Another Merrick's Question

[shopstump]

Stump has been on so many diffrent foods.. First it was Science Diet (his breeder fed this) and he wouldn't eat it at all. So then I switched to Nutro and he didn't like it either.. then it was Nutro Ultra, and he will eat it ocassionaly.

So today I went and got him Merrick's Turducken. I figured it was time to switch to adult food since he is 14 months old. To all of you who feed it, do you feed it reguarly or do you mix it with the water to make the gravy, or do you mix it with the wet food?

I put it out already with the water and Stump sniffed it an walked off, I'm hoping this is because he isn't hungry right now!!!

One more questions, sorry this is so long, How much food does your pup normally eat? I buy the 5 pounds bags and Stump is 14 months and we have only gone through 2 bags. I feel like he is starving himself, He doest get snacks/treats and when he won't eat we boil him chicken (which he is now spoiled on). But is this normal for him to not eat that much???

[Winston's Mom]

I feed both Winston and Maggie with Merricks. Winston use to be very picky and would sometimes walk away. We kind of solve that problem with Maggie who is a lab in a yorkie's body. She would wolf food down in less than 1 minute flat.

Anyway, both Winston (Grandma's Pot Pie or Turducken) and Maggie (Puppy Plate) gets about 1/4 cup @ at breakfast and dinner. I use to put about a teaspoon of the can Merricks and mix that in. Then I started to make the wet food. Maggie has a weak stomach and most everything upsets her stomach so now I just mix plain white rice with a little water (warm up in microwave) in with the dry food. They both seem to like it.

[chocolatecoffee]

I feed my girls a combination of homecooked meals and Merrick (dry for all three and wet for two). One of my girls hates any moisture in her food so we just feed her the dry and she enjoys it (especially the peas). The other two get the dry mixed in with water, then we add a little bit of canned and they love it. I also do the same for my fosters and I've never had one of them turn their nose up to it! The Merrick canned is amazing!

I first tried it when I was trying to figure out a food that Mocha, my picky little one who hates moisture in her food, would actually eat and we had gone through a ton of other foods without success. I had heard that Merrick was good for picky eaters so I offered it to her aaand...she wouldn't touch it. She walked away and wouldn't even go near it after that. However, my other dog liked it so much I switched her to it and for some reason, a couple of weeks later, Mocha decided she liked it too. It's been over a year and none of them have gotten sick of it!

How much the girls eat really depends on whether I give them a homecooked meal or not. I give it to them in the morning then sometimes at supper, but Mocha usually doesn't eat it until the evening. We keep dry food out for Mocha but Panna, who loves food, sometimes decides to camp out by it so then we bring it up. Initially I bought the 5 lbs. bags but after I was confident that they weren't going to suddenly turn their nose up to it I went to the 30 lbs. bag. I just keep it sealed (I love the bags they come in!) and in the pantry and then I just fill up a 5 lbs. bag from it. There's always three dogs eating it though and sometimes one to two fosters...I think we'd be running to the store too much if we got the 5 lbs. bag and it's 40 minutes away, so we're happy with the 30 lbs. bags.

With the boiled chicken...we used to do that with Mocha (I swear we don't anymore!). No, we still do, but we had to get some things straightened out since she definitely had us trained well. She wouldn't eat her dog food so we'd cook her her own food and, after a while, she somehow had us hand-feeding her absolutely everything. We stopped doing that and somehow she decided she'd eat on her own and, if she doesn't get any other supper, she'll go and munch on some Merrick. She actually likes it too, last year she actually turned her nose up at birthday cake then went and ate her Merrick! So if it passes the Mocha test and I like the ingredients, I couldn't be happier!

[shopstump]

Originally Posted by chocolatecoffee

I feed my girls a combination of homecooked meals and Merrick (dry for all three and wet for two). One of my girls hates any moisture in her food so we just feed her the dry and she enjoys it (especially the peas). The other two get the dry mixed in with water, then we add a little bit of canned and they love it. I also do the same for my fosters and I've never had one of them turn their nose up to it! The Merrick canned is amazing!

I first tried it when I was trying to figure out a food that Mocha, my picky little one who hates moisture in her food, would actually eat and we had gone through a ton of other foods without success. I had heard that Merrick was good for picky eaters so I offered it to her aaand...she wouldn't touch it. She walked away and wouldn't even go near it after that. However, my other dog liked it so much I switched her to it and for some reason, a couple of weeks later, Mocha decided she liked it too. It's been over a year and none of them have gotten sick of it!

