Not eating the Canidae

[EnderSSoGC]

I tried switching my dogs to Canidae's All Life Stages dry food about 2 weeks ago. I know I have to ease them into it by mixing it with their old food and gradually substitute old for new. The problem is my golden isn't eating the Canidae at all. At first he wouldn't even eat the mix at all. Now he'll eat it, but he eats around the Canidae and still doesn't eat much at all. Is this like switching an obese child from junk food to health food? Is there anything I can do to the Canidae to make him want to eat it?

Another thing...are apples safe for dogs? Loki and Bartleby found some apples that had fallen from an apple tree. Loki, my golden, started picking at them with his teeth but couldn't figure out how to really eat it, so I took it and started breaking it in pieces for him. He loved it, but I've been hesitant about giving him any more since he choked a little and coughed up some of the skin. So, next time should I just peel the apples first?

[NewfieGrl]

Hmmm, I'm not sure what to tell you with regard to the food. Mixing it with the old food is good, but if he's picking around and eating only the old then that's not working for you. Maybe continue with the mix for a while longer and see if he will eventually eat it. Do you think he's getting any of the new food?
As far as apples, they are excellent. I usually slice them and give them to the dogs. I don't remove the skin, I'm not sure what others do. They are an excellent source of antioxidants.
Good luck.
Michele
owned by 2 Newfies, a cocker spaniel and 2 cats
RIP Bootsie-March ? 1988-April 22, 2007

[SweetPea]

what were you feeding before the canidae?

my doggy loves apples! just try and make sure theyre not consuming the seeds though... as it may be toxic to dogs..

[SweetPea]

oh yeah... i re read your original post... yes... if you were feeding something like old roy, iams, or science diet, then switching over to canidae IS like switching from junk food to healthy food. Most "low grade" dog food is filled with sugar (sucrose) and salt (sodium) that is very yummy to dogs...and yet... very bad as well... Thats why most dogs, if given a choice will take the "lower grade" dog food over the "super premium brand." I mean...tempt me with a chocolate sundae in one hand...and a nice crispy carrot in the other... what am i gonna take? lol

if she's just picking around the new food, you can just try switching cold tureky. do tough love if she wotn eat it. put it down for 15-20 min if she wont eat it. Pick it up and dont offer her any treats or anything until her next meal time. She will figure out soon enough if she doesnt eat it, she doesnt eat.

Canidae is apparently an awesome brand. I have personally not fed it, but ive heard many awesome results from it!

Congrats on making the switch!

[NewfieGrl]

I agree an option is to completely switch if you're dogs aren't eating the new food at all, or won't eventually eat it. Most of the switches we are currently seeing, mostly due to the pet food recall and people becoming more aware of what they are putting into their pet, is like switching from junk food to good food. If you do a complete switch you may see loose stools. Many dogs, not all, experience this with a food switch, and much more so when switching to a richer food. It's nothing to worry about health wise, but may be a pain in the butt (no pun intended! :) )
Good luck.
Michele
owned by 2 Newfies, a cocker spaniel and 2 cats
RIP Bootsie-March ? 1988-April 22, 2007

[vannarich27]

My 3 year old Masiff/Boxer is the same way. He does not like to eat any thing from the Dog food lane. However, if I make a game out of it he will chase the nuggets of dog food down the hall and eat that way or eat out of my hand.
What we do to get our pets to eat. Just like our children we catter to their desires and do what we can.
But here is some thing I learned from do or I give up. I love grave so I started putting Chicken gravy over his dry dog food. That got him for a while so I had to change up now it is beef.
Dogs like a little flavor in their life as well. Can you imagen eatting the same thing every day all your life? Now I am mixing wet dog food in with dry dog food. Then I had a Vet tell me all dry dog food is, is wet dog food dehydrated.
That makes since right, I saw a story on a woman in England that had a dog that she never let eat on the floor. They called in a Dog trainer to help them save their marriage because the husband had enough of the problems in the house with the dog.
She suggest to them to warm the dog food up and add some garlic to it give it some flavor. She had the dog eating dog food off the floor with no problem.
Good Luck

