Husky - not interested in dog food

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#1
So I've got a sib. husky. he doesn't seem to be interested in dog food. i'm pretty sure he's hungry because it tries to take things off the counter and will gladly eat pretty much anything that's not dog food. i've tried putting some chicken broth on the food which makes him more likely to eat. he definently prefers to eat later in the day but if he chose he wouldn't even eat but once every day or two. i'm lucky if i get him to eat 2 cups per day. he prefers to eat 1 cup sometimes not even that. this isn't a new behavior, he's never really been interested in dog food. the vet says it's a common problem in huskys. right now, he's slightly under weight but i'm afraid if he continues to not really eat, he might get too underweight.

what are some good foods for picky eaters?
 

noodlerubyallie

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#2
What kind of food are you feeding him?

Sibes are typically picky eaters. You may have to try several different brands/types of dog food to figure out the one that works best for your specific dog.

Quite of few Sibe owners feed raw or grain-free. Ruby is on Innova EVO Red Meat, and it's the first food we've tried that she WANTS to eat. It's really helped out her stomach, as well.
 

dogaddict

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#4
What do you currently feed him?

My friend's husky is the same, and a trick she discovered was to use raw dehydrated food as a topper for the food, it was the only way she could get the dog to eat on a regular basis. She feeds Addiction (as do I) and she keeps a stash of raw dehydrated to layer over the canned or dry food, its a lot more cost effective too because raw dehydrated isn't the cheapest food around, this way it lasts so much longer. She currently uses the Addiction grain-free herb lamb & potatoes flavor. My dog used to eat the brushtail, now he's on their Salmon bleu dry food plus some home cooked. You could give it a try cos they also use novel proteins like brushtail and venison which could be good if your dog isn't taking to more common proteins like beef/chicken/lamb.
 
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#5
Tough love is the best way with huskies!! I have had several adults come in from other teams that are fussy. Quick solution is food is down for 10 minutes, if they don't eat its gone until next feeding time and the same food is put down. Huskies are very fuel efficient and buggers at holding out!
If the dog is underweight go with a higher energy formula. Most of my males when I fed kibble only ate 2 cups in heavy training. They don't require much food for the size of the dog.

Abby

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#6
Tough love is the best way with huskies!! I have had several adults come in from other teams that are fussy. Quick solution is food is down for 10 minutes, if they don't eat its gone until next feeding time and the same food is put down. Huskies are very fuel efficient and buggers at holding out!
If the dog is underweight go with a higher energy formula. Most of my males when I fed kibble only ate 2 cups in heavy training. They don't require much food for the size of the dog.

Abby

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www.northernrunkennels.ca
i do take it away after a few minutes because my other 2 dogs would eat it lol. he doesn't seem to care. good to know i'm not starving him with what he usually eats (1 cup sometimes 2).

currently he is being fed premium edge. we've tried wellness and nutro, he didn't care about either one. i'm thinking of trying innova but it's my boyfriend's dog and he really doesn't want to spend $50 on a bag of dog food so i'm not sure how well any super premium brands would go.
 

sisco16

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#7
What where they feeding the puppies originally thats what i kept my sibes on originally they tend to want to eat what they were being weaned onto. switching there food over and over will only cause problems i went through that with koda. but my second sibe i kept him on the original food the breeder gave the puppys and he has done fine. Then gradually switch them to an adult dog food thats better know there both eating canidae.
 

Shadow945

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You could try feeding him several small bags of different foods and see which ones he likes. Before I switched my dog to Taste of the Wild, I used a 5lb bag as a tester, and he loved it...so I went out and bought the big bag. Before I switched him to TOTW he was on Nutro, and I noticed he had started to eat less also. My dog's a bit of a picky eater as well, though not as much as huskies.
 

ron

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#9
Something not yet mentioned in this thread is the special metabolism of a Siberian Husky. It comes from millenia of breeding by the chukchi. Formerly known as the chukchi dog, the Sibe has developed a metabolism that gets every erg of energy out of a little food. It was part of the life. Run fast and pull hard in the harshest conditions on the planet on very little, simple food.

My dog is a mix but predominately Siberian, especially in metabolism, temperment, and some physiology. Over 5 years old, 26 inches to the shoulder, and 65 lbs., he eats about 1.5 to 2 cups at a time. He will leave food in the bowl. And he only eats in my presence. That's not my desire, that's just the way he is. Anyway, Sibes do best on simple foods and they regulate their own intake, and their appetite is keyed up by exertion.

