Picky eaters

[Hercules Momma]

Ok.. Hercules and Hummer are driving me nuts! I have been feeding them twice a day, once early in the morning and then again early evening. Well, for the last week in a half. They have just let their breakfast sit there all day without eating it! Hummer wants to eat some, but he won't eat if Hercules doesn't eat first! I've even resorted to sitting on the floor trying to hand feed Hummer, sometimes he'll eat a little sometimes he won't eat a thing.
Now.. if I decide to eat breakfast suddenly they are both interested and hungry for whatever I'm eating. I've tried to keep them away when I eat. I've even thought about eating their food so that maybe they would be interested in it! LOL!
I've tried differnt things and it just seems like I'm wasting food, because they won't eat and it gets all dried out. I usually end up throwing it away.
I have noticed that occasionally they will get a bit of dry food from the kitties bowl and eat it, but they are so picky!
Anyone have any suggestions to my picky eaters?

[Amaze]

Hi Renata,
First of all what and how much are you feeding them? Chihuahuas are notorious for "hunger strikes" when they are allowed access to food all day long. Here's a few ideas you can try. Try scheduled feeding, in the am and pm but only leave the food down for 1 hour at a time (I only leave H&T's down for 30 minutes). Feed Hummer and Hercules in seperate rooms. Hummer is allowing Hercules, as the dominant dog, to feed first. If he can't see wheither or not Herc is eating, he may decide it is okay to eat. Add a low-fat, flavorful yummy like a bit of parmesaen cheese, or green beans simmered in a bit of garlic powder. Mostly, when H&T's begging gets bad, they are cut off of table treats until they go back to eating their breakfast/dinner immediately when it is put down. I do indulge them with healthy bits of our dinner mixed in their food from time to time (for example, I made lentil/spinach soup from scratch and they are each getting a spoonful in with their kibble at dinner this week) that keeps them happy with the variety. I also feed Wellness canned food with is great because you can switch between flavors (chicken, duck, white fish, lamb, and beef) because all the ingredients are exactly the same other than the main protein source so it doesn't usually cause stomach upset. I also feed the Wawas a mixture of dry kibble since their is no such thing as "complete nutrition" as many dog foods claim and it is another way that they get great variety. (I use Wellness, Canidae (sp?), Biljac (their "junkfood"), and rotate Solid Gold, and a few other brands occasionally.) Hope this helps!
Lys

[Romans Mom]

How are Hummer and Hercules doing with the hunger strikes? ;-) Roman used to do this a lot, then stopped. It used to worry me. Then when we got Elle, she was so excited with each meal, like a baby lamb with a bottle, and Roman would join right into her excitement. Then they both went through not acting interested in it.

It was frustrating to me too because they would waste their food since it's not good to leave canned food out longer than 20 minutes to make sure the above 40 degree danger of bacteria growth didn't occur. (They all get a little with thier dry food for flavor. )

I took Lys's advice and picked up the food. :) Then I usually feed them a little earlier for dinner and they would eat it.

PS All 3 of mine eat Science Diets for their ages with a dab of Pedigree beef and chicken and they really like it. Elle gets a little more for her puppy energy. :) They get really bummed acting if we give them lamb canned food; they hate the flavor! :???:

[Hercules Momma]

They are still being picky.. Hercules rarely wants to eat in the morning, but I hate not feeding them till later in the day. Especially since I've started back to work. Hummer will eat in the morning IF I sit on the floor with him and put a little on the floor at a time, then he'll eat it.. otherwise he acts like he's afraid of his plate. There has only been a time or two that he'll go eat on his own without me putting little bits on the floor for him to eat.
But.. I know if they get hungry enough when I've taken up the soft food that they can always go eat the cat's dry food until I come home later.