Does anyone feed their dog home cooked food rather than kibble?

[katie01]

I posted here a couple of weeks ago about our shih tzu/bichon mix being terribly ill with some sort of GI distress. We don't know what caused it, and here she is two weeks later going through the same thing. I didn't sleep at all last night until 9:00 am because she was vomiting and having diarrhea the entire night, my husband took over at 9 am so I could finally sleep, and she still kept vomiting until about noon.

This is about the fifth time she has gone through this in her 16 months of life, the vet is never sure either what causes it. That's a lot of sleepless nights and missed work time for the days I've had to take off and stay home with her, I really need to figure out how to prevent future episodes for her sake and ours. There is so much conflicting info out there about the best types of dog foods, that I could probably spend years trying to find the right one for her and doing elimination diets, and so forth. Then again, maybe it isn't the food at all, who knows.

I am not crazy about the idea of raw food what with the risk of salmonella and having that mess in my kitchen around my kids, but I wondered if anyone successfully just feeds their dog home cooked food such as chicken, rice, veggies, fish, and/or beef. If so, do you mix it with kibble, or not? And how do you know if they are getting a balanced diet?

 

[Megster1]

I have a shepherd mix that has had lots of GI issues over the years; he has a very sensitive tummy. Finally what I figured out is that he cannot have ANY human food treats/scraps or dog treats. I buy a good dog food, not top of the line but good, and he gets baby carrots for treats. This has solved all of his GI issues.

My in laws feed their dog raw food patties (same size/shape as a hamburger patty) and supplement that with mixed frozen veges, sweet potatoes and apples. The patties are a lot easier to work with than the large package of raw food. No more issues than dealing with any other raw meat in the kitchen. It is a little more expensive because you pay for the convenience.

Finding and sticking to a diet whether that's kibble or cooked and eliminating everything else really is going to be your best bet for figuring out what the trigger is though.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I don't recall seeing your other thread. And I'm sorry to hear about this going on with your dog. She must be miserable. And it's so hard on you! One of my dogs had colitis, so we had to deal with a lot of diarrhea, but the vomiting is a different ballgame. Something is very wrong there!

So here's what I would do. I would consult a GI specialist at a major veterinary teaching hospital to see if they have any better insight into why this is happening.

I would not do a raw diet and think your instincts are correct. (And the AMVA agrees with you, too.)

If my dog is not already on an H2 antagonist or PPI, I would try to get her on one. Acid in the throat can damage the esophagus. She may have a problem with the sphincter going from the stomach to the esophagus, which allows food to come back up. https://www.vetinfo.com/dog-acid-reflux-symptoms.html

I honestly don't think that people food would help. She should do ok, in theory, with a high quality dog food. I would feed her smaller portions and maybe only give water in between meals. I have read about some dogs who have this problem having to "sit up" in a device after they eat - I wonder if this could be something that could help her? I will see if I can find information for you.

Where did you get the dog?

 

[katie01]

I have a shepherd mix that has had lots of GI issues over the years; he has a very sensitive tummy. Finally what I figured out is that he cannot have ANY human food treats/scraps or dog treats. I buy a good dog food, not top of the line but good, and he gets baby carrots for treats. This has solved all of his GI issues.

My in laws feed their dog raw food patties (same size/shape as a hamburger patty) and supplement that with mixed frozen veges, sweet potatoes and apples. The patties are a lot easier to work with than the large package of raw food. No more issues than dealing with any other raw meat in the kitchen. It is a little more expensive because you pay for the convenience.

Finding and sticking to a diet whether that's kibble or cooked and eliminating everything else really is going to be your best bet for figuring out what the trigger is though.

I have noticed that every time the dog has gotten sick, she's had a treat the day before. Not the home cooked kind, but store-bought dog treats. She was sick after a vet visit, the vet thought she might have picked up a virus, which is possible, but they also gave her a treat. She was sick once after a visit to the pet store, again she could have picked up a virus there, but I carried her through the store, and again, she was given a dog treat on the way out. We just got back from a visit to the in laws, she was sick during and after that, it could have been caused by travel, but again, they gave her dog treats (I had specifically told everyone not to, but they did anyway). So there are a lot of variables here, in addition to the dog treats. Maybe I should try as you suggested, going cold turkey with absolutely no table scraps or treats for her, and see if she has no issues, before trying a completely new diet.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

My GSD had allergies that caused her GI distress and for at least 5 years my mom made her food. She alternated ground beef and turkey, both with rice. (Meat was cooked). Sometimes she included "safe" veggies. That was all she got, no kibble. It definitely helped until someone developed a kibble with only ingredients she could have.

 

[Poohforyou]

When our dog has had some kind of distress I've fed him poached chicken with canned pumpkin and rice. Our vet recommended it. He routinely eats primal frozen raw nuggets and does really well with these.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Could this be an issue? Did your vet rule it out?

