# Is your poodle a fussy eater?



## Curlydogs

We had the same issue with Cosmo. We always had to entice him to eat every meal by adding people food, and most of the time he would try to pick it all out and leave the plain kibble behind anyway. Whenever we tried switching kibble, he would like the new stuff for a little while and then loose interest again. It was frustrating and I felt bad because he would often go a while without eating much at all (although he always ate any treats offered). He is my first poodle, and the other dogs I/my family has had loved all food and ate with gusto. 

About three weeks ago we started adding some salmon oil to his kibble for breakfast and feeding raw for dinner and he seems to love eating now (even the kibble meal). I am so happy - I hope it sticks.

Good luck finding a diet that keeps your spoo interested.


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## Spencer

This is my first poodle, so I have no other comparisons, but YES! Tate is very picky and quite sensitive stomached.


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## Georgnbay

Curlydogs said:


> We had the same issue with Cosmo. We always had to entice him to eat every meal by adding people food, and most of the time he would try to pick it all out and leave the plain kibble behind anyway. Whenever we tried switching kibble, he would like the new stuff for a little while and then loose interest again. It was frustrating and I felt bad because he would often go a while without eating much at all (although he always ate any treats offered). He is my first poodle, and the other dogs I/my family has had loved all food and ate with gusto.
> 
> About three weeks ago we started adding some salmon oil to his kibble for breakfast and feeding raw for dinner and he seems to love eating now (even the kibble meal). I am so happy - I hope it sticks.
> 
> Good luck finding a diet that keeps your spoo interested.


This must be a poodle thing -it seems so odd though for a dog to be so fussy about food...seems to go against all animal instincts! Is this a special type of salmon oil? Is it supposed to be good for them? Our breeder actually had him on the kibble/raw food plan as a puppy. I'm sure it must be more tasty for them than the kibble!


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## CharismaticMillie

This is common in poodles. My first poodle, Tony was the same way. We had to doctor his kibble. Henry will eat his food as long as I put some fish oil and freeze-dried raw toppers. Millie is a PIG. She is SO un-poodle-like when it comes to eating. Both of my poodles eat raw for breakfast, and even Henry can't resist this meal. You might want to try raw or home cooked if you can't get your poodle to eat kibble and you are feeling adventurous!


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## Curlydogs

The salmon oil I got was from a local pet store - it is called "Catch of the Day Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil." I am sure there are many brands - I don't know if the one I got is one of the better ones, it was the only one they had and I was anxious to try it, so I didn't shop around. I believe the oil is supposed to be good for their skin and coats, and Cosmo definitely likes the taste.


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## fjm

Flissy the papillon is the pickier eater of my two, but both much refer raw and home cooked - or commercial wet food - or even rabbit droppings - to kibble. They always quite liked the first few meals out of the bag, but quickly went off it as soon as it was the least bit stale - and it is very difficult to keep it fresh when you are only using a few ounces a day.


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## CharismaticMillie

fjm said:


> Flissy the papillon is the pickier eater of my two, but both much refer raw and home cooked - or commercial wet food - or even rabbit droppings - to kibble. They always quite liked the first few meals out of the bag, but quickly went off it as soon as it was the least bit stale - and it is very difficult to keep it fresh when you are only using a few ounces a day.


Rabbit droppings are Millie's favorite hors d'œuvre...Yuck!


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## fjm

I have thought of using them as training rewards, CM!


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## Feralpudel

Neither of my dogs have been picky eaters. I can't even tell you the last time Dexter left food in his bowl--maybe when he was one and was on doxy for a month for Lyme. Hopefully breeders pay attention to which of their dogs are hothouse flowers and which are easy keepers, and selecting for vigor in their lines. I would *not* regard this as a typical characteristic of standards, at least. 

I always mix something in with kibble--either some wet food, scrambled eggs and yogurt, or home cooked food. The Purdue Bloat study found that this was one of the factors that affected risk of bloat.


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## Jacknic

IMO Having a standard that is a picky eater is rarely about the food you feed, but rather about emotions. Standards are too smart and figure you out pretty fast. Maybe you feed and then go to work, maybe they want to control you, or you are controling them, not enough fresh air and exersice? I don't know the situation, but maybe you can figure it out, but adding people food tells me they have figured you out! Of course you do not want to feed a food with corn or by products, and just because it is listed as holistic doesn't mean it taste good. Adding salmod oil is a good thing. The only standard I had problems with eatting ended up with a thyroid problem and had serious corn allergies. She is now medicated, spayed, fed salmon based food and living a happy pet life. Might not be popular, but I pick up food after 15 minutes, I know we live on three meals a day, but a dog can make it a couple days without food and some dogs just don't need as much food as we imagine.
Now when it comes to toys........:doh:


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## PaddleAddict

Jäger used to be a picky eater. He would routinely skip meals from the time we brought him home. Around 7 or 8 months of age, he started eating regularly and now he rarely refuses a meal (unless we are away and he's staying with my in-laws). I don't know what changed. He LOVE mealtimes now.

