# Starve Ollie?



## Maxsmom (Aug 5, 2007)

I was telling my groomer what a task that it was to cook for Ollie, My husband, my children and myself. We all eat differently. I cook chicken (adding the kelp and vitamins for dogs) add veggies and snack him with fruits and Bully sticks. I have Innova Kibble and Canidae. He will not touch canned dog food. I leave kibble out all of the time. He may nibble on it, but that's all. I do have some puppy jerky treats that he enjoys. He is ALWAYS hungry. But he wants people food. Shhhhh. We've not told him that he's a dog. 

On a more serious note, my groomer insisted that to keep his teeth healthy that I should starve him into eating his dog food. As long as I give him boiled, cut up chicken, that he will never eat dog food. What should I do? Am I headed for a Dental Dilema? Is Ollie getting the nutrients that he needs? As much as he eats, he's not gaining weight, just maintaining. I only feed him chicken and veggies once a day. He has to depend on his kibble otherwise. I change his kibble every morning and his water twice a day.

Should I cut out the table food completely?

Love and Peace - Chris

*"I will have no part in this!"* - _Ollie Murphy_


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## Missy&Maggie (Jun 17, 2007)

From what I have read and researched, puppies should be on kibble or canned food or a combination to make sure that they are getting enough fat, protein, and nutrients. Puppies benefit from a higher fat content than adult dogs. I think that it helps with growing. Once they are at least one home cooking is a good option, from what I understand. I could definitely be wrong.

According to _Scared Poopless_, kibble does not clean teeth like believed. Although, I do think that it helps with teething. I don't think that you are headed for a dental issue. I used to grate natural balance food roll on Maggie's food to entice her to eat. Now I like to use stella and chewy's carnivore cruch treats because they crumble very easily.

It's hard to say what you should do, but I would consult with your vet.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> From what I have read and researched, puppies should be on kibble or canned food or a combination to make sure that they are getting enough fat, protein, and nutrients. Puppies benefit from a higher fat content than adult dogs. I think that it helps with growing. Once they are at least one home cooking is a good option, from what I understand. I could definitely be wrong.
> 
> According to _Scared Poopless_, kibble does not clean teeth like believed. Although, I do think that it helps with teething. I don't think that you are headed for a dental issue. I used to grate natural balance food roll on Maggie's food to entice her to eat. Now I like to use stella and chewy's carnivore cruch treats because they crumble very easily.
> 
> It's hard to say what you should do, but I would consult with your vet.[/B]


Ditto to all this!

Of course that headline "starving Ollie" got my attention fast, lol.

I think whatever you do with him now, as a puppy, is what he will get used to and prefer down the line so I'd make a decision soon. If it were me I'd go w/ the kibble and just give the cooked food on occasion. You can always change when he's done growing.

My first malt Camden was tiny as a puppy and only ate a few tablespoons (if that) of kibble per day and he was steadily gaining weight. They don't need much, you won't "starve" him.


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## PreciousPrince (Feb 27, 2006)

Well I can see how it would be hard going from homecooked to kibble for him. There are mixes that you add the meat and supplements to, Dr.Harvey's and Sojourner Farms come to mind. I think Dr. Harvey's even has a mix of vegetables too. That might be easier for you. But I would still consult with a veterinary nutritionist to make sure he's getting the correct supplements, especially since he is a puppy.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

It is very important his diet be balanced. So you can't just throw things together. Cooking for him is fine - but you need to follow a recipe or use a mix (I like SoJo's). 

If you want to feed meals of kibble, put down his meal, leave it for the set time, pick it up. NO treats. Repeat at meal time. Dogs don't starve themselves. It may be helpful to mix his kibble with some cooked to get him started and slowly wean off of it. 

If you want to cook, you can cook big batches and then freeze it. That was my method.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

I was going to feed my puppy home cooked right away, but my holistic vet who is also a nutritional consultant felt we should wait until Nikki's first birthday. The vet recommended rotating Innova Puppy food and California Naturals over the next 7 months. My vet said that rotating the kibble is a good idea to prevent allergies. She also said that home made food is fine but a little tricky because you have to get the ingredients right, and it is best to consult a nutritionist. (Of course she would say that because she is a nutritionist, but I trust her. She's very good.)

SoJos is a good base. I'll probably go with that base, and have my vet create a recipe specifically for Nikki. 

