# Puppy not eating



## kimstm (Jun 24, 2010)

Hi,

We got our spoo puppy yesterday. She is 7.5 weeks old. She was eating Purina Large breed puppy food and I would like to switch her to Fromm Puppy Gold. She has not eaten since yesterday morning and I am sure she threw all of that up on the car ride. She has peed and pooped, but she is not eating. I offered her food to her yesterday and she wouldn't eat. I soaked it this morning to see if that would interest her. I also offered the Fromm to her a few minutes ago and she didn't eat. Do I just wait it out and figure she will eat when she is hungry enough or do I need to offer canned food mixed with the kibble?

Also, I picked up the Fromm puppy instead of the Fromm large breed puppy gold. Does she have to be on the large breed or can I switch her after this bag?

Thanks!

Kim


----------



## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

I wouldn't do canned food personally.. ever. I'm not a fan of the stuff at all.

If she doesn't eat the food after so long, just take it away for some time, she wont starve herself.


----------



## kimstm (Jun 24, 2010)

that is what I was thinking too. I am not a fan of canned food either.


----------



## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Our experience with canned food is.. they started giving it to the cat, and now it's like kitty crack for him and if they don't give it to him in the morning.. well, you better just leave the house because he'll harrass you, start pulling books off shelves, knocking plants down, each time looking at you, if you look back, he'll meow.

Such a brat!

Though, they give like =/ ol'roy to the sausage dog, I've tried to educate them (parents) but it's a futile sport.

But don't worry, your pup will eat with time.  Are you mixing her food 50/50 with the old food?


----------



## whitepoodles (Jul 5, 2010)

I also do not like canned dog food. Most contain water and very little nutrition unless you spend on very good brank name like Wellness 95% beef or chicken or Salmon. Then you are looking at a very high quality canned food. It is also quite expensive here in Canada over $3.00 per can.
I LOVE Fromm dog food. Have been using it for years with much success with both my pets and show dogs. I do NOT never would feed my puppies PUPPY food. It is too high in protein and can cause structural (problems) according to many knowledgeable breeders as well as Pat Hastings whose seminars clearly show that feeding a large breed puppy (and poodles are considered a med to large breed) puppy food will result in panosteitis (growth pains) and structural defects. I have been feeding both Cole and Lola the two I bred recently only Fromm Salmon A La Veggies Adult food and they are both OFA Hips Excellent. I used to feed puppy food and had some owner complain that their puppy has panosteitis. After seeing tapes of what puppy food can cause to a med to lg. breed I stopped puppy food. I wean my puppies on the same food that my adults are on.
If you see that your puppy refuses to eat for more than two days, I would not take it lightely. A 7.5 wks. old puppy is in its growth stage as such you should make sure that he does not loose weight or not gain . 
I would check a few things before since you say he stopped eating.
I would do a stool check take it to your vet to see if puppy has worms.
Take your pup's temperature at home. easy to do. Dog's temp. is between 100-101 that is normal for canines (humans is much lower).
Introduce your puppy to some supplemented food. Boil an egg and mash it into their kibble, cook some lean ground beef and add to it some soup mix (no salt or MSG) to give it some taste and also cook some legumes such as lentils or split green peas and incorporate into the boiled minced beef and ad cooked brown rice and put 2 heaping TBSP on the puppies food and see if she/he will eat it.
There is also a reason for a puppy not eating their food is because they are going through painful teething process this may also be exacerbating lack of apetite.. Still I would not leave a puppy not eating, I would start by feeding it some home cooked stuff added to their kibble and go from there.
Hope this helps.


----------



## whitepoodles (Jul 5, 2010)

Kim sorry also forgot to mention that you should consider if you only got this puppy two days ago that she needs maybe to go through an adjusting period to feel comfortable in your home.. so that may also be a reason for her not wanting to eat. just a thought.


----------



## neVar (Dec 25, 2009)

not unusual for pups to go off their food for a few days- if she's still pooping she's eating something. . . 

