FAQ - Food & Feeding

Do you have a dog-related question that you cannot find an answer to? Please feel free to email me with your questions, using the "Bug me by E-mail" link on the top right of my blog. Make sure that you include as much information about the problem as possible.


last updated on August 13, 2008.


QUESTION
I have a 2 year old Basset Hound. I was wondering if there is any way to get rid of her "hound odor"?

ANSWER
While some dogs are more likely to have body odor or bad gas, the majority of "dog odor" is caused by what we feed our dogs. If you feed a food that includes a lot of fillers (corn, wheat, sorghum) and that includes a lot of low quality ingredients (meat meal, fish meal, byproduct, etc.) then your diet may very well be to blame.

Try switching to a higher quality food such as Blue Buffalo or Nature's Variety (both can be found at PetCo/Petsmart) or an even better food like Canidae, Merrick's, or Innova, and give it about a month. Your dog's smell should improve as well as her overall appearance and amount and size of stools.



QUESTION
My Pomeranian is constipated. What can I give him to help him?

ANSWER
Pumpkin. You can purchase plain, canned pumpkin at the grocery store for about $1 a can. You want the 100% pumpkin kind, *not* the pumpkin pie mix. The two are usually co-located in your baking aisle. Just add it to your dog's food. Most dogs really love the taste.

Pumpkin can be used for both diarrhea and constipation.



QUESTION
What symptoms will a dog display if he is allergic to something? I know sometimes when a dog is allergic to something they will lick their paws or skin a lot. Sometimes until raw. But what other symptoms could they display? Just recently my 1yr old Corgi has become extremly ticklish. Just the simple act of petting her gets her back leg to thumping. There isn't a place on her body besides her head I can touch her without bothering her. Could this be a sign of an allergy?

ANSWER
Allergy symptoms vary pretty widely among dogs and also with the cause(s) of the allergies. For example, food allergies can cause itching, red skin, digestive upsets, and even chronic ear infections.

I don't think that your Corgi's leg thumping is a sign of an allergy unless she has other symptoms. If she has red skin, is sensitive to the touch in specific areas, or often licks herself, I would start to suspect allergies. If all looks well elsewhere, she may just be a dog who REALLY gets into being scratched.



QUESTION
How much Iams should I feed my 5 week old Labradors? They are still eating small amounts from their mother, but I was wondering how much Iams they should be eating? The bag only has information by weight. I would think that since they are pups, they would need more than a grown dog. I read you should always have food and water out and that they can't eat too much.

ANSWER
At five weeks old, your puppies are still too young to be completely weaned from the mother. Pups should be completely weaned at about 7 weeks old, definitely by 8 or 9 weeks when they are ready to go to their new homes.

Feeding requirements really vary by puppy. If you have a scale, you should weigh the puppies frequently. Lab pups should gain about 150 grams in weight each day. If they are not increasing, increase their food. If they are increasing too much, decrease the food. Never leave the food out all day. You will want to feed four to six small meals throughout the day to help prevent digestion issues and bloat (which can be deadly).

Please don't feed them Iams. Iams is some of the worst quality food available at the store. Please consider a higher quality, grain-free food like Orijen or Merrick's.



QUESTION
How do I stop my French Bulldog from having gas?

ANSWER
Some dogs are naturally predisposed to have gas, but in most dogs, gas is caused by what you're feeding them. The most common culprit are low-quality foods that are stuffed with fillers that really contribute nothing to the dog's diet - corn, wheat, barley, those sorts of things. Another possible culprit can be foods that are high in protein. You may try switching to a grain-free food.

In some dogs, adding a little bit of yogurt with their daily food helps regulate their digestive systems. Specialty stores also carry food additives that aid the digestion and help with gassiness - you could try those as well.



QUESTION
Will my dog get sick if I give her things like flour, vanilla, sugar, butter, and eggs?

ANSWER
Flour - many kinds of commercially-made dog treats include flour. It depends on your dog, the number of treats you feed, and the type of flour used. Rice flour is preferable since many dogs are allergic to corn or wheat.

Vanilla - small amounts of vanilla flavoring are fine. Most dogs absolutely love plain vanilla ice cream. If you're going to give vanilla ice-cream or putting, be careful with the amounts. Dairy and sugar can be harmful to your dog or cause upset tummies.

Sugar - sugar is best kept away from. Sugar, sugar substitutes and corn syrup can all be very healthy and even dangerous to dogs. The sugar substitute Xylitol, found in many kinds of candies nowadays, is extremely toxic to your dog.

Butter - not necessarily dangerous but can make your dog sick.

