Fussy Eater? Not too Sure!!

[Rudiboo]

Hi Everyone

Can you help please?  Rudi is 10 weeks old now and has never seemed bothered with his food, he just picks at his food (all my previous dogs have eaten their food with great gusto).  He is obviously eating enough as he has plenty of energy and he is poooing brilliantly and seems fine in himself - I have been feeding him Science Diet and he just isn't that bothered.  However, my sister has just got a pup too and we live next door to each other - when Rudi managed to run into her kitchen he wolfed down her pups food (Royal Canin). Sorry if we aren't allowed to name brands but it is the only way I can tell them apart - also really stupid question to you experienced dog owners but what is kibble?

Anyhow I am asking whether Royal Canin is ok to swap to - is Science Diet known not to be appealing to cockers or something?

Really appreciate your advice - you guys are like Yoda!!!

[Karma]

Hello and welcome.

Brand names are fine.... 

If you want to change foods, do so gradually - start with about 5% of the new food, 95% old food, and graduallly  up the proportions of the new food - some pups can get upset tummies when they change foods, and this helps prevent it!

I think Science Diet is quite expensive for what it is, but not sure, as I don't feed kibble (which is just the term for a dried complete food!).
Don't assume that he will eat the Royal Canin in your house with any more gusto though - the lure of "forbidden" food may have been what made it so interesting!!! 

[Rudiboo]

Thanks for the advice.

I have tried him on the Canin at home (the joys of having relatives next door you can 'borrow'!!) and he seemed just as keen -  i did mix it with his other food and he almost hand picked out the canin form the science!!  It was like some sort of challenge to separate the two!!!

[Pip895]

Saffi is a bit fussy to and I tried a range of foods, Royal Cain was the one she liked best, but within a week she was turning up her nose at that too. Just after I had purchased an enormous bag of it to.   I was forced into modifying it with added cheese, pilchards, tuna or half a sheet of ham cut up very small so she couldn't separate it out, only then she would dain to eat it.  Lots of people told me to stick it out and she wouldn’t starve herself, but she didn’t eat for nearly 24hrs and you should have seen the looks of disappointment she gave me when I just put down plain biscuits.

I'm hoping she will be better when we go onto adult food!

[Karma]

Pip - seriously, 24 hours is nothing... a dog can happily go 3 days without eating.... and if they think there's better stuff around the corner, they will wait!!! 

Also, not all dogs are hoovers... Honey is raw fed, so does get a huge variety of foods, but there are still times when she'll go a couple of days without eating... she just seems to decide she doesn't need it. 

[Pip895]

Pip - seriously, 24 hours is nothing... a dog can happily go 3 days without eating.... and if they think there's better stuff around the corner, they will wait!!! 

Also, not all dogs are hoovers... Honey is raw fed, so does get a huge variety of foods, but there are still times when she'll go a couple of days without eating... she just seems to decide she doesn't need it. 

You are right about them holding out for better - We had a large roast chicken and ended up with quite a bit of leftovers, so Saffi had it cut up small and mixed in with her biscuits for a couple of days - she wolfed it down.  Then we ran out and she was back on tuna - she missed 2 meals before she would look at it!

At the start she seemed very little though, to go 24 hrs without food (~10 weeks) I could have another go now when I transfer her to adult food (~6months) but I would still have to harden myself to those spaniel eyes and I’m not sure I have the heart 

[LouiseH]

None of mine would ever eat the science diet  they happily eat RC without ANYTHING added - even my 6 week old puppies don't have anything added and they are eating me out of house and home!!!!  so I am sticking with RC - try and find a good price online though  but IMO price is no issue if they'll eat it  there's nothing so expensive than a dog food they won't touch!