Is Science Diet OK? Trying to decide on the best dry dog food. - Page 5 - YorkieTalk.com Forums

schatzie · 02-17-2005, 12:57 PM

I have to laugh at Schatzie for being so "selective". As my earlier post said, we switched foods a few days ago to Nutro Ultra for Schatzie and happy to say she still loves it.

However, since we are incorporating her new food with the old to NOT change all at once, this morning she has decided to pick out all her old kibble, spit it out on the floor, then continue eating her Nutro.

I laughed as I looked down on the kitchen floor this morning and watched her decide which pieces she liked and those she didn't.

Her little poopies have not changed much either. The food is very much agreeing with her.

miezzi · 02-17-2005, 01:06 PM

Schatzie- What a funny and silly gal you are!! Sounds like something Luigi would do!!

Carters Mom · 02-17-2005, 02:33 PM

Schatzie and Carter must be chatting when we're not looking! Carter was doing the same thing . . . I didn't feel like picking up SD off the floor so I let him have it his way!

LOL!

LeiliMom · 02-17-2005, 02:38 PM

Please don't handfeed your yorkie. I have done it and now I have a hard time to make Leili eat her food by herself. Apparently she hates all kinds of dog food. Before I put kibbles in her mouth then she just swallow them and I thought she did eat them. I gave her a lot chicken every time I ate it and now she only eats meat or chicken out of her bowl and refuses to eat anything else: kibbles, rice, noodle, etc.

Because I wanted her to eat her food by herself, I starved her for a few days (I gave her nutri cal though) and she still did not eat it. Finally, I gave up and handfeed her her food again. However, I find out that now she does eat rice and noodle mixed with meat or fish out of the bowl herself.

I took her to the vet today to make sure that she is okay after a few days of not eating anything. The vet checked everything and said she is very healthy and also said that yorkies are picky eaters. Once they get used to people's food they don't eat their food anymore and that I have to handfeed her kibbles because she does not like dog food and not that she is used to be handfed.

I have decided to still handfeed her kibbles in the morning and at night and give her some rice or noodle mixed with vegetables or meat at noon because I think dog food is good for her and not people's food. Cathy

schatzie · 02-17-2005, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carters Mom

Schatzie and Carter must be chatting when we're not looking! Carter was doing the same thing . . . I didn't feel like picking up SD off the floor so I let him have it his way!

LOL!

That is toooo funny!!

Well to be honest, I didn't pick up the "unwanted kibble" either. To only come back into the kitchen to see them SMASHED on the kitchen floor. Well, Schatzie nor Annabelle are NOT heavy enough even between the both of them to have the ability to smash kibble, and surely I didn't do it because that just makes more "cleaning" work for myself. So, with this said. I BLAME MY HUSBAND, ha ahahaaha

Tonight Schatzie didn't pick and choose the kibble from her bowl, but if she does it tomorrow morning I will HAVE to pick it up before Robert my husband smashes it AGAIN, hahaha

KK'sMom · 02-17-2005, 07:15 PM

Bitsy,
Thanks so much for the kind words re my "Katie". I really am looking forward to this new little one. I had such a "Yorkie" hole in my heart for Kate. When I went to see the puppies when they were first born, the owner said something about KatyDid.....I asked him if that was the mom's name and he said it was. I knew I was supposed to have this puppy. Therefore that's where the "KK" comes from!! I talked to him today and he told me she had stopped eating last Friday and they took her to the vet. Nothing wrong.......to just keep trying to get her to eat. They went to Shoney's that night and brought home left over smothered steak and ground it up and fed it to the baby. He said she ate over the weekend and they fed her the steak again Monday.
Personally, I don't think it's a good idea to feed a baby that small that table food but he said she loved it. He said today that while we were talking she was playing and jumping all over her kennel trying to climb up the sides. I told him she wants her mama!! He told me to call tomorrow (Friday) night or Saturday AM and they would decide if I could have her according to how she was eating. He said he wanted to make sure she was thriving so I wouldn't bad mouth his kennel. I have already sent them several people and recommended them. I just have to convince them that I can take good care of her. We have taken previous pets to LSU Vet School and I spent $1200 on my lab last fall to get her hip repaired at a vet 50 miles from us at a large animal hospital like "Animal ER"!! I think I can feed her something better than table food!!
I am so glad I found this site. You all have been so much help already!! Will keep you posted!!
KK'sMom

