WHAT MAY CAUSE PICKY EATERS?

Dogs natural instinct is to be motivated to consume food because it is necessary to survive.  However picky eating behavior does occur in some pets and understanding the cause of such is vital to overcome the issue. Here are some top reasons for picky eating behaviour.

#1 Learned Behaviour

This is a  common reason why dogs become picky eaters. Many owners begin to panic when their pet refuses to eat a meal. In turn they immediately offer other foods or toppers to make the pet eat. With this behaviour, owners very easy create picky eaters in view that pets will learn that meal refusal means meal changing to something tastier. This behavior is reinforced purely by the pet parent.

#2 Anxiety & Fear

Some pets experience fear or anxiety when eating in the same room as another pet or when having owners watch over a dog whilst eating. Dogs may in such instance feel intimidated or may express guarding behaviours. Hence, in multi pet households, it is recommended for pets to be fully separated during feeding times and for pet parents to keep a distance from each pet whilst eating. 

Anxiety may also be caused as a result of environmental changes such as moving houses, fireworks and storms. These scenarios and similar situations which increase stress in a pet can result in decreased appetite.

#3 Inappropriate food

It is common to see dogs which are not excited for meal time when on a processed food diet. This is because they are presented with a form of food which is not biologically suited for their consumption.

#4 Hormones

As puppies grow and enter the adolescent period, their bodies go through psychological and hormonal changes which may often lead to picky eating behavior. These hormonal and psychological changes make males want to roam and mate, and females begin their heat cycles. Following adolescence stages, mature and intact dogs may still exhibit picky eating behaviours especially if a female in heat is nearby due to the desire to mate. Fermale dogs may avoid food during heat cycles.

#5 Medical Conditions

When picky eating behaviour starts abruptly and continues regularly, it is highly recommended to rule out medical conditions. Several medical conditions could cause behavioural changes in dogs such as:

• gastrointestinal upsets
• cancer, liver or kidney disease
• dental disease
• vaccinations
• physical pain or injury

#6 Bad experience

A dog may refuse to eat a certain protein purely due to a bad experience. Such experiences could be digestive upsets during time of feeding due to other reasons or possibly uncomfortable conditions whilst feeding the meal such as thunder. If you believe that such conditioning could be the reason your dog is refusing a meal, try to shift to different mixes and enforce positiveness during meal time such as through praise.

#7 Too much too fast 

Many pet parents expect too much too fast. If your dog does not devour their food right away - dont give up! Give them time and experiment with different proteins. We produce 250g containers of each mix - ideal for this experimental phase. Remember if your dog has been on dry food for a long time, chances are that shes/he may be addicted to the sprayed on sugars, flavour enhancers and salts. We dont blame them! We would love to eat ice cream and donuts all day and whilst we may live, we seriously doubt that we would be healthy!

ENTICING RAW MEALS

Though uncommon, sometimes dogs are not enticed to eat raw meals right away. Processed pet food contain compounds referred to as palatants which are flavor and smell enticing to increase a pet's desire to eat. A raw meal does not contain these additives and hence may to some pets seem bland at first as compared to a highly flavoured and processed meal. In such instances and until the dog gets use to the raw meals, you can entice them through trying one of the following:

1. Add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast which has a cheesy flavor - dont worry it does not do damage!
2. Dogs like foods that stink! Try a mix which contains tripe or salmon both of which have stronger smells. 
3. Gently cook meals in a slow cooker or bain marie which increases the smell of food. Cooking does cause changes in nutritional value so we recommend to still work towards feeding raw meals as time goes by. 
4. Add warm bone broth or warm water
5. Set consistent meal times daily without free feeding. Refusal to eat the meal within 15 minutes, should lead to the meal being taken away without offering a replacement or meal topper.  At next feeding time, offer the same meal. This will teach the pet that it is time to eat when food is presented and that no more food will be offered until the next feeding time. Setting and maintaining a strict feeding time will also allow for the stomach to completely empty and lead to a sensation of feeling hungry. This tough love method may be difficult especially for the first few times of implementing until the dog understands and modifies the trained behaviour of the past
6. Remove any treats from the diet as these spoil the pet's appetite. In human terms this is like children preferring salty or sweet snacks over vegetables
7. Do not cater for picky eaters through provision of a different or modified meal
8. Ensure you are not over feeding
9. Try a different protein. Like humans, some dogs simply do not like certain proteins. Whilst we encourage protein rotation, we acknowledge that every dog's preference is different
10. Mix it up! Dogs can sometimes get bored of the same meal. With over 10 different meals to choose from, you are spoilt with choice!
11. Ensure your dog is getting enough physical exercise. through walks, runs, swimming and play time This burns calories and promotes hunger for the body to refuel
12. Make meal time exciting! Get your dog excited possibly through engaging your dog in some play by running to the food in a game of chase. Provide a lot of excitement and celebration when the dog does eat meals which acts as a reward for your dog
13. When starting a raw diet your dog may not know what do to with this new food. Change the bowl and change the place of feeding so as not to associate their new food with former kibble high carb food. Believe it or not this may just do the trick!
14. Be calm and believe in the process! Do not get angry, stressed or frustrated at your dog for not eating. This will cause the dog to pick up on the anxiety and possibly associate food with a negative behaviour, worsening the problem

Most importantly, a dog will not starve itself and can go 48 hours without eating and be perfectly fine. In fact, many pet parents, including ourselves, fast their dogs once a week for 24 hours to promote longevity and gut health.