Switch it up?

[Carolyn & Barkley the Bear]

Hi!

My Barkley is 3 now and doing great but recently is going through a “finicky phase”.  He always ate twice a day but has recently started turning up his nose at his morning meal.  I have finally given up trying to coax him and now I just double his food at night and he eats once a day.  I do give him a few scoops of fat free plain yogurt in the morning which he will generally eat.

I am wondering if its okay to change out the flavor of food since, although he does eat his food at night, he doesn’t seem to be too enthused as he had previously.  Sometimes he just looks at it but eventually will come over and eat it up.

He currently eats Wellness LID Turkey and Potato but there are other Wellness LID “flavors” that perhaps he might prefer.  Would it be wise to change it up or should I just stick to what he  is used to?

Any suggestions would be appreciated !!  Thank you.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's a good idea to rotate "flavors" within the same line of food; it helps keep them interested and provides some variety, which can be especially important for dogs on LID diets. I think it would be a great idea to try one of the other Simple formulas.

Another thing that may help is to only buy bags that he will finish within a month, unless you can freeze the excess amounts. Kibble does become less fresh over tie, even if you keep it in an airtight container, and I have noticed that many dogs seem more enthusiastuic about eating when the food is from a freshly opened bag. 

[Carolyn & Barkley the Bear]

Thanks Karen!  I’m happy to hear that trying other formulas is a good idea.  I will also try buying smaller size bags.  We do get those large bags and I’m sure It probably loses its luster after a few weeks sitting in the bin!

One last question if you don’t mind....Since I now feed him a little yogurt in the morning and his daily dose of food all at once in the evening do you think I should stay on this schedule?  If he likes a new flavor of food and seems more interested is it better to split the food into two feedings or just stay with one evening feed?

As always, thanks for your suggestions!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It is better for them to eat two smaller meals per day than to eat all of their food at once time, especially if he is a larger dog.