Eggs - eggs are perfectly fine and safe to give to your dog, both raw and cooked. If your dog will eat a raw egg, make sure that you give him the whole egg, yolks and whites, as well as the shell. The shell provides calcium and is safe for your dog to eat, though not all dogs like it. You can toss the egg in a blender and puree it if your dog prefers it that way. Salmonella is not a major concern as it very rarely makes dogs sick like it does people. You can also give the whole egg cooked / boiled if you're more comfortable with that.

In general, it's best to steer clear of people food unless you really know which ones are safe to feed and which ones are not.



QUESTION
I have an 8 week old Jack Russell Terrier puppy. Can you please tell me how much and how many times a day I should be feeding him?

ANSWER
I would feed the puppy four to six small meals over the course of the day at this young age. Feeding small meals helps prevent serious conditions like bloat and also can help with preventing tummy upsets. Once he gets a little older, cut it down to three meals a day. Many people like to feed their adults two meals a day - in the morning and afternoon.

How much to feed really depends on the type of food you're feeding. If you're feeding a high quality food you will feed less because your dog gets more nutrients out of that. If you feed a cheap commercial brand, you will need to feed more because it contains a lot of fillers that are quite useless in a dog's diet and won't give your pup all the nutrients he needs.



QUESTION
Is it okay for a dog to eat cat food? Will dogs become ill if they eat cat food? I read that cats should not eat dog food because cats lack certain enzymes.

ANSWER
Dogs should not eat cat food. Because the nutritional requirements for dogs and cats are different, the foods are formulated differently. Most cat foods are higher in fat and protein content than dog foods. When dogs ingest foods that are very high in fat and high in protein, it very commonly can give them a serious case of diarrhea.

If you have both cats and dogs, my advice would be to feed the cats in a room that is safe from the dog, so that they won't be bothered when they eat, and the dog won't get tempted to gobble down the cat food.



QUESTION
Is it alright to give my Rat Terrier a half cup of 1% milk once a week? He really likes it.

ANSWER
Personally, I wouldn't. Adult dogs are lactose intolerant. The way most react to milk products is by having loose stools or diarrhea as a result. However, if your dog really likes the taste, you could try adding plain organic yogurt to his food every so often - just a table spoon full. It's healthy for them and helps with digestion, and it's much better than plain milk.



QUESTION
My dog is 4 years old now. He doesn't like dry food and sometimes he even refuses people food. What should I do?

ANSWER
I would first make sure that there is no physical reason he doesn't want to eat, such as an injury to his teeth, gums, or tongue.

Once that is ruled out, address it as a picky eater. Not all dogs like all foods that they are offered. Many dogs don't like dry food at all, and some dogs will stop eating a food they've previously eaten and liked just out of the blue.

First thing I would attempt would be to switch to a different food. Sometimes a change in diet is all that is needed to get your dog interested in his food. Not all brands of food are created equal and he may like the texture, size, smell, and taste of a different brand better than what you're feeding now.

If he's still picky no matter what food you feed, try mixing in plain unsweetened yogurt. This is good for the digestion and most dogs love it. Alternatively, warm chicken broth or beef broth poured over the kibble works well. Keep away from gravies as many include spices such as onion that can be harmful to your dog.



QUESTION
I just changed my dog's diet. She is very tired, which is unusual. The first 5 days I fed my dog Sojos (whole oats and water), raw vegetables (green beans, pumpkin, and broccoli), raw chicken, and a vitamin supplement. No problems for the first five days. Today, I swapped the chicken for raw beef and my dog is very tired. Any advice on what might be the problem? Should I be concerned?

ANSWER
You are on day six in going from a commercial dog food to a home-prepared diet, correct?

If that is the case, it is not unusual for dogs to go through an adjustment period, which can include lethargy, an overall sick feeling, loose stools, etc. Your dog has to go through a period of "flushing out" her system and adjusting to the new diet. Imagine you suddenly went from eating only junk food to a very healthy diet. You would experience much of the same symptoms in the beginning.

That said, I think you really need to work on setting up a proper meal plan for your dogs, with the help of a professional nutritionist. Monica Segal has a website with information, books, and even offers custom meal plans for home-cooked diets. That's where I would start. It does require A LOT of knowledge and research to get it right. Right now, your diet is unbalanced. It's heavy on grain and veg, neither of which are a natural part of a dog's diet. Broccoli can also be dangerous if you feed too much of it.



QUESTION
I have a 12 week old Great Dane. What puppy food should I feed him?

ANSWER
Most veterinary schools and large-breed breeders now recommend that large breed dogs should not be fed any puppy foods but should be raised on adult food.