I would try her original brand first- and then once she's eating- switch over slowly to not upset the pups tummy


----------



## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

Canned food is not only disgusting, it is expensive when you realize that you are paying for mostly filler. Buy real meat on sale and use that to mix into your dog's kibble.

Your puppy probably is off her feed a bit with the transition to a new home. Don't worry, she won't starve to death, but you do want to encourage good eating habits from the beginning.

If she has been on Purina, you have to wean her off of this slowly or your puppy will get diarrhea. Mix a bit of the new kibble into the Purina and over the course of 4-5 days transition her to the new food. Mix in some cooked hamburger and a bit of cottage cheese. I don't soak kibble.

Feed her in a quiet area with few distractions. Many people dogs in their crates. Leave her food down for 15 minutes and then remove it. A puppy this age needs to be fed 3Xs a day. I don't feed after 6:00p.m. I feel like this gives a puppy a chance to digest and eliminate before bedtime.


----------



## kimstm (Jun 24, 2010)

Fluffyspoos--actually I just have the Fromm Puppy Gold in the bowl now and she actually ate a couple of pieces. I guess I need to add some of the Purina stuff back in.

Whitepoodles--I have heard so many mixed things about the protein. The Fromm puppy food gold has 27% protein. The Fromm 4 star all stages is 24%with the exception of the salmon which is 25%. You suggest that I switch to the all stages after I finish this bag? I believe the puppy large breed by Fromm is 26%. I thought they were pretty close in percentages that it wouldn't make that big of a difference. Of course, I am just learning.

Also, we just got her yesterday and I was thinking that maybe she just needed an adjustment period also. She is very playful, active and seems fine in all other ways. I have her scheduled for a vet appt. tomorrow at 12:30 so I can see what she suggests also if she still isn't eating.

Kim


----------



## kimstm (Jun 24, 2010)

Thanks neVar and cbrand.

cbrand--I may try to feed her in the crate for 15 minutes and see how that works. I just don't want her to start expecting to eat in her crate. I will definitely not feed her later than 6pm and I also read that someone said not to give water after 7pm. True?

Kim


----------



## neVar (Dec 25, 2009)

When bella came she had NO appetite- didn't eat anything the first meal- then picked at hte next couple. 

fourty eight hours later? She's running and leaping off dogs to get to the food (i feed in the crates- she's convinced the big crate is hers- it has the most food you know ) She had lost some weight in that short period of time but packed it back on right away. She was still pooping and peeing so i never worried.


----------



## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

kimstm said:


> I just don't want her to start expecting to eat in her crate.
> 
> 
> > Why not? Many people feed dogs in their crates their whole lives. Plus, then the crate is seen as the safe, happy place.
> ...


----------



## kimstm (Jun 24, 2010)

hmmm, cbrand, that is a good question about crate feeding. I guess I just associate the crate with the sleeping place. HaHa! I guess it really would be okay to eat in there.

neVar---We named our puppy Bella too!

Crate question. I have a 42" crate that I am using a divider with. With the divider the diminsions are 13" x 28". It is narrow, but she still has room to turn around. My concern is that sometimes when she sleeps she sleeps with her legs straightout behind her. When she does that she stretches the entire 28". Should I give her more space or leave it alone till she grows more? If I gave her more room the crate space would jump to 28" x 30" (to allow extra stretch out room).


----------



## kimstm (Jun 24, 2010)

I had 2 other questions. Can I put about a tablespoon of Jif creamy all natural peanut butter in her puppy Kong? I didn't know at what age they could start having p-butter.

Also, I notice when she is sleeping that her breathing is pretty fast. Is this normal?

Thanks!


----------



## whitepoodles (Jul 5, 2010)

[Whitepoodles--I have heard so many mixed things about the protein. The Fromm puppy food gold has 27% protein. The Fromm 4 star all stages is 24%with the exception of the salmon which is 25%. You suggest that I switch to the all stages after I finish this bag? I believe the puppy large breed by Fromm is 26%. I thought they were pretty close in percentages that it wouldn't make that big of a difference. Of course, I am just learning.

