SOS the worlds pickiest dog

@ernestcop My shih tzu is incredibly picky and my vet has told me to switch to hypoallergenic food. He hasn’t eaten since i put his bowl down at midday and im getting worried as he throws up yellow bile when hes hungry. Will out stubborning him really work? His little face often gets the better of me but i think enough is enough and im putting my foot down
 
@nazar345 What's helped with my dog about the bile is getting a prescription for omeprazole. I give my dog that when I first wake up or if I get up early to go to the bathroom. She likes to sleep late so when she finally gets up and after I bring her in from her morning pee is I give her two Wellness treats (you could also use a biscuit like Milkbone). It seems to help with the bile in the morning and she's been eating a lot better.
 
@nazar345 I am not giving out medical advice because that is illegal since I have never seen your dog, BUT some dogs get relief from this issue by giving 5 mg (for small dog) or 10 mg (big dog) Prilosec once daily. Takes about 1 week to start working
 
@word_cuts_deep Have you watched “Society of the snow”? Yeah, hungry living beings don’t allow themselves to starve to death. She is totally playing you, time to show her who’s in charge. (My dog was the same, I was so worried and did many things you did. Eventually I just gave up and said you know what, this is the food you get, eat it or leave it. Didn’t help make him excited about food, but he will eat his food occasionally now cause he knows this is it. Miraculously, he’s 8 years old now and weighs his healthy 33 pounds every time we weigh him.)
 
@word_cuts_deep Agree with keeping to one food she's been willing to eat in the past. Switching foods can cause stomach upset and that may lead your dog to avoid that food in the future. She will eat eventually. Of course we're all assuming you have a young healthy dog. You might have to try a different approach if you have an elderly or otherwise ill dog who might be harmed by a week of not eating.
 
@word_cuts_deep I have the pickiest dog too and have tried several kibbles that she will eat for about 2 weeks then give up and stop eating. The vet ended up prescribing some mirtazapine which stimulates appetite, and that works really well for her, she’s super hungry and eats well. I try not to give it to her super often, but if I give it every other day she’s usually pretty consistent with her eating schedule. Have you talked to the vet about possibly doing that?
 
@word_cuts_deep She can be on a prescription diet long term. However, for many the cost isn't sustainable long term.

My dog is presently on canned Royal Canin gastro because that's the only thing she will eat right now with any regularity. I'm attempting a transition to kibble but it's really slow because she won't eat the two mixed together and she won't eat kibble if I add water to it.

After trying various WSAVA compliant kibbles (most she wouldn't touch and the one she would gave her horrid gas), I said screw it and went and bought a small bag of the kibble she used to eat. I'm slowly reducing the amount of canned she gets per day and I keep a small container of kibble next to my computer. She will only eat it if I hand feed her or try to make a game out of it. Some days she eats it, some days she doesn't but I'm keeping strong on how much canned she gets per day. She's making it tough though, right now she's sitting by her bowl thinking she's starving.
 
@word_cuts_deep my picky dog really likes royal canin digestive care (the wet food). she’s got a sensitive stomach so I end up just mixing it in with her kibble (PPP complete essentials chicken) and water since she doesn’t really drink water lol. it’s the only thing that’s worked consistently for the past three months. she doesn’t like other broths, she does like goats milk tho, and she won’t eat her kibble if I mix in the gravy & chunks type wet food.

I second trying to keep consistent though and stick to mealtimes. I rotate commercial wet food toppers now but if she’s getting picky, I don’t switch. she probably didn’t eat well from the age of 7-10 months honestly as she would get sick of her kibble and I gave in and rotated. it was hard to stick it out and be consistent but it worked for me. up to you and your vet on what’s safe though as a week is a long time. my friend’s dog was picky due to pancreatitis so a low fat diet actually helped sort the pickyness out. maybe try the wet food transition much slower?

if you’re willing to go outside of WSAVA—(which doesn’t actually recommend things or have companies “comply” to them) my pup also liked the honest chicken clusters mostly bc of the texture I think. I use it for training but not full time. (as a caveat WSAVA can be a useful tool and important for the research and questions it asks, but imo fed is best and what works best for you and your dog will be up to you!) good luck!
 
@word_cuts_deep I completely understand. It’s especially bad with a puppy because there is the added stress of feeling like they need food every day to grow. My Great Pyrenees is one now, but he has been as you described his whole life. My vet says he is fine and the most trim GP she has ever seen, so there is no medical issue. I tried a lot of kibble with him too and he either wouldn’t eat it or stopped after a week or two. Same with wet food. I finally decided I was going to do Purina Pro Plan sensitive stomach, and miraculously he has eaten some of it each day for six months, but now he has decided he won’t eat it anymore. I also don’t know what to do. I’ve worked with a dog trainer but the advice hasn’t worked. I hear you, it doesn’t seem okay for a dog not to eat for a week! And I’m wondering if I just try switching to another Purina Pro Plan recipe.
 
@hiswaynotmine We are in the exact same boat as you and OP. Our pup is 9 months old and it really worries me. We had success with PPP Puppy Sensitive Stomach but towards the end of the bag, she stopped eating it and just isn’t interested anymore.
 
@word_cuts_deep The prescription food can be given long term, it will get expensive though.

I have a dog with a weird food relationship, likely due to his first owner. Basically, he needs to be actively hungry to eat. When we go out to hike or walk or play I bring food with us. We will take a break a he will eat a bit, stops when he wants to, and when he wants more he lets me know. If I just give him food at home he won’t eat 98% of the time. It’s not convenient, I have tried to get him to eat at home, but at this point it’s what it is.
 
@word_cuts_deep How is her poop? How is her body condition score? Some dogs just seem "picky" because they have an intolerance to something in the food. They hold off on eating until they can't anymore. Since she gobbled the prescription, I’m inclined to think there is something in other foods that disagrees with her. Dogs can be on many prescription foods for life, so if you’ve found something that works for her she might be able to stick with it moving forward.
 
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