# general diet questions



## my5wee-ones (Apr 1, 2015)

Hi all. So, I feel like we have been all over the board with feeding. We tried doing homemade diet in the morning and kibble at night, but our girl started refusing her kibble (even with something mixed in). So we started all homemade and loved it for a while, but then she seemed to start getting very picky and refusing much of that. Now we are pretty much on straight kibble with a little something mixed in, we buy the small bag and rotate brands/protien every week (which is how long a small bag lasts us), leaving a fasting day in between bags. she still often refuses her morning meal - if I only feed her at night she eats it all but I heard you should divide up a Vizslas food bc of risk of bloat? BTW our girl is 14 months and I guess my questions are: 

1) Do you feed your dog 1x or 2x a day? 
2) I like rotating the diet - am I doing it the right way? 
3) does anyone home cook and not have problems with fussiness?


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I only feed once a day, and I don't rotate the kibble. 
I do rotate what I add to it. 
Cottage cheese 
Salmon 
Coconut oil


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## my5wee-ones (Apr 1, 2015)

Thanks so much Texas Red - I read so much about allergies from feeding dogs the same thing day in and day out - Do you think this a valid concern? i'm really throwing my hands up in the air with this whole feeding thing - I truly have no idea what is the best way to feed. Thanks.


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

I've heard of others rotating kibbles within the same brand. As long as there isn't digestive upset, I think this is sound in principle. Get different nutrients from different proteins. 

I also feed once in the evening and do a home prepped raw meal. It's thought that there is less concern of bloat on raw, but even on kibble if you ensure she rests after she'd probably be fine (and they are usually content to with a full belly). Mine could be fussy with organ meat, but otherwise she pretty much gulps it down. Yours may just be a picky one, but it sounds like you should try one meal a day if she eats it all then.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Some dogs are just very picky. 
But I've never know one to starve themselves to death when food is available. 
Mine also like cooked liver, baked sweet patatoes, and boiled eggs.
I used to bake boneless chicken for them, but one has a chicken allergy. 

Lucy was the picky one of my bunch, and she liked to be hand fed.


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## my5wee-ones (Apr 1, 2015)

great suggestions - thanks so much


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## Anida (Jun 10, 2016)

TexasRed said:


> Lucy was the picky one of my bunch, and she liked to be hand fed.


Kaylee prefers to be hand fed as well. Luckily my 3 yo is happy to oblige most of the time. He gets concerned if she doesn't go eat her bowl of food when we put it out. Kaylee will be 1 on Friday and she still eats 3 small meals a day. I've tried transitioning her to fewer feedings but then she throws up stomach acid so for now we've just been sticking to the 3 meals.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Family used to pick at how much me and Taylor spoiled her.
Now that shes gone I don't regret one minute of the extra things we did for her.


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## lord brush (Oct 22, 2015)

We feed our 17 m/o lad x2 meals a day of Simpsons Premium 80/20 mixed high meat/fish recipe kibble- 80% meat, 20% fruit, vegetables and botanicals and 0% grains. 

I will usually add some raw green tripe to the kibble, or sometimes a small tin of mackerel or sardine fillets (i try to rinse most of the brine or sunflower oil off first!)

I think I might try him on the cottage cheese suggestion also. He used to love normal cheese treats as a pup, but now wont entertain it!


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## browndogbrownguy (Nov 10, 2015)

Here is something interesting - My vizsla had a tough time adjusting to food. Diarrhea was a common occurrence-almost everyday. I tried different brands when he was a puppy - nutrisource large and medium breed puupy, purina pro plan, taste of the wild, fromms - changed the meat in them. Nothing worked. Tried feeding him raw, had decent luck with it - but one bad day out of 20 good days and it was scary bloody diarrhea. 

I now have a Weim, and started feeding her large preedy puppy, and my two year old started eating it too. I was surprised to see all his problems disappear. Absolutely disappear. Same food he had issues when he was a pup has made a huge difference now. So he gets large breed puppy food now. Doesn`t make sense, but it works fantastic. Also recently, I started to give him yogurt now as insurance. He loves the yogurt and it is a probiotic food.

I hear some people say - rotating kibble is good - so your dog doesn`t develop allergies. Keep the system guessing and strong. For me, I absolutely have to maintain his gut bacteria with the probiotic foods and what kibble works for him, I don`t care about anything else. 

Cooking at home is a huge commitment, I had a dog back home (not the US) and all he got was home cooked food. With kibble it`s easy, not messy and they research and they have most of the nutrients a dog needs. 

I wouldn`t pick home cooked food, as your pup may seem to be a fussy eater. It`s probably not worth the time and commitment. Just mix cooked chicken, or egg whites with the kibble. They usually don`t refuse. 

Also, once they develop taste for something they do a bit of drama by not eating. Don`t fall for that. It takes some time to break out of the habit.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

mine get fed twice a day, what they don't eat at breakfast gets added to their food bowls at tea time, with left over scraps from our meal, typically steamed veg, roast potatoes and gravy,,,they soon wolf that lot down.


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