Mr. Picky

[Fran Griffin]

Barkley was absolutely terrible. He would go off his food for days at a time, then when his appetite returned he would only pick his way through very specific things, and if those things weren't offered, he would just walk away from his bowl with a real look of disgust.

After a couple of bouts of sickness, and vet checks where I expressed my concern that he was starting to show the same symptoms as Tallulah, they found nothing at all wrong - they said. I was told that his blood results were all perfectly normal and no, you are over reacting because of Tallulah!

I know, I know, I should have demanded to see the results.   In the meantime, Barkley had turned into Mr. Pencil man as he was so thin.  However, eventually one of the emergency vets discovered (here we go again) a mild pancreatic abnormality.  His blood results were indeed flagging issues, despite the lazy medicine of the others who just overlooked the slight dip in certain markers.

Anyway the upshot of all this is that I bunged him on the same digestive enzymes as Tallulah. Now for months Barkley has wolfed down just about everything put in front on him (apart from tripe) and has licked the bowl clean, AND come to me looking for more. When I have given him more he was so stuffed that he started complaining of tummy ache, so I think I know now just how much he needs (despite all the looks of "I'm still starving mum). 

Now he wolfs down his food, he looks stunning. Lovely weight and whats more, no more trips to the vet with bouts of sickness or any other symptoms.  His last visit to the vets was September last year which was related to bee stings! 

He has now lost the title.... Mr. Picky. If your dog is fed a very good species appropriate diet, and is being very picky, has regular gastric upsets which the vet can find no cause for, give those enzymes a try.  Likewise you may be amazed by the results, and save some of your money disappearing into your vets account.

[Lois McCullough]

After Hamilton's nasty bout of Pancreatitis in May 2012 we have had to be very careful with his diet ie no FAT. He has settled - fingers crossed- on breast of chicken or white fish with salmon complete and fish treats 2 meals a day. Worth having a look at www.fish4dogs.co.uk  website I'm definitely an advocate of fish in their diet 

[Fran Griffin]

My guys all love fish 4 dogs. Its one of two treats I will give them that are purchased from pet stores. The other is stag horns, although they have been known to cause a couple of miner scraps between Barkley and DaisyMae.  Its strange, they seem to go on and off those, depending on what mood they are in. However, when one starts chewing on one of them, you bet your sweet life the other two will start looking for one as well.

[Jennie Benstead]

Riley and Cassie also have fish....But Riley wont eat them with the heads on any more... I thought he dont like them watching him..lol

[silvia]

this is a very heplpful message, thanks Fran! Oberon is not underweight, but just because we crazily swap and rotate food.. he's extremely picky, so at least I would like to have  a try ! which kind of enzymes would you use/recommend? I see you posted something about mercola, but it looks as a US website? (we are in the UK)

Ronda: of course I hope he'll not have the same reaction as Kerry, but just to make sure I reckon it, may you please say a bit more (i.e. what happened exactly ?) thanks !!!

[Fran Griffin]

Hi Silvia. You are welcome.  We are in the UK and get ours from here:

http://www.evolutionorganics.co.uk/dr-mercola-digestive-enzymes-for...

The enzymes are porcine. Dr. Karen Becker does state why she prefers these on one of her videos, but some dogs can and do react to them. The best thing to do is try just one scoop to start off with and see how he goes, and then increase to 3 which is how Becker suggests introducing them.  Hopefully he wont have any problems at all. I only give DaisyMae a small amount on a daily basis.

[silvia]

thanks Fran, we can have a try. As I said we are not in trouble , luckily, but anything that may help with the appetite is welcome, so at least we could stop to do a real "food show" at meal times to start the interest of `our` Mr Picky;)

[Rhonda Fisher]

Same food but when enzymes were added he had very bad diarrhoea and then became wary of his food.  Kerry has a mix of foods never just dry. He seems to like Proplan sensitve stomach for this month! Raw chicken wings, cooked roo and beef, (wont't eat it raw no matter what anyone says) and then a rotation of what takes his fancy sprinkled on top. He has been eating very well for a while now. Raw food equals meat scraps when I am trimming our food. Loves lamb and steak scraps and the belted gallaway dog meat but not too often. I know from our two when I tried it on Murhpy that it just depends on the dog. Murphy was fine but being such a food orientated dog, the last thing I need is for him to increase his appetite. They both have lovely coats and Kerry can out run a swallow. My guess is that Kerry is a high flying business man that has come back as a dog and this place does not do duck pate! Despite the offended looks I keep offering raw bones etc, some days he huffs and chews them. Other days if looks could kill I would be a dead lady walking.  

[Torie Lancaster]

Mine have the trimmings off raw meat too Rhonda in fact they eat anything I put in front of them...roast dinner with all the trimmings, spaghetti bolognese, stir-fry veg and anything else left over from dinner and not a loose doo doo in sight :)

[Rhonda Fisher]

If Kerry could sit at the table he would Torie. My sister has often suggested just make a third plate for dinner and be done with it.

[Trish Haill]

Oh Rhonda you've just described Bess. If she could eat human food she'd be happy. Talk about picky. She's on raw, but I've started having to be firm with her. Venison trimmings? Gone in a flash. So I buy more (not the cheapest meat!). She walks away from them. Almost everything I offer she likes the first time, but not the second. I've started just keeping on giving it back to her until she deigns it edible.

What really annoys me is if she comes across six week old rotting road kill she'll pull me over o get a bite. Go figure!!

[Rhonda Fisher]

Trish I think on some days I would let her eat it. Perhaps these two need to do Japanese sushi trains. Where food on little plates goes around and around on a conveyor belt. As long as Murhpy was not on the other side. Plates would be empty for a second time around.

[Dianne cook]

Please excuse my ignorance but if my Setter was suffering from a malabsorption problem, what symptoms would be evident?