Madiba won't eat without toppers

[Rebecca bratter]

When we moved from DC to Miami recently, we got,in the bad habit of sharing our human food with madiba, our 1.5 year old aussiedoodle. We started putting a little cheese or cut up,white chicken in her kibbles. She eats or is at least served acana, we rotate flavors after every bag or every other bag. She's had a few bouts with vomiting which I attribute to,her eating strange things on our outings when I don't catch her in time. Things only found here in the tropics and lately a fascination with other dogs poop. We need to clean up her diet. We just got,her proviable and have stopped all food except her acana. She normally is more of a nighttime eater, a once a day eater. She will eat at daycare with the daycare owner who takes special care to feed her, we send her with a bag of her own food.

However, she is on a complete hunger strike at home. She just stares at us incessantly like why aren't you sharing food with me and she won't touch her food. I know it's said that a dog will never let itself starve but we are going on 3 full days where she might sniff her food and just walk away. Yesterday I mixed in some wet food, some wellness puppy that we had leftover. She took a few licks and again walked away. I should also note she's gained 1.5 pounds since we arrived in Miami 5 months ago but she also looks bigger in general. I guess some dogs continue to grow after they reach a year. She's a mini moyen, she was at 29 pounds for quite a while. She is also incredibly active, walks with me everywhere and gets 2 major play times at the beach or dog park everyday and on daycare days she's out playing all day.

Is there any safe thing I can put in her food so she'll eat, or should I just cut the toppers altogether. Should I worry? Should I cycle in a new kind of kibble? I love the acana and she does well on it, or did when she used to eat.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Try adding a couple of tablespoons of plain, unflavored, non-fat yogurt to her food, that may help. Otherwise, I would cut out the toppers completely. 

Is she getting any treats or chews?

[Rebecca bratter]

Yes she normally does get doggy treats, Zukes or Origen bison bites but since we cut out the toppers no,treats. She doesn't like yogurt, we tried it once no interest. So difficult I worry she is starving.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I promise you she is not starving. 

Many dog parents overfeed as a way to show love. But letting a dog get overweight is not loving, it's risking their health. 

We had a discussion about this here some time back which I think you'll find both funny and educational: 

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/an-ode-...

[Gail and Bailey]

I would not change Madiba from Acana since she does so well on it!  I also would not worry as it is true that a dog will not starve itself!!  Maybe she is getting all she needs at daycare when they feed her?  

This is what works for us..........I put a spoon of cottage cheese or a piece of sweet potato or a cut up hard boiled egg on Bailey's kibble once a day.  Easy to keep these things on hand and quick to fix.  If she doesn't eat it right away...it gets put in the fridge for the next day.  The rest of her daily kibble is left out and she consumes it in the middle of the night.  There are times that she is just not interested in her food as well.  I ignore it and just let nature take its course.  They get the message if we do not fuss over them.   

Madiba is beautiful!

[Rebecca bratter]

Thanks , i love her so much but I've spoiled here will try cottage cheese and sweet potato,,haven't tried those yet. Thanks.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Not cottage cheese and sweet potato, one or the other, lol. 

[Rebecca bratter]

Got it! I understand i didn't mean both together. Can I try one and if it doesn't work try the other?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, but then what will you try if neither one "works"?

That's the problem. She needs to learn to eat her food as is. :) 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

If it were me, I would cut all the toppers etc.  and let her get hungry.  If you want to leave her serving of food down so she can eat it when she wants, fine.   Just don't try to entice her to eat, or keep putting more and more food in her bowl.  One of our vets keeps stressing how much better it is to be a lean dog than a heavy one.

[Stella]

I would go 'cold turkey' and just give her kibble only. Once she realizes that you are not going to add anything to her bowl, and she gets hungry enough, she will eat. One of my guys tends to guard his food bowl, so in my house they get 15 minutes from when their bowls are put down. If it isn't eaten by then, it gets taken away.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with this completely. 

[Rebecca bratter]

Ok, I've always gotten great nutritional advice here so I'm gonna stick with Madiba's hunger strike. I gotta admit, I hate it, she just stares me down in disbelief that I'm not giving her meat or,chicken with her food. I feel like she is suffering but hopefully she gives in soon. I know all,that stuff is bad for her. Oh I hope she caves soon and goes back,to her acana.