Carters Mom · 02-17-2005, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KK'sMom

We have taken previous pets to LSU Vet School

KK:

Where are you? I'm in Thibodaux, an hour or so from the vet school. My stepson just started working at the Vet School as their computer specialist. Both of my stepsons work at LSU and live in Baton Rouge.

KK'sMom · 02-17-2005, 07:32 PM

Carters Mom,
We live in Picayune, MS. We lived in New Orleans from 1979-1991 when we moved up here. We took our first Doberman to LSU when he had liver cancer.
I took my Lab, Jezebel, who by the way thought she was my Katies "mom" to a Dr. Mayfield in Hattiesburg, MS for her hip surgery. He is wonderful!!
KK's mom

schatzie · 02-17-2005, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KK'sMom

Bitsy,
Thanks so much for the kind words re my "Katie". I really am looking forward to this new little one. I had such a "Yorkie" hole in my heart for Kate. When I went to see the puppies when they were first born, the owner said something about KatyDid.....I asked him if that was the mom's name and he said it was. I knew I was supposed to have this puppy. Therefore that's where the "KK" comes from!! I talked to him today and he told me she had stopped eating last Friday and they took her to the vet. Nothing wrong.......to just keep trying to get her to eat. They went to Shoney's that night and brought home left over smothered steak and ground it up and fed it to the baby. He said she ate over the weekend and they fed her the steak again Monday.
Personally, I don't think it's a good idea to feed a baby that small that table food but he said she loved it. He said today that while we were talking she was playing and jumping all over her kennel trying to climb up the sides. I told him she wants her mama!! He told me to call tomorrow (Friday) night or Saturday AM and they would decide if I could have her according to how she was eating. He said he wanted to make sure she was thriving so I wouldn't bad mouth his kennel. I have already sent them several people and recommended them. I just have to convince them that I can take good care of her. We have taken previous pets to LSU Vet School and I spent $1200 on my lab last fall to get her hip repaired at a vet 50 miles from us at a large animal hospital like "Animal ER"!! I think I can feed her something better than table food!!
I am so glad I found this site. You all have been so much help already!! Will keep you posted!!
KK'sMom

KK's Mom - I truly hope you are given your little one. You sound like you will be such a good mama towards her. Please keep us posted on the progress.
Schatzie will have her paws (finger's crossed if she was human) crossed in hopes it all works out the way it should.

Carters Mom · 02-17-2005, 07:37 PM

KK's Mom:

You aren't far from me at all! We did a meet with our breeder in Picayune on Christmas Day (in all the snow and freezing rain) to pick up Carter! He was born in Mize, MS. I emailed my breeder the new pics of Carter last night and she wrote back saying she will have 4 litters between now and March. I'm really tempted to get a sibling for Carter.

I believe you're the closest online yorkie lover I've found!

