[bluespoomommy]

I had been feeding Mochi (my now 10 month old standard) a combination of mostly Wellness puppy and some Wellness core kibble just to give her some variety. Sometimes I mix it in with Wellness canned beef. She loved her food for a while. Last week I found that she started picking at her food and didn't like her puppy food anymore - she only liked eating the Wellness core grain-free kibble. Maybe her dietary needs are changing as she approaches adulthood?

So anyway, I started cooking yummy meals for her with chicken, potatoes, carrot and the occasional fried egg mixed in. she loved it! but i can't cook for her everyday. so i went out and bought wellness core original formula and wellness core ocean formula (fish-based). I mixed the two types of kibble and she seems to love it. the bag specifically states that wellness core should only be fed to dogs 1 year or older. am i doing any harm by taking out her puppy food completely?

also, she really likes it when i cook for her. anyone have some fave homemade dog recipes to share?

 

[fjm]

I have found pups can have many times when they seem to stop being interested in food for a few days - end of a growth spurt, sore mouth from teething, or something more interesting going on! I cook for mine, but I'm not sure how well the recipes would scale up - you will need to do some research to make sure she is getting the right baance of nutrients. One very important point is to maintain the correct level of calcium if you are feeding meat without bones (and of course not to feed cooked bones). I use one finely ground eggshell to each pound of meat. Be aware that once she has got used to home cooking, she may not want to eat kibble ever again!

 

[Vibrant]

I wouldn't worry about taking her off puppy food now.
I agree with fjm that if you're going to cook for her, be sure to give her a calcium source, but not in the form of cooked bones.
Monica Segal's book "K9 Kitchen" has recipes for raw and cooked diets. It's worth investing in a good dog nutrition book if you plan on preparing your own meals.
Is Mochi spayed? If she's still intact she may be a bit fussy about food if she's coming into season. I found that Cheers was not interested in food for a couple of weeks before and two months after she was in heat. I basically had to beg her to eat and she'd drop a couple of pounds each cycle. That's changed since she's been spayed...what a relief!!!

 

[bluespoomommy]

I feed my puppy a tablespoon of plain yogurt each day but I don't know if that is enough calcium. I just had her spayed last week! She never experienced her first heat. I didn't know a heat cycle could affect a bitch's eating this way.

Thanks for the suggestion with the eggshells and k9 cookbook! I will definitely do more research.

 

[Poodle Lover]

I think it's wonderful if you have time and desire to cook for your baby. You don't have to feed home cooked exculsively, you can mix it with kibble or give one meal home cooked one kibble. There is an excellent book on how home cooked and raw diets and is also an all together great wellness guide. Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. You can get it on amazon.com. Here's the link:

Amazon.com: Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (9781579549732): Richard H. Pitcairn…

I was also able to find quite a few home cooking books for dogs on amazon. Here are a few links:

Amazon.com: Barker's Grub : Easy, Wholesome Home-Cooking for Dogs (9780609804421): Rudy Edalati: Books

Amazon.com: The Healthy Dog Cookbook: 50 Nutritious & Delicious Recipes Your Dog Will Love (9780793806577): Jonna Anne…

Amazon.com: Woofing it Down: The quick & easy guide to making…

Amazon.com: Chow Hound: Wholesome Home Cooking for Your Doggie (9781402755668): Eve Adamson: Books

Amazon.com: The Good Food Cookbook for Dogs: 50 Home-Cooked Recipes for the Health and Happiness of Your Canine…

Happy shopping.

 

[fjm]

There is a lot of very helpful information on the Dog Aware site: DogAware.com: Diet Options for Dogs

 

[Olie]

There is a lot of very helpful information on the Dog Aware site: DogAware.com: Diet Options for Dogs

This is a great web site - thanks

Why cook the meat? Just go raw with the bone and no need for suppliments as long as your are feeding enough bone (30-50%). With Raw you must feed some organ meat as well, weekly or every couple of weeks.

Save your time and most dogs love it and eat it quick. I just cant say enough good about it, it has changed all my dogs for the better.

 

[bluespoomommy]

i've decided not to feed raw due to sanitary reasons. i can't seem to overlook the possibility of contamination and parasites. i do not doubt that it can be very beneficial, but just my preference...

thanks for all the home cooking book suggestions! that web link is also very informative. i love cooking and it seems very fitting that i can enjoy doing it for my puppy too.

a bit off topic, but mochi woke me up at 5am this morning heaving and gagging. turns out she was vomiting a ball of grass almost the size of my fist!!! it was horrendous! she loves eating grass and baby bamboo shoots. since when did poodles start eating like pandas? hehehe

well after getting it out of her system, she happily ate her breakfast.

 

[schnauzerpoodle]

LOL~ Nickel grazes like a little lamb too. You have baby bamboo shoots around? oh BTW, i'm originally from Hong Kong!

 

[bluespoomommy]

mochi goes out for walks often in the country park around here...bamboos seem to just sprout out wherever they want

i like the name nickel. very cute.