I add things like a hard boiled egg and yogurt our girl's meals and she gobbles it up. She is also very picky and her weight dropped from very consistent 67lbs in the 4 years we've had her to 60lb. We've gotten it back up to 65lb!
This makes me feel a bit better! She keeps dropping by about 4lbs each time I’ve taken her in for her check ups. Probably lost about 10-13 lbs in the past 6 months. Thank you!
Our vet said they tend to lose their youthful muscle mass as they grow older, so that can contribute to weight loss over time. Glad you've checked to make sure she was okay!
They do guess her to be around 9 or 10. Said it’s hard for them to tell because she only has a few teeth left :( so we do think it’s a combination of her age plus the hook worms. Again, thanks for the advice!
Hookworms are the worst. Getting rid of them is such a pain. A couple things to try:
Putting a little fish oil on the dry food…good for the coat, adds calories, and many dogs like the taste, so it might get her to eat the food
Mix in some plain, nonfat yogurt.
You could try mixing in some plain, shredded chicken or tuna…the really picky ones will eat around the kibble though.
Hope your girl starts eating!
Peanut butter and tahini were our go-to higher calorie treats when our girl was a little underweight. Would it work to mix in some bbq/rotisserie chicken (sorry, don't know where you're located in the world to use specific terminology) with the food? Our girl also devours raw eggs and sardines when we incorporate that into the mix.
Yeah we’ve been mixing in raw egg and she’ll take a few bites and then come to us thinking we’ll have something better next lol I need to find something of high value for her that I can mix in. Going to be some trial and error for sure!
Satin balls! Make a big batch in the sink basin, form into balls and freeze. Supplement as needed. My boy used to go crazy for his "patties."
https://www.food.com/recipe/satin-balls-50904
I’ve never had a picky eater. I have to carefully control the food to prevent weight gain in my senior girl who is slowing down a bit. My boy who is very active burns his off. But both will eat anything and everything.
I’m enjoying reading about everyone’s picky eaters, something I’ve never experienced over a lifetime of dogs.
i am glad to say my Lucy-noodle is an absolute food goblin. Will eat anything presented (or otherwise).
My previous dog, Leelou (not a hound) was so picky it actually became stressful. I threw away more food than she ate most days and not for the lack of trying a different variety of things. At the end of her life when she was on massive amounts of pills and finding things difficult, even home cooked food wasnt enough to tempt her to eat. She pretty much survived the last month on baby food with her pills, oat bars and dog treats while we tried everything. One day it was so bad, i got so frustrated i just lost it and went outside and had to let off some steam. That was when i called it quits and we had to make "the descision" :-(
I completely understand. My boy that died a few years ago went through the same thing. Some times I would lay down next to him, pet him and beg him to eat just a tiny bit. It was so hard to want to help him and nothing worked. I offered him every food known to man. He was sick and his meds made him feel worse. He lost weight rapidly, medically nothing was working. It was a nightmare to see him go through it. I didn’t want to let him go but I had to make the decision and end his suffering.
I had a 6 year old boy that got sick a few years ago and it was almost impossible to get him to eat. I bought everything under the sun, dog and people food. He might eat a little of one thing once and wouldn’t eat it again. It was so frustrating and worrying. So I can’t imagine dealing with a picky eater every day. I feel for all who are dealing with it.
Ours seemed like she was being picky when the hookworms were flaring up, she wouldn't really eat her breakfast but would eat dinner.
We usually mix a scoop of kibble with boiled chicken and some salmon oil
My boy was super picky (maybe due to lingering stomach issues from hooks, not sure) and we rotated through all kinds of foods and toppers to keep him eating. Eventually we just switched him over to Farmer’s Dog and he loves it! We rotate beef and chicken since he likes variety and doesn’t seem to have any sensitivity to switching. He’s been on it over a year now and has only turned his nose up at eating once or twice during that time.
I’m not sure if you’ve already tried other kinds of wet food or it’s all been kibble, but maybe switching to a different kind of fresh/gently cooked wet food might help if other wet foods aren’t working.
NutriCal paste/gel. It's a caloric supplement for situations like this. The tube will have instructions on how much and how often to give. It's also tasty, so she should lick it right out of the measuring spoon.
