Maddie the Wonder Sheltie was making Mama miserable. Maddie had become an extremely picky eater, refusing her previously-liked canned food, rejecting any kind of kibble (no matter how 'high grade') and generally refusing to eat until she was absolutely starving. Even then, it was clear she was doing so with distaste - you know how expressive Sheltie faces are!
Fast forward.....I had been occasionally offering commercial raw-food nibbles (you know...the frozen ones in a bag, where you just take some out, thaw it, and offer it to the dog). Well, that *always* got devoured. If I didn't mix it in well with the canned dog food, she would just pick out the raw bits and leave the canned food. Once, I didn't have time to thaw the raw nibbles - she devoured them frozen.
Then came the magical day when Mama produced - YES - a raw chicken leg. We went out into the backyard, I made her sit, then offered her the chicken leg. She politely took it, and sat staring at me with an astonished expression. I told her to go ahead and eat it, and you have never seen such dog joy. That chicken leg was devoured with a single-mindedness that was amazing to behold.
OK. Human is not stupid.
I switched her to a raw diet. In the mornings, she gets about 1/4 lb of raw ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey, whatever) with a variety of things added. This morning's breakfast:
1/4 ground beef
1 egg (with the shell crushed and mixed in)
Sweet potato (cooked, mashed)
Minced zucchini
Sprinkle of pumpkin seeds
Minced carrot
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Salt
Brewer's yeast
Turmeric
Dinner is usually a chicken leg. You should see her face light up when I get the tupperware out of the fridge!
No more picky eater. Maddie devours her meals and licks the bowl. Her coat is thick (vacuum cleaner killing thick..) and glossy, her weight is steady, her energy is good, her eyes are bright - even her itchy skin is calming down. She is thriving.
I'm a fan! No more worried Mama trying to get the dog to eat, it's really almost as easy as giving her a commercial diet, it doesn't really cost that much more, and she absolutely loves it.
One downside: An entire shelf of my refrigerator is devoted to her meal ingredients - dog meat, dog eggs, dog veggies.....*lol*
Fast forward.....I had been occasionally offering commercial raw-food nibbles (you know...the frozen ones in a bag, where you just take some out, thaw it, and offer it to the dog). Well, that *always* got devoured. If I didn't mix it in well with the canned dog food, she would just pick out the raw bits and leave the canned food. Once, I didn't have time to thaw the raw nibbles - she devoured them frozen.
Then came the magical day when Mama produced - YES - a raw chicken leg. We went out into the backyard, I made her sit, then offered her the chicken leg. She politely took it, and sat staring at me with an astonished expression. I told her to go ahead and eat it, and you have never seen such dog joy. That chicken leg was devoured with a single-mindedness that was amazing to behold.
OK. Human is not stupid.
I switched her to a raw diet. In the mornings, she gets about 1/4 lb of raw ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey, whatever) with a variety of things added. This morning's breakfast:
1/4 ground beef
1 egg (with the shell crushed and mixed in)
Sweet potato (cooked, mashed)
Minced zucchini
Sprinkle of pumpkin seeds
Minced carrot
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Salt
Brewer's yeast
Turmeric
Dinner is usually a chicken leg. You should see her face light up when I get the tupperware out of the fridge!
No more picky eater. Maddie devours her meals and licks the bowl. Her coat is thick (vacuum cleaner killing thick..) and glossy, her weight is steady, her energy is good, her eyes are bright - even her itchy skin is calming down. She is thriving.
I'm a fan! No more worried Mama trying to get the dog to eat, it's really almost as easy as giving her a commercial diet, it doesn't really cost that much more, and she absolutely loves it.
One downside: An entire shelf of my refrigerator is devoted to her meal ingredients - dog meat, dog eggs, dog veggies.....*lol*
This is how spoiled my fur brats are, they get bibs for messy foods. It just makes it easy on me. They don't mind. In our changing world of Frankenfood, additives, etc. I feel a bit more at ease knowing what my girls are eating. The proof is in the vacuum full of fur.