to eat dry food. He will eat the cat's Ocean Fish Flavor cat food but not any other's I have tried. I end up feeding him table scraps. He sheds like crazy and I'm told it's the cat food. How do I go about figuring out what kind of food to give him? Wet vs dry? How much? When? I feel bad that I do not know this. He is four years old. I want him to live longer. He has little teeth!
Please help me Healp My Baby Hank!
2007-01-31 04:29:46 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
That is a dilemma.
I tour petstores educating people on pet nutrition and what I suggest is to find a premium dog food. - NO by products, NO corn, all natural ingrediants. (The one dog food I recommend is Nutro Natural Choice - www.nutroproducts.com read up on them and thier guarantees and benefits). For your dog I'd probably put him on Nutro Max. It's higher in protein and fat is more alluring to dogs who don't eat. There's a small bite also if that's more suitable.
The food will help w/ his hair loss, immune system, dental, nervous and brain function, joint lubrication - preventing arthritis and dysplasia and A LOT more.
You should only feed your dog dry food. Canned only on occasion. Canned gets stuck in the teeth and causes rot and decay. The dry food brushes the teeth as he chews.
If he won't eat the dry food - put some water on it (or you can try chicken or beef broth - they are all natural) and put it in the microwave. This brings out the aroma and makes it more alluring.
Feed your dog on a schedule. Put the food down and after 10-15 min. if your dog hasn't eaten pick it back up till the next feeding. He'll eat when he's hungry enough.
Prevent him from eating the cat food. Thats why he isn't eating his food. Cat food is higher in protein and fat than dog food. If you had to choose between a big mac and a salad which would you choose?? LOL.
It's not that it's harmful but it doesn't have the right nutrients that he'll need. Hank will need to eat about 1-1 1/2 cups a day. I have a Golden Retriever who is 55-60lbs and she only eats 2 cups a day and is very healthy, energetic and has a great coat.
Good Luck
2007-01-31 04:44:29 · answer #1 · answered by sillybuttmunky 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes cat food can make a dog shed, Table scraps are bed for dogs, plus wet food can cause teeth problems since dog don't brush thier teeth the dry food helps to cleen them was they cruch up the food.
You can start by mixing norm dog food with the cat food that is it eating now, and slowly start adding less and less cat food. Also put your cat food somewhere where the dog can not get to it. Don't feed it sracps.
If the dog does not eat don't worry, think of you dog as a child. If your kid does not eat what you make you tell them to go to bed and wait till they eat what you have made. Dogs are the same they will hold out for what they like but when they don't get it they will eat what they have. But allowing your dog to have the cat food you only reinforce the behavior.
Also don't leave food out all the time, by having food around all the time reinforce over eating. Check with vets to see how much and how offetn your breed of dog should eat. It's sometimes on the back of dog food bags.
Hope this helps
2007-01-31 05:09:03 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stop feeding him soft cat food and stop the table scraps, he's acquired a taste for them and is spoiled. Buy dry dog food that is for small dogs, but don't buy cheap dog foods ( they have filler that will just go out as fast as it goes in and does not have enough nutrients for a healthy dog). Make sure he is healthy and the shedding is not caused from something more serious.
Go to a local pet store and ask them what is the best dog food for your dog (I use iams). As for how much to give him, the package should always state how much to give your dog based on their ideal weight.
Feed him the proper amount and don't give him anything else until he eats it, make sure he has plenty of water. It may take a day or two but he'll get the idea after he is not getting what he wants and will settle for the dry dog food. They also sell sauce you can pour over the food if you can afford it and if he is really stubborn.
2007-01-31 04:50:14 · answer #3 · answered by trojan 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Try a better food such as Authority or Nutro. You can buy wet food, and mix with the dry to save on costs. At this age for this size, I would be feeding three cups food per day, and I find it's best to feed twice per day. so, 1 1/2 cups in morning and 1 1/2 cups at around 6pm. To help the shedding problem you can add some flax oil or olive oil, about 1 teaspoon, to the food as well. Table scraps are ok as long as they aren't loaded with salt and spices. leftover veggies and plain meat is fine. and in regards to the comment above, fish will NOT harm your dog. Salmon is also a great way to fix skin and coat problems.
2007-01-31 04:45:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You spoiled your dog with table scraps, now he knows that hey I don't eat my food they will give me theirs. He needs to eat dog food, cat food is not made for him to be eating all the time. Put the cat food up so he can't get at it. If he's four he's had to ahve eaten some kind of dry dog food? You can mix alittle canned food with the dry food and see if he'll eat it then. You can also leave a bowl of dog food out, don't give hime tablescraps, he'll eat when he's hungry.
2007-01-31 08:01:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You really don't want to make a habit of feeding him cat food.
There's a ton of kibble available. Whatever you decide, stick with it and only use the table scraps for training (and away from the table)
Your dog will not starve if he skips a meal. Put his bowl down for dinner, and if he won't eat, pick it up and wait 'til next mealtime. Ignore all begging, unless you want a dog who will not ever give up that begging!
As far as how much/when/etc, any dog food will have recommended rations available on the packaging.
2007-01-31 04:40:47 · answer #6 · answered by Misa M 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Buy a good dog food with natural ingredients first off. I use Avoderm and Innova. To make the food more interesting to my dog, I break up small pieces of a treat that he enjoys and mix it in the food. He loves it. He eats up his food to get to the treat pieces. I don't do it every time he eats, just every so often so he doesn't get bored with the dry food. It works like a charm. Hope this helps you out!
And don't feed him any cat food and lay off the table food! These foods can be terribly bad for a dog!
If all else fails, go to the vet.
2007-01-31 04:40:30 · answer #7 · answered by Michelle D 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
At 4 years old, he is already pretty set in his ways. Yes, do get a good brand of dry dog food and serve it. Make sure he has no access to cat food (let the cat eat in an enclosed area where he cannot access it) and please stop feeding table scraps.
He knows you will come to the rescue, feel sorry for him and feed from the table.
He will need to starve for a few days. Good luck!
2007-01-31 04:39:49 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Pick a high quality dog food and stick with it . If your dog refuses to eat it within 20 minutes,pick it up and do not offer food or treats until the next sechduled meal time. Missing a meal or two will not harm your dog. A dog will not starve itself. The method I've described will teach your dog to take food when it's offered and to not be picky. Good luck.
2007-01-31 04:36:29 · answer #9 · answered by W. 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Having owned boxers and a having a few mates with Pittys, my money is definately on the Pits. Boxers are usually bigger but really aren't built for fighting like the Pittbull is. Plus (from my experience) the Boxers are usually a pretty happy-go-lucky breed who would rather make a friend and play.
2016-03-28 22:24:12 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