Please Help! Is It Necessary...
 

to feed soft food to Yorkies along with their dry hard dog food? My mom's coworker who is a retired Vet said that if you feed only hard food their whole lives, it will cause crystalized kidneys. Has anyone else heard this? I REALLY do not want to feed Stewie wet food -- I have big reservations about them, but if I have to to prevent heath problems, I will.

I've never heard about this. But I'm interested if anybody has!

I've never heard of that either so I'll be watching for other's answers and I'll try to remember to ask my vet the next time we go. I am VERY adamant that Tatum gets dry food only. She's never even eaten any table food (unless a pea or something fell on the floor). I learned the hard way with my toy poodle. I started him out on hard food but we lived next door to my grandparents and he stayed there during the day. Well, my grandpa fed their poodle canned food and so that's what my poodle, Dax, got used to. Wouldn't eat dry food for me. Didn't know about the problems it would cause in the future so I didn't force it on him. He ended up having pretty bad teeth in his old age and by the time he finally passed away (15 years old), he only had 4 teeth left - although it never bothered him one bit to not have a full set of chompers. The others had to be pulled over the years. The vet said that although small breeds like that have a tendency for teeth problems, giving him soft food all those years definitely sped up the problem. I may be going overboard now with Tatum but I only want the best for her. I'm interested in hearing more about the dry food issue though.

BUMP!

Anyone? I'm fretting over this.

I haven't heard of this either, but I sure wish all these vets would get together and settle. The dry is supposed to be good for their teeth - but with these little darlins it's all we can do to just get them to eat! I'd love it if mine would eat dry (the dental cleaning is scary). I'd go with what you have if he likes it and change later if you have to.

I always give mine hard. I only gave them the soft mixed with hard when they was younger. I still fix them their rice and eggs.

I feed Gucci Canidae Dry kibble and I also add a bit of wet Innova for breakfast. I make sure to brush her teeth often and I add a tartar remover liquid to her water. I add the wet food cause Gucci is very picky and she doesnt eat a lot of her dry kibble and look to skinny to me. I told my vet and said is ok, just dont feed only wet food and not a lot.
I have to discussed with my vet about the crystalised stones cause I have never heard that.

I have never heard about this, but if someone else knows about it i would like to hear their story :)

i feed lexi wet food and dry every day,, no problems... they need the dry for protein.. i heard.

I feel that a balance between dry and wet food is good. I feed Codie and Katie dry hard kibble every day but once or twice a week I'll feed them (in addition to their kibble) some scrambled eggs, or white rice, or cooked lean turkey chop meat, or cottage cheese, or plain yogurt, or broiled chicken/turkey, etc. I also give them mozzarella cheese as a treat once or twice a week.

How is that working for you? I'm not as good as I should be with cleaning Tatum's teeth. Is this something you put in every time you change the water? And I have to assume it's okay for them to ingest all the time if you're giving it to her? Just haven't heard about it before and would like to know more.

So far is being fine. I brush Gucci's teeth often, but it is so hard to brueh the one of the back. SO that is why i got the liquid you add to the water.Gucci hasnt had any problems and I havent heard anything harmful about it.

http://petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?R...N=0&Ntt=tartar

my baby WONT eat dry food so I have had to resort to feeding her only the wet food I still leave the dry food out but she doesnt eat it. I tried every dry food in town and she would not eat any of it. The vet told me that it was ok for her to eat the canned food regularly.
Also I have heard alot about Chicken soup for the soul food where do you get this kind they have said that even the pickiest puppies will eat it.

Have you tried mixing them together and slowly decreasing the can? You probably have. I personally don't like can that much I just don't like the looks of it. No offense that's just me.

I feed Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul. I like the ingredients in it and don't want to feed wet food, but I don't want his kidneys to crystalize later in life either.

If i mix canned food with the dry food teddy eats everything in his bowl in about five minutes but when i only give him dry food it takes him all day before he finishes eating... whatever makes my baby happy! :animal36

I have never heard of that. You can bet I'm going to find out from our vet.
He has Yorkies, so if it was true, you would think he would have said something.
After all, he has been our vet for over 20 years. I'll let you know what I find out.

wow i've never heard that you should feed them both..

Ive never heaard that you should feed them both but I do. My vet encourages you to feed them the hard.

You could have had an answer already if you had called your Vet. Call him then let us know :D

Rice and eggs?
 

What kind of rice do you feed your yorkie and how do you prepare it with the eggs?

I've never heard that. In fact I've heard that sometimes the soft food can contribute to tooth decay. But. I guess if you are brushing their teeth it will cut down on that too. The kidney problems can come from feeding poor quality foods or foods that have too much in them for their little bodies to process.

Schatzie has a free bowl daily of dry kibble. Each night she receives wet w/her kibble.

I am thinking that each dog could be different in what is best for their own health needs so I cannot say feeding them wet is good or bad. I would feel that going by your own personal judgement and trusting in your vet might be a good guideline.

Schatzie looks forward to her special daily treat of "wet food" and as had no problems.

Never Heard Of This
 

I too like to balance it. I know the dry is good for the chewing and their
teeth and it has many vitamin benefits and I give her that in the morning
and at night I give her "Solid Gold Fish" that is in the can. She gets some
mini carrots every night and a couple bil jac liver treats. If I am steaming
brocolli, I'll give her alittle but thats about it. I'll have to ask my vet.

Balance
 

I feed them both Eukanaba lamb and rice with the natural balance lamb and brown rice chopped up in it. They get this twice a day with dry kibble down all day.

My Charlie would only eat dry food...he ended up with bladder stones and his vet said it was because he wouldn't eat wet food. He had to take pills the rest of his life to desolve and prevent more from forming. Of course he also wouldn't drink enough water either so that might make a big difference!

Over the net...you can order it from petfooddirect.com

They carry most dog foods. It's 3-5 days before they ship from your ordering date.

Kristy, I'm glad you started this thread. It would be interesting to know the answer.

Just reg while rice you can even use minute rice cook it up then add eaither boiled chicken or cooked eggs. Mine love it mixed with both.

I have heard a lot of people say the mix soft and dry food together.