I've created a monster - fussy eater greyhound Diet

Hello all!
Bones the retired racer has been with us for just over two months now. Obviously, wanting to give him the best possible retirement, we have lavished attention upon him, taken him for lovely walks in the countryside and fed him delicious food.

However, he has recently begun to behave like Little Lord Fauntleroy. He no longer eats plain kibble, whereas he did at the beginning. I know plently of dogs who welcome the same kibble on a daily basis, no extra frills added. But perhaps he's had one too many tastes of chicken and rice, because Bones will only eat his kibble if there is a delicious addition of some description. Even then he will try to eat around the kibble. Have we spoilt him? And can anyone suggest a solution?

Any advice greatly appreciated,
Maz x

sorry to laugh, but I love the description of Little Lord Fauntleroy + it is so refreshing to hear someone admit that it is them who (inadvertently) has caused the problem in the long run.

If you don't want to keep mixing tasty treats in with his meal, just put the kibble down, if he doesn't eat it within about 20 minutes, pick it up and try again at his next meal. As long as he's not skin and bones (no pun intended) at the moment and that he continues to drink, you can go on like that for several days - just make sure that he cracks before you do

It isn't easy feeling like you are starving him - just remember, its not you starving him, its him starving himself.

You can always keep the tasty stuff for training - e.g. teaching tricks, recall etc, though I wouldn't do this until he has accepted that kibble is all he gets for his proper meals.

Love his name by the way and I wish you many happy years together

He will eat.... my greys are just the same, spoilt and a taste of the good life!!!

Keep with the kibble and mix with something interesting
(its well deserved) sardines, butchers tripe, nature diet, etc etc....
Treats will become recoginsed as just that....treasts!!

Good luck and many cuddles for your boy xx

Yes, tough it out. Greyhounds may be one of the breeds that like to show off their ribs. German Shepherds are like that. I know of one Saluki owner that carries a letter from her vet to keep the RSPCA off her back.

I remember once watching a kid and a young Great dane at 4-H. I wonder if you rendered them both down, if you would get a whole ounce of fat.

I suppose it depends if you want the dog to lose or gain weight. I always add a bit of tinned dogfood or beans or leftovers etc. to my dogs` Arden Grange because Daisy is a skinny soul and because I like to see them enjoy their food.
I think the `if they won`t eat it they don`t need it` method is fine if your dog is healthy, active and a good weight, but some dogs need to be encouraged to eat IMO.
I don`t think it needs to turn into a battle certainly - I just put a spoonful of Butchers Tripe mix in with the kibble and away they go!

eta - what are you feeding? I had one bag of dog food that went off because it was out of date so it might be worth checking or trying other brands.

Many thanks everyone!
It's an interesting point about weight - I am noticing Bones looking remarkably 'ribby' and I wonder whether he has actually lost weight. He is doing a lot of walking these days, whereas in the rescue kennels, he was getting barely 15 minutes exercise per day. Perhaps he is back at his 'racing weight'. Anyway he seems fairly healthy, apart from his "I'll order the lobster" mentality.

Bones currently 'eats' Burns. It's expensive, but I've found that foods with colourings etc. make him as mad as a box of frogs. Prior to this he was eating some 'natural' kibble we found in the supermarket called Harringtons. Compared to this, Burns is like caviar and quite frankly I was flabbergasted when he turned his over-long nose up at it.

I'm tempted by the toughing-it-out approach, Hali! Taking up his food should get him used to the idea of not holding out for something tastier. I will also add some tripe for the hell of it - unless he eats round that too. I worry about his teeth.

Monkeydonkey - Nature Diet is good stuff isn't it! I was so impressed by the natural ingredients and Bones loves it, except something about it makes him launch chemical warfare after eating it. I think the paint was peeling off the walls of the living room last night...!

They are crafty little devils.
Mo always looks "ribby". We used to treat her to a bit of what we were having .......wrong! It got that she only wanted what we were having. So we stopped that and now we did as Hali recommends. It worked quite quickly
We keep a regular eye on her weight just to be sure. Sometimes she eats for England and sometimes she doesn't want to know.
Our vet has recommended that she doesn't go over 19kg so we keep a close eye on it.
Good luck, we need to see some pics of Bones

My current GSD lost weight on Burns - apparently this is common as it is low in fat so dogs who burn off the calories can get skinny on it. I changed to Arden Grange and she is in excellent condition now.

