Shit su eating problem

Question
We got our "Little Bear" around March 6th after our cocker died.  Bear is 11 years old and his mom died a year ago and his dad passed in Feb.  He was put in a kennel for the first week then we got him from our insurance lady.  No one could take him for various reasons.  He was skinny when we got him and after 3 weeks of not eating I took him to the vet. He was raised on "table food" but won't eat from my table.  The vet gave him a metoclopramide injection and by the time we got home he had to poop for the first time in 3 weeks.  I finally got him to eat boiled hamburg and rice but the next day he wouldn't.  He mainly eats chicken hot dogs, rarely chicken, rarely hamburg & rice.  I went three days without feeding and he throws up.  He finally eats treats after 2 months of begging.  I cannot get pills down him.  The vet thinks he is ok.  I don't have the money for the battery of blood test.  I could give him back to Kathy but she will have him put to sleep and I loved him too much after 3 days to do that.  I have tried the liquid beef flavoring, can food that looks better than what I eat.  He ate Mighty dog once only.  I am going crazy trying to figure out what he wants different every day.  I wonder which will is stronger (his is)lol.  Do you have any suggestions?  Usually my dogs ate what ever I put in front of them even veggies.  He has gotten over losing his people finally, at least his eyes aren't sad and lonely all the time.  I hope you have a suggestion to get him away from hot dogs.  We eat a lot of chicken but he won't eat it every time.  Thank you for your help.   Frustrated Mom

Answer
Hi Donna,

Has Little Bears teeth been checked? Sometimes, dog will refuse to eat when they are having tooth ache, or other dental issue.

Little Bear is very used to holding out, and getting the food he wants! Of course, that isn't the best food for him.  Have you tried  feeding your dog a "super premium" brand of dog food? These foods use superior quality ingredients, so they cost a little more than supermarket brands, but because they are nutritionally dense, you actually feed less. Brands to look for are:

Eagle Pack Holistic Select
Nutro Dog Food
Flint River Ranch All Natural Dog Food
Wellness SuperMix 5
Bil-Jac Premium Dog Food
You can find super-premium brand dog foods at larger pet stores, or specialty feed stores.

Your dog might accept a canned food over a dry food. Warming the food a little will release it's odors, and might make it more attractive to him.  Don't give your dog any treats during the day,  make sure he's good and hungry at his mealtime.

You could also make a home-made dog food. It would be a better diet than hot dogs. Because Little Bear is a small dog, this is something  you may only need to do once a week, and just keep it in a container in your fridge. If you need to, you could mix a little canned dog food into your home-made dog food to extend how long it lasts.  Here are some recipes:

http://dog-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/homemade_dog_food_recipes

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lucky-and-Rippys-Favorite-Dog-Food/Detail.aspx

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Doggy-Meatloaf-with-Vegetables/Detail.aspx

http://www.ehow.com/how_12697_make-homemade-dog.html

Hope that helps!

Patti