Won't eat dry food!

cooper · 06-27-2007, 08:45 AM

My newly adopted 1-1/2 year old Chihuahua-Corgi refuses to eat dry food. The officer at the pound said he eats wet food no problem, but pushes the dry food away. I've noticed the same thing at home.. This morning I tried adding some water to the dry food and popping it in the microwave for 15 seconds to make it a little more appetizing - or at least I thought that's what I was doing - but that didn't work. I mixed the wet food in and he still picked out the pieces of meat and let the dry. He doesn't eat dry treats either, but rather will hold them in his mouth until he finds a good hiding place for it. I've switched to giving him tiny chunks of cheese as a reward for peeing outside, but the dry food thing is really an issue. What can I do?

GreyhoundGirl · 06-27-2007, 09:04 AM

Is he free fed? You've got to switch him to dry food "cold-turkey". A dog won't starve himself, but he will get hungry enough to eat what you give him.

Curbside Prophet · 06-27-2007, 09:38 AM

It's true, dogs that come from a pound are usually free fed, so they don't hold any interest in food. I would hand feed this dog all its meals. When he's hungry he will eat, and you can then use the food as a training reward. It may takes some time, but it can really help with the bonding. You can also add a bit of minced garlic to add some flavor and scent. A little bit of garlic can go a long way.

briteday · 06-27-2007, 12:22 PM

I would feed him twice each day, leaving the kibble down for no more than 20 minutes. If he doesn't eat, pick it up until the next meal time. A healthy dog will not starve themselves.

Which brings me to...take the dog to a vet for a good check up. Be sure to bring along a fresh stool sample (or you can refrigerate in disposable, clean container if necessary). Bring your adoption contract along so the vet can see what shots and treatment the dog received at the shelter.

Once the vet clears the dog to be in good health, practice the tough love with food. Be sure you are feeding a high quality food. Check out the food section on the forum for suggestions

cooper · 06-27-2007, 11:10 PM

Yea, I think he was free fed at the pound...
For dinner tonight I started him on the dry food, which he ate half of, then I gave him a little bit of 'wet' food. I think I'm going to try giving him just the dry food tomorrow... I put some water in it so it wouldn't be quite as crunchy and that seemed to help.

cooper · 06-29-2007, 08:20 AM

Still no end in sight... Cooper has eaten no more than a couple bites of dry food between yesterday and this morning and I'm just a concerned mother. How long can I expect him to be hungry until he gives in and eats the dry food? Is there a softer dry food on the market?

briteday · 06-29-2007, 10:27 AM

Don't give in. The first thing is to find a premium kibble that he likes. Find an independent retailer (forget the big chain stores), tell them your troubles, and they will undoubtedly fill up a bag with samples for you to try. See if there is something that your dog like in there. You could offer 2 different foods each meal and see what he prefers.

If you are already using a premium kibble and want to work with what you have, then just know that a healthy dog will not starve itself. Has the dog had a vet check? If the dog is healthy they may go 3 days without eating anything, in my experience with shelter dogs.

Remember that everything is new right now...new surroundings, new people, new smells, new water. Be patient, be sure he's healthy with a vet check, and then try to relax while you wait out his little food hissy.

ritabooker · 06-29-2007, 11:37 AM

Lots of good advice already given. Here is what works for me and Abby.
Abby is not crazy for the taste of kibble, even Canidae, so I mince a small piece of meat(anykind, cooked) and stir it into the kibble so that every kibble has molecules of meat on it.

It takes a very small piece of meat for this to work...the magic is in the mincing and stirring. Spoiled? maybe, but I do not care. I have the peace of mind knowing that she is getting a good diet before her snack of horse manure, which she pulls through the fence on the side where the neighbor's horses live....mmmm...yummy(that's her, not me). I always make her "leave it" when I catch her, but she is bound to be getting some past me.