So, exercise the pup a little, maybe a little tug or fetch. Shadow likes to chase the kong and bring it back to the bowl (his idea.) And find what he will eat. And realize that he may not eat a lot at one time. Also, in summer, Sibe's activity goes down and so does their appetite.

As for weight, Sibes are actually lean underneath all that fur. You should be able to sink your hands down into the fur and feel the ribs, with some padding on them. Shadow weighs 65 lbs which is over for a Sibe and under to average for a Lab. He is lean and his bone density is that of a Sibe. This is per my vet, who does have experience with Sibes and Sibe mixes.

And, as others point out, when he gets hungry enough, he will eat.
 

Miakoda

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#10
So I've got a sib. husky. he doesn't seem to be interested in dog food. i'm pretty sure he's hungry because it tries to take things off the counter and will gladly eat pretty much anything that's not dog food. i've tried putting some chicken broth on the food which makes him more likely to eat. he definently prefers to eat later in the day but if he chose he wouldn't even eat but once every day or two. i'm lucky if i get him to eat 2 cups per day. he prefers to eat 1 cup sometimes not even that. this isn't a new behavior, he's never really been interested in dog food. the vet says it's a common problem in huskys. right now, he's slightly under weight but i'm afraid if he continues to not really eat, he might get too underweight.

what are some good foods for picky eaters?

Your dog is smarter than you're giving him credit for. Ask yourself: Why should he eat his dogfood when you're giving him the much higher-valued foods instead?

Your dog knows that if he doesn't eat his food, sympathy will flood you and you will give him more "yummy" foods. He knows that those foods/rewards are within reach and he just might have to be patient.

What you do is a pick out a quality dog food and buy a bag of it. At 7 am, give him half of the daily allottment in a bowl and set it in front of him in his kennel. Close the door. Wait 15 minutes and then pick bowl up whether he ate the food or not. Do not give a cottonpickin' thing throughout the day & make sure that he has access to absolutely nothing but water. At 7 pm, give him the remaining half of his daily allotment (no, do not give him the half plus morning's leftovers...just dump that back into the bag). Put the food down in front of him for 15 minutes, then pick up. Repeat the process until he learns that he can either eat or he can starve.......and that you could care less what his choice is. I promise you, I swear to you, that he will eat. It may be 2 days, it may be 4 days, it may be a full week. But I can also promise you your dog isn't going to starve himself.....it goes against their very instinct.

Trust me. I had a picky eater....that I created. Yes, I created a complete monster. When I finally found myself sitting down on the kitchen floor begging this dog to "please eat" some raw meat from my hands, I realized I had completely lost my mind. I got up, washed my hands & then started the exact routine I mentioned above. 6 days later and a full 5 pounds lighter, she finally ate her entire meal given to her and 4 years later she has never not eaten her kibble.
 

lizzybeth727

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#11
Trust me. I had a picky eater....that I created. Yes, I created a complete monster.
You're not the only one.... I don't know how many of my clients accidently teach their dogs not to eat their kibble. It's true that a dog will not eat as much if he doesn't like his food.... My dog used to skip meals often (she went as much as 4 days without eating, and she's a chihuahua) on the first brand of food I had her on, and after about 6 months I switched brands. On the second brand I don't recall that she ever skipped a meal. BUT, I switched brands because I wanted to upgrade to a better brand, not because I felt sorry for her for not eating. Dogs will not starve themselves. If she doesn't like the food she might decide not to eat it.... but if you make the food more enticing after she decides not to eat it, you will be teaching her not to eat the plain kibble.
 

sisco16

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#12
I know Im probably going to get jumped on for this one but i have always free fed my sibes and they are at appropriate weight koda is 44 pounds and kio has gotta be over that because he is much heavier he hasent been in to the vet in a while. But the point is i think its what ever works for her some people feed a few times a day some people, free feed, trust me the puppy will eat both of mine were not not interested in food at all for the first few days it takes a while. But they will get into the swing of things.
 

Boxer100

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#13
We used to feed our boxer Purina Pro Plan, then we switched to Pedigree, and now we feed him Blue Wilderness from Blue Buffalo. It is high in protein which means there is a lot of meat content. The other foods just had too many by-products and animal fats.
 

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