Dry dog food

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
I've been having some problems just recently with my dog.

She is 2 years old, a mix, not sure what. I adopted her from a pound in Lithuania.

In the past month or two she just refuses to eat her normal dry food. The only way she will eat it is if we add some wet food or something else to make it more interesting.

How do you who have experienced this deal with it ? And get your dog back to eating normal food.

2
Not a dog expert, but have you changed something lately? Routine, feeding time, etc.? Does she get several flavors of the same food or do you vary the food brands she gets from time to time?

Does she only get dry food and is wet food only a treat?

I'm sure meloncollie et al. will be here soon to help you and your dog out.

In the meantime - does she like raw food? In case you're interested in changing her food, here's a thread on the subject: Giving pets raw food

3
Great! I'll check out the raw food

I switch it up, so she doesn't always eat the same dry food. I thought at first it was her new dry food so I changed to a different type, but still the same story.

I give her wet food every once in a while, and often mix it in with the dry food.

She'll finish her wet food in a matter of seconds! But when it's mixed she'll often eat around the dry part and leave as much of it as she can..

4
If she likes wet food, perhaps checking out my thread for raw food recommendations for dogs and then going to a butcher of your choice to get some fresh food could help your pup.

Is quitting dry food an option for you? Or, put differently, why do you feed her dry food? Initial preference, vet recommendation, tolerance?

5
Salonerosa, before I start nattering on, here is a thread that addresses the same problem:

LEA wont eat her croquets :(

There are many, many causes of a dog suddenly refusing food. We would just be guessing given the information you have given, so perhaps you could read through this thread, see if anything discussed there applies, then come back with specifics.

Some of the things that are helpful to know are: what food/brand/ingredients do you feed, how much do you feed, how do you feed, when do you feed, what is your dog's output, drinking behavior especially changes, etc. Also relevant to the discussion are any behavioral issues, any sudden changes in behavior, any recent bad experiences and/or changes. And of course, first and foremost, any medical concerns, general health of your dog, have you seen a vet recently, have you recently wormed the dog or given anti-parasite meds, etc.

So take a browse through that thread...

6
How are her teeth/gums? maybe the dry food is too hard or irritating her mouth somehow.

Just a thought if everything else is okay.

7
Have you tried simply adding some water to the dry food?

8
Exactly - adding a little water can help see if there might be a medical/pain issue in the mouth. Feces consistency and pattern also obviously important, as could be pain in her abdomen.

Mixing a tiny "treat" (peanut butter?) can also help prove/disprove the above - see if she's willing to eat or just licks around to get the PB.

Best of luck!