# Puppy bored with food -- any suggestions?



## Valiere (Nov 24, 2015)

Hey guys, my almost-7-month-old Hav puppy Riley has been eating Wellness Small Breed Puppy food up to this point. But in the past several weeks, she's been eating less and less. I don't think she's sick, because she is still a bundle of energy and constantly wants to play. Also, when I put her food and some treats in one of those tipsy Kong toys, she eats everything in it.

For additional proof, I went to visit some family with her a couple weeks ago, and she chowed down on the other dog's Kibbles and Bits instead of eating her own. 

I think Riley just needs some new food. Does anyone have suggestions for something tasty, without a lot of bad ingredients?


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

if you recognize the name of the manufacturer , don't buy it. >


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

here's a list

Mars Petcare Inc. United States
Nestlé Purina PetCare United States 
P&G Pet Care United States 
Hill's Pet Nutrition United States 
Big Heart Pet Brands United States 
Diamond Pet Foods United States 
Blue Buffalo United States 
Deuerer Germany 
Heristo AG 
WellPet


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

davetgabby said:


> here's a list
> 
> Mars Petcare Inc. United States
> Nestlé Purina PetCare United States
> ...


Dave - is your point that these companies should be avoided?


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

Check out DogFoodAdvisor to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

MarinaGirl said:


> Dave - is your point that these companies should be avoided?


yep


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## Chi-Chi's Mom (Dec 10, 2015)

Dave,
I have been feeding Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Puppy Chicken which DogFoodAdvisor gives (4.5 stars). Please let me know your reasons for recommending against it.
Thanks.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

for one thing I don't think dog food advisor is accurate, not even a nutritionist, and Blue Buffalo has far too many recalls and lawsuits.


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## Chi-Chi's Mom (Dec 10, 2015)

Thanks, Dave.


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## Valiere (Nov 24, 2015)

davetgabby said:


> for one thing I don't think dog food advisor is accurate, not even a nutritionist, and Blue Buffalo has far too many recalls and lawsuits.


Huh....that's interesting. That brand was one I was considering.

However, telling me what not to buy isn't actually that helpful.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yeah I hear ya. I generally don't recommend food for people. Out of thousands of request for food recommendations over the years on the forum , I think I have give five maybe. I believe what's good for my dog is not necessarily good for your dog. I know the better brands that nutritionists recommend but even they will tell you that it's a different answer for every dog. It's like asking what make of car do you like. > At least I eliminated 85 per cent maybe for you. lol


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

Valiere said:


> Huh....that's interesting. That brand was one I was considering.
> 
> However, telling me what not to buy isn't actually that helpful.


That is what we are switching Tucker over to now. I need to stop and find something else I guess. I thought many people liked the BB. I need to find something that is really good (recommendations please) that I can get at a Petsmart or Petco or Tractor Supply if we are gone away or I need it quick. I like to keep food fresh at home and not stockpile it. Getting into the city where the specialty food stores are is not a good option. It like trying to drive a snowball through you know where to get to these stores. :|


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## Chi-Chi's Mom (Dec 10, 2015)

I switched from Merrick (which the breeder was feeding her) because it had been bought out by Purina which had a bad rep. Did some searching of brands with good reviews and easily accessible and was surprised to find that all of them had recalls and lawsuits in the past 7 years. Have no idea what my next move is. Bummed.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Molly has never been a great eater. I have used a treat dispensing toy to get her to eat kibble so if your dog likes it from there that is a great way to get them to eat sometimes. Many people like the foods from Fromm or Acana. My girl wouldn't touch them however. I am feeding Natures Variety right now. She needed to be on a limited ingredient diet and she likes this brand. I add some of the freeze dried raw from the same company as a topper and moisten it all with water. She is actually eating better than she ever has on this brand.


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## LochTess (Aug 22, 2009)

Molly120213 said:


> Molly has never been a great eater. I have used a treat dispensing toy to get her to eat kibble so if your dog likes it from there that is a great way to get them to eat sometimes. Many people like the foods from Fromm or Acana. My girl wouldn't touch them however. I am feeding Natures Variety right now. She needed to be on a limited ingredient diet and she likes this brand. I add some of the freeze dried raw from the same company as a topper and moisten it all with water. She is actually eating better than she ever has on this brand.


 Kylie's been eating Acana and he's been doing well on it but he poops 4 times a day&#8230; I'm thinking of switching to Natures Variety because it has more protein and less carbs.


