Dog wont eat dog food

Question
We have a two and half year old chuwawa, we have tried varieties of dog food but we can't get her to eat anything.  She loves chicken, but we were told eating chicken alone could kill her what are we to do?

Answer
Hi Jenny,

Eating chicken wouldn't kill your dog, but she could get malnutrition if she didn't have a diet that contained all the nutrients she needs.

First, if you feed your dog any treats during the day, stop. Make sure your dog is hungry, she she'll less inclined to be finicky at meal time.

You didn't say which food's you've tried, or if you've tried both dry and canned foods. Some dogs prefer canned over dry.
Mixing some chicken or cheese (or something equally as tempting) into a nutritionally complete dog food would be the easiest way of ensuring that your dog not only eats, but gets the nutrients she needs. You may have to get creative about how you go about doing that though. Using a food processor to mix the dog food and chicken would make it nearly impossible for her to pick out the "good bits".

Using a "super premium" brand of dog food, rather than a supermarket band might work too. These foods cost a little more than supermarket brands, but they are nutritionally dense, so you actually feed your dog less than the cheaper brands. Plus, if your dog will actually eat it, it would be worth the additional cost for the convenience. Look for brands such as Canidae, Flint River, Nutro, Wellness, Eagle Pack Holistic or Nutrisource at larger pet stores or online.
Many of the super premium brands use human grade all natural ingredients, you might find that you won't need to mix in chicken to get your dog to eat it.

Since your dog is so small, you might consider making your own dog food. Making your own dog food requires a simple mix of meat, vegetables and starches, but it's wise to check with your vet before switching to homemade dog food.
Dogs need a diet that consists of 40 percent meat, 30 percent vegetables and 30 percent starch. Follow this formula to ensure that your dog has a well-balanced diet.

Cook all the meat before feeding it to your dog. Organ meats (such as liver, kidneys, etc.) can be quite cheap to buy, and eggs are very good for your dog.

Safe vegetables for dogs to eat are: raw carrots, green beans, peas, sweet potato, white potato, broccoli, spinach, bok choy, celery. Onions are not good for dogs.
You can also supplement a homemade diet with: flax seed, garlic cloves, kefir or active culture yogurt.

Rotate the foods you feed your dog so that the dog gets a variety of foods. Use oatmeal, cooked pasta, brown rice or potatoes for your dog's starch requirement. You can even grind eggshells and add this to your dog's meal. Eggshells actually have a lot of nutrients. Most homemade dog foods can be kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Here's a sample recipe:

2 C Lamb or meat of your choice (chopped finely or ground)
1 C Rice (Brown or white cooked)
1 half Carrot (Large, grated)
1/4 C Peas
1/2 C Yogurt (Plain, whole fat or 2 %)
1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
1 tsp. ground Flaxseed
2 1/2 C Water

Cook the lamb by boiling in water with the garlic. Cook over a low heat, covered, until the lamb is tender. Cook the rice according to package directions, using the water that was used to cook the lamb. Mix lamb mixture, carrot, green beans and flaxseed with the cooked rice. Mix in yogurt and serve after cooling.

Any time you change a dog's diet, you should do so gradually, over a period of 5-7 days. To switch a dog's food quickly can cause an upset stomach or diarrhea.

Lastly, dogs aren't finicky by nature, they're scavengers. If your dog is healthy, she will not starve herself though she might miss a few meals before eating the food you give her. It's a form of "tough love", not to give into your dog's whims, but it is a win-able battle.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti