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My dog only eats chicken and rice. How to get her to eat dog food?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pekingese | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 1 month old | 6.5 lbs

Hi , my 13 months old pekingese female is a healthy puppy, she is eating twice a day chicken breast and sometime with white rice...her docor had told me that she needs in her diet another things but when we try to offer her like “ puppy dried food” or regular dog food she don’t eat..... even the treats she don’t like it..... the doctor advised to let her starve for some days and only offer her the dog food..... please advice! any ideas..... thank you in advnace

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 10th, 2018

Your vet is correct that this is not a balanced diet for Chachi. Chicken and rice is fine as a short term diet when dogs have GI upset, but should not be given it as a daily diet. Your vet is also correct that you may have to starve her in order to get her to eat her dog food. I recommend offering her only a dog food. Put the food down in the morning and leave it from 15-20 minutes. It should be dog food only. Then after the 15-20 minutes, take the food away, and she gets no other food until dinner that night. This is extremely important! She needs to learn to eat what is offered to her, and giving her additional food during this time ruins that lesson. At dinner time, again put down dog food for 15-20 minutes, taking it away after that time even if she hasn't eaten it. Again, no food until breakfast the next morning. You have to be strict on this, and not give in. No more chicken and rice, dog food only. She will learn that the only food she gets is the dog food, and she will start eating it. Good luck, I hope this help!

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