I offer him a lot of variety in his meals. He eats kibble, but always with something mixed in: yogurt, cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, cooked chicken, wet food, etc.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle

Absolutely not. All of them are remarkably easy to please. Will eat anything we offer and have wonderful appetites!


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## Poodle Lover

I have three dogs now and had four dogs before these ones (two at a time), so I've been owned by dogs most of my life. None of the dogs that I've had would ever eat dry kibble and I've had a variety of dogs. GSD, English Setter, Collie and Black Russian Terrier. We've always added home cooked or at least canned to all their meals. The current diet is kibble with home cooked in the morning and raw (prey model) at night. I actually don't consider any of the dogs I've had (with the exception of my Havanese) to be picky eater. I wouldn't want to eat dry cereal as my main food either.


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## Winnow

YES all of them are.

I add tripe on to there kibble and then they eat like there is no tomorrow but if its just the dry food then they just rather starve to death.


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## neVar

my Girl isn't- but i feed raw. I switched to raw because my old aussie wouldn't eat for days on end... picky as hell. no matter what you did.


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## Sapphire-Light

Pompadour became picky like a month ago, think this is related to a box of duck flavored cookies I brought from him Sojos Grain-Free Dog Treats


I just gave him a bit like training treats , but it looks like he decided he only wants to eat his new cookies instead of his meals 

He stared to refuse to eat his kibble last week, my mom was wondering is he wasn't sick, so I added a bit of cottage cheese with water to his kibble and he ate it like a maniac, the same when in another meal I mixed it with a raw egg, so he is just being picky ... again.

Yesterday morning I mixed the cottage cheese with the kibble, and with his mouth he took the kibble from his bowl and put it in the floor and ate the cheese.... that made me very mad.

In the afternoon I gave him raw beef (just the meat) , he took the beef out and was staring at the end of the bowl, I guess he was trying to search for more cheese.

So I decide that was enough!!! he went to far... HE JUST WANTS TO EAT CHEESE AND COOKIES!!!!


I did a search and try the tips for picky eaters in a dog food forum and found this tread Picky little dogs - Dog Food Forum, so I cut all the treats for the moment and in his dinner time I offered him just the kibble alone.

In the first day with this metod I prepered his meal and he looked eager to see me with his bowl in my hand, but when he looked it was just kibble he only smelled it and stared me like saying "mommy add the cheese now"

But I didn't fall for the sad puppy eyes, and waited 15 minutes for him to eat his kibble, passed the timeline he didn't ate it, so I took the bowl and to his choice he went to sleep with his tummy empty for the first time since I own him and then the next morning he ate 

In the following days he tried to be picky in other meals he refused to eat a meal but he finally ate in the next one some and he ate others, now he sometimes gets picky but he does eats every day.

the trick is to let your dog know you are not going to fall for their whims and you are NOT going to feed them anything else, and when they realise that they do eat.


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## DoeValley Poodles

I too have one that's not a good eater. She is super active, never sick, always has good stools and maintains a lean body condition. She has gone 7 full meals before without a lick of food (3 1/2 days). Now she usually eats 1 decent meal per day but not always. We offer her a different food at each meal. For example in the morning dry kibble, at night canned turkey flavor. Next day breakfast raw frozen chicken medallions, evening canned beef flavor. Next day kibble mixed with canned lamb, evening meal leftover human food and a side of turducken etc. As long as we keep changing it up she does an ok job of eating. I wouldn't recommend this for a dog with a sensitive stomach. Also not a fan of making a dog into a picky eater by catering to them like this but she was definately a special circumstance when she started refusing food for days.


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## bigpoodleperson

When on kibble Riley was a very picky eater. After moving to Raw he really hasnt missed a meal!! Loves all of his food!!


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## Poodlelvr

I honestly think kibble is a very unnatural food for dogs. Yes, you can force them to eat it, if that's all there is. Humans and dogs have lived together for thousands of years. The idea of kibble only came along in the last hundred years of so. Prior to that dogs ate what they could forage or what their human masters shared. A normal canine diet was varied--not endlessly the same.

