[Elin]

So, I had had my JRT (13 months, currently) on Orijen puppy food from 9 months to 11 months and had great success. He got tired of it after a while (even with different wet foods mixed in, that's always been a must for him) so I switched him to the Orijen "all life stages" at 11 months. He did really well on the Orijen digestive-wise... but he was never really enamored by the taste of it, and by 13 months old (after 2 months on the food) he refused to finish his meals unless it was primarily comprised of wet food. This wouldn't concern me except that he is very active and is in good weight now, but loses weight much more easily than he gains it (typical for his breed and age?). Last week I bought a bag of Evo Red to try with him, and although he really likes the taste, it has been giving him EXPLOSIVE diarrhea (think shaken soda bottle) even though I've weaned him onto it. The only time I can get his digestion back in order is when I feed him a meal of only chicken and rice and no kibble. I'm looking for advice on what other kibble brand I might try that would be similar to quality (high) to Orijen and Evo, but maybe not quite as rich as the Evo? Like I said, he DID do well on the Orijen, he was just really fussy about eating it (maybe I should just go get another bag of Orijen and make him deal with taste.... ugh, what an expensive experiment this is!). Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[PUNKem733]

All i can say is dogs are like kids they want to eat the crap foods, not the good for you healthy stuff. My dog used to eat Iams about 7-9 years ago, and loved it, would gobble it down like there was a race. Now on Orijen, and Evo, and Horizon Legacy he will be picky, he'll look at me sometimes, as if to say, "you want me to eat this?!". Though somedays he'll eat almost all of it, if not all of it without a second thought.

I give my cats, and a cat that lives outside the crappiest food possible, as my cats will only that that garbage, and he'll do a face plant into the outdoor cat's bowl when he goes to the backyard to do his business, I always have to watch out for him. Why? Because the crap foods have sugars and fats, and salts to make them more palatable for animals to eat.

So basically you can't have him training you, you have to put your foot down and give him what's good for him. I always placed my dog's food down and if he hasn't eaten or finished in 15 mins it gets put in the frig until later that evening. I do mix his canned foods and since adding freeze dried liver, he eats the food now like it was the crap foods.