[angiesample]

Ever since i first got my puppy back in September food has been an issue. Shes never been that interested in eating. I feed her breakfast and dinner and sometimes she doesnt eat either. We have done all the shots she needs and she has been dewormed and everything and given a clean bill of health. She maintains a decent weight... She is very solid. I started with feeding her Iams, bc thats what she was eating before we got her. After about of month of having her i switched to Blue buffalo and she would just throw it up, i ended up returning the bag. So i tried Solid Gold she did better but just didnt care about eating. Our vet told us if she throws up to not let her eat for 24 hours except for a mixture of cottage cheese and rice. which she loves and eats that right up but i know that doesnt have the nutrients and vitamins she needs. Does any one have any suggestions of a different type of food i could feed her. She is very high energy and we keep her very active so she has to need more calories or something. I have been researching a raw diet but since she has such a weak stomach im not sure she could handle that. Thanks for any suggestions u might have.

[CorkyMax]

Rather than retype most of this info---I am pasting here a reply I recently made to another member. I f you don't want to switch to raw at this time--maybe supplement with some cooked 'stuff'--like the beef heart and other meat and the 'broth' left from simmering the meat. Make sure to skim off the fat. Add a little at a time and stir in with your commercial dog food---Bet your dog will garbage it up. Of course best if this is warmed and not refrigerator cold!

The Iam's dog food is one of the worst brands. Do you know that when you switch from a 'crappy' dog food to a raw, or home-cooked or prob. even a better commercial dog food--Your dog has to adjust to the 'better stuff' so may be appearing sick because the body is going through a detoxification (getting rid of the toxins/bad stuff)--a purging process. That is one reason to switch slowly--little at a time--mix the old with the new and gradually increase the new and decrease the old. How long was your dog eating the Blue Buffalo? (I am not promoting any commercial dog food--my 2 boys only get raw and some home-cooking!)

One word of warning--If you start supplementing with some human food--Be prepared to continue it as your dog may never eat just plain commercial dog food again! I am thinking it is getting to be the thing with a lot of dog owners
supplementing the commercial with some more nutrious foods mixed in. You can find more on this on the net if you are interested in more ideas-'menus' type thing.

Here is the copied post I mentioned above:

[B]Quote:
Originally Posted by Tucker
Tucker actually loved the beef heart - was literally drooling on the kitchen floor while I was heating it up for him; next time I will definitely not cook it in the crock pot though since we had the smell in the house all day!

Corky/Max--reply)
Glad he liked it. It is a favorite of my 2 dogs too. You can prob. feed more of the heart at a time than the liver. Some feel that the heart is more of a muscle meat than an organ meat---but it is still richer than other muscle meats! I raw feed mostly now but when I was home-cooking, I just boiled/simmered it in a pot with enough water to just have about a cup or 2 of liquid left at end of cooking time---Makes a good broth to add to the meal or you could pour it over your dog food too. If you cooked oatmeal for him, (Do you feed 2 meals a day? If so, this could be a breakfast meal) you could also use that 'broth' instead of water for the liquid to cook the oatmeal. I use 1-minute oatmeal and let it cook about 3 min.--easier for the dog to digest. I also add a couple eggs to the oatmeal after cooking---the white I stir in as soon as I take oatmeal off the heat--stir till the egg white turns opaque white and add the raw yolk AFTER the oatmeal has cooled down so as not to destroy the yolk nutrients! I cook yams/sweet potatoes (boil) and mash and store portions in the freezer--I sometimes add 1/4 to 1/2 cup to the oatmeal meal too. I put the thawed cold mashed yams in the bowl and when you add the oatmeal to the bowl and stir--It helps cool down the oatmeal. When just warm--I then add the raw yolk. Do you feed plain yogurt--not flavored or sweetened (with the acidophilus, etc)--Need this if dog is on antibiotics for sure but I give it most of the time anyhow. I add a couple/three Tbsps. same time I add the yolks. Then I end up stirring in about 1/2 tsp. of crushed fine (Use a coffee grinder) egg shell for calcium.
Sometimes I add a dash of cinnamon. (Never use nutmeg--Poisonous to dogs!)

