What (hard) pet food do you recommend? (terrier, clean, poop)
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I can't get our dog to eat hard pet food. He will if he's starving, but that's about it. He's very picky. I don't want to feed him wet/soft pet food so I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a brand that is both healthy and tasty.
I've tried Purina One, Beneful, Kibbles and Bits, and a few others; he doesn't like any of them.
BTW, he's a Rat Terrier a little over a year old if that makes any difference. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!
I hate to tell you this but those are all poor quality foods. You will have better luck with the more expensive food - they have meat as the first, second and third ingredients. You can still find better mid priced foods if price is an issue. Check out www.dogfoodanalysis.com
My girl wont eat her food without some canned food mixed in it. I tried to stop using it and she didn't eat for 5 days! Some of the dog foods will send you trial sizes, you could check into a few and see if there is anything he likes better. Or maybe you know other people who use something you havent tried and they would be willing to give you a cup to try.
I use Taste of the Wild, it is $45 for a 30# bag. I just switched so I have no idea how long the bag will last yet.
I hope you find something that he thinks is worthy.
I have to agree with 1phwalls...those foods you mentioned are horrible!! (no offense)
Anything on the dog food analysis website rated a 4 to 6 star (6 being the best) will be excellent nutriton for your pooch.
EVO, Innova, Solid Gold, Merrick are all great foods. Chicken soup for the dog's soul is a good food and is resonably priced, I have some friends who seem pretty happy with that. It's cheaper but good quality food.
Just curious why does it have to be "dry" food??? I'm not for canned food but we soak our dogs dry kibble in hot water for a few minutes to allow it to swell up before we feed it to our dogs. Our dogs never need their teeth cleaned because the food doesn't stick to their teeth like dry kibble does.
Raw food is also an excellent way to feed a picky eater.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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My dog, Artie, is a VERY finicky eater AND he's grain intolerant.
He loves Wellness Core ($60 for 26 pounds, so he's eating better than us) and I started giving him some Taste of the Wild - venison/bison flavor ($45 for 30 pounds) and he's loving that too. In fact, he eats the TOTW stuff like I'm giving him treats.
They are both 5- or 6-star rated foods (I don't remember which), they're grain-free, and while they're expensive, they're good quality AND he needs to be fed less of it. So, while you'll probably still pay more for it, it lasts a bit longer.
If you Google the two foods and contact the companies, they'll send you samples. That way, you can see if your pup likes them before you fork out the bucks for a big bag of either of them.
Thank you ALL for the comments! Those foods must be poor quality, because he hates them, and I want him to be healthy and happy. Even though I have been unemployed (recently re-employed), extra money on the food that is good for him and makes him happy is worth it to me. I REALLY appreciate all of the comments and will follow up on your recommendations.
Thanks!
I have to agree with 1phwalls...those foods you mentioned are horrible!! (no offense)
Anything on the dog food analysis website rated a 4 to 6 star (6 being the best) will be excellent nutriton for your pooch.
EVO, Innova, Solid Gold, Merrick are all great foods. Chicken soup for the dog's soul is a good food and is resonably priced, I have some friends who seem pretty happy with that. It's cheaper but good quality food.
Just curious why does it have to be "dry" food??? I'm not for canned food but we soak our dogs dry kibble in hot water for a few minutes to allow it to swell up before we feed it to our dogs. Our dogs never need their teeth cleaned because the food doesn't stick to their teeth like dry kibble does.
Raw food is also an excellent way to feed a picky eater.
It's not that the food being wet is any kind of an issue. It's because of the pet deaths awhile back that were all caused by canned, wet dog food.
If there is some canned dog food that is healthy and nutritious and won't make him overweight (and not something from China), then I'm all open to feeding him canned food as well.
I can't get our dog to eat hard pet food. He will if he's starving, but that's about it. He's very picky. I don't want to feed him wet/soft pet food so I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a brand that is both healthy and tasty.
I've tried Purina One, Beneful, Kibbles and Bits, and a few others; he doesn't like any of them.
BTW, he's a Rat Terrier a little over a year old if that makes any difference. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!
Hi Synopsis!
Wellness is a good brand of dry food.
I like Wellness canned, too, but I realize it gets expensive. Of course, you can always buy chicken on sale and supplement your commercial diet with raw food. Throw him a raw chicken thigh or neck (yum!) and let him eat the whole thing with the bone. Crunch, crunch, crunch. Chicken hearts, livers (not too much liver at once), and gizzards are all good, too. Raw egg yolks are also full of nutrition, but cook the white part.
Some folks are fearful of feeding raw food to dogs, and you'll hear horror stories about bacteria and bones not going down, etc. But people who do feed raw, swear by it. Keeps their teeth clean and gives them nice poops.
I am a big on feeding people food to dogs. Leftover egg on your plate? Feed it to the dog. Steamed veggies are also great. Little chunks of cooked sweet potato are yummy. These are all good food for dogs, and wonderful supplements to commercial food.
My dog, Artie, is a VERY finicky eater AND he's grain intolerant.
He loves Wellness Core ($60 for 26 pounds, so he's eating better than us) and I started giving him some Taste of the Wild - venison/bison flavor ($45 for 30 pounds) and he's loving that too. In fact, he eats the TOTW stuff like I'm giving him treats.
They are both 5- or 6-star rated foods (I don't remember which), they're grain-free, and while they're expensive, they're good quality AND he needs to be fed less of it. So, while you'll probably still pay more for it, it lasts a bit longer.
If you Google the two foods and contact the companies, they'll send you samples. That way, you can see if your pup likes them before you fork out the bucks for a big bag of either of them.
I'm going to go to Pet O Rama, just a mile down the road and buy some Taste of the Wild; a small package to make sure he likes it (I have a feeling he will).
My dog hates all kibble. Yes, she is darn spoiled. Even the Wellness...I can't just 'leave it' either and hopes she will eventually eat...she will just not eat...She'd rather eat sticks, rocks, lint, feathers, acorns...than her expensive kibble.
I supplement with 'people food.' Tonight she had some veggies, some left over macaroni (plain) and a bit of meat with her kibble.
Has anyone tried "Chicken Soup For the Soul?" Last time I was at the feed store, someone was asking a clerk about it and the guy was talking it up big time.
Good luck Synopsis...
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