What do you feed your Basenji?
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Isis is also using the Blue Buffalo puppy formula. When is it a good idea to switch things up? I too could not imagine eating the same thing day in and day out, but I am concerned with changing her diet. I have started to use the cowhide bones as treats, ( and to help with the teething). My socks are thanking me… LOL.
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For most dogs it is better to switch slowly, start with 1/4 new food and 3/4 old food, gradually over a few days change out, depending on their digestive system. Mine loved EVO and Orijen but never had good firm poop so we are back to plain old Innova, they like it and poop is no longer mushy.
Some folks switch around all the time, or mix 2 or 3 foods together. There is no one perfect food, or way to feed, but what works for you and your dog. Mine have 'rejected' excellent foods, they have to like it and it has to like them (no vomiting or mushy stools). And mine seem to love their kibble, they are always happy to get it and they get plenty, so it's not that they are just hungry, so don't worry about boredom! -
Dolce started with Blue Buffalo but would not eat the black pellets which contained a lot of the "good stuff." Ultimately she stopped eating all of it. We switched her to Taste of the Wild Bison. She nibbled on it, but only ate a little. In the past two weeks, I started feeding her a raw diet along with the kibble. Wow, what a difference. She loves the raw meat and now gobbles down the kibble as well. I really think the raw did something great for her digestive system.
I was squeamish about the raw food, but asked a lot of questions and read a lot. I'm not fully there, yet, but with the great results I have seen, I plan to stick with it. -
Innova and tripe:eek:
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Here is another on the list for Taste of the Wild, Cairo loves it. I got him on a big bag of smoked salmon TotW right now, I'll switch to a different flavor on the next bag. Treats are a different story, anything REAL he likes. Piggie ears, dried beef lung, etc. He has a HUGE variety of "rewards".
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Been using Nature's Variety grain-free kibble, specifically the chicken formula. I'll probably start looking to integrate a different grain-free kibble as this one doesn't seem to result in firm bowel movements for him, although he loves this food.
I had him on raw food for awhile and I think I'm going to transition him back at some point. He never had any issues on that food.
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We feed Taste of the Wild kibble and red barn meat rolls and natures variety raw. I order most of my stuff from pet food direct as its a 2 hour drive for us to get to a place that sells dog food. Fortunatley I am now able to get Taste of the Wild locally, so I just order Red Barn and charlee bear treats online. We dehydrate 15 lbs of raw chicken tenders every 2 weeks for treats.
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We dehydrate 15 lbs of raw chicken tenders every 2 weeks for treats.
That's a great idea. I really should look into doing that to make my own treats. Simple and effective. :)
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Does anyone else have a Basenji that likes to eat grass? When we hang out in the front yard he always eats the grass!!! I have read on other websites that some B.'s do eat it and it's not harmful to them- anyone know if this is true?
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@Mojo's:
Does anyone else have a Basenji that likes to eat grass? When we hang out in the front yard he always eats the grass!!! I have read on other websites that some B.'s do eat it and it's not harmful to them- anyone know if this is true?
Kipawa eats grass every now and then. Sometimes it goes through him fine, but other times he will bring it up (liquid looks light green). If he does bring it up, my silly boy sometimes wants to eat it back up! I have to be fast with the paper towels!
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Paco has eaten grass, but I almost think it's purposeful to make himself vomit, because it happens every time, and seems to happen after he's eaten our neighbor's Pedigree dog food…
Paco eats Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul; it's the only thing besides Pedigree we can find on St. Thomas. He occasionally gets raw or cooked chicken or beef if we don't finish what we've prepared for dinner, and also will sometimes get scrambled eggs in the morning if we're feeling generous.
For treats, mostly hot dog pieces, bits of cheese, or maybe bits of cold cuts.
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I feed Dex Blue Buffalo Lamb and Oatmeal. I was wondering: If I want to get the other flavor (Chicken and Brown Rice) of the same brand and switch it back and forth, do I have to do it gradually (since it is the same brand, I'm not sure). How gradually, and how often can I switch back and forth between the flavors?
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Eggs and cheese- Mojo's most favorite things in the world!!! He only gets a little bit here and there as treats!
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I rotate between Merrick and Natural Balance dry foods. I mix in Natural Balance venison and sweet potato wet food.
The treats vary, but right now he gets Natural Balance treats, the occasional bully stick, and home made treats.
Cody is a very picky eater and usually tries to take his time eating, but for the last month he's been on Merrick's Cowboy Cookout and he eats it all just as soon as I give it to him.
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My pack is on Nature's Domain grain free..switching off between salmon and turkey..sometimes we mix in Blue Buffalo's grainfree or Taste of the Wild..
treats; Charlee bear, natural balance, Zeke, and of course several different kinds of dehydrated livers..anything to motivate and entice..they also love raw marrow bones, or lamb pelvic bones…
They all eat grass on a very consitent basis, almost daily..not ones have they gotten sick from it..but it is a specific type of green grass they like..and it is also very popular with our roaming deer population..they hover in the same area of the yard...funny, come to think of it.
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We feed our B Taste of the Wild…Salmon and Buffalo flavors...dry and wet. Hot dog pieces for training. An all natural milk bone type treat (the brand escapes me) and she also gets some organic yogurt on occasion (her favorite treat)! NEVER any human food from our plate.
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I feed Dex Blue Buffalo Lamb and Oatmeal. I was wondering: If I want to get the other flavor (Chicken and Brown Rice) of the same brand and switch it back and forth, do I have to do it gradually (since it is the same brand, I'm not sure). How gradually, and how often can I switch back and forth between the flavors?
Hello there! I actually work in holistic dog food and nutrition and hope to help. If you're sticking within the same BRAND of good (i.e, Blue Buffalo) and Dexter doesn't have an ultra-sensitive stomach, you can switch freely without any transition time at all. The reason why holistic lines have so many different flavors and meat options is for this very reason. Dogs, like humans, become bored with eating the same thing over and over, so feel fee to switch it up AS LONG as it's in the same brand (and that there aren't other restrictions to consider- large/giant breed, grain free, senior…etc)
Hope this helps!
Andrew, Shango & Newsom
