K9sOverCoffee | Dog food for picky eaters/ Try this easy, homemade topper!

Dog Food for Picky Eaters: Try This Easy Homemade Topper

Finding the right dog food for picky eaters can be challenging, right?

I know this first hand because my Boxer mix Buzz would politely decline his meals if they weren’t to his tasting. 

Interestingly enough, his sister Missy cares less about what makes it into her bowl, although she’s from the same exact litter.

K9sOverCoffee |Buzz anticipating his raw dog food consisting of Darwin's Raw Mixed With THK Grain-Free Base Mix Preference

Did you notice that I used the past tense when I described Buzz’s behavior?

That’s because he no longer walks away from his meals. As a matter of fact, he LOVES his new diet and doesn’t stop eating until his bowl is empty!

Back in our kibble feeding days, heโ€™d take a quick sniff at his bowl, look at me, and then walk away. No more!

It took me a little while to figure out that there actually wasnโ€™t anything wrong with him.

Dog Food For Picky Eaters: Try This Easy Homemade Topper

K9sOverCoffee.com | Dog Food For Picky Eaters: Try This Easy, Homemade Topper!

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Why Are Some Dogs Picky Eaters?

Buzz was just bored with his diet and needed variety at mealtime.

After all, dogs aren’t designed to eat the same food every single day. They crave variety and actually need the different nutrients from different protein sources.

That said, the first step you can try to take is to:

  • Offer your picky eater different flavors within the same dog food brand
  • Rotate between different brands altogether, and/or
  • Offer a mix of dry and canned dog food

Makes sense if you ask me – I wouldn’t want to eat the same food every day either.

But that’s besides the point.

I do know that there are quite a few dogs out there who are more like Missy. You know, the ones who could eat the same dog food day in and day out for several years. Without ever walking away from their bowl until they ate every last bit.

Most dogs I’ve seen behave like that are Labs or Lab mixes and Beagles. And trust me, I took care of many when I worked as a professional dog walker and pet sitter!

But I’ve also seen the exact opposite. Dogs who were fed their kibble breakfast in the morning and who hadn’t finished it when I came for their midday walk. They’d sometimes STILL have some or all of it left come dinner time.

The typical candidates were smaller dogs like Yorkies, Shih-Tzus, and Pekingese pups, but I also took care of larger dogs like Huskies and German Shepherds who weren’t crazy about their dog food.

Dog Food For Picky Eaters: I Found The Right Food For My Picky Eater

Ever since I made the switch to a homemade, and then raw, diet, my picky eater Buzz has been excited about every single meal that has made its way into his bowl!

Him and Missy both love their raw dog food!

But not to worry, you probably don’t need to make as big of a transition quite yet! There are a few easy ways of topping your pup’s meals off to make them interesting again.

What you need to make a homemade food topper for your picky eater

The answer is fresh, purรฉed produce like:

  • Sweet potatoes
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Apples

They’re all great sources of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Antioxidants have anti-inflammatory qualities. That means they help prevent cancer, fight the effects of aging as well as infections. 

Sweet potatoes and carrots also help support the digestive system because of the fiber they contain.

Less is actually more here because dogs are mainly carnivores (animals who eat other animals, i.e. meat). They would only find a small amount of digested plant matter in their preyโ€™s stomach out in the wild.

Because of this, I only add about 5-10% of purรฉed produce to their overall food allowance per meal.

Other veggies you could add are:

  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts, and
  • Shiitake mushrooms

Their carb content is low and great when you’re feeding a Keto diet to a doggie cancer patient.

K9sOverCoffee | Pureeing low carb veggies in my food processor for Missy's dog cancer die
Pureeing Brussels sprouts, broccoli and shiitake mushrooms

You can also rotate the veggies and fruit you add to your pupsโ€™ meals to keep them guessing even more.

For example, you could add some purรฉed carrot one week, then try purรฉed celery the next, purรฉed broccoli the one after that, and so on.

YouTube video interview between Dean Barrow and Rodney Habib

Fast forward to minute 19 of this interview with Pet Nutrition Blogger & Dog Naturally Contributor Rodney Habib.

You’ll learn that 90% of bladder cancer can be avoided just by adding a little fresh produce to your pupsโ€™ kibble 3-4 times per week!

Isnโ€™t it crazy how incredibly effective small changes can be?!

Purรฉe The Produce For Optimal Absorption

Itโ€™s important to purรฉe the fruits and veggies you intend to feed your dog. The reason for this is that dogs donโ€™t have the enzymes necessary to break down plant cell walls, i.e. digest whole fruits and veggies.

I experienced this firsthand back when I used to feed Missy & Buzz peeled carrots as a healthy snack. While they both loved the taste as well as the crunch factor, the carrot pieces were always clearly visible in their #2 businessโ€ฆ

So now I chop up the veggies and fruit, and then transfer them over to the food processor.

