[OhBichonPlease]

I really love ordering from Chewy’s. Their prices are consistently lower than other sites, including Wag, and they offer fast, free shipping over $49. I have never had a damaged box. When I ordered from Wag, the boxes were unnecessarily large and full of packing material, which I did not like. The customer service at Chewy’s is great [I’ve called and chatted online to reps], replacement products/missing items are sent with no fuss and we have even gotten personalized, signed postcards from the founders/staff [which is not needed, but very sweet and makes me feel good. Plus they decorate Daisy’s ‘box of dog stuff’]. They have many customers who have written very helpful product reviews, including many who mention DFA! [I’m actually a top 10 contributor.]
Plus, last time we ordered they sent us 10 boxes of Capstar [6 doses @ $22.76] instead of the 1 we ordered – so the extras were a nice holiday gift and are making their way onto eBay [and selling for at least $20 each!] to offset all previous Chewy and online pet retail spending!

I’ve spent DAYS browsing for pet sites and comparing prices. My top suggestions are Chewy, Wag and Drs Foster and Smith, definitely.

[OhBichonPlease]

GoldenGuide, If you do decide to switch and then travel, there are plenty of great local pet stores in the Raleigh area that carry raw foods and premix diets. There are also plenty of local butchers offering locally-sourced, healthy meats and animal parts.
I live about 30mins from Raleigh and this is a very dog-friendly area with lots of healthy-looking dogs and owners who spend a lot of time [and money, apparently] on dog food [invariably the busiest aisle in the smaller pet stores and there are always customers wanting opinions chatting with workers].

[OhBichonPlease]

I just checked the Petsmart website, since most posters seem to have access.. they apparently offer Castor & Pollux ORGANIX Dog Cookies in stores only. From what I understand from browsing this site, this is a reputable company with quality products. Newman’s Own also make dog treats that should be pretty easy to find, considering how popular the brand is. Old Mother Hubbard’s biscuits are USA made and that is a Wellpet brand – they have consistently high product ratings on this site.
My girl is currently going crazy for Zuke’s peanut butter and blueberry mini-bites. They are small and crunchy, easy to break in half without being messy, and pretty healthy. I prefer to feed vegetarian store-bought treats for primarily hygienic reasons, although I do like limiting meat sources I’m not 100% sure about.

nationalguard88, you may want to encourage your fiance to bake some of her own treats for the dog! A good way to bond and feel included and ensure healthy, safe ingredients.

[OhBichonPlease]

I hope this list stays up to date. This is a company that makes products I am very interested in avoiding.

[OhBichonPlease]

It’s very expensive, but Weruva canned foods worked wonders to get my finicky girl eating again after a recent week-long hunger strike. [I was worried about her nutrition in addition to the fact that nothing going in means nothing coming out.] It looks and smells [and probably tastes] like human-grade baby food and you are obviously paying for quality product. It comes in a variety of flavors – I had good luck with the Steak Frites and the cat variety of Paw-Lickin Ckicken. She ate it straight out of the can, but really goes nuts over leftovers frozen in ice cube trays. Frozen cubes of nutrient-dense dog foods and toppers/additions [like yogurt, pumpkin, tripe, salmon] has become my go-to strategy for getting food in regardless. She will eat frozen what is refused otherwise, which is great since she also habitually licks her toppers off kibble without actually eating any.

I would also recommend changing the dog’s dish in the meantime – sometimes people plates make kibble more enticing. Or the shape might help – try a deep bowl or a pie pan. And maybe relocating the dish might help as well.
Our girl needs to be heartily encouraged to eat each mouthful of kibble, so we moved her food [but not water] into our bedroom so she eats her dinner while we watch movies before bed.

[OhBichonPlease]

My parent’s dog started acting scared, retreated upstairs and shot dirty looks at my sister the one time she cooked lamb in the house. We had never seen a reaction like that from her about any dinner and remain baffled. She definitely preferred that we did not cook or consume that meat although I know lamb meal was part of her kibble diet.

[OhBichonPlease]

I have bought and used The Honest Kitchen Pro Bloom Goat’s Milk for Dogs & Cats for a picky eater who recently went through some digestive issues. It seems like a great product that should be gentle and beneficial to your dog.

