The topic of finicky eaters has come up here before. I wouldn't necessarily say that Tofu fits perfectly into that category. He seems to be the kind of dachshund that likes variety in his diet. We've only fed him high quality kibble from such brands as Wellness and Fromm since he's been living with us.
Late last summer, after experiencing an upset stomach and vomiting for several days, things changed. He would only tolerate a flavour of kibble for a few months before determining that he was going on a hunger strike. We'd leave it for a few days, hoping that he'd change his mind and so that we weren't creating a finicky eater but the most he'd manage was about half his daily intake.
Switching flavours was our solution but eventually he'd grow tired of those too. Overall, he just didn't have the same excitement for his meal times as he used to and that just didn't seem right. Being a foodie myself, I was a little disheartened that my dog was no longer enjoying his food.
There have been times that I've added canned wet food to his diet as a treat in the hopes that it would add variety. The raw food option is a little scary to me as I'm sure it is to many people. Not that I wouldn't give it a try eventually, but I'd want to consult thoroughly with our vet to ensure Tofu is getting the right balance. I have started experimenting with homemade food though as an occasional treat. That being said, a number of months ago I noticed one of the locally owned pet supply stores was carrying a new line of food. It wasn't kibble and it wasn't raw meat patties. It was dehydrated food.
The change in Tofu's appetite was immediate. He's excited at meal times again. There's no worry about him leaving behind uneaten portions (his bowl is licked clean enough that I could probably put it away without giving it a proper rinse!). The type that we're currently feeding him has dehydrated turkey pieces in with other natural ingredients. I just have to add water and let it soak overnight. For variety, I'll add a few teaspoons of other veggies into the mix. With other types of dehydrated food you can also add your own meat instead. In any case, for me this option is great because it takes the worry out of feeding the right nutritional balance while allowing Tofu a fairly fresh meal.
Here are just some of the dehydrated foods available on the market right now:
Addiction
Dr. Harvey's Canine Health
Grandma Lucy's
The Honest Kitchen
Nature's Variety
Sojos Natural
Anyone else have similar results? Have you tried or heard of dehydrated pet foods before?
[We were not paid, sponsored or otherwise rewarded for publishing this post. Please understand that purchasing products for your pet is a personal decision - we simply wish to share our experiences to show you some of the options out there. Please consult your veterinarian before changing your pet's diet.]
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10 comments:
Hadn't even noticed dehydrated foods on the market until Tofu came to stay with us for a while. Aside from remembering to make it the night before (which we HAVE, I promise!), it's incredibly easy to prepare and the little one sure does love it. Tofu has also slimmed down so much that it's hard to tell him apart from Calvin.
I've seen the Honest Kitchen and have been wanting to check it out. We're planning to do that when we run out of the organic kibble we have now. I think we're meeting in the middle and giving them a scoop of home made yogurt with every meal--it keeps their kibble moist and it is good for their digestion, and they LOVE it!
I have been using Addiction for over a year. Moka, our black and tan female, really enjoys it. Tigger, the male brindle, ate it for a while until about 3 months ago, when he went on a hunger strike. That lasted several weeks. We feed them the dehydrated food only in the morning. In the evening, they get Canine Life -- these are frozen muffins of cooked meat with a variety of vegetables. In desperation, I bought Nature's Variety, Raw Frozen Diet. They have various meat choices and I got the Lamb Formula (95% meat with vegetables). I defrost in the microwave. Tigger now waits with great trepidation for his breakfast, sits on my feet while I prepare so I don't forget to feed him (as if...). He loves it. So while Moka is still getting Addiction (Brushtail), Tigger gets his raw diet in the a.m., and in the evening, they both like their Canine Life Turkey with vegetables. Yeah, it's that easy... :)
Tootsie, my mini black and tan female, went on a hunger strike a few weeks ago. I couldn't tell if it was from the change to summer weather or her being picky. I used wet food and dry mixed together from Wellness to start her eating again. After that I started to mix in peanut butter with Wellness kibble. Now, I have been using french cut green beans mixed into her food and she likes it. I haven't moved to dehydrated food but it's good to know that it has worked with other dachshunds.
Do you know what caused your dog to become ill last summer? I was curious because of a situation we had last year. Our Dachshund has to eat Purina EN, available only from the veterinarian, ever since she changed his heartworm Interceptor dose from the lowest to the next level because he weighed 11 lbs. The higher dose made him so sick and in pain that his intestinal lining sloughed off when he moved his bowels and he had diarrhea for hours. Medications and pro-biotic powder for a month help him heal, and we changed to topical Revolution for heartworm, but this also gives him digestive upset for a few days after application. He also had a bad reaction (swollen cheeks, trouble breathing) about 18 hours after his DHPP shot this spring. Needless to say, we will only be getting the rabies shot from now on.
Have any of you had these situations with your Dachshunds?
yes i have had a dachsund allerto dhpp shot there is a thing they can give to prvent the allergy its a for of the shot with ot the part that causes the allergy i had 2 dachsunds do that . i also had one that cldnt handle the heartworm preventative at all cause he got so sick it almost killed him . they just took him off it finally cause this happened abt 18 yrs ago i dont think they had meds back then they have for it nows .
After a week and a half of watching Tofu eat his special meals, Theo has flat-out refused to eat kibble.
Looks like we're switching over too.
www.totallyrawdogfood.com
great company near truro - they deliver to Halifadx and hae great prices AND thir website is full of great info on raw feeding and how to do it.
I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Betty
http://smallpet.info
just wanted to add... we used honest kitchen for our 2 doxies for almost a year. when their allergies didn't diminish, we switched to home made food for them... they still had allergies! well guess what? I found out, dogs arent supposed to eat grains, like humans. grains were added in as a filler...just before WWII. Heres an url for a pet shop.. theres some history of dog food on there... http://www.mantispetsupply.com
So... we switched again, about 2 weeks ago, to Natures Variety. Guess what? No runny goopy eyes!!!!! No sneezing, no runny noses,or congestion! Nature's variety is a raw diet made of meat, bones, organs, and some fruit n veggies. If it helps anyone... think of this... why do they add in vitamins and minerals to pet food? maybe because the food has been over processed and has lost its nutrients? I'm not sure. dogs dont know better... for goodness sakes. I am just happy that my babies are doing better, and not eating poop!
kibble doesnt clean the teeth... give raw meaty bones. for smaller dogs.. or dogs with bad teeth, give smaller bones without marrow.
feeding kibble helps the vet to make $.
Resveratrol... does anyone have their dog on this supplement?
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