Kibble does NOT clean teeth. What cleans the teeth is brushing. What keeps the mouth problem free is good nutrition. I'm a BIG believer in Probiotics, whether you get them as a supplement, or in a good organic yogurt with more than one culture. That helps with a lot of things, including dental issues.


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## Maxsmom (Aug 5, 2007)

This is all very good advice. Thanks so much. I was concerned that his kibble was only being nibbled, but he continued to beg for food as though he were starved. I will continue to give him home cooked sparatically. Not as frequent as before. I will also do some research on the bases that you all have suggested. He is being neutered next week so I will have the opportunity to speak with my vet as well. Thanks again.

Love and Peace - Chris and Sweet Spoiled Ollie

*If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however, if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that. *
_Johann Wolfgang _


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## mpd2 (Mar 21, 2008)

What is SoJo's dog food and where can we find it? 

I wonder what people who show dogs feed them.... There must be a nutritional component to those long flowing gorgeous coats!

Thanks in advance for replies!

Michelle


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## PreciousPrince (Feb 27, 2006)

SoJo's is Sojourner Farms--here's the site: Sojo's
Off topic but while you're there look at their GoodDog biscuits, they're super tiny-Perri loves them!


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## mpd2 (Mar 21, 2008)

> SoJo's is Sojourner Farms--here's the site: Sojo's
> Off topic but while you're there look at their GoodDog biscuits, they're super tiny-Perri loves them![/B]



Thanks for the link. Do your dogs really really like it? I am about to give up on commercially prepared food and just feed them home cooked meals. They do not eat the Canidae, Nature's Variety, Blue Buffallo... They like the royal canin mini adult 27.... and Nutro Ultra... which I am not so sure is so great for them. They love the Nature's Variety's frozen medallion but it seems to make them constipated somehow.

Decisions, decisions...


Michelle


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## PreciousPrince (Feb 27, 2006)

Hi, I was just answering your question about what Sojo's was--I don't feed it, just familiar with it. It sounded like JMM might though, if so she could help more.


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## mpd2 (Mar 21, 2008)

Prince is gorgeous!!! What do you feed him and would you share your secrets on keeping his hair so nice and long? 

*** whispering to Prince... "If she is not nice to you... run home to me!"


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## thinkpink (Sep 25, 2004)

> Kibble does NOT clean teeth. What cleans the teeth is brushing. What keeps the mouth problem free is good nutrition. I'm a BIG believer in Probiotics, whether you get them as a supplement, or in a good organic yogurt with more than one culture. That helps with a lot of things, including dental issues.[/B]



I take probiotics myself daily and want to get Bella started. I think it would help her a great deal with her skin and allergies. Just curious, are you using a supplement or yogurt?


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## PreciousPrince (Feb 27, 2006)

> Prince is gorgeous!!! What do you feed him and would you share your secrets on keeping his hair so nice and long?
> *** whispering to Prince... "If she is not nice to you... run home to me!"[/B]


Aww thanks so much! Right now Perri is on Castor and Pollux Organix. When I wanted to try him on a chicken food, we tried Canidae first and he didn't like it either for some reason. 
Perri's hair is really only about mid-length, but I think finding the products that work best on your dog's hair is what makes the difference. I've tried lots and I'm always surprised how different the results can be from one product to another.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

I feed Nikki a teaspoon of organic yogurt each day. The yogurt has 3 different cultures in it. I want to get the probiotics in pill form and sprinkle them on her food, but I don't have the $$ for them yet. New Chapter and Enzymatic Therapy are good brands of pro biotics. Dogs are supposed to get 1/2 of an adult dose. There are dog-specific probiotics out there but I don't know how good they are. The good "people" brands usually (not always) have to stay refrigerated.


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## thinkpink (Sep 25, 2004)

> I feed Nikki a teaspoon of organic yogurt each day. The yogurt has 3 different cultures in it. I want to get the probiotics in pill form and sprinkle them on her food, but I don't have the $$ for them yet. New Chapter and Enzymatic Therapy are good brands of pro biotics. Dogs are supposed to get 1/2 of an adult dose. There are dog-specific probiotics out there but I don't know how good they are. The good "people" brands usually (not always) have to stay refrigerated.[/B]



Thanks for the info. I have the kind that has to be refrigerated and last week I opened the capsule and sprinkled a teeny tiny bit on her food. My concern was her getting too much at once and causing an upset tummy but so far so good. I think I'll see if I can work her up to 1/2 of an adult dose. If we run into a problem I'll switch to a good yogurt.


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