Is it safe to be feel my dogs exclusively human food? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

cinnamonmon · 05-04-2007, 08:18 PM

I have 3 little dogs, one Yorkie, one Yorkie mix and a Maltese. They are all so picky with eating. I give each one a Cesar each day and leave out mini Kibbles and Bits throughout the day. Sometimes they eat it and other times I throw the whole thing away at the end of the day. Just looking at the Cesar and reading the ingrediants, I know it can be good for them. I have tried some of the other brands talked about on here, Merricks and Nutro, but they wouldnt touch them. So, I have toyed with feeding them people food, but need to know how much to feed and what I can/should feed them to make sure they have all the nutrition they need. So far I have been feeding them chicken, brown rice with an egg or a little bit of cheese and they have been going crazy for it. Is this okay? Does anyone know of a web site or book that could help with this? Does anyone else feed human food to their babies
Laura

Yorkieluv · 05-04-2007, 08:25 PM

Those human foods that you're feeding are great, but I would highly recommend that you get a book on feeding human food on a long-term basis. They need certain vitamins and supplements added to their diets to make them more complete. Human food is a much healthier way to go and the dogs love it. My finicky eaters have become quite the little piggies, and I love it that way. They actually eat now!! The book that I recently got that I think is amazing and very informative with lots of recipes is "Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats." Trust me, you will love this book. I bought it on www.amazon.com for around $12.00.

genie · 05-04-2007, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cinnamonmon

I have 3 little dogs, one Yorkie, one Yorkie mix and a Maltese. They are all so picky with eating. I give each one a Cesar each day and leave out mini Kibbles and Bits throughout the day. Sometimes they eat it and other times I throw the whole thing away at the end of the day. Just looking at the Cesar and reading the ingrediants, I know it can be good for them. I have tried some of the other brands talked about on here, Merricks and Nutro, but they wouldnt touch them. So, I have toyed with feeding them people food, but need to know how much to feed and what I can/should feed them to make sure they have all the nutrition they need. So far I have been feeding them chicken, brown rice with an egg or a little bit of cheese and they have been going crazy for it. Is this okay? Does anyone know of a web site or book that could help with this? Does anyone else feed human food to their babies
Laura

I am not sure but I think Yorkiedaze can help you with that. Maybe you could PM her.

Wylie's Mom · 05-05-2007, 05:30 AM

It is more than "okay" - it is WONDERFUL. For simple, added supplementation go to Petsmart and buy Missing Link - sprinkle on their food. There are a lot of posts on here about homecooking, so look around a bit.

SONYSW · 05-05-2007, 10:45 PM

I post this in another thread but if you have picky eater I would strongly suggest this method. Human grade good is good but not human food. See below

Sometimes we all do not realize that probably we are over feed our little one. So, I realize that to make her eat more regularly she has to fill hungry and this will stimulate her appetite. I try to limit her food by giving her one big meal a day and small (half size meal) in at night/dinner. Choose the type of kibbles or mixed it wet food of her choice / like but try to stick with it. If she does not eat, leave it for 30 minutes and take them away. At night I give her half of the amount that she usually eats. Usually she will finish all of them because she is hungry. I notice that by doing this she knows that she needs to eat otherwise she will be hungry. If she eats well off course you can give her some treats in between but do not substitute her meal with treat. If she does not eat well stop the treats for sometimes. By doing this you actually also make yourself as the alpha/leader of the pack and the best of all it helps to potty trained her. She potty only twice a day now compare to almost 4-5 times (probably coincidental?)

Off course I will not suggest this method for small or young puppy becuase of the risk of hypoglycemia but live is just much easy when she eats more regularly. She also becomes more obedient.

Thanks all for your advice.

PS. There is nothing better than fresh homecook meal, but if you decide to give her kibbles or wet food please stick with 2 types of food since giving her different variety makes her more picky. If they eat well, do not add more (my tendency and mistake is to give her more food when she eats well)

alaskayorkie · 05-05-2007, 11:07 PM

I don't think you'll get a concensus here. Some people will say you're smart and some people will say you're nuts. It depends on who you believe.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recently encouraged people to discuss the issue with their vets before beginning a home-cooked program. I guess there has been a spike in inquiries about home-cooked since the recent pet-food recalls. The ASPCA still recommends a high-quality commercial kibble.

I think the main point is to do some research first, which I guess is exactly what you're doing! Good luck.

Here's the ASPCA article I'm referring to:
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer...hisgu1.app26b#

LuvMySissy · 05-06-2007, 05:45 AM

I home cook amd have been for quite a while.

