I give up!

[MickeysMummy]

I've tried a multitude of brands for Mickey.
He refused about 60% of them and threw up the other 40%.
Hes had skin allergies, fur loss, vomiting, refusal of food, lethargy and swollen gums/tongue.

Ive tried grain free, with grain, gluten free, egg free, hormone free, raw, small bites, wet food.
I mean, if they make it. Ive tried it.
Even cheap brands like wal-marts "Pure Balance."

That actually seemed to be working for a bit but now were on day 2 of refusal of the brand.

I was looking into FROMM products for him but Im unsure of which "Flavor" to get for him.

Ive read bullies are disagreeable with red meat, fish, potato, grain, chicken ( heard this one a lot )

What would be my best bet with purchasing a FROMM or different food brand.
I feel like Im out of options.

HALP!

 

[TyTysmom]

I've tried a multitude of brands for Mickey.
He refused about 60% of them and threw up the other 40%.
Hes had skin allergies, fur loss, vomiting, refusal of food, lethargy and swollen gums/tongue.

Ive tried grain free, with grain, gluten free, egg free, hormone free, raw, small bites, wet food.
I mean, if they make it. Ive tried it.
Even cheap brands like wal-marts "Pure Balance."

That actually seemed to be working for a bit but now were on day 2 of refusal of the brand.

I was looking into FROMM products for him but Im unsure of which "Flavor" to get for him.

Ive read bullies are disagreeable with red meat, fish, potato, grain, chicken ( heard this one a lot )

What would be my best bet with purchasing a FROMM or different food brand.
I feel like Im out of options.

HALP!

Okay first things first - Lethargy & swollen gums is not something you want to ignore - these two are big indicators that something can be wrong health wise. I believe you should get him to a vet ASAP to be checked out.

In regards to his food - if you are making these changes quickly, this could also be a problem. You have to transition the food over time, and allow at least a month or so for the new food to settle in. Food wise, if you have done this already, and tried all others - I would look into RAW.

But again, not to scare you or anything - I believe those two signs regarding his gums & lethargy call for vet right away. Does he tend to eat things? Could he have eaten anything foreign? A toy, a ball, etc? I'm piecing things together here off a few of your posts now. Is he pooping normally? The vomiting, refusal of food, gums inflamed all lead me to think he may be obstructed with something? I would ask for xrays, and full checkup, fever, blood, etc.

Again, not to scare you - just really want whats best for Mickey here. Please let us know....

 

[bullmama]

Is Mickey generally a picky eater?

Also, just want to be sure you are switching foods doing a slow transition, not just doing a straight up switch, as this can cause tremendous tummy upset.

On topic, I have great success with Beef Fritatta or the Lamb and Lentil flavors.

 

[MickeysMummy]

Is Mickey generally a picky eater?

Also, just want to be sure you are switching foods doing a slow transition, not just doing a straight up switch, as this can cause tremendous tummy upset.

On topic, I have great success with Beef Fritatta or the Lamb and Lentil flavors.

I was considering the wild game or the beef. I do it slowly. I contacted his old owners about his eating etc and she told me they fed him the green NUTRO small bites. (which ive tried to serve him and hes refused )
Any way, hes a really healthy boy. More so now than he ever was as hes been fully vetted and tended to over everything.
The vet knows about the feeding issues and tells me to keep trying different brands until hes comfortable with something.
So i was tempted to buy the Beef FROMM. I think thatll be my next purchase.

Mickey is like a puzzle that Im trying to solve.
Thanks for your inputs

 

[MickeysMummy]

Okay first things first - Lethargy & swollen gums is not something you want to ignore - these two are big indicators that something can be wrong health wise. I believe you should get him to a vet ASAP to be checked out.

In regards to his food - if you are making these changes quickly, this could also be a problem. You have to transition the food over time, and allow at least a month or so for the new food to settle in. Food wise, if you have done this already, and tried all others - I would look into RAW.

But again, not to scare you or anything - I believe those two signs regarding his gums & lethargy call for vet right away. Does he tend to eat things? Could he have eaten anything foreign? A toy, a ball, etc? I'm piecing things together here off a few of your posts now. Is he pooping normally? The vomiting, refusal of food, gums inflamed all lead me to think he may be obstructed with something? I would ask for xrays, and full checkup, fever, blood, etc.

Again, not to scare you - just really want whats best for Mickey here. Please let us know....

Yes, Ive just received and responded to your PM.
Hes not a chewer, he only likes his toys and i watch him while he rips them to shreds. I pick up the pieces and give him a new toy when one is finished. Hes never gotten into the childrens play room or up in thei bedrooms. I'm very careful to pick up and vacuum the house.