Kim: Both are close to the same percentages protein/fat wise, but the quality is not the same if you read most of the ingredients. The 4 star is better than the regular Fromm (gold and black colored bags) . You can within the same 4 star choices of duck/sw. potatoe, pork/applesauce, etc... alternate giving your puppythe four varieties at different times. The puppy will not have an upset stomach as you are mixing and matching food from the same company and same brand (four stars). I also do this for my dogs and they have a variety to eat which is the best for them. But pls. before totally switching over one post here is right when they say you should do it gradually.. over a week period. 
Not all canned food is necessarily "disgusting" . While I admit that most are "disgusting", I did test at a special food lab the contents of the Wellness 95% beef/salmon can and it was confirmed to me that the can indeed contains what it professes to on the label. Also canned food should never be used as a main meal, but only as an appetite booster and to entice an otherwise finniky dog to eat his/her daily portion. As a general rule I cook for my dogs a combination of minced lean beef, fish, lamb (I alternate) and add to it a combination of grated (in a food processor) green leaf veggies , root veggies and also green lentils and green split peas (soaked the night before and cooked when softer).. I put all this together and freeze the entire batch in separate containers and take out of freezer as per need. My dogs get 2 heaping TBSP fulls with each meal, a.m. and p.m They never refuse their food.
IF I have a finniky eater and want to put weight on my dogs either pets or for the show I prepare and freeze what is called SATIN BALLS (to fatten dogs). I can send you this recipe if you wish. The secret to establishing good eating patterns for a dog is diversity of food within the same brand as well as timing. Dogs are creatures of habit and they know when feeding time is. Dont leave a bowl of food down on the floor for them to pick at. Feed a.m. and pm and nothing in between. I have had some finniky eaters who drove me up a wall with worry but I have learnt that they are only pushing my soft buttons, ) and so I have learnt to beat them at their game 
Dont worry about asking this is what the forum is all about. When I purchased my first show poodle I chewed on the breeder's ear for many months until I was able to finally break the umbilical cord and go on my own.

Also, we just got her yesterday and I was thinking that maybe she just needed an adjustment period also. She is very playful, active and seems fine in all other ways. I have her scheduled for a vet appt. tomorrow at 12:30 so I can see what she suggests also if she still isn't eating.

It is great to hear... maybe there is nothing really to worry about. Maybe it is only an adjustment to her new home that she needs, however my tips were given to you just in case she continuously refuses to eat. Then I would worry if she refuses to eat more than 2-3 days.. that is not common, at least not from my experiences. GOOD LUCK. let us know how she does


----------



## whitepoodles (Jul 5, 2010)

Also, I notice when she is sleeping that her breathing is pretty fast. Is this normal?
Thanks![/QUOTE]

Kim:
Young puppies' heart rate is much faster than adult dogs.
When I put the sthetoscope on my prego bitch's abdomen to listen to the pups' heartbeats, what you hear is a very very fast beat ticking like a rapid swiss clock. Once they grow older and mature their heart rate slows down.
The sound of a newborn puppy's heart beat..is music to the ears.... 

Re: crate: sure that her legs do not exit in between the cage gague or she can sprain them if she gets up and makes a wrong move. I dont put a divider in my puppy cages.. I get a 36 inche in length cage initially, then graduate the pup to a 42 " length as they grow. At 5.5 mos. of age my puppies are all clean in the house and no longer chew (if ever. I really dont have chewers).


----------



## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Definitely feed large breed puppy instead of regular puppy. Large breed puppy has the correct proportions of calcium and phosphorus and will help slow your puppy's growth (which is important for large dogs). 

As other people said, she is probably not eating because of the adjustment to her new home. I bet she will start eating once she feels more settled in.

This is how you start feeding her the new food. Very, very, very slowly. Days 1-4 = 25% new food, 75% old food. Days 5-8=50% new, 50% old. Days 9-12 = 75% new, 25% old, Etc.

I would also recommend that you WAIT to switch her food until she has settled in. A switch in food AND adjusting to a new home could be too stressful and stress can contribute to diarrhea.


