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Hey all, Arwen will be 11 months on 12/31. For the past few weeks she has gotten very picky with her food. She was on Purina One for a long time. One night we ran out and it was late, so I just ran to the nearest store and got their no-name brand. Well that is when it all started. She won’t eat dry food anymore. So then I moved on to wet food. She ate it the first few days, then now she is not eating as much anymore. But she still loves her treats and will eat my cat’s food like its candy. She will eat cheese also. I’ve googled some and I have read that Huskies can be really picky eaters. I’m just getting worried that I’m doing something wrong. I’m going to pick up some Purina One when I get off work tonight, I hope this solves everything.
If anybody else has a picky husky story –please share. I just feel so bad like I ruined her or something.
My huskies can be picky eaters, but even more so, their digestive systems tend to be easily upset. Many huskies don't do well with the no name brands. Your pup's tummy was probably upset from suddenly switching from one brand to another and from eating cat food and cheese. (When I switch brands I do it very gradually over a couple of weeks). I suggest getting her the food she is used to and sticking to that (no more cat food or cheese!) and giving it a few days for her to get back to her usual self. Good luck!
Don't get her the cheap brands. They are horrible for Husky's sensitive stomachs. My 6 month old is on Taste of the Wild Puppy grain free right now and loves it. My senior used to be on Canidea All Life Stages until she had a attack of Canine Idiopathic Vestibular disease in which she totally stopped eating dry foods. She ate ceasers for a bit then turned her nose up at that.Now she get nothing but raw, eggs, and low sodium tuna fish. She is happy.
Thanks guys. Oh and I didn't mean that I give her the cat food, she always steals it from that cat. Even though I feed the cat in my room away from Arwen, she is like a ninja and steals it when I'm not looking. lol
Quick update: so I bought the Purina One. She ate a few pieces then walked away. I checked her mouth to make sure I didn’t' see any sores or dental issues. Then I was looking at her and realized that she lost some weight. Of course now I'm in a panic. I called the vet this morning. I told them what's going on and how she lost some weight but how she is still her crazy self except for being picky. They told me it happens sometimes. And that she lost weight due to her not eating as much and since she is active her metabolism is high. She told me that I should worry if she becomes lethargic and doesn't want to play or anything.
Needless to say, I'm still a little worried. Then I think it's just me and that maybe I was over feeding her to begin with and she just isn’t hungry. I don't know but so many thoughts go through your mind when you feel like something could be wrong. I did ask if I should try rice & eggs, stuff like that and they said that was a good idea. So if I get home and her food isn't touched that will be my next step.
Try not to worry and give her a day or two to readjust to her food. I wouldn't try adding anything to it, because they might upset her tummy all over again. Oh - and huskies are notorious for going on food strikes, but they won't let themselves starve.
I will second trlhiker's thought about feeding the grocery store brands. The cost is more upfront but the nutritional quality more then makes up for it. Remember, he is still developing and all the nutritional help you can give him in this stage will stay with him his whole life. As long as his energy level is still the same, I would not be too concerned about the weight loss as long as you can get him back on a good eating schedule in the near future. You could try and entice him to eat with a healthy addition to his food. I often add a tablespoon of yogurt or pumpkin to my girl's food as a treat. I also feed Taste of the Wild - it was one of the highly rated foods that was readily available in my area and have been very pleased with it.
Good luck...let us know how he is doing.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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Originally Posted by talloolla
I will second trlhiker's thought about feeding the grocery store brands. The cost is more upfront but the nutritional quality more then makes up for it. Remember, he is still developing and all the nutritional help you can give him in this stage will stay with him his whole life. As long as his energy level is still the same, I would not be too concerned about the weight loss as long as you can get him back on a good eating schedule in the near future. You could try and entice him to eat with a healthy addition to his food. I often add a tablespoon of yogurt or pumpkin to my girl's food as a treat. I also feed Taste of the Wild - it was one of the highly rated foods that was readily available in my area and have been very pleased with it.
Good luck...let us know how he is doing.
I agree with this.
Artie -- the most finicky of finicky eaters -- eats Taste of the Wild (bison/venison). It's the only food that he'll eat. I've had him on lesser-quality stuff... nope! I've even had him on higher-quality stuff... nope! Taste of the Wild it *it* for him. It's grain-free, he only poops once (maybe twice) per day, and he's HAPPY.
I agree with a couple others. Taste of the Wild by Blue Buffalo is where it's at. I feed my Doberman the Duck recipe and he loves it. It's healthier but it's more expensive. BUT, it's worth it imo.
I'd suggest timed feedings and a high quality food -- I'm another fan of Taste of the Wild -- plus a lot of patience on your part.
When it comes to dogs, I have what I call the "vital signs": eating, drinking, peeing, pooping, mood, energy. If one of those is off-kilter but the others are fine, then I try not to sweat it. If two or more are out of whack, it's more cause for concern.
Good luck! I know it's concerning.
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