Won't eat dog food.

Dr. Marie replied:

It is always a really tough situation when a dog has been only fed people food and won't eat dog food.

I am definitely not a fan of just feeding chicken/turkey and rice. It is really hard to make a homemade diet that is balanced. You can buy vitamin supplements (check out Hilary's Blend) that can help, but really it's not the same as buying a well balanced dog food.

My recommendation when a dog has been spoiled with human food is to be extremely firm in only offering him dog food. A dog will not starve himself to death and will eventually eat the food that is given to him provided that you do not give in and feed him table food in between. It may take a couple of weeks for him to eventually cave. I know that two weeks seems like an eternity to go without food, but right now he is playing a game of wills and he is winning. If all he has is dog food, trust me, he will eventually eat it. He will not do his body harm by going without for a time. (This would not be true for a cat as cats can get something called fatty liver if they go without food, but a dog will not be harmed.)

I have had decent success by adding things to dog food such as IAMS gravy or even ketchup in small amounts. It may also help to soak kibbles in warm water or to give him a mixture of canned and dry food.

I hope this helps but let me know if you have questions!

Dr. Marie.


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