# Wet food



## MarinaM (Jul 30, 2018)

Hello everybody,

Benji is 4 months old and her weght is a bit over 5 pounds. She is another picky eater and absolutely refuses to eat any dry food no matter what I do. Tried to soak it in a warm water, mixing with the canned food, seasoning it with the treats she likes. Every meal was an incredible stress for me and for her I guess. I am feeding her 3 times a day.

Now I decided to stop the dry food and to give her exclusively wet food Wellnesss Complete Health for puppy. So far so good. She is not eager and does not jump on the bowl, but at least she eats it well, which is a bib relieve for me.

My question for you, wonderful community: is it good to feed her this way? Like one can per day, always the same food?

Thank you


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## lonewolf (Dec 23, 2017)

You certainly can't keep her on puppy food. Puppy food is for puppies. Their nutritional needs change as they age. Experiment with different high quality foods. Wet is fine although it may or may not lead to ongoing teeth cleanings. Give her plenty of water after she eats and if you can, brush her teeth with a small, soft toothbrush and meat flavored toothpaste made for dogs. They don't have to like it. It only takes a couple minutes and she'll get used to it. Tiny brush. Soft bristles only

Robby's eaten the same food all his life. Iams lamb and rice for breakfast. Chicken and veggies for dinner and more chicken for his evening snack. He's gets Pupperoni treats after every meal. I think at least 1000 chickens have laid down their lives, probably not by choice, so this little man can satisfy his chicken cravings. He's live to a ripe old age and now I just feed him anything he wants. His time is limited so he's earned it.

Puppy food for life? No way. Experiment. Does she like chicken breast? Seems to have been the fountain of longevity for my boy.


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## MarinaM (Jul 30, 2018)

Thank you so much for your answer. Sorry, I didn’t mean one food for life. I meant for now, when she is puppy, is it ok to feed her 3 times a day the same food for a month or so? From the nutritional, but also gustatives points of view?


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## lonewolf (Dec 23, 2017)

Sorry, I misunderstood. Sure, you can keep them on one food at anytime in their life as long as it meets all their nutritional needs. Healthy treats are good as well. Might as well try some variety if you can to liven things up a bit. Maybe your vet has some suggestions on a good quality food. Or you can research it on the internet. There's also a search bar on here at the top of the page that you could try.

As far as feeding three times daily, that is actually better than twice daily in my opinion. A little smaller portions, of course. This keeps something on their stomach and prevents the formation of bile. If they throw up and it's just yellow liquid, that's bile irritating their stomach. Robby used to throw that up quite often and I found that feeding three times daily, Vet recommended it, stopped that. I also give him a some treats before bedtime. Just keep any eye out for her weight. 

I don't worry about Robby's weight anymore. At his advanced age, I'm just glad to see him still eating. 17 and 1/2 is very old. Even for a small dog. So he gets to eat anytime and whatever he likes. He's never been too fussy which may have led to his longevity. 

Welcome to the site. Post some pics of your little girl if you can.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

Hi, welcome!
For right now, it's ok to feed the same food but once you transition over to adult food, I would recommend rotating your protein sources, so your dog doesn't develop a food allergy.

Food allergies/allergic reactions can occur in dogs who are fed the same food for long periods of time; the dog's immune system begins to identify a food ingredient as harmful, releasing antibodies to fight the allergy. 

An allergic reaction often is the first indication/sign of the need to change your dog's food. Allergies can manifest in all kinds of ways, including itchy skin, hot spots, red and raw looking skin, an upset stomach and diarrhea.

As long as your using one brand of food you can switch proteins around. Transition to new protein over a few days when feeding, switching that protein source every few months. If you decide to use a different brand of food, you should always transition slower, over 7-10 days time.

Vomiting or diarrhea during the transition is a sign that you may be switching too fast, or that the dog is allergic to something in the new food. Try to slow down the transition first, but eliminate the new food entirely if this does not help. Rotate your dog's food between at least three different protein sources, ex: lamb, venison and kangaroo.

Of course...always talk to your vet first...this is just the way I do things.


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## MarinaM (Jul 30, 2018)

Thank you so much for th clarification and useful information. I am new to the dog world and stress a lot of wrongdoing. 
Benji is a little princess, quite fussy and picky. My husband teases me saying our two sons were less difficult with meals and that he thought a dog is always eager to eat. But she is very affectionate and calm, doesn’t bark a lot, loves cuddling and being taken care of. She is housebroken for few weeks already, going potty outside only. I am proud of her 🙂

Wow! 17 years, you are an amazing owner!

I will follow the advice on allergy follow up. I don’t have a good vet yet. We did vaccinated her twice with the same young vet, but I was not impressed. I somehoe prefer older doctors in general. So still looking the one I can fully trust.

Another consideration is I want someone who knows the needs of the small breed. As long as I understood, there is a difference between say Labrador and Maltese. 

This forum is amazing! So uch useful information.


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