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## CindyLou (Mar 9, 2016)

We have also used Natures Variety and been happy with it. Natures Variety Instinct already has some freeze dried raw mixed in with the kibble and it is available at the PetSmart close to where we live.


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## LochTess (Aug 22, 2009)

Has anybody tried the Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Dog Food?


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

I tried it when Molly was a puppy and she loved it. She especially liked the chicken and beef flavors. When she started having some tummy issues I needed to get her away from poultry and a lot of the flavors have several different proteins in them. We use the limited ingredient lamb and peas formula now. I buy the freeze dried raw lamb mixers and add my own to the kibble. Then I moisten the whole thing. This dog food has a raw coating to it which gives it extra flavor and Molly really likes the freeze dried raw bits added to the kibble.
The only flavor Molly hated was the rabbit. Also she has nicely formed stools and usually poops twice a day or so.


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## LochTess (Aug 22, 2009)

It's great that you found the right food for Molly!! Often times when dogs don't do well on certain foods it's hard to find out what the problem is!!

I still have some Acana that I want to use up but after I finish that bag I do want to change to Natures variety Instant. Do you suggest the regular or raw boost?


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## CindyLou (Mar 9, 2016)

The one that we have used is the Raw Boost - Senior formula. When we had meds to get down, I would pick out a few of the raw pellets, crumble them, and mix them with water. I would then pour the mess over the meds, and they went down like magic!


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

You might want to start with the regular to get started. Molly loved the raw pieces so much that she would sometimes just pick those out and leave the kibble! Then you can transition over to the raw boost formula or you can buy the separate raw mixers like I do and just add your own in. I find it only takes a few pieces added to the kibble to get her interested in eating the whole bowl.


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## LochTess (Aug 22, 2009)

Thanks Diane & Cindy, Kylie can't wait to try it!!:hungry:


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

I switched Rudy's food gradually when he was 4 months old from Royal Canin Pippy choit to FROMM Gold puppy choit. He loves it. I wanted to switch to Orijen, but was advised that it has a high level of protein and may be too drastic of a change from the Royal Canin. 
I'm also looking to switch again when he turns one to the adult food. So far he does not have any food allergies. I would like to stay with the dry kibble or try freeze dried. Can anyone recommend one of the following adult versions of Fromm or Acana. There are so many variety of flavors. He's fine with chicken. Also can anyone recommend a freeze dried brand and flavor. If he eats 1/4 cup twice a day of dry food, do I feed him the same amount of the freeze dried?Also, if I switch to the freeze dried, how do you make the change gradually to avoid stomach upset?


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## LochTess (Aug 22, 2009)

Lisa T. said:


> Can anyone recommend one of the following adult versions of Fromm or Acana. There are so many variety of flavors.


I've been feeding Kylie Acana Wild Prairie and he's done well on it but he poops 4-5 times a day so I'm going to be switching to Nature's Variety Instinct.

Also Acana is opening a plant in Kentucky and they're going to be changing the regional foods. ACANA Regionals | ACANA Pet Foods


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lisa T. said:


> I switched Rudy's food gradually when he was 4 months old from Royal Canin Pippy choit to FROMM Gold puppy choit. He loves it. I wanted to switch to Orijen, but was advised that it has a high level of protein and may be too drastic of a change from the Royal Canin.
> I'm also looking to switch again when he turns one to the adult food. So far he does not have any food allergies. I would like to stay with the dry kibble or try freeze dried. Can anyone recommend one of the following adult versions of Fromm or Acana. There are so many variety of flavors. He's fine with chicken. Also can anyone recommend a freeze dried brand and flavor. If he eats 1/4 cup twice a day of dry food, do I feed him the same amount of the freeze dried?Also, if I switch to the freeze dried, how do you make the change gradually to avoid stomach upset?


When switching from one food to another, you need to do some math. Figure out how many calories there are in 1/4 cup of the old food, then in the same amount of the new food. Then you'll know how much to feed! It's the calories that count, not the volume. I'm not sure how freeze dried raw relates to kibble, but I know that both canned and frozen raw have a lot fewer calories for a specific volume, because of the (much) higher water content.


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## Marbel (May 20, 2014)

Molly120213 said:


> You might want to start with the regular to get started. Molly loved the raw pieces so much that she would sometimes just pick those out and leave the kibble! Then you can transition over to the raw boost formula or you can buy the separate raw mixers like I do and just add your own in. I find it only takes a few pieces added to the kibble to get her interested in eating the whole bowl.


