[Lila S]

We’re going through some food issues with our rat terrier. He’s 1 year old and 11 lbs. I’ve tried a few different dry foods, most recently Natural Balance Ultra and Merrick Grain Free. He’s done okay on them, though he’d always have some inconsistency with his poops, which I attributed to a variety of treats for training or other treats (no more Greenies for him).

Recently he had some pretty bad GI troubles, and right now he’s on an antibiotic, a probiotic/stool firmer, and the Science Diet Low Fat GI Restore food. He’s doing fine, but I’m going to be transitioning him back to the Merrick Grain Free soon, but I’m not sure if that’s what I want to stick with.

Problem is that he’s picky and sometimes he just won’t eat his kibble. If I add some wet food he’ll eat, but often leave the kibble. Mixing Stella & Chewy’s in with water has worked the best. But I’m worried about the S&C’s fat content, because his GI problems were mostly attributed to too much fat. And apparently he does have a pretty sensitive system, so changing things up too much will keep causing problems.

On top of all this, in a month or so we’re taking in another dog from a family member who is moving and can’t take her: a 6 year old min pin, also about 11 lbs. She’s currently eating Iams, and I’d like to transition her to something better, and also ideally feed both dogs the same thing. I definitely don’t want her diet to be too high in fat because she’s getting less active.

Any recommendations for a good small breed (or small kibble-size) food that would be suitable for both of them with their different ages and energy levels? Also topper options to keep them interested without being disruptive to their systems?

[Anonymous]

Nutrisca salmon and chickpea (no potato, no grains) a little cooked chicken or lean meat added, plus water.
Or consider homemade with a quality kibble as a base http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

PS: Soak kibble overnight in the fridg if they prefer soft food, this works for my old guy.
Also, check out what Wysong has to offer. For a canned food topper, Wellness Whitefish & Sweet Potato seems to work.

[Susan]

Hi Lila, I noticed your vet put ur boy on Hills Restore Low Fat, the fat in the Restore is only 8.5%-fat when u change diet make sure the fat % the Fiber % is around the same as the vet diet Hills also why not feed wet tin food your dog is telling you something when he doesn’t want to eat his kibble, its crap & probably has a harder time digesting the kibble….maybe use the kibble as treats & stop the treats as a lot of treats are high in fat%
When you buy a limited ingredient wet tin food look at the fat % the fat % needs to be around 2% & under when wet is converted to dry matter (kibble) that’s around 8% fat… here’s a face Book group to join “Dog Allergy International Group” sounds like your boy has food sensitivities, look in the files & there’s heaps of limited ingredient kibble/wet food with their links, so you can look at ingredients & fat% also & salvia & hair testing kits to find out what foods ur boy is sensitive tooo… https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogallergyinternationalgroup/

[Lila S]

Thanks L M & Susan!

I’m vegetarian so I don’t know how to cook chicken and am not entirely comfortable doing it (I’m obviously not opposed to feeding my dogs meat). I could probably get my boyfriend to prepare chicken for them, though. I think he would really enjoy eating homemade.

It makes sense to switch to a wet food. He does like eating kibbles out of a treat ball. I’ll look into the food sensitivity testing. He had a skin infection as a tiny pup, and never had very consistent poops, so it’s a definite possibility.

[Anonymous]

If you decide to do allergy testing, it’s best to make an appointment with a specialist/dermatologist. I think your vet will agree, that will give you the most accurate results.
I am vegetarian too, I find stuff like chicken tenders, chicken breasts, sandwich steak in the reduced price section of my market. Cost effective, and it will keep in the fridg for a few days or you can freeze it.
I just chop it up a little, put it in a casserole dish add a little water and stick it in the oven at 350-400 for about 40 minutes to an hour. Or, just stir fry (medium heat) with a little water in a skillet. You can freeze individual portions.
But, don’t refreeze raw after it’s been thawed unless it’s cooked first.
Then I just add a tablespoon to their kibble mix and add a little water. I add a fish oil capsule too, good for itchy dogs.

[Lila S]

Thanks for the recommendation about fish oil, he does tend to be itchy. When he was younger we tried a couple different types of Blue Buffalo puppy formulas and that seemed to make him itchier and he would nibble at his legs, so I haven’t tried Blue Buffalo again.

[Author]

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