Basset Hound Very Picky Eater?

Question

Okay so my Female Basset Hound has always been a picky dog food eater since we got her... She is now 15 Months and she still hasnt changed...When it comes to dry or wet dog food she sticks her nose up at it... I even stopped giving her flip chips,rawhides and bones until she eats.. No bones are showing on her she is 56 pounds but i could fill up her bowl and it hold 4 cups and today i am going on the 6th day and there is plenty still left in there like only a half cup missing.. I took her to the vet and she is healthy as can be. She don't get leftovers but as soon as a crumb hits the floor she inhales it...

Anyone else have a picky eater?Anything you tried work? I am sick of buying several dog foods then have her turn her nose up to them all we tried Canidae,Orijen,Flint River Ranch,Science Diet,Wholemeals (thinking i could fool her since it is in a bone shape) and Royal Canin... We also tried www.doggiedelivery.com (homemade dog food) and still no...So now i have a bunch of uneaten bags of food just sitting around.... and yeah i tried putting food on top on her dog food and she will eat that and leave the dog food....

Answer 1

microwave the food...makes the smell stronger

Answer 2

Lots of vets and pet places will have sample packs available. If you have a problem there try the brands website for sample packs.

That is how I found a dog food that doesn't upset my dogs stomach.

Answer 3

I have the queen of picky eaters. We stuck with Canidae and stopped giving her treats unless it was strictly for training - and even then they were limited.

Stop switching her food, you're making the problem worse by encouraging the behavior. She'll eat when she's hungry; she won't purposely starve herself just because she doesn't like the food. Keep treats limited and definitely avoid bones, as they will give her the option of skipping her dog food.

As long as she's healthy and at a good weight, I wouldn't worry.

You may also think about switching her over to raw food - which most dogs absolutely LOVE. It'll keep her healthy and happy and it's definitely worth a shot.

Answer 4

I have a Shiba Inu who is also a very picky eater. And I totally understand how you feel, because I was really worried about him too when he wouldn't eat his food, but you just have to keep at a routine, and ultimately your girl will get hungry enough and eat.

Note that my Shiba will still sometimes fast for a day on his own. Usually it is when he is depressed because of vet visits and such, but sometimes he just does this. I believe that doing that helps him clear his system and makes him feel better; similar to when humans fast.  

I would try:

1. Adding in canned food. When we first started doing this my Shiba would pick out the canned food, so I ground up the kibble into dust and mixed it into the canned food.

2. Adding some water into the kibble to bring out the flavor.

3. Adding dog food gravy.

4. Microwaving also helps. Sometimes I microwave some cheese and put that melted cheese over his kibble.

Exercise also helps significantly with appetite.

This site has more on different dog diets:

http://hubpages.com/hub/What-to-Feed-You...

Answer 5

You need to stop switching foods, there's too much change in her diet which can give her an upset stomach. Pick one high quality food and stick with it. Keep doing what you're doing by restricting treats and any "human" food. Give her a measured portion in the morning and at night. Put the food down for her to eat. Whatever she hasn't eaten after 20 minutes, pick up and put her bowl away. Bring the bowl out again for the next feeding time and repeat.

She'll soon learn that there are set meal times and that she'd better eat then, otherwise she won't get anything else. And stick with the same type of food, sometimes dogs take awhile to get used to a new food and she can't get used to it if you keep switching.

As long as she's healthy, she won't starve herself, she'll eat when she's hungry. By having set mealtimes, she'll be trained to eat at those times and not freely pick and graze.

Answer 6

If she's healthy don't worry about it.

When she's hungry, she'll eat.

The more you fuss about it, the pickier she'll get.  She's waiting to see what you'll offer her next.

Answer 7

How about dog food gravy?  I know they sell it at petsmart, and it is a gravy for your wet or dry dog food that you mix in with it.  It could help, and they have several flavors, depending on what your dog likes :)

Good luck!

Answer 8

Elizabeth B, I wish I had a a basset hound.

Answer 9

I've got a female basset with the same problem.

I add 1 or 2 tablespoons of canned dog food with the dry, mix it really well, and she gobbles it all up!  You may want to add a little more canned food if that doesn't work. Remember to mix it well so she doesn't just eat the canned food.