Tempting Fussy Eaters

Do you have a fussy pet that will not eat anything but a particular brand of pet food or only one type of meat or fish and nothing else?

Are you struggling to administer remedies or supplements to your pooch or kitty’s food only to have them walk away and refuse to eat?

It can be quite a challenge trying to tempt some pets to eat healthy food, especially if they are struggling with health issues because of an inadequate diet.

Variety in the diet is just as important for animals as it is for people. A diet consisting solely of one or two foods is not healthy and can lead to nutritional deficiencies and disease long term.

Cats can be especially finicky as they rely a lot on smell and prefer eating food that is fresh and served at room temperature. They can often smell even the tiniest amount of anything unusual added to their meal.

Some dog breeds are more prone to being fussy than others. It is unusual for a Labrador to refuse food, however some of the fussiest eaters include Bichon Frise, Boston Terrier, Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Cocker spaniel, Dachshund, French bulldog, Greyhound, Maltese, Poodle, Pekingese, Pug and West highland terriers.

So, if you have a fussy pet, how do you go about getting them to accept more variety, or healthier choices?

The best advice I can give for this, is to be consistent as this is the key to whether you will succeed or fail.

Start by mixing a tiny amount (even ½ teaspoon if extremely fussy) of the new healthy food with their favourite food.

Once they have accepted eating this, (which may take days for some), then gradually increase the amount of the new food, while reducing the old. This may take many days, weeks or months depending on the individual.

I don’t recommend leaving food out all day for dogs or cats to nibble on. It is much healthier for them to eat only once or twice daily and allow their digestive system to rest between meals. This applies to healthy adult dogs and cats, if your pet has a health condition that requires more frequent meals then don’t stop this.

When trying to introduce some vegetable matter to your animal’s diet, try adding a small amount of finely minced or pureed veggie. Grating is too coarse and will not be absorbed properly. The easiest way to hide the veggies is to blend them in a food processor with some of their favourite meat or other food until well combined.

Start with a small amount – ½ to 1 teaspoon for small breeds or 1 dessert spoon for larger dogs and increase gradually every few days or weeks until you are giving the desired amount.

If you start your pets on raw bones from a young age, this helps but if you are unable to get them to eat raw bones, start with softer bones like chicken wings or necks and cut into bite size pieces or crush with a meat cleaver. If you have no luck with this, then try sourcing minced bones from a butcher as they can put chicken carcasses through the mincer and feed this raw (like minced meat). The minerals from the bone are essential for optimum health.

Raw bones are rich in essential minerals that are not found in meat and help to keep teeth clean and gums healthy.

Tips to increase palatability of meals initially:

• Many dogs & cats love the taste of brewer’s yeast or nutritional yeast sprinkled onto meals and this is a source of B vitamins and minerals (avoid for dogs with yeast allergies).
• A few drops of tamari (natural soy sauce) – only in moderation as this is salty!
• Natural peanut butter – (ensure it is free from all additives and made from only 100% peanuts)
• Ground up dried meat or fish – 100% natural dried meat treats can be crushed up to sprinkle on food.
• It is certainly much easier to start puppies and kittens eating healthy fresh food when they are first started on solid food, but in many cases, they are instead given processed pet foods. These often have flavour enhancers which sets them up to want more flavourful food than they are designed to eat.

You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but you can usually teach them to eat healthier with perseverance and love!

How to dose supplements or remedies to fussy pets:

If you struggle to administer remedies or supplements, then it’s worth trying to hide the pill or powder in a treat. Pill pockets are an easy way to dose your pets without fuss. Most of the commercial varieties contain gluten and sugars so it’s better to make your own.

You can make up a small batch and store in the fridge for a few days to use as required.

To make Pill Pockets:
Blend the ingredients together well and roll into small balls. Make a hole in the middle using a straw or chopstick. The size of the balls will depend on the size of your dog and the pill or capsule you are using.

Place the tablet, powder, capsule, or liquid drops into the pill pocket and squeeze the top over to seal then feed to your dog.

Almond pill pockets
1/3 cup almond butter or organic peanut butter
1 Tablespoon almond flour

Chicken & Salmon pill pockets
2 Tablespoons chicken mince
1 Tablespoon mashed pink salmon in water
1 teaspoon quick oats or oat flour to bind
Mix all ingredients together well, roll into balls and make a hole with chopstick and bake in moderate over 180C for 20 mins.

Nutty pill pockets
1 Tablespoon organic peanut butter or almond butter
2 Tablespoons brown rice flour, almond or coconut flour
1 Tablespoon water or non-dairy milk (rice, almond or oat milk)

Coconut pill pockets
¼ cup coconut flour
1 Tablespoon coconut oil (liquid)

Pumpkin/Apple pie pill pockets
Mashed pumpkin or stewed apple
1 teaspoon gelatine powder

Fishy pill pockets
Pink salmon or sardines mashed
Enough rice flour, almond flour or oat bran to bind

Fruity pill pockets
Some dogs love fruit so you can also try placing pill in a chunk of apple or banana

Try some of the above or get creative depending on what your dog or cat likes!

Digyton for Digestion is an effective appetite stimulant and digestive normaliser. The herbomineral formulation can be used as a daily tonic to promote good digestion, to tone the digestive tract and ensure absorption of nutrients.