Same with Chloe, she eats the raw pieces first and then eats the kibble. She does flips and spins for the raw pieces - which you can buy in individual bags and add to the kibble.


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## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

My almost-three-year-old dog is a horribly picky eater with a sensitive stomach. I had a lot of difficulty with food until he tried Stella & Chewy's. He even poo-poo'ed Primal. I started Lola on it the day she came home. With two, especially because Watson is 22 pounds, it was becoming prohibitively expensive (three plus bags a week). I tried Darwin's, but he wouldn't eat it. I'd tried every kibble from two different Merricks, three Fromm's, Now Fresh and Go from Petcurean, and the Kirkland brand my neighbor had. I recently switched to Orijen's Adult with a little Stella & Chewy's topper. Both dogs eat it up. They're pooping more, but it's...er...good quality, softly firm poops. They're also no longer rabid for the cat food, which I'm hoping isn't just a coincidence.


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## Pfellows (Dec 22, 2015)

Charlie loves By Nature dog food and treats


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## Boogs (Feb 12, 2016)

My breeder recommended Orijen, and I have heard good things about Acana as well. Right now I feed my puppy Wellness, but if he starts being fussy with it then I will switch to one of those.


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## seesawhavanese (Jun 17, 2015)

Here's a review on dog food, Best Dog Food Reviews and Ratings of 2016 - Reviews.com

They rule out any food with corn, soy, wheat, grains, flour, beet pulp and sugar. The Fromm blend we were feeding contained pea flour and the Now Fresh puppy also contains flour, but we'll change when our Mochi is an adult.


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## Valiere (Nov 24, 2015)

Found a solution! This might help other people dealing with the same problem of a picky, bratty little puppy. The local store gave us a sample of the Stella & Chewy's Chewy's Chicken Meal Mixers, which you mix into their regular food. It's basically crack -- the puppy goes nuts for the stuff and immediately scarfs down her dinner. Works like a dream. The stuff looks like it's pretty healthy too.


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Wish we had that problem. Rudy will eat anything. We're constantly having to watch what he picks up. He loves to eat.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

seesawhavanese said:


> Here's a review on dog food, Best Dog Food Reviews and Ratings of 2016 - Reviews.com
> 
> They rule out any food with corn, soy, wheat, grains, flour, beet pulp and sugar. The Fromm blend we were feeding contained pea flour and the Now Fresh puppy also contains flour, but we'll change when our Mochi is an adult.


Actually, unless your dog has a grain intolerance, there is NOTHING wrong with grain as part of their diet. (thoughI would avoid corn... especially as a major ingredient, as is found in many cheap dog foods)

Dogs are not obligate carnivores, as cats are, and have evolved to be able to process a certain amount of carbohydrates. Good quality graincan be part of a healthy diet for many dogs.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

nothing wrong with beet pulp either.


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## Teddy'sdad (Jan 16, 2016)

*Same problem*

I am having the same problem with my nearly six month old, Teddy. Originally, Teddy was eating Canadae, which the breeder started him on. We then switched to Petcurean, as he was bored with the Canadae, now he doesn't eat that either, sometimes for a whole day at a stretch. HELP!!!

Perhaps he just can't see his food? Or is just mocking me? Each is a possibility based upon this recent pic...


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## seesawhavanese (Jun 17, 2015)

*Trying to use Stella & Chewy's Beef Mixer less and less*



Valiere said:


> Found a solution! This might help other people dealing with the same problem of a picky, bratty little puppy. The local store gave us a sample of the Stella & Chewy's Chewy's Chicken Meal Mixers, which you mix into their regular food. It's basically crack -- the puppy goes nuts for the stuff and immediately scarfs down her dinner. Works like a dream. The stuff looks like it's pretty healthy too.


Our Mochi started to pick the Stella & Chewy from the kibble and become real picky. She wouldn't eat her kibble without it. We are now being more strict with feeding so that she eats or it gets taken away. Also, she was throwing up bile in the morning, so less variety for our puppy for now.


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## seesawhavanese (Jun 17, 2015)

davetgabby said:


> nothing wrong with beet pulp either.


Lots of different views. We struggled with: puppy blend or all stages dog food, grain or grain free, gluten free, no chicken, etc... everyone needs to do their own research.


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