My nine month-old labrapig seems to be going through a picky patch. He has been eating Hills Science Plan (Large Puppy) since he was weaned, and usually eats it quite happily from either his anti-gulp bowl, or his maze toy. Recently, Saba is walking away from the kibble, although he will take it from my hand when we're training. I've just loaded his maze with his lunch quota, and looking out the door, there's kibble all over the patio! Saba has emptied the toy, but had very little of the kibble. I'm wondering if I should hide something really tasty in with the kibble to encourage him to eat, or whether he really has 'gone off' Hills, and needs a change. Last night, he had the fat from a couple of steaks mixed in, which seemed to do the trick. Saba is lively, drinking well, pooing like a champion, and passing the usual noxious fumes, so seems to be in the rudest of health. We are very strict with feeding; nothing from the table, and the training rewards are taken from his daily allowance - if only I could be as strict with myself as I am with Saba I would welcome any advice or guidance please!
Have you checked the date on the bag? Sometimes, a bag is just a bad batch and so they're more reluctant to eat it , or it might have just gone past its best. Has it been in the warm, or in the light too much? I'd be tempted to get a small bag of the same stuff and see if he's any more enthusiastic with that.
Good thinking! It's not out of date (09/2017), and is stored, sealed up in the dark in a cool dry larder. I'll order a small bag and try him with that. There's still a good couple of weeks feed in the open bag, but if he won't eat it, I may as well cut my losses and try with a new bag. I'm certainly not going to order another 11kg bag until I can be reasonably sure that Saba is going to eat it. Thanks for the suggestion!
Honestly I feel your pain. I was expecting to have an absolute gannet when I got a labrador but Riley went through 5 different types of food before I gave up changing his dry food. Now I buy a decent quality kibble that isn't crazy money (he even went off Orijen at however many millions of pounds it cost me!) and small wet food pouches and give him half the pouch with his breakfast and half with his dinner. Because the wet food is a variety pack this brings some different flavours in each day. His kibble still forms the bulk of his balanced diet. Sometimes he won't dive straight in but I have far, far fewer instances of him leaving food now. If he leaves it I just pick it up. He's a good weight so I don't worry any more. Hope you find a way that works for you
I've been in touch with Hills, who confirm there are no reported problems with the batch Saba is refusing to eat. However, they do offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so I now have a voucher for the cost of the 11kg bag, so that's brilliant! He's now refused both Ava and Wainwrights, but is reluctantly eating Arden Grange, provided it has some sort of meat with it. I've ordered a bag of Guru as Saba happily ate the contents of the sample pack I ordered. I'm a bit worried that he's under-eating at the moment, but he seems happy enough, and has plenty energy. We're due at puppy clinic soon for a weight check, but I'm going to take him next week as I think he has a cyst on one of his testicles. I'm hoping that's all it is...
I buy food in 1.5kg bags, and when I look at the price of different foods, I always compare on the weight I intend to buy. Charlie is such a good 'doer' and I get a billion miles to the kibble, or so it seems, and I threw out the end of large sacks so often it was a false economy. He is now on a single protein and single carbohydrate source kibble that I buy in foil sealed 1.5kg bags. Massive sacks were a waste of money for me.