I've tried feeding kibble, kibble and canned, etc. None of my poodles were ever thrilled. I started cooking for my dogs with a premix called Canine Life to be sure I had all the right ingredients. I also bought a few books an cooking for you dog and tried some of their recipes. I also bought a dehydrated raw from The Honest Kitchen. Right now I rotate between those three varieties, and the dogs are endlessly interested in what is for dinner today.


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## Jacknic

If you would come to my house and cook I would sit up and beg too--you were making ME hungry! I'm sorry I don't mean to make fun of your choice, it is VERY admirable, but I have to admit that at my age I am just sick of cooking even for my own kids. Truth be told, what the dogs received 100 years ago was probably very close to garbage, or what we see as our garbage now. I remember my grandmother 40 years ago feeding her dog left over white bread and near spoiled milk. Yup , I like my kibble, my tv, microwave, cell phone and oh, ya, internet!


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## Poodlelvr

Well, I'm not the only one on this forum who cooks for their dogs. If you look a little farther down you will find a thread called "Good Ole Home cooking." It's really not that hard to do it right. Today I made my dogs chicken thighs, barley, peas, and carrots with a vitamin and mineral packet added. It will last quite a while. No preseratives added--leftovers are refrigerated or frozen. While anyone could eat this, I don't think most humans would love it--no salt or pepper or other spices. Dogs, however, love it.


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## Georgnbay

Feralpudel said:


> Neither of my dogs have been picky eaters. I can't even tell you the last time Dexter left food in his bowl--maybe when he was one and was on doxy for a month for Lyme. Hopefully breeders pay attention to which of their dogs are hothouse flowers and which are easy keepers, and selecting for vigor in their lines. I would *not* regard this as a typical characteristic of standards, at least.
> 
> I always mix something in with kibble--either some wet food, scrambled eggs and yogurt, or home cooked food. The Purdue Bloat study found that this was one of the factors that affected risk of bloat.


I don't know if your conclusion is a fair one re: the breeders. Although my dog is a fussy eater, he sure isn't a 'hot house' flower! He's a strong, healthy, high energy guy. And my last standard was from a different breeder, totally different line - she was also strong and healthy -and also fussy when it came to food. 

Also, I'm not familiar with the Purdue Bloat study - did it indicate that mixing in food with the kibble helped prevent Bloat?


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## Georgnbay

Thanks for all your experiences and tips. I may try the raw diet (wish I had the time to cook his food from scratch!) but at least I won't feel guilty any more for enticing him by mixing in treats with his kibble!


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## georgiapeach

I've read that raw and kibble shouldn't be mixed in the same feeding b/c they are digested totally differently. If one feeds both, they should be at different feedings, like a.m. and p.m.


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## CharismaticMillie

Georgnbay said:


> I don't know if your conclusion is a fair one re: the breeders. Although my dog is a fussy eater, he sure isn't a 'hot house' flower! He's a strong, healthy, high energy guy. And my last standard was from a different breeder, totally different line - she was also strong and healthy -and also fussy when it came to food.
> 
> Also, I'm not familiar with the Purdue Bloat study - did it indicate that mixing in food with the kibble helped prevent Bloat?


The Purdue Bloat Study indicated that mixing something moist like meat or canned food with kibble could help prevent bloat. However, it's difficult to find straightforward information about what does/does not contribute to bloat. 

georgiapeach - I have also heard the same thing about mixing raw with kibble in the same meal. I feed raw/kibble in separate meals, but I have fed them together in the past without any problems. Nature's Variety makes a pre made raw that they even suggest mixing with their kibble. I think the kibble/raw mixing might have to do with your individual dog and what they can handle.


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## faerie

temperance is not as picky of an eater as she is a SLOOOOW eater. it takes her 15 minutes to eat her meals. the other dogs are finished in less than a minute. she also won't eat all her food if she doesn't want to. when she's done, she's done. 

we are talking kibble here. i put her in her crate. she lays down and slowly eats. i personally think it may be a good thing.

do you think adding water to soften and swell the food would be an idea?


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## grab

Newt isn't picky at all. Nor is my poodle mix. My male Chow, however, is the pickiest thing everhwell:


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## Emsicle

Lula is a spoo version of a human dustbin, she will eat anything and everything. The only thing I have known her not to eat is an extra strong mint she picked up on a walk, spat that straight out :biggrin:


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## Bella's Momma

Nope, not picky in the least.

She started out on a tripe/kibble diet but after some stomach troubles for months (and various hot meals of chicken and rice...the lucky pooch) she is now strictly on Z/D (I know, I know...but she's finally healthy!) kibble diet. Sometimes I add supplements or water, but our problem is getting her to eat S-L-O-W-E-R!


