The Best Dog Food for Picky Eaters and Sensitive Stomachs is Already in Your Kitchen

Did you know the best dog food for picky eaters and sensitive stomachs is already somewhere in your kitchen? 

Does it feel like your dog only wants human food or tends to skip out on meals? Maybe there's a flavor that your dog must have, or becomes bored after a certain flavor has been available for too long.  

In this article you'll learn the very basics of why your dog is picky and what you can do to change their appetite. Plus, I'll share my own experience with my picky eater and what worked to help him!

Don't forget, you can download a free guide for lengthening your dog's life and improving their health at the bottom of this post!

Best Dog Food for Picky Eaters

****Disclaimer****

This post contains only my own personal opinion and experience with my own dog. Please consult your veterinarian before making any changes to your dog's diet. 

Depending on what food your dog is currently on and their health conditions, there could be a few reasons that they're being picky. 

Every dog is food motivated. It's part of their DNA. Inappetence could occur for a few reasons: 

1. Your dog feels ill

2. Your dog has learned you will "sweeten the pot" if they hold out on their dinner.

3. You dog has learned they don't feel good after they eat their food

4. Your dog is full

The first thing to do if your dog becomes picky or doesn't have an appetite is to consult your veterinarian in order to rule out physical illness. Inappetence can indicate a number of medical conditions, some of which can be life threatening.

This is especially true if your dog's appetite disruption came on suddenly or is accompanied by other things such as diarrhea, vomiting or lethargy. Please contact your vet if this is the case.

Once medical reasons have been ruled out, then it's time to explore what food your dog enjoys. 

Best Tasting Dry Dog Food for Picky Eaters

One of the most common reasons that dogs become picky eaters over time is that your dog has learned there's a benefit or reward to being picky. 

Have you ever said something like, "he/she won't eat unless we put a scrap of table food in there" or "He/she only eats his dinner if we add in peanut butter."

If any of these ideas cross your mind, it's probably because your dog has decided to see how much more you'll offer than the usual kibble dinner. 

Your dog will eat their kibble, eventually. So, if you think your dog is trying to strike a deal with you, see what happens if you don't sweeten the meal with extras and begin feeding your dog meals.

This means allowing your dog access to food only twice a day for half an hour. Your dog will quickly learn that if they want to eat, they better eat when they have the opportunity. Dog's are persistent, so if you are more persistent than them, you'll set the tone. 

If you have two dogs and struggle to feed meals, you can fix that! 

Offer your dogs the option to eat their breakfast or dinner for only as long as your able to, or up to half an hour. Your dog may miss a meal, or two, but they will quickly learn that their only window to eat food is when you offer. 

Best Dog Food for Picky Eaters Small Breed

Another reason your dog may not be eating the food you offer is because they don't feel good when they eat it. This is especially true for dogs who are fed kibble. 

Dog's are designed to not need to eat any carbohydrates. Kibble is 60-80% carbohydrates. This does not sit will some dogs stomachs because they may be lacking the nutrients they need to feel healthy and being over saturated with carbohydrates.

Think about this: after eating highly processed burger and fries, what activities do you feel like doing?

Now, imagine you eat a burger and fries for every meal. It might make you start to feel sluggish, or like you don't want to keep eating that meal. 

Kibble is not the healthiest meal you can feed your dog.  It is highly convenient and marketed properly for the average dog owner. But, your dog did not evolve to eat manufactured food. 

Best Dog Food for Picky Eaters Reddit

The last reason that your dog may not want to eat their food is that they are already full. Some dogs are pretty good at regulating their appetite and weight and will only eat as much as they need. 

If your dog is leaving food in their bowl, check with your veterinarian to see if your dog is an appropriate weight. 

More than 50% of dogs are overweight, and in fact, you can extend your dog's life by feeding them only 25% less. 

Check out this video describing 5 simple steps to lengthen your dog's life. 

Best Dog Food for Picky Eaters with Sensitive Stomach

One of the easiest ways to entice your dog to eat is feed them foods that make them feel good after eating. Chances are, if your dog turns their nose up at kibble, they aren't crazy. 

My dog, Cooper, used to a be a picky eater. So, I used to let him graze throughout the day and that system worked well for us. However, this became challenging when I brought home a second dog who would eat ANYTHING immediately.

So grazing wasn't an option and I had to start feeding meals. It wasn't unusual for Cooper to skip a few meals. 

On top of that, I had trouble finding foods that sat well with Cooper. I learned early on that he didn't adjust to new foods quickly. He would get an upset stomach even when I would slowly transition him to a new food. 

I never asked the veterinarian what to do with his food, because he was at a good weight, about 80 pounds, and he was active and otherwise healthy, so I didn't feel his appetite was really hurting him. 

However, Cooper was super food motivated during training and always wanted a bite of whatever we were eating. So, after reading The Forever Dog, I started to introduce new foods to Cooper that I already had in the house, like carrots, broccoli, blueberries and sweet potatoes.

I started using the vegetable clippings from dinner to make his food a little bit more fun (and nutritious). I began adding eggs, spices and whatever else I had around the kitchen.

 I now buy regularly buying eggs and chicken liver from the grocery store for Cooper, but I mostly try to find things that were already around the house to add to Cooper's diet. 

I also started sampling a few different commercial raw diets like Darwin's, Farmer's Dog and JustFoodForDogs, as these provided convenient, balanced quality nutrition.  (Cooper's favorite was Darwin's)

Now, I rarely feed him a meal that doesn't have kibble, but he almost never has a meal that is just kibble, his food is a mix of kibble and whole foods! 

Now only a few months later, Cooper tells me when it is time to eat and even dances before I set the food bowl down. And, because I'm constantly changing up what he's eating and it's healthy for him, his gut microbiome improved and his sensitive stomach problems are gone. 

In my opinion, Cooper LOVES food, he just didn't feel good on a whole kibble diet.

There are foods Cooper still doesn't like, and that's okay. I trust him to know what feels good for him. He doesn't care for carrots or for red peppers, but he loves eggs,  and blueberries! 

Homemade Food for Picky Dogs

The most interesting thing about this experience was that Cooper ended up loosing nearly 12 pounds. He was carrying nearly 12 pounds of inflammation around with him everywhere he went. No wonder he didn't feel good.

The vet was a little concerned about the weight loss when she saw the number on paper, but when she saw him in person she thought he looked better than ever! 

To keep expenses down, I feed about half kibble and half whole foods now to both dogs. It has drastically changed their coat, their energy level and how they carry their weight. 

You can learn exactly how to apply a half-kibble half-raw diet to your dog's life in a free guide below!