For breakfast my girls get yogurt (Stoneyfield Organic, either plain or vanilla, regular or low-fat depending on what the store has). They get their Missing Link added into the yogurt.

At lunch time, they get pieces of fruit (bananas, strawberries, papaya).

Dinner is their home-cooked meal. I boil Amish boneless, skinless chicken breasts, use my rice cooker to prepare the gourmet brown rice mix, and steam a sweet potato, 1 lb of asparagus, a bag of baby carrots and a bag of organic baby spinach. When everything is cooked, I dice the chicken and veggies into small pieces and mix together with the rice. I use 2C freezer containers and thaw a new container as necessary. The girls split about 1/2C of this for dinner at night (heated for 20 secs in the microwave).

I started on this regimen when Sissy got Giardia last year and proceeded to stop eating (they can become anorexic with Giardia). This was the only food I could get her to eat. I kept it up because it wasn't complicated and I know she is eating.

Angel has been on this food since she came home to me at 14 weeks. She does get a little bit of kibble when she goes to bed (maybe 1/8 cup) and for that we use Solid Gold Wee Bits.

Both girls are thriving. My vet knows and approves of how and what I feed them. She is a big advocate of healthier food choices. I am waiting for my sample of Honest Kitchen to arrive so that I have another alternative that will be easier for traveling (no refrigeration required).

We have also replaced our treats with home-made goodies from YT members; Yorkie Yummies from ChattiesMom, very cute and tasty mini bones from Bren and Pixie Sticks from KathrynV.

Siara28 · 05-06-2007, 07:48 AM

Is it OK to mix their kibble with human food?

I tend to give Scruffy "leftovers" from previous meals mixed with his kibble. I give him less kibble when I mix in food. I give him about 1/4 c. kibble and mix cottage cheese, chicken chunks, potatoes, scrambled eggs, beef or pork with his food. I am assuming his bowel movements would let me know if it isn't good for him................I guess I just want to know if I should actually be doing ONE or the OTHER..........either ALL kibble or ALL human food........does anyone have a thought about that??

My neighbors have given their pekenese ALL Human food his whole life and he is now 15. When I grew up I had a terrier/poodle mix and we gave him 1/2 people food and 1/2 kibble and he lived to 13 years old.

Yorkieluv · 05-06-2007, 08:07 AM

I prefer all human food now that I have read so much on these topics but everyone has their own preference. I have read that it's okay to mix kibble with human food also if you choose to feed your dog kibble.
If you're considering doing human food exclusively, I highly recommend Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Healthy Dog and Cat. They recommend all fresh foods, but they do have some recipes on mixing kibble with fresh food. And they talk about all the supplements and vitamins that need to be added so they get balanced meals. Good luck on your decision!
The foods you mentioned sound fine, just be careful not to give stuff that is too fatty and make sure you wash off most of the seasoning before you give it to them.

Yorkiedaze · 05-06-2007, 08:15 AM

I can never figure out why some folks can even question if dog food is better than real food. Your answer was in your question.........."REAL FOOD".
Do you know what goes into dog food? I sent you this information awhile back but I guess you didn't read it.

Holly_QD · 05-06-2007, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yorkiedaze

I can never figure out why some folks can even question if dog food is better than real food. Your answer was in your question.........."REAL FOOD".
Do you know what goes into dog food? I sent you this information awhile back but I guess you didn't read it.

Hello, I received some info too and I am happy to say that my Holly loves the peanut butter treats and I substituted the hamburger for ground chicken and she ate that too. she was a little reluctant at first but then she just gobbled it all up. Thank you so much.

LuvMySissy · 05-06-2007, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siara28

Is it OK to mix their kibble with human food?

I tend to give Scruffy "leftovers" from previous meals mixed with his kibble. I give him less kibble when I mix in food. I give him about 1/4 c. kibble and mix cottage cheese, chicken chunks, potatoes, scrambled eggs, beef or pork with his food. I am assuming his bowel movements would let me know if it isn't good for him................I guess I just want to know if I should actually be doing ONE or the OTHER..........either ALL kibble or ALL human food........does anyone have a thought about that??

My neighbors have given their pekenese ALL Human food his whole life and he is now 15. When I grew up I had a terrier/poodle mix and we gave him 1/2 people food and 1/2 kibble and he lived to 13 years old.

Just be careful with "leftovers". Many seasonings are not good for them and well as butter and many oils. Pork is not recommended at all for Yorkies - tends to cause pancreatitis. There are lots of folks who give people food with kibble......

