Food suggestions for fussy golden retriever

[RhodaBull]

My gr, nearly 3 years old, has been eating Waitrose kibble for the past year or so, but they have discontinued it. I emailed them to ask who is the manufacturer (in case it is really "Bakers" or whatever) but they wouldn't tell me.

Dog isn't really food orientated and is a bit indifferent to kibble anyway. I have to put a dollop of wet food on the top to get him to eat it. Today, for example, he hasn't eaten his breakfast. I know, I know, but he does love human food - particularly toast and crumpets and likes nothing better than when we come in from a walk and have toast and coffee together (well, he doesn't have the coffee!).

When he was young he had Royal Canin, but after a while refused to eat it. I tried a few other brands but he wasn't keen on most and one - James Wellbeloved - he actually retched and ran off.

Please don't suggest raw food.

[Springermum1350]

I have a fussy dog as well. Will not eat dry food in its own. To the point were he was losing weight. He refused raw food. In fact he will not even eat raw bones.
But he loves cooked meat. So he had a cup full of dried food as a mixer and mince ( beef, lamb or chicken ) for breakfast and then once a week I cook him a whole chicken and he has that with some gravy and some dried mixed in for his evening meal.

I found if I gave him the same he just got bored with it... And after talks with the vet about how skinny he was we went down this route.

He is now a healthy size and very rarely doesn't eat anymore. Variety seems to be the way forward.

Though my last springer was on chappie because of his stomach and he ate that every day without fail and didn't fuss at all.

[RhodaBull]

Perhaps variety is the key. He does love roast meat. In fact I think he'd rather be up at the table with us than eating out of his bowl.

[mummytobecabz]

I have a fussy eater i use alpha dog food and she eats it up, anything designed for husky types would be made interesting as they are notorious fussy eaters xx

[OttiliaVonBCup]

I'm just [shocked] and utterly at the thought of a fussy golden retriever.

Tell him he's a stain on the breed's reputation.

[Springermum1350]

I did try just picking it up and him not having it. it didn't work. He just got thinner.

To be honest I have a very limited diet due to lots of medical problems and I hate having to eat the same foods. So I'm Not surprised he did.

At the end of the day he is now eating. He is also nervous and when people came up to say hello to him and he hid.... That and him being under weight ... So many people would say ' oh wow... He has been mistreated in the past and he looks so skinny'.

I have had since 13 weeks and I adore him. It really fit got to me.

I think sometimes you have to just find what they like and go with it instead of making them eat what you want to.

[MaynJune]

One of mine gets mainly wet food like Natures menu or Nature diet with some kibble. She much prefers that to a diet of dry food only and her stomach seems to cope with it better too.

[BeachysFlipFlops]

My cocker spaniel went fussy, but is happy on Lily's Kitchen wet tins, which I mix with Eukanuba kibble, the fish based one for sensitive skins.

The Lily's kitchen is hideously expensive, but there are lots of varieties. I use the old dog one most as she's 8 and she really has changed shape and coat quality since using it. I give the other dog the Waitrose casserole based tin with Eukanuba kibble and he's happy with that. He's a rescue and lived out of bins for two years, so frankly he's pretty excited about anything

[MissBeaHaving]

Mine eat Millies Wolfheart & love it.

They sell small tester bags which might be helpful for your fussy boy & have a good variety.
It's a very good quality food also.

[RhodaBull]

Frankly dog would happily live on hot buttery Warburtons Big Crumpets, but that's not going to happen. He was a horror to train because he has always turned his nose up at dog treats. At dog training I was desperately brandishing pieces of sausage and he sniffed and then went back to misbehaving. Sometimes other dog walkers offer him treats and he sticks his nose in the air as if to say, "No, I don't accept sweets from strangers." Actually, he loves strangers, he just doesn't like smelly old fluff-covered treats.

[MissBeaHaving]

Have you tried him on raw? Mine have it in conjunction with Millie's (different meals not at the same time) you can get a few brands that are pre prepared so none of the usual faffing about that usually people associate with Raw feeding.

I'm also wondering if you could use different toppings on dry food,sardines in tomato sauce,cooked flaked fish or meat from the reduced section,mixed vegetables or grated cheese?
Has he lost any weight?

