Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Poodle and food

19 replies

Paintingflowers · 01/08/2025 20:13

Hello! Looking for some advice as to what to do next with food for my 7 month old miniature poodle.

She came to us on raw food at 8 weeks old. We kept her on the same brand, but did alternate the flavours, until at 6 months she refused to eat it. We defrosted a different one in case it was a bad batch, but still wouldn’t eat it.

She was due to the vets a day or so later, who checked her over, she was fine and we were advised to try a kibble.

We couldn’t slowly transition as she wasn’t eating the raw food but she ate a portion but then stopped. We tried adding some wet - so a mix of dry and wet. Again, she ate some but then stopped. She’s probably eating a third of her recommended amount each day - which was a mix of taking a few bites and then eating kibble as a reward for doing things - sit etc.

We take the food up after a few minutes if she doesn’t eat it and she’s on three meals still.

A few days ago she ate something when we were out (she hadn’t eaten all day so was hungry) that made her sick and we had to go to the vets for an anti sickness infection. She’s lost weight over the month, but she’s been consistently eating the chicken and rice diet which is the most she’s eaten since she stopped the raw.

I’m now not sure where to go from here… do the fresh food/home cooked diet? Or attempt the kibble and wet again?

All advice and insights welcomed!

OP posts:
OnlyHerefortheBiscuits · 01/08/2025 21:18

Green Tripe. It's like crack cocaine for dogs.

mix a little bit in with her food and see how you get on.

Keepingthingsinteresting · 01/08/2025 21:36

Poodles ae bloody annoying and I used to spend so much time worrying about mine, but she is now 5, so ridiculously athletic and energetic that I’ve decided she can’t be starving herself. I think they know when they are full (wish I did) by comparison to say labradors who eat everything. My vet who also has poodles said if her weight and frame are fine try not to think about it as they feeds into the drama.

That said mine enjoy something with a bit more mixed texture. She had has 9 different foods over her 5 years with me, the most successful has been butternut box and years, but I do find she goes off a food after anything between 3 months and 2 years, so I do tend to rotate. Kibble has never worked though, even with gravy . Bloody stupid dog, but I do love her 🙄

Cadenza12 · 01/08/2025 21:41

I've a 6 month old cockapoo and we've been around the houses too. I've bought Wolfworthy as she liked the sample but is not overly keen now. She will eat Cesar currently so she's having 2 a day,,,(sometimes) and the Wolfworthy if she'll eat it. Have you tried scrambled egg? Ours likes one now and again.

dottyp0104 · 01/08/2025 23:20

My 9 month mini is a nightmare for eating. Initially I thought it was due to teeth issues as her baby teeth hadn’t come out so she had 2 sets, but now they are out she still only eats a little. She is only 4kg, Vet is quite happy with her. I’ve tried leaving her kibble out or only giving at set times. She only eats when she is hungry. She’s obviously getting enough so I give up 🙈
TBF she’s not a greedy dog or treat orientated which is the complete opposite from my last dog. I think they just know what they like

LoveSandbanks · 02/08/2025 00:00

We had a toy poodle. He was notoriously fussy about his food but im afraid i was very much eat or go without. Then in his old age he would steal anything he could get his hands on. We had a 40kg lurcher that stepped away when this tiny poodle wanted his food!

DuchessDandelion · 02/08/2025 01:04

Poodles can be notoriously fussy about food, I had one who'd go days without eating if she didn't like what was on offer 🙄

Try yours on a few different things, more important that it eats than not, they're stubborn enough to dig heels in and get bored easily.

Not suggesting you bombard her!

What raw food do you give her?

In your shoes I would decide on a few different alternatives to try over a couple of weeks.

Give her alternative no 1 for a meal and if she won't eat it, then after a couple of hours take it put some chicken & rice down as well and let her choose what she wants & eat at leisure.

Do you serve food warm or cold? Serving warm can release the aromas and tempt them to eat.

(Even with raw food, I used to heat in the microwave for just a few to 30 seconds for this reason when mine was being especially picky).

Repeat in a couple of days with alt no 2. You want to give enough time to see if she just needs longer to try the new food, and to make sure it's not upset her stomach before offering something else.

And so on.

Does she show interest in what you eat or cook? This can give you clues as to tastes.

Poodles can be sensitive, have you noticed food refusal coinciding with any changes that may have unsettled her? Noisy neighbours, change in when her humans are home or going out, new experiences or exposure during walks & training, etc?

Where and when do you feed her? Where are her bowls located? Are other people around her or is she left alone to eat?

What's her daily routine? There could be clues as to why she's refusing food...

Sometimes they like company and to feel included, so if you're serving her and leaving her to it alone in the kitchen, she might prefer to eat when her family are with her & she feels included.

Or vice versa - she might prefer to eat alone and in the quiet.

When my first poodle got older, he sometimes needed encouragement to start eating. I'd hand feed the first couple of mouthfuls, then his appetite would kick in and he'd be away lol

You could also try feeding little & often instead of 1 or 2 larger meals. Some pets, like humans, can find a plateful/bowl full a bit daunting and prefer smaller amounts...Yours might be a grazer.

