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

[OhMari]

I have a shish Tzu/poodle and he is a puker. When he was a puppy, we used to give him Pizzle sticks to calm him down. He would puke all the next day. We finally figured it out. The only thing he will eat is Milk Bones, we had to go get the 1 calorie. He know eats carrots and stewed meat, but very little. But if there are rabbit turds outside, he gobbles them up and gets really sick. I think he was on antibiotics twice from eating rabbit turds. I asked the vet how long will he keep doing this, and he told me when he grows out of his puppy stage. We also kept him off the grass in winter and walked him on the sidewalk, but he can still smell them out a mile away.

Last month, he got bird-ox in his paw and licked it off. He started puking and choking. I got him in our laundry sink and ran water down the side of it, so he could lick it, his throat must have been burning. After he drank a bunch, he puked up 2 big globs of flem. So I was grateful this time that he puked. Poor little guy, that had to have burned his throat.

 

[MrsDuck]

Any updates?

 

[TipsyTraveler]

It sounds like IBD flare ups to me. You should have her worked up by an internist (Veterinary Internal Medicine). If it is IBD they'll be able to get her on the right diet for long term management, usually something like rabbit or duck and potato. In the mean time, eliminate all treats and, during flare ups, feed her a bland diet. Your regular vet should be able to give a few cans of I/d to have on hand, or you can cook something like ground turkey and rice for her. I wouldn't give canned pumpkin to a dog with diarrhea. That's typically given to dogs with constipation to get things moving, which is the opposite of what you want to do for diarrhea.

 

[mefordis]

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?

I feed our dog raw meat (typically chicken but it varies). Dogs shouldn't have cooked meat - it's better for them raw. It doesn't sit around, he eats it right away. I also give him a gain free kibble for the veggies and bone he needs. He gets about 1/2 - 3/4 cup cut up chicken twice a day and can graze on the kibble. He is incredibly healthy.

His vet stands by raw 100%. Dogs don't get salmonella, btw - their digestive tracts are too short. Dogs are designed to eat and digest raw meat and bones.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have a shish Tzu/poodle and he is a puker. When he was a puppy, we used to give him Pizzle sticks to calm him down. He would puke all the next day. We finally figured it out. The only thing he will eat is Milk Bones, we had to go get the 1 calorie. He know eats carrots and stewed meat, but very little. But if there are rabbit turds outside, he gobbles them up and gets really sick. I think he was on antibiotics twice from eating rabbit turds. I asked the vet how long will he keep doing this, and he told me when he grows out of his puppy stage. We also kept him off the grass in winter and walked him on the sidewalk, but he can still smell them out a mile away.

Last month, he got bird-ox in his paw and licked it off. He started puking and choking. I got him in our laundry sink and ran water down the side of it, so he could lick it, his throat must have been burning. After he drank a bunch, he puked up 2 big globs of flem. So I was grateful this time that he puked. Poor little guy, that had to have burned his throat.

My 10yo dog still eats rabbit turds.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I feed our dog raw meat (typically chicken but it varies). Dogs shouldn't have cooked meat - it's better for them raw. It doesn't sit around, he eats it right away. I also give him a gain free kibble for the veggies and bone he needs. He gets about 1/2 - 3/4 cup cut up chicken twice a day and can graze on the kibble. He is incredibly healthy.

His vet stands by raw 100%. Dogs don't get salmonella, btw - their digestive tracts are too short. Dogs are designed to eat and digest raw meat and bones.[/B]

Dogs do get salmonella poisoning, i.e. salmonellosis.

http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_dg_salmonellosis

And while some vets do "stand by" raw, the AVMA discourages it, because of the health risks to pets and to people.

https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pa...imal-Source-Protein-in-Cat-and-Dog-Diets.aspx

 

[mefordis]

Dogs do get salmonella poisoning, i.e. salmonellosis.

http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_dg_salmonellosis

And while some vets do "stand by" raw, the AVMA discourages it, because of the health risks to pets and to people.

https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pa...imal-Source-Protein-in-Cat-and-Dog-Diets.aspx

