[Olive Love]

Hi,
My puppy, Olive is a female, 6 month old poodle puppy. She is 9 pounds. She is a very picky eater. What can I do?

 

[Rose n Poos]

Hi,
Olive is very cute .
More information will be very helpful.

I'll start by asking how many meals a day do you (try to) feed her, at what times, and what have you tried?
Is there any food or treat she will consistently eat?
Does she eat a food well for a few days and then lose interest?

 

[Olive Love]

Hi,
Olive is very cute .
More information will be very helpful.

I'll start by asking how many meals a day do you (try to) feed her, at what times, and what have you tried?
Is there any food or treat she will consistently eat?
Does she eat a food well for a few days and then lose interest?

Hi Rose,
We have tried most of the foods on the poll above. We have noticed that she LOVES meat. The only food she loves is Cesar pet food but her vet said it was like junk food. We feed her 3 meals a day. She scavenges for food while we eat since some of the kids in the family tend to drop their food on the floor. We think she loves table food! We feed her at 7:30 am, 12:00 am and 7:30 pm. She eats a new food for 1-3 days and then losses interest. Please tell me what you think.
Thank you,
Olive Love

 

[Raindrops]

What does she do when she "loses interest?" It sounds like she likes novelty but then gets bored with food. It's possible that she's been spoiled into knowing she will get something better/different if she turns her nose up. But also 6 months is around the time that all puppies become very picky. They seem to go through a stage when their growth slows where their appetite drops, especially in the morning. It often picks back up after several months.

If she likes meat, you may have luck with a premade raw or freeze dried food. But I would be careful how much you cater to her pickiness.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

For a high quality wet food, you could try Honest Kitchen. They have a dehydrated food that you just mix with water. It's made from human-grade ingredients and smells just like human food! Like a packet of soup.

Here's the one I've fed, but there are multiple proteins to choose from, limited ingredient options, and both grain-free and grain-inclusive formulas:

THE HONEST KITCHEN Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dehydrated Dog Food, 4-lb box - Chewy.com

Buy The Honest Kitchen Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dehydrated Dog Food, 4-lb box at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

 

[Dechi]

Exactly what Raindrops said. Find a food she likes, then stick to it, even if she stops eating (assuming there is nothing wrong health wise). If you don’t, you will end up changing food every two weeks for the rest of her life. No healthy dog will let themselves starve. My toy, Merlin, sometimes doesn’t eat for 72 hours (not because he’s picky, but same result).

 

[Olive Love]

What does she do when she "loses interest?" It sounds like she likes novelty but then gets bored with food. It's possible that she's been spoiled into knowing she will get something better/different if she turns her nose up. But also 6 months is around the time that all puppies become very picky. They seem to go through a stage when their growth slows where their appetite drops, especially in the morning. It often picks back up after several months.

If she likes meat, you may have luck with a premade raw or freeze dried food. But I would be careful how much you cater to her pickiness.

Hi Raindrops,
Olive has been picky since the day we got her.

 

[Olive Love]

Exactly what Raindrops said. Find a food she likes, then stick to it, even if she stops eating (assuming there is nothing wrong health wise). If you don’t, you will end up changing food every two weeks for the rest of her life. No healthy dog will let themselves starve. My toy, Merlin, sometimes doesn’t eat for 72 hours (not because he’s picky, but same result).

Hi Dechi,
It is not so easy to let Olive starve since she is quite thin.

 

[Olive Love]

For a high quality wet food, you could try Honest Kitchen. They have a dehydrated food that you just mix with water. It's made from human-grade ingredients and smells just like human food! Like a packet of soup.

Here's the one I've fed, but there are multiple proteins to choose from, limited ingredient options, and both grain-free and grain-inclusive formulas:

THE HONEST KITCHEN Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dehydrated Dog Food, 4-lb box - Chewy.com

Buy The Honest Kitchen Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dehydrated Dog Food, 4-lb box at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

Hi Peggy,
I will consider this food.
Thank you,
Olive Love

 

[For Want of Poodle]

Hi Dechi,
It is not so easy to let Olive starve since she is quite thin.

Most poodles are very thin. So long as you cant feel her hip bones or visibly see her ribs, she will be ok and is probably pretty perfect weight - poodles seem to be very good at self regulating. At 6 months, I used to have people question if I ever fed my dog, but the vet said she was perfect weight and condition - just a different body type than most dogs.

Now that Oliveas learned there are other options - of course she is going to get bored and want different things! I would get bored with the same meal every day too.

