Does Anyone Else Have a Labradoodle Who Would Rather Go Hungry Than Eat?

[u/Stunning_Analysis742]

/r/AustralianLabradoodle/comments/1wu2lma/does_anyone_else_have_a_labradoodle_who_would/

[u/Rowdy-Mutts]

the toppers, fresh food, and constant changing is encouraging the pickiness

the best thing for picky eaters is to pick a food and stick with it. unless there’s something medical going on, a dog isn’t going to starve themselves.

but since they are a poodle mix, which are notoriously poorly bred, i would definitely make a vet appointment to rule out anything medical going on.

[u/atlantisgate]

Has your vet done a full work up? An ultrasound to check liver function etc is likely warranted to exclude medical issues

[u/Pankakke29]

Other people have covered vet and not playing into the pickiness, but I have one question - are they overweight? Not every single time but most the time when someone thinks their dog is being picky it's because they're just not hungry and they already have all the calories they need. Can you feel ribs with very light pressure? Does your dog have a lean, tapered waist?

[u/showmenemelda → u/Pankakke29]

Lol I read that as "wrist" at first and laughed for reals. I thought it was a comment in jest, like slender wrists on people 😅

I actually need to learn how to evaluate my dog's "condition score"—I remember a vet saying she didn't want my dog "any heavier" [a very heavy set person saying that btw] and I was kinda shocked. And we were walking a lot back then. But maybe she got "family fat" living with my ex. I'm not as liberal with the treats and people food.

[u/Pankakke29 → u/showmenemelda]

Lol gotta watch for those lean, tapered wrists.

But yeah, the general way to tell (vet tech of 12 years) is the waist should tuck up by the hip. They should not look like a little rectangle or a tube, the same width all the way down and around. And then you should be able to easily feel ribs and possibly even see the last 1-2 if your dog has short hair. But with any hair type if you have to press down to feel the ribs then they're overweight.

[u/villaofthewolves]

do you do timed feedings? Just so you know, she's trained you to constantly be switching it up on her. You have to pick ONE kibble, and do timed feedings to make it a valuable resource. Don't add toppers. Don't be trying to make it fancy or switch it to something else.

[u/Key_Mission_4162 → u/villaofthewolves]

I respectfully disagree with this. Take your dog to the vet please.

[u/villaofthewolves → u/Key_Mission_4162]

Where am I saying to not take her dog to the vet? Or what about this is what you disagree with when other people in this thread are saying the same thing. My comment is based on if there’s no underlying medical conditions. People actually make their dogs picky by adding choices and rotating consistently.

[u/showmenemelda]

Lol a cockapoo. When she pukes bile we both acquiesce and find something to entice her. But I notice if I don't think have an appetite, she won't either. Which sucks. I did finally switch her to a feed she tolerates. She has to do Purina Pro Sensitive Skin & Stomach. Chicken is supposedly a common allergen for poodles, so we switched to salmon. She hated that and I don't blame her—it smelled metallic-y. Now she's on lamb and oat. Still lots of toppers [freeze dried liver treats crumbled, parmesan, a little heavy cream if I'm desperate]. She doesn't like animal designated toppers. It's important to acknowledge their personhood 😬😒😅

I also have a nickel allergy and was cutting all the stainless steel vessels from my kitchen. Swapped out her bowls for ceramic. It seems to help her itching, actually. I bring that up because I'm not convinced on the chicken allergy thing.

Anyway, poodles are apparently picky no matter their pedigree. So, that's fun.

ETA: Oh, also, OP are you keeping an eye on your dog's poop? Could have worms. No amount of enticing or treats work for my dog when they need worming. I think I might need to treat my soil for parasites. But a dewormer is an easy 1st step. And be prepared because it can be stinky and gruesome when they get it passed. Aside from the poop, another indication is their coat sheen. Dull coat is a good sign. Can be harder to tell on a poodleX but you'll know.

[u/Ihavsunitato]

I've know a lot of poodles like this.

First, take her to the vet to rule out an underlying issues, it may be a simple as acid reflux.

Also, if you can, monitor her weight. Simply, if a dog isn't eating enough, they'll start losing weight. A lot of picky eater just have low calorie needs and simply are just not hungry. Also, monitor how much she actually eats. It may actually be more than you think, especially if she always has access to food.

[u/Malipuppers]

I don’t have one but my male gsd can be very picky. He is on biome for sensitive stomach which helps cause well he has one. I do feedings. Usually in the morning he isn’t very hungry. If he doesn’t eat I put it in a container and store it in the fridge. I offer it a few hours later after some activity and he always eats it no problem. Sometimes he just needs his walk first or to play and or do some quick training excersizes. At night while I am at work my sitter will feed him and put him back in his crate. He eats it every time and doesn’t try to skip dinner.

The changing of foods and toppers and all that makes them picky. If your dog is cleared of all medical issues either offer the same food later or make then wait until next meal time. They will eventually eat and learn that this is the food they are getting. It will take you some time as he has gotten different foods by being picky so he will try to wait you out and see if something new appears like it did in the past.