About garlic--You know not to feed too much of this. About 1 clove a day--It is a member of the onion family but not as potent/dangerous. You could add some to the beef heart that you are simmering--I'd wait and add very small (pulverized) pieces about half an hr. before heart is done.

I have read/heard not to combine 2 different meats together---maybe it mostly is meant for raw-feeding, I'm not sure! I do combine chicken or turkey liver with any kind of meat though! But I don't combine chicken and beef muscle meats, etc.

If your dog eats any fruit--It should be fed a good hour before anything else--otherwise the fruit ferments/rots while it is waiting for the other food to digest! Can not go into the fine details but it is a cancer causing thing. Think I just sent you an email describing this very thing--Will explain it all better there.
Am going to paste here a couple links from this forum that might be of interest to you--Have to go retrieve them one at a time so bear with me! Here is the 1st 1: Foods that are hazardous to a dog

Homemade Treats
You may find some ideas here that are for meals too --not just treats! By the way how many treats do you give your dog a day--If too many/much--May be a reason it doesn't want the dog food.

[Matilda]

Originally Posted by angiesample

Ever since i first got my puppy back in September food has been an issue. Shes never been that interested in eating. I feed her breakfast and dinner and sometimes she doesnt eat either. We have done all the shots she needs and she has been dewormed and everything and given a clean bill of health. She maintains a decent weight... She is very solid. I started with feeding her Iams, bc thats what she was eating before we got her. After about of month of having her i switched to Blue buffalo and she would just throw it up, i ended up returning the bag. So i tried Solid Gold she did better but just didnt care about eating. Our vet told us if she throws up to not let her eat for 24 hours except for a mixture of cottage cheese and rice. which she loves and eats that right up but i know that doesnt have the nutrients and vitamins she needs. Does any one have any suggestions of a different type of food i could feed her. She is very high energy and we keep her very active so she has to need more calories or something. I have been researching a raw diet but since she has such a weak stomach im not sure she could handle that. Thanks for any suggestions u might have.

Hi AngieSample,
My dog has the same issues. She will eat well for a while and then literally starve herself until she gets something she wants like the cottage cheese and rice. Sometimes I sprinkle a little shredded cheese on there too, but she can lick that up and leave the food. I'm really not trying to sell you on a specific product, but me and a friend created Petchup. It's made for your exact situation, because I've lived it with my dog and wanted something to keep her healthy and well. It tastes like a mild steak sauce and has 22 vitamins, minerals and nutrients. It's all natural and doesn't contain any dyes, sugars, etc.. It sounds like if you find a good food you could try something like Petchup to help get her to eat all of her food plus give her good nutrition.

[angiesample]

I did know that Iams was crappy but she was still very young and i wanted to be sure to switch her food very slowly since she was already leaving her mom and everything. I did exactly what my vet recommended i do when u switch a dogs food.

Thanks for all the rest of the info.. it is very helpful. I will start adding meat to her dog food and work up to a raw diet. I know a raw diet is the healthiest way to go but i dont want to shock her sensitive stomach. Thanks!

[CorkyMax]

First off----You read my last post above before I added the 2 links to 'click' on, so just wanted to make sure you catch them. I was just checking out the net for some links that you might want to see and I found this recipe:
This excellent recipe was developed by Pat Peterson (Mrs. Chell Peterson), a breeder of German Shepherd dogs in Minnesota. It's nutritious and easy to make. Be sure to check with your vet before you change your pet's diet. Show her this recipe and use it as a treat or supplement to the AAFCO approved food.
If your pet is allergic to wheat, leave out the bread and wheat germ. Increase the oatmeal to 12 cups and add oat bran. This recipe would also work well with ground turkey.

