# Help with what to do when your dog won't eat raw anymore?



## isabellak

I've received a lot of wonderful advice here in the past and I'm hoping someone can help me with this. Lily is now 1-1/2 years old and has been fed some form of raw food (premade to PMR) since she was 8 weeks old. She has always been a finicky eater, but lately, it is out of control. Regardless of what I put down for her - chicken quarter, home ground patty with organ meat, cubed meat - she refuses it. I've tried searing it. I've tried lightly sauteing it in butter with a sprinkle of garlic powder. Nothing. I leave it down for as long as an hour and then pick it up and refrigerate it for the next meal. Eventually, when she is famished, she'll break down and eat, but lots of stuff gets thrown out just because I'm afraid it's been left out too long. 

The other day, I got a sample of Taste of the Wild and put it down for her - she gobbled it up 

I really, really don't want to start feeding her kibble. I've worked so hard to give her the best diet I can give her, but I just can't keep doing this.

Has anyone else had to deal with this? Any suggestions? 

I read a recent thread about home cooking. Interestingly, I recently boiled some goat for Lily - I cooked it because I wanted to separate it from the weight bearing bones - she loved it. I know cooked would be a better option that kibble, but Lily weighs over 100 pounds and that's a lot of cooking, unless I can cook and freeze!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## RawFedDogs

I would only leave her meals down for 10 or 15 minutes then pick it up until next meal. No between meal snacks or treats. It may take a few times but she will start to eat again. You have spoiled her by trying too hard to get her to eat. It will take some time before she realizes that you have stopped catering to her. MAYBE you are over feeding her. Make her meals a little smaller until she begins to eat properly again.


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## Liz

Here are a few things that might help. 
1 - leave food down only 15-20 minutes.
2 - Up her exercise - hungry dogs eat
3 - Use her food for training treats - make her work to eat, the food will have value
4 - Don't stand and watch her and don't coax her - a healthy dog will not starve.
5 - She is a big girl, let her figure out that this is her food and there are no other options.
6 - take a nice long drink - I believe Re said mojitos are in order and reinvest your emotions into a mojito and good book :wink:

I have one dog I petsit who plays these games with kibble. He is 6 months old and they are on their 11th brand of kibble. He will eat for a bit then decide he doesn't feel like it. They also add all sorts of things to his food to coax him and even hand feed him! I have him for a month and we are two weeks in. Last week he decided his kibble wasn't good enough - three days later he is eating again. We are busy and nobody he cares if he doesn't eat for a few days - I won't have any more issues because he knows it won't work. I hope you can resolve these issues with your pup. They are so annoying and can really get you upset, I do understand. Will be sednign good thoguhts your way and everythign will be fine.


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## isabellak

Thanks Bill & Liz. I know I have spoiled her  
I will give your suggestions, including the mojito, a try.
Much appreciated!


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## Jynical

You've gotten some really good advice... and it bears repeating - Breathe. She's got you trained... it'll take a bit for her to get the hint on what she needs to do, but it'll click. 

Just breathe and trust instinct. <3

...and come here and vent. 
*clinks mojito glasses with you*


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## CorgiPaws

I have two somewhat picky eaters in my pack. I know how frustrating it is to watch them drop weight, and you're offering meat, after meat, after meat... and they just don't want it anymore. But that's ok, there's hope!
Don't be too desperate. A dog will not starve himself in the presence of food. I'll be honest, Annie got way skinnier than I'd like her to be at one point, she went six days without food when I stopped giving her options. Now, she will eat just about anything because she knows, if she turns her nose up at that, there ain't nothin' else commin'! You have to take a tough love approach. YOU are not starving her, SHE is deciding not to eat. When she's hungry enough, she'll eat. I promise. 
Follow the advice above, and in a few weeks, you might find that when you don't encourage it- she's not that picky after all.


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## isabellak

I love this place! I have been talked off the roof a few times by the wonderful people here. It's especially helpful to hear from someone who has dealt with a similar challenge. Thanks!


