How to Deal with a Fussy Feeder

Guest blog by Ashley McCarthy

Most of us have experienced a fussy eater, especially if you’re an owner of a little breed dog, as they tend to be a little bit more food stubborn 😉

Here are my transitioning tips when trying to transition your dog to a more healthier diet.

  1. Routine- this helps them get excited as they anticipate their meal time!
  2. Cut out grazing- I don’t recommend free feeding during the day for a number of reasons, but it’s going to be even harder to tempt a fussy dog to try new food if they are not fully hungry!
  3. Transition slowly-take 10% of the old food away and replace it with 10% of the new food. This can be less than 10% if needed. If that all gets eaten with no digestive upsets, then you can take a little more away and add more of the new food the following night. This can continue until you have fully transitioned. If at any point there is digestive upset, then you can go back to the previous step. Don’t put a time frame on it, most dogs transition smoothly and quickly, but others can take months.
  4. Try adding some sardines and sardine juice over the top of the food to entice them, or nutritional yeast (Coles & Woolworths). Nutritional yeast is high in vitamin B and smells and tastes like cheese!
  5. I like to leave food out for 15 mins, then take away for 15 mins, then put back for 15 mins etc.

Good luck on your new exciting fresh food journey!!