Why does my dog have a weird diet?

Question

I love Ellie, she is a rescue from Romania and is 10 months old. She does not eat anything hard or anything bigger than a small crouton if it is dog food. I have to mash up canned dog food. She will not eat dog treats. Her choice of treats are : brussel sprouts, carrots, celery, lettuce, pickled beets, green olives, black olives, fresh mushrooms and a few other things. She will turn her nose up at meat except for chicken. I have had several dogs over the years but never one with the same tastes as Ellie. She is 10 months old, weighs 24 pounds and is a true mutt. Our vet assures me that Ellie is healthy as a horse. And she is a happy little charachter. I don't want to change her but I am so curious why she eats like she does.

Answer 1

I lost my dog unexpectedly. I was sick in the hospital and she passed away the night before I was released the next morning. A few years later I told a student this (he was staying for after school test prep). I started crying. A little background on this student: he was initiated into a gang when he was about 9 years old. He quickly fell into a life of crime and delinquency. A rival from another gang shot him 10 times — 5 bullets pierced his arm, leg, hands. He was tough as all hell. Nevertheless he trusted and respected me as a teacher.



He let me cry for a few minutes. Then he said, “You know, dogs are guardian angels. They’re sent to this earth to make sure you’re safe. Once they know you’re safe, they have to leave the earth, and make sure other souls are safe.”

Answer 2

DO NOT FORCE FEED MEAT some animals have different taste, there was a Lioness who was a vegetarian, a shark who was vegetarian, if they can obtain all the nutrient and energy then there is nothing wrong in letting them eat what they want to eat.

Answer 3

She is an individual & has her own style. You may never know why she only eats small stuff. Did Vet check her throat to see if she had issues swallowing?



You do need to get more meat to her some how. Dogs are meat eaters. Someone may have been trying to turn into a Vegetarian. Do the best you can to get her to eat meat. Raw hamburger, raw chicken, bones & all. Try boiled hamburger & rice or boiled chicken & rice & add some kibble to it or some meat. This is a mainstay at most rescues to help bring emaciated dogs back to a healthy diet.

Answer 4

Yes she has a weird diet, but you need to make sure she has meat in the diet. Try making homemade food by mixing those things with the chicken. Look online for healthy recipes.

Answer 5

IF her teeth are alright, she may have grown up as a street dog; as others have suggested & eaten what she could find in the garbage/trash. Even wild canines & lupines DO EAT some vegetable matter in the stomachs & craw of their KILL, so the desire for vegetable matter is not inappropriate. In fact, the STOMACH is normally the first organ removed by the ALPHA, in a pack.



However, some of what you are feeding is not esp healthy and ought to STOP. I would remove the olives & mushrooms. When eating veggie matter from the stomachs of prey, it is already partially DIGESTED. Pet dogs cannot digest plant cellulose, UNLESS it is one of the following: pureed, previously frozen, lightly steamed, or fermented (like sauerkraut). So to help your dog digest and get the MOST out of what you ARE feeding you need to "treat the veggie matter' in one of the above ways, accordingly (per my holistic vet) WHO DOES RECOMMEND adding dark green leafy veggies (especially) to the canine diet for anti-oxidents, anti-cancer fighting nutrients, extra minerals, vitamins & FIBER. The lettuce, carrots, brussel sprouts & celery (are all okay) but not as rich in the healthy anti-oxidents.



If you feed chicken (as the protein choice) in a home cooked or as part of a raw diet; you HAVE to figure the correct amount and feed some source of CALCIUM (which you do not mention). Your dog will have weak bones & poor teeth if you DO NOT FEED some amount of calcium and are not feeding an appropriate amount of raw bone.



Canned dog food is 75 to 80% WATER and not worth the money you pay for it.

Answer 6

any dogs who eats veggies will be very healthy and rarely get sick

Answer 7

I agree with Jojo. You may not be aware of Ellie's past and lifestyle back then (which can include food habit/taste). Adding on she's only 10 months old, which is still rather young, her taste pallet will change.



I bet as a kid you've had that one type of food you used to hate, and now you love. For me it was broccoli.



I also have a dog, named Brownie (12 years old Toy Poodle). He's blind (something to do with his family genes) and slow. When he was young my parents and I noticed he didn't like eating apples. He'd barked or run away. But now my 12-year-old buddy would legit steal an apple from the fridge, mind you he can't see!



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But have you checked his teeth for any cavities or chip offs? It could possibly be the cause of her not eating anything hard or big, but probably she's still young and developing her teeth.



Keep an eye on her!

Answer 8

If she lived on the streets the garbage she came across was probably most vegetables.



But STOP filling her up with these things. She's a CARNIVORE and has no use for vegetables. Have you gotten it to a vet to see if it might have an issue with its teeth and that's why it only likes tiny things to eat?

Answer 9

I think you may find that if you don't feed her as you are now, and just put regular dog food down for her, eventually she willl eat as other dogs do? Healthy dogs don't usually starve themselves to collapse.



I'd be careful re mushrooms btw. And not olives? Mine enjoy the crisp ends of lettuce, apples and carrots but not as part of their basic diet.

Answer 10

She was probably once a street dog and got used to eating scraps she would scavenge for.

Her tastes may change as she matures and is offered other food stuff.