6-year sheltie won't eat

[cynlee]

My 6-year old sheltie has always been a really fussy eater, but lately won't even look at his food. I have always given him dry food, and at times have mixed in some wet food (which he loves). Unfortunately, the wet food doesn't agree with him, otherwise I would just switch to it. Any suggestions...I've been told they will eat when they are hungry, but I'd feel better if he would start "chowing" down.

[Purpledomino]

What do you mean when you say that wet food does not agree with him? Perhaps it's the brand you tried? Canned food generally has less grains and preservatives I believe due to the canning process itself. Most canned foods also contain more meat, and moisture which is healthy for your dog. Of course you need to feed a quality food whichever type you choose, and gradually introduce it if your pup is sensitive to diet changes.

[rainbow]

Have you taken him to the vet to rule out any medical issues? What brand of kibble are you feeding him?

[geisha]

A good friend of mine has a sheltie who is also a fussy eater. Eventually She would even turn her nose up @ Orijen. The solution for her sheltie was raw.

[RaceLaguna]

Have you looked into Evanger's canned products? They have some canned foods that are actual real meat cooked in the can. Nothing else, not pureed, or re-configured into some interesting chunks. Just a "Hunk of Beef" or "Chicken" with water in a can. Granted you would have to add vitamins if this was your dogs sole diet, but as a topper or just to get your guy to eat, it is a good choice.

A woman I know is caretaking a Standard Poodle for several months. This poodle was so thin and getting thinner by the day. Even after a thorough check up and blood panel by the vet..no illness could be found. So basically this dog was refusing to eat and the owners didn't want to encourage him to be picky so they wouldn't switch his food. The caretaker talked the owners into letting her experiment with different foods and she discovered that this poodle loves Evanger's canned foods! I saw this dog over a month after he started eating the canned diet and I was shocked! He has gained quite a bit of weight including muscle tone, and he looks happy and energetic! I was thrilled at his new condition

I was so thrilled, in fact, that I went and bought some of the canned food for my dog, too! She gobbles it up with such gusto and licks the bowl clean afterwards. It might be worth a try for your Sheltie, that is if you don't want to do a raw diet. Most dogs appreciate raw meat, too.