Fussy Eaters

Some pet owners are faced with the task of creating a balanced diet for a less than enthusiastic eater. There are several tricks to help you switch your pet to a raw diet no matter now fussy the animal. Switching from a commercial diet to raw can be frustrating when your pet chooses the old food over the new. There are some commercial foods that add taste enhancers and other additives that cats and dogs become virtually addicted to. It is difficult to convince some animals that they can enjoy new foods.

When animals eat commercial foods from a young age, they recognise the texture, taste, smell as something to eat. Because the raw diet is very different to the senses, it can be an unwelcome addition to the food bowl. Pets who are allowed to free feed on a commercial diet have this eating habit engrained into them. The first step to switching a pet who free feeds is to create meal times and offer food twice or three times per day for 30-60 minutes. This will give their stomachs a chance to rest between feedings and increase hunger for when you offer new foods. Quick changes can be unwelcoming and can cause digestive upset so all changes should be done gradually.

When offering new foods to your pet, make transitions gradual. The most successful way to switch pets from dry food is to soak the food with either water or unsalted chicken broth. Next, try adding a good quality (holistic) canned food to the moistened dry food, one tablespoon at a time. Another method, if your pet does not like canned foods, is to cook a meat (with no bone) of your choice such as chicken breast or ground beef (drain excess fats from cooked red meats) and offer this in small portions either mixed with the moistened dry or by itself. You can decrease cooking time until it is in an almost raw state and then mix the raw meals into the cooked meat. If an upset tummy happens, make your switch more gradually. There is no right or wrong time frame for switching. Go with what your pet tells you is right.