Puppy Forum and Dog Forums banner

Picky eater

545 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Ddbigmak1
Hi All, I have a 6 months old pure pomerainian boy that has always been somewhat picky eating. At 4-5 months he started liking salmon for his breakfast and gave him egg some times and the rest of the day he ate his kibbles. Recently he doesn’t like salmon, egg or chicken at all. He only eats his kibbles once a day. What should I do to bring back his appetite again? Any suggestions??
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
Quit giving him the extras, for starters. Determine how much kibble he should be getting per day (the guidelines will be on the bag), and divide that amount into amount per meal. Put a meal's worth of kibble in his bowl (and maybe a bit of warm water), put the food down, and walk away. If he hasn't eaten it in fifteen minutes or so, pick it up and don't give him anything until his next meal. It may take a few feedings, but eventually he should catch onto the fact that he should eat what he's given, when he's given it.

Alternatively, use most of his kibble as training treats throughout the day. Anything left over in the evening goes into his bowl for dinner.

Another option of making him work for his food is to use puzzle toys. Sometimes that will make things interesting enough to stay with and finish. Packing toys like a Kong or Toppl with kibble and yogurt or low sodium broth, and then freezing it will make it more challenging and interesting.
Be very careful of the amount of food recommended on the bag. It is often far in excess of what the dog needs!
Conventional wisdom says a healthy dog won't starve himself (though he may hold out for several days for a better offer.)

We create picky eaters by adding goodies. Pretty soon, all they want is the goodies. Or better goodies.

If he truly goes for more than a few days without eating at all, it could be that he's NOT healthy and a vet check might be in order.
  • Like
Reactions: 2
Quit giving him the extras, for starters. Determine how much kibble he should be getting per day (the guidelines will be on the bag), and divide that amount into amount per meal. Put a meal's worth of kibble in his bowl (and maybe a bit of warm water), put the food down, and walk away. If he hasn't eaten it in fifteen minutes or so, pick it up and don't give him anything until his next meal. It may take a few feedings, but eventually he should catch onto the fact that he should eat what he's given, when he's given it.

Alternatively, use most of his kibble as training treats throughout the day. Anything left over in the evening goes into his bowl for dinner.

Another option of making him work for his food is to use puzzle toys. Sometimes that will make things interesting enough to stay with and finish. Packing toys like a Kong or Toppl with kibble and yogurt or low sodium broth, and then freezing it will make it more challenging and interesting.
Thank you. I will try that.
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top