STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Metric · Gucci

dog food

Kelly · Hermes

I don't think wet food isn't "meant" for young dogs, I just think older dogs are more likely to need it as their teeth get sensitive and fall out. The only problem I know of, with feeding wet food, is the cost and also if you feed wet food exclusively it can encourage gum disease and tooth decay. However, I think mixing in a small bit of canned food with dry food, if it gets your girl to eat, is fine. Right now my dog gets half dry and half wet food, because I got a WHOLE bunch of canned food for free from a kennel that was shutting down. But when that supply wanes, we'll go back to her regular schedule. Sometimes she gets picky with her food, too, and I'll put just 1/3 of a can mixed in and she loves it. They also make some sort of dog food gravy stuff, but I feel like you could even just pour broth over the food to make it more appetizing.

Also, when my dog was a puppy she had the problem of doing the nibbling all day long thing. Our vet said that since having a puppy on a potty schedule would be so much easier, that we should put the food down, wait 20 minutes, and then take it back up no matter how much or little she had eaten. After a few days of that, she gobbled it all up at once because she knew it would be gone soon. Maybe you could try that?

boobaby · Kate Spade

I feed my dog dry food for breakfast and dry food mixed with a little wet (like a tablespoon) food for dinner. The wet food started when he was 8 months old and my parents had to keep him for a month while I recovered from a broken ankle. They had 2 elderly dogs and every night, they prepared all 3 dogs food exactly the same. Now he expects the special treat at dinner, and I can't take the look on his face. If I forget, he always leaves a couple nuggets of dry and just stands there staring at me, like "Where's the wet food,mommy?"

I talked about what my dog eats and why before, but basically I was feeding him Nutro for the first two years of his life, he was vomiting a lot (food was just empty fillers, so he was nauseous from having an empty stomach - took two years to figure that out). I switched him briefly to the prescription dog food my vet sold. He quit vomiting but stopped having regular bowel movements, so finally I discovered California Natural. He is very happy. I always thought you had to feed your dog the same formula, but on the advice of the pet store owner, I switch up the flavor every now and again, and he seems really happy.

zeitgeist4 · Gucci

I think that wet food does kind of encourage picky eating. Plus like others have said, dry kibble is better for teeth and gums.

My dog gets Innova brand kibble, which is natural and has all sorts of healthy stuff in it. When I was in high school I worked at an independent pet supply/food store, and that is what they recommended. I don't know the exact measurements of the servings we give her, but it's twice a day (morning and 4 pm). She likes it and gobbles it up.

twinkle · Coach

I second the Innova recommendation- most dog foods sold in the big chains are pretty bad for your dog anyways, filled w/tons of fillers and the meat is the leftover scraps that aren't good enough for human consumption. Foods like Innova and California Natural only contain human-quality meat and no fillers.

Alternatively, my dog is on a raw diet which has been amazing - I can't recommend it enough. It's more natural for dogs to eat raw food as it matches their natural diet - and its great for their stomachs, coats, energy level, etc. And they LOVE it. This is what I feed: http://www.naturesvariety.com/content.lasso?page=1308&-session=naturesvariety:424D7C3D0ccb61DD62pXvW2B6D07

And here is some info from their site on raw diets:

Pet owners have reported the benefits of better skin and coats, better weight control, fewer allergy symptoms, less backyard clean-up and better overall health due to the feeding of our wholesome and balanced diets.

Raw Diets are also available in Freeze Dried form for convenience in handling. Find out more about Freeze Dried Diets.

Nature Does It Best!

Heat processing, which is standard in the pet food industry, changes or destroys many important nutrients. Doesn’t it make sense to stay as close to food’s natural state as possible?

Many pet owners have been convinced that so-called corrective diets (a special regimen for allergy, digestive troubles, obesity, etc.) are the best way to improve health problems. They may help certain symptoms simply by providing a change, but may not be treating the underlying causes. By feeding your pet a diet rich in raw or fresh foods, you’re letting nature provide the best, naturally balanced nutrition.

Why Is Raw Better?

Some Benefits of Raw Foods

Minerals better assimilated

Vitamins more bioavailable

Beneficial antioxidants present

Amino acids more bioavailable

Natural digestive enzymes still present

Probiotics spared

Amino acids such as taurine are not destroyed

Some Negative Effects of Heat Processing

Loss of up to 100% of certain vitamins

Loss of up to 60% of certain amino acids

Enzymes destroyed

Probiotics destroyed

Loss of up to 10% of certain fatty acids

Fats can become toxic or rancid

Oxidation of cholesterol

halleybird · Hermes

Mara -- that raw food diet sounds really interesting! I've read about it before and may try it someday.

Metric- My dogs are 60-65 lbs and 50-55 lbs. They each get 1 cup of food (Natural Balance Duck & Potato) in the morning and 1 cup in the evening. At dinnertime they also get a small slice of Natural Balance Turkey Roll (it isn't exactly wet food, but it's sort of like a sausage) and/or a tablespoon of cottage cheese. My vet recommended the cottage cheese b/c it helps their digestive system (Sully has, erm, digestive issues) and makes their coats shiny. My mom's dogs eat wet food, but I personally cannot stand the smell of it, and I think her dogs sometimes have bad breath. I think she uses a cheap kind, though. The dog food rolls are great -- they're made for "picky eaters." Here's a pic: Precious

Also, just to note: Both my dogs were/are picky eaters when they were younger. Halley would sometimes go days without eating or finishing her food (until she was about 4-5, and now she doesn't ever miss a meal). Sully sometimes doesn't touch his food (though he always eats his cottage cheese and turkey roll). The vet said that if they aren't acting strangely, and if they'll eat treats/handouts and not their food, it often means they just aren't that hungry. Mine eat a lot less in the summer when it's hot and they can't run around as much.

HTH! And I Ness pictures!

Metric · Gucci

Thanks for everyone's responses.

Halleybird- I was actually looking at some turkey log-type stuff at Petsmart. It looked like lunchmeat and smelled pretty yummy- well, as yummy as dog food can smell anyways. Since I assume you refridgerate it, how long would you say it stays fresh and about how many servings do you get out of one log?

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

My dog has only ever been given dry food, and never gets people food-ever! She was on a mix of Nutro dental and Nutro glucosimine. She had a knee surgery, so we got the glucoseamine for her joints. Now, we have switched to Costco's Kirkland's Lamb and Rice ands she loves that too. We still mix in some Nutro though.Also, she only eats when she's hungry and doesn't have a weight problem so she gets a full scoop whenever her bowl is empty and she won't gobble it all down at once. She probably eats about 2 cups a day. She's about 35 pounds and fairly active. She'sat an ideal weight and is very healthy.

-gd

halleybird · Hermes

Metric wrote:

Thanks for everyone's responses. Halleybird- I was actually looking at some turkey log-type stuff at Petsmart. It looked like lunchmeat and smelled pretty yummy- well, as yummy as dog food can smell anyways. Since I assume you refridgerate it, how long would you say it stays fresh and about how many servings do you get out of one log?

We usually buy a medium size -- like the size of a regular sausage. They share one slice that's about 1/3"(?) thick about every other night. It lasts about as long as my dog food bag, so about 3-4 weeks. I keep it in a baggie in the fridge the whole time, and it doesn't go bad or anything, but it does get a little hard toward the end. (They don't care, though.)

Petco is the only place near me that sells Natural Balance, and they do promotions every once in awhile where the turkey roll is free w/dog food purchase.