Food

[mikesull]

Hi - my 4 month old basenji was so picky and hardly eating (he looked fine but it was so odd) - so i started boiling chicken and giving this twice a day with some kibble in between. I imagine this is a-ok if i just continue this route? Anyone else do this? I figure once a week i’ll boil lots of chicken, shred it and feed him what he likes?

[elbrant]

@mikesull I do something similar... doodle gets a half cup of kibble in her bowl for if she's hungry. Then she gets a small amount of whatever I cook for dinner. Tonight was Salmon Fritters, so she got some of the canned salmon... she's so spoiled!
But she's healthy, and she would pretty much do anything I asked (because I feed her Salmon!)... :smiling_face_with_open_mouth_closed_eyes:

[senjisilly]

I don't think that is the best idea for a 4 month old puppy. Puppies are meant to be on puppy food for 6-9 months in order to have the nutrition to grow and develop properly. Have you talked to your breeder?

[tanza]

@senjisilly - I have never given puppy food to puppies... all of ours are litters raised on the same food as the adults. If you are feeding good quality food it is really not necessary to use puppy food. And puppies get the same as adults, they are fed and given 10 minutes to eat or it is taken away till the next feeding... teaches them good eating habits... yes I mix up the food with veggies, meat and other things. Also add some canned food to the kibble....

[Zande]

agree with @tanza - mine don't get ever get puppy food. They just get adult kibble ground fine to start with and then less and less so until it is normal.

But it IS important that they get an balanced diet for dogs and the right nutrition to promote healthy growth and development.

I would tend to try to give a normal puppy / dog diet and sprinkle the chicken on top with, perhaps, added veggies if he will take them, just to spice it up and make it more appetising. But I wouldn't cook chicken once a week - it might seem OK but even a scavenger will prefer fresh meat !

[eeeefarm]

@zande said in Food:

even a scavenger will prefer fresh meat !

Like kids who are picky eaters, once they figure out that someone will short order cook to please them, good luck on getting them to eat what is served! A hungry dog will likely consume what is offered. I think the prevalence of treat based training is influencing a lot of dogs to hold out for something better at meal time! Zande, I like your approach of using the regular meal kibble for treats, much better than going for something they will learn to prefer.

[Zande]

@eeeefarm said in Food:

I like your approach of using the regular meal kibble for treats, much better than going for something they will learn to prefer.

The do get 'special' treats, not stolen from their daily ration, if they are particularly good when I am wielding the dremel ! But not otherwise !

[Beth314]

@mikesull I posted recently about my finicky eater (at 12 weeks old). I was willing to try anything because she was getting bigger yet losing weight. When ribs start showing on a puppy it's not good, imo. Things have turned around for us. I started feeding raw which she would mostly eat (chicken w/ veggies preferred). She walked away from raw turkey/beef heart.

I was hard core about timing. MY timing. I learned in the last couple weeks - leave the fixed portion down for her to eat when she was ready. It worked. Mixed in kibble slowly. Her eating habit is to eat 10% now, 50% 30 minutes later, the rest in the next hour. Fine. She ate. She gained weight. Now I mix in chicken broth (Petco's Petcoach that looks more like human chicken stew) with Honest Kitchen kibble and we're good! I will start making my own cooked "stew" for cost and convenience and freeze in small portions.

The lesson for me is to let go of hardcore pedantic methods. I will probably never "free feed" but this puppy eats on a different schedule than any other dog/puppy I have ever cared for. This schedule works for us.

[Zande]

@beth314 You are on a learning curve ! This is a Basenji you are dealing with. You have to relax and do things her way !

(But its worth it in the end !)

[Beth314]

@zande yes, true. It's been a long time since a puppy has been in my house but I fostered many litters. Multiple pups easier in some ways ... definitely as far as eating.

[mikesull]

Thanks Beth!! So far - maybe two weeks now - i give him cooked boiled shredded chicken 3x a day on top of some of that canidae or instinct kibble (one day he eats kibble next wont touch). It has been great. No bad poops and he is booming. He is really a great dog. I am first time dog owner and think i may have gotten lucky with this basenji. I do tire him out tho - lots of miles - he drops by 7-8pm every night. One thing is the car - he hates it - whimpers - hopefully just puppy stuff. He needs to learn car rides mean big time hikes that he loves!

[bernadette]

@mikesull Is your dog crated in the car.
A well secured crate is the safest way for a dog to travel.
Might give your dog a sense of security.

[mikesull]

Hi - tried crating and then doggie seat belts. Even the calming vape things from amazon. He cries and cries - I think it’s just puppy’ness and he’ll eventually be ok? Hope so.

[elbrant]

@mikesull said in Food:

He cries and cries

Try opening the window so he can feel a breeze. Doodle loves to stick her head out the window! Or,
talk to him (or sing). Hearing you speaking could be extremely calming. Or,
if you typically play the radio, or listen to a broadcast, turn the volume down and see if that helps. Or...
stop and let him out to "water the grass".

[mikesull]

Thanks Elbrant- tried all those!! The window with his head out of it - he seems to like it when he is actually doing it- but he stops on his own to come back in and whimper some. I think its just a phase- a few more months and confidence and he’ll be a -ok.

[tanza]

@mikesull - Personally I believe that it is not the right thing to do with letting your dog hang it's head out the window... if you are using a harness with a seat belt, ok to have the window cracked for air... but I have never found that needed... mine always are in crates, period.

[Zande]

@tanza Agreed ! I am quite appalled by the suggestion to let the dog put its head out of the window of a moving car ! Crate is essential if you are travelling with a dog. OR, if your car really won't accommodate one, some sort of secure harness.

[Scagnetti]

I would find out what he scared of or what he dislikes about the car. Is it the car itself, the sensation of being closed in, the movement when the car is being driven? Then work on whatever the problem is, with food.

As for food, I use raw duck and vegetables. And I hand-feed all meals, so I never have a problem with not eating/partially eating. I would also recommend hand-feeding for anyone who does have a dog with food issues.

Shredded chicken is good (as long as he doesn't have any reactions). But that and some kibble isn't a balanced meal. You may wish to look into a vitamin supplement, specifically something that has a focus on omega 3 (since chicken is high in omega 6), Vitamin C & the B vitamins (because if all he's eating is chicken and kibble, where is his source of vitamin C and the B vitamins?), zinc & copper (same reasons).

All the best.

EDIT: I just realized this thread is a year old and was bumped by what is almost certainly a bot.