Need feedback on feeding please. ( TOTW )

[mikey28]

Ok guys and gals I need your professional opinions, i transitioned to TOTW prarie from B.buffalo(Amen!) ... his stool Is now almost normal now after the switch, now if I give him the dry feed he'll nibble on it and back away from it not interested, I thought he was going to go straight to it and chomp this stuff right up but unfortunately he didnt, now I did the 15min Waite and pulled his food till the next feeding time. He nibbled again and sat down so I went and got him TOTW wet food I just mixed a couple table spoons of the TOTW wet to the dry and vuala!!!!! He chompped it down fast. Question is,is this the ok thing to do? Just don't want the pup to starve himself.. he has gained 5.4lbs in the past week he was 12.4lbs last week @8weeks ,now today he's 15.8lbs @ 9weeks today. Blood work was done last week low white blood cells indicating an infection,antibiotics were given and everything else checked out fine.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Well, I know that TOTW is a good food. As for adding the wet food: I'm no expert, but it seems like your little tike is a finicky eater at this point.

On one hand, if adding some wet food gets him to scarf down instead of rejecting his feed that's great.

On the other hand, adding wet might promote more finickiness.

I wonder if his breeder kept them on wet food until they send him home with you. He's so young, I wonder if he is just accustomed to that still.

At what age did you bring him home?

 

[Viemarangelrock]

I would stick to just a few spoonfuls. If you start increasing the wet he will more than likely reject the kibble and lap up the wet only. Sounds like it's working for you guys at the minute so yeah, stick with it.

Are you feeding 3 times a day?

Also, you could use the kibble for training treats

 

[NikiL02]

Nero has been finicky at times. Heck even this morning I have just finished transitioning back from a bland diet after 2 nights of runny poop on the hour, EVERY hour, all night long. He still has pumpkin in his food and just casually sniffed it after scarfing it still mixed with rice the night before!
So I eliminated distractions by locking him in the kitchen with me and then ignored him with a glance at the clock to time him. I hear.. nomnomnomnom....

Sometimes they just get distracted from eating. A little wet food doesnt hurt but keep it minimal and mix it in, or you risk a path of more each time. Ive been on this path! You can add in an egg yolk, pumpkin, sweet potato, broth, shredded chicken etc... as well.
To be honest the biggest indicator of eating well for me is excercise. If we've had lots of playtime, food is gone and we want more! If we've had to work a lot, his skinny butt barely eats.

Is it bad? No. But ask yourself if it's something you want to do?
Nero seems to like the Pacific stream better than high prairie for what it's worth.

 

[Horselady]

I usually soak my food in warm water (slowly letting it get less soft) until 12 weeks when they've made the transition to no water/all crunchy.

9 weeks seems going to not have it at least half of each kibble be soft.

 

[mikey28]

Well, I know that TOTW is a good food. As for adding the wet food: I'm no expert, but it seems like your little tike is a finicky eater at this point.

On one hand, if adding some wet food gets him to scarf down instead of rejecting his feed that's great.



On the other hand, adding wet might promote more finickiness.

I wonder if his breeder kept them on wet food until they send him home with you. He's so young, I wonder if he is just accustomed to that still.

At what age did you bring him home?

I brought him home @ exactly 8 weeks he was born Feb, 10. His breeder had him on puppy chow, now ya got me thinking if it was dry or wet.. my vet suggested that if it was working to keep doing it moderately, I will slightly cut back on the wet and try give him the remainder as treats.i will switch of to chicken breast,broth then back to wet

 

[mikey28]

I would stick to just a few spoonfuls. If you start increasing the wet he will more than likely reject the kibble and lap up the wet only. Sounds like it's working for you guys at the minute so yeah, stick with it.

Are you feeding 3 times a day?

Also, you could use the kibble for training treats

Yes 1 cup 3 times a day, I will slightly cut back on the wet a d feed the remainder as treats thank for the input

 

[mikey28]

Nero has been finicky at times. Heck even this morning I have just finished transitioning back from a bland diet after 2 nights of runny poop on the hour, EVERY hour, all night long. He still has pumpkin in his food and just casually sniffed it after scarfing it still mixed with rice the night before!
So I eliminated distractions by locking him in the kitchen with me and then ignored him with a glance at the clock to time him. I hear.. nomnomnomnom....

Sometimes they just get distracted from eating. A little wet food doesnt hurt but keep it minimal and mix it in, or you risk a path of more each time. Ive been on this path! You can add in an egg yolk, pumpkin, sweet potato, broth, shredded chicken etc... as well.
To be honest the biggest indicator of eating well for me is excercise. If we've had lots of playtime, food is gone and we want more! If we've had to work a lot, his skinny butt barely eats.