Yes, the bacteria in raw meat might hurt your dog IF the dog already has an immunocompromised system or some underlying problem. Raw diets have also been blamed for causing things like pancreatitis and kidney disease, when in reality the underlying disease was already there and was brought to light by the change in diet. Dogs are surprisingly well-equipped to deal with bacteria. Their saliva has antibacterial properties; it contains lysozyme, an enzyme that lyses and destroys harmful bacteria. Their short digestive tract is designed to push through food and bacteria quickly without giving bacteria time to colonize. The extremely acidic environment in the gut is also a good bacteria colonization deterrent. People often point to the fact that dogs shed salmonella in their feces (even kibble-fed dogs do this) without showing any ill effects as proof that the dog is infected with salmonella. In reality, all this proves is that the dog has effectively passed the salmonella through its system with no problems. Yes, the dog can act as a salmonella carrier, but the solution is simple—do not eat dog crap and wash your hands after picking up after your dog.

Also, I run far from the AVMA - America's pets are sicker with diseases in the numbers they never had before (diabetes, autoimmune disease) due to their money making negligence. My dog is super healthy so I'll keep going as I am.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Yes, the bacteria in raw meat might hurt your dog IF the dog already has an immunocompromised system or some underlying problem. Raw diets have also been blamed for causing things like pancreatitis and kidney disease, when in reality the underlying disease was already there and was brought to light by the change in diet. Dogs are surprisingly well-equipped to deal with bacteria. Their saliva has antibacterial properties; it contains lysozyme, an enzyme that lyses and destroys harmful bacteria. Their short digestive tract is designed to push through food and bacteria quickly without giving bacteria time to colonize. The extremely acidic environment in the gut is also a good bacteria colonization deterrent. People often point to the fact that dogs shed salmonella in their feces (even kibble-fed dogs do this) without showing any ill effects as proof that the dog is infected with salmonella. In reality, all this proves is that the dog has effectively passed the salmonella through its system with no problems. Yes, the dog can act as a salmonella carrier, but the solution is simple—do not eat dog crap and wash your hands after picking up after your dog.

Also, I run far from the AVMA - America's pets are sicker with diseases in the numbers they never had before (diabetes, autoimmune disease) due to their money making negligence. My dog is super healthy so I'll keep going as I am.

Ok

 

[katie01]

Any updates?

Thanks for asking, she's been completely fine since I posted (after she finished puking that one day, she started eating again around 2:00, we did rice for a day, then added in her dog food). Normal stools, normal energy, no vomiting or anything. The little stinker sure doesn't do herself any favors though, as clean and as hazard-free as we try to keep our house, she still finds ways to get into trouble. Like licking all the plates in the dishwasher as we are trying to load it (who knows what food or soap residue she might ingest). Or today, I came home from an errand and to find the dog (my husband and kids were there with her) happily destroying a yarn doll my daughter had made in school during a Little House on the Prairie unit. Ugh! Yarn in her intestines could be a disaster. The yarn doll had been on the table, no one knows how she got it, someone must have accidentally knocked it down because she's barely a foot tall. Anyway, keeping her well is always going to be a challenge when she does these things. Thank goodness it didn't appear that she'd had time to actually chew off any yarn strands, she was just working on dismantling it first.

Oh, and she tries to eat rabbit turds too like others have mentioned. My husband calls them the dog's "organic Milk Duds" (yes we try to stop her from doing this too, she is so fast that she gets stuff in her mouth if we look away on a walk for an instant).

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Yeah, it probably is a coincidence. Our dogs always eat what we eat. Our dogs have lived well into double digits including our shih tzu who was almost 18 when she died.

Yeah, I agree it's probably just a coincidence. The first dog SIL had when she met brother lived to about 13. But every dog they had since developed some kind of major ailment when it was 7 or 8, and it was kinder to euthanize them.

Current dog is about 3 years old. Hopefully this one lives longer.

 

[tzolkin]

Yeah, it probably is a coincidence. Our dogs always eat what we eat. Our dogs have lived well into double digits including our shih tzu who was almost 18 when she died.

