Dog won't eat but must take meds w/food!

First of all, 1 cup of food a day sounds a little high. I feed Buffy 1/2 cup a day... 1/4 cup at each meal. She's 13 pounds, which is less than Nova, but maybe 1/3 cup at each meal would be enough? Often the recommended daily amounts on the package are too much.

I mix about a spoonful of wet dog food in there most of the time. We also doctor it up in other ways.... salmon oil, chicken broth, bonito flakes, or if we have chicken or something for dinner I'll mix a spoonful in her dinner or maybe some gravy. Parmesan also works. I'm currently using Instinct/Prairie because my local pet shop stocks it in the right size. We have also used Merrick's in the past; I just switched because we wouldn't get through the whole can before I had to throw it out.

I would NOT recommend mixing cat food in there. I tried that once and she puked it up. I later learned that cat food is too rich for most dogs.

I started doctoring Buffy's food because she wasn't eating enough. But my mom feeds her dry kibble only and she claims she always eats it.

BTW I don't think I would have a problem feeding her chicken & rice for a month if it was a medicine situation. Just cooking a bit of chicken once a week would be enough. My mother-in-law feeds Buffy chicken & rice when we go out to Seattle and Buffy will pick out the chicken. It's funny.

I'm sure you'll figure out something...
 
Nova said:
Yea, it's not necessarily that it's unhealthy, it's that it's bad for their teeth. My family's last Sheltie had terrible periodontal disease even with brushing. Plus, I just can't afford the expensive dry food and wet food.



I have thought about this, and I have bought almost every single healthy brand of dry food in the entire Pet Supplies Plus store- Nova just wants the garbage brands. It's like a child who wants McDonald's instead of veggies. So frustrating!
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Yep, I understand that. Dogs usually prefer the garbage food because it's sprayed with a flavor enhancer in it-comparable to the MSG in McDonalds. But if you think about it, if dogs get hungry enough, they will eat literally anything so it may be best to hand feed for the duration pf the pills. What healthy foods have you gone through so far? Are they brands sold at Petco? If so I would look into local feed stores since they usually carry other brands, like TOTW, Fromm, Orijen, etc.
 
Well, I am thinking the same as Diana--that Nova may be getting too much food. My boy Buddy is 3 years old. We used to feed him 1/2 cup dry food in the morning and evening, equals 1 cup, plus occassional treats. He is 16" tall and ballooned up to 31 pounds and the vet was concerned. We put Buddy on a diet of 1/4 cup dry food in am and pm, plus some green beans and carrots for treats. It took about 10 months, but he now weighs a healthy 24 pounds. Now he eats 1/4 cup 3 times a day, plus very few treats, and his green beans and carrots that he loves.

Once you cut Nova's food down, she will probably eat like a pig, like Buddy does now.

Hope this works for you!
 
You may also need to consider switching her to another brand of food. Some dogs just won't eat one kind but will another.
 
It only takes a week to "flip flop" back to another food (or a new food). Mine are great on TOTW. Despite the recall hubbub, I believe them to still be an okay company-certainly better than the mcdonalds brands. I am switching them over to Orijen now though for some rotation.
 
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