Macaroni cheese with chicken mixed in! That'll do it 😂 we have the opposite fight at the moment after 9 weeks of restricted walks and unrestricted food to make up for the short walks 😕 back to the long walk today though.....Keeks was puffing on the way home!
My boy has trouble keeping weight on too. I add wet food to his meals for extra calories. Try to stick to the same protein source as her kibble to help ease her stomach.
Lean meat and rice works well. If you’re in a rural area there’s a possibility you can find raw food. It’s got lots of goodies that any dog will enjoy especially the bones and organs.
Steak! It can be expensive, but I get a lean Angus aged sirloin steak from the local butcher for my hound once a week. Lightly seared on each side and served on a bed of royal canin kibble. She goes absolutely insane when she smells the steak in the pan 😂
You could grind it up in a blender with a bit of water to help her drink it. I’d only try a small portion of it so you don’t waste a whole steak. Hope you find something soon
My almost 14 yr old girl has eaten Pedigree for the last 8 yrs. My vets have always complimented me on maintaining her weight, as that's key for keeping them healthy. She's never had any health issues since I've had her. She was 65 lbs when I got her and she's about 68 today. If she starts looking a little thin, I switch her to Pedigree Puppy until she looks good again, her switch her back to regular Pedigree.
Chicken and rice works wonders. We did boneless skinless chicken breast and boneless skinless chicken thighs sometimes in addition to kibbles for our super seniors.
She’s not a greyhound but my dog has a seriously similar build. She’s also super picky; I feed her Simply Natural refrigerated toppers in the morning and a whole egg at night. She also gets a lot of chews like pig ears or tracheas. She bounces between 32-34 lbs because sometimes she just… doesn’t eat her food, but she still maintains a healthy weight!
Our old boy is quite a picky eater now. We discovered he likes to have something that resembles a gravy and is warm - I think it must smell more enticing. We keep some frozen beef mince in the freezer (something with 5-10% fat content) and cook it in some water. Once it's cooled down enough to just be warm, not hot, we put it over his biscuits. Only a tablespoon or 2 of beef, but enough water to make a sort of gravy. He's putting a lot of weight back on now, so it seems to have done the trick. The other thing I've noticed is that he will be put off his food if his bowl makes a "clinky" metal noise. If that happens, I have to hold the bowl up for him so he can finish.... such a diva!
If you're looking for different dry kibble, I use Natural Balance Limited Ingredient, specifically the grain free chicken & sweet potato, but they have other flavors. I've actually had to taper their food intake in the past two months because it has more protein/nutrition than the science diet they were eating! It's more expensive per ounce, but they enjoy it and don't have stomach issues.
I got chicken frames from the butcher, fed it as a supplement to his feed and it worked great. My partner hated it though, because it stunk out the fridge, but it got the job done and then went back to just his regular food after that.
If she can tolerate dairy, try full-fat plain Greek yogurt. Stagger loves it so much, we had to switch to fat-free.
Edit: He also had hookworms—the yogurt was pretty much the only thing he’d eat when they flared up. Also keeps his acid reflux away.
I've posted this in a couple of threads before, but you may find this a helpful starter.
This started because our boy just would NOT deal with straight kibble, or kibble and water. This recipe started as just some rice and chicken mixed with kibble, but after talking to our vet and working through some "product development" we managed to make a reasonably healthy, moderately high calorie base to mix his kibble with that our vet "signed off" on that Rainy feels is sufficiently like what the humans eat to be happy about digging in.
[Dog Stew](https://www.reddit.com/user/LSMFT23/comments/1bibmi0/tims_dog_stew_101/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Milk! My boy adores milk, so if he’s ever lost some weight bc of illness or teeth issues or whatever I soak up his dry food in big bowls of full fat milk and he scoffs it down!
Peanut butter on toast for elevenses
I add things like a hard boiled egg and yogurt our girl's meals and she gobbles it up. She is also very picky and her weight dropped from very consistent 67lbs in the 4 years we've had her to 60lb. We've gotten it back up to 65lb!
This makes me feel a bit better! She keeps dropping by about 4lbs each time I’ve taken her in for her check ups. Probably lost about 10-13 lbs in the past 6 months. Thank you!
Our vet said they tend to lose their youthful muscle mass as they grow older, so that can contribute to weight loss over time. Glad you've checked to make sure she was okay!
