Need help, weight issue

[gatethekeeper]

Kieran has refused to eat his Kibbles and Bits. He has loved it for the longest time and recently decided he didnt want to eat it. He will nibble on it when hes really really hungry but thats it. Iv been giving him a little plain pasta and a lot of cottage cheese. He loves both, and eats them right up. His weight is wayyy down. I mean if you saw him on the street you would just think he was a skinny dog, but sence i raised him i can tell how much weight he has lost. His neck is super slim. Hes happy and healthy but he just wont eat that **** food. As well as other dog food. What human foods can i make him? I remeber an older couple that rescues does that used to cut up ham, and put it on a little dog food with cottage cheese. That was there daily meal. Is it alright to give him human food all the time? What is good for him to eat and whats a good weight gainer.

 

[elegy]

has he been to the vet? suddenly not wanting to eat a food can be a sign that there is something physically wrong.

 

[Vivien]

One other thing could be that he is tired of the food....I don't think that Kibbles and Bits is a food thats made of great quality. Try a new type of dog food. If you just base his meals on human food he may not be getting all teh vitamins he needs.. As long as your careful and know what your giving him it may be alright to feed him human food. Do some reasearch on what is ok and what isn't.

~Vivien

 

[Renee750il]

Human food would be far superior to Kibbles & Bits . . . Some dogs can literally starve to death on inferior foods. I almost lost one of my Shepherds when I was a kid because my Dad insisted on buying the cheaper food.

 

[gatethekeeper]

cheaper food? Not around here. The only thing more expensive than K&B is Purina One. And i stoped giving him that because he loved kibbles and bits so we switched. I always thought it would make him fatty up but not give him any nutrients.

What is a good dog food for him to gain weight. Should i switch him back to purina one puppy chow?

 

[Renee750il]

Forget that Purina exists . . . or Science Diet, or Iams, etc.

The very best advice we can give you is to go to Mordy's website: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/ You will find any kind of information on dog foods that you could possible need, that way you can learn to read the contents of dog food and make an educated choice.

Personally, for my Creatures, I chose the Innova line from NaturaPet (www.naturapet.com) but there are other high quality foods out there as well.

 

[gatethekeeper]

Hey thanks! Ill check that site out.

So you guys dont like purina one...is that cheap food

 

[Saje]

Basically any food you can get in a grocery store/wal-mart is junk. check out mordy's site www.dogfoodproject.com or read through the threads in the food forum here.

 

[Fran27]

I agree with the above, you could try a better quality food like innova, canidae, eagle pack. Or switch to homemade food, but then you need to do some research to make sure your dog gets a balanced diet. Ham, a little bit of dog food and cottage cheese doesn't sound like a balanced diet. And unfortunately, your dog might just be picky after being fed that for a while.

 

[bubbatd]

Grammy hates to admit, but she's always fed Purina. BUT...I've always supplimented with fresh foods, juices,broths etc. Tonight Chip had anchovy oil and 3 anchovies....My vets have always said " If it ain't broke...don't fix it ". I feel guilty reading all the posts. Don't beat Grammy !!!!!!

 

[Debi]

bubbat..you silly girl. you give lots of extras..and so much love. when I fed the cheaper kibble, I always added extras too.....chicken, veggies, fruit (pureed together..the chicken raw wings). I'd first check with a vet, too. lots of reasons a dog loses appetite. BUT, if it ends up to be a picky little dog (I know that all too well!) then slowly change food. don't give in to every picky whim, tho (I learned that the hard way, it gets toooo difficult) DO check Mordy's site...she is a dream! if you need to add some weight, it may be because you are not giving enough fat. I won't even go on...all I can say is that I'd be totally lost without Mordy's help. I changed my dog's diet, totally from Mordy's advice.......the difference in them is amazing.

 

[bubbatd]

Thanks Deb... Morty has given me advice but I haven't switiched yet. I haven't found the brand yet. I need to get weight off of him....!!! He's on the diet food and I do watch the fat. Just add low cal stuff. I give him too many dog bones and treats in his Kong ! Bad Grammy !!

 

[sparky]

I've done a little research for Cherokee trying to boost her immune system and found that sardines (omega 3 good fat), tuna,occasionl raw beef, veggies and low fat, low sodium chicken broth mixed with her regular dry crunchies has brought the sparkle back in her eyes.The Vet did say that too much protien creates a more compact stool. I'm certainly no expert. She's looking pretty good.She's slimmed down, has good energy and is generally very happy considering her stinkin' tumor.