[NewfieGrl]

My 3 year old Masiff/Boxer is the same way. He does not like to eat any thing from the Dog food lane. However, if I make a game out of it he will chase the nuggets of dog food down the hall and eat that way or eat out of my hand.
What we do to get our pets to eat. Just like our children we catter to their desires and do what we can.
But here is some thing I learned from do or I give up. I love grave so I started putting Chicken gravy over his dry dog food. That got him for a while so I had to change up now it is beef.
Dogs like a little flavor in their life as well. Can you imagen eatting the same thing every day all your life? Now I am mixing wet dog food in with dry dog food. Then I had a Vet tell me all dry dog food is, is wet dog food dehydrated.
That makes since right, I saw a story on a woman in England that had a dog that she never let eat on the floor. They called in a Dog trainer to help them save their marriage because the husband had enough of the problems in the house with the dog.
She suggest to them to warm the dog food up and add some garlic to it give it some flavor. She had the dog eating dog food off the floor with no problem.
Good Luck

And this is perfectly fine and acceptable if you have a dog that just won't eat. As long as you're putting something decent in the food to enhance it there is nothing wrong with it. Just be prepared to have to do this forever!:)
Michele
owned by 2 Newfies, a cocker spaniel and 2 cats
RIP Bootsie-March ? 1988-April 22, 2007

[EnderSSoGC]

I've read that adding a tsp. or two of apple cider vinegar to their food would help. Has anyone here ever tried it?

Loki's finally eating the Canidae. Well, some of it. I stopped mixing the old and new and I guess he figured out it was better than nothing. He's still not eating a lot of it though. Do you think I'd have better luck with the Canidae Lamb and Rice formula? Or is it not advisable to change their food twice in as many months?

And I've also read that garlic, since i 's in the onion family, can cause anemia in cats and dogs. So, I really don't think I want to risk that.

[NewfieGrl]

I've heard of people adding the apple cider vinegar for tear stains and such. Not really sure how it works.
If Loki is starting to eat I wouldn't make another switch yet. Give a little time and see if he begins to eat more. There's a good chance he will. You may go through the same thing all over again with another switch. If in time he is not eating as he should be, or you begin to see a weight loss, where one is not needed, then add something else in.
Have you made sure to double check the feeding requirements? The feeding requirements for what you were previously feeding may be different than what is required with the new food. There's always a chance that he isn't eating as much because his body does not require as much of the new food.
Good luck.
Michele
owned by 2 Newfies, a cocker spaniel and 2 cats
RIP Bootsie-March ? 1988-April 22, 2007

[EnderSSoGC]

He's already lost weight...it was before I switched foods though. I took him to the vet in April for his chronic ear infections and he weighed 55lbs. I took him again at the beginning of this month and he only weighed 45. Which is why I'm really worried about him not eating.

I think the reason he's lost weight though is because we can't get him and Bartleby to eat out of seperate bowls or at seperate times. And I suppose what's been happening is Bartleby is eating more than his fair share. You see, Loki doesn't even like to eat when people are around. He's not food aggressive or anything, I think maybe he's just had a bad experience in the past. Maybe his former owners would always feed him then leave the room and he learned to associate eating with them leaving? Whatever the case...he won't eat when I or someone else is in the room (unless it's hand fed to him and I REALLY don't want that to become a learned behavior). So, really I can never be clear on how much Loki is eating or not eating of his own food. We haven't found a way to remedy this yet.

[SweetPea]

feed them separately in their own crates...otherwise you'll have one obese dog, and one emanciated dog.