You can also use a juicer or blender.

Good to know: Some veggies like sweet potatoes need to be cooked before purรฉeing them.

Purรฉed Produce Is Great For Weight Control In Dogs

Even if your dog is more like Missy and not a picky eater like Buzz, purรฉed veggies and fruit can be used to supplement some of their regular food if they need to loose some weight. 

Just consider it a filler with much less calories and fat!

Complete Quality Control

Since youโ€™re the one buying the veggies and fruit, you know exactly what you’re adding to your pupโ€™s meals. 

I recommend buying organic produce since it wonโ€™t have been treated with growth hormones and pesticides. That’s one way of eliminating chemicals that make it into our dogsโ€™ bodies.

Or grow your own!

Small Batches For Guaranteed Freshness

I never make a huge batch of purรฉed produce because its antioxidant benefits are most prominent when itโ€™s fresh.

Also, the pups donโ€™t need a whole lot of it, as explained earlier.

Other Dog Food Topper Ideas For Picky Eaters

There is just no denying that fresh veggies and fruit have a yummy fragrance about them, and bring variety to any dogโ€™s diet.

However, Iโ€™ll be honest and say that purรฉeing my own produce is not a daily thing in my kitchen. 

I do it when I have the time and energy, but that’s just not always the case because, you know, life!

That said, sometimes I buy pre-made veggies and/or fruit purรฉe from Green Juju or Primal’s Healthy Green Smoothie Edible Elixir.

You can find them at some pet retailers. Click here for Green Juju, and here for Primal’s Edible Elixir. The links will open store finders for each.

Raw Meal Prep for my dog with Green Juju
Adding Primal's Edible Elixir veggie food topper to raw dog food

Here are a few other food topper ideas to get your picky dog to dig in again:

Do you have any other ideas as far as dog food for picky eaters is concerned?

If you do, please leave them in the comment section below this article for other readers! Or you can email me at barbara@k9sovercoffee.com.

Raw Dog Food Game Changers

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BEST SLOW FEEDER FOR RAW FED DOGS

Mighty Paw’s Slow Feed Insert combined with Yeti’s Boomer 4 Dog Bowl. Both are top rack dishwasher safe.

BEST FOUNDATION FOR BALANCED DIY RAW MEALS

Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm Base Mix. It’s low-carb which is particularly great for dogs on a keto diet and those with health issues like diabetes and cancer.

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Barbara launched her blog K9sOverCoffee in 2014 and has been feeding her dogs raw dog food since 2015. As a former professional dog walker, she’s passionate about balancing species-appropriate exercise with healthy dog nutrition. Barbara is raw dog food nutrition certified from “Dogs Naturally Magazine” and the author of several e-books about minimally processed, balanced raw dog food.


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10 responses to “Dog Food for Picky Eaters: Try This Easy Homemade Topper”

  1. MilitaryWifeandPugLife Avatar

    Oooh that’s a great idea!

    1. K9sOverCoffee Avatar

      Isn’t it? And easy to make, plus it’s gentle on the wallet ๐Ÿ˜‰

  2. joann stancer Avatar
    joann stancer

    Easy and healthy. Have a great weekend.

    1. K9sOverCoffee Avatar

      Thanks, Joann, have a great one with your gang as well!

  3. Earl Lover Avatar

    Good advice! My dogs aren’t picky, but this is perfect for owners whose dogs are!

    1. K9sOverCoffee Avatar

      Thank you – it’s so funny how some dogs are picky, and some couldn’t care less what makes it into their bowls. Missy & Buzz are the perfect examples for each case!

  4. Julie Smith Avatar
    Julie Smith

    Cocoa is not really motivated by food. Like, we know she is hungry but she forgets that she will feel better if she eats. She likes us to be in the kitchen with her when she eats too. And it is nice to have something different to eat sometimes!!

    1. K9sOverCoffee Avatar

      HA, that’s exactly how Buzz used to be. Now that I found out about raw food & limited/single-ingredient treats, he will choose the food or treat over his favorite toy ever!!
      Maybe she’s one of those pups who likes variety at mealtime, like Buzz? I’d give it a try!

  5. Pamela | Something Wagging Avatar

    Honey has started becoming more picky as she gets older.

    I had hoped to feed her The Honest Kitchen when we moved aboard but she goes off it after 2-3 days. She’s stopped liking carrots, apples, potatoes, cheese, and other things she used to like as treats.

    I wonder if she’d like veg more if I grated it and added it to her food? I have some carrots in the ice box. Maybe I’ll give it a shot.

    1. K9sOverCoffee Avatar

      I’ve heard that a lot about senior pups getting more picky with their foods. Did you end up giving it a try? I’ve also added blueberries and strawberries to the pureed mix.

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