Ever since Hudson was a puppy he has been a picky eater. He will love one food for a little and then shortly after he no longer likes it. Before surgery he was never hungry and now he is starting to regain an appetite but prefers to eat in the evenings. When Hudson was recovering I had to hand feed him a lot because he wasn’t able to move. I have been working on slowly trying to get him to eat on his own but he is still in love with being hand fed which I don’t blame him since I did it for so long.
Hudson is extremely picky with treats and has always been. Everywhere we go people always want to give Hudson a treat but I know he will always spit it out. He will take the treat from the person and then slowly stick his tongue out to spit it out. It’s pretty cute. When he likes a treat it is really exciting. However, I try and feed Hudson at home healthy and organic foods. The treat he is obsessed with is Raw Rewards Treats for Dogs and Cats. I get them off Amazon and it comes with three bags which last awhile with Hudson. These treats are key to train Hudson and work like a charm for his treats. It’s funny though if he could have any food in the world Hudson's favorite snack would be chip's which obviously I don't give him but anything that crunches like a chip he will be right next to you staring at you ready for you to drop a piece. However, once I found the Raw Rewards treats they have helped keep Hudson interested and are healthy for Hudson.
I have tried many different foods since the beginning. When I first got Hudson he was on food from the breeder. Which I noticed he didn’t like right away and neither did I. I started to slowly transition him off of it and transition him to another kibble. Which he also hated and would not eat. As he got a little older I decided to try Just Food For Dogs. Hudson liked it for a little while and then he was over it and would turn his nose to it. Just Food For Dogs is all cooked food which I loved for Hudson. He was extremely interested in it at the beginning which when I noticed he was not interested anymore I was very disappointed. When that began happening I started to cook his food and would switch it up with different veggies and meats to keep it interesting for him. I made sure to do my research and made sure I was providing him with the right food. However, he got over that super fast also. I then decided I would try a kibble that he could free feed off of in between his regular meals because he just wasn’t interested in sitting and eating a meal at a time. That is when we tried Organix which he will eat sometimes but nothing that he gets excited over. At the beginning, Hudson loved Organix and wanted it all the time but like usual he got bored. I have gone back and forth through many foods because he would stop eating and was losing weight. I always made sure to wait long enough and never switched him too much but I did what I needed to keep him healthy.
I now feed Hudson Stella & Chewy’s Chicken Dinner Patties. He will only eat it as a meal at night but snacks on it during the day. He has always been a finicky eater which when I find something he enjoys it’s very exciting. This food I love and completely support. It is extremely healthy for him there are no added hormones, antibiotics, grains or fillers. He has been keeping a good weight and is eating the perfect amount during the day. I have noticed that he has a lot more of an appetite after his surgery. It can be scary when your puppy is never hungry but I knew we would figure it out. He gets bored super easy so I always try and keep it interesting.
To keep it interesting I boil a chicken which he loves. I try and do this every other week. I put a full organic chicken in a pot full of water. I add a tablespoon of Braggs organic vinegar which helps draw the nutrients out of the bones. I will then let it cook on the stove for hours until all of the meat has fallen off the bones. This gets all of the nutrients he needs into the bone broth which I will cool and let him drink. He loves when he gets to eat chicken and drink the broth.
I am extremely happy that after surgery he began to have more of an appetite. I never knew why Hudson wasn't hungry when he was a baby and I believe a lot of it had to do with his back. I am happy to be able to start taking steps forward with his food and tell you guys which foods work best for us. I would also love to learn other tricks to picky eaters or what your dog loves! I am hoping that he enjoys this food for a long time and that we won’t have to switch it again anytime soon.
XOXO B