----------



## kimstm (Jun 24, 2010)

Chocolate Millie--the phosphorus (1.0) and the calcium (1.3) are the same for both Fromm Puppy Gold and Fromm Puppy Large Breed Gold. Do those ratios sound good?

whitepoodles--Thanks for the information on the breathing, food, and crates.

Any thoughts about whether or not I can put the p-butter in her Kong.

She has eaten some this evening. 

I put her in her crate a little while ago to see how she would do without us being in there. She whined for a little while and I just checked and she is sleeping. Yay!

Kim


----------



## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

kimstm said:


> Chocolate Millie--the phosphorus (1.0) and the calcium (1.3) are the same for both Fromm Puppy Gold and Fromm Puppy Large Breed Gold. Do those ratios sound good?
> 
> whitepoodles--Thanks for the information on the breathing, food, and crates.
> 
> ...


I gave Millie peanut butter when I got her at 10 weeks! Just put a spoonful or however much - it probably doesn't matter!

Calcium and phosphorus - If they are the same then I guess it doesn't matter? I am not a vet so I don't know ha ha, I just know that when Millie turned 4 months my vet told me regular puppy food often has too high of calcium and phosphorus. I wouldn't worry about it, from what I hear Fromm's is a wonderful food!!


----------



## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

poof had wellness for puppy til that bag was gone and has been on adult ration since then. she's had several different premium foods and currently is on wellness.


----------



## whitepoodles (Jul 5, 2010)

two of my dogs are allergic to chicken. Somehow my poodles dont do well on chicken so I tried Fromm (4 star) Salmon A LA Veggies and have phenomenal results. I have had 2 hips OFA Excellent with two dogs that were strictly fed Fromm Adult maintenance and weaned on it from puppyhood. My boy Onyx is quite big and substantial and if I would of given him puppy food, I am sure he would of developed Panosteitis (Growing pains) which is not a good thing for a stand. poodle puppy to go through. I experimented with puppy food and found out that both my pups and adults did better on adult formula containing 26% protein and 14-16% fat. With adult/maintenance food the puppies grow slower than if they are put on puppy food which promotes fast growth resulting in the body growing faster than the bones when the growth plates are not even closed. This puts considerable stress on the skeletal structure of the puppy.
I also wanted to mention that most vets do not know about nutrition. According to documentation most vets receive an average of 10 hours of nutirtion teaching during their 7 years vet school. My vet will admit he is not very knowledgeable about canine nutrition and as most of us know vet food like Science Diet etc.. is the worst you can feed your dog, unless the dog has special needs and requires a special's vet diet.


----------



## wishpoo (Sep 12, 2009)

*Whitepoodles*, 

That is so interesting ! Thanks for sharing your experience with puppy vs. adult food since it is perpetual dilemma for any new puppy owner. So much conflicting information out there :wacko:.

I like your idea of mixing home-cooked dog food with a kibble . Do you do it regularly or only on the occasion when a dog looses the appetite ?

Also, regarding a chicken allergy - we have a member here whose puppy had a diarrhea for several weeks until the owner took it to a holistic vet who suggested taking chicken out of his diet and he recovered immediately !!!! So, it absolutely can be a problem for some dogs.

*Kim* - I am so happy you got your puppy : ))) !!! Hope to see her photos soon  I wish you many, many happy years together : )))) !!!


----------



## Poodle Lover (Mar 24, 2008)

The only way any of my three will eat kibble is if I mix it with home cooked (or canned when I am out of home made). I think it's great to add some fresh meat, chicken or turkey.