Megaesophagus: http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_dg_megaesophagus#

 

[katie01]

I don't recall seeing your other thread. And I'm sorry to hear about this going on with your dog. She must be miserable. And it's so hard on you! One of my dogs had colitis, so we had to deal with a lot of diarrhea, but the vomiting is a different ballgame. Something is very wrong there!

So here's what I would do. I would consult a GI specialist at a major veterinary teaching hospital to see if they have any better insight into why this is happening.

I would not do a raw diet and think your instincts are correct. (And the AMVA agrees with you, too.)

If my dog is not already on an H2 antagonist or PPI, I would try to get her on one. Acid in the throat can damage the esophagus. She may have a problem with the sphincter going from the stomach to the esophagus, which allows food to come back up. https://www.vetinfo.com/dog-acid-reflux-symptoms.html

I honestly don't think that people food would help. She should do ok, in theory, with a high quality dog food. I would feed her smaller portions and maybe only give water in between meals. I have read about some dogs who have this problem having to "sit up" in a device after they eat - I wonder if this could be something that could help her? I will see if I can find information for you.

Where did you get the dog?

Thank you, I appreciate the feedback. A friend of mine has a dog with skin issues, she is seeing some sort of specialist, I could see about getting a consult with them, as I'd imagine they also treat GI issues related to allergies.

It would certainly be easier to stick with kibble if that's not causing her problems. I did google "best dog foods for shih tzus" and the kind we are giving her came up number one on that list.

We got the dog from a breeder, picked the dog up at her house. I know there is controversy over going to a breeder vs. rescue, but we did apply for several rescue dogs and never had any luck getting called back.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I have noticed that every time the dog has gotten sick, she's had a treat the day before. Not the home cooked kind, but store-bought dog treats. She was sick after a vet visit, the vet thought she might have picked up a virus, which is possible, but they also gave her a treat. She was sick once after a visit to the pet store, again she could have picked up a virus there, but I carried her through the store, and again, she was given a dog treat on the way out. We just got back from a visit to the in laws, she was sick during and after that, it could have been caused by travel, but again, they gave her dog treats (I had specifically told everyone not to, but they did anyway). So there are a lot of variables here, in addition to the dog treats. Maybe I should try as you suggested, going cold turkey with absolutely no table scraps or treats for her, and see if she has no issues, before trying a completely new diet.

Were the treats by any chance from China? They can have lead, poisons, and plastic in them as they are not regulated. You have to really look on the bag to see where they were "manufactured"; not just "sold".

You would also, IMO, be "confusing" or complicating the issue by feeding a raw diet, because you will not be able to determine whether her V/D comes from raw food, or something else, if she becomes ill. At least right now, you know it's NOT raw food. And say you do figure this out - you start feeding raw and the dog starts getting sick again, now what?

I also would be cautious about feeding raw veggies like carrots AT THIS TIME as they are hard to digest, and very fibrous. These are great if your pet can tolerate them, but a sick pet like this, well, can't. If the dog could talk, she'd probably tell you how sick she feels. You didn't say it, but nausea goes along with vomiting and diarrhea. Poor thing.

I would actually hold off on feeding ALL treats for now - every calorie she's able to tolerate needs to count for nutrition or she'll become malnourished. I would give her canned for now, even prescription canned from your vet's, which is forumlated for this, and just in super small amounts. It's a temporary fix, until you find out what's going on. HTH

 

[katie01]

When our dog has had some kind of distress I've fed him poached chicken with canned pumpkin and rice. Our vet recommended it. He routinely eats primal frozen raw nuggets and does really well with these.

I gave her some rice a bit ago once I was sure she was done with the vomiting stage, she gobbled it down and hasn't thrown up since. We do have canned pumpkin in the pantry, I'll give her a little with he next helping of rice.

Could this be an issue? Did your vet rule it out?

Megaesophagus: http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_dg_megaesophagus#

The vet did not test for anything like that, in reading the symptoms though it doesn't quite sound like her, as she has periods of being perfectly healthy and eating just fine

 

[katie01]

Were the treats by any chance from China? They can have lead, poisons, and plastic in them as they are not regulated. You have to really look on the bag to see where they were "manufactured"; not just "sold".

It's possible. We do not give her store bought treats at home for that reason, but I dot know what the vet, pet store, or my in laws gave her. Any treats we give her at home are fresh foods only, like a bit of apple slices, or some rice, or sweet potato. She's eaten those things just fine. We are pretty sure she is allergic to corn because she got sick twice (milder vomiting than what we are seeing now) from eating popcorn, so we have made sure she doesn't get a hold of any corn since then. There is no corn on her dog food ingredient list. It's possible that it was in the treats she was given, but I don't know for sure. I told my DH that we have to lay down the law and absolutely insist that no one else feed her anything.

 

[katie01]

You would also, IMO, be "confusing" or complicating the issue by feeding a raw diet, because you will not be able to determine whether her V/D comes from raw food, or something else, if she becomes ill. At least right now, you know it's NOT raw food. And say you do figure this out - you start feeding raw and the dog starts getting sick again, now what?