Some foods just don't agree with certain dogs (or their history), just because it is expensive and we are conditioned that dogs WILL love it, quite frankly is nonsense. You may well find he likes a cheaper greyhound type food - just a thought!

Ive found that many greys are grazers and because they have relatively small stomachs they tends to eat little but often to keep up their weight and strength, IMO they cannot take in a big amount of food at any one time. Now lurchers different matter altogether for some reason

Must admit Ive never seen a problem with dogs having something tasty to eat whether for their meals or treats. Cant say I would want the same thing every day of my life so I do try to give them a rather varied diet with different things added at any time be it fish, great for their coats, chicken, cottage cheese etc etc.

Think this is excellent advise especially the sardines I have enough trouble keeping the weight on my grey and others in the past so always add something tasty like chicken etc to gove them a bit of added interest and flavour. Strangely enough Ive found it makes them more interested in dinner time

As I said many greys are pickers and will eat through out the day and never gorge, I also like them to eat a bit here and there and not just think they have to bolt one big meal just because of the bloat possibility.

Just seconding what Spot said about not wanting to eat the same old thing every day ! - you have to make it interesting for them - sardines/pilchards/tuna, bit of ham and some bits of cheese, bits of leftover chicken, mince, scrambled egg. I'm sure he'll come round to it then x

My girl has tinned Chappie as well somestimes as it doesn't upset her tum

Thanks everyone - I suppose I'll just have to find what suits him! He does tend to ignore food in the morning and gets the munchies in the evening. He can put away a lot of food very quickly, so I do worry about bloat.

I'd love to put some pics up - do I need to put them on photobucket to do this? Also, where is acceptable for me to post pics?

x

Not sure about how to go about pics but i think there is a section for photos on this forum. sorry no help !

My show greyhound will only eat red mills greyhound food he has the one for retired and convalesing greyhounds. He is very fussy. He also gets pasta , rice, lamb all cooked up sometimes sausages all boiled up to make a stew which he gets mixed into his normal food a couple of times a week. My ex racer is greedy and will eat anything you put in front of her.

Hi

We give Robson and Lady Burgess Supadog Retired Greyhound food and sometimes Robson refuses to eat his breakfast. If I mix a small tin of pichards in tomato sauce in with it, and cut down slightly on the normal food, he will eat it then. If I leave it for 20mins to see if he will eat it, Lady will eat it for him!

Karen

I have a lurcher who has ALWAYS been a picky eater. The only food that keeps weight on her and she will eat willingly is meat! We have a local cheapy shop that sells huge packs of chicken leg and thighs on the bone and that is what she has eaten from a very young age, and she is now eight. We have tried withholding it, and we always have dog food available (usually Beta) but she will starve herself rather than tuck in with the others.

This sounds much like my whippet (11 months). She loves chicken wings, thighs, drumsticks etc. Anything else she picks at in a desultry way, even Nature Diet which she gets for her morning meal mixed with trophy Hypo! She is on the thin side but very fit and as happy as the day is long.

Good Afternoon,
I have two hounds, 1 is a sloughi x bull grey 11 months and a saluki x whippet 9 months,
one likes her food a little bit wet, with warm water, the other likes oil on, have put meat, fish, rice in with it, just to make a change,
they both eat burns dog food, but were on the james well beloved,
be careful with "cheap" dog food for greyhounds as it can upset their small delicate stomachs,
always feed 1 hour before or after running, greyhounds can lose weight with their eager running. and always put their food on a stand so they dont have to bend down and stretch their necks, can cause eating problems, but most of all relax and enjoy your hound and you will get a lot of love and affection in return, you are making a difference in this dogs life, be patient, and you will see the rewards.

I'll swap you!! Our greyhound will eat anything and everything, even though she's fed Barf, given half a chance she has her head in the pig feed, eats the sheep nuts and would try and eat everybody elses food aswell!!

I'm sure she's a labrador in disguise!

hello i do feel for you, i see many owners haven this problem at work( at the vets ) i agree with Hali as long as your vet says he's healthy than they can go a number of days with out eating. he'l soon learn if its not ate within a set time than it's removed. it'l not take long. i don't have this problem with me having foxhounds, and border collies. so i wish you good luck.