I want to make beef jerky for my shitzus and feel a marinade might make it more enticing, any suggestions?

by Helen
(Rochester, NY USA)

I have no experience as yet.

My dogs love Milo's Chicken Jerky however I have been advised to be careful about feeding them this product too often.

Consequently, I have purchased a food dehydrator and I have been successful with chicken but would like to add some variety with very lean beef.

Perhaps I am on the wrong track wanting a marinade for the beef but will wait for an answer.

One of my dogs (shitzu) refuses to eat wet or dry food. He refuses to eat almost everything. I buy Cesar and he liked it at one time but not now.

We have tried almost every food product for dogs and end up throwing it out. He won't eat people food either. Once in a while I bake chicken breasts but he won't eat it.

He will eat small dog biscuits.

He has not gained an ounce in the past year however he has not lost any weight either and that gives me hope.

What to feed him???

I am at a loss.

Chef's Answer ~ Wow, that is a tough one. My first suggestion is to learn more about picky eaters. I found this WebMD article to be interesting:

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/dog-not-eating-
possible-causes-and-appetite-solutions

OK, now onto the marinade. If you can find a no or low sodium, onion free and a no or low in sugar marinade, I think that would make the beef taste and smell that much better.

You could also try food toppers like our liver gravy recipe:

http://www.dogtreatkitchen.com/gourmet-dog-treat-recipes.html

I don't envy you the task you have ahead of you to help your dog eat. But I'm sure a dedicated fur-mom like yourself will come up with a solution.