# unbelievably fussy boy!



## Panda (Jan 7, 2010)

More of a rant than anything. Panda is the most fussy dog I have ever known. He is raw fed but still fussy. I just bought him some natural instinct (pre-prepared raw food with bone, veg, salmon oil etc ground in), I got chicken, and chicken and lamb. He likes chicken, and he likes lamb, but he wouldnt even go near his bowl with this food in let alone try it!

He likes beef, lamb, chicken, tripe, venison, heart, liver and rabbit. Fresh stuff, not the dog varieties other than tripe. Seriously, how is dog chicken any different to human chicken? He knows though! He is funny with textures and doesnt like stuff to be ground too finely and doesnt like chewing his food so will swallow pieces of beef whole if given the chance rather than chew it up!

Anyone else have a fussy dog, any tips? He is driving me insane with his fussiness! I dont mind getting him human meat but it is very expensive, my aim was to buy the blocks of frozen dog meat in bulk but he just wont eat them!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Mine are not very keen on the raw mince, but love it cooked. I add in some offal (heart, kidney, liver) from Morrisson's and some veg, and cook it on low in the slow cooker overnight. I cycle it with raw chicken wings from the supermarket, and Prize Choice frozen tripe chunks, plus the occasional lamb or pork rib when I can find them at a reasonable cost (I tried the DAF lamb ribs, and they were bigger than the dogs!). I now buy directly from DAF, but it might be worth trying Panda with cooked Prize Choice mince before bulk buying - it is widely stocked. I sometimes get the Prize Choice beef chunks - mine tend to eat them as whole as possible, but I suppose that is what dogs' teeth are designed for. 

And if he carries on being fussy, I'd try skipping a meal or two. It is amazing what a difference being a bit hungry makes!


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## Panda (Jan 7, 2010)

I can try flash frying it but don't really want to get into the habit of cooking it. Cooked meat often gives him poo bum too. I'll try frying the chicken mince quickly to see if he will eat it. He eats the prize choice beef chunks a lot, this batch has been mainly fat though but normally it's good. He will try swallow the pieces whole no matter how big though. I tried only giving him the chicken and lamb mince a few days ago and and nothing else but he just didn't eat anything. 

He is still quite skinny although much better than before so I don't want him to lose much weight or he will be all bones again.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Flash frying should help - I cook for mine in batches and freeze in portions, so I can just defrost a pack, which works well for us. Bums are usually OK as long as I watch the meat/bone/offal balance - although we have had the odd occasion when I slipped up and suffered the 3am consequences!


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## Panda (Jan 7, 2010)

I tried flash frying some as a test and there was definitely more interest. He had already had dinner so didn't eat much but he was licking it and ate a bit, taking tiny pieces off to the office to eat (the best place to eat apparently lol).

I only fried it for about 5 seconds so it had lightly coloured as it has bone ground into it so shouldnt be cooked.

He probably ate less than a teaspoons worth though......Not sure it will convince him to eat it all but I was surprised he actually tried it which he hasn't until now.

Its strange though as i buy the cheap minced meat from the supermarket when its reduced and he loves minced beef and lamb but wont eat this...... strange boy!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

The ground bone is why I do the slow cooking - it more or less disintegrates. They can certainly be very strange - TillyCat looks at me as if I am trying to poison her if I put the raw mince in her bowl, but will steal half a pound if she gets at it while it is defrosting! Sophy won't touch raw kidney, but once it is cooked it is a huge treat. And Poppy is simply a gannet. I don't think there is anything she won't eat.


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## Panda (Jan 7, 2010)

I ended up throwing our the Natural instinct meat despite it being so expensive. Silly boy! Beef chunks tomorrow then


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