KK'sMom · 02-17-2005, 07:54 PM

Thanks to Schatzie's mom for the good luck wishes. Schatzie is a little doll!!
And to Carter's mom, I guess we are internet neighbors!!
Our house is quite a collection of canines. We have Jezebel, lab, 11yrs. and by the way "Queen of the pack". Then we have "Tee", the 16yr old poodle who is the "old man". He is blind and partly deaf but he still likes to be rocked and loved. Aside from some arthritis, he is pretty healthy. Then we just got a new little girl Dobie from Gulf Coast Doberman Rescue. She is 5 months old, so polite and sweet. Getting ready to go to obedience school. Already crate and potty trained and in one week she and Jezebel have established who is Queen!! We had a huge male Dobie when I got Tee and he was so sweet and gentle with him. He knew he was a baby and would wrap him up in an old afghan and drag him around the living room. It's all in how you raise a "family". Of course, the baby will have her crate for safety so she doesn't get accidentally stepped on. I am sure when she grows up she will show them all who's boss. Yorkies are so fearless. Jezebel always mothered Katie, groomed her and let us know when she was in trouble ie getting her hair caught in vines in the yard. I also have a friend who will be "MawMaw Kathy and puppy sit my baby when I work. So now you know our canine family!!

cecile · 02-18-2005, 12:13 PM

I'm new at this but I did look at the ingredients on Science Diet....the first ingredient (in the adult small morsels) is chicken.....corn meal is second. I had a hard time finding a small morsel dog food and Noelle is really picky. She seems to like the Science Diet. Is it really okay to switch dog foods every once in awhile to give them a little variety ??? I always thought that it would upset their stomachs.....I also give Noelle some chicken, steak, pork or whatever I am eating, mixed in with her food. That she really likes !!

yorkipower · 02-18-2005, 04:51 PM

Cecile - when you switch food you do it gradually - over several days. You start off feeding mostly the old food and gradually increase the percentage of new food until you dog is eating only the new food. For some dogs, this isn't necessary. I've had a few dogs with cast iron stomachs. THere are others, like my princess Penny, who have very sensitive stomachs. So how quickly you chage your food will depend on your dogs sensitivity. But yes, changing food periodically is recommended. A comany called "Nature's Variety," for example, has actually geared their whole marketing campaign according to this principle.

However, (here comes the "but") while, like you, I do add "goodies" to my dogs bowl as flavor enhancers and enticement, you have to keep in mind that dog food is blended as "complete meals." If your dog, like my kids, picks out the cooked chicken from the dog food and eats that much more in calories or eats that less of the dog food, she is not getting the allowance of nutriants prescribed and allotted in that dog food. Similarly, if your dog is eating everything you give her, you may have to watch for obesity.

Hope this makes sense . . .

goldcupmom · 02-18-2005, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeiliMom

Please don't handfeed your yorkie. I have done it and now I have a hard time to make Leili eat her food by herself.

I'll never forget our neighbors in our first apartment. They had 2 HUGE Old English Sheepdogs. One of them was sick as a puppy and she had to hand feed canned food. Well, they BOTH ended up hand fed and well into adulthood would refuse to eat anything unless 'mommy' and only 'mommy' rolled it up and hand fed them.

Wonderful dogs, but......

KK'sMom · 02-18-2005, 08:32 PM

Cecile,
From reading all the wonderful posts there are pros and cons for Science Diet and there are several varieties of it. My personal opinion is to shy away from giving too much people food for the purposes"yorkiepower" mentioned such as balanced nutrition and as your little one gets older, the chance of obesity.
We don't give ANY of our dogs any pork, seems to cause stomach upset from yorkie to doberman. I guess if your little one is thriving on SD then stick with it.
If you do try to switch to something else I would add gradually. You never know when something new won't agree with the tummy. I think caution would be better. It's just my opinion.

02-17-2005, 12:57 PM	#61
schatzie *Moderator Emeritus* Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Tontitown Arkansas Posts: 4,909	I have to laugh at Schatzie for being so "selective". As my earlier post said, we switched foods a few days ago to Nutro Ultra for Schatzie and happy to say she still loves it. However, since we are incorporating her new food with the old to NOT change all at once, this morning she has decided to pick out all her old kibble, spit it out on the floor, then continue eating her Nutro. I laughed as I looked down on the kitchen floor this morning and watched her decide which pieces she liked and those she didn't. Her little poopies have not changed much either. The food is very much agreeing with her. __________________ ~~~~ Schatzie and Ransom ~~~~

02-17-2005, 02:33 PM	#63
Carters Mom YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: LA Posts: 1,568	Schatzie and Carter must be chatting when we're not looking! Carter was doing the same thing . . . I didn't feel like picking up SD off the floor so I let him have it his way! LOL! __________________ Lisa Proud Marine Mom Carter, Cooper & Crissy's Mom and Sebastian's Nana Never underestimate the warmth of a cold nose!

