Trying to find good food

[Mol1628]

It's a minefield. And my dog is damn fussy.

She likes JWB pouches but I'd rather something a bit more natural. I got some wainwrights trays which she liked for a while but now she just refuses to eat them, I don't think she's particularly excited by the pate style of them and probably the high rice content.

I've been trying to find a mid range canned food that isn't pate style but it's tough

I've looked at Lily's kitchen, but will that be as bland as the wainwrights?

Any other mid price range tinned food I should try, that's not pate style?

I csnt believe she's this fussy. It's been three weeks and she's still turning her nose up at it so it's time to change.

[BiteyShark]

Not sure what you consider mid range price? I mix in wet tinned food from millie's wolfheart with kibble for mine as he's a fussy thing so mixing different wet flavours every few days keeps him interested.

[BiteyShark]

Should say the ones I get are good meaty and fish content and since using them he loves every meal whereas he would turn his nose up after a few days. I do have to buy different flavours in bulk so pricey initially but then I rotate the flavours every few tins.

[Mol1628]

Thanks I'll have a look.
I don't know really, I suppose a bit cheaper than Lily's kitchen but better quality than JWB. Though maybe if she likes it I should spare myself the hassle and just let her have the slightly worse quality food!

[Mol1628]

I won't be buying in bulk again I've got loads of trays now that she will not eat!!

[Mol1628]

I should add she's been fed a lot of human food before I got her so I think that's part of the issue here.

[BiteyShark]

Ah you can buy single cans to try but that would be pricey in the long run and I can understand why you wouldn't want to buy bulk again. Whenever mine has gone off food in the past before we found the combination he likes I used the old stuff mixed in with the new so it never goes to waste. So maybe when you feed any new food mix it with 1/3 of the old stuff?

[Mol1628]

Yeah I think I'll try 6 cans to start with. I'll mix it in with the old. I just can't believe she's so picky. Most dogs I've known just eat everything, especially premium quality food! 🙄

[CornflakeHomunculus]

My lot get a tin/pouch/tray of wet food between the four of them mixed in with their dry every evening. I use a range of different brands so they get a decent amount of variety rather than the same few flavours day in day out.

They go nuts for Lily's Kitchen tins but it's very expensive for what it is so they only tend to get it occasionally when it's on offer from Ocado!

Natures Menu is also a big hit, especially the Complete & Balanced pouches. The Country Hunter tins/pouches go down well too, in particular the venison, wild boar and rabbit varieties.

Zooplus do loads of continental brands of wet food which are very high meat content and come in all sorts of weird and wonderful flavours. Mine enjoyed them but I found the offal content of them tended to be a bit high for mine. Worth a look though as they also tend to be very reasonably priced.

[Mol1628]

Oo thanks I will look at the natures menu tins. They're mixed with veg aren't they and a bit cheaper than Lily's kitchen

[BeachysFlipFlops]

You could look at this....

www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/

[BeachysFlipFlops]

I use Forthglade for my big dog.... I use a mixture of Naturediet and Lily's Kitchen for my older fussy dog. I top up with Eukanuba sensitive skin kibble to give them tonnes of fish oil (also for the crunch factor!)

[mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork]

I get Rocco Classic wet food from Zooplus. My dog doesn't like all the flavours equally so we are narrowing it down to beef with reindeer, beef with chicken and beef with green tripe. I was told by the rescue organisation that I wasn't to give her anything with grains/cereal in and the higher the meat content the better. I think Rocco has 70% meat content and no grains or cereals. She is in fantastic condition now.You can get 6-packs of different flavours so you can find out what your dog prefers more easily than ordering a whole batch of something.

[SparklingRaspberry]

You don't have to look far

Go to your local supermarket or pet store and get a load of raw meat. Can't get any better!

[Tangchi]

I feed my whippet natural instinct. She has had it for 4 months now and is very well on it. Perfect weight. Lots of energy.
Before we introduced it she was the most picky eater but absolutely demolishes this food. I can't recommend it enough

[missyB1]

I have a very fussy schnauzer who also has a very sensitive tummy. I mix a tin of sardine or mackerel fillets into her dry food, about 70p a tin from Asda, probably cheaper at somewhere like Aldi.

[Mol1628]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

OH reckons we should keep on with the trays she has but it's been 3 weeks and she's only finishing the food once she gets hungry after about 3 days. Other than that it's just the odd mouthful. She finishes it and I think great progress... then she doesn't touch it for days again 🙄

[BiteyShark]

I tried to ride it out with my dog and yes eventually he would eat it when hungry. Only by varying the flavour frequently did meal time become so much fun for him and for me because it's so lovely to see them dive in rather than turn their nose up.

[Mol1628]

That's it I get a lot of enjoyment in feeding her and she just isn't excited about it at all.

[BiteyShark]

I know some dogs are happy with the same food day in day out but we figured that even though we love fillet steak if we were fed it every single day then after a while it probably would seem bland and unappertising which is what the same food much seem like to some dogs. I actually alternate three different wet flavours with kibble so he gets crunch and different smells and tastes every few days.

[Fireinthegrate]

honeysrealdogfood.com

We've just put our working cocker and our springer on this. They love it and eat every last scrap. They have more energy, breath smells less, cots are shiny.

[agedknees]

My dog has Forthglade complete. He absolutely loves it.

[passmethewineplease]

We've just got rid of it JWB kibble. It didn't rate highly enough on allaboutdogfood either. We've gone for Millies Wolfheart. Pup Wolfe's it down.

[NewBrian]

Pets at home do a brand called ‘step up to naturals’, it’s a 4.4 on allaboutdogfood.com and works out about 50p a tin.

[Elphame]

Elfpup came weaned on to James Wellbeloved. He seems to be thriving on it but it's a medium quality food. I've now ordered samples of Butternut Box and Millies Wolfheart for him to try.

I'm pretty sure he'll eat anything though - he's very food motivated!

[Mol1628]

Like the look of the step up to naturals I might give that a go next!

She’s got wainwrights dry and the pouches instead of the trays now and she’s mostly finishing it. Occasionally leaves a few bits of kibble.

Think she’s going to be the kind of dog who’s food I have to change regularly to keep her insterested