I also would be cautious about feeding raw veggies like carrots AT THIS TIME as they are hard to digest, and very fibrous. These are great if your pet can tolerate them, but a sick pet like this, well, can't. If the dog could talk, she'd probably tell you how sick she feels. You didn't say it, but nausea goes along with vomiting and diarrhea. Poor thing.

Yes, that's a good point about a raw diet and being unable to tell which foods might give her issues if we are rotating or changing the foods we'd give her.

Oh she is for sure nauseous. She was doing that thing where she licks the air before throwing up. The vet said that's a sign of nausea, licking the air. She just wanted to be near me for comfort too. It was pretty sad to see.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The vet did not test for anything like that, in reading the symptoms though it doesn't quite sound like her, as she has periods of being perfectly healthy and eating just fine

Well, just something to keep in mind. Diseases don't always fit into nice little packages, symptom-wise. Something is going on with her upper GI system, if she's vomiting so much.

 

[MrsDuck]

Our dog has a preservative allergy so I make his food. The recipe was given to us and approved by the vet. We are so thankful that Bowser hasn't had any trouble since switching to this food! (he used to cough and vomit after eating kibble)

I make his food in the crockpot and buy all the ingredients from Costco (except for the supplements which come from Amazon). If I can get organic, I do that.

He gets...
ground turkey
vegetables - peas, carrots, edamame
brown rice
seameal and bonemeal supplement

His food lasts about a week but he's 50lbs so your pup would make it last longer. If you're interested in the exact recipe, PM me. It's been a life saver. The vet is happy, we're happy, and most importantly, Bowser is happy.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It's possible. We do not give her store bought treats at home for that reason, but I dot know what the vet, pet store, or my in laws gave her. Any treats we give her at home are fresh foods only, like a bit of apple slices, or some rice, or sweet potato. She's eaten those things just fine. We are pretty sure she is allergic to corn because she got sick twice (milder vomiting than what we are seeing now) from eating popcorn, so we have made sure she doesn't get a hold of any corn since then. There is no corn on her dog food ingredient list. It's possible that it was in the treats she was given, but I don't know for sure. I told my DH that we have to lay down the law and absolutely insist that no one else feed her anything.

There's been a trend over the past decade or two to give things like pumpkin, apples, carrots, etc. Not all dogs may be able to tolerate them, especially if they have a low level congenital abnormality or something like that.

I really think you need to go back to square one with this. Start fresh. ONLY feed canned dog food in small amounts, with water given in between only, for a few days, and see how she does. You can gradually add in a little dry if she tolerates it, and move on from there. Hold off on all treats, especially if they are fibrous. My spidey sense is telling me this dog is just not going to be one who can tolerate that sort of thing. It may be a lifelong thing.

And I'm also not a big fan of people food only, for a few reasons. First, it doesn't contain the nutrition a dog needs. And second, it's really hard work for you, and expensive, and makes your dog "high maintenance" when she'll no longer eat dog food. So I just don't think that's necessary here, at least just yet, but I totally get your frustraton. Having a dog like this can be trying, and takes trial and error to see what works for her, and what doesn't. I do suspect she probably has something like a weak esophageal sphincter - so make it easier for her to digest food. And get her on something to protect her stomach if it continues.

 

[Kellykins1218]

Our dogs only eat people food once they grow out of puppy chow. They do get dental bones and chicken jerky as treats.

 

[Megster1]

I agree with Pea-n-Me about the carrots. Cut out everything except for the food you select. For our pup he got ONLY his kibble for 6 months. If I felt like he needed a "treat" he got a few pieces of kibble. The vet and pet store people were all really understanding when I said "no treats please, he's not feeling great. But he loves if you scratch his ears!" We added the carrots back in only after the 6 months and have also added a fish oil supplement in the last month (years after the initial elimination). Sometimes it stinks that he can't have yummy treats, but I know he feels better and I'm not up cleaning up after him so it's worth it.
We haven't pursued additional testing since the limited diet is controlling the issue so at this time I don't feel like it's needed.

 

[kimblebee]

Our dog (purebred shih tzu) used to barf all the time..drove me crazy. The vet seemed to think it was a food allergy so we switched to an expensive food..it's a salmon and rice mix. The barfing stopped so that must have been the issue. The dog gets no human food whatsoever and if it does find a scrap, even the tiniest bit, it will end up sick the next day so we are very careful if we drop something.

 

[Dentam]

Do you have any plants (houseplants or outdoors) that your dog might be munching on when you're not looking? Many plants are mildly toxic (some severely) and can cause these symptoms.

Hope you figure it out soon! My dog went through a lot of these issues as a puppy - some due to giardia and some due to nibbling on plants in the backyard.

 

[design_mom]

My mother has a rescue dog with a very sensitive stomach. She cooks for the dog. It is a recipe that was given to her by her veterinarian. It is mostly whole-grain spaghetti and cooked chicken, I believe... but there is also some sort of supplements (from a tube) that gets mixed in.