Questions About Feeding Dogs
From LoveToKnow Dogs
Nutrition is a hot topic among dog owners, so the Dog Expert gets a number of questions about feeding dogs. Share a few right now.
Visitor Questions About Feeding Dogs
How Can I Fatten My Dog?
I have a 12-month-old American Bulldog. I currently feed him boiled fresh turkey and liver.
I think he needs to put on more weight, so can you give me any ideas on what to give him? I leave a bowl of dry food down for him at all times, but he won't eat it. I'm not sure what else to do.
~~ Shell
Expert Reply
Hi Shell,
Making your own dog food is a great idea, and its time has surely come in light of recent food recalls.
Boiled turkey and liver is a good start, but you can also substitute ground beef or lamb for variety. You can also enhance this recipe by adding brown rice for carbs and green beans for fiber. Give your dog a daily canine multi-vitamin and you will be providing far more nutrition than he would receive by sticking to plain dry kibble. You should also add a few drops of fresh fish oil to this meal once a day.
To help him gain weight, simply add an additional meal to his daily ration until he reaches a healthy weight for his frame.
Thanks for a great question!
~~ Kelly
Will Cat Food Harm My Dog?
I just caught my pregnant dog eating the cat's dry food. Will that harm her or the pups? It's the same brand name as her dog food, but it was definitely the cat's mix.
Thanks~~ Nery
Expert Reply
Hello Nery,
There's nothing I know of in cat food that is specifically dangerous to your dog, but there are still some good reasons why you shouldn't allow her to eat it.
First, dogs and cats have different nutritional needs, so their foods are formulated specifically for their species. If your dog continued to eat cat food rather than dog food, she would develop malnutrition because she wouldn't be receiving the correct balance of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals she needs.
Additionally, cat food tends to be richer than dog food, and this sometimes leads to a case of loose stools or full blown diarrhea. Richer also means tastier, and if she becomes spoiled with the cat food, she may refuse to eat her kibble.
If you only caught her eating the cat's food this one time, I'm sure she'll be fine. I recommend feeding the cat in another location that your dog can't easily reach.
Thanks for your question~~ Kelly
Comments
Hi Lori May,
The danger to the pancrease comes in when people feed their dogs rich foods that are high in fats. This can lead to a condition called pancreatitis. As long as your friend is feeding a balanced diet that is not excessively high in fat, the dog should be fine. I'd like to suggest a book that covers the nutritional requirements for a home cooked diet, as well as how much a dog should be fed each day and some great healthy recipes. It's called The Natural Pet Food Cookbook. It's written by Wendy Nan Rees with the help of Dr. Kevin Schlanger, DVM. All of the recipes and feeding guidelines meet Dr. Schlanger's approval. You can find the book on Amazon.com. I have a copy myself, and I think it is very well written and easy to understand. The recipes use all human grade food, and sound so tastey you might want to try them yourself.
Thanks for your question. :)
-- Contributed by: KellyHI! I am wondering about something my vet has told me. She told me that feeding dogs "people food", can injure the Pancreas. Is this true??!! I have a friend that does this, and I am trying to convince him to stop doing this to his dog!
-- Contributed by: Lori MayHi Meg,
Oatmeal is a good source of carbohydrates, and can be one part of a balanced diet as long as your dog doesn't have any allergy to it. However, oatmeal is not nutritionally complete, so you shouldn't feed it to the exclusion of a balanced kibble or home cooked diet.
Thanks for your question. :)
-- Contributed by: KellyThis page has been accessed 1,090 times. This page was last modified 17:45, 18 September 2008.
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