# Willow doesn’t like her food.



## Willowgirl (Jan 28, 2020)

So it’s been several months of Willow not wanting her food. She just turned one two days ago. She’s been eating nutrisource puppy since she was with her breeder. I free fed her pretty much since she came home to us 10 months ago. About two months ago she lost interest in her food. I tried putting the food down and taking it away after fifteen minutes for a few weeks. She wants to eat literally anything BUT her food. I bought the wet food version and she loves it, but she can’t keep it down. I fed her in a slow feeder and I’ve tried giving her spoons slowly. I’ve also mixed it with her dry food. She still can’t keep it down but she loves it. 

I’ve tried to stick with the nutrisource because it’s for super sensitive tummy’s and I’m afraid she won’t be able to eat other dog food. 
I very rarely give her treats anymore.
I think it’s time to try another dog food because I think she’s trying to tell me her body needs something else. It’s like she’s missing nutrients she needs so she goes and eats a wall or pipe. There’s so many different foods out there. I know I want her have the purest ingredients. I don’t really trust food that the company puts millions into advertising rather than into the food. 
I would love to raw feed her but that’s so expensive. I’m afraid of buying a dog food that makes her sick. There’s way too many out there. Can anyone give me some suggestions. Thank you.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Is this the food she's currently getting?










And do you have a link to the canned food? Or an exact name? I can't seem to find a canned large breed puppy formula from Nutrisource.

Once you confirm, we can take a look at the ingredients, as well as the fat/fibre/protein, and make some suggestions.

Can she handle a little bit of wet mixed in? Or does it make her sick regardless of the quantity?


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## Willowgirl (Jan 28, 2020)

I forgot to say I’ve alternated the grain free and the regular nutrigrain large puppy. I chose this one because it looked like good ingredients. I am slowly finding out I don’t know how to own a dog haha
The canned dog food is the nutrisource Prairie select ingredients: 
Duck, turkey, turkey liver, turkey broth, chickpeas, guineafowl, quail, agar-agar, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, salmon oil, salt, choline chloride, kelp, betaine, taurine, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, brewers dried yeast, yucca schidigera plant extract, selenium yeast, copper proteinate, magnesium oxide, cobalt proteinate, manganese proteinate, ethylenediamine dihydroiodide, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

You're doing FINE.  Poodles are notoriously picky eaters and also prone to allergies and digestive upset. 

How does she do with just a bit of wet food mixed in with her kibble? Have you tried this?


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## Willowgirl (Jan 28, 2020)

That’s a good idea. I forgot I had to do that when she was little. Im also very open to changing to a better food for her. My dad left her food outside last night at his house. He lives out in the country with all sorts of critters. They wouldn’t touch it. It makes me think the food isn’t the best for her. Maybe I’m over thinking things though.


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## FloofyPoodle (May 12, 2020)

I've been researching this myself, after Fluffy began to say 'no thank you' to his food, and just ordered a bag of Nulo for our next dog food batch, as it meets the requirements I have found thus far (high protein/fat content, real ingredients, probiotics, made of fish (this point is mostly an environmental thing for me)) and looks like a better option than what I'm giving currently. I think they have a sensitive tummy version, but am not sure yet how good of a food it actually is. I'm going to try a few different ones.

I took a look at Nutrisource on DogFoodAdvisor, and it seems pretty good! Highish protein and fat. The yeast, or possible the beet, maybe, might be causing an issue? There also aren't any probiotics. That canned food looks good, too. Lots of meat, it looks like, although I imagine it must be expensive!

One thing I've learned through poking around is that one should be switching the dog food around so that if one source doesn't have something (or if it gets recalled!), the others will make up for it. It also prevents the dog from getting bored of the food. Supposedly. I still have to look more into it. How often are you alternating? Every day? Once a week? When you say she can't keep it down, do you mean that she picks at it or is it that she throws it up? That could indicate a bigger issue than boredom. Before you change food, have you checked with your veterinarian to make sure that there isn't something else that might be upsetting her tummy? 

Poodles! They drive ya nuts!


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## Willowgirl (Jan 28, 2020)

I alternate the food by the bag which takes a few weeks for her to eat. This last time I thought she lost interest I mixed them together. She vomits the canned food. Everything else she does fine with. Yes it is pricey but I want her to be healthy. I could feed her ground beef all the time instead which she does love but I don’t know how to give her things to balance it. I suppose I could research it. The vet hasn’t had any concerns More than her being a picky eater. She recommended royal canine or science diet. I haven't given them to Willow though. My brothers dog eats science diet and he does fine on it. He’s a Great Dane with the most sensitive tummy ever. The problem I have with it is it expands to three times it’s original size when wet. I don’t see how that’s good for anyone. 
I never thought about probiotics for her considering I take them myself. I just wish I could give her something and she’s satisfied instead of her eating flipping dirt and rocks and tables!!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

I like to trust Peggy's food preferences within reason. No, she can't live solely on string cheese. But I can at least feed her something that she doesn't need to be _starving_ to consider.

Here is her current menu, which seems to be working well:

Honest Kitchen Whole Food Clusters (Grain-Free Chicken or Beef) = approximately 3/4 cup total, handfed a few times a day as low-distraction training treats (and also given to her in her crate as a bedtime snack)

Weruva Canned Chicken = meal "topper", which I actually serve on the side so it doesn't contaminate her kibble (always picked up after an hour if she's not eaten it, but she usually does)

Farmina N&D Ancestral Grains Chicken & Pomegranate Medium & Maxi Adult Dry Food = served at specific meal times, but left out for her to graze on throughout the day (1/2 cup breakfast or lunch, 1 cup dinner)

Plus: Two Glandex Chews (one per meal), FortiFlora probiotic (one packet per day), a piece of whatever veggie we happen to be eating (careful not to overdo it), and occasional high-value treats for classes or training in distracting environments (plain chicken breast or string cheese are the overwhelming winners)

If Willow really loves ground beef and digests it fine, you could cook up a batch and freeze it in small portions to mix into her meals.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Some tips on deciphering dog food labels from:








How to Read a Dog Food Label – American Kennel Club


Your best tool for deciding what to feed your dog is right on the can or bag. But first, you need to know how to read a dog food label.




www.akc.org




and 








Pet Food Labels


The pet food label contains a wealth of information, if one knows how to read it.




www.fda.gov





I wouldn't rule a company out automatically because they have a large advertising budget. That kind of company can probably afford to have veterinary nutritionists on staff to formulate the various foods and stages. 

If you prefer to stick with smaller manufacturers rather than big name companies, remember to look for the AAFCO label on the food, and something I knew to research on appliances but didn't think of doing for dog food til another recent thread. Search for "Who makes *___* dog food?". You might get some surprises, Some familiar names seem to have been traded around like major league athletes for some years now.


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