A fussy eater - help needed :(

[xoxHannaHxox]

8 weeks- When we got Charlie he was a little on the chunky side and had been fed pedigree from his breeder. I wanted to definitely get him off that and so stated weaning onto Hills natures best. 3 months- After researching I found out that wasn't the best food for them and decided to slowly transition onto Wainwrights with NatureDiet as a topper which he would eat reluctantly but only if it was warmed up!

6 months - He started vomiting and after 2 trips to the vets, a second opinion and a week of just plain rice and chicken with 2 stomach settling medications the vomiting stopped (touch wood) I worried that the food i was giving Charlie was upsetting him so I bought Burns and gradually mixed in with his rice and chicken till he was off that and just onto burns dry.

Now he won't touch the stuff on its own. He sniffs then snubs within 2 seconds!

I don't know what to do now. I feel sorry for him because I want him to enjoy his meals and not beg for human food but I'm so worried about trying him on something else again as he has a sensitive stomach it seems and it's becoming quite expensive too!

What should I do?

[Brian M]

Hi

He is testing you and playing games that you will give in .At one time with my first Cavalier our Poppy I used to sit on the floor and feed her
lovely Sainsbury's chicken ,but once Daisy came along then Rosie and Lily they all eat their food as quick as poss because they all now have
competion so if Daisy wont eat her dinner Poppy will .The only way is put his food down give him say 10/15 minutes then pick it up and put
it away till next food time ,he wont starve and will soon realise whats going on and eat his food.

Rgds

Brian


Ps we feed raw not kibble .

[Soushiruiuma]

You either have to be strict, or play by his rules. He's probably disappointed that his boring kibble no longer comes with chicken and rice.

You should wait him out, he will not let himself get so hungry that he's in any danger.

I add a fried (sunny side up) egg to my dog's dinner. The runny yolk coats the kibble, and it's a fairly cheap, healthy add-in. I have had trouble finding a food here that I like (very grain heavy, or insanely expensive) so I add the egg to shift the ingredients to a more "animal" based diet. Guinness used to love his kibble in the US, he's less enthused about European cuisine - he wouldn't touch James Wellbeloved while was in England.

Another add-in that one our fellow cruisers was using was freeze-dried chicken (or beef). It's sold in cubes, but the woman would put the cubes in a baggy and turn it to a powder using a hammer. Then it just takes a little sprinkle to "fix" dinner.

[Nakana]

Hi

He is testing you and playing games that you will give in .At one time with my first Cavalier our Poppy I used to sit on the floor and feed her
lovely Sainsbury's chicken ,but once Daisy came along then Rosie and Lily they all eat their food as quick as poss because they all now have
competion so if Daisy wont eat her dinner Poppy will .The only way is put his food down give him say 10/15 minutes then pick it up and put
it away till next food time ,he wont starve and will soon realise whats going on and eat his food.

Rgds

Brian


Ps we feed raw not kibble .

I've been blessed with ravenous puppies so far, but I'd be on the same page as brian if they started snubbing their food. A cavalier can only skip so many meals. He won't die over the taste/consistency of his food: he'll eat kibble and love it

Definitely something to be said for competition too. I keep Django and Guster crated separately while they eat, but they still eat their food as though the other is going to beat them to it.

[murphy's mum]

Murphy was the same when he was a puppy. We didn't know better so ended up constantly changing his food, hand feeding, making a huge fuss of him to get him to eat. Then we were told about the 15 minute rule. He soon learned if he didn't eat he didn't get anything else. Remember not to feed treats in between meals if Charlie isn't eating.

One other thing is most makers recommend huge portions in both adult and puppy feeding guides, I find my two do fine on half the makers recommended feeding guide. So just make sure your not filling him up in one big meal, making him too full for the next one. Maybe try feeding him less to see if he's simply too full?