HELP!!! Charlie has now become "THE WORLD'S PICKIEST EATER!!!"

[Samantha & Charlie]

For those who have known Charlie through the last year, you know I have had the major struggle of him and his GI issues. Well, I "think" I am getting it on track. Ever since I got him at 3 months old, he had diarrhea to most food brands (he is now 15 months). He has been on:

- Acana Grain-Free Grasslands

- Fromm Puppy Gold

- Great Life Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Duck

- Nature's Variety Grain-Free in both Duck and Lamb

- Natural Balance LID Venison and Sweet Potato

ALL of these either caused red ears, green eye boogers, vomiting, or horrible diarrhea. Nature's Variety was the worst. Acana was the best but caused the most itching and eye boogers.

Then, Natural Balance started to make him have diarrhea with every new bag of food. So, there goes that brand of food. So I am now on Wellness Simple Turkey and Potato. He loves the food and stool seems fine (some days it's a little loose) but now there's a completely different problem.

I have since moved from Charleston to Greenville and am now living with family due to personal reasons. He is in a completely different environment and has been in this new living situation for about 2.5 weeks. Since then, he has been the worst eater. There is another dog in the house (a tiny poodle). They get along just fine, but when feeding time comes, Charlie gets so ADD with his food. Sometimes he eats everything, but 98% of the time, he barely touches it. My mom said to add baby food to the kibble to give it some flavor. I was always against adding something to kibble but he is NOT eating. I mean, a switch happened to his system the day we moved from Charleston to Greenville. One day he ate all his food no problem and the next he wouldn't.

It also doesn't help if we take him to another part of the house. If he hears noises, he still won't eat. What's really pathetic is today my mom took him to the patio and hand fed him and he had no problem eating that way. I just have no idea what's going on. I'm at my wit's end.........

[Joan Bollaert]

If you've been uprooted, so has he.  In addition to his food issue, he might be feeling confused and insecure causing him to not eat comfortably.  Anyway....   Have you tried Orijen?   I'm thinking that maybe that should be something for you to consider.  It's unsettling for both of you to be changing food so often. :(   I'm sure Karen will have good advice on this food issue.    Good luck. :)

[Deborah Brown]

Right now, I'd say Charlie is stressed out about the move.  He can get along with the other dog and the new people and still be stressed.  Maybe hand feeding him isn't the worst thing.  I certainly wouldn't change food again.  

I'd opt for some supplements to help him relax a bit.  Penny takes these two daily and it makes a world of difference.  She tends to be an edgy girl.  Both are available for dogs but the human grade versions are cheaper and better quality.

Suntheanine L-theanine ( 5mg/kg body weight)  http://www.swansonvitamins.com/doctors-best-suntheanine-l-theanine-...

Lactium (15 mg/kg body weight):  http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-ultra-womens-anti-stress-for...

ETA some background info on Suntheanine:  http://www.ehow.com/about_6323937_suntheanine-pets.html

[Shari Becker]

It definitely sounds like Charlie is out of sorts. And I'd cut him a little slack. Maybe you can feed him in a separate, quiet place.

As for foods, are you giving any treats? I'd be really careful to look at what else he's eating. If you can afford it, my suggestion would be to try him on some "raw" freeze dried or frozen food for a few weeks, mixed with pumpkin twice a day and cut out any treats. Raw food has the least amount of additives and processing, and it doesn't get any more basic than that. The most affordable we've found is the Stella and Chewy's beef or lamb, which you can order from Amazon freeze-dried. 

Lexi has a very sensitive stomach. Duck is hit or miss. Fresh cooked chicken seems okay, but kibble with chicken may make her itch. I think she even has trouble with Turkey. Grasslands did not sit well with her at all! Venison gave her diarrhea. We think she has trouble with white potatoes, so any kibble with potatoes is a bust. (sweet potatoes are fine.) 

We have done amazingly well feeding her 2/3 Stella and Chewy's beef or lamb and 1/3  Orijen six fish. The six fish alone seems to have alleviated some of her itching. We now mix in some probiotics, too. Most treats give her an upset stomach, so we stick with all-meat jerky types and kibble. Bullies, etc... are a no no for us.

Good luck! It's really tricky having a dog with a sensitive belly. I know! 

Shari

p.s. I would definitely look into stress reducing techniques. You could try Bach's rescue remedy. We also do a nightly rub down of Lexi as part of her tick check. She really, really enjoys the parts where we massage her legs and belly.

[Linda And Callie]

I have a picky eater also. This may sound nuts but try just putting the kibble directly on the floor, no bowl. Callie can't have grains, I get her Honest Kitchen and mix in some chicken or beef or else she won't eat it. Kibble, when she eats it, goes directly on the floor. There must be a method to her madness but I figure whatever works! She gets Orijen 6 fish, very smelly but it's the only kibble she will eat.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I wouldn't change a single thing about his diet right now. The last thing in the world he needs is to start having digestive problems again. You found a good food that works, stick with it.  Period. The reluctance to eat is not related to what you're feeding him. He's feeling unsettled and confused. I have no appetite when I'm feeling anxious or nervous, either. :)

It typically takes at least a month for a dog to feel relaxed and at home in a new environment.  Is his food bowl the same one he used at your previous home? Is it in a similar location (i.e. if he always ate in the kitchen, is he fed in the kitchen now?, that kind of thing). Do you sit near him when he's fed and keep him company? If not, these things might help. 

If you do want add something to his food to encourage him to eat, try a couple of spoonfuls of plain unflavored yogurt. That's easy and good for him, too. 

There's also a canned version of his Wellness food, and you could add just a couple of spoonfuls of that, but I completely understand your reluctance to do so. 

[Samantha & Charlie]

Thanks for all the replies everyone! I'm on a tight budget now as I'm actually going through a divorce, so the least expensive way to make my baby feel better is what I'm trying to achieve.

To answer Karen's questions, everything is exactly the same as before the move. I also didn't know if it was safe to add the Wellness cans to his food because they aren't the LID kind (unless they do make those).

I also was thinking that even though he gets along with the mini poodle, maybe that dog comes off as a dominance affect to him in the house? Charlie did great at eating last night but didn't touch his food this morning. It's just weird how I can never tell how he will act.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Wellness does make the Simple Solutions LID formulas in a canned food: http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/product-details.aspx?pet=dog&pid...

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Because there is a back history to  Charlie's dietary problems, it is hard to know the right thing to do.  I would not change anything with his diet, like Karen said.  I have one dog who is a light eater and we found the food that he loves.  When we are in our RV though, he reverts to his non-eating ways.  I pick the food up and save it for the next meal, adding a bit more.  What I found is that he prefers to eat alone, in the dark, with no distractions, and we are usually able to leave his food down at night and we hear him crunching away. Is there a way to let Charlie have his food where/when there are no distractions? Where does he sleep? Is he without the other dog?  Can he have his food back then so that he could eat it then if he chose?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I was looking back at some of your past discussions and it looks like Charlie has had periodic bouts of disinterest in eating before: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/help-ch...