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## DesertDog

Wow! I just learned a lot reading this thread.

I've been spilling my gut in the new member forum about my standard recently being finicky and my being frustrated. He is eight years old, has been eating dry kibble (isn't it supposed to be best for their teeth) without complaint and only in the past 4-5 months has he insisted on softer, moister, yummier ..... get the point. Oh yeah, he definitely believe he should have a place at the dinner table.

*I'm wondering if he had an account in this forum before I did and decided he'd been missing out long enough!*

All this talk about duck, home cooking, raw, etc. How much money do you think it costs to feed a standard this way?


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## fjm

DesertDog said:


> *I'm wondering if he had an account in this forum before I did and decided he'd been missing out long enough!*


Ah - the mysterious poodle to poodle communication network! Perhaps he got talking to other spoos at the groomers, or somewhere?! Not sure about a standard, but feeding my two toys and two cats a combination of raw/home cooked costs less than 2/3 rds of the cost of feeding them premium kibble, taking into account power for the freezer, cooking, etc. That is at UK prices, where meat tends to be more expensive than in the US. It is much easier - and cheaper - if you have a large freezer and can bulk buy.


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## curlysmama

My baby is as picky as they come. Period.


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## fjm

curlysmama said:


> My baby is as picky as they come. Period.


But are you comparing him to your Lab? ALL dogs are picky eaters compared to Labs!


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## curlysmama

fjm said:


> But are you comparing him to your Lab? ALL dogs are picky eaters compared to Labs!


Very good point!! Yes, thats pretty much who I am comparing to. lol


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## Lilith

Glad to read this thread and see I'm not the only one with this problem. I'm inclined to the 'eat or not - your choice' method of dealing with a picky eater, but my suddenly-picky eater is 5.5 months old and still growing. One skipped meal a day didn't bother me, but she recently went 2.5 days without eating. A rapidly growing dog needs nutrition, so I've been playing the 'what are we going to mix in today' game.

It bothers me because I don't tolerate picky eaters in general. Lived 2 years in famine-prone Niger and had the job of helping families keep alive malnourished kids. Gave me a rather different point of view on food.

BUT, on the other hand, what my dog does or does not eat has no consequence for the rest of the world. And it's not difficult or financially difficult for me to add extra things in. So,... reading this thread and even writing this post I think has helped me decide that this is a battle not worth fighting. If she wants her kibble mixed with gravy or eggs or whatever we find - she can have it...


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## fjm

Could be Lilith has a sore mouth from teething - mine went through a similar stage.


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## penny_ann

Guess Penny is an oddball! She will eat anything!


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## msminnamouse

> Is your poodle a fussy eater?


Lol. Good heavens no! We call Ginger tum-tum and the cookie monster. 

To each his or her own. No two dogs are alike, of any breed. Except for beagles. I've never seen a beagle that wasn't a chow hound.


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## Lilith

fjm said:


> Could be Lilith has a sore mouth from teething - mine went through a similar stage.


I hope that's the case! 

Plus I've been reading more about the benefits of using puzzle-like toys for feeding instead of a dish. Doesn't work unless the dog actually _wants_ the kibble in the toy!


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## JE-UK

Poodle Lover said:


> I wouldn't want to eat dry cereal as my main food either.


Me either!

I always feel sorry for the dogs when I hear someone describe their dog's disinterest as an attempt to 'control' the owner. To me, it seems like a straightforward "bleh" response to uninteresting food.

I feed a mix of good commercial kibble (Orijen), good quality tinned, some home-cooked, some raw, and some leftovers. Vasco gets a variety of stuff, and gets it in a variety of ways. He loves plain kibble when it's in a Kong pyramid, for example. The challenge makes it tastier! He gets his tinned food stuffed in a Kong sometimes too, just to make it more interesting.


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## Lilith

*Picky eater vs. something seriously wrong,...*

Well, my pup went from loving her Orijen to not touching it. I was away last week from Sun-Wed, then again Fri-Mon (yesterday). I left Orijen kibble with some packets of wet puppy food to be mixed in and the dog walker has been feading her.

On Sunday the dog walker called to tell me the pup has diarrhea. Since I was returning the next day, I told him that as long as she otherwise seemed ok just to ensure she had food and water and skip the walks in favor of some play time in the yard.