If raw & home cooked foods really won't entice her, then don't be too afraid to buy some pre-prepared shop bought dog foods. It's more important that she eats something, just buy the highest quality you can afford.

You could also try mixing the chicken & rice with a bit of a kibble or other raw/home cooked food too to encourage her to eat it.

Have you tried giving food in a toy like a Kong?

Speak to your local butcher about a lamb bone or some offal. I've yet to own a dog that didn't go potty for liver.

BadActingParsley · 02/08/2025 07:35

We’ve got a cockerpoo she can be fussy about food but now we just leave her at it, she’s 5 and definitely not starving. I’ve never known a dog not to just chow down at mealtimes but she just isn’t interested. Especially when it’s hot, often I. The summer she won’t eat till it’s cooled down at night and I’ll get a nose bump just before bedtime and she’ll lead me to her bowl. Other times we’ll put a bit of fish on her kibble or salmon skin and that starts her off. ,

Paintingflowers · 02/08/2025 09:53

OnlyHerefortheBiscuits · 01/08/2025 21:18

Green Tripe. It's like crack cocaine for dogs.

mix a little bit in with her food and see how you get on.

Edited

Good to know! Thank you - I’ll give that a whirl!

OP posts:
Paintingflowers · 02/08/2025 09:56

Keepingthingsinteresting · 01/08/2025 21:36

Poodles ae bloody annoying and I used to spend so much time worrying about mine, but she is now 5, so ridiculously athletic and energetic that I’ve decided she can’t be starving herself. I think they know when they are full (wish I did) by comparison to say labradors who eat everything. My vet who also has poodles said if her weight and frame are fine try not to think about it as they feeds into the drama.

That said mine enjoy something with a bit more mixed texture. She had has 9 different foods over her 5 years with me, the most successful has been butternut box and years, but I do find she goes off a food after anything between 3 months and 2 years, so I do tend to rotate. Kibble has never worked though, even with gravy . Bloody stupid dog, but I do love her 🙄

That’s interesting - thank you for sharing! It was worrying me that couldn’t transition over a 10 day period when switching foods but it didn’t upset her tummy. Sounds like worrying less is the way forward!

OP posts:
Paintingflowers · 02/08/2025 10:00

Cadenza12 · 01/08/2025 21:41

I've a 6 month old cockapoo and we've been around the houses too. I've bought Wolfworthy as she liked the sample but is not overly keen now. She will eat Cesar currently so she's having 2 a day,,,(sometimes) and the Wolfworthy if she'll eat it. Have you tried scrambled egg? Ours likes one now and again.

Yes! She’s had a scrambled egg when she wasn’t eating the raw and we had no other food in as I wasn’t expecting a food refusal situation!

Ive ordered a sample of the Millie’s Wolfheart kibble to try and she needs less of that. Will also look into wolf worthy. So many food brands.

OP posts:
HavfrueDenizKisi · 02/08/2025 12:13

I have a 5 year old mini poodle and they are fussy little cows at times.

Do be careful with the chicken and rice advice. Ours is actually intolerant of chicken and caused some awful stomach issues and the vet kept saying to feed chicken and rice and it got worse and worse. It’s not uncommon for poodles to have this intolerance.

We feed kibble with added stuff. Usually we add half a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil (of course!) on the kibble and she liked that. Currently we are a teaspoon of Greek yogurt and that works. We did used to do kibble with some wet dog food for ages and she was good with that too but when she went for the olive oil instead I dropped the wet food.

Sometimes (quite rarely) she needs encouragement to eat. This morning she would happily eat from my hand but not the bowl 🙄.

I agree about not worrying too much. We drive down to the south of France with her and she won’t eat dog food the day of travel, usually the day before when we are packing and at least a day afterward in protest. They are too clever for their own good sometimes.

Paintingflowers · 02/08/2025 13:20

DuchessDandelion · 02/08/2025 01:04

Poodles can be notoriously fussy about food, I had one who'd go days without eating if she didn't like what was on offer 🙄

Try yours on a few different things, more important that it eats than not, they're stubborn enough to dig heels in and get bored easily.

Not suggesting you bombard her!

What raw food do you give her?

In your shoes I would decide on a few different alternatives to try over a couple of weeks.

Give her alternative no 1 for a meal and if she won't eat it, then after a couple of hours take it put some chicken & rice down as well and let her choose what she wants & eat at leisure.

Do you serve food warm or cold? Serving warm can release the aromas and tempt them to eat.

(Even with raw food, I used to heat in the microwave for just a few to 30 seconds for this reason when mine was being especially picky).

Repeat in a couple of days with alt no 2. You want to give enough time to see if she just needs longer to try the new food, and to make sure it's not upset her stomach before offering something else.

And so on.

Does she show interest in what you eat or cook? This can give you clues as to tastes.