Aren't some foods toxic for dogs? And others simply unhealthy?
We adopted a dog last year and I know I have read that things like garlic and onions can be poisonous. That's in most of our meals, so I haven't been willing to give her any prepared food on the chance it might make her sick.

I could be completely mistaken, but I can't imagine that a human diet would be best for a dog to efficiently digest even if you did avoid foods that are poisonous.

 

[Kellykins1218]

Aren't some foods toxic for dogs? And others simply unhealthy?
We adopted a dog last year and I know I have read that things like garlic and onions can be poisonous. That's in most of our meals, so I haven't been willing to give her any prepared food on the chance it might make her sick.

I could be completely mistaken, but I can't imagine that a human diet would be best for a dog to efficiently digest even if you did avoid foods that are poisonous.

Well, based on our dogs' life spans, our choice in foods hasn't caused any issues. Our vet has no problem with what they eat since we also give them dental bones and chewies that are good for their teeth.

 

[tzolkin]

Well, based on our dogs' life spans, our choice in foods hasn't caused any issues. Our vet has no problem with what they eat since we also give them dental bones and chewies that are good for their teeth.

Perhaps you eat a healthy diet that is well suited to a dog. (That sounds a bit offensive, but I mean it as a compliment. )

I just know based on what many humans eat, a dog would not do well eating their diet. Some consume diets that are bad enough for them, but even worse for a dog. Some people eat tons of salty junk food. Some eat lots of sweets (both sugary and sugar-free). Many dogs can't handle lactose, so if you have a diary rich diet the dog could have constant diarrhea and vomiting.

There also has to be some knowledge of what dogs can and cannot eat (or a lot of luck) to avoid accidental poisoning.

 

[sksjasams]

I know I have read that things like garlic and onions can be poisonous.

Yes! Also grapes and raisins.

OP, we have a teddy bear dog too. He would occasionally throw up every few weeks but then be fine after a day. One time though, he got very sick and it turned out his dog food had changed the formula without labeling it on the package. That was Diamond Naturals. I did lots of research and we switched him to Fromm. Did you know in over 100 years, they have NEVER had a recall?
Anyway, Buddy has done pretty well on the Fromm, but would still vomit at least once every couple weeks.
Whenever his tummy was upset, I would switch him to prescription canned dog food along with some Pepcid AC for a couple days until he was feeling better. He absolutely loves the canned stuff, but it is pricey.
After the last time he threw up, I decided to gradually switch him from the canned food to half dry Fromm kibble and half prescription canned food. This has made a big difference. He has only vomited once since September.
Here is the canned food we use:
http://www.petsmart.com/dog/canned-...w-fat-dog-food-zid36-2420/cat-36-catid-100031

Good luck finding a long term solution to your lil girl's sensitive tummy!

 

[Cadiewampus]

Hi Katie01 - I wrote earlier about my dog's issue with chicken. For what it's worth, we now feed him Merrick's Lamb and Sweet Potato kibble.

Another for what its worth, Merrick was actually bought out by Purina back in July. They say that Merrick will continue to act independently, but I will not feed my dogs anything owned by Purina.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The FDA maintains a list of companies who have recalled pet food products.

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/RecallsWithdrawals/ucm393160.htm

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Again, I think it is somewhat normal for dogs to vomit from time to time.

I think, though, that we have to differentiate what is normal, and what is not.

The info in the last thread, and even the beginning of this thread, was not, IMO. Here on this thread, you could sense the OP's frustration - days without sleep (or even one night) is not normal in caring for a dog vomiting, no matter how you slice it.

Foods and treats can contain germs, plastic pieces, other foreign objects, poisons, etc. all of which can make dog sick. Then you have the allergy factor.

Other things that can make dogs vomit include their ingesting something they shouldn't - plants, objects from the trash, bones, QTips, pantyhose, yarn, ornament fragments, pins, you name it.

Then you have the medical/surgical issues like blockage, GERD, strangulation, torsion, etc.

I think we, as people, underestimate how sick a dog feels when it vomits. They can't tell us. But based on caring for thousands of people over the years who've vomited and practically begged to have something to make them feel better, it saddens me to hear about a dog being so sick and not knowing why.

