Question Regarding 4 year old Yorkie Diet Hello! I wanted to get your opinions on our yorkie's feeding process/schedule. Please post your un-filtered raw opinions about the safety and effectiveness of this process! At around 9 am, we feed our yorkie heated up mashed cesar. If he does not want to eat it, we open his mouth and force feed the food down his throat. We do this for the entire can of cesar. Sometimes this can take upwards of 45 minutes to safely do so without hurting him. We have water out all day for him. At around 6 pm, we repeat the same process as the morning feeding: force feeding 1 entire can of cesar if he fails to do so by himself. Later at night around 9pm, we put out kibble and he eats approximately 4-5 tablespoons. We tend to have to force feed him a lot. Some days he will throw up yellow bile/white foam and others the vomit will consist of purely cesar. The yellow bile tends to occur both when he hasnt eaten or after we have force fed him-which is frequently. I just want to hear your reactions to how we have to feed our 5 year old yorkie. (He will turn 5 soon). Despite my urging to change his diet to kibble only, other members of the family are dead-set on feeding him this way, which by the way is the same way he has been fed since birth. He will consistantly eat kibble at night, even on his own, so transitioning to kibble only will be easy. However, the other members of the family are unable to change their ways and do not trust my opinion/advice. I also forgot to mention that our yorkie is around 7 pounds. Thanks for your help |
There is a lot I question about the way you feed him. Unless there is a medical necessity, I don't think any dog should be force fed. I'm sorry, and I'm not trying to be rude. It sounds so sad to me, and it's no wonder why he isn't choosing to eat on his own. I think there are far better foods nutritionally than Little Cesar's. |
Maybe he doesn't like the cesar...or he's intolerant of something in the food. When dogs are intolerant of an ingredient, they throw up. I find it very peculiar that he's been force fed for 5 years..why not find another canned food that he might like to eat on his own? Personally, I would avoid pet food from the super market & mass discount stores like walmart. Do you have a petsmart or petco near you? Or better yet, a feed store, independent pet store of some kind, even a boutique that sells pet food that is only made in the USA or Canada? They are very helpful @ educating the pet owner on proper nutrition & will help you find the appropriate food for your Yorkie. What kind of kibble is he eating? |
I don't agree with force feeding unless there is a medical problem like a sick pup who could get hypoglycemia. If nothing is wrong with him stop force feeding him would you like someone to do that to you? I hand feed my yorkie twice a day plus leave some dry food out all day but I do not force feed her ever. |
My pup was an indifferent eater, but I found out it was because I was feeding him crap (Purina one):eek:. I never force fed him; since his weight was stable and he had no issues with hypoglycemia, I just left the food out and if he ate, great, if he didn't, he was getting enough snacks (that he did like) to maintain. He would vomit a couple of times a week, but I (in my ignorance) chalked it up to him being a toy breed. Anyway, I changed him to a much higher quality food after joining YT and realizing the error of my ways (he was almost 4 years old at that time) and once I put him on Blue Buffalo Freedom, he became much more enthusiastic about eating and has quit vomiting. I agree with the others that force feeding seems quite extreme and I would stop that and change his food. You will be amazed at the difference! |
I see you're in San Diego, there's a lot of independent pet stores/ feed stores & boutiques that sell premium pet food there (my brother used to live by Oceanside). Some Petco & Petsmart sells good brands like Nature's Variety, Acana/Orijen, Blue Buffalo & many others. Please go talk to the employees there & they will help you out. If your pup doesn't like the food, you can return it for a full refund or exchange (please check w/store). Please do the change of food gradually, as a pup eating low grade food will need lots of time to get used to a premium brand. But some pups will pick out the new & leave the old! Some people transition them by feeding a bland diet of boiled chicken breast & white rice & adding the new food, while gradually decreasing the chicken & rice. Good luck in finding the best food your guy & I commend you for coming on here & asking for our opinions...it shows that you care for your Yorkie & want the best for him. Please keep us updated! |
Hmm well this is one I thought I would never read. Ceaser dog food in general is not something I would feed- heating it up sounds even horrible. Yikes!! I agree with the others.. maybe he doesn't like the food. So with that being said you are shoving food down his throat that he doesn't even care for. As Taylor has said, what if I took something you didn't like and force fed you? I think you should absolutely stop this behavior, the only thing you are doing is causing stress on him and teaching him that he doesn't have to eat on his own. You should look for a kibble he enjoys, put out the correct amount based on his weight and activity level. *if* he is not eating what he is suppose to, you need to find him a food that he will eat. You could always top it off with some wet food, boiled chicken, etc etc. You really need to talk to your family members.. this thread really irks me. |
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Thanks for your replies! One bit of added information. I don't know if some of you caught the last part of my original post. He will eat kibble every night. On his own. He will bark for it even. The kibble is royal canine. Would we be ok with ONLY feeding him the royal canine once very night? He eats a pretty big amount. I'd say 4-5 tbsp. so just stop the Cesar and everything all together and just feed him the royal canine kibble at night? So one big kibble feeding once a day at night? Thanks |
He needs to be eating the recommended amount on the back of the bag. |
4 to 5 tablespoons is not enough |
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I would never force feed my dog unless there were health issues and recommended by the vet. A can of food is way too much! |
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Home Royal Canin USA / Products / Products / Dog Products / BREED HEALTH NUTRITION? / Yorkshire Terrier 28? - Royal Canin If your Yorkie weights 6 lbs., they recommend 3/4 cup per day. That could be broken up into 3 feedings of 1/4 cup each at morning, noon, and evening. For an 8 lb. Yorkie, they recommend 1 cup per day, which would be 3 feedings of 1/3 cup each. I see your Yorkie weighs 7 lbs., so for your 7 lb. dog, you would give 3 feedings of between 1/4 and 1/3 cup each per day. |
This thread makes me so sad :(Please listen to these very knowledgable Yorkie owners. Find something this little man loves to eat and make his feeding experiences positive. It really is a joy watching them enjoy their food :) |
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