You have a few options

1) Rotate foods every few days - this gets expensive, as there is no guarantee she will like the next food.
2) Switch to something very palatable, like canned or raw - likely your dog will STILL have picky/hungry days
3) Get tough, wait her out
4) Add toppings to increase palatibility.

I do options 3 and 4.

My dog did once starve herself due to extreme stress and lost about 10% of her body weight. But that was at a point where she caught kennel cough, and was experiencing major separation anxiety - not just picky. A normal healthy dog wont starve itself.

I don't like to see my dog not eat, so what I do is leave food down all the time - Annie usually eats late morning to early afternoon, and late evening. I count out how much food is one days portion, and if she refuses to eat more than half for 2 days in a row, I sit with her in the kitchen and watch her to make sure she eats. I maybe have done this once or twice? I also put toppings ( yoghurt, kefir, canned food, chicken, etc) on about 1/4-1/2 of her daily food, then left the rest out as dry for her to munch. Sometimes she will go a few days on half rations, but i know she is being fed, so I dont worry. Then she starts eating again.

You could try changing meal times - Annie strongly prefers eating late in the evening. I have also had lots of dogs that prefer to eat with their human in the room, seated.

Also - often the label size on the package are an overestimate - does she not eat at all, or just not finish her meals?

 

[PeggyTheParti]

We started serving a topper (Weruva canned chicken) on the side so it didn't contaminate Peggy's kibble. That way the kibble can stay out all day for free feeding.

Some days her appetite is bigger than others. On those days, we give her as much kibble as she wants, but the topper quantity is always one spoonful for lunch and one spoonful for dinner.

It took us a long time to arrive at this routine.

 

[Spottytoes]

Bobby was a little funny and inconsistent with eating his kibble when he was a younger. We started moistening his kibble and adding a topper and it was like magic. We feed him twice a day. We generally use a freeze dried meat topper and rotate that. Sometimes we’ll add eggs or a bit cooked meat too. We mix it up so it makes a bit of gravy. We do rotate kibble too but only every few months. I know what it’s like to struggle with finding the right food and the information out there is overwhelming and contradictory. Our last dog, Moose (RIP), had major stomach issues and it took us a very long time to get the right food for him so I feel the frustration and concern you have.
Wishing for you a solution soon that you feel good about and that Olive will enjoy.

 

[Olive Love]

Most poodles are very thin. So long as you cant feel her hip bones or visibly see her ribs, she will be ok and is probably pretty perfect weight - poodles seem to be very good at self regulating. At 6 months, I used to have people question if I ever fed my dog, but the vet said she was perfect weight and condition - just a different body type than most dogs.

Now that Oliveas learned there are other options - of course she is going to get bored and want different things! I would get bored with the same meal every day too.

You have a few options

1) Rotate foods every few days - this gets expensive, as there is no guarantee she will like the next food.
2) Switch to something very palatable, like canned or raw - likely your dog will STILL have picky/hungry days
3) Get tough, wait her out
4) Add toppings to increase palatibility.

I do options 3 and 4.

My dog did once starve herself due to extreme stress and lost about 10% of her body weight. But that was at a point where she caught kennel cough, and was experiencing major separation anxiety - not just picky. A normal healthy dog wont starve itself.

I don't like to see my dog not eat, so what I do is leave food down all the time - Annie usually eats late morning to early afternoon, and late evening. I count out how much food is one days portion, and if she refuses to eat more than half for 2 days in a row, I sit with her in the kitchen and watch her to make sure she eats. I maybe have done this once or twice? I also put toppings ( yoghurt, kefir, canned food, chicken, etc) on about 1/4-1/2 of her daily food, then left the rest out as dry for her to munch. Sometimes she will go a few days on half rations, but i know she is being fed, so I dont worry. Then she starts eating again.

You could try changing meal times - Annie strongly prefers eating late in the evening. I have also had lots of dogs that prefer to eat with their human in the room, seated.

Also - often the label size on the package are an overestimate - does she not eat at all, or just not finish her meals?

Hi,
It was her vet that said she was quite thin.

 

[Rose n Poos]

I don't remember if Olive is a toy or mini. How tall is she at the shoulder?

**

How to tell if your poodle is underweight, copied from another thread:

Here's an easy way to use your own hands to give you a feel for whether your poodle is over or under weight.
"Did you know that over half the pets in the United States are overweight? What’s even more concerning is that overweight pets are at higher risk for medical problems like arthritis and don’t live as long as their trim counterparts? How can you tell if your dog or cat is a perfect weight? Follow along with these steps and with this helpful video to find out. You might be surprised!

