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Post by dulybobty on Apr 4, 2006 7:55:45 GMT -5
Does anyone change the brand of food they feed there Greys regularly or do you feed the same brand forever. They also get table scraps and treats. I free feed my boys so they always have food in their dishes. I just though that they must get tired of the same brand all the time. I thought that by changing the brand they might get nutrients that one brand offers that another doesn't.
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Post by romansmom on Apr 4, 2006 10:18:43 GMT -5
I figure it it isn't broke don't fix it. Roman does well on Innova so I have no reason to change it. It doesn't seem like he's bored of it....it's food, and I think that's all that matters to him! I think it might bother their stomachs if their food was constantly being changed. I don't feed Roman table scraps though....the only human treats he gets is left overs from dinner that would be nutritious for him, like sweet potatoes, or whole grains. But that's just me...
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Post by jiffer on Apr 4, 2006 10:56:53 GMT -5
I don't change food at all. I do give a variety of treats.. from homemade to store bought.
It took me 13 tries to find a food that didn't cause either "D" in Echo or the itchies in Icarus and Atlas. We finally discovered Technical Lamb and Rice (made in Canada, too) and have been sticking to it.
Be careful with table scraps that can contain a lot of salt in them. My guys get their share of raw veggies, some rice, canned sardines and once in a while an egg. Sometimes raw pumpkin is good if they are a little loose (just stirred into the food).
Don't forget about the no-no foods: Onion, Grapes, Raisins, Chocolate (especially dark or bakers)
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Post by policedog on Apr 4, 2006 17:07:53 GMT -5
.....and once in a while an egg.... Careful with eggs. We gave our male some slices of hard-boiled egg - and 30 minutes later we had to take him to the 24-hour clinic with breathing problems and bumps the size of golf balls all over his face. We thought he was dying! Turned out to be allergies.
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Post by stylishhound on Apr 8, 2006 6:28:26 GMT -5
I agree and that if something is working for you, why change. I thought the same thing once with one of my girls and started giving her a variety but she got very sick and ended up on prescription food for life. From now on, no messing with food for me! I was also told once by someone in the animal healthcare field that by switching food around frequently isn't good for their system specifically the liver (although I don't know this for certain). There are many high quality foods out there these days so switching isn't really necessary.
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Post by catti on Apr 14, 2006 0:08:55 GMT -5
I've been feeding Sting (and now Eagle) Techni-Cal chicken formula. They seem to do well on it, very little gas and nice firm stools, along with soft, flake-free coats. I mix in a bit of grated Natural Balance meat (from the "sausages" you can buy in pet food shops) and they each get a fish oil capsule in each meal. I have been feeding my cats Techni-Cal for over 10 years and they do very well on it, so it wasn't difficult for me to decide to use this brand for my dogs. I find it's just as good for their health as any of the much higher-priced specialty brands such as Eagle Pack, Wellness et al. I believe in feeding a "base diet" of a good-quality kibble, mixed in with other items and/or supplements for variety.
I do frequently mix human food in their food for variety, but I make sure what I add is beneficial for them - steamed veggies, steamed white rice, roasted/broiled low-fat meat scraps, tins of low-sodium fish (tuna, salmon, sardines or mackerel) packed in water, low-sodium fat-free chicken or beef broth. I never give them fried, fatty, sugary or spicy foods, nor harmful foods such as chocolate, onions etc. Right now Eagle has a problem with big D so for the next couple of days he gets steamed white rice with some Natural Balance mixed in for flavour, and no kibbles. Once his big D settles he will be back on the TechiCal again.
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Post by ontariogreys on Apr 29, 2006 3:48:46 GMT -5
Most greyhounds have sensitive digestive tracts and sudden food changes or even an ingredient that disagrees with them can result in the Big D. As a result if I find a food that works by creating firm stool with no gassiness, that they like and keeps their coats shiny and healthy, that agrees with their digestion I stick with it, constant food changes can stress their system and often will be noticed by the condition of their coat
Because Sunny who is a greyhound metabolizes grains weird and it causes weight gain even with small amounts of low calorie/low fat for example he was being fed Nutro Natural Choice Lite and getting 1 1/2 cups per day which is the recommended feeding for a dog weighing 5 to 15 pounds(he was 84 lbs it is 14% protein 8.5% maximum fat at 244 calories per cup and he was gaining 1 pound a month
he is now fed Innova EVO which is grain free, he is still getting 1 1/2 cups a day his weight dropped a bit and is holding, even though now he is getting 3 times the calories he was eating prior, it is 42% protein 22% fat and 537 calories per cup.
My other grey Maya is getting the EVO blended with some Eagle Pack holistic, she has Lupus which affects the skin which can leave dogs looking scurvy, so I found the blend works the best for her to keep her coat healthy and shiny and I wanted a higher fat and meat protien content to keep her immune system as healthy as possible
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Post by Susan C. on May 10, 2006 9:52:02 GMT -5
We have foudn that Gigi gets bored of her food very quickly or so it seems, we have been trying different high quality or holistic brands and right now we are trying Eagle Pack which she seems to like for the moment. If I buy a medium size bag of any food that she has been eating invariably she will stop eating it - she will go a couple of days and not touch her food - switch foods and she is back to eating. She rarely gets the big D even when we switch but I think she is unusual in this. I do give her rice, plain yogurt and cottage cheese on occasion - she does not like raw veggies. She really likes lean cooked hamburgers, actually anything cooked on the barbecue! But she is developing scaley skin on her tummy again - she had it when we first got her and it slowly disappeared and now she has it again. So not sure if it is being caused by the food or not - we do give her fish oil capsules. Any suggestions? Tx, Sue
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Post by multiplicity on May 10, 2006 14:49:57 GMT -5
I was under the impression that you should not frequently change a pet's food, because it can create a finicky eater. All of our cats and greys eat Nutro brand and all like it. After doing some research I would like to switch them to a more natural food but my 15yr kitty is a fussy eater and after have alot of problems with my bridge boy and the Big D I figure if everyone is happy then I am happy. My greys love raw veggies for snacks...and peanut butter stuffed kongs of course!
