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Dog Stopped Eating Dry Food? How to Make It More Appealing…

Updated 29 May 2024
Read time: 6 mins
article author
Written by Elle Padgham
Lead Copywriter

If your pooch is a crunchy kibble kinda dog but suddenly turning their nose up at their usual mealtime fare, it’s time to get curious. Could they have chowed down on too many leftovers or treats lately? Has their usual routine been somewhat disrupted? 


In any case, to get your dog to resume their eating routine, you may have to try a few sneaky ways to make their dry food more appetising. Try our easy methods below to get your picky pooch back to craving that kibble.

 

Why has my dog stopped eating dry food?

 

Before you do anything else, investigate why your dog is suddenly off their kibble. They could be trying diva tactics, perhaps because they’ve had a glut of delicious table scraps lately and think abstaining from their usual fare will have more showing up in the bowl. 

 

Of more concern, they could be suffering from an illness, such as doggy gastroenteritis or digestive issues. Consider all the reasons your dog may not be hungry, and take them to the vet if you think it’s more than a simple preference issue.

 

Dog stopped eating dry food but eats wet food

 

If your pooch has developed a taste for wet food, this isn’t surprising - many dogs prefer the texture, flavour and smell of wet dog foodThere are tons of reasons you may prefer a dry food diet for your dog, though - from its highly condensed nutrient content to the fact that it’s easier to portion and usually more economical than wet food. 

 

If this is the case, your best option is to boost the sensory appeal of your dog’s dry food so that they find it worth that extra sniff.

 

Can I mix wet food and dry dog food together?

 

wet and dry dog food in a bowl

 

Some stubborn dogs just won’t be satisfied until they get their paws on the sloppy stuff. To lure them back to the bowl, try adding a few spoons of wet food and dry food together. Be sure the dry pieces are stirred in well, or your pooch may pick out the wet chunks and leave the rest. Then, with each mealtime, reduce the amount of wet food you’re adding to the bowl. Over time, your dog should hopefully be eating dry food again without realising.

 

How to make dry dog food more appealing

 

Though the benefits of dry dog food are many, it can become a tad uneventful to dogs who have had a taste of wetter, more flavourful stuff. The key to making dry food interesting again is to amp up its texture, smell or flavour.

 

How do I get my dog to eat kibble?

 

Follow the easy steps below to make your dog’s kibble too good to pass up:

Check for freshness

 

First up, think back to when this particular bag of dry food was opened. Once the seal is broken a bag of kibble will start to spoil in two to three weeks, and unsurprisingly, stale food is as offensive to dogs’ taste buds as it is to humans’. Try cracking open some fresh dry food and see if that solves the problem.

 

Mix dry dog food with other ingredients

 

If you’ve established that your dog’s kibble isn’t stale but fresh and crunchy, the next option is to introduce some wet ingredients. There are plenty of delicious additions to dry food that will elevate its aroma and flavour…

 

Gravy

As we humans know well, there’s nothing like a splash of gravy to transform a dry meal into a magnificent feast. Mix a drop of low-sodium gravy (containing no added extras like herbs or onion) and drizzle it onto the kibble.  
 

Yoghurt

A lot of dogs love yoghurt, and it can have health benefits if  you pick the right kind. Choose a yoghurt designed for dogs and stir it in well  with the dry food. 
 

Broth 

A healthy way to soften your dog’s kibble is to mix it with some low-sodium chicken broth - it will smell tastier, too. Test the temperature first so that it’s not too hot, as a burnt tongue definitely won’t win your dog over. 
 

Egg

Add interest and a dash of extra protein to your dog’s food with some scrambled or chopped, hard-boiled egg.
 

Veggies

A few fresh veggies should stoke your dog’s curiosity. Stir some boiled broccoli, carrots or sweet potato into the dry food pieces. 
 

Wet dog food 

As mentioned above, if your dog is adamant that they want wet food, mix the two types together. Day by day, you can slowly reduce the ratio of wet-to-dry food until they’re back to a fully dry food diet again.

 

Salmon Oil

Pooch & Mutt's Salmon Oil can be used as an additional nutritional topper and has many health benefits. It is the easy way to add Omega 3, 6 and 9 into your dog's diet which are essential for skin and coat quality, cardiovascular/ heart health, immune response, cognitive/ brain function and joint function/ mobility. Plus as an added extra, it will make the food smell a lot more appealing so could get them chowing down more.

 

 

Can you add water to dry dog food?

 

 Yes - adding water is the easiest thing to try if your dog won’t eat their kibble/ dry dog food. Pour a small amount of warm (not boiling hot) water into the pieces to get your dog interested again. The wetness will give the pieces a juicier texture, not to mention release all those meaty flavours and smells to grab your dog’s attention.

 

Try a new range of dry dog food

It’s always worth testing a new brand of dry food if your dog doesn’t seem to be enjoying your current choice. Many dry dog food brands contain filler ingredients alongside a low meat content, meaning not only is the texture uninteresting, your pooch isn’t gaining much nutritional benefit either. 

Choose a high-quality dry food to boost the likelihood of your dog loving the taste and staying interested. Pooch & Mutt dry dog food, for example, is grain-free with tasty, natural ingredients such as turkey, salmon and sweet potato to get them happily munching away on the daily.

 

If you’d like to try a tasty dry dog food packed full of natural, nutritious ingredients that will keep your dog healthy and happy from the inside out, try Pooch & Mutt’s range of grain-free dry dog food.

Comments (3)

We have just decided to change to your dog food and our 4 huskies love it however its a lot more expensive! .so if possible I would like a few samples if you give treats away?? I would be most grateful thanking you in anticipation Gillian

Gillian Fisher - Mar 17 2023
Pooch Admin

Hi Gillian,

Thank you for your comment.

We’re always running promotions on site, particularly with free gifts in each order. You’ll be notified of these if you sign up to our newsletter, or alternatively, please do contact our team who can offer further support :) [email protected]

Pooch & Mutt - Mar 17 2023

My has stopped eating dry food in the last week he eats his treats like Bonio and other treats so I have put chappie in with his dry food not eating it just leaves not interested

Tony - Jun 19 2024

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