I adopted a dog a few weeks back and am on a mission to bulk her up and stop all her bones showing! She was skin and bones to the point of being a sad sight to see and also had a few infections. All the infections are gone so now focusing on excercise and diet.

AM: 3/4 Premium Biscuits 1/2 Premium Canned Meat

PM: 1/2 Premium Biscuits 1/2 Premium Canned Meat (With one clove of garlic added) and 1 T-Spoon of a supplement for healthy bones and joints ( For Omega 3, Vitamins A,D and E.)

Also any left overs from family meal (Ie: Meats and veg) I've never seen a dog eat vegetables so readily!)

Excercise wise she gets one hour a day.

When I got this dog she was very skinny so I'm keen to bulk her up, but of course I don't want her to develop any fat. So I'm keen to find the right balance.

Any input would be appreciated.

Where do you live?

If in the US may I recommend the following dog foods: Blue Buffalo or Nature's Variety

If in the UK try James Wellbeloved.

All these food companies are balanced diets... much more balanced then a mixture of biscuits, left overs, etc. which are ok for ocassional snacks but are NOT a healthy diet for a dog.

The above mentioned dog foods are balanced, do not require supplements and come in both dry and canned formulas. If you dog is very thin and does not want to eat the dry food mixed with water you can add a tablespoon of the canned food. Good Luck... do you have any photos of her we can see?

[CorkyMax]

I feed mostly a raw diet and I include a lot of raw vegetables. (has to be ground up real fine--the raw veggies). My main concern here is to make sure you know not to feed any onions at all--raw or cooked and that includes anything with onion powder, etc! I mention this mainly because of the table scraps--I know I love onions and most of my scraps would prob. have some in it. As far as garlic--that is an iffy one--I feed mine this but try not to do it every day and not more than 1 clove at a time. Big controversy on this--it does them a lot of good but can be toxic in too big amounts--It is in the onion family too! Glad your dog likes veggies--if fed raw, they have to be 'pulverized'---I use a mini-processor and stop it and scrape down the sides several times. The dog will get little (if any) nutrition out of raw veggies unless you get them grated real real fine as the dog can not break down the celuloid (celulose?) walls of them and therefore would just pass whole thru the rear end. You can check this out with a whole raw carrot by the orange chunks in the poo! Have you tried asparagus--I have 1 dog who loves it almost as much as the raw meat! Other 'poisonous' foods to never give a dog are grapes and raisins---can shut the kidneys down and in some cases doesn't take very many to do it either!!! And you prob. know not to give chocolate---yeast bread dough---macadamia nuts---xylitol, an artificial sweetener that looks the same as sugar. It prob. would surprise you as to how many things are poisonous to dogs--food and other things--a lot of plants also. You can find long lists on the internet ---Put poisonous to dogs or something on that order in your browser.

Came back to tell you another big no-no to give---beer or any form of alcohol!--few more--potatoes with the green on the skins--and better no skins at all:tomatoes are iffy for me--I give but prob. shouldn't--Have read they shouldn't have the skins or the seeds for sure (mine get the seeds) As far as the tomato, period I have read it can cause tremors in some dogs--and prob. elevated heartbeat. And speaking of seeds---no apple seeds as they have a form of arsnic to them (I'm prob. not saying this right but no matter-IT IS STILL A NO-NO!

Yes... a raw diet is also GREAT but not for everybody as it is very expensive and time consuming requireing A LOT of research to be done correctly and safely. You can google Raw Learning or BARF diets for information on books, etc. You can also look into pre-made raw diets such as Bravo!, Omas Pride, Primal, Nature's Variety and Steeves Real Food for pets. DO NOT do a raw diet unless you have done all your research! It will be just as unbalanced as biscuits and table food if not done right.

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by orangedog

Yes... a raw diet is also GREAT but not for everybody as it is very expensive and time consuming requireing A LOT of research to be done correctly and safely. You can google Raw Learning or BARF diets for information on books, etc. You can also look into pre-made raw diets such as Bravo!, Omas Pride, Primal, Nature's Variety and Steeves Real Food for pets. DO NOT do a raw diet unless you have done all your research! It will be just as unbalanced as biscuits and table food if not done right.

