Food Problems

Topics, guidelines and tips for feeding Chow Chows.

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Chadder
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Food Problems

Post by Chadder »

I know Chow's are notoriously picky eaters, so I was happy when I found that Alabama loves Taste of the Wild dog foods. She was eating the “High Prairie” flavor for about 2 years when all the sudden last month she wouldn’t eat from the new bag I purchased. I was told that every now and then the entire pallet of a shipment can taste funny to a dog, so I was told to switch flavors for the month. The only other flavor she had liked in the past was “Wetlands” so I bought a bag of that. She ate it just fine the whole month so I decided buy another bag of the new flavor this month. Turns out, she wont eat from the new bag of Wetlands now. I tried goind back to High Prarie, but she wont eat that again either. I bought sample sizes of Orijen, Wellness Core, Instinct, Innova Evo, Fromms, and one other one that I can’t remember. She will not eat any of them. I left out bowls of every flavor and she went 5 days without eating. Yesterday she must have been so hungry that she tried some of the Wetlands but ended up vomiting after only a couple bites. I feel so bad, because its not like I have any of last months supply left that I can mix in with a new brand to try and wean her off of it. I ended up giving her some tuna and grilled chicken finally, because it was obvious she wasn’t gonna eat, and when she tried she threw up. What can I do? Taste of the Wild claims they haven’t changed any formulas, but my dog sure noticed a change. Thanks for your help, I can always count on you guys.
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Auddymay
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Re: Food Problems

Post by Auddymay »

Could it be she is having some unrelated tummy troubles? Check the search for bland diet and give it to her. See if she holds it down. Sometimes they reject food for medical reasons. When was the last time she was worm checked?
Chadder
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Re: Food Problems

Post by Chadder »

Thats what i figured too, that maybe she was sick. However, she has been searching the house for hidden food she has left behind, and she gobbles it up the instant she finds some. Also, after waiting for 5 days, I gave her grilled chicken and tuna from a can and she ate it with no hesitation. There is no doubt in my mind she is just a very picky eater. She has been since she was 8 weeks old. Does anyone know of any healthy dog foods that taste good to picky dogs? She doesnt even like treats! The only treats she has ever liked are the chicken strips, and maybe something peanut butter flavored every once in a while.
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chowpups
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Re: Food Problems

Post by chowpups »

Is there maybe something bothering her mouth that she not liking hard kibble. I am thinking maybe a tooth problem. Have you tried softer foods?
Just a thought my chows were picky eaters also.
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Cam Atis
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Re: Food Problems

Post by Cam Atis »

I had a similar experience but with a different breed. What I did when Cookie will not touch her usual dogfood (I had shifted from Pedigree to a handful of dogfood brands before settling for a local dogfood) However she likes the dogfood day in day out, there will be episodes that she will not eat. I leave dogfood to her all day just so if ahe gets hungry. But she wont eat. I DO NOT WAIT 5 days for her. She will eat human food voraciously during those episodes. I cook for her chicken heads Or meat saw dust. Adobo style. Or if she is already feeding on those (served with steamed rice) I will stArt weaning her again by giving her Adobo String beans with meat morsels - also served with rice. Later, I will mix her dogfood just 1/4cup in the beginning so she wont notice. Adding half the volume or more than half of the dogfood will result in your dog not eating the whole meal. I supplement with milk once a day. Also I would bring her to places she does not see often. So she gets excited to roam or at least smell the new surrounding. I do that for a few times before we settle for old routine again. She will eat her dogfood again and it will last for year or years before she'll have that lost of appetite episode again.
Cassie (my chow pup) is very picky but i managed to shift her to her new dogfood and she has a lot of appetite. Cookie by the way is a purebred dalmatian, just FYI.
Chadder
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Re: Food Problems

Post by Chadder »

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Like I said, I know its not anything to do with her, because she will still eat last months dry food. I dont have any left, but I was able to find a couple pieces that Bama had hidden behind the dish. She ate those pieces instantly. And also, the same exact thing happened last month with the old flavor. As soon as she got the new flavor she ate it right up. I'm conviced that they changed the formula in some way, or maybe the material of the bag? Last night I tried putting in some pork (that she likes) into her dog dish. She literally spent 20 minutes licking and pulling at the pork, and didnt eat even ONE piece of the dog food. I guess I was hoping someone could point me towards a dry food that picky dogs like, or maybe shed some light as to what may have changed in the taste of the wild formula. It's not like shes tired of the food, she ate it for 2 years straight, and the minute I got a bowl out of the new bag, she wont touch it. So strange. Thanks again.
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chowpups
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Re: Food Problems

Post by chowpups »

Dick Van patten potatoe and duck treat roll was one that our chows always seem to like you can grate it over food or cut off pieces and use as treats.. It comes in like a 1pound plastic wrapped tube, you refrigerate after you open it. Thats what I had to use for training classes with Nikki cause she didn't like any other treats.
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Cocoa
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Re: Food Problems

Post by Cocoa »

You said that you have fed the High Prairie and Wetlands formulas, have you tried the TOTW Pacific Stream formula? Cocoa loves it and all of my chows have had a real love for fish. It might be something to try.
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Sojourner11
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Re: Food Problems

Post by Sojourner11 »

Try taking some of the same brand of dry, TOTW, and mixing some of the TOTW canned, same flavor...with some warm water and pour that gravy over the dry. I first tried this with Marshall when he got old and stopped eating. Then on Solo to get him to eat more at a sitting. Now I use it for my foster Marco, to make sure he eats when he takes his meds. Plus, Marco is under weight...just skin and bones. My 2 girls only get is as a treat as they are overweight and I sometimes need a diversion to keep them off of Marco and his canned/dry mix. I still leave out dry, too much canned is not good for their teeth, and I like to mix it up a bit for variety.

Their is also the good old chicken(boiled) and brown rice with peas and carrots recipe too. Lay off the salt and aromatics (garlic and onions, just keep it simple),..... if they don't eat that then I'd say they are sick an should go to the vet.

When Hannah had to have her mandible removed due to a tumor, I had to make the above chicken and veggies recipe into a blended shake/soup for her to lap up, she never turned it down.


Just my humble 2 cents.
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