Step 1: Do the Feel Test

• You should always be able to easily feel your pet’s ribs by gently running the flat of your palms across the sides of the chest.

Step 2: Look for the Tuck

• For short-haired animals, you should be able to see an ‘abdominal tuck,’ where there is no belly hanging down beyond your pet’s rib cage when viewed from the side. They also have a “waist” behind their ribs when you look at them from above. This may be harder in long-haired animals, but it’s easier to note when the coat is clipped or wet.

Also, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association has charts that can help determine body condition here.

Another Trick: Compare to Your Hand

• If you’re still not sure, put your hand out with your palm down and fingers straight. Gently run your other hand over your knuckles – this is exactly how padded your pet’s ribcage should feel! Now, turn your hand over so your palm is up (with fingers still straight). Run your other hand over your knuckles through your palm. If your pet’s ribs feel more like this, he or she is overweight!"

How Do I Know If My Pet Is Overweight?

Check out these tips and video to find out if your pet is in ideal body condition!

vetnutrition.tufts.edu

****

Toy and Miniature Poodle Growth Charts, from Arpeggio Poodles:

Remember though, there are NO weight restrictions on poodles only height so really weight doesnt have a lot to do with the poodle.Toys are 10 inches in height and under.Miniatures are over 10 inches to 15 inches.Standards are over 15 inches. This by the breed standards for both AKC and UKC. NOTE: A poodles height is measured from the ground up to the top of the withers (shoulder blades). HEIGHT CHART FOR TOY POODLES AGE IN WEEKS HEIGHT IN INCHES 5 WEEKS 5 INCHES 8 WEEKS 6 INCHES 12 WEEKS 7 INCHES 16 WEEKS 8 INCHES 20 WEEKS 9 INCHES 24 WEEKS 10 INCHES Toy poodles are usually finished growing in height at 6-7 months although it may take them a bit longer to fill out. Here is another height chart for toy poodles. AGE IN WEEKS HEIGHT IN INCHES 8 WEEKS 5 3/4 INCHES 12 WEEKS 6 3/4 INCHES 6 MONTHS 9 3/4 INCHES HEIGHT CHART FOR MINIATURE POODLES AGE IN MONTHS HEIGHT IN INCHES 8 WEEKS 8 - 8.5 INCHES 3 MONTHS 10 - 10.5 INCHES 4 MONTHS 11 - 11.5 INCHES 6 MONTHS 13.5 - 14 INCHES Some miniature poodles will take up to 12 months to finish growing. Some will finish growing in height around 6-7 months but may take a bit longer to fill out.

At 6 months old, you can switch to 2 meals a day, if you care to, but keep feeding puppy food til about a year old.
This is what I feed my two mini boys, one who's very picky, one who is a food vacuum. The only thing that has changed since the switch to two daily meals when they turned 6 months old is the switch to adult food.

copied from another thread:

"I'll use Remo, my currently 12.5 lb'er as the example.
I'm feeding Purina Pro Plan Small Breed Shredded Savor kibble (chicken is the protein).
1 cup is 393 kcal and at his current weight, the recommended serving size is 1 cup.
The range is 3lbs-12lbs, 1/2 to 1 cup.
He gets 1/4 cup twice a day always as a base food. So, half the amount recommended on the bag.
That leaves nearly 200 kcals each day for bonus items.
1st bonus item is pan cooked, no seasoning, no oil, just dry pan cooked chicken (most days it's chicken).
I take a medium human bite size portion and shred it over his kibble as a topper for breakfast.
I also add about a teaspoon of minimally seasoned jasmine rice (leftover from one of our meals).
(Neo also gets the Instinct toppers, 5-6 on his brekkie, fyi. Remo says no thanks to them.)
I add just enough warm liquid (usually water) to slosh up a bit of au jus.
Dinner is the same except the bonus bite size protein topper is whatever we had for dinner, all minimally seasoned), and a bite size portion of whatever veggies we had, and no Instinct toppers for Neo.
Treats are minimal thru the day, except another larger bite size portion of protein, pulled off into tiny bits, as rewards for doing their tricks after breakfast."

 

[Teddy’s mom]

I have a picky spoo and he won’t eat dry kibble and I’ve tried a lot! I found this stuff called ‘magic dust’ off amazon. It’s freezed dried meat dust.(sounds delicious 😬) Sprinkle on top kibble picky Teddy eats it!