Thanks, Orangedog for the last 2 sentences you posted. I should have mentioned that----But I wasn't really promoting a raw diet at this time (although I do)--just wanted to make sure that no 'poisonous' foods were being given! And if by chance (being as the dog liked veggies so much)some
veggies were given raw--that they were in a digestible form. And out of curiosity would like to see that dog try out the asparagus--Like I said one of mine loves it--He gets it ground fine but also I can't refuse him a whole spear or 2 because he loves it so much. Stands at garden fence and waits (expects) for me to throw him some--call it a treat because not getting the nutrition out of it whole. And then when he sees I am coming around to go in the house with my bagful of veggies--He hardly lets me get in the door before he is sticking his head in the bag after it. I have read somewhere (and here I thought he was just unusual about asparagus) that a lot of dogs do like this. Corky also likes fresh green beans and pea pods right out of the garden too, but asparagus is the favorite! Oh, and if anybody does give asparagus (prob. more so the raw??) Don't be alarmed if the pee is a little greener and that it has a distinct smell--not any harm there--In fact asparagus is very good for the urinary tract!!

Fantastic replies, thank you everybody.

Its a lot to digest (for me not her)

Only skimmed now cos off to college but will post up later tonight after I've read it again tonight.

Thanks again

I would suggest getting your dog on a grain free dog food. There are a lot of good dry kibble brands. Orijen is the best, but Taste of The Wild and Acana are also good choices.
If you are into making homemade BirkDale PetMix is great. You add your own meat and it can be made with cooked meat or raw. It is so healthy and will keep your dog lean and fit.

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by damienpatrick

Fantastic replies, thank you everybody.

Its a lot to digest (for me not her)

Only skimmed now cos off to college but will post up later tonight after I've read it again tonight.

Thanks again

I had mentioned about being careful with the garlic in a post to you above here. Was 'rummaging' through some clippings I had saved on dog care just this morning and came across this: (think it is from an old issue of The Whole Dog Journal) A person had asked--Does garlic help to control fleas on dogs? If so, how is it used? I will quote the reply given by Leslie Sinclair,DVM: Garlic is widely touted as a safe and natural method for ridding dogs of fleas, but there is no scientific research to confirm that it is, indeed, effective against flea infestation. There is good evidence, however, that garlic is toxic to dogs, causing damage to red blood cells (RBCs) that leads to too few RBCs, making the blood unable to carry a sufficient amount of oxygen to the body's cells. Like any toxic substance, the dose makes the poison; small amounts of garlic ingested on an infrequent basis may not be harmful, BUT REGULAR DAILY DOSES ARE LIKELY TO BE. Some dogs are especially sensitive and react severely to even a one-time dose. Garlic and onions belong to the same family, Liliacea, and have similar chemical characteristics. The anemia-inducing effects of onion are even more well-documented, and some Asian breeds, such as the AKITA and the KOREAN JINDO, are the most susceptible to onions' damaging effects.

i found a website called Pet Supplies | Frontline Spot on | Hills prescription diet | Royal Canin | Pet Health | Dog Supplies which sell a wide variety of diet foods and other types of food. I strongly recommend this website.

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by pinkcircles

i found a website called Pet Supplies | Frontline Spot on | Hills prescription diet | Royal Canin | Pet Health | Dog Supplies which sell a wide variety of diet foods and other types of food. I strongly recommend this website.

I checked out this site, and I know you recommend it--but I find that it is selling a lot of BAD brands like Science Diet, Purina, IAMS, Hills, Alpo, etc. To be sure you are getting a GOOD brand---please put words: cons of commercial dog food brands--in your browser. It will bring up a lot of sites on this!! and you will find lists and how they are rated and what is bad about each brand---and don't just select the 1st address given! (web address)

[Lara's mom]

I home cook for my two girls. I supplement their diet with Halo dry.

[lil mutt]

i think there are also some recipes available somewhere here... you can try that also.

I don't know where you are so Biscuits here in the USA may mean something else in another country.

Wellness and Orijen are good foods, lots of protein in them, green vegetables are good the low carb ones.

With food its one you can afford, I would not go with a cheap brand Ole Roy from Walmart would be no good for my pets.

Go to a pet store or read the labels when you buy pet foods, make sure the first ingredient is protein and try not to by the ones with by-products.

Check out the site itchmo, they seem to have a handle on all the pet foods.

Easy to learn way to feed your dog and get great results. Healthy, long-lived, happy dogs means happy dog moms and dads! It's important to consider your dog's specific dietary needs. Dogs diets will be as individual as your special pet.

If you're unsure what to feed your dog, click here for great help and advice on creating the perfectly balanced diet.