OK What now? Diet questions
She has always slept all night but wakes up and barks loudly at 5am for breakfast,I have just changed to a quick trip outside to toilet then back in the crate with a chicken Smacko and water bowl,and she shut up until 20 to 6 this morning,much better. Is her diet adequate or do I need to add more,if so,what?She eats a little grated carrot,hates carrot stix so far but I think she has trouble chewing them,she has an undershot lower jaw and still getting baby teeth. I am reluctant to ask the vet as I know he will say "straight on to a puppy chow that we happen to sell"like he did last time.I dont want her on a solely commercial diet,whats best for her healthwise?When do I cut her to 2 feeds a day?I am guessing a while yet. I feed our old dog rice and mince and its all she can digest these days,some yoghurt now and then,Smackoes as a treat,very occassional,so cooking dogs food is no hassle.Just as easy for 2 as one,I am not bothered,just want a healthy strong sheepdog with the best diet I can give her. I just thought young pups/dogs ate raw meat so am checking I am doing the right thing.Thanks again.Wendy |
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| Hi Wendy glad to hear her tummy has settled.
She will be on 3 meals a day till about 6 plus months. She will need more then the rice and meat, you can substitute the rice on occassions for pasta but also start bringing in a dry as well. Did you have any luck getting ProPlan? If not then maybe look at Eukanuba as that is pretty accessible everywhere. She needs that as she is growing rapidly plus it has all the balanced vitamins and minerals to support her rapid growth stage. You can still cook for her but add the dry as a filler. Also start putting cooked pumpkin and start bringing in some other vegies into the mix for the last meal of a night time. Lamb Beef chicken sardines tuna all good for adding to the food for variety. Yes she needs to have more then what you are cooking for her as they need that support while growing. You can do it by additives but getting the portions right has to be spot on with home cooked diets, for instance too much calcium or too little can cause bone deformities. So just add a complete dry and start slowly introducing that to her diet in the mix you are already doing. If you can get "Goats Milk" they enjoy that and does not usually cause dietry upset, most supermarkets sell it. I water it down a bit half milk half water and all good things init while there still babies. 
If you think when introducing the dry it is a little bit hard for her because of the undershot bite or swollen gums from teething, then you can boil the kettle pour a little hot water over it and let it stand for 5 mins to soften it for her then add the rest to it and mix it all up in the bowl. I usually soften the dry while there teething or introducing it in their diets when so young. Also bring the dry into her diet very slowly in the portions as not to upset her system. Do it slowly bit by bit over a 2 week period and just monitor as you go along increasing the amount in her food every few days and keeping an eye on her stools that they are remaining firm. |
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