I think there have been clues here. My money would be on all the vaccinations and anti-parasitic pills at once, the time before this. (I was thinking about it on the 1st as my dog had his heartworm pill - due for flea and tick pill on the 15th.) And the dog, based on breed, probably has a propensity to vomit. So when he's "sick", that might be what you get, idk - have not had that breed type before. (But as I said, lived with a dog for almost 14 years with colitis, so his GI tract could be set off for days by one wrong thing he ingested. Maybe no vomiting, but lots of diarrhea. German Shepherds can have a propensity toward diarrhea.) I think the vet ruled out a "surgical abdomen" when you visited, meaning an XRay was done to be sure nothing had been ingested and stuck in the GI tract, and/or no twisted innards, and bloodwork, etc. (Right?) Which sort of brings you back to the other things, like foods, allergies, germs, etc.

Again, it is not normal to have bloody diarrhea and that would be a huge red flag that something is very wrong if a dog has it, ever. This can often occur with food poisoning. (And basically, people with food poisoning feel like dying, it's so miserable.)

I would also be very concerned about treats somehow making the dog sick. A lot of discount stores today sell meaty or jerky treats cheaply. I pass them by even though it's tempting. There are just too many unknowns when coming from a country where these things are not regulated. About a decade ago, lots of dogs and cats died from treats from China that had plastic in them. A lot of their treats (pet and human) also contain lead.

I suspect if the dog is better since you've elilminated everything and gone to feeding small amounts, etc. then it probably, this time, was dietary. Now just experimenting with what she can tolerate will lead you to developing a suitable diet for her. I would keep in mind she might not be one who can tolerate a high fiber diet if her esophageal sphincter isn't strong (and allows food and acids back into the esophagus after eating). I think it would be money well spent seeing a GI specialist, but that's up to you. You have a lot of years left with this dog, and based on my experiences with my own dog with colitis, it can be a lifelong thing.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Reading through that FDA list, this one, in particular, is very scary, and can cause death. Propylene glycol is anti freeze.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm471748.htm

I would like to know how that got in there. I've seen many people loyal to Blue Buffalo. I hope they've answered to this, and I hope no cats died because of it.

http://consumerist.com/2015/11/09/b...-over-presence-of-not-yummy-propylene-glycol/

Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of this type of thing out there, but many times it can't be proven that a pet became sick from a particular product. In this case above, based on a customer complaint, the FDA went in and tested the product, and found the propylene glycol. The company seems to be downplaying it, though (as is often the case for some companies, especially those who charge a premium price for their products), saying things like it was "one complaint" and "one bag" (on another site). Idk, but I highly doubt it was one bag.

Pet foods are alleged to contain chemicals by many consumer type groups. Buyer beware. I guess what I'm saying is just don't take it for granted that the company you buy your pet's foods from is perfect. People can say what they want about Purina products, but I think of it kind of like McDonald's and Burger King and Wendy's when it comes to EColi - because that's mainly what they do, they're going to take extra measures to protect their reputation by making sure their products are safe to eat. An outbreak of illness can kill a company - as we're seeing now with Chipotle. Not to say Purina's perfect, cause stuff can happen, and you will see their name on the list too, but it seems to me that it behooves them to keep things safe, or their company will go downhill pretty fast. They may be the type of company, like the burger companies, that overdoes their safety to make sure it doesn't happen.

Just my opinion. Ymmv

 

[katie01]

Again, I think it is somewhat normal for dogs to vomit from time to time.

I think, though, that we have to differentiate what is normal, and what is not.

The info in the last thread, and even the beginning of this thread, was not, IMO. Here on this thread, you could sense the OP's frustration - days without sleep (or even one night) is not normal in caring for a dog vomiting, no matter how you slice it.

Foods and treats can contain germs, plastic pieces, other foreign objects, poisons, etc. all of which can make dog sick. Then you have the allergy factor.

Other things that can make dogs vomit include their ingesting something they shouldn't - plants, objects from the trash, bones, QTips, pantyhose, yarn, ornament fragments, pins, you name it.

Then you have the medical/surgical issues like blockage, GERD, strangulation, torsion, etc.