“Pro Bloom is a shelf-stable instant goat’s milk with digestive enzymes & probiotics. Pro Bloom is The Honest Kitchen’s very own formulation of natural goat’s milk plus probiotics and digestive enzymes, designed to nourish and nurture cats and dogs. It’s ideal for growing puppies and general immune support at the gut level. Simply mix one packet with one cup of warm water. Serve alone as a nourishing drink, pour on kibble for added moisture, or use to hydrate Honest Kitchen food. Pro Bloom is human-grade and made in the USA from pasture-raised, free-ranging goat’s milk in the Pacific Northwest. It’s naturally free of pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones and antibiotics. Ingredients: Dehydrated goat’s milk, dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation product, dried candida rugosa fermentation product, dried trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation product, dried pineapple fermentation product; dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried lactobacillus brevis fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium longum fermentation product, dried streptococcus thermophiles fermentation product”

There are multiple servings in each packet depending on the weight of your animal [can be used for kittens, puppies, cats and dogs]. Only a dog 71lbs+ would get the whole cup of reconstituted milk that each packet can make in a serving.

It reconstitutes nicely, although I just used it to rehydrate some freeze-dried food.
As long as your dog can handle dairy, this is convenient product to have on hand to encourage good gut health and hydration.

You may also want to try kefir instead of yogurt. It has more probiotics. You can mix it with the canned pumpkin and try freezing it for for treats.

[I used to make my own yogurt at home, easy-peasy, with dried milk powder, yogurt and kefir. I would be interested in trying to similarly make a “dog yogurt” with the Pro Bloom product. I don’t know if it would work, but it would be a nice treat.]

[OhBichonPlease]

I have had luck getting kibbles to absorb water by using very warm water and a metal dish. By the time the dish has cooled, most of the water is absorbed and I can usually stir up and then shake around the softened kibble without any excess liquid. I don’t use too much water with kibble though and usually don’t have to wait long.
I figure the water could wash off any nutritional coatings on the kibble, so I wouldn’t pour it off either. If excess liquid remains and your dog won’t lick it up, throw a few pieces of kibble in and put it in the fridge overnight. Those pieces should absorb whatever is left by morning and can be fed regularly.

[OhBichonPlease]

My older girl is not an enthusiastic eater either and I have resisted taking up her food dish because I worry that she won’t eat at all if we just set it down during mealtimes. Kibble tends to stay in her bowl for about 2 days as well. We have yet to find a kibble that excites her and sometimes she will eat the toppers/wet food from around the few scattered kibbles in her dish.
When she is picky I mix a can of wet food with some pumpkin and yogurt and then freeze it – she goes nuts over her frozen food [that she barely picks at at room temp or warmed] and I feel easier knowing she is getting some nutrition in.
You may want to start collecting free samples of kibble from local pet stores – they will help introduce variety and you may find something that excites him.

[OhBichonPlease]

I also think Chewy.com has great prices and I have purchased a bag of Wellness Core from them for my rescued 15lb Bichon Frise. She is not an enthusiastic eater of kibble, but the bag seemed like a good value and has lasted quite a while with her less-than-1/2-cup per day eating habits. I have just ordered for the first time and opened a bag of Dr Tim’s grain free, which was even less expensive, and both are 5-star foods enthusiastically recommended with everything I was personally looking for [all life stages standards, vitamins, chelated minerals, pre and probiotics, fatty acids, superfoods]. I wish Dr Tim’s didn’t have added salt, but that’s my only issue and it is a small one. His ingredient list includes several impressive additions, although Wellness also seems like a great product. Dr Tim’s appealed to me personally as a way to save money – even though I buy the smallest bag [I only have one picky mouth the feed, but I want to feed the best I can mostly afford]. Dr Tim’s was 2 dollars cheaper for a pound more – 12.99 for 4lbs of Wellness Core vs 10.99 for 5lbs of Dr. Tim’s grain free. You pay for quality, but those seemed like a good value for my small dog at an online retailer with consistently lower prices on reputable items. The site also features user reviews so you can hear even more opinions/testimonials.

You may also want to hit up local pet stores in your area for free samples, or request some from the companies themselves – a good way to experiment, add some variety, stretch your resources and save money!

