By Dr. Laura Hady,
If you are a pet parent, you have probably faced a time when your dog or cat has turned finicky. Picky eating habits can range from refusing dry kibble and only eating treats, to not eating at all for more than one meal despite attempts to provide appetizing human food.
The following tips are designed to help you understand the causes of food fussiness and provide some solutions that may make feeding time more rewarding for both you and your pets.
- Start young. Setting good eating patterns should begin when a pet is young and/or when you rescue them. Some pets can “work on us” with mournful looks or whines so that we feed them only treats or people food.
The norm in feeding pets used to be dry food only. We did not want them developing too much dental tartar and gingivitis, which may arise when fed only canned or semi-moist foods. My personal belief is that feeding 85% dry kibble, 10% soft food and 5% in treats is acceptable.
That being said, some animals have an aversion to hard food due to the texture, smell, or a past episode of vomiting or nausea. They may do better with a fresh-packaged prepared meal from subscription diets (Farmer’s Dog, Spot and Tango or Fresh Pet) or even from home-cooked meals.
With any growth diet, it is important to remember to give the proper amount of food that contains the correct ratio of carbohydrates, fats, and protein, as well as vitamins and minerals. I feed puppies that are 8-16 weeks of age three times a day plus snacks. If you can’t be home for that mid-day meal, consider getting an automatic feeder. I pick up the puppy bowls after a limited amount of time and feed them separately from the older dogs. After 16 weeks, I reduce meals to twice a day, with a mid-day snack. Sometimes, the suggested amount of food on the dog food bag is too much, so I gauge how much they need by seeing when they naturally stop eating and use that to dictate future meals.
- Quality vs. quantity. Pets can be like humans when it comes to flavors and textures that they enjoy eating. Some pet foods and treats are loaded with too much sodium and increased levels of fat. They may contain odd sources of carbohydrates with very little fiber.
Dogs are omnivores (both plant and meat eaters) and should have a certain amount of fiber, protein, fats and carbohydrates in their diets. Cats are carnivores (meat eaters) and therefore need more protein than dogs, as well as different amount of fats, fiber, and carbohydrates. Think about the nutritional profile of a bird, mouse or fish that cats might catch in the wild.
For my pets, I try to pack the greatest amount of appetizing nutrition in the smallest package to decrease the possibility of stomach, pancreas or intestinal upset. This approach also means less stool to clean up, a better proportion of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract (microbiome), and healthier kidneys. Look for pet diets that have been verified by veterinary nutritionists, or if preparing a home diet, use the balanceit.com or similar website to help calculate a proper nutritional profile.
- Who trained who? My Australian cattle dog mixed breed named Chevy is very good about eating his dry kibble with a little tuna or chicken on top. However, my two Chihuahua pups, Beans and Rice, want to hold out for people food or their favorite dog treats. My solution is to give the pups five to 10 minutes to eat their food in their own eating areas and then pick up their bowls. If they do not finish their kibble or home- cooked meal, then they do not get treats and have to wait until the next feeding time to eat their food.
Cats can be a little trickier to feed. They are often “grazers,” preferring to eat small meals throughout the day. They are also more nocturnal eaters and tend to eat the most at dawn and dusk. Cats also like their food at room temperature, which mimics a “fresh kill,” so they often won’t eat canned food out of the refrigerator.
Remember, too, that both dogs and cats may respond if you play “hide-n-seek” with part of their daily pet food allowance to create a game.
- Picky eating vs. a health issue. Pets with food allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, liver disease, pancreatitis, pain, and kidney disease may not want to eat because they feel nauseous or have become sick after eating a certain type of food. In these cases, vets will often try to find an underlying cause of the nausea by taking a detailed history from the pet owner, conducting a thorough physical exam, and performing diagnostics such as lab work (blood and urine), X-rays, and/or a diagnostic ultrasound.
Medications such as meclizine (motion sickness medicine), generic Zofran, or Cerenia may be recommended by your veterinarian to help nausea and vomiting. Side effects of these medications include sedation, diarrhea, and/or constipation. Your veterinarian may also prescribe an appetite stimulant such as Mirtazapine, Elura, or Entyce, to encourage eating and to avoid the necessity of a feeding tube. Side effects of these medications include drooling, increased energy, increased vocalization, and/or vocalization. That is why I encourage clients to share all other medications (including dosages) and supplements that they are giving their pets to minimize side effects and drug interactions. For example, medications for pain can have two different effects on pets: Opioids can decrease appetite and cause constipation, while steroids can increase appetite but cause stomach upset and loose stool in pets.
One of my top recommendations for the picky eater with a health issue is to ask your veterinarian for tips or tweaks to your pets’ diets with nutritional supplements that have the safest, quickest, and most economical appetite stimulating effects. This may include something as simple as warming your pet’s food slightly or feeding odiferous foods (think fish) to help your pet smell their food when they have respiratory issues. Dogs may want to be hand fed, while cats may like to be petted while eating to feel secure and comfortable.
Importantly, do not feel like you are alone if you have a picky pet or one with unusual food preferences. Just take a deep breath, and start to methodically get to the root of the problem, resolving the issue with the help of your family veterinary staff.