The reason for this is that the large amount of protein in puppy foods can cause growth spurts causing the puppy to grow faster than his bones and joints can handle. One of the effects of this can be the very painful growth disease Pano, which commonly affects large breed dogs fed puppy formula from a young age and for a long time.

I would go to a high quality adult dog food. If your only options in town are Petsmart or Petco for purchasing dog food, I'd go with Blue Buffalo, Nutro Ultra, or Natural Balance, as they're pretty much the only real quality foods they carry. If you have a quality feed shop, they may stock other brands like Orijen, California Naturals, and the like.



QUESTION
I feel very guilty. I thought broccoli was healthy for dogs, but then I saw a list of foods that are poisonous to dogs and saw that it was on the list. He seems to like it a lot. Should I take him to the vet? Please help!

ANSWER
It's not broccoli in general that is poisonous, it's the AMOUNT of broccoli. Broccoli contains isothiocyanate, which is a gastric irritant. It's also what causes broccoli toxicity in animals. Broccoli fed in very small amounts - less than 5% of your dog's daily food intake - is fine and safe. Broccoli in large amounts is not a good idea and can make your dog very sick.



QUESTION
I was wondering whether I can feed my dog peanuts, or whether it's not okay to give him any?

ANSWER
This is one of those "yes and no" answers.

On one hand, most dogs absolutely adore peanut butter and it can make a great training aid when given from a spoon. If you do give peanut butter, it's best to use a salt and sugar free variety because salt and sugar can cause issues in dogs. Obviously, it's also very high in fats so the intake should be limited. Feed it as an "every so often" treat, NOT as a daily meal ingredient.

On the other hand, actual peanuts aren't that healthy for dogs. There are some types of nuts that are toxic to dogs, such as macadamia nuts and walnuts. Those should never be fed. Then there are types of nuts like peanuts and cashews, that aren't necessarily toxic but that have been linked to health problems, specifically bladder stones.

So when it comes to peanuts, it's peanut BUTTER yes, peanuts raw (or salted), no.



QUESTION
Help! My puppy gulps his food down like there is no tomorrow. How can I slow down my puppy enough so as he will chew his kibble instead of swallowing entire amount?

ANSWER
This is very common for most dogs, both adult and puppies. It's also made very easy for them to just gobble the kibble up because it's usually in pretty small bites, so it's easy to grab and swallow whole.

There are a couple of concerns with fast eaters like this. Choking, obviously, is one of them. The other is how the kibble reacts with water. Soak some kibble in water at home to see how much it "swells". The same will happen in your puppy's stomach if he eats a lot and drinks water with it. So that's something to be careful with.

The best way to slow your puppy down is to make it more difficult for him to grab a whole mouthful of kibble pieces. Spreading them out on a flat cookie sheet instead of putting them into a bowl works really well. There is also a product called the Brake-Fast bowl, which is a bowl that has three pillars in the center that your dog has to eat around, thus slowing him down. You can get it at several pet retailers online and it's not expensive.



QUESTION
What are bully stick made from?

ANSWER
Bully sticks are dried bull (male cow) penises.



QUESTION
Is it okay to feed dogs all kinds of food? Can they just eat any food even though it's spicy, sour, oily or just not suitable for dogs?

ANSWER
No! A lot of dogs are master scavengers who would eat anything that isn't nailed down as long as they can get their teeth around it. However, that doesn't mean they *should* do this or that you should let them have a bite of whatever it is you're eating.

There are many human foods (and drinks) that are toxic to dogs and will not only make them very sick, but can actually kill them. Onions, garlic, chocolate, and coffee, for example, are at the top of that dangerous list. Don't give those things to you dog, no matter how much he begs.

The best thing you can do is to feed a quality kibble and limit what human food your dog gets. If you absolutely must give scraps, small bits of cheese and meats are fine.



QUESTION
What is the right food for a 2 year old Weimaraner? I've been told to start considering a raw diet. He's currently on Nutro-Natural. We have chronic ear issues, that is the BIG thing right now. Ever since we got him, he has had a yeast infection in both ears, which causes his ears to heat up, then he scratches them til they bleed. We tried yogurt, but that never did anything for him. The only liquid he drink is water. Please help, our vet is useless.

ANSWER
Chronic ear infections are very common in dogs that have food allergies - so as such, they are food related. The problem is that you need to figure out what exactly your dog is allergic to.

Most dogs with food allergies are allergic to one of the grains that are found in most commercial dog foods - corn, wheat, and such. So my first step would be to switch to a food that is grain free (slowly, please, as sudden switching causes tummy upsets) and see if it improves. If, within a month, you have seen no