[OhBichonPlease]

I forgot to mention that during her week of not really eating she was burping often and usually right after sniffing food or reluctantly taking a morsel or treat. She hasn’t been burping since we started giving her Pepcid.

[OhBichonPlease]

Thanks. I will definitely try that. I may have to add it to her water though, or to her frozen treats because she can be a little picky about what is in the food dish
. So the added antacids might not be helping, but they shouldn’t be hurting her either, right?

[OhBichonPlease]

I definitely think you should switch to higher-quality foods… for the picky eater especially – what little he will take down needs to be properly nutritious and high quality since he isn’t eating enough/well. I would transition slowly to minimize upset or selective eating of familiar kibbles and try fasting for a day with no treats or extras [I know it’s hard] before introducing small amounts of a new kibble. You can even try providing 2-4 different kibbles at a time – maybe something in the mix will appeal to your dog especially. You may want to look for a kibble that has a slightly higher fat content or salt as both of those are appealing and will encourage eating and may help get your picky eater to a better state of health. The different ingredients can help your dog adjust to new foods better and will only help/improve nutrient absorption and gut health provided there are no allergies/intolerances. Many local pet shops can provide free samples so you can try adding small amounts of new kibbles without spending much money. Adding some wet food or high quality meat toppers might also entice and encourage better eating habits. You may have to experiment, but tuna, salmon, plain cooked shredded meats, yogurt, canned pumpkin and other pantry items may help establish better habits and digestive health. Warmed peanut butter can also be drizzled over kibble instead of mixing and clumping it up in the bowl. Sometimes piles of food can be intimidating and food may need to be spread out more. Or your dog might not like her food bowl for some reason – try switching to a cereal bowl or a pie tie and see if that helps. Some dogs like to be sneaky eaters so hiding food in several places or the putting the dog bowl in unexpected places or outside might help. Feed your dogs separately [and maybe even at different times of the day], feed well [high quality kibbles and nutritious toppers/extras/treats] and congratulate, encourage and reward with enthusiastic praise every single time your picky eater takes a mouthful of food and actually swallows it.
You may also try making your own dog treats out of the above ingredients or buying canned food and instead of serving it at room temperature or warmed, try freezing it in ice cube trays giving those to your dog on a towel or an easily cleaned floor. Laying down a special mat or picking a quiet corner and acting like a mealtime is very special may also help her your picky dog more excited about dinner. Some dogs really like munching on frozen foods even when they won’t touch them at other temperatures.
When my picky eater isn’t eating I give her a little pepcid [we suspect semi-regular heartburn] and then act really excited about opening a can of high quality wet dog [or occasionally cat or puppy – vet’s recommendation for getting food in when nothing else works.] The smellier the better [canned green tripe works wonders but is best fed outside. I also had amazing luck with small cans of Weruva – it looks/smells like human-grade baby food and is expensive, but the quality is obvious and the food was eagerly consumed both wet and frozen].] I give her a little straight out of the can right off the spoon so she feels like it is human food and a nice treat and then drop some in a dish with kibble. I won’t mix it in anymore because too often she has shunned to food once she discovers the hidden kibbles and I don’t like throwing food out [the neighborhood cats have gotten very friendly since her leftovers get tossed on the pavement for them – I am sure it’s better than whatever they are fishing out of the trash, small birds, squirrels, etc]. But sometimes she will eat up the wet food in one section and then start eating mouthfuls of kibble afterward – progress!
When our girl is especially reticent about eating kibble we move her food into the room where we eat dinner and hang out in the evenings and sometimes have to pretend to eat kibble, hand feed her or toss pieces onto that evening’s dinner plate to get her to start eating. Once she realizes she is indeed hungry she usually goes back to her bowl and only needs encouragement to keep eating [Good girl! What a good dog you are for eating kibble! Good dogs eat their food!] every other bite. She still looks at us for encouragement while eating and I sometimes have to tap to bowl or shake it to remind her there is still food to be had.] I give her a half cup of food at a time and she never eats more than half at night and usually doesn’t empty her bowl entirely until the next afternoon. [She is slightly less than 15lbs and eats approx 300-400 calories a day in food and treats, as far as I can figure.]
I had never met a dog previously who didn’t like and look forward to dinner time, but our rescued Bichon needs to be coaxed and encouraged to eat almost every bite, every day.

