Dog not eating millies wolfheart HELP

[mintmagnummm]

I recently switched my boy over to millies wolfheart and he seemed to like it at first (although not love) but now he just completely ignores all the kibble and shows no interest at all!
I really need to find a kibble my boy loves, I have tried all of these so far...
*arden grange
*barking heads
*wainwright's
*fishmongers finest and fish 4 dogs
*edgard and cooper

He is a staffy (not sure that makes a difference) I want something that's not full of crap, reasonably priced and most importantly that he enjoys.

Any suggestions please????

[notquiteruralbliss]

Sardines are super cheap. We split a 31p can of sardines from Aldi between 3 dogs at breakfast time with their kibble ( currently James Wellbeloved but we do vary it). Lunch and dinner are generally just kibble. Mine view lunch as essential. they are skinny sighthounds and need what looks like a huge amount of food to maintain their weight.

[adaline]

Well, good owners don't do that then

As an aside, if that statistic is true then it's absolutely shocking - shows how easy it is to get a dog really

[MugsOfTea]

Which is why most people don't do that.

Multiple studies suggest between 40-60% owners never walk their dog. I bet the majority do just that tbh.

[adaline]

I'd be pretty pissed off if someone made me eat two bowls of the same food every single day of my life.

Which is why most people don't do that.

Mine gets a variety of flavours and textures in his meals, plus a variety of tasty treats and chews through the day. But if he rejects his dinner, I certainly don't give him human food instead.

[Yamihere]

Adding mince etc is great for dogs. Commercial dog food is mostly full of cancer causing crap, just like human processed food. Studies show that replacing 25% of dog food with fresh meat, offal and veg reduces cancer by up to 90%.
I leave kibble (barking heads) in the mince for it to go soft as that is the only way my dog will eat it. Adding hot water and/or a spoon of oil (coconut, mct or hemp) so that the kibble gets more soggy helps too

[RubySunset]

I had a dog that became very picky and refused to eat his food. I am pretty sure - in hindsight - he linked it to his flea chews that were given in his dinner and that made him ill. I wish I'd 'listened' to him the first time he refused his food and not just kept insisting on only feeding hat food, because it would have allowed me to narrow down on what was wrong sooner.

This is almost certainly an usual example, but worth sharing, I think.

[SharkasticBitch]

Second the suggestion to use smaller kibble sizes. Akela do a small kibble size, as do other manufacturers. It can be well mixed into your sardines etc then.

One of my favourite weekend activites is cooking up a batch of dog food which is given every now and again - alongside commercial food to ensure balance.

[MrsPnut]

We used to feed our fussy dog on pooch and mutt, they had a digestion one because anything rich would upset her stomach.

[Toria70]

Mine get "human" food sometimes - they love leftover roast chicken and veg, and I'll sometimes cook them scrambled egg or poached chicken, brown rice and broccoli.

I'd be pretty pissed off if someone made me eat two bowls of the same food every single day of my life. The difference is not giving the dog a choice to reject their every day food in hope of treats.

[FleaTrainerExtraordinaire]

That's my exact point. It's the ingredients that determine whether a food is good for a dog, or not. Not whether it is labelled as human food.

I wouldn't feed any of those things you lsted because they are not good for the dog, not because they are "human" food.

[adaline]

The difference between human food and dog food is packaging.

Well, no, that's not strictly true.

Plenty of human food is toxic to dogs. You wouldn't give a dog chocolate, xylitol, grapes, raisins, onions or things like seeds and pips that can cause major problems.

I don't think anyone is saying you can't give your dog chicken or liver or mince, but if you have a fussy dog, they're not going to eat dog food if you keep supplementing their diet with fresh sardines.

And that's fine - if you're happy to feed your dog human food that's healthy for him and not too fattening, but you can't do hat, and then complain that they don't eat their kibble!

I really cannot find it in me to blame any dog for not wanting to eat dry old bits of biscuit every meal. I think it perfactly understandable that some would rather not bother.

I totally agree, which is why I would never advocate a diet that is just plain kibble.

[JKScot4]

My smallest staffy girl is like that; likes her spot and to have the duvet arranged over her and of course I oblige 🥰

[QueenOfOversharing]

@JKScot4 I am such a dog mum - talk to them all day, they sleep in my bed. My staffy is really ocd about where she lies in my bed - it was no issue til I got my beagle. He's a bit dopey so just flops down, she'll be pacing round if he's near "her place". I have to intervene & move them into the right places!! 😂😂

[EmeraldsAtDawn]

Every human meal here is cooked with half an eye out for what bits could make healthy, tasty dog food additions.