----------



## wishpoo (Sep 12, 2009)

He he, Poodle Lover : ))) - you will have to give me a cooking demo when I get my puppy  

BTW - I found Orijen in the Santana Row dog boutique of allll places LOL  

Thanks again for the link you gave me


----------



## whitepoodles (Jul 5, 2010)

Some of my puppy clients after purchasing their pups call to tell me that the puppies is not eating well. Some never had a stand. poodle while others had either mixed breeds or labs or golden Ret. 
I always tell people that some poodles are finniky eaters. Labs, Golden Rets, Rotties and many other breeds will gulp their bowl's contents in matter of minutes but never poodles. I have yet to find a poodle eating with so much gusto and so fast as many other breeds do. As a general rule they like their groceries with some flavor , afterall they are more human than dogs, arent they LOL , and so naturally they will play on your feelings. I dont mind.. I cater to my dogs and I do cook for and give them the cooked food with their kibble. From attending several seminars on nutritious and other topics such as bloat structure etc.. of the poodle and in general I was taught to never offer only dry food to my dogs , as this can exacerbate bloat and torsion. Told it is always advisable to mix some sort of wet food with their kibble.
Also I love my dogs and want them to have diversity with their meals so I cook and add wholesome cooked food comprising of legumes, root and green leaf veggies and either minced beef/lamb or pork. They look healthy , have stamina and have endurance when outdoors, also my girls produce very healthy litters and whelp them easily. Forgot to mention that I do give raspberry leaf powder into my pregnant females' food (well this is another topi alltogether). When you have 4 types of protein in one food group, such as Fromm 4 stars, this affords you to varry your dog's food from chicken to salmon to duck to white fish and rotate these food so that your dog has a complete diet because not every dog food contains the complete diet your dog needs, so giving 4 different types of protein with mixed home cooked food is ideal in my opinion. Stand. poodle breeders have to grow good quality coat if they show their dogs so optimum food is a must here and with variety. So I try my best to offer this to not only my show dogs but also my house pets and give the same instructions to my puppy buyers.
Wishpoo chicken is lethal for my dogs.. They dont like it for some reason and cant tollerate it (loose stools and in abundance, which suggests that they are not digesting the food properly and that it goes through them like a sieve and not absorbed by their bodies.) Some dogs do very well on chicken while others dont. Poodles digestive tracts I find a bit more sensitive than mixed breeds or other breeds like in the working group.
I also tried Wellness but found it is too rich since most wellness foods contain the Turkey which my dogs are sooooo allergic to.
There is no set rule with this topic for every puppy. Each dog is an individual with their own sensitivities and allergic reactions or how they respond to each food. Trial and error is good here, but as a general rule and from experience and reading alot about canine nutrition, I found that puppy food is not advisable to wean and raise your puppies on until 1 year of age as most puppy food bags profess on their label. Others may disagree with me re: puppy vs. adult dog food. It boils down to whatever works for everyone individually.


----------



## whitepoodles (Jul 5, 2010)

Wanted to mention that some foods ( contain Citric Acid as a preservative.. this has been found to cause bloat and torsion in dogs of the medium to large/giant breeds so when choosing dog food for your puppy or adult dog just be careful it is not preserved with Citric Acid.
There is a site (forgot the weblink) that lists the best quality dry dog food on the market today and has a "warning" statement below each of their analysis stating that it is advisable not to feed young puppies with the high protein diets such as Orijen or Wellness Core. The same reasons I outlined in my previous posts about high protein diet are maintained also by these companies in specific with high protein content diets they produce when it comes to weaning and feeding young puppies, so guidelines are also on the net which foods to avoid with puppies and which to give.
I cant remember the site but I will look into it and send it to the list.


----------



## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

whitepoodles said:


> Some of my puppy clients after purchasing their pups call to tell me that the puppies is not eating well. Some never had a stand. poodle while others had either mixed breeds or labs or golden Ret.
> I always tell people that some poodles are finniky eaters. Labs, Golden Rets, Rotties and many other breeds will gulp their bowl's contents in matter of minutes but never poodles. I have yet to find a poodle eating with so much gusto and so fast as many other breeds do. As a general rule they like their groceries with some flavor , afterall they are more human than dogs, arent they LOL , and so naturally they will play on your feelings. I dont mind.. I cater to my dogs and I do cook for and give them the cooked food with their kibble. From attending several seminars on nutritious and other topics such as bloat structure etc.. of the poodle and in general I was taught to never offer only dry food to my dogs , as this can exacerbate bloat and torsion. Told it is always advisable to mix some sort of wet food with their kibble.
> Also I love my dogs and want them to have diversity with their meals so I cook and add wholesome cooked food comprising of legumes, root and green leaf veggies and either minced beef/lamb or pork. They look healthy , have stamina and have endurance when outdoors, also my girls produce very healthy litters and whelp them easily. Forgot to mention that I do give raspberry leaf powder into my pregnant females' food (well this is another topi alltogether). When you have 4 types of protein in one food group, such as Fromm 4 stars, this affords you to varry your dog's food from chicken to salmon to duck to white fish and rotate these food so that your dog has a complete diet because not every dog food contains the complete diet your dog needs, so giving 4 different types of protein with mixed home cooked food is ideal in my opinion. Stand. poodle breeders have to grow good quality coat if they show their dogs so optimum food is a must here and with variety. So I try my best to offer this to not only my show dogs but also my house pets and give the same instructions to my puppy buyers.
> Wishpoo chicken is lethal for my dogs.. They dont like it for some reason and cant tollerate it (loose stools and in abundance, which suggests that they are not digesting the food properly and that it goes through them like a sieve and not absorbed by their bodies.) Some dogs do very well on chicken while others dont. Poodles digestive tracts I find a bit more sensitive than mixed breeds or other breeds like in the working group.
> ...


You should meet my standard poodle puppy Millie - she eats like a lab!


----------



## whitepoodles (Jul 5, 2010)

ChocolateMillie said:


> You should meet my standard poodle puppy Millie - she eats like a lab!



LOL that's too funny. Onyx eats the same way and very fast.. He polishes his bowl the moment I put it down. I am always afraid that when they eat too fast they may bloat. So I was taught by breeders with more experience than myself to place a small but heavy object in the food bowl so that the dog will have to take its time eating his/her kibble by moving the heavy but small object withthier nose to get to the kernels. I do this with Oonyx and he has slowed the pace significantly, He now has to work  at getting to the kibble. Now he takes his time and eats at a slower pace.
The object I put is either a heavy med. size stone or a hockey puck.


----------



## Poodle Lover (Mar 24, 2008)

ChocolateMillie said:


> You should meet my standard poodle puppy Millie - she eats like a lab!


Ha, ha!!! Millie should meet Romeo and Brandy. These two haven't met kibble, canned, home cooked or raw that they wouldn't eat. Wait I take it back, Brandy doesn't like raw chicken or park. lol


----------



## wishpoo (Sep 12, 2009)

> When you have 4 types of protein in one food group, such as Fromm 4 stars, this affords you to varry your dog's food from chicken to salmon to duck to white fish and rotate these food so that your dog has a complete diet because not every dog food contains the complete diet your dog needs, so giving 4 different types of protein with mixed home cooked food is ideal in my opinion.


This absolutely is a great point !!!!

Also, thanks for the info about Citric acid and protein content in other brands.

When I had my first spoo (very long time ago when I was a teen - oh gosh, does a time fly or what : ((( ???) and lived in Europe there was no such a thing as a "kibble" or ready-made dog food , so he was fed home-cooked food.He had the healthiest teeth and coat one can imagine , and very healthy appetite. Living now in the USA and in 21st century owning of a spoo is a completely "new game" for me LOL , so I appreciate any advice regarding food choice : ))) !!! I know that many love feeding raw and it probably has many advantages, but this combo of high quality kibble mixed with home-made dog food looks the most doable and appealing to me : )))! 

What is the ratio of kibble/home cooked in a dish ??? : ))) And do you moisten a kibble when combining ??? : )))

Thanks !!!!


----------



## Lilah+Jasper (May 13, 2010)

ChocolateMillie said:


> You should meet my standard poodle puppy Millie - she eats like a lab!


So does Jasper! He was uninspired at meal times (including high valued treats) when he first came to us but his world was turned upside right. Now he is my chow hound. Lilah, on the other hand, eats in such a dainty manner. I secretly think that she likes to eat while Jasper watches in anticipation of her left overs. Silly, silly dogs...


