[Anonymous]

We have recently adopted a two year old australian cattle dog (blue heeler) she will not eat dry dog food. we have tried a couple of good brands she turns her nose up. If I blend carrots and green beans and put on top or put a little chicken broth on it she gobbles it up. She even likes coconut oil on her food.

Any suggestions. Either she is a vegeterian or she was raised on canned dog food.

[InkedMarie]

How long have you had the dog? You may need to give her enough time to get acclimated to her new home/

[Susan]

She’s a very smart dog & knows kibble is crap…… She probably was brought up on a raw diet or a cooked diet, have you ever tried feeding any raw?…. I wish my boy could eat raw diet, its fresh, its easy & raw diet is what dogs & cats naturally eat, not processed foods…

[anonymously]

I would continue to add a little chicken broth, kibble by itself is boring. Have her teeth been checked? Any discomfort would make it hard to chew. She may be going through an adjustment phase. Also, I hope you aren’t free feeding.
See General Guidelines for tips: http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

[Angela B]

Dogs are like children, they can become spoiled. Mine are absolutely rotten but I have tried desperately to feed them right. My husband feeds my furbabies treats for any reason. I like to treat them about once a day or if they have done something really good. My point is, once a dog has become spoiled it is really hard to break some of the habits. We too adopted an Australian Cattle Dog. She is 5 years old. When she got here the only thing we could get her to eat was treats. Hers was not a matter of being spoiled. She was a breeder dog her whole life. She is now part of a family but it took about a week for her to start eating her food. We do free feed in our house. We have never had any problem with it. All of our dogs will come in and get a couple of bites and move on. None of our dogs are pigs. I put down 4cups of food a day. There are generally left overs to start the next day. If your dog never does eat straight dog food don’t despair, it won’t hurt her.

[James G]

I’m kind of having the same problem just got my male blue heeler 2 dadays ago an he sticks his nose in his food bowl an flings his food all
Over an scratches at the floor an won’t really eat it but if the food is in
My hand he will eat with no problems but I do not want him in the
Habit of eating that way an he is only a 1 year old from the shelter

[anonymous]

Give him time. It can take an adult dog at least a month to adjust to a new home. Maybe he would prefer a little wet/canned food mixed with his kibble. I would add a little water to it.

Don’t hand feed. Feed twice a day, offer the meal if he doesn’t eat within 10 minutes pick up the dish and cover it, store in the fridg and offer it again at the next mealtime. Don’t leave food down all day. Just fresh water.
How do his teeth look? Any discomfort would affect his appetite.

As long as he is drinking water I would not be concerned unless he eats no solid food times 72 hours, at that point I would consult a vet (in real life not on the internet). You should find a vet near home to take him for annual checkups.
If he continues to have difficulty adjusting it wouldn’t hurt to have your vet look him over.

Dogs can suffer from anxiety and depression just like people do. He may be grieving his former home.
Patience.
In the meantime take him for walks, see if you can interest him in a game of fetch. Just hang out with him, let him get comfortable in his new home. Dogs love routine so walk him at the same times every day, meals at the same times (8a and 5p) for example.
Offer bathroom breaks frequently, especially first thing in the morning and bedtime.

You will see a very different dog in about a month or two .

[anonymous]

Another thought, I know this may sound weird but some dogs don’t like to eat out of bowls but will eat off of a flat rubber mat, the kind that you put under a water dish, something like this that has edges on it.

One of my dogs accidently flipped his food dish when she was a pup and it hit her on the nose.
For the rest of her life I had to feed her meal on a mat, she was phobic about food in a bowl but had no problem with the big water bowl. Give it a try!

Example https://www.amazon.com/Easyology-Premium-Pet-Food-Tray/dp/B01FK6EY28/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=Dog+Food+Mat&qid=1566304508&s=gateway&sr=8-13

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