Good luck, keep experimenting with higher-quality foods and ingredients and don’t give up!

[OhBichonPlease]

Our rescued Bichon went from going once usually, sometimes twice a day [sizable pile, lighter brown and a bit floppy sometimes] on a low-quality corn based kibble to pooping 2-3 times a day [mostly dark brown, harder/more solid, slimmer and well-formed] on Wellness Core. We spoiled her a bit at first and she gained three pounds during her first month or two with us. She lost that weight easily when we switched to a high quality grain free kibble and nicer dog treats crumbled into tiny pieces. As far as bowel movements during the transition and continuing now, most of the time it is easy out, but sometimes she squat-walks for a minute or two until she feels like everything has passed. She recently went on a hunger strike [and lost a half pound in about a week] and didn’t eat kibble for a week straight and hardly touched treats, human food or stinky, delicious wet food until after giving her some Pepcids. [I created a topic about doggie heartburn in another section on this forum and am curious about other people’s experiences with food refusal due to heartburn or indigestion.] Things are back to normal and settling down digestion-wise, but we are interested in rotating her food and trying different brands and are starting on Dr Tim’s grain free. I am curious to see what this does to her stool volume [never a sentiment I thought I would have]. I too though stool volume would decrease due to her grain-free kibble, but put down her increased regularity to finally getting proper nutrition with quality fiber sources. During her week of not eating, I started making ice cube treats [out of necessity to preserve what was being laid down, but not consumed] made with Wellness 95% salmon and organic canned pumpkin – she loves these frozen goodies [gets 1-2 cubes most days] and I will probably continue to provide them for her for the benefits to skin & coat and digestion. I may even add a bit of yogurt as I understand that freezing doesn’t affect probiotics and I want her to have as wide a variety of helpful gut flora as possible. [As a note, she was pooping more before we started adding pumpkin to her diet. Since she has been getting her ‘salmon pops’ and eating kibble again more regularly – but never yet enthusiastically – she has continued with going 2-3 times a day and never in the morning anymore, curiously.]
Don’t get me wrong – I am happy to see stuff moving through regardless or quantity or frequency, but I read lots of posts where people discussed decreased stool volume and that has not been my personal experience either, so far.
You might also try adding canned pumpkin or frozen or fresh green beans to your dog’s food – that will provide fiber helping pull stuff through and also contributing to a feeling a fullness. It may make your dog poop even more though.
Dog treats can be a major culprit in weight gain, so you may want to switch to treating with toys/playing, smaller treats with healthier ingredients, carrot slices, bones for chewing or something like the Lickety Stik – a great liquid treat [in multiple flavors] with a roller ball dispenser [perfect for training and keeping pockets clean and smell-free]. There are hundreds of licks per bottle and it is super-low calorie – they claim only 1 calorie every 10 licks so you can still indulge your dog without extra/empty calories.

[OhBichonPlease]

I would also suggest [when your dog has settled a bit] taking her to a smaller pet store [Petco and Petsmart might be a bit overstimulating, especially during the holiday season] and showing her several different toys. She may enjoying browsing the aisles with you and may even pick out her own toy that appeals to her. We pull things off the rack for our girl to inspect; when she tries to take it from us or looks excited, we tend to get it because we want her to play.
There is also a toy that may bring your dog some comfort – I think it was designed for weaning puppies, dogs with separation anxiety or mourning pets, but it is a plush toy with a warming pack and a “beating heart” powered by a battery. There is a popular brand available at online retailers and Amazon called SnugglePuppy from Snuggle Pet Products. It is kind of expensive [you may be able to find another brand/model for less] for an experiment, but it may comfort her and help her transition her to her new environment and to liking toys/playing.
I would also recommend wrapping a plush toy in an old tshirt or stuffing it inside a sock that has your scent on it – you’re her pack/people now and she wants to smell like you so she won’t have to be alone again. [Our girl likes to jump in our dirty laundry and thrash under our bedcovers after her bath, probably thinking we won’t recognize her. She also takes off her Doggles whenever my fiance reenters the car]. Making the toy smell like you by putting it in the dirty clothes hamper will help reinforce that this toy belongs in the household, toys are fun and playing with you is a nice thing to do. Some non-plush toys can also have food smeared on them or treats stuffed inside to help get entice her to interact with them.
Playing is a great way to bond with your dog and give her a chance to exercise and feel comfortable inside in her new surroundings. Keep trying to teach her to play – no dog is too old to learn to have fun.
The most important thing to remember is to go slow and have a really positive attitude when dealing with toys – even if your dog’s behavior is upsetting – don’t get upset! Dogs read our emotions and getting worried and stressed over her reactions might be causing more of an issue. If you feel like crying over her reactions, take a break, take her for a walk and then just try to cuddle with her and her toy quietly. Rub her and pet her with the toy if she doesn’t act scared. If she wants it in her crate, let her have it there. Maybe she wants a toy to cuddle and protect and you could get her another toy for tossing, pulling and playing with you in the living room.