Its just come to mind that HE DOES become a bit of a land shark around the dining tables, (adult and childrens)
Maybe he refuses because he gets food from the childrens dining area.
Well be having a talk with the wee ones about feeding the puppy

 

[nycbullymama]

How long have you had him?

A lot of times when a dog's re-homed, it takes a bit for them to get adjusted and start eating. I had to hand feed Blue for a looong time when we first got him. Wellie wasn't interested in food either at first.

 

[MickeysMummy]

How long have you had him?

A lot of times when a dog's re-homed, it takes a bit for them to get adjusted and start eating. I had to hand feed Blue for a looong time when we first got him. Wellie wasn't interested in food either at first.

Going on 3 months now.

 

[2bulldogsstuff]

It was trial and error for me with Brett. Breeder had him on Costco brand dog food. He did well with it but I wanted more high quality so I tried TOTW. He seems to be licking his paws so much on that and vomited so I got Fromm Beef Fritata and so far so good. And got Logan and put him on that too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Manydogs]

I am assuming that the vet has checked inside his mouth-no bad teeth,or gum infection? Just a thought. [MENTION=14216]MickeysMummy[/MENTION]

 

[Texas Carol]

Going on 3 months now.

Usa, sometimes it takes them awhile to really settle in even tho it can
seem like they already have. The only way to know this is to see the
difference when they do, finally, trust they are HOME.

I've had two rehomed bullies, both around 5 yrs old when I got them.
Both were sweethearts and seemingly settled right in, as time went on,
there were little things...time went on and as they truly understood and
trusted me, it was an awesome & surprising thing to me.

You'll see

Give Mickey some loving from me & Cami.

 

[g8erjackie]

Have you tried giving him a "topper" like canned green beans, Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese? That can help make the food more appealing.

 

[dalmatina38]

My girls get picky sometimes; Ruby will take spells where she decides she is not going to eat. I always resource to eggs; lots of folks don't give their dogs raw eggs but my girls get raw eggs daily. I put their kibbles in a bowl and each gets an egg and I mix it all up. Ruby becomes a vacumm instantly so I just give each of them an egg every morning and that solved the picky egger syndrome in my house. Both my girls have a beautiful coat and shed very little except for the once a year full bore coat shedding. Don't misunderstand, just because I say they don't shed much doesn't mean I don't own stock in lint rollers because we still buy them in a gross supply. Good luck.

 

[RazrRila99]

Just bear with Mickey. Colossus went through the same thing when we relocated from Kansas City to Phoenix. It took him at least three months and me slowing down and spending more time with him to get him settled. Now five months in, we're doing better. I started Colossus on The Honest Kitchen (dehydrated food that you add water) and Colossus LOVES that stuff. Patience, put him at ease (he will feed off your anxiety too), and just spend time with him. Hopefully that helps. Good luck, please keep us posted.

 

[Vikinggirl]

Okay first things first - Lethargy & swollen gums is not something you want to ignore - these two are big indicators that something can be wrong health wise. I believe you should get him to a vet ASAP to be checked out.

In regards to his food - if you are making these changes quickly, this could also be a problem. You have to transition the food over time, and allow at least a month or so for the new food to settle in. Food wise, if you have done this already, and tried all others - I would look into RAW.

But again, not to scare you or anything - I believe those two signs regarding his gums & lethargy call for vet right away. Does he tend to eat things? Could he have eaten anything foreign? A toy, a ball, etc? I'm piecing things together here off a few of your posts now. Is he pooping normally? The vomiting, refusal of food, gums inflamed all lead me to think he may be obstructed with something? I would ask for xrays, and full checkup, fever, blood, etc.

Again, not to scare you - just really want whats best for Mickey here. Please let us know....

hi, I agree with the great advice you received from TyTysMom, but if the vet has already seen him, and you have done the slow transitions when changing food, and he hasn't swallowed anything, it could be he's allergic, sensitive or intolerant of some of the ingredients or the protein sources of the kibble you have tried. Many bullies are allergic to chicken and salmon, and are also sensitive to grains. My guys are allergic to chicken, salmon, beef and grains, we switched their food 4 times before we found one that they tolerated. We are currently feeding them Fromm's Lamb and Lentil grain free and are having good results on this food. It does take up to a month before you will see any benefits or results from a new food change, as it can take this long for the old food to leave their system.

 

[ChrisRN]

Have you tried giving him a "topper" like canned green beans, Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese? That can help make the food more appealing.

Mabel has always been a picky eater. We used to give toppers until we started using Life's Abundance omega three pure fish oil supplement on Mabel's food. Now, that's all we use. She's eating like a champ!