Healthy Nutrition for Picky Dogs

By Dr. Jennifer Coates, PetMD

Some dogs seem to barely eat enough to stay alive. I’ve had a couple of them myself, and despite being perfectly aware that slim dogs live longer than fat ones, I can’t stop myself from worrying that they may be missing something from their diets.

The first thing to do if you have a picky eater on your hands is to rule out medical causes for the behavior. A veterinarian should check your dog’s teeth, gums and the rest of the oral cavity for any abnormalities, perform a complete physical exam, and maybe order blood work or other laboratory tests to confirm that your pet is healthy and not suffering from any conditions that might be related to poor nutrition.

Once you and your veterinarian have determined that your dog is simply finicky and not sick, there are a few things you can do to help him/her get all the nutrition they can from every bite.

Next Page: great tips for finicky pooches

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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John S.

2:56AM PDT on Aug 25, 2012

Good article.

August 25
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Frans B.

6:32AM PDT on Aug 10, 2012

good article, thanks.

August 10
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Vladimir M.

7:23PM PDT on Aug 9, 2012

Picky eaters.Dogs? what's that? Feed 6 days a week I cook for my dogs. Pasta,rice sweet. potatos,cheap meat,leftovers from a chicken we prepare for us....they get the meet cooked,,or raw. abone to chew on.cleans their teeth,..
If they ever refuse to eat they go hungry. Same for children. here is diner.....eat. I cook nothing extra for children I definetely will not prepare something extra for dogs. If you don't want to eat go hungry. If you are hungry you eat what is served to you.

August 9
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Valentina R.

4:16PM PDT on Aug 7, 2012

Why, oh why put such a short article in two pages, Care2?

Also, are you suggesting to let your dog be hungry, or feed him/her twice or more a day? Because that's quite incoherent.

August 7
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LMj S.

12:33PM PDT on Aug 7, 2012

Thank you for info.

12:31PM PDT on Aug 7, 2012

12:27PM PDT on Aug 7, 2012

Terri B.

10:17AM PDT on Aug 7, 2012

a "dry food only" diet is bad for dogs. dry dog food is higher in calories than wet food, and since the dogs are getting only dry food, it is much harder on the kidneys and can lead to kidney disease in the future. dogs should not be kept on a dry only diet, especially if it is just for convenience for the owners. they need the wet food, which is much more nutritious and healthy.

Manuela C.

5:15AM PDT on Aug 7, 2012

I have one of those...