Dog eating habits

[Cowman]

Dear Members,
I'm hoping that any of you who are 'doggie carers' will be able to help me out here ?!
One of my pals has a 'Jack Russell' which will eat nothing else but pre-cooked chicken.
He is at his wits end and as it is obviously not a balanced diet would like to change it if possible.
Do any of you have any ideas please ?
Thanks in advance !
Jon 

[Trisha in WA]

Hi Jon. I feed my 2 dogs raw chicken hind quarters. So, my suggestion would be for your friend to start cooking the meat less and less until the dog gets used to raw chicken. Once the dog is used to that, the owner can feed 3-4% of the dogs desired body weight in raw meat...for instance I have an 80 lb Labrador. She gets about 2.5 lbs of chicken each day this is 3% of her body weight. Raw chicken organ meat is good too if the dog will eat it. This is known as a prey model diet. It is the healthiest way I have found to feed my dogs and my cat. All 3 are in fantastic health.
I hope that helps.
Trisha

[Cowman]

Hi Trisha,
Thanks for your reply and your suggestions. There's only one problem, this dog will only eat snack-type chicken if you know what I mean ? That is fast-food chicken along the lines of Kentucky etc. My mate doesn't buy the chicken and then cook it in other words.
From your reply I take it you feed your dogs chicken as a complete diet [with the organs] and nothing else ? I'm thinking maybe biscuits or other additives ?
The only reason for my original post is that if you fed a human nothing else but chicken it wouldn't be too good would it. Like you couldn't feed a cow nothing else but sugar-beet or brewers grains or maize, you need some extra's.
I was thinking to like only one feed type is nutritionally wrong, or is it ?
If you're telling me that it's fine to just feed a dog chicken then I'll take your word for it, it just seems strange if you see what I mean ?!
Mind you, I suppose if you count the organs as well then thats a different kettle of fish, liver, heart etc, all full of nutrients.
Take care,
Jon

[Trisha in WA]

Mind you, I suppose if you count the organs as well then thats a different kettle of fish, liver, heart etc, all full of nutrients.
Take care,
Jon

Yes, this is exactly right...the WHOLE chicken is fed over time. I do occasionally feed rabbit when I have it available too, but my dogs get probably 90% of their diet in chicken.
Trisha

[MedWife]

Hi Jon,

It really depends on whether or not your friend really has the stomach to 'make' his dog stop pulling his chain, and calling the shots! LOL  For instance, around here, if a dog refuses the perfectly good food, then he is not hungry enough.  What I mean by this is that the jack russell is pulling a well known childs trick.....dont eat what you are given, and daddy will give you what you want!!

Anyway, IF your friend wants to consider feeding a raw diet, there are many many thoughts and opinions to consider or at least be aware of. 

I have been feeding raw for many many years, and my LGD's (livestock guardian dogs) get leg quarters every day, fast one day per week, are given organ meats or a whole rabbit (no skin/hair -I dont like it fuzzing all over the barns!) once per week, and twice per week they get veggies, fish, and some sort of carbs. 

Dogs are omnivores, unlike cats which are strict carnivores.  Dogs will eat berries, grains and even hay/grass on occasion. I have watched my dogs strip the grain heads off of grasses in the pasture, eat livestock grain, and also eat grass hay and alfalfa hay from the hay racks.  This does not always mean they are wormy, sometimes it means their diet demands greens. 

Anyway, on the veggie/carb mix.....I cook up oatmeal, blend up a mixture of WHOLE eggs (shells too) dark greens such as romaine lettuce (scraps are fine!) raw fish or canned mackerel (cheaper than tuna) raw milk, and any other raw scraps (veg or meat) I have in the fridge.  Blending of the veggies is very important, because dogs cannot digest the whole product very well...they need it broken down in order to absorb the nutrients. 

If you or anyone else is ever interested, I can write up a 'menu' of sorts, on how I mix and feed raw to our pack.  We raise Akbash Dogs (Turkish LGD breed) and I have turned around MANY sick rescue LGD's as well, by feeding this way. 

Thanks for your time,
Cindy in Missouri
(BTW, I re-read what I wrote, and I hope no one gets the wrong impression that my dogs are starving, because they eat HAY...LOL  They are very healthy and a couple of the older ones border on being fat. )

[Trisha in WA]

Cindy,
I would love to hear more about your LGDs. A friend of mine just got two Akbash puppies...actually he will be picking them up in Feb. If you wouldn't mind, please start a new thread about your dogs. I love to learn all I can about different LGD breeds. I hope to choose one in the coming years for our place.
Thanks,
Trisha

[MedWife]

Hi Trisha   Sure Ill start a thread about the dogs..I have to figure out how to load pics on here too. 

Cindy

[Cowman]

Hi Cindy,
Thanks for this post as well as all your others !
I like your recipe and will show my pal, he is desperate to wean Sid from his current diet.
You sure know your dogs, I guess you have a few eh ?
Take care !
Jon