Gracie's a very picky eater. What to do?

[Don & Gracie]

Hi all.

I enjoy reading through the posts on this site.
Now I have a problem and need some help and advice.
I found much interesting information from previous threads on this topic, but everyone's feeding issues seem to be slightly different, so I decided to describe my specific situation.

I'm daddy to a 10-1/2-month-old adorable mini multigen Labradoodle, Gracie.
She's perfect in every way except … feeding-time.

When she came into my life at 8 weeks old, the breeder had been feeding her (and siblings, and mother) Life's Abundance, so I did too. For about 4 months it was easy. She ate the entire recommended portion of kibble, quickly, easily able to get the food out of Kongs and other Puppy-toys. I NEVER gave her "people-food," but she ate a goodly amount of treats, apples and carrots while I was training her. And then, at about 6 months, she suddenly refused to eat a bite of Life's Abundance.

I added water and put it in the microwave for a few seconds. I added no-salt Chicken Broth, no-salt Beef Broth. Nothing worked for more than one mealtime.
I took the food away after 30 minutes. Then I tried again later. Again she wouldn't eat and I took this portion away after another 30 minutes. Then I left it out for hours. She went several days without eating anything. And all this time she was healthy, happy, playful, and affectionate. I stopped training her so she wouldn't make meals out of treats. Still she wouldn't eat the kibble. Despondent and worried, I called the breeder who said that a dog won't starve, keep doing what I was doing and she'll eat what she wants, when she wants.

I coated the kibble with canned puppy-food. She ate … not everything, but some. Ditto fat-free cream cheese and low-fat peanut butter.
I tried different brands: Origin Puppy (Poultry, Fish & Egg) - she didn't like that one. Then Nature's Variety. Then Blue Puppy Formula (Chicken and Rice). Then another brand (I forgot which). Nothing.

Oh yes ... I also tried to add Iams "Savory Sauce," Halo's "Dinner Party Sprinkle," and "Real Meat Pet Food Seasoning." Made no difference.

I left the food down all day, and sometimes I would find the bowl empty at odd hours so when she was very hungry she'd eat.

Then in late January she started vomiting. Couldn't keep anything down. $700—one MRI—two cycles of different antibiotics and daily tabs of Pepcid later, we never figured the cause. I had changed her diet to chicken, rice and yoghurt, and, naturally, she gobbled it down. The vomiting stopped.

I read that the vomiting COULD have been caused by excess acid in her stomach, which in turn was caused by not enough food to digest.

And now:
I've been trying to get her to go back to kibble with the same frustrations as earlier. I mix kibble with canned puppy food, and some days she'll eat two healthy-sized portions, some days only one, and some days nothing at all. I bought Fromm's Gold puppy (dry) and I haven't opened it yet.

All this has hindered her training 'cause as I wrote, I don't want her to fill up with treats.

Any suggestions from this experienced and learned group of experts?

Thanks in advance.

[Lynne of Fountain Falls]

This sounds exactly like my mini doodle minus the throwing up.  I could repeat your discussion word for word except he will not even eat treats.  After trying everything you did, even hand feeding Im ashamed to say, I finally gave up.  I leave his food out along with our big poodle and occasionally I hear him over there eating.  I quit monitoring how much he ate because it drove me crazy.  Some days he would eat a lot and some days almost nothing.  He seems healthy, and full of energy although very skinny.  Ive never had a dog not care about food.  Ive always told people that a dog wont starve and I change their food between several good brands.  

If you come up with an answer to mini goldendoodle persnickety eaters, I'd sure like to hear about it:)

[Katt]

Hmm, looks like we can start a club.  I have the very same issues.  The only time he will vomit is if he gets any type of dairy.  So much for cheese treats.  He is not food motivated at all.  When training all I can do is offer tummy rubs, no treats.  Maybe it is a "mini" thing since he is also a mini multigen.  I leave his food down all day and if I am lucky it will be gone in the evening.  I makes me so worried.  If he goes too long without eating I have been known to resort to toddler chicken sticks in a jar.  Most of the time if I try to not pay attention he will pick up his food bowl, take it to his bed, and eat it up.  Perhaps someone will provide some more insight cause I sure could use the help.  At least I feel better now that I know I am not alone.

[Anne & Mr. Haley]

I have a very food motivated standard size doodle and can offer not advice but just wanted to say that this is just the cutest little doodle!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

For now, everyone who has a picky eater, please read this discussion:

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

The vomiting is something we do need to talk about, and I'll be back later. Lots of new discussions and questions here this afternoon and I have to eat sometime, too, lol!! 

Do read that discussion I linked. :) 

[Don & Gracie]

Hi Karen,

I did read that discussion as well as lots of articles on the 'net.

The situation here is still a disaster. She refuses to eat any brand of kibble unless I leave it down all day so she can eat in the middle of the night. Not every night, of course. I'm not feeding her anything else (except to try Fromm's shredded chicken or wet food mixed in with the kibble ... with mixed results, nothing consistent so I can say "Hosannah, that's a combo that works!").

Can we chat about this some time?

Please?

Thanks.

Don

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Sure.

[Don & Gracie]

Hello all ...

Happy to report that Gracie is now eating consistently ... WET (canned) food. I've been experimenting, mixing in about a dozen pieces of kibble into the wet food and she picks them out, licks the wet off them, and throws them out of the bowl!

I was under the assumption that dry food was better than wet, and Karen (bless her) set me straight.

Now my question is—(I've seen the recommended food lists both here and on dogfoodadvisor, and there are so many choices)—Is it OK to feed more than one variety of the same manufacturer's food? For example, on petfooddirect they have a variety pack of Wellness Stew Meat (four different kinds) and also Merrick Grain Free Classic (also four different kinds).

In all this tumult with her not eating, I was changing food every meal, trying several different brands of dry, and then wet food to find something she'd eat. During all this time her poop was normal (firm tootsie-rolls) and there was no sign of adverse effects of changing brands and kinds.

Is this OK? Or should I just choose one flavor from one brand and stick to that?

Thanks for any advice.

(A relieved)

Don

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm so glad Gracie is eating better and you're feeling better about it! 

It's perfectly fine to rotate "flavors" within the same line of food. They're designed for that. Usually the difference between them is just the protein source, the nutrient profiles are usually pretty much the same. 

Thanks for updating us, Don.

[Lynne of Fountain Falls]

Friso continues to not eat consistently at all.  If I fed him straight chicken he would eat that.  Its the only thing I found he would eat.  If I mis it with his food he will pick it off of the top but not even dig around for what is left.  It is so perplexing.  Funny but he gained a pound in the last few months.  Up to 9 now.  Woohoo.  Expected him to be around 25.  We love our Frisco.