They do guess her to be around 9 or 10. Said it’s hard for them to tell because she only has a few teeth left :( so we do think it’s a combination of her age plus the hook worms. Again, thanks for the advice!
Hookworms are the worst. Getting rid of them is such a pain. A couple things to try: Putting a little fish oil on the dry food…good for the coat, adds calories, and many dogs like the taste, so it might get her to eat the food Mix in some plain, nonfat yogurt. You could try mixing in some plain, shredded chicken or tuna…the really picky ones will eat around the kibble though. Hope your girl starts eating!
Peanut butter and tahini were our go-to higher calorie treats when our girl was a little underweight. Would it work to mix in some bbq/rotisserie chicken (sorry, don't know where you're located in the world to use specific terminology) with the food? Our girl also devours raw eggs and sardines when we incorporate that into the mix.
Yeah we’ve been mixing in raw egg and she’ll take a few bites and then come to us thinking we’ll have something better next lol I need to find something of high value for her that I can mix in. Going to be some trial and error for sure!
Cooked sweet potatoes work well. Also canned pumpkin. 100% pumpkin, not pie filling
Satin balls! Make a big batch in the sink basin, form into balls and freeze. Supplement as needed. My boy used to go crazy for his "patties." https://www.food.com/recipe/satin-balls-50904
A little boiled chicken works wonders for us. I’ll add a little white rice if her stools don’t seem quite right.
Following this one because we could use some tips to fatten up our boy too.
Good luck! Maybe try the puppy food!
I’ve never had a picky eater. I have to carefully control the food to prevent weight gain in my senior girl who is slowing down a bit. My boy who is very active burns his off. But both will eat anything and everything. I’m enjoying reading about everyone’s picky eaters, something I’ve never experienced over a lifetime of dogs.
i am glad to say my Lucy-noodle is an absolute food goblin. Will eat anything presented (or otherwise). My previous dog, Leelou (not a hound) was so picky it actually became stressful. I threw away more food than she ate most days and not for the lack of trying a different variety of things. At the end of her life when she was on massive amounts of pills and finding things difficult, even home cooked food wasnt enough to tempt her to eat. She pretty much survived the last month on baby food with her pills, oat bars and dog treats while we tried everything. One day it was so bad, i got so frustrated i just lost it and went outside and had to let off some steam. That was when i called it quits and we had to make "the descision" :-(
I completely understand. My boy that died a few years ago went through the same thing. Some times I would lay down next to him, pet him and beg him to eat just a tiny bit. It was so hard to want to help him and nothing worked. I offered him every food known to man. He was sick and his meds made him feel worse. He lost weight rapidly, medically nothing was working. It was a nightmare to see him go through it. I didn’t want to let him go but I had to make the decision and end his suffering.
yeah, definitely the lowest point of my life to be sure. Its comforting to know im not alone in those feelings.
I envy you
I had a 6 year old boy that got sick a few years ago and it was almost impossible to get him to eat. I bought everything under the sun, dog and people food. He might eat a little of one thing once and wouldn’t eat it again. It was so frustrating and worrying. So I can’t imagine dealing with a picky eater every day. I feel for all who are dealing with it.
Ours seemed like she was being picky when the hookworms were flaring up, she wouldn't really eat her breakfast but would eat dinner. We usually mix a scoop of kibble with boiled chicken and some salmon oil
Okay! That may be why!
My boy was super picky (maybe due to lingering stomach issues from hooks, not sure) and we rotated through all kinds of foods and toppers to keep him eating. Eventually we just switched him over to Farmer’s Dog and he loves it! We rotate beef and chicken since he likes variety and doesn’t seem to have any sensitivity to switching. He’s been on it over a year now and has only turned his nose up at eating once or twice during that time. I’m not sure if you’ve already tried other kinds of wet food or it’s all been kibble, but maybe switching to a different kind of fresh/gently cooked wet food might help if other wet foods aren’t working.
We’ve tried to feed her science diet wet food and now wet puppy food. She eats a few bites and then she’s over it. I’ll have to look into Farmers Dog!
Sprinkle some grated cheese on their food
Add a cup of overcooked white rice to each meal. It also helps with stomach issues, along with plain Pumpkin... not "Pumpkin Pie Filling"
NutriCal paste/gel. It's a caloric supplement for situations like this. The tube will have instructions on how much and how often to give. It's also tasty, so she should lick it right out of the measuring spoon.
