Fussy dogs can be a complex issue and the dogs can be fussy for a number of reasons so first we need get the background story. Refusing quality raw produce is unnatural. Think of a wild canine or feline walking away from a meal?
All puppies undergo imprinting in the first weeks of their life. During this imprinting phase they start eating solid foodsfrom 5 weeks of age. If the puppy has only been feed kibble or commercial foodthen this is what it recognises as safe and familiar food. That's the natural basis of imprinting.Further more if the mother has been kibble fed the the imprinting has startedinthe mothers womb before even being born into the world. Therefore yourpuppy may not recognise raw as a food source
In general, cooked meat flavour develops as aresult of interactions of amino acids, peptides, reducing sugars, vitamins andnucleotides from the lean component, or their breakdown products, duringcooking.
The "trained by owner unknowingly". Whendogs avoid or refuse food and when owners offer another option the dog learnsit's behaviour is rewarded. Refusing food results in another option oran ownercoaxing the dog to eat with its favourite food is a common factor that makes adog fussy.
Some dogs just don’t like raw or couldn't bebothered. There are dogs who think a bone is just too much work. Naturally dogs are scavengers and maybe their comy urban existence has takenthe effort factor down a few notches more.
If a dog has eaten kibble ;it's whole life, that's
what "knows" as food and being creatures of routine the chage in food
may also add to the disruption. Sometimes you have to help your dog understand
the new stuff in her bowl is actually food
There are many techniques that suggest how to get your dog to eat. When it comes to our quality food , the best and most effective way is tough love.
After all, if your dog is being fed quality food that most humans aren't even getting ...why should they refuse? Some raw food is made using poor quality ingredients,chemical preservatives and non-edible nom human grade produce even diseased produce.
Dogs would be within their rights to refuse such food.
Our raw food is human grade, with quality unlike any other raw food hence our confidence.
Serve a small portion of raw food, put the food down and walk away. Wait about 10-20 minutes if it's not eaten pick it up and put it back in the fridge. Offer it again for the next meal repeat until your dog eats. Your dog wont starve. Even if it;s days no dog will starve itself. Don’t forget the organs! Find out why they’re an important part of the raw diet.
Most dogs won’t let themselves starve. The vast majority usually eat after refusing a meral or two.
Dogs can skip meals for a number of reasons:
Cats are not fussy eaters however they may appear to be so because they are "imprinted eaters." This means they remember the smell, the texture and the taste of the food they are currently eating.
On "imprinted" eaters new food may not even register as food or as a meal and cats may just walk away.
It's important to ensure that being "fussy" is not actually a loss of appetite. Appetite loss can occur due to illnesses that cause health issues that may put them off cat food. is showing other signs along with a reduced interest in food, or if their 'fussy' behaviour is out of character, a vet check is recommended to rule out any medical causes. In most cases appetite improves when the underlying condition is treated or appropriately managed.
You can try to serve new food gradually mixing it in with their existing food and over time your cat will eventually become habituated to the new raw diet.
Unlike dogs, when your cat refuses food, we cannot excercise "tough love" as we may to a dog. If your cat is still refusing to eat by the second day, you can try adding a small amount to their existing food.
Meal toppersare made to be highly palatable so are a great option for fussy eaters. A small amount of the topper can be mixed in with your raw food to improve its taste and texture for your cat. Our Shark jerky treatsor Goat Organ Treats are excellent meal toppers.
Adding warm water to raw food or heating up raw food up in the microwave to enhance smell and taste - just make sure it's not too hot when fed to your cat. If you're feeding kibble mix raw and dry food together at first, then gradually increase the amount of raw food over time.
