Gun Dog Forum

Hi gang
We have a 4yo setter who has to be the pickiest eater. We've tried numerous kibble types...he will eat one for a while, then get sick of it and refuse to eat. We've tried waiting him out...he will eventually eat, but the problem is keeping weight on him in the mean time. He certainly isnt refusing food..if hes offered a snack or table food, he gobbles it down. Just kibble. Since its summer and my husband is off until august (hes a teacher) the dogs get out quite often. Our one dog is happy to go out for a quick lap around the yard and then get back inside (shes not a fan of the heat). Not our setter. He runs the fence line for 30 minutes at a time before i get him back inside, and when we're out of the fence, hes running huge laps around the property. We often have to call him in as he would likely hurt himself in this heat if we didnt make him stop and chill out. But all that running in this weather is burning calories like crazy...and then he refuses his kibble. Any ideas for a picky guy? Should we just cave in and mix scraps into his kibble? I've explored raw, but its very pricey. Not sure i can swing that expense. Hes got a vet appt today for a yearly check up, so we'll see his weight then. But any recommendations from those who have dealt with very picky eaters are welcome

Top dress with a spoonful of canned. Nothing wrong with a little enticement

If he picks out the canned and refuses the kibble, take the pan up and let him go hungry for a full day. Then offer about half his usual amount the next feeding. If he refuses that, give him another day of fasting. If he finishes the half meal, feed him another half meal the next day. No treats during this. IME letting an otherwise healthy dog get good and hungry stops pickiness. Any weight loss from the fasting should go back on fairly well once they figure out that they gotta eat *now*.

Do you feed soon after your dog comes in from his exercise sessions? If so, change the schedule so he runs in the morning and is fed in the afternoon...maybe the exercise plus heat is throwing him off his feed.

The above has worked well for my dogs with the exception of dogs who were seriously sick.

Add Water to the kibble .
Both issues dissolved.
There ain't no hunger strikers in the dog world .....unless something is medically wrong.

Mix in one of those little cans of cat food the little old ladies use.

Dogs love cat food!

Try chicken soup for the soul. Strange name but my picky eater eats it without top dressing it. Pretty good food also, my dogs do well on it. And don't over feed. And measure amounts and feed twice a day with 60% at night. Give him 15 or 20 minutes then pick it up. They have to learn to eat when given their food.

My experience with a picky eater is one dog. Looking back, he wasn't feeling well when he didn't eat.

Healthy dogs will eat 3 week old dead gopher in my experience. When they won't eat their chow, something's up, IMO.

I will usually add a splash of broth to the kibble. Inexpensive and easy, plus you can freeze it in ice cube trays to last longer (nuke it to defrost the portion). Just look for the types without sugar in the ingredient list, or boil some a carcass and skim off the fat. You can also heat the broth up to bring up the smell.

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An over easy egg mixed with the kibble was enough for one of my last dogs that was a picky one. No problems with that addition.

What kind of kibble are you feeding him/have you tried?? I am a really big fan of Taste of the Wild or American Journey Limited Ingredient. Also, like another user wrote, try adding water to his food!