Author Topic: He won't eat the kibble anymore  (Read 2483 times)

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Offline Pookie

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He won't eat the kibble anymore
« on: March 29, 2013, 03:08:24 PM »
I just have to share this:

My parents have a large dog, a stray that a family friend found when it was less than 1 year old.  We think he's a mix of black lab and Great Dane or something like that.  Mom always has kibble out for him, but he usually gets table scraps (mostly plants).  He's about 10 years old now.  Apparently, he hasn't been eating much of the kibble (she says it can take him 2-3 months to empty the bowl), and lately, out of desperation, Mom's been getting beef heart, beef kidney and chicken gizzards from her local Shop-Rite, cutting up the beef and cooking it a little and giving it to him.

This is huge to me in that I've been nagging  Bumpurr1 her for years about what they feed him, given everything she knows I went though with my cats.  For her to FINALLY be giving him meat, even if it's partially cooked, has me THRILLED.  I know it's not balanced, I know she shouldn't give him cooked bones (but she does), but I'm hoping if she keeps this up, maybe his health will improve.  And I have to say, it's really funny to watch him eat.  He looks at the food, then her, like "What is this?"  Then he starts eating and licks the bowl clean.  He never does that good a job with anything else he's fed!   funny2
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Offline Lola

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Re: He won't eat the kibble anymore
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2013, 04:02:17 PM »
2 to 3 months to empty a bowl?   :o  That is kinda scary!

Anyway... That is great he is getting real meat.  I would think meat cooked a little, is better than none.  ?? 

I no longer give our dogs cooked bones, but only because of what I have learned fairly recently.  I fed them cooked bones for years.  Thankfully, nothing horrible ever happened. 

Would your mother be open to the idea of feeding some canned or dehydrated foods... to be sure he is getting balanced meals?
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Offline DeeDee

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Re: He won't eat the kibble anymore
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2013, 05:16:42 PM »
Maybe you could add bones back if you cooked them like the bones he's got in this mush:



Watch it, he'll even bite into a bone himself. *shuddering* Not a clue how long it took them though. Or--remember the science experiment? Put a chicken bone into a jar of vinegar and it turns to rubber?  funny2  I think that breaks down the calcium though & that's why it happens.
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Offline Pookie

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Re: He won't eat the kibble anymore
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2013, 05:23:47 PM »
Would your mother be open to the idea of feeding some canned or dehydrated foods... to be sure he is getting balanced meals?
She's given him canned in the past, but I can't remember if he would eat it or not.  I suspect if I mention it she'll just say that what she's giving him is fine.  I've learned not to push -- she has her hands full with my Dad's health issues (and some of her own), so I'm just grateful the dog is getting some real meat instead of the peanut butter sandwiches and other stuff that she's given him.  She may still be giving that stuff as well, but adding the meat is an improvement.  I'll take what I can get.

Dee, I'll try to watch that video later.  Thanks for posting it!
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Offline DeeDee

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Re: He won't eat the kibble anymore
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2013, 05:36:29 PM »
I HAVE noticed in his comments though, that he talks about feeding them some raw foods too. So, he's not all about cooking--I guess he's just trying to get people to feed them SOMEWHAT better than on the shelves.

Just a thought, has anyone had the dog's teeth looked at since it's older? A broken or decayed tooth in the back, that's not easily seen, might stop the dog from wanting to eat kibble, and that's going to make it hard to eat anything sooner or later.
"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." Edward Hoagland
"Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog; but you're never friendless ever, if you have a dog."

Offline Pookie

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Re: He won't eat the kibble anymore
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2013, 06:50:31 PM »
Just a thought, has anyone had the dog's teeth looked at since it's older? A broken or decayed tooth in the back, that's not easily seen, might stop the dog from wanting to eat kibble, and that's going to make it hard to eat anything sooner or later.

I highly doubt it.  This dog has food aggression issues and has bitten everyone in the family except me (knock wood).  We don't mess with his mouth.

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