MikaTallulah · 05-06-2007, 01:22 PM

You could probably do it with only people food but you would really have to research how much they need of each thing on a daily basis. I show Oprah the other day and she exclusively feed her dogs people food like lamb, brown rice, and vegetables. Good luck.

WesleyandMaddie · 05-06-2007, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siara28

Is it OK to mix their kibble with human food?

I tend to give Scruffy "leftovers" from previous meals mixed with his kibble. I give him less kibble when I mix in food. I give him about 1/4 c. kibble and mix cottage cheese, chicken chunks, potatoes, scrambled eggs, beef or pork with his food. I am assuming his bowel movements would let me know if it isn't good for him................I guess I just want to know if I should actually be doing ONE or the OTHER..........either ALL kibble or ALL human food........does anyone have a thought about that??

My neighbors have given their pekenese ALL Human food his whole life and he is now 15. When I grew up I had a terrier/poodle mix and we gave him 1/2 people food and 1/2 kibble and he lived to 13 years old.

I mix human food with their kibble all the time. They aren't "leftovers," but rather chicken, rice, and vegetables that I cook especially for them. As long as you make sure the human food you are mixing in doesn't have extra fat, seasonings, or salt and is healthy for dogs, I think it mixing in human food is a good idea.

05-04-2007, 08:18 PM	#1
cinnamonmon Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: cincinnati Posts: 194	Is it safe to be feel my dogs exclusively human food? I have 3 little dogs, one Yorkie, one Yorkie mix and a Maltese. They are all so picky with eating. I give each one a Cesar each day and leave out mini Kibbles and Bits throughout the day. Sometimes they eat it and other times I throw the whole thing away at the end of the day. Just looking at the Cesar and reading the ingrediants, I know it can be good for them. I have tried some of the other brands talked about on here, Merricks and Nutro, but they wouldnt touch them. So, I have toyed with feeding them people food, but need to know how much to feed and what I can/should feed them to make sure they have all the nutrition they need. So far I have been feeding them chicken, brown rice with an egg or a little bit of cheese and they have been going crazy for it. Is this okay? Does anyone know of a web site or book that could help with this? Does anyone else feed human food to their babies Laura

05-04-2007, 08:25 PM	#2
Yorkieluv Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 7,178	Those human foods that you're feeding are great, but I would highly recommend that you get a book on feeding human food on a long-term basis. They need certain vitamins and supplements added to their diets to make them more complete. Human food is a much healthier way to go and the dogs love it. My finicky eaters have become quite the little piggies, and I love it that way. They actually eat now!! The book that I recently got that I think is amazing and very informative with lots of recipes is "Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats." Trust me, you will love this book. I bought it on www.amazon.com for around $12.00. __________________ Miko 's his Mommy

05-05-2007, 05:30 AM	#4
Wylie's Mom Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 35,889 Blog Entries: 2	It is more than "okay" - it is WONDERFUL. For simple, added supplementation go to Petsmart and buy Missing Link - sprinkle on their food. There are a lot of posts on here about homecooking, so look around a bit. __________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann \| Pfeiffer \| Marcel Verdel Purcell \| Wylie \| Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨°

05-05-2007, 11:07 PM	#6
alaskayorkie Banning Thread Dictator Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Anchorage Posts: 30,843 Blog Entries: 57	I don't think you'll get a concensus here. Some people will say you're smart and some people will say you're nuts. It depends on who you believe. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recently encouraged people to discuss the issue with their vets before beginning a home-cooked program. I guess there has been a spike in inquiries about home-cooked since the recent pet-food recalls. The ASPCA still recommends a high-quality commercial kibble. I think the main point is to do some research first, which I guess is exactly what you're doing! Good luck. Here's the ASPCA article I'm referring to: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer...hisgu1.app26b# __________________ Mike ~ Doting Dad to Jillie, Harper, Molly, Cooper, Eddie (RIP), Lucy (RIP), Rusty (RIP) and Jack (RIP). Check us out on YouTube

