# Not eating as well as she should be?



## Rachel_C (Dec 30, 2011)

I wasn't sure if this should be posted in the Food or Health section, so sorry if this is in the wrong place. 

I'm after a bit of advice about our 12 week standard poodle, Grace. She is a very fussy eater and we are worried that she is not eating as much as she should be. It seems from looking at some other threads that it is not uncommon for poodles to be a bit picky/difficult when it comes to eating? 

We have tried her out with lots of different brands of dry nugget food - currently Orijins - as well as some wet dog food and lots of different types of fresh meat (partially cooked and cooked). 

She has some days where she will eat very well and then other days where she barely eats anything. The day she has eaten best was when another puppy (my Aunt's) was in the house too and then it was like an eating competition. We can only get her to eat the Orijins if we make it into a game and roll them on the floor to her. I'm regretting starting to do this as I think she quite likes the attention and I am worried that we have created this bad habit now. 

She seems to be growing well and gains weight with every vet trip and she is also going to the toilet well. She has been sick a couple of times in the few weeks that we have had here, but I'm not sure that these were related to her lack of appetite - one of them was when she got incredibly over excited. She has tonnes of energy and certainly doesn't act like a dog who is starving. 

I guess it is hard for anyone to say when they haven't seen her or felt her, but is this normal for a puppy or are our concerns justified? The vets have not been helpful - they just try to push Hills on us even though we have told them that she will not eat this. 

Thanks in advance for any help.

Rachel and Grace.


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## petitpie (Nov 16, 2011)

You are doing well and shouldn't let the vets tell you what to do, if they only want to help by selling you ScienceDiet. Can you find another vet who is sympathetic to your concerns?

Puppies can be picky eaters, throw up, and have nervous stomachs. Keep looking for solutions.....you've come to the right place on Poodle Forum. :act-up:


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Stop the food games. I think this would encourage picky eating since she gets more attention if she is picky. I would give her a set amount of time to eat and then pick up the bowl. Since she is gaining weight and full of energy she must be eating so try not to worry too much. Try not to pay attention to her when she eats and just have a calm attitude. If she feels you are worried she may pick up on this and her nerves might kill her appitite. I feed raw and Swizzle is overcome with joy when it is time to eat. I have never tried tripe but I hear dogs go wild for it so perhaps you could add a small amount of something yummy and healthy like tripe to the kibble.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Pups are notorious for having hungry and non-hungry days - as long as she is gaining weight, her stools are OK, and she is bright and bouncy I would not worry too much. I feed mine home cooked and raw - Sophie was never very keen on kibble, and I prefer to know exactly what they are getting. Kibble can also be uncomfortable for pups when they are teething - is she happier with a softer food? If she likes to make a game out of mealtimes, perhaps a Kong or wobbler toy might help - or turn mealtimes into training sessions, and her food into treats!

I find the Prize Choice frozen tripe chunks the most bearable - they are widely available, and the dogs love it. I just have to hold my breath and look away while serving it! I get raw mince delivered by DAF, and top up with supermarket offal and chicken wings and other meaty bones. Since I started cooking for them mealtimes are a source of excitement and delight for them - a great change from trying to persuade Sophy to eat just a few more bits of dry biscuit.


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