This evening's salmon and new potatoes will produce 4 strips of salmon skin that will totally be going in dog bowls.

[JKScot4]

@QueenOfOversharing
I love the whispering 🥰🐶🥰
You are truly a staffy mum, they lure us in with their ways and we worship at their wee paws 😁

[VanillaGodzilla]

Forthglade do a "Just" range that's meant to be added to kibble for extra interest.

Sardines and egg (as mentioned) are healthy topping options.

You could try a greater % of wet food, really mixed with the kibble. Also a smaller kibble size so it really mixes into the wet food seamlessly.

Or go 'cold turkey' by not offering cold turkey but only offering kibble until the dog gets hungry enough to eat it, if you'd prefer to just stick to kibble. You will probably have to cut back on the other, tastier food, at least at first.

[JKScot4]

Giving your dog fresh cooked meats:chicken, mince, liver etc isn’t harmful or human food as such, it’s good for them to have a varied diet. My lot get a lot of fish, homemade liver treats, brown rice & chicken is a favourite.
Would anyone like to eat plain cornflakes every day?

[MarshallPNutt]

Another one here who lets the dogs choose what they want to eat, within moderation.

Some of ours have eaten kibble happily. Others haven't and so we've changed their diet to find something healthy that they do like.

[QueenOfOversharing]

@FleaTrainerExtraordinaire I should be ashamed... but I'm really not! 😂😂

[FleaTrainerExtraordinaire]

Even something ike boiling up old roast bones (e.g. chicken) to make a broth can be nutritious, cheap and tasty.

I do this too, quite often. It's a great way to use a chicken carcass so that nothing goes to waste.

[borntobequiet]

A vet told me many years ago that paying for anything more expensive than Chappie was daft, and was more likely to result in upset stomachs. I took his advice and my springer enjoyed his food and stayed healthy - died of old age/an underlying heart problem.

[JKScot4]

I’m surprised at a pp saying staffies are dustbins, I’m a staffy owner and work with them and I find a high number actually have very sensitive stomachs. Have you been gradually changing foods or rattling through them all?
Dry Chappie is a good one for staffies and doesn’t seem to upset them, also a wheat/grain food is a good choice.

[FleaTrainerExtraordinaire]

I stand next to her & tell her what a good girl she is & how delicious it is

Brilliant

[FleaTrainerExtraordinaire]

The difference between human food and dog food is packaging.

Nothing magical happens to chicken when you put it in a can vs feeding leftover roast scraps. Kibble, though, IS a dark art and whilst I feed it myself - among other things including "human" food - I really cannot find it in me to blame any dog for not wanting to eat dry old bits of biscuit every meal. I think it perfactly understandable that some would rather not bother.

Like with most things there is no magic 'right way' and I respect for some people that just sticking to kibble works well, but I take the view that I don't want to have to make my dog to eat something he doesn't enjoy that much by not offering anything else so that he becomes hungry enough to eat it. I want him to enjoy his meals and so spend time and effort thinking about ways to keep variety and health and nutritional balance hand in hand. That involves utilising dog safe table scraps, cooking up the odd meal for him myself and using a variety of wet foods alongside some kibble for texture.

In short, experiement OP and see what suits you and your dog best.

[QueenOfOversharing]

Awwwwe my staffy girl is a fussy cow! My beagle boy would eat anything... frequent bin diver. 🤦🏼‍♀️

Mine eat Akela the duck one, or the venison one they aren't doing at the moment. I mix in Country Hunter tins - venison etc - or Forthglade the duck/venison etc. Some days give sardines (which she loves).

Her favourite thing & never refused is raw egg. But don't give it that often (not sure if dogs have an egg limit 🤔😂).

Or, I boil the kettle, let it cook a bit & add that to kibble. It just releases the smell & my staffy likes the "gravy" from the water - I guess it's a bit like the raw egg in wateryness.

My staffy is food refusing at the moment, esp breakfast. So I have to encourage her... I stand next to her & tell her what a good girl she is & how delicious it is. 😂 She has to eat it before the beagle charges through looking for leftovers.