I think we, as people, underestimate how sick a dog feels when it vomits. They can't tell us. But based on caring for thousands of people over the years who've vomited and practically begged to have something to make them feel better, it saddens me to hear about a dog being so sick and not knowing why.

I think there have been clues here. My money would be on all the vaccinations and anti-parasitic pills at once, the time before this. (I was thinking about it on the 1st as my dog had his heartworm pill - due for flea and tick pill on the 15th.) And the dog, based on breed, probably has a propensity to vomit. So when he's "sick", that might be what you get, idk - have not had that breed type before. (But as I said, lived with a dog for almost 14 years with colitis, so his GI tract could be set off for days by one wrong thing he ingested. Maybe no vomiting, but lots of diarrhea. German Shepherds can have a propensity toward diarrhea.) I think the vet ruled out a "surgical abdomen" when you visited, meaning an XRay was done to be sure nothing had been ingested and stuck in the GI tract, and/or no twisted innards, and bloodwork, etc. (Right?) Which sort of brings you back to the other things, like foods, allergies, germs, etc.

Again, it is not normal to have bloody diarrhea and that would be a huge red flag that something is very wrong if a dog has it, ever. This can often occur with food poisoning. (And basically, people with food poisoning feel like dying, it's so miserable.)

I would also be very concerned about treats somehow making the dog sick. A lot of discount stores today sell meaty or jerky treats cheaply. I pass them by even though it's tempting. There are just too many unknowns when coming from a country where these things are not regulated. About a decade ago, lots of dogs and cats died from treats from China that had plastic in them. A lot of their treats (pet and human) also contain lead.

I suspect if the dog is better since you've elilminated everything and gone to feeding small amounts, etc. then it probably, this time, was dietary. Now just experimenting with what she can tolerate will lead you to developing a suitable diet for her. I would keep in mind she might not be one who can tolerate a high fiber diet if her esophageal sphincter isn't strong (and allows food and acids back into the esophagus after eating). I think it would be money well spent seeing a GI specialist, but that's up to you. You have a lot of years left with this dog, and based on my experiences with my own dog with colitis, it can be a lifelong thing.

I hear what you are saying, I will be more than willing to see a specialist if this happens again. Right now she is doing great, and my gut tells me that the first episode was from all the vaccinations with medications at the same time. She is at the lowest end of the weight limits for those medications, so it just seems like it could be rough on her system, which has already proved to be sensitive. And I am feeling like the second episode was from our trip to see the in laws, with all the guests letting her out of her kennel while I wasn't around, feeding her treats, letting her escape outside the house (!!), and twice she got into my BIL's dog's dog food and ate most of it before anyone stopped her.

 

[katie01]

Yes! Also grapes and raisins.

OP, we have a teddy bear dog too. He would occasionally throw up every few weeks but then be fine after a day. One time though, he got very sick and it turned out his dog food had changed the formula without labeling it on the package. That was Diamond Naturals. I did lots of research and we switched him to Fromm. Did you know in over 100 years, they have NEVER had a recall?
Anyway, Buddy has done pretty well on the Fromm, but would still vomit at least once every couple weeks.
Whenever his tummy was upset, I would switch him to prescription canned dog food along with some Pepcid AC for a couple days until he was feeling better. He absolutely loves the canned stuff, but it is pricey.
After the last time he threw up, I decided to gradually switch him from the canned food to half dry Fromm kibble and half prescription canned food. This has made a big difference. He has only vomited once since September.
Here is the canned food we use:
http://www.petsmart.com/dog/canned-...w-fat-dog-food-zid36-2420/cat-36-catid-100031

Good luck finding a long term solution to your lil girl's sensitive tummy!

Thanks for the reply, it seems pretty unanimous that fellow shih tzu or teddy bear owners report the sensitive stomachs! That is interesting about Diamond naturals changing their formula, I wish the dog food industry were as well regulated as human food (and even that has it's problems too).

Anyway, it's nice to "meet" another teddy bear owner They are great little dogs, aren't they? My 8 year old just said this morning that the day we got the dog was the best day of her life so far