My family's beautiful German Shepherd, Schafee, loved this food. It's also saved the life of several other puppies who refused to eat.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutesIngredients:
•1 pound ground beef
•1 (24-ounce) container cottage cheese
•4 eggs
•1/2 cup dry milk powder
•1/4 cup wheat germ
•8 slices oatmeal bread, crumbled
•8 cups cooked oatmeal
•4 cups cooked brown rice
Preparation:
In very large mixing bowl, combine ground beef and cottage cheese; blend well. Add eggs, milk powder, and wheat germ and mix. Then add the crumbled bread, oatmeal, and brown rice and mix well.
Divide among ten small (5-1/2" x 3-1/2") aluminum loaf pans. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then promptly refrigerate. This food is perishable, so don't store it in the fridge longer than three days.

We always froze all but one of the loaves. To defrost, let them stand in the refrigerator overnight. Crumble the meatloaf into a bowl, drizzle with some water, and microwave for 20-30 seconds until warm. Make sure the food doesn't have hot spots after microwaving, as your pet will gobble this up!

Make sure to discard any food that has been sitting out for 30 minutes or longer.

If you have a coffee grinder, rinse and dry the egg shells and grind them very fine in your coffe grinder. Only use 1/2 teaspoon to 1# of meat! This is a calcium supplement but you don't want too much! It will become a powder which is really good for your dog and can be mixed in the meat loaf.
[/B]
Corky/Max (Barb): I use to make a meat loaf somewhat on this order when I only did just the home-cooking and no raw feeding. Lol, now that I take another look at this recipe--Don't like all that bread and rice and not enough hamburger either. I think I'd increase the hamburger to 2# and decrease about half the bread and rice---Add about 1 to 1 and 1/4 cup of PULVERIZED (grind to very tiny pieces) carrots. These need to be pulverized (as all veggies) as a dog can not break-down the cellulose (celluloid?) walls of them and would otherwise not get any nutrients from them and would just exit whole out the rear end!---Besides if not real fine, will not get done cooking in the meat loaf. I also added about 1/2 of a 9-10 oz. box of frozen CHOPPED spinach, thawed--use the juice too!--Do not feed spinach on a daily basis--See link on veggies: About Feeding Fruits & Vegetables I would add a half cup of tomato paste also. I did mine in regular size meat loaf pans (bread pans) and I let it bake for 1and 1/4-1 and 1/2 hrs.--I think at 350 degrees but maybe 325 degrees?! If you have the smaller pans would cook faster and maybe cook veggies more done. Whatever--Drain off the grease esp. if you use the higher fat, cheaper hamburger! (I used whole regular liquid milk instead of the high priced dry milk powder---I added whatever made the best meatloaf consistency while I was mixing it up (You'll prob. have to do some bare-hand mixing too. Also think the dry milk powder has some 'draw-backs' health-wise but can't remember what it is! Never used the cottage cheese but it is an idea--just be careful about too much salt here! SALT IS NOT VERY GOOD FOR DOGS--too much can kill them--See Hazardous foods link I gave earlier/last post above. Lol, I think I should of just forgot this pasted recipe and gave you mine!!!

This recipe takes time but if you make enough--thinking you can cut it in 1/2 to 1 inch cubes--freeze in sandwich baggies in whatever amount you want for 1-2 servings or put cubes (not touching) on a cookie sheet--stick in freezer (no need to cover cubes) just long enough to freeze the cubes and then put in your sandwich bags or even 1-2 big storage or freezer bags and you can just get in freezer and grab how many individually loose frozen cubes you want at a time---let them thaw and add to your com. dog food.---Might even break them up to cover more of the com. dog food better.

Lol, I got to go feed my 2 their supper---Can never get off this forum!
They are having raw chicken cubes, few raw chicken hearts and gizzards, pulverized broc/carrot/garlic blend and a dab of mashed potatoes with about 1/4 tsp. crushed egg shells, a teaspoon a piece of Bragg organic apple cider vinegar and prob. a dash of cinnamon and 'on the side'--vitamin E and C, fish oil capsule, and CoQ10 capsule. May post some links to sites on things you may be interested in later or tomorrow.