----------



## whitepoodles (Jul 5, 2010)

I agree that long time ago especially in Europe dogs and cats used to be fed whatever humans at for breakfast or supper. No dog kibble existed than.. that's true, also not so many genetic diseases and cancer existed than also.
I did try the BARF diet by Dr. Ian Billinghurst and Kymethy Schultz and my dogs did not do well on it at all. They were think and their coat not healthy looking. I did all by the book, however my dogs didnt do well on it, Now that I found a great dog food with high quality ingredients I like it alot however I still do not feed that the kibble is a complete diet so I supplement my dogs with home cooked food. I just wanted to mention here that I do NOT cook the minced beef. I prepare the veggies and the legumes and cook them together till soft, then I throw in the minced beef stir it once let it give a good boil and while it is still RAW in the middle I take it off the stove wait for it to cool and freeze the concoction in large yogurt containers and label them with the date prepared and ingredits. So in this way the meat is NOT fully cooked and the raw meat enzymes are still there as they say that raw meat is better for animals than cooked meat, I try to go in the middle, I dont like raw and I dont like completely cooked so I do it half half and it works wonderfully. As I said I have dogs with OFA Hips excellent strictly fed this method .
Your question if I wet my dog food, I do with only 1/4 cup water, then I ad the 2-3 heaping TBSP fulls of the cooked food and mix it in thoroughly to coat all the kernels. They love it. and this way they have a real variety of not only dog food within the 4 star Fromm brand but also the cooked variety which includes Kale, Swiss Chard, Spinach, green leaf lettuc, sweet potatoe, brown rice, split yellow and green peas , mung beans. you name it.
I do NOT cook BEANS for them as they tend to cause gas and we dont want this especially with bloat in med. to lg. breed dogs.


----------



## wishpoo (Sep 12, 2009)

Whitepoodles,

Thanks so much for the detailed instructions :beauty: as well for the list of veggies that you use : )) !!!! It sounds great and is very simple way to enhance nutrition and make it very palatable to any dog : ))) ! 

Yes, LOL, times have changed a lot, but just want to say that our dog ate food prepared just for him : ))) , human ingredients but with no salt, heavy oils, or other silly stuff LOL - now that I think of it -he ate healthier than us LOL ; ) !!!! (Our cats ate only raw "supplemented" with a "catch of a day" that they provided for themselves LOL ; ))) 

Thanks again - this is great thread : )))- I will print this out for permanent record : )))) !!!! 

Do you have any opinion about raw eggs ??? We were advised by our vet to give it to puppy 1-2 times a week but now I am finding some articles advising not to do it because of avidin . My dog had no problem with it whatsoever :rolffleyes:


----------



## whitepoodles (Jul 5, 2010)

Wishpoo
What is Avidin.. I must google this I never heard this before. 
I do give raw eggs to my dogs twice per week and also cooked/hard boiled at times.
I mash a hard boiled egg or give it raw to the puppies when I start to wean them . The lap and love it.

So what is Avidin? First time for me.


----------



## wishpoo (Sep 12, 2009)

It is a type of protein that is present in eggs and supposedly binds to vit B and makes it "unavailable" than for absorption :rolffleyes: BUT- I was than thinking - OK, maybe , but one is not feeding a dog 20 raw eggs a day and only eggs LOL 

Ehhh, you know , probably as with everything else - somebody makes a big "hoopla" about nothing and than others jump onto wagon ... Moderation and balance is a key as with everything else - pure water can be "toxic" is consumed in copious amounts also LOL


----------



## whitepoodles (Jul 5, 2010)

Wishpoo:
The only negative thing I heard about giving eggs to dogs is not giving the albumin, the white part.. Something about it which does not sit right with dogs. If it is uncooked that is.. If it is cooked than its ok.
When giving eggs to dogs (raw) you only give the yolk never the whites. If you cook the egg then you can give both yolk and whites.
Correctly stated, moderation and balance is the key.
They used to say that eggs are the culprit and cause high levels of cholesterol.. now all of a sudden they say eat as many eggs as you want they do NOT cause cholesterol... so in essence one can go to sleep with one knowledge and wake up with a different one the following day.. LOL I give what I see gives me good results. I also do a total blood work and kidney function/liver function thyroid pannel every 2 years on all my dogs and if their levels are normal.. I then realize I am feeding the right stuff.