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erinder
Grey Lover
Collarbones - for you guessed it, collars! (formerly Fussy Pup)
Posts: 421
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Post by erinder on May 11, 2006 18:12:22 GMT -5
Man, I wish digby would eat raw veggies. whenever i get them out to feed the bunnies he's right there wanting some, but he just spits it out, whatever it is.
we started digby with purina pro plan, which is what he was getting at the kennel, but it didn't agree with him at all. we switched to royal canin and it firmed up his stool and helped him to put on a few needed pounds. in the past couple months, he's been refusing his food on an off and has been getting runny stool. I'm not sure when his hookworm started so hard to say whether this is food related or not. though his worms are gone now and poop is still runny. we are going to get some Eukaneuba Low Res from the vet because apparently it's easier on the GI tract.. so we'll see!
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Post by fastdogz on Jun 20, 2006 20:51:27 GMT -5
It bears mentioning that greyhounds sometimes just aren't hungry. When we first had our girl, we changed foods every time she turned her nose up at the dish. Several bags of food later we finally realized that some days, she just has no appetite. Other days, she'll polish off a full bowl in a minute, and give me the starving-puppy face until I give her more. So don't be too quick to run to the pet store if your grey suddenly loses interest in his regular kibble. In my experience, the appetite always comes back within a couple of days.
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Post by stylishhound on Jun 21, 2006 8:17:17 GMT -5
I feed raw and never get a turned up nose! The bowl is licked clean and wanting more....actually...I can't get them to stop following me to the kitchen!
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Post by multiplicity on Jun 21, 2006 10:22:58 GMT -5
I feed raw and never get a turned up nose! The bowl is licked clean and wanting more....actually...I can't get them to stop following me to the kitchen! How expensive is it to feed raw? Do you buy the packaged veggies and stuff and add it to meat? Inquiring minds want to know! ;D After thought: Maybe I should see if there is a thread already started on this...tee hee hee
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Post by jiffer on Jun 21, 2006 11:14:04 GMT -5
I feed raw and never get a turned up nose! The bowl is licked clean and wanting more....actually...I can't get them to stop following me to the kitchen! How expensive is it to feed raw? Do you buy the packaged veggies and stuff and add it to meat? Inquiring minds want to know! ;D After thought: Maybe I should see if there is a thread already started on this...tee hee hee I'm interested in feeding raw too, and I know Dr. Doo's here in London sells the raw feed. But I worry about them not getting the right amounts of nutrients. How do you control that (supplements or do you follow a book/pattern)? I know my guys would love it if they got more than just a taste of raw hamburger once in a while. LOL
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Post by stylishhound on Jun 21, 2006 13:17:25 GMT -5
How expensive is it to feed raw? Do you buy the packaged veggies and stuff and add it to meat? Inquiring minds want to know! ;D After thought: Maybe I should see if there is a thread already started on this...tee hee hee I'm interested in feeding raw too, and I know Dr. Doo's here in London sells the raw feed. But I worry about them not getting the right amounts of nutrients. How do you control that (supplements or do you follow a book/pattern)? I know my guys would love it if they got more than just a taste of raw hamburger once in a while. LOL I have something I can send you guys if you're interested. What I do is get ground chicken or turkey with the bone ground in as well as fruit and veggies so it's pretty simple. I then add 1 cup of brown rice or oatmeal and I am a supplement freak so I give them a salmon oil capsule, Omega 3-6-9 capsule, Prozyme (helps them absorb the nutrients) and I also have a mutli-powder mixture. I don't think all that is necessary but it does make me feel better. Then I give a can of sardines a couple times per week and sometimes for a change of pace I'll get other ground meats - bison, rabbit (yep..rabbit!), ostrich, chicken liver and heart and then knuckle bones for chewing. Chicken backs are great to give to clean their teeth. This may sound really expensive but truth be told, I spend less now then when I was feeding Wellness or Solid Gold. I buy a 40 pound breeders block of the chicken/fruit/veg mix for $45 tax included and at 1-1.5 pounds/day you can see it's not expensive feeding at all. They recommend 1.5 pounds per day (the suppliers) but the vets say it could be 1 pound. I give my big guy 1.5 because he tends to lose weight. I home cook for Taylor because she has a bowel disease and can't eat the raw and has been on prescription food for nearly 3 years. Now, she can actually eat home cookin'! I get my food from www.mountaindog.com and then I go to specialty pet stores for the other add-ins. I can tell you that since switching, both dogs have been so much better in appearance, resting, physically and mentally alert. I love it and recommend it to everyone whose dogs can tolerate it. Now that I've gone on forever, I can send you links of great information if you want! Oh...and another bonus is really teeny tiny poop because they use up everything they eat!
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