Well, I got home last night and my puppy is SKINNY. I mean - really, dangerously skinny. I can feel her sharp little bones. She has not pooped since I returned yesterday afternoon, and she refused the first 4 things I put down for her (all things she normally gobbles up). I was freaking out and considering an emergency vet visit, but then she decided she liked the smell of my spaghetti so I fed her that. She perked up a bit after that so I opted for a vet visit this afternoon instead. This morning she ate fresh fish meat (my lunch for today - I have actually skipped 2 meals myself as she ate them both), and was acting fairly normal in terms of energy.

I'm assuming something is wrong with her, as while I understand picky eating I can't imagine a dog starving itself rather than eating something it doesn't prefer. I'll know soon enough, as she's going in to the doc as soon as I finish teaching a workshop this morning,...


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## fracturedcircle

JE-UK said:


> I always feel sorry for the dogs when I hear someone describe their dog's disinterest as an attempt to 'control' the owner.


i've heard that a lot.


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## poodleholic

None of my 3 are picky eaters; they eat what's put in their bowl. Their staple food used to be EVO, until bought out by P&G, so now it's TOTW. I supplement one of two meals each day with home cooked (i.e. pot roast/chicken breast/etc.), or add Evanger's canned Buffalo or Chicken. Treats consist of human food only - sardines, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, lowfat cottage cheese, and so on. As someone else said, I sure wouldn't want to eat nothing but dried cereal, either, and IMO, just kibble is a poor diet, no matter how high premium a food it is.


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## Lilith

Well, my vet just blamed the diarrhea on the addition of wet foods to the pup's diet. The wet food was honest kitchen dehydrated food mixed in with kibble or alone.

Instructions from vet = dry kibble for meals. Period. 

Sigh.


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## msminnamouse

I would give her the dry kibble for meals and save any wet food for treats and Kongs, depending on how her bowel movements looked that day. Withhold it if they're loose, give if normal to dry. Ginger has a bowl of kibble at all times and we give her by hand or in her Kong if we have to leave her home alone kitchen offerings. She has a sensitive stomach too. It could also be what you gave her. For example, carrots give Ginger diarrhea. Your's is just a pup and it'll take you a while to figure out what she personally can't stomach or not. But I agree with your vet in that you should stick to her normal diet until she puts weight back on.

I don't feel that mixing in wet food with hard kibble is so great (unless you have a senior dog, dog that won't eat plain kibble, etc.) because you can't leave the kibble out for long (my dogs have always self fed and they've been very healthy and not over eaters) and also it softens the kibble which takes away the abrasive properties that would otherwise help to keep teeth clean and also the hardness which exercises their jaws.


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## Jammster

JE-UK said:


> Me either!
> 
> I always feel sorry for the dogs when I hear someone describe their dog's disinterest as an attempt to 'control' the owner. To me, it seems like a straightforward "bleh" response to uninteresting food.
> 
> I feed a mix of good commercial kibble (Orijen), good quality tinned, some home-cooked, some raw, and some leftovers. Vasco gets a variety of stuff, and gets it in a variety of ways. He loves plain kibble when it's in a Kong pyramid, for example. The challenge makes it tastier! He gets his tinned food stuffed in a Kong sometimes too, just to make it more interesting.


My mini poodle who just turned one is a right pickle with food. I am a new poodle owner well dog owner is it ok to give her frozen raw for one meal then wet and home cooked etc i don't mind doing it but don't want to upset her digestive system. Lots on her seem to feed a mixture as their poodle sounds like mine too but wanted to check , she has frozen raw at the moment but hasn't eaten for two days again as hit the 3 week mark and looses interest so was thinking of getting something to alternate meals. Also is there a good book or website for home cooked meal recipes? Thanks


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## fjm

I feed raw, home cooked, canned sardines, and even occasional treats of kibble. The only time my dogs get upset stomachs is if they have too much liver or cabbage, pick up something horrible down by the river, or Sophy eats turkey, which she cannot tolerate.

If you are uneasy about feeding the defrosted raw when it has been down a while, you can always cook it, depending on the bone content. As long as the bone is finely ground, it should be safe pasteurised in a little water, then refrigerated or frozen for a later meal.

I have found www.dogaware.com extremely useful for working out suitable home prepared diets, and for combining commercial and home made.


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## PoodleRick

Penny is my 3rd Spoo, Roxy, my first was not a picky eater and Penny, my 3rd isn't either. But Beau was. He loved what ever we gave him for about a month then he'd get bored I guess. So I'd add some canned dog food or some table leftovers. But if it wasn't meat he wasn't having it. Other times just a change of brands or variety within a brand would get him to eat. But then the cycle would start over. I never took it as a sign he was trying to control me or anything like that I just figured he got bored with his food and wanted variety, So I provided it. No biggie.

Rick


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