----------



## wishpoo (Sep 12, 2009)

Oh , it is so true !!!!

I do not know why doctors and scientists can not see the simple truth - that all of todays illnesses and conditions are the result of too much stress, breathing polluted air, drinking polluted water, eating food full of pesticides, hormones, herbicides, antibiotics, estrogenic substances, artificial coloring, preservatives ...should I go on :smow: It is wonder that we are alive at all, to be honest LOL !!!

That is interesting about doing a blood test to check for nutrition balance !!!

How would you adjust a diet if liver or kidney test comes little bit off ? I guess liver would show need for a lipid adjustment and kidneys for protein and minerals ???


----------



## whitepoodles (Jul 5, 2010)

Yes please do go on Wishpoo,,, go on to over vaccinating our poodles and other breeds in general, SOME (not all) vets telling their clients that yearly vaccines are necessary, also admiinstering the entire cocktail shot, Rabies TOGETHER with DHPP, Bordatella and Lepto.. OMG and then the dog has a major grand mal seizure due to vaccine aftereffect and the vets absolve themselves of the responsibility for being the exacerbators for what ensued post the vaccination.
I have a client who is waiting for a puppy (pet) from Lola and Cole litter. Seven years ago she purchased a poodle from a breeder here in Canada and the dog is Epileptic. Inspite of this her vet suggested she vacciante her dog yearly and then lately said every 3 years. Not being told about poodles sensitive immune systems and trusting her vet she went to the clinic and the vet gave her dog the Rabies, Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvo, Parainfluenza, Bordatella, and Leptospirosis in a LUMP sum... This was 3 weeks ago
She emailed to tell me that her dog yesterday had a serious grand mal and what happened as he did not have an epi episode in a full year so why now.
First thing I asked her did you give your boy any vaccines and when.
She said three weeks ago (the entire cocktail). I told her , yep here you have it.. THIS is the reason and I am 110% sure it is.
So this together with what's in our air, our water, our earth and all the polutants no wonder our dogs are starting to die younger than in years past


----------



## whitepoodles (Jul 5, 2010)

Wishpoo
When I had my dogs on Barf and they were skinny and luster less.... I told myself that IF Raw diet is so great , than I must have to check its validity and how good it is to dogs as some say it is.
I went with each of my 4 dogs (OMG the expense) and did a full blood panel, liver enzymes, WBC, SMAC, kidney function and complete blood and thyroid work up. Their scores were literall ALL over the place. Their cholesterol was sky rocket high.. That is when I said OMG no way.. To begin with I didnt feel comfortable with the BARF Raw diet because I did not see positive results on the contrary that inspite of doing all by the book, the moment I changed their diet, put them on a good quality kibble and started cooking for them.. they completely changed, they gained weight were in better condition and kept weight. I will never go back to raw feeding. It is just not that well researched and is a trial and error with some breeds. I honestly believe it is geared more for the nordic breeds and working dogs sled dogs, mushing animals and dogs that live outdoors but not for me, no way. Been there...


----------



## wishpoo (Sep 12, 2009)

That is all fantastic info and I love how you approach all of those aspects with scientific observation and tests to prove the point !!!! :coffol: I wonder how many breeders took time to do that actually :rolffleyes: 

It is just horrifying what is happening with over-vaccination in general, not only dogs and other animals but humans too : (( One has to fight left and right with medical community about such a basic thing as is vaccination. The more they resist adjustments, the more people will feel resentment and it can backfire with the opposite - people not vaccinating at all (themselves or their pets) and than epidemics will start to pop up :wacko: 

Thanks for all of the info and experience shared :rose: : ))) It will be very valuable reference to many - I know it was for me : ) !!!!


----------

