Dog Food Switching Problems..

[bellabear27]

Hi everyone!
We have recently been trying to switch Bella's food over to a new, better for her brand.. however, she seems to be turning up her nose to everything we put in front of her . We tried to do it gradually.. mixing little bits at a time, but now she won't even eat her old stuff ! She is currently on Nutro.. which she manages to eat when she is starving.. but I get a feeling she doesn't actually like it. Our friends have a new type of food for their dog which she seems to like.. (although it may just be because it's not her food.. ) Its called actrium holistic.. has any of you heard of it?! If so.. any opinions?

I'll write the ingredient list just incase.. perhaps some of you know more about good dog food ingredients.. I'm sure you know more then me.. ha.

Protein is 24% Fat 14%Omega 6 2.8% Omega 3 is 1.4%
Ingredients -Chicken Meal,Brown Rice,Oatmeal,Potatoes,Rye,Chicekn Fat ( Mixed with Tocopherols for Vit E) Chicken, Chicken Cartiledge (glucomsimne), Tomates,Salmon Meal,Salmon Oil, Dried Eggs, Flaxseed Oil, Kelp, Calcuim, Potassuim Cholride, Diacalcuim Phospate, Chicory Extract, Cranberries,Spinach,Broccoli,Sweet Potatoes,apples,Blueberries,Pears, Bananas, Vitamin A, E, C,Beta Carotene,Folic Acid,Vitamin B12,Probotitics,Yucca,Dried Rosemarry,Cinnamon,Chamomile,Dandelion,Paprika,Garlic

[Jeff&Peks]

How do you know she's only eating when she is starving? like most Chows maybe she is only eating when she is hungrey. I put two cups of food down aday and my chow eats aliitle at certain times aday maybe not eat at all that day. Its much better that your Chow is not gorging her food down, if thats what your looking for your asking for trouble especialy with a Chow.

I don't give my Chow near what the recommended serving on the bag says yet she has stayed at 63 lbs her whole adult life.

[bellabear27]

How do you know she's only eating when she is starving? like most Chows maybe she is only eating when she is hungrey

This could be true.. she wasn't eating alot before we started trying to switch her food, although she did manage to eat a cup pr 2 of food a day. Right now, I don't think she is eating even a half a cup. Is this too much below the recommended feeding amount?! Perhaps it is just a phase.. because otherwise she seems perfectly fine.

[fillyok]

Mine have been eating Nutro for about 2-3 years and their weight stays steady. Tod gained about 25 pounds since I found him...he's also become a lot taller so he's not fat at all. All of mine free feed. I usually make sure there's a little food in the morning before I go to work then I put more food out in the evening. If Bella is being a little picky, you can sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on her food. Mine get that treat every so often and they love it. I just got my shipment of Nupro (a joint supplement) and they LOVE it! It's kinda stinky which is why they probably love it so much when I sprinkle it over their kibble. I can't wait to see if it makes a difference like the website claims...supposedly in a few weeks.

[zues62]

My 14 month old is not eating hardly at all either. I can feel his ribs and spine. He even turns his nose up at his old food. I am very worried. I don't know what to do. I have tried everything, with the exception of cooking his chicken and rice.

[bellabear27]

If Bella is being a little picky, you can sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on her food. Mine get that treat every so often and they love it.

We tried this trick with Bella and she loved it! Thanks so much. Now that she has gotten over her fear of the new food she is starting to eat it more regularly, even without the cheese. Now her only problem is that she does most of her eating before she goes to bed.. does anyone else have this problem?! Or is it even a problem? It just seems weird to me.. ha.

[fillyok]

Mine eat in the evening before bedtime. They have food out all the time, but prefer to eat at night.

[Jeff&Peks]

Pekoe has food out all the time also but her prefered dining is at night, candle light and opera music (Sarah Brightman) while she is dining then she goes to sleep.

I think with other breeds after they eat they want to go out but eating before bed time I guess is another Chow thing.

[Laura]

Yep the majority of eating goes on around here at night too. Kody was the same way...late or even middle of the night I would hear him crunching away!
Not sure if there is a connection but mine are alot more active in the evenings. They tend to snooze alot during the day even on the weekends and then be buck wild all evening so maybe that plays into it.

[vicster605]

Kearra, Kyra & Lily all go buck wild every evening after it cools off...thought it was the heat but maybe not, now that you mention it. They do the same thing...tend to want to eat at night too and also do alot of snoozing during the day. Hummmm may be a Chow Thing and Lily just goes along with it since majority rules around here