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There are several reasons why a dog or a cat can become a finicky eater. Often times, owners of pets who are finicky eaters are constantly changing their diet in an attempt to get them to eat. This, however, often just makes the problem worse. The pet will simply hold out to see if anything better's being offered. It's important to find and stick with a nutritious diet for your pet. Likewise, if you make sudden diet changes, these can cause digestive upsets for your pet. Any changes in diet must be done slowly. Ideally, you should add a small amount of new food to your pet's current food and gradually increase that amount while decreasing the amount of the current food over a seven to ten day period.
Another cause of finicky eaters is if they're getting extra treats from an indulgent family member. Worse, they may be getting these extra treats at the table. Even if you don't think this is the case for you, find out and be sure. All it takes is one person to pamper the pet and sabotage a sensible feeding program.
Owners who believe that their pets need variety in their diets may also end up with a finicky eater. People may need variety, but pets are able to get all their necessary nutrients if they're fed a high quality and nutritionally complete pet food. Your pet will only demand as much variety as he's come to expect. If he expects lots of variety, he may just become finicky.
Pets who raid garbage cans or find food elsewhere may not be finicky, they may just be full. Check to make sure that your pets can't access your garbage or your neighbor's. Garbage can be very dangerous for pets. It can cause digestive upsets but your pets also run the risk of consuming toxic or contaminated food or chemicals.
There are certain times when it's normal for a pet to be finicky. For instance, many dogs eat less during the hot summer months. Other times, dogs will eat less in an attempt to control their caloric intake. Further, many cats are occasional eaters who nibble at their food periodically throughout their day.
It's important that you feed your pet a high-quality, balanced pet food and stick with it. Lighten up on the treats given throughout the day or, better yet, use your pet's kibble as treats. Try not to feed your pet people food and never from the table.
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