how to prevent food from spoiling?? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

tweetysabu · 08-26-2007, 10:56 AM

Hello Everyone,
I have been reading the posts on home cooked recipes for our ever so precious yorkies. I currently have a male yorkie who is 4 months as of today. Currently he is eating Canidae and he likes it a lot, hes been on it for about 1 month now. But I notice that every now and again he scratches in the same spot and I'm sure it is not fleas because we put advantage on him just in case if he gets fleas and he hasnt been outside yet because he is still getting the rest of his shots. I would like to start giving my yorkie skipper home cooked food but my only problem is during the day when I go to work can I just leave the food out or will it spoil? How would I do this if I work during the day and during the day he is in his playpen until I get home but it can get hot where I live at times. Even though skipper has a fan to keep him cool what about the food since it is cooked food and the temperature may get a little hot and he is still a puppy so he needs to eat 3 times a day? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to prevent the food from spoiling?

marcerella02 · 08-26-2007, 01:49 PM

i can ALMOST guarantee you that when you put down his plate of food.. it will be gone! Layla gets fed twice.. and the food is GONE when i put it down... if she doesn't eat it she gets 15 min before i take it away. But she also has kibble in a dish at her disposal should she be hungry. i use the kibble as a way to know that she needs more food (the homecooked stuff) but if you are gone all day it would be a great way to know that if he is hungry he can pick at something.

Suzy · 08-26-2007, 03:58 PM

I would recommend you try and feed him on a schedule. I would put food down at certain times of the day, and leave it down for only 15 minutes, like Marcerella02 said. If he eats, great! If he doesn't, that's ok. He will soon learn to eat when the food is available. I feed both my dogs like this. They eat at 5 AM and 5:30 PM, with a couple small snacks thrown in there too. This is the best way to keep an eye on what and how much they eat, and you can control weight gain/loss this way too, where you cannot do this as well with free feeding.

With this in mind, I would strongly recommend that you leave some kibble out for him during the day-maybe just 2 tablespoons or so-until he is older and a little bigger. You don't want to risk a hypoglycemic episode with a yorkie this small. You can switch to the above feeding schedule when he's about 3.5 lbs, or 5 months old-or as your vet recommends. I would ask your vet for sure!

08-26-2007, 10:56 AM	#1
tweetysabu Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: california Posts: 14	how to prevent food from spoiling?? Hello Everyone, I have been reading the posts on home cooked recipes for our ever so precious yorkies. I currently have a male yorkie who is 4 months as of today. Currently he is eating Canidae and he likes it a lot, hes been on it for about 1 month now. But I notice that every now and again he scratches in the same spot and I'm sure it is not fleas because we put advantage on him just in case if he gets fleas and he hasnt been outside yet because he is still getting the rest of his shots. I would like to start giving my yorkie skipper home cooked food but my only problem is during the day when I go to work can I just leave the food out or will it spoil? How would I do this if I work during the day and during the day he is in his playpen until I get home but it can get hot where I live at times. Even though skipper has a fan to keep him cool what about the food since it is cooked food and the temperature may get a little hot and he is still a puppy so he needs to eat 3 times a day? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to prevent the food from spoiling?

08-26-2007, 01:49 PM	#2
marcerella02 Loved by Layla Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 11,257	i can ALMOST guarantee you that when you put down his plate of food.. it will be gone! Layla gets fed twice.. and the food is GONE when i put it down... if she doesn't eat it she gets 15 min before i take it away. But she also has kibble in a dish at her disposal should she be hungry. i use the kibble as a way to know that she needs more food (the homecooked stuff) but if you are gone all day it would be a great way to know that if he is hungry he can pick at something. __________________ http://misscanam.blogspot.com/ Layla 's Simon

08-26-2007, 03:58 PM	#3
Suzy 2 Pups=Double Trouble! Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Iowa Posts: 6,581	I would recommend you try and feed him on a schedule. I would put food down at certain times of the day, and leave it down for only 15 minutes, like Marcerella02 said. If he eats, great! If he doesn't, that's ok. He will soon learn to eat when the food is available. I feed both my dogs like this. They eat at 5 AM and 5:30 PM, with a couple small snacks thrown in there too. This is the best way to keep an eye on what and how much they eat, and you can control weight gain/loss this way too, where you cannot do this as well with free feeding. With this in mind, I would strongly recommend that you leave some kibble out for him during the day-maybe just 2 tablespoons or so-until he is older and a little bigger. You don't want to risk a hypoglycemic episode with a yorkie this small. You can switch to the above feeding schedule when he's about 3.5 lbs, or 5 months old-or as your vet recommends. I would ask your vet for sure! __________________ Suzy Emma & Milli What's better than loving a yorkie? Loving two yorkies! Milli 's Remi!