Poodles can be sensitive, have you noticed food refusal coinciding with any changes that may have unsettled her? Noisy neighbours, change in when her humans are home or going out, new experiences or exposure during walks & training, etc?

Where and when do you feed her? Where are her bowls located? Are other people around her or is she left alone to eat?

What's her daily routine? There could be clues as to why she's refusing food...

Sometimes they like company and to feel included, so if you're serving her and leaving her to it alone in the kitchen, she might prefer to eat when her family are with her & she feels included.

Or vice versa - she might prefer to eat alone and in the quiet.

When my first poodle got older, he sometimes needed encouragement to start eating. I'd hand feed the first couple of mouthfuls, then his appetite would kick in and he'd be away lol

You could also try feeding little & often instead of 1 or 2 larger meals. Some pets, like humans, can find a plateful/bowl full a bit daunting and prefer smaller amounts...Yours might be a grazer.

If raw & home cooked foods really won't entice her, then don't be too afraid to buy some pre-prepared shop bought dog foods. It's more important that she eats something, just buy the highest quality you can afford.

You could also try mixing the chicken & rice with a bit of a kibble or other raw/home cooked food too to encourage her to eat it.

Have you tried giving food in a toy like a Kong?

Speak to your local butcher about a lamb bone or some offal. I've yet to own a dog that didn't go potty for liver.

Edited

A huge thank you for all of this! Lots of great ideas to try - I’m very grateful!

OP posts:
Paintingflowers · 02/08/2025 13:25

HavfrueDenizKisi · 02/08/2025 12:13

I have a 5 year old mini poodle and they are fussy little cows at times.

Do be careful with the chicken and rice advice. Ours is actually intolerant of chicken and caused some awful stomach issues and the vet kept saying to feed chicken and rice and it got worse and worse. It’s not uncommon for poodles to have this intolerance.

We feed kibble with added stuff. Usually we add half a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil (of course!) on the kibble and she liked that. Currently we are a teaspoon of Greek yogurt and that works. We did used to do kibble with some wet dog food for ages and she was good with that too but when she went for the olive oil instead I dropped the wet food.

Sometimes (quite rarely) she needs encouragement to eat. This morning she would happily eat from my hand but not the bowl 🙄.

I agree about not worrying too much. We drive down to the south of France with her and she won’t eat dog food the day of travel, usually the day before when we are packing and at least a day afterward in protest. They are too clever for their own good sometimes.

Good to know I’m not alone! That’s interesting about the chicken and rice. Did you know straight away she had the intolerance? Or does it built up over time? She’s been fine… and we are on day 4. Going to attempt a mix of kibble and giving some home cooked bits from tomorrow.

Not sure if I’m imagining it but she seems much happier with a full tum!

OP posts:
HavfrueDenizKisi · 02/08/2025 16:26

@Paintingflowersshe had a really bad gastro run then after loads of probiotics her poo was still bright yellow for weeks. I think I had a thread on here asking and chicken was suggested as a culprit. Changed her food and she was better in days. We now use Canagen grass fed lamb or salmon and trout kibble

Loz2033 · 02/08/2025 16:43

Our poodle cross would be way too thin if we lifted her bowl up if she didn't eat straight away. She eats well but it's often at completely random times of the day when she deems it's now a meal time. She eats most overnight and will often eat a really big portion then.

We switched to kibble as leaving raw down wasn't hygenic for any of us and she wasn't keen on it. She eats a canagan salmon kibble now self regulating her intake and is an ideal weight so it works for her. Was odd for us to get used to!

Needanadultgapyear · 02/08/2025 16:48

Another poodle owner here, they eat what they need and nothing more. I put the food down leave it down for 30mins and then it comes up. Sometimes he eats everything, sometimes some and sometimes nothing. Body condition score is a perfect 5/9.

Paintingflowers · 02/08/2025 17:52

Loz2033 · 02/08/2025 16:43

Our poodle cross would be way too thin if we lifted her bowl up if she didn't eat straight away. She eats well but it's often at completely random times of the day when she deems it's now a meal time. She eats most overnight and will often eat a really big portion then.

We switched to kibble as leaving raw down wasn't hygenic for any of us and she wasn't keen on it. She eats a canagan salmon kibble now self regulating her intake and is an ideal weight so it works for her. Was odd for us to get used to!

I’d read that picking it up prevented them being fussy… clearly not! Yes - I’d be happy to leave kibble out but not any of the other foods.

It’s a good option, thank you!

OP posts:
Paintingflowers · 02/08/2025 17:53

Needanadultgapyear · 02/08/2025 16:48

Another poodle owner here, they eat what they need and nothing more. I put the food down leave it down for 30mins and then it comes up. Sometimes he eats everything, sometimes some and sometimes nothing. Body condition score is a perfect 5/9.

That’s good to know thank you! What do you feed?

OP posts:
Whatareyoutalkingaboutnow · 02/08/2025 18:17

I cook our poodle cross food weekly.
Pork mince, mixed veg and sweet potatoes. Freeze in tubs and mix with a little kibble. A bit of boiled water in the winter. He thrives on this.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread