Re: Holly

Sorry Jazzi, I didn't mean you. I was just shocked that a real animal loving friend posted a video of him feeding the dog with some snack he was eating himself. The next day the dog got sick.

Re: Holly

I have always given my dogs small bits of what I eat and they have never been sick in the stomach .
I don't mean cake and other rubbish which aren't good for humans either but a little left over food from dinner is nice and adds variety to a dogs life .
I wouldn't like to eat muesli day in and day out and I doubt if a dog is overthrilled with endless kibble either !
In fact kibble is just a convenience food for humans to feed dogs .
Dogs would naturally eat raw meat, raw bones and some greens usually grass.

Re: Holly

Good gracious puppies eat naturally one shouldn't have to persuade them to eat !
In fact animals that are unwell generally don't eat and this is not always a bad thing
Funds however must always be mani trained
If the kibble was the source of the problem in the beginning to keep feeding it will keep aggravating the problem .

Re: Holly

I once had a telling off from a vet when I asked about that Muddy. My question even ended up in the notes.

He has IAMs and wet dog food (simply gentle) which seems to suit him as he is very healthy for age 7. He does eat grass and the vet said this was normal, but when you read up they say dogs should just have meat. Once a year he has the lamb roast bone to chew on (not my idea) but then he finds chicken bones on the pavement from takeaways before I can catch him. He seems to really enjoy the lamb bone and chews it for hours (I haven't told the vet!).

It's very confusing because online they say no bones and vets agree, the vet says no human food and not even wet food, but I look after his teeth.

In the case of my friend, he was sharing something like scampi fries or similar. I think their dog ended up with kidney failure and they were devastated. So a minefield. I prefer to not take chances. He has cooked chicken if sick but otherwise I stick to the regime and his digestion is fine these days.

Humans used to share everything but then dogs maybe didn't always live so long in the olden days?

Re: Holly

Not to Jazzi just as a general note that might be of use to someone else reading this
A lot of people mention feeding chicken to dogs with upset tummies and that is fine and something many of us have always done but can I just add most of the chicken available these days (unless organic) is fast reared and fatty so it is best to remove and discard any skin wich contains a large amount of fat . Fat is not something you want for an upset tummy.

A better option is white fish, it can be bought in most supermarket frozen in blocks in the freezer section. Cod is usually availability and also coley a less expensive option and just as good.
If serving with cooked rice, the rice is best cooked until very soft and some of the cooking liquid which contains starch can be used too, starch can help to firm things up.

Re: Holly

Annie vets are not always right and some don't even take care of their own animals that well.( a case of the cobblers children )
Of course some people overfeed their dogs and make them obese dogs are opportunist feeders and many ( such as labradors ) will eat anything that is on offer .

Re: Holly

She has had some prescription food with her probiotic paste this morning, with only some left in the bowl. Her poo at 9.30, her first since last night, was much better!

I have boiled up another chicken drum, and got the rice out of the cupboard, so she can have that today. I've got out a frozen home made beef casserole for myself, which can go with th rest of the rice, so hopefully no waste.

I am getting so many differing opinions here, I am just going to go with my own way of feeding, and see what happens. She is still otherwise happy and alert, and went through the night again. Meg, I am not feeding her chicken skin, just pulling off the meat, and putting in some of the water that the chicken boiled in, to flavour the food and moisten it a little.

ATM, she is napping on my feet. Awww bless.

If it hadn't been snowing today, I would have popped out for our (bare) essentials, but it can wait another day.

Re: Holly

I never ever have fed my dogs human foods or leftovers in fifty years of keeping dogs. They have always been fed on kibble and all have been very enthusiastic for their meals. My last Lab had a very delicate stomach (as does my son's dog). I tried very many dog foods before settling on Masters Gun Dog kibble and from then until she died at 13, her stomach was fine unless someone fed her something other than Masters.

My current dog gets a half cup of kibble twice a day, carefully measured and in the three years I have had her, never once an upset stomach. No treats, except one biscuit at bedtime. I do not attribute "boredom" in animals, with food.

@Jazzi, I think you are right, go your own way, the constant changing of food could well contribute to Holly's digestive problems. Our vet always recommends boiled chicken and some rice when my son's Lab has a bad stomach, if he has been scavenging.

Re: Holly

Nobody will ever agree on the best way to feed dogs, but if you have healthy poo then you must be doing the right thing. It's good to know that Holly is getting better.

Re: Holly

Offer the average dog a steak and kibble and see which one they choose