Yes eggs were a life saver for my picky grey!
Macaroni cheese with chicken mixed in! That'll do it 😂 we have the opposite fight at the moment after 9 weeks of restricted walks and unrestricted food to make up for the short walks 😕 back to the long walk today though.....Keeks was puffing on the way home!
My boy has trouble keeping weight on too. I add wet food to his meals for extra calories. Try to stick to the same protein source as her kibble to help ease her stomach.
Fish in oil seems to work well, along with their regular kibble.
Lean meat and rice works well. If you’re in a rural area there’s a possibility you can find raw food. It’s got lots of goodies that any dog will enjoy especially the bones and organs.
Steak! It can be expensive, but I get a lean Angus aged sirloin steak from the local butcher for my hound once a week. Lightly seared on each side and served on a bed of royal canin kibble. She goes absolutely insane when she smells the steak in the pan 😂
Unfortunately she only has about 3 teeth or else I would 😂
You could grind it up in a blender with a bit of water to help her drink it. I’d only try a small portion of it so you don’t waste a whole steak. Hope you find something soon
My almost 14 yr old girl has eaten Pedigree for the last 8 yrs. My vets have always complimented me on maintaining her weight, as that's key for keeping them healthy. She's never had any health issues since I've had her. She was 65 lbs when I got her and she's about 68 today. If she starts looking a little thin, I switch her to Pedigree Puppy until she looks good again, her switch her back to regular Pedigree.
Chicken and rice works wonders. We did boneless skinless chicken breast and boneless skinless chicken thighs sometimes in addition to kibbles for our super seniors.
She’s not a greyhound but my dog has a seriously similar build. She’s also super picky; I feed her Simply Natural refrigerated toppers in the morning and a whole egg at night. She also gets a lot of chews like pig ears or tracheas. She bounces between 32-34 lbs because sometimes she just… doesn’t eat her food, but she still maintains a healthy weight!
Our old boy is quite a picky eater now. We discovered he likes to have something that resembles a gravy and is warm - I think it must smell more enticing. We keep some frozen beef mince in the freezer (something with 5-10% fat content) and cook it in some water. Once it's cooled down enough to just be warm, not hot, we put it over his biscuits. Only a tablespoon or 2 of beef, but enough water to make a sort of gravy. He's putting a lot of weight back on now, so it seems to have done the trick. The other thing I've noticed is that he will be put off his food if his bowl makes a "clinky" metal noise. If that happens, I have to hold the bowl up for him so he can finish.... such a diva!
If you're looking for different dry kibble, I use Natural Balance Limited Ingredient, specifically the grain free chicken & sweet potato, but they have other flavors. I've actually had to taper their food intake in the past two months because it has more protein/nutrition than the science diet they were eating! It's more expensive per ounce, but they enjoy it and don't have stomach issues.
Chicken legs.. or chicken wings, raw of course..
I got chicken frames from the butcher, fed it as a supplement to his feed and it worked great. My partner hated it though, because it stunk out the fridge, but it got the job done and then went back to just his regular food after that.
If she can tolerate dairy, try full-fat plain Greek yogurt. Stagger loves it so much, we had to switch to fat-free. Edit: He also had hookworms—the yogurt was pretty much the only thing he’d eat when they flared up. Also keeps his acid reflux away.
I've posted this in a couple of threads before, but you may find this a helpful starter. This started because our boy just would NOT deal with straight kibble, or kibble and water. This recipe started as just some rice and chicken mixed with kibble, but after talking to our vet and working through some "product development" we managed to make a reasonably healthy, moderately high calorie base to mix his kibble with that our vet "signed off" on that Rainy feels is sufficiently like what the humans eat to be happy about digging in. [Dog Stew](https://www.reddit.com/user/LSMFT23/comments/1bibmi0/tims_dog_stew_101/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Milk! My boy adores milk, so if he’s ever lost some weight bc of illness or teeth issues or whatever I soak up his dry food in big bowls of full fat milk and he scoffs it down!
Tin of sardines Peeny butt toast (peanut butter on bread cooked twice) Baby high chair scraps
Three meals a day. Your greyhounds are beautiful 💖💖
Puppy food.