05-06-2007, 05:45 AM	#7
LuvMySissy Luv my Angel, too! Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: USA Posts: 9,333	I home cook amd have been for quite a while. For breakfast my girls get yogurt (Stoneyfield Organic, either plain or vanilla, regular or low-fat depending on what the store has). They get their Missing Link added into the yogurt. At lunch time, they get pieces of fruit (bananas, strawberries, papaya). Dinner is their home-cooked meal. I boil Amish boneless, skinless chicken breasts, use my rice cooker to prepare the gourmet brown rice mix, and steam a sweet potato, 1 lb of asparagus, a bag of baby carrots and a bag of organic baby spinach. When everything is cooked, I dice the chicken and veggies into small pieces and mix together with the rice. I use 2C freezer containers and thaw a new container as necessary. The girls split about 1/2C of this for dinner at night (heated for 20 secs in the microwave). I started on this regimen when Sissy got Giardia last year and proceeded to stop eating (they can become anorexic with Giardia). This was the only food I could get her to eat. I kept it up because it wasn't complicated and I know she is eating. Angel has been on this food since she came home to me at 14 weeks. She does get a little bit of kibble when she goes to bed (maybe 1/8 cup) and for that we use Solid Gold Wee Bits. Both girls are thriving. My vet knows and approves of how and what I feed them. She is a big advocate of healthier food choices. I am waiting for my sample of Honest Kitchen to arrive so that I have another alternative that will be easier for traveling (no refrigeration required). We have also replaced our treats with home-made goodies from YT members; Yorkie Yummies from ChattiesMom, very cute and tasty mini bones from Bren and Pixie Sticks from KathrynV. __________________ Sissy & Angel

05-05-2007, 10:45 PM	#5
SONYSW Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 218	I post this in another thread but if you have picky eater I would strongly suggest this method. Human grade good is good but not human food. See below Sometimes we all do not realize that probably we are over feed our little one. So, I realize that to make her eat more regularly she has to fill hungry and this will stimulate her appetite. I try to limit her food by giving her one big meal a day and small (half size meal) in at night/dinner. Choose the type of kibbles or mixed it wet food of her choice / like but try to stick with it. If she does not eat, leave it for 30 minutes and take them away. At night I give her half of the amount that she usually eats. Usually she will finish all of them because she is hungry. I notice that by doing this she knows that she needs to eat otherwise she will be hungry. If she eats well off course you can give her some treats in between but do not substitute her meal with treat. If she does not eat well stop the treats for sometimes. By doing this you actually also make yourself as the alpha/leader of the pack and the best of all it helps to potty trained her. She potty only twice a day now compare to almost 4-5 times (probably coincidental?) Off course I will not suggest this method for small or young puppy becuase of the risk of hypoglycemia but live is just much easy when she eats more regularly. She also becomes more obedient. Thanks all for your advice. PS. There is nothing better than fresh homecook meal, but if you decide to give her kibbles or wet food please stick with 2 types of food since giving her different variety makes her more picky. If they eat well, do not add more (my tendency and mistake is to give her more food when she eats well)

05-06-2007, 07:48 AM	#8
Siara28 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Minnesota Posts: 151	Is it OK to mix their kibble with human food? I tend to give Scruffy "leftovers" from previous meals mixed with his kibble. I give him less kibble when I mix in food. I give him about 1/4 c. kibble and mix cottage cheese, chicken chunks, potatoes, scrambled eggs, beef or pork with his food. I am assuming his bowel movements would let me know if it isn't good for him................I guess I just want to know if I should actually be doing ONE or the OTHER..........either ALL kibble or ALL human food........does anyone have a thought about that?? My neighbors have given their pekenese ALL Human food his whole life and he is now 15. When I grew up I had a terrier/poodle mix and we gave him 1/2 people food and 1/2 kibble and he lived to 13 years old.

05-06-2007, 08:07 AM	#9
Yorkieluv Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 7,178	I prefer all human food now that I have read so much on these topics but everyone has their own preference. I have read that it's okay to mix kibble with human food also if you choose to feed your dog kibble. If you're considering doing human food exclusively, I highly recommend Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Healthy Dog and Cat. They recommend all fresh foods, but they do have some recipes on mixing kibble with fresh food. And they talk about all the supplements and vitamins that need to be added so they get balanced meals. Good luck on your decision! The foods you mentioned sound fine, just be careful not to give stuff that is too fatty and make sure you wash off most of the seasoning before you give it to them. __________________ Miko 's his Mommy

05-06-2007, 08:15 AM	#10
Yorkiedaze My hairy-legged girls Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: lompoc, ca. Posts: 12,228	I can never figure out why some folks can even question if dog food is better than real food. Your answer was in your question.........."REAL FOOD". Do you know what goes into dog food? I sent you this information awhile back but I guess you didn't read it.

05-06-2007, 01:22 PM	#13
MikaTallulah YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NJ Posts: 1,812	You could probably do it with only people food but you would really have to research how much they need of each thing on a daily basis. I show Oprah the other day and she exclusively feed her dogs people food like lamb, brown rice, and vegetables. Good luck.