02-17-2005, 07:37 PM	#70
Carters Mom YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: LA Posts: 1,568	KK's Mom: You aren't far from me at all! We did a meet with our breeder in Picayune on Christmas Day (in all the snow and freezing rain) to pick up Carter! He was born in Mize, MS. I emailed my breeder the new pics of Carter last night and she wrote back saying she will have 4 litters between now and March. I'm really tempted to get a sibling for Carter. I believe you're the closest online yorkie lover I've found! __________________ Lisa Proud Marine Mom Carter, Cooper & Crissy's Mom and Sebastian's Nana Never underestimate the warmth of a cold nose!

02-18-2005, 12:13 PM	#72
cecile Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 11	Science diet I'm new at this but I did look at the ingredients on Science Diet....the first ingredient (in the adult small morsels) is chicken.....corn meal is second. I had a hard time finding a small morsel dog food and Noelle is really picky. She seems to like the Science Diet. Is it really okay to switch dog foods every once in awhile to give them a little variety ??? I always thought that it would upset their stomachs.....I also give Noelle some chicken, steak, pork or whatever I am eating, mixed in with her food. That she really likes !!

02-17-2005, 01:06 PM	#62
miezzi I Love My 3 Lovebugs! Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: north east ohio Posts: 4,776	Schatzie- What a funny and silly gal you are!! Sounds like something Luigi would do!!

02-17-2005, 02:38 PM	#64
LeiliMom Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 24	Please don't handfeed your yorkie. I have done it and now I have a hard time to make Leili eat her food by herself. Apparently she hates all kinds of dog food. Before I put kibbles in her mouth then she just swallow them and I thought she did eat them. I gave her a lot chicken every time I ate it and now she only eats meat or chicken out of her bowl and refuses to eat anything else: kibbles, rice, noodle, etc. Because I wanted her to eat her food by herself, I starved her for a few days (I gave her nutri cal though) and she still did not eat it. Finally, I gave up and handfeed her her food again. However, I find out that now she does eat rice and noodle mixed with meat or fish out of the bowl herself. I took her to the vet today to make sure that she is okay after a few days of not eating anything. The vet checked everything and said she is very healthy and also said that yorkies are picky eaters. Once they get used to people's food they don't eat their food anymore and that I have to handfeed her kibbles because she does not like dog food and not that she is used to be handfed. I have decided to still handfeed her kibbles in the morning and at night and give her some rice or noodle mixed with vegetables or meat at noon because I think dog food is good for her and not people's food. Cathy

02-17-2005, 07:15 PM	#66
KK'sMom Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Alvaton, KY Posts: 13	Bitsy, Thanks so much for the kind words re my "Katie". I really am looking forward to this new little one. I had such a "Yorkie" hole in my heart for Kate. When I went to see the puppies when they were first born, the owner said something about KatyDid.....I asked him if that was the mom's name and he said it was. I knew I was supposed to have this puppy. Therefore that's where the "KK" comes from!! I talked to him today and he told me she had stopped eating last Friday and they took her to the vet. Nothing wrong.......to just keep trying to get her to eat. They went to Shoney's that night and brought home left over smothered steak and ground it up and fed it to the baby. He said she ate over the weekend and they fed her the steak again Monday. Personally, I don't think it's a good idea to feed a baby that small that table food but he said she loved it. He said today that while we were talking she was playing and jumping all over her kennel trying to climb up the sides. I told him she wants her mama!! He told me to call tomorrow (Friday) night or Saturday AM and they would decide if I could have her according to how she was eating. He said he wanted to make sure she was thriving so I wouldn't bad mouth his kennel. I have already sent them several people and recommended them. I just have to convince them that I can take good care of her. We have taken previous pets to LSU Vet School and I spent $1200 on my lab last fall to get her hip repaired at a vet 50 miles from us at a large animal hospital like "Animal ER"!! I think I can feed her something better than table food!! I am so glad I found this site. You all have been so much help already!! Will keep you posted!! KK'sMom

