Dogs eating habits

Question
My 6 month old black lab will no longer eat his hard dog food.  We switched to canned and he ate this, but would avoid all hard food.  We have switched brands to see if that was the problem, but he still wont eat.  We would rather give him the bag dog food b/c it is cheaper!  Any suggestions??

Answer
Hi Emily!If I were a dog and my owner got on his hans and knees and begged me to eat,I wuld realize the great entertainment value of the scene.Why would I risk it by eating immediately?So instead of pleading,put down the food and walk away.Your pet will eventually learn to eat his dinner without the show.

If your pet isn't finished eating in an hour,Pick up his food and put it away.Later bring it back out-but again,give him only one hour to eat.Vets found that the most finicky pet usually have food available all the time.When they klearn it's either eat or go hungry for a while,they tend to eat.

While your pet undoubtedly appreciates leftovers and mealtime handouts,those rich goodies may be spoling his appetite,raising his expectations and contributing to a variety of potentially serious diseases.Woukld you want to eat dog food if you knew you could get steak every night?

If your pet normally walks away from dry kibble,try adding a little warm water.This will soften the food and make it as appetizing as homemade stew.Who doesn't enjoy a warnm meal once ina while?If your pet normally eats canned food,scoop some into a bowl and heat it in the microwave until it;s just warm.

A sprinkle of something out of the ordinary could be all it takes for your pet to take an interest in food again.Just don't overdo the succlent add-ons--scraps from last night's pot roast,for example-or you could end up with another problem:an unusally plump pet.

When you shop for pet foods,look for one that really smells.The smellier it is,the tastier dogs anf cats-particulary cats-will find it.Dogs tend to prefer liver and beef.

            WHEN TO SEE THE VET
You know there is a problem when you whip up your pets favorite tuna-and-chicken cassarole and he doen't even lick his chops.Obviously,fussy eating isn't the problem.What is? Most of the time it's nothing you need to worry about.Its common for even the heartiest eaters to skip a meal or two-because of an upset stomach, for example, or because thier bothered by a recent comotion such as moving to a new house or having strangers in the house.Generally,a healthy dog can go 3 to 4 days without eating before you need to worry.Try mixing a little dry food to the canned food then slowly ween him to the dry food. He will eventually get hungry and eat.If this does not work in 3 to 4 days, consult your vet.Hope this helps!Nicole.D.