bored. As stated, there are alot of great foodie suggestions in the archives here.(y)
 
I find if u just give them there food take no notice, give them 15 or so mins if at this time they havent eat it take it away. Might have to do this a few times but they will eventually eat.
Every now and then i will add something to it maybe grated cheese, sardines juat for a chance but they no now this is a treat and not to expect it every meal.
 
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