[RhodaBull]

He's very healthy - full of beans. Just a fussy bugger. He eats his dinner eventually, but often looks disappointed in the morning. Queueing up for toast five minutes later, though.

What is the opinion on Pedigree Chum? I see they have relaunched and I wonder if it is superior to other mid-price brands.

[toboldlygo]

Pedigree is, IMO, awful.

If he likes wet food there are premium 'almost raw' type things in a tin - Natures Menu, Applaws, Lily's Kitchen, Rocco, Lukullus, Taste of the Wild etc.

[Isthatwhatdemonsdo]

I have a fussy Golden Retriever. We've been on James Wellbelloved, Burns and pet shop own brand. Went off them all.
He's now on Skinners Turkey and Rice and he loves it. Not sure for how long though.

[RhodaBull]

I guess variety is the spice of life! I might try Skinners, then. I'll try to get a sample as I got my purse burned when I bought a giant sack online of Royal Canin and dog decided not to touch it ever again after one bowlful.

[Panicmode1]

I too am at a fussy golden retriever - mine will eat ANYTHING!

That said, she is fed on Canagan which she wolfs down in about 60 seconds (my boys timed her) although she does get bored if we only feed her the chicken one (because it's cheaper!) so we rotate between the salmon and the game too and she's fine.

[OttiliaVonBCup]

Pedigree is really bad, we were out of the usual food once, and there was only Pedigree in the shop and we fed it to the dog and his poo turned nuclear orange in a middle of a even more orange oil slick.

I can still see it, it was most awful.

[RhodaBull]

Dog loves spaghetti, toast, crumpets and roast dinner leftovers . Is there any dog food that combines these elements?!

[bulldogmum]

Pedigree is like giving your dog junk food (kfc, macdonalds etc). Definitely avoid!

You could try Aatu or canagan...more expensive per bag but quality is so high that you actually feed less. There's a website called all about dog food or dog food reviews that show you the price per day and ingredients break down of every dog food.

Is your dog getting treats each day like spaghetti, crumpets, roast etc? If so that could be the reason for not eating...id wait for something more exciting than dry food if I knew I'd get it 5 mins later. Try to avoid the titbits, and a hungry dog will eat dry food!

Alternatively the suggestions of good wet foods in other posts are a good idea too.

[AppleSetsSail]

I have a fussy golden as well! She eats Lily's Kitchen and really quite likes that. I found it by searching for the highest reviewed on Amazon, incidentally- you might want to check that out.

[Tactfulcactus]

I had a fussy Goldie - then we got a puppy! A very greedy totally food orientated one! Now the Goldie scoffs everything just in case it gets swiped from under her nose. You need a puppy!

[MissBeaHaving]

It might be worth you taking a look here.

www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk

Information about dog nutrition is becoming widely available now & there are good variety of decent foods on the market.

[RhodaBull]

Thanks for that link!

[MissBeaHaving]

No problem Rhoda,I found it very interesting,I was surprised and horrified at some of the things in some dog foods!

I hope you find something that suits your lovely Golden.

[friendshipfloss]

Always read the ingredients list on the back of the dog food - it can be quite eye opening!

I would recommend Burns as a good basic food and then I always put a small amount of a wet food to make the biscuit element more appealing. But for the sake of their teeth, the dry biscuit needs to to be the primary food.

Wet foods that I use could be half a tin of sardines in tomato sauce/oil. Or I roast up a chicken for the dogs and boil the carcass to make a stock for them. Or cook up a batch of mince at the beginning of the week and portion it out day by day into the biscuits. Forthglade is a good quality wet food.

Just say no to pretty much any dog food that you can buy in a supermarket: pedigree, bakers, wagg etc etc.

As for buttered crumpets, I suppose it's OK as an occasional treat. If he has worked out that he can refuse his dinner and get fed buttered toast, then I would say that he has trained his owner very well!! But nutrionally not a good option for him.

[OttiliaVonBCup]

A tiny amount on haggis on top will make my dogs eat cardboard.

Mind you, they would probably eat cardboard anyway.