People eat food for the day, and dogs do the same. Once the dog has a picky eater, the owner must be very anxious. In fact, different breeds of dogs are not the same in eating habits. Some dogs are born with a tendency to picky eaters. For dogs, some environment, the cause of the disease, or the wrong operation of the owner when feeding, may also cause them. Picky eaters.
As early as 1981, in the dog behavior survey, the researchers found that dogs do have some innate preferences in diet, they show a strong bias towards the taste of meat and sugar, such as in white water. And syrup, they tend to show a greater interest in sugar water. In a study by Katherine Houpt and Sharon Smith, it was also suggested that dogs like canned or cooked meat over fresh raw meat, and that canned or semi-wet foods outperform dry food. In addition, the taste of the food has a great influence on the choice of dogs. Of course, in the selection of meat and non-meat foods, they will not change greatly, but between different meats. Dogs will show a preference for some tastes when making choices.
Some reasons for picky eaters
Pathological reasons:
If the dog is eating normally on a weekday, it suddenly shows some picky and anorexia reactions, especially when the body begins to become thin, the hair is unkempt, and the spirit is not good. At this time, the dog may be suffering from certain diseases and should be immediately Go to the veterinarian to check if the cause of the dog's picky eaters is caused by the stomach, teeth or other diseases. Once diagnosed, the dog's diet should be changed in a timely manner, using a prescription food recommended by the veterinarian, or making a nutritious meal under the guidance of a veterinarian until the dog is healthy.
Eat used to human food:
It is one of the most common reasons for dog picky. Many owners like to feed their dogs with some food they usually eat. After a long time, dogs will have a habit of eating, like to eat human food, but not interested in the dog food bought by the owner. In addition to the owner's favor, the dog's initiative to ask the owner for food on the table is also the cause of this phenomenon. A 2006 study found that dogs “get food preferences by interacting with recently-fed homologs,” meaning that it produces food-related odors from other dogs or hosts that come into contact with them. Preference is one of the reasons why dogs like to ask their owners for food. However, the food on the human table is often not suitable for dogs because it contains more salt. If you want to avoid the dog's habit of picky eating, you should insist on not feeding the leftovers to the dog. Dogs eat dog food normally.
Changes in food
If the dog adapts to certain dog food for a long time, if the owner suddenly changes to other types or brands of dog food, it may cause discomfort in the dog, which may lead to picky performance. However, experts believe that regular replacement of dog food is good for a balanced intake of dogs. So when the owner wants to change the dog food for the dog, you can gradually add some new food to the original dog food, and then gradually increase the proportion of new food until all the old dog food is replaced. However, if the owner frequently changes the dog's diet and feeds a variety of foods, this will increase the dog's choice of space, which will also cause the dog's preference for some of the food, resulting in a picky eater. Bad habits. Therefore, the owner should fix the dog's food within certain categories and make a reasonable and relatively fixed feeding plan. Don't change too often.
Feed too many snacks:
Just like a human child, if the owner is too fond of love and often feeds the dog with snacks, the dog will be “addicted” to the snack and become unpalatable. This is caused by the owner's long-term feeding. Therefore, in order to maintain good eating habits and good health of the dog, try not to provide snacks to the dog on a regular basis, as long as it is occasionally given some relief, encouragement or comfort.
Emotional tension:
Dogs tend to feel nervous when they are in a strange environment, such as coming to an unfamiliar place or visiting a stranger at home, and the nervous emotions will make the dog's appetite worse, and the food will be reduced. If you return to the familiar environment, Dogs generally return to normal. If this change in the environment is irreversible, the owner should patiently accompany and help the dog adapt to the new environment as soon as possible, regaining self-confidence and good appetite. Other reasons are that the dog is frightened or nervous, and it also causes the picky eating performance of the dog's appetite. At this time, the owner needs to be comforted to calm down and calm the dog.
In addition to some of the above special circumstances, the owner should help the dog to develop a standardized diet table when feeding the dog at the beginning, and feed the dog regularly according to the diet table, if the dog is in a certain period of time (for example, 15 -20 minutes) If you have not finished eating food, you should first collect the food and wait for the next feeding. This will prevent the dog from eating at random at all times and develop an irregular habit of eating. As long as the dog looks happy, healthy and normal, you can stick to your feeding table and make appropriate adjustments based on the dog's growth.
If you want to cultivate a healthy eating habit for dogs, you need your long-term persistence and you should not quit halfway. If there are other people in the family, then they should supervise each other and act together to formulate a dog's diet correction plan and strictly implement it. Thus, under the guidance of the owner and other family members, the dog can gradually get rid of the bad habit of picky eaters. Develop good eating habits and lay a solid foundation for your health.
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