It’s easy picturing a stubborn toddler refusing to eat veggies. While you have some kids who can be happy to snack on spinach, carrots and raw peppers, if you’d ask my kid to choose between eating broccoli and a Twinkie, the answer is pretty obvious. Well, just like my kid, your pooch could be a fussy eater and turn up its nose at plain dog food, especially when you’ve been feeding it with bacon for a fancy breakfast or steak directly from your plate.
It’s not surprising at all for your dog not to eagerly run and finish its bowl at mealtime when it’s been given yummy table scraps most of the time. However, the good news is that despite your canine being a picky eater, you will find several ways to encourage a healthy dog diet.
What Is a Picky Eater?
Don’t waste your time searching for it on the net; let me explain it to you.
When mealtimes become a real struggle, you know you have a picky dog eater on your hands. Some say that when your dog refuses to eat on a daily basis and does not consume his food at least once a day, the latter is classified as a picky eater.
If we go as per Dr. Klein’s study, dogs that cannot empty their food bowls within a specific time frame, say like 20 minutes, or those who refuse to eat dog food but always welcome human table scraps are more likely to fall into the category of “picky eaters.”
Now, as per some, if your dog was born a picky eater, there is no need for concern. However, if your dog usually used to devour anything you put in front of it but now is always refusing food, you need to analyze the reason behind this sudden change.
Just like a human, there are dogs that can self-regulate their food consumption – by eating less amount of food or simply refusing it – to avoid overeating and stomach distress. Other dogs might even refuse dog food because of the number of fancy treats and scraps they have been receiving from you.
Moreover, if your dog is used to having a great variety of different foods, refusing to eat plain dog food is then completely normal.
Another significant approach when dealing with a fussy dog is to make sure your pooch does not have any underlying disease.
Immediate measures must be taken if you notice this sudden change in consumption along with the following symptoms:
- Gastrointestinal symptoms
- Diabetes
- A canine that seems to yearn for food but does not eat or can only eat soft food
- Sudden change in consumption occurring in puppies less than six months old
If these conditions apply to your dog, contact a local veterinarian immediately.
Tricks to Get a Picky Dog to Eat
Look For the Best and Healthiest Dog Food
For many pet owners dealing with picky eaters, their best bet will be to invest in Ecopet rolls. These are simply the best, most healthy and natural diet your dog can get. Prepared by experts with no added preservatives, chemicals, sugars and emulsifiers, these healthy, yummy rolls can bring back the appetite of your dog and can even help with intestinal problems.
Keep Treats to a Minimum
All pet parents just love to pamper their dogs with teats but remember that they should account for only 5-10 % of your canine’s daily calories.
Try to Make Mealtimes Fun
Try to distract or get your dog engaged in a meal with a puzzle feeder.
Be Patient
No matter what you do, always be patient as remember that the solution that might have worked for one dog might not work for yours. But, you always need to be ready to experiment.
For every dog owner, it’s a real pleasure to see your pooch eating its entire bowl. If you are looking for a healthy diet for your dog, don’t hesitate to contact Ecopet.