[CorkyMax]

How is your dog doing? I gave you the link above for recipes but don't know if you noticed this one recipe--such a long thread! Just in case: O.K.--So I don't believe in commercial dog food BUT--

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

at least this would be a way to make it just a little more healthier and more to the dog's liking as well!!!:

Chicken Gravy for Doggy Kibble

1 chicken breast, boneless, skinless
4 cups water
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
Boil chicken breast for about 1/2 an hour, let cool.
Add flour
Whisk until lump are gone.
Add eggs.
Whisk over on low heat until thicken.
Pulverize in blender or food processor
Store in refrigerator (or freeze portions)

[icareaboutmydogdoyou]

Originally Posted by angiesample

Ever since i first got my puppy back in September food has been an issue. Shes never been that interested in eating. I feed her breakfast and dinner and sometimes she doesnt eat either. We have done all the shots she needs and she has been dewormed and everything and given a clean bill of health. She maintains a decent weight... She is very solid. I started with feeding her Iams, bc thats what she was eating before we got her. After about of month of having her i switched to Blue buffalo and she would just throw it up, i ended up returning the bag. So i tried Solid Gold she did better but just didnt care about eating. Our vet told us if she throws up to not let her eat for 24 hours except for a mixture of cottage cheese and rice. which she loves and eats that right up but i know that doesnt have the nutrients and vitamins she needs. Does any one have any suggestions of a different type of food i could feed her. She is very high energy and we keep her very active so she has to need more calories or something. I have been researching a raw diet but since she has such a weak stomach im not sure she could handle that. Thanks for any suggestions u might have.

well if your dog has a weak stomach you might try looking up some of the recipes in this websites cook book just avoid anything with bacon or garlic also if you try these recipes add a tblspoon of apple cider vinegar if a small dog maybe a little less but the vinegar helps control the gas and discomfort in your dogs stomach also if you have switched food alot that may be the problem as to why your dog isnt eating avoid dog foods with such terms as (meats) and by products or the word poultry as it could be anykind of meat or random bird such as roadkill or rotted meat you should by food that says chicken meal or beef meal rather then products and try to get food with out alot of dye or artificial ingredients also make sure your dog has enough water all the time if its dehydrated it may not want to eat much also examine the teeth some times vets tend to be in a hurry and overlook things that a loving owner wont miss

[angiesample]

Originally Posted by Corky/Max

How is your dog doing? I gave you the link above for recipes but don't know if you noticed this one recipe--such a long thread! Just in case: O.K.--So I don't believe in commercial dog food BUT--

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

at least this would be a way to make it just a little more healthier and more to the dog's liking as well!!!:

Chicken Gravy for Doggy Kibble

1 chicken breast, boneless, skinless
4 cups water
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
Boil chicken breast for about 1/2 an hour, let cool.
Add flour
Whisk until lump are gone.
Add eggs.
Whisk over on low heat until thicken.
Pulverize in blender or food processor
Store in refrigerator (or freeze portions)

Thanks for all the responses.. i decided to do a more natural diet for my Ella and am slowly transferring... right now its about half raw half commercial. but i cant just do a huge change all at once bc i know she will get sick.. So far only one time has she thrown up Thats really good for her. Thank you all for helping me out!!

[Todd]

I feed my dog a raw diet as well and also believe that it is the best way to go. here are a few links with detailed info on raw diets;

http//:BARF Diet - Healthy & Natural Raw Food For Dogs & Cats, Pet Health Care Food & Nutrition Products Supply Online

Jane Anderson's Raw Learning Site

Raw Diet For Dogs: The Basics

http//:Dedicated to proper carnivore nutrition - Prey Model Raw Feeding for Dogs & Cats

*Yes, adding meat in the meantime would be great! If you don't want to add veggies and such you can always use a powder a.k.a. a whole food supplement which has extra nutritients derived from actual foods and work up to the raw diet. Most people just switch their dog to a raw diet cold turkey though. In this case it's the best way to go unlike switching from kibble brand to kibble brand.

Good luck!