FitDog Friday #5 - Dog Food Saga

Wag 'N Woof Pets asked some questions about Mr. N's diet after reading about his refusal to eat premium kibble.

So what does he eat now? Do you cook for him or feed him canned food? Just curious! :)
Jan, Wag 'N Woof Pets 

Refuses to get out of bed for just kibble.

Mr. N is a finicky wee beastie with decided opinions. After he refused to eat kibble to the point of starving himself, we tried pre-made raw that is locally made. He liked that and he ate that for a few months until he had an attack of acute pancreatitis.

The vet recommended prescription canned dog food but after looking at the ingredients, I just couldn't do it. He wasn't particularly fond of it either. I consulted with a nutritionist and she came up with a diet for him that included pre-made raw (rabbit), rice, white fish and green beans. That did not work well. Mr. N was constantly hungry and hung around the kitchen silently begging for more food. This is a dog that didn't beg while sitting on my lap while I ate a bacon-and-egg sandwich at a cafe.

So once again we switched foods. Now he eats prey model raw. It works for us in a variety of ways. He's always happy to eat and doesn't act starved. His digestion seems better. His coat is shiny and his teeth are in good shape (although I still brush his teeth). It's a little time-consuming especially at first.

For us at least, it is not cheaper than feeding kibble. And this is with the occasional free food from neighbors. We could feed him high quality kibble for about five dollars/month. I'm not quite sure what it averages out to because I don't always buy food every month. I buy food from Asian markets and the raw food co-op.

Mr. N "helps" with the raw food delivery.

Last Friday, I wrote about how I discovered that Mr. N needs to drop a few ounces. Well he lost the majority of that weight already. Over the weekend, he had an upset stomach. Three days of some fasting then a bland diet made those extra ounces disappear. This method is not recommended as a sustainable weight loss method.

Someone was one unhappy dog for a few days. He is very fond of his meals and the bland diet wasn't quite up to his usual standards.