How much the girls eat really depends on whether I give them a homecooked meal or not. I give it to them in the morning then sometimes at supper, but Mocha usually doesn't eat it until the evening. We keep dry food out for Mocha but Panna, who loves food, sometimes decides to camp out by it so then we bring it up. Initially I bought the 5 lbs. bags but after I was confident that they weren't going to suddenly turn their nose up to it I went to the 30 lbs. bag. I just keep it sealed (I love the bags they come in!) and in the pantry and then I just fill up a 5 lbs. bag from it. There's always three dogs eating it though and sometimes one to two fosters...I think we'd be running to the store too much if we got the 5 lbs. bag and it's 40 minutes away, so we're happy with the 30 lbs. bags.

With the boiled chicken...we used to do that with Mocha (I swear we don't anymore!). No, we still do, but we had to get some things straightened out since she definitely had us trained well. She wouldn't eat her dog food so we'd cook her her own food and, after a while, she somehow had us hand-feeding her absolutely everything. We stopped doing that and somehow she decided she'd eat on her own and, if she doesn't get any other supper, she'll go and munch on some Merrick. She actually likes it too, last year she actually turned her nose up at birthday cake then went and ate her Merrick! So if it passes the Mocha test and I like the ingredients, I couldn't be happier!

When Stump was tiny we gave him the Merrick's Puppy Plate Canned and oh my gosh he loved it! It smells just like chicken pot pie. I was tempted to take a bite, haha. I think I'll try it with the gravy now and if he doesnt like that I might mix in some rice. We need to cut back on feeding him home cooked meals but my mom won't listen, she cant resist his little face!!

[Erin]

I feed 1/4 cup dry (Canidae) for breakfast and about 1/3 of a big can of Merrick canned for dinner. I just started doing this and I was all about the dry food until I found the Merrick canned. Wow! I'm impressed. Here's some advice - he might not be hungry but he needs to figure out that he needs to eat what you feed him and NOT hold out for boiled chicken. Chicken is great but it's not going to have all the nutrients of a GOOD food, which Merrick is. Put it down for 20 minutes and then pick it up. Repeat at lunch or dinner. Don't give him any treats and don't give in. After about 2 days Loki figured out he better eat when I feed him. So now he does, and I'm definately not so dilligent about pick it up either but I'll swing back to the kitchen to pick up his bowl and he'll already have eaten.

I also am consistent in that I only give him the canned for dinner. He knows he needs to eat his dry kibble in the morning and he's usually hungry enough where it's not a problem. He doesn't hold out for me to put canned on it or anything. You just can't give in. Sometimes I put Yogurt on Loki's food but if we're out I'm not going out to buy some just so he will eat - I just ask him to eat it without it. Basically I just make a big deal about going to pick up his bowl and he decides he's hungry )

Your dog isn't going to selectivly starve unless he has a health problem or tooth problem or something. Just be consistent and you'll be fine. I haven't personally tried the Merrick dry because we are super happy with Canidae. Loki used to pick at his Natural Balance before we switched and now he inhales the Canidae. Once you find that balance with a good quality food the dog likes (usually the stinkier the better) then you're set!

[shopstump]

Originally Posted by Erin

I feed 1/4 cup dry (Canidae) for breakfast and about 1/3 of a big can of Merrick canned for dinner. I just started doing this and I was all about the dry food until I found the Merrick canned. Wow! I'm impressed. Here's some advice - he might not be hungry but he needs to figure out that he needs to eat what you feed him and NOT hold out for boiled chicken. Chicken is great but it's not going to have all the nutrients of a GOOD food, which Merrick is. Put it down for 20 minutes and then pick it up. Repeat at lunch or dinner. Don't give him any treats and don't give in. After about 2 days Loki figured out he better eat when I feed him. So now he does, and I'm definately not so dilligent about pick it up either but I'll swing back to the kitchen to pick up his bowl and he'll already have eaten.

I also am consistent in that I only give him the canned for dinner. He knows he needs to eat his dry kibble in the morning and he's usually hungry enough where it's not a problem. He doesn't hold out for me to put canned on it or anything. You just can't give in. Sometimes I put Yogurt on Loki's food but if we're out I'm not going out to buy some just so he will eat - I just ask him to eat it without it. Basically I just make a big deal about going to pick up his bowl and he decides he's hungry )

Your dog isn't going to selectivly starve unless he has a health problem or tooth problem or something. Just be consistent and you'll be fine. I haven't personally tried the Merrick dry because we are super happy with Canidae. Loki used to pick at his Natural Balance before we switched and now he inhales the Canidae. Once you find that balance with a good quality food the dog likes (usually the stinkier the better) then you're set!

Well With Stump I do free feed him. I let him decide when he is hungry. I've noticed he eats right before I go to bed. I'll be laying in bed and hear "crunch crunch crunch".. and so I know he will eat it I just leave it out. I'm going to give him a week of the dry with water (it makes its own gravy according to the bag of food) and if he doesn't like it that much I'll try buying some wet for the evening time.