[OhBichonPlease]

You don’t have to give grain-free treats unless there is a food intolerance or other reason. I feed my dog grain-free kibble, but don’t mind giving her grain-inclusive treats sometimes – they are treats, after all, and should only be given in small quantities for good behaviour, etc.
That being said, I know Cloud Star makes grain-free treats in both crunchy and chewy varieties and this is a brand that can be found at both Petco and Petsmart and in many small, independent stores. This is a nice, ethical company that uses some human-grade ingredients [I know the grain-inclusive sweet potato Buddy Biscuits are safe for human consumption]. Zuke’s is another wonderful company with good business practices and high standards. They also have several varieties of grain-free treats.
I am sure some one will suggest at some point small, cooked pieces of chicken or even fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables!

[OhBichonPlease]

My doggie LOVES “salmon pops” that I make with a can of Wellness 95% salmon mixed with a can of organic pumpkin. It’s a pretty easy consistency for spooning into ice cube trays and they pop out smoothly for rebagging after a minute on the counter. I give her one or two a most days for the benefits to both skin & coat and digestion. She dances all the way from the kitchen to her special mat that she has to eat them on because a] they smell pretty bad on the fingers [so don’t want it on my carpet] and b] because they could be messy [if they lasted long enough to thaw]. I honestly don’t know how she doesn’t get a brain freeze from holding and chewing a whole cube down to nothing in less than a minute. They get an amazing response from my generally picky eater. It would probably be pretty easy to hide supplements or liquid meds in them as well. I think they may even help her teeth a bit since she chomps and gnaws with her back teeth more than she licks at them.
I have also thrown a few to the neighborhood cats who are starting to look a bit skinny this autumn. They definitely lick at it, but it is usually gone within a few minutes.

[OhBichonPlease]

I had a similar issue with our older female Bichon Frise from the local shelter. She wasn’t likely abused and certainly didn’t suffer the way your dog seems to, but we definitely suspect some kind of neglect. Not only was her coat shaved down almost to the skin [probably due to matting], she had ticks and fleas and couldn’t even jump up on our low mattress because her muscles were weak and under-developed. [The shelter said she was 5, our vet says closer to 8]. She has had some weird behavior with toys as well – she doesn’t seem to know much play behavior even though she was living with other dogs and it has taken some time, patience and conditioning to get her to where she is now.
She is only interested in plush toys and now she loves squeakers… but she wasn’t like that in the beginning. No rope or rubber toys seemed to entice her and she would immediately drop an item if we started to tug back – no rough chewing. We got her a plush toy and she seemed to like carrying it around, hiding it in dark corners, and gradually got more bold until it squeaked in her mouth. Sometimes she licked and coddled it like it was injured. It was hilarious to watch, but she was terrified and suspicious for the most part. After that, she would run away to another room and stay there whenever we tried to engage in play with a squeaking toy. A few times we hugged her still and squeaked a toy and she struggled mightily to get away. After about two weeks of daily desensitizing sessions, she finally learned to love to play with her plush squeakers. A squeak is enough to get her to come to a room. She loves attacking her toys [prefers hedgehogs, bears and other brown woodland creatures] until the squeaker has died. She is learning the basics of fetch, but is still very polite with her toys. We don’t think she has ever really played before.
I wouldn’t get rid of the toys, but instead show that they are superfun by having all household members plays with it in happy voices for a few minutes a couple of times a day. Don’t push it, but let your dog know that it is okay to take joy in some little things!

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