Tough love?

[diane silver]

Emma is now 4 years old and has always been a very finicky eater.  I admit that since I make homemade chicken jerky, I think she's relying on that for her hunger.  However, I'm trying to institute "tough love," and she really hasn't eaten for two days!  I know that everyone says that eventually she'll be hungry and eat, but I worry that she'll throw up yellow bile (which she does often when she has an empty stomach).  I think I've tried every food, wet or dry, on the market, added cheese, broth, chicken, etc., etc., and still she will walk over to her bowl, look at the food, and walk away.  Do you think that I should just leave the food down and that she'll finally get hungry enough to eat it?  I'm really at the end of my rope; I've thrown away so much food and I feel horrible that I'm not giving her the jerky or anything else but don't know what to do!!  Help!

[Wendy and Sully]

I would put down her regular food at breakfast and if not eaten in 15 minutes, remove it. Same goes for dinner time meal. My dog was a finicky eater too. After a couple days he realized that it would be taken away so he better eat. I eventually did begin adding a tablespoon of canned food to the kibble to make it more appealing. The problems with my finicky eater didn't last long. You just have to be consistent. She'll eat when she gets hungry enough.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I agree with this...although I do know how difficult it can be to do it.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

When you say she "really" hasn't eaten in two days, does that mean she hasn't had any food at all? Or just that she hasn't eaten dog food but has eaten treats, jerky, etc? Is she drinking water? Peeing and pooping normally?

Homemade chicken jerky is a good pure protein food, so it's very possible that she's been making do with that, but she'd have to be getting an awful lot of it to get enough calories to sustain her weight, and of course, it doesn't provide everything she needs in terms of vitamins and minerals.

We have a lot of information on this in The Food Group, but I don't recall ever hearing that a dog didn't eat anything at all for two days unless he/she was ill. I have also never heard of a healthy dog starving herself.

I would continue to make her regular food available to her, but no treats and no jerky. If she still hasn't eaten a reasonable amount by Monday, you may have to give in and accept that you have a very, very stubborn doodle there! Good luck.

[diane silver]

She found an errant cookie last night which she ate, but no jerky, no treats (other than the cookie).  She's drinking and acting normally, though her poop today wasn't "normal," and she was having trouble making it.  I'm trying very hard not to look at those eyes, but it's very hard . . . .

[Diane, Baker & Oskar]

We add a very small amount of freeze dried green lamb tripe to the kibble & it usually does the trick. The tripe can be used as a food so it's not empty calories. It is stinky & expensive, but a bag lasts a long time when you only use enough to entice them to eat...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Sure the green tripe will get a dog to eat...for a while. But eventually, even that will lose its appeal, and you're right back where you started. Picky eaters are created, not born. Food and eating have emotional associations for many humans. An interesting discussion on this subject, with a wonderful analogy about brownies contributed by Adina: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/an-ode-...

After poop issues, there are probably more discussions in the Food Group about picky eaters than any other topic.

[BG and Gavin]

I answered in the discussion you started in the food group.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I also answered your discussion in the Food Group. 

[Diane and Alma]

I assume that Emma is at a good weight and is healthy according to your vet.  I went to a reputable pet store and they gave me several free samples of dog food.  I had Alma do a taste test (small amounts on paper plates) to see which she preferred.  I did this for several days to see if she was consistent.  I've also gotten rid of chicken from Alma's diet.  She doesn't run to her food - in fact she just ate breakfast (I put it down this morning) at 7pm tonight.  But she is healthy and eneretic and at a good weight.  I wish sometimes I had her stamina! 

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

My Ollie is a very picky eater too.  He happens to love chicken liver so I cook the liver then make a pate and heat up about a tablespoon full and mix it into his food until all the kibble is covered and he eats it.  I do make chicken and then grid it up in the food processor, chop meat, etc.  I always put warm toppers on thier food just to keep it interesting.  I found the smellier the food the better they are attracted to it.  I also buy Solid Gold Tripe in a can... it stinks like crazy but this gets him eating his kibble as well.  If he does not eat his food in 20 minutes I pick up it and he does not get any treats until the next meal.  I feed my doodles at 6 am and at 6 pm..  THey are on a pretty tight feeding schedule.