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## VegasRocco

Hi all. I have a just about 3yr old Rotty. He ate raw first year an half. Then wen he had a issue the vet made me give him just boiled chix. I did. He got better an would never go back to the raw. No matter how I tried to give it to him. We would go days then I would cave in an give him cooked. He eats almost 200lb of cooked leg meat a month. To expensive! Any suggestions on way to do to get him back on it?? He is a big boy. 150lbs an still growing. He also eats about 15lbs of sweet potatoes. 6lbs green beans. Yogurt an other little thing. Plus 1 huge femur bone a week. I'll do anything to get him back to chix backs or thighs legs. Watever as long as it's raw


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## InkedMarie

VegasRocco said:


> Hi all. I have a just about 3yr old Rotty. He ate raw first year an half. Then wen he had a issue the vet made me give him just boiled chix. I did. He got better an would never go back to the raw. No matter how I tried to give it to him. We would go days then I would cave in an give him cooked. He eats almost 200lb of cooked leg meat a month. To expensive! Any suggestions on way to do to get him back on it?? He is a big boy. 150lbs an still growing. He also eats about 15lbs of sweet potatoes. 6lbs green beans. Yogurt an other little thing. Plus 1 huge femur bone a week. I'll do anything to get him back to chix backs or thighs legs. Watever as long as it's raw


What exactly is he eating now?


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## VegasRocco

Everything listed above. I want to eliminate the cooked chix an go back to the raw. He refuses to eat it


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## naturalfeddogs

Start offering bone in chicken at meal time. Give time to eat it, and not eaten in about 15 minutes, take it up and offer it again at the next meal. It may even take a couple of days before he starts to eat, but assuming he is otherwise healthy a dog won't ever starve itself. Tough love is sometimes the way to go.


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## VegasRocco

Thanks. I try this every 6 months an I always give in an give him Wat he wants. I always get worried at about 3 days in. An then I give in. He's a very healthy boy so I must just remember that a healthy dog will not starve himself wen offered food. Ok we're starting in morning. Thanks again


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## VegasRocco

Well we're on day 5 now no eating. So losing my patience. I've even tried puttin his fav yogurt in the skin. Still won't eat.


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## xellil

Is he getting any treats at all? Any other food besides his regular meals? How is he acting otherwise?


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## VegasRocco

No treats. Only the chicken. He ate 1 1/2 thighs yesterday. An today he ate 2. Plus he ate turkey gizzards too. So rewarded him wit his fav veggies an a lil yogurt. Things are goin well now. Thru the whole time he was just as playful an energetic as always. I was just so stressed. Thanks for the help:smiley::dog:


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## VegasRocco

Well that didn't go very good. He somehow started dehydrating. An then bloody stool an vomit. Had to get 4 liters of fluids. 15 shots X-rays blood work over 2 days. They still don't know Wat it was. Of coarse the whole vet office wanted to blame it on bones from the chix or his big femur bones. I knew it wasn't that. An after 2 separate X-rays...it wasn't. He never had a issue wit bones since he started raw at 8 weeks. He is doin way better now. Eating this hills gi crap from a can for 5 days. :-(. So my vet suggested a compromise with boneless raw. Along wit the norm veggies. an yogurt once in a wile. Any suggestion? I know bone is very important. He gets it now from the big cow femur an knuckle bones. An I also make a eggshell powder. So...boneless raw? Or try raw wit bones again?


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## InkedMarie

You can't do just boneless raw, dogs need bones. He doesn't consume the cow femur & knuckle bones, correct? 
Look into ground raw. Are you in the US?


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## VegasRocco

He consumes about 1 femur an 1 knuckle every 10 days. The bones are huge! It's the only thing I give him that makes his stool like rocks. That's how I been gettin bone in his diet for the last year or so


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## naturalfeddogs

Those bones are really bad about breaking teeth. I would try bones like turkey necks, turkey drumsticks, pork ribs, pork necks etc...


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