[NewfieGrl]

I agree with SweetPea as to feeding them seperately. That's the only way you will be able to know exactly how much he's eating. If the only way you can get him to eat is if he is alone then possibly leave him in the room he is use to eating in and bring Bartleby in another room with you.
Do you free feed or prepare scheduled meals? This will be much more difficult to accomplish if you free feed.
Michele
owned by 2 Newfies, a cocker spaniel and 2 cats
RIP Bootsie-March ? 1988-April 22, 2007

[Extremis]

Yup, apples are good, just NOT the core or the seeds (those parts are actually cyanide which is bad for them and for humans too), I peel them and chop them into small bite-sized pieces so they're easier for my doggies to chew and digest.

I recently learned that any veggies/fruit/etc...that you feed to your doggie should be in small form (NOT large bits or whole), as their disgestive systems are much smaller than ours.
So if you give them too big of a piece, it will most-likely just go right thru them undigested, and end up later on the lawn for you to dispose of ;)
(I noticed that with carrots when I didn't make the pieces small enough for my doggies)
http://furbabyplace.proboards46.com/index.cgi?board=chat10&action=print&thread=1146312170

I usually add some warm filtered water to my doggies' kibble , as well as a bit of their fav organic veggies or fruit, (Cauliflower, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Celery, Apples, Cantalope, Bananas, Watermelon, etc... and/or a bit of some lean organic meat like Chicken or Turkey (without the skin which can cause Pancreatitis), and then it does make its own sort of gravy, just from the water and kibble. (plus the added ingredients are then fresh---meaning more nutrients, and you know exactly what they are and where you got them from. Local, fresh stuff is always great too)

You can find some info about which foods that are a danger to your dog here:
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_dyk
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/protect_your_pet_from_common_household_dangers/foods_potentially_poisonous_to_pets.html

If you are unsure about a food item, always research it first before feeding, and when in doubt, don't feed it to them (better safe than sorry)

If Canidae makes a wet food that you think is good, try adding a bit of that along with some warm water to encourage your Loki .

Looks like they do:
http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept_id=2&brand_id=299
(although I'm not crazy about Guar Gum, Carageenan and
Liver as ingredients myself)

Guar Gum and Cargeenan are stabilizers, and Liver is an organ that filters out toxins in one's body...not sure why it would be healthy to consume that for anyone??
(My older sister is a Doctor and she's the one that told me about Liver, not that I've ever liked it anyway )

Carageenan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carageenan
(just scroll down to Health Concerns)

Guar Gum:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guar_gum
(seems to have some benefits, but is also listed as being a filler, as well as a laxative)

Also, it's better to NOT feed your dog in a plastic dish, use stainless steel, glass or ceramic as they are convenient to clean. (plastic holds germs easy)
And clean your pet's dishes as often as you clean your own--germs breed on them too if left out dirty.

Also, avoid the microwave for warming/heating your dog's food (and your own food for that matter).
Microwaves zap the nutrients out of one's food, plus if you're heating anything involving plastic or plastic wrap, the chemicals used to make the plastic will leach into your food! (especially anything with fat)
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2006/11/26/finding-strength-determined-science-researcher/

And more about BPA found in food tins, bottles, etc:
http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/toxicnation/action/bisphenolfaq.htm

(My older sister, the Doctor, also warned me about heating plastics for years now. )

You might also try to raise your dog's dishes.
I've heard mention that when your dog eats, their dish should be level with the height at which they stand, so they don't have to lean way over to eat (that might cut down on possible bloating too).

My sister has a doggie tray holder like that, that my brother-in-law got somewhere.
It's really sturdy, and has two or three big holes for the
dishes to sit in.
(One hole for the water dish, 2 for the food dishes for each of their 2 doggies)

I have one skittish/timid cat, Dana (who I rescued from the street) and she gets scared off of her food dish very easily, so I just place her dish around the corner from the kitchen in the spare room, where she feels save and won't get interrupted by anyone or anything, and then she eats all of her food perfectedly (and then usually tries to sneak in the kitchen to eat Fox's too ;) )

Hope this info helps, Good Luck to you and Loki :)