when to cut it to 2

[tasillo]

Nina is almost 5 months old.The 1st week we had her she loved her kibble and was not picky. Than I made the BIG MISTAKE of additng things to her kibble....from yogurt....to left over meat...or cheese..or egg.and even half a teaspoon of peanut butter.
Well NOW she is not interested in her food....I give her just the kibble with warm water she will tke 2 mouthfulls and come by my feet...as though to say...add on please.
This is her schedule...wakes up at 630am or 7.goes pee and play outsidide..eats 730 or 8am...i will put 1 cup of kibble with water...and she just takes a few bites and leaves it there....LUnch is at 1230 and she did the same...dinner is ussually at 6pm...the same thing...well at dinner she eats a bit more but not much
She has been to the vet...she is healthy and not skinny at all...she was 25lbs at 12 weeks...and since then i am sure she has put on at least 10 to 15 lbs
We have only had her for a month....have I ruined her eating habbits...do i keep adding stuff to her food.at each feeding??do i cut her to 2 feedings...would that make her eat more???change the kibble completely??she is on the same one as the breeder had her on...Nutro for puppies chicken
I know some here do add to the kibble and this is what made me start...now i wish i never did....can i start from start...no adding...or keep adding...any advice

We have had her for only

 

[tasillo]

sorry for the typos...I had my 3 year old right beside me...blame it on herLOL

 

[daisyscrazy]

Try Vitagravy

 

[harley03]

If she's maintaining a healthy weight don't worry about it. If you don't want to add in, just leave her food out for a set amount of time (15-20 mins or whatever) and then pick it up. Personally I don't see a problem with add-ins as long as it is convenient for you. After all she's not getting any food variety by eating the same thing ever meal, every day. Go with what you're comfortable with .

 

[tasillo]

Where do i get this vitagravy?do they sell it in most petstores....how much do i add and is it for each meal??3 times a day??

 

[daisyscrazy]

PetSmart has it... I added 2 tablespoons at first then squirted a little more in when she couldn't tell it was there... But now we don't have to use it... We give her 3 eggs a week and 4 tablespoons of yogurt a week... Daisy like the gravy though

 

[RVsBoxer]

I think the moderators are probably going to move your post to the feeding section Tasillo - just so you know!

Anyway, I've had the same problem with Wilson so I am curious to hear what others have to say. About 2 months ago I stopped adding stuff completely, except a teeny bit of dried grated liver, and it took getting used to, but he did eventually get a little better with his eating, for the most part. He still skipped meals here and there and didn't seem to enjoy his food much, but atleast he was eating ok.

Well I recently decided that I am going to add just a teaspoon of canned food to his meals, and honestly he already seems to be enjoying his food much more again. I am feeding him almost 1 1/2 cups 3 times a day so a teaspoon of canned food is nothing IMO. Maybe you could try doing that too?

I also want to know when to start feeding him twice a day. I am currently switching Wilson to Canidae and the food instructions say that after 6 months of age you should feed them twice a day, and cut their feeding amount in half!?! It seems like such a drastic change to me though.... Anyone have any advice??

Thanks!

 

[courtney323]

The refusing to eat the kibble until you add onto it is purely a behavioral issue. If you are happy "adding things on" for the rest of her life, then it's no problem! For most of us, that creates a huge hassle.

Are you free-feeding her? That could be the issue. Dog's won't starve themselves. I would put her on a strict feeding schedule that involves putting her (dry) food down in the a.m -- give her 10 minutes to eat. If she hasn't eaten, pick her food up and put it away until next feeding. Repeat this at next feeding. It usually only takes a day or so for them to figure out that you "mean business" and that they should eat when you put the food down.

You could also start weaning her off of the Nutro and into a premium quality kibble that would be healthier for her.

Doing a search in the feeding forum will yield tons of great information

Good luck

 

[tasillo]

thanks

So do you always add something to each meal they have or just one meal every other day.
I will go to petsmart and get a bottle but maybe there are some suggestions of what i can add each day and vary her food....now this would be for 3 feedings...Nina is not much of a brkf eater...
Is adding Juice from a tuna can ok??maybe twice a week??this is all so new to me...I know cottage cheese is ok...and jogurt...egg..and meat..she also likes fruit...I am running out of ideas here?

 

[C-Sally]

Sally went through about a week where she wouldn't eat - just take a bite or two and stop. I think I gave her the same bowl of food for two days. Finally last night I gave her supper and she ate it all, same with breakfast this morning.