Is it bad? No. But ask yourself if it's something you want to do?
Nero seems to like the Pacific stream better than high prairie for what it's worth.

Yes! I've been thinking to up his activity before his meals especially, what has worked for me is that I also add a table spoon the pumpkin puree but I don't mix it in, I'll gradually mix it in as he eats and he gets on his food vigorously, I will try the Pacific stream next time dry to see the difference, have you tried salmon oil on his feed? I heard it works on most dogs?

 

[mikey28]

Yes! I've been thinking to up his activity before his meals especially, what has worked for me is that I also add a table spoon the pumpkin puree but I don't mix it in, I'll gradually mix it in as he eats and he gets on his food vigorously, I will try the Pacific stream next time, dry to see the difference, have you tried salmon oil on his feed? I heard it works on most dogs?

I'm going to alternate with chicken breast, broth etc.

 

[NikiL02]

Yes! I've been thinking to up his activity before his meals especially, what has worked for me is that I also add a table spoon the pumpkin puree but I don't mix it in, I'll gradually mix it in as he eats and he gets on his food vigorously, I will try the Pacific stream next time dry to see the difference, have you tried salmon oil on his feed? I heard it works on most dogs?

We give a fish oil tablet. Don't do activity too close to before and after food. It can cause issues like bloat. I mean just activity during the day. Making sure play time is tiring and teaching new things for mental stim.

 

[JanS]

Hubby always adds a spoonful of wet food on top of their kibble, but never mixes it in so it doesn't go to waste if they don't eat it for some reason.

Which flavor of TOTW are you feeding? Sometimes they don't care for one flavor but love the next one. Our dogs love the Wetlands formula but don't care as much for the High Prairie.

 

[mikey28]

Hubby always adds a spoonful of wet food on top of their kibble, but never mixes it in so it doesn't go to waste if they don't eat it for some reason.

Which flavor of TOTW are you feeding? Sometimes they don't care for one flavor but love the next one. Our dogs love the Wetlands formula but don't care as much for the High Prairie.

Prairie wet, it's the first time I use it ,once I run out I'll try diferent one's thanks for the advice

 

[mikey28]

Hubby always adds a spoonful of wet food on top of their kibble, but never mixes it in so it doesn't go to waste if they don't eat it for some reason.

Which flavor of TOTW are you feeding? Sometimes they don't care for one flavor but love the next one. Our dogs love the Wetlands formula but don't care as much for the High Prairie.

We give a fish oil tablet. Don't do activity too close to before and after food. It can cause issues like bloat. I mean just activity during the day. Making sure play time is tiring and teaching new things for mental stim.

Ok makes lot of sense.

 

[Brioddy]

Mixing in some warm water and letting it soak to create a kind of gravy really helps to entice a picky eater. I routinely add in things such as eggs and sweet potato, they love it and it's good for them.

I forgot to add my boys birthday is a day before yours, February 9! However he is over a year old now.

 

[mikey28]

Mixing in some warm water and letting it soak to create a kind of gravy really helps to entice a picky eater. I routinely add in things such as eggs and sweet potato, they love it and it's good for them.

I forgot to add my boys birthday is a day before yours, February 9! However he is over a year old now.

How cool is that !Well thank you for the help, I will definitely try these feeding tips, now are the eggs raw or cooked?

 

[Brioddy]

You are welcome! I give them the eggs raw and even include the shell, it has a lot of protein in it as well.

 

[Horselady]

I have been told more than one or two egg yolks a week aren't good for them. Just fyi.

 

[KSmith]

My dachshunds & doberman pup all love the Pacific Stream TOTW! I do add a "topper" to some meals though. In the morning I add a tablespoon of coconut oil, in the afternoon it's plain and it's a toss up if she eats it all or not (14 weeks old so going through those growth spurts!) and in the evening I add salmon oil. I do give her an egg about once a week.

 

[Hayden]

I'm in the process of switching my 12 week old dobe over to TOTW. I started him on the dry kibble right around 9 weeks old and he seemed fine with it. If he doesn't finish it all I'll take it away after about 10 minutes and won't feed him again till later. He learned pretty fast to eat it all in one sitting so he doesn't get hungry. Maybe that will work? Mine was born Feb 4th so just a little older than yours. I do put fish oil in his food once a day to help with the puppy dandruff

 

[blacknrust]

I just requested samples of TOTW to see if she likes one over the other.
What type of fish oil and where do you buy it?