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.

:thumbup::thumbup: Stop the Cesar's, stop force feeding him, and put him on a good, healthy kibble that he likes. Show your other family members the advice given in this thread.

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

Royal Canin is a good food that many Yorkietalk members feed their dogs. You should follow the feeding directions on the bag, and have the food available during the day as well, not just at night--just split the total daily recommended amount up into several feedings.

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!

:thumbup::thumbup: That's definitely not enough. Here is the website for the feeding information:

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 :)

Just let him eat what he wants to eat. If he is a grazer, just pour the RC into the bowl, and let him eat when he wants. No need at all to force feed and I would not even be concerned if he doesn't wanna eat a lot.

My 17lb dog eats 1/2 cup per day of food (1/4 cup AM, 1/4 cup PM), plus a bit of wet food mixed in, and some treats etc throughout the day.

My dads female JRT just doesn't really like to eat. She will sometimes walk away from her bowl even if there's chicken or cheese in it, she's weird. She's about 12lbs or so and literally only eats 1/4 cup per day, but she's not skinny at all, if anything she could lose a pound.

But I wouldn't force feed ever, or try to make him eat more... he's probably eating enough and knows when to stop.

I feed my dog Cesar and royal canine as well. I know my pup wont eat if he doesn't like something....never force feed. Just find what he/she likes

:eek:

I can't even imagine feeding an 8lb dog 1 cup per day, no wonder we have so many fat dogs!

I know some will need more than others, and be fine with it, but sometimes the feeding charts are just so off. I know RC doesn't have quite as many calories as other foods, so if I fed it, I'd probably up my boy (17lbs, active) to 2/3 cup per day or so, but can't even imagine feeding him 1 cup per day and he's close to 20lbs.

Remember the guidelines are based off of unaltered working dogs who typically get a lot of exercise in the feeding trials. The manufacturers feeding guidelines are rarely accurate and should only be used as a rough starting point. Most guidelines vary considerably depending on the manufacturer and there is little consistency between brands. Your dog's age, health, reproductive status and exercise level should determine amount of food. But most will not need the amount of food listed on the back of the bag.

Good points! The OP might want to try free feeding and see how much he eats on average, and also keep an eye on his weight and reduce the amount if it looks like he is overeating and getting everweight--all dogs differ in their metabolism and energy level. I just didn't want the dog to starve on 4 to 5 tablespoons per day, which is definitely not enough, especially if his other food (Cesar's) is being taken away.

Ya Peanut is like your Dad's JRT. He will graze during the day. I give him 1/8 in the morning.. he will usually eat it all by the time I get home- then he will get another 1/8. He will usually have that gone by 8pm- however sometimes he still has leftover the next morning.. I don't freak out- that is just him. :D

dog
 

Here's what I do. My boys eat Blue Buffalo. I measure out the amount (about a cup) each one gets in the am and put it in an air tight container. Then I feed it to them. In the am they get some. Then at lunch and again at dinner. I like to have them have food in their tummy and not a lot at one time since they are small 7-9lbs. I put a little water in it along with a little wet blue buffalo chicken and veg. can food. They eat and I would not force feed them. Please feed your precious dog good quality food and he should find it tasty and eat it.

Royal Canin also has canned food...

Callie is like your dad's JRT but I don't freak out a lot about it that's just how she is and she will eat a little more if she is running around playing.

Thank you!

So the main question is whether or not he will be ok if he doesn't eat. This is the main argument the other family members have. They believe that if he doesn't eat, he will throw up. So they force feed.

I need them to know that it will be ok if he doesn't eat the Cesar and waits for the kibble later...or goes and eats the kibble next to his water

You should stop feeding the Ceaser, find a high quality dog kibble that he eats and enjoys. In the meantime I would boil a boneless chicken breast and shred that in with his kibble rather than giving him Ceaser.

:thumbup: A little chicken can work wonders

No, it will not be ok bc he wil vomit bile...since he likes & eats his kibble, just feed him that in the am & pm. You can find a different canned food that he will like, did you try the RC canned food?

We also feed him chicken breast on nights he won't eat

Force feeding two cans of food a day??nWhat does the vet think of this? :eek:

Throw the canned food away.
Stop forcing this poor dog to eat all of that.
Look on the side of the RC bag for feeding guidelines.mFind te minimum recommended daily amount. Split into two meals. Put half down in the morning and half down at night. If not eaten within 15 or 20 minutes, pick it up. No treats unless pup consistently eats meals.

Dogs should only be force fed if it is done out of medical necessity.
BTW, in 18 years my vet has only had one patient refuse food long enough to cause a problem.

I feed RC.
The 10.5 lb dog gets about 1/2 cup a day
The 6.5 lb dog also gets 1/2 cup per day.
They are both lean dogs with body scores of 5=ideal.