02-17-2005, 07:32 PM	#68
KK'sMom Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Alvaton, KY Posts: 13	Carters Mom, We live in Picayune, MS. We lived in New Orleans from 1979-1991 when we moved up here. We took our first Doberman to LSU when he had liver cancer. I took my Lab, Jezebel, who by the way thought she was my Katies "mom" to a Dr. Mayfield in Hattiesburg, MS for her hip surgery. He is wonderful!! KK's mom

02-17-2005, 07:54 PM	#71
KK'sMom Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Alvaton, KY Posts: 13	Thanks to Schatzie's mom for the good luck wishes. Schatzie is a little doll!! And to Carter's mom, I guess we are internet neighbors!! Our house is quite a collection of canines. We have Jezebel, lab, 11yrs. and by the way "Queen of the pack". Then we have "Tee", the 16yr old poodle who is the "old man". He is blind and partly deaf but he still likes to be rocked and loved. Aside from some arthritis, he is pretty healthy. Then we just got a new little girl Dobie from Gulf Coast Doberman Rescue. She is 5 months old, so polite and sweet. Getting ready to go to obedience school. Already crate and potty trained and in one week she and Jezebel have established who is Queen!! We had a huge male Dobie when I got Tee and he was so sweet and gentle with him. He knew he was a baby and would wrap him up in an old afghan and drag him around the living room. It's all in how you raise a "family". Of course, the baby will have her crate for safety so she doesn't get accidentally stepped on. I am sure when she grows up she will show them all who's boss. Yorkies are so fearless. Jezebel always mothered Katie, groomed her and let us know when she was in trouble ie getting her hair caught in vines in the yard. I also have a friend who will be "MawMaw Kathy and puppy sit my baby when I work. So now you know our canine family!!

02-18-2005, 04:51 PM	#73
yorkipower BANNED! Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: New York Posts: 446	Cecile - when you switch food you do it gradually - over several days. You start off feeding mostly the old food and gradually increase the percentage of new food until you dog is eating only the new food. For some dogs, this isn't necessary. I've had a few dogs with cast iron stomachs. THere are others, like my princess Penny, who have very sensitive stomachs. So how quickly you chage your food will depend on your dogs sensitivity. But yes, changing food periodically is recommended. A comany called "Nature's Variety," for example, has actually geared their whole marketing campaign according to this principle. However, (here comes the "but") while, like you, I do add "goodies" to my dogs bowl as flavor enhancers and enticement, you have to keep in mind that dog food is blended as "complete meals." If your dog, like my kids, picks out the cooked chicken from the dog food and eats that much more in calories or eats that less of the dog food, she is not getting the allowance of nutriants prescribed and allotted in that dog food. Similarly, if your dog is eating everything you give her, you may have to watch for obesity. Hope this makes sense . . .

02-18-2005, 08:32 PM	#75
KK'sMom Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Alvaton, KY Posts: 13	Cecile, From reading all the wonderful posts there are pros and cons for Science Diet and there are several varieties of it. My personal opinion is to shy away from giving too much people food for the purposes"yorkiepower" mentioned such as balanced nutrition and as your little one gets older, the chance of obesity. We don't give ANY of our dogs any pork, seems to cause stomach upset from yorkie to doberman. I guess if your little one is thriving on SD then stick with it. If you do try to switch to something else I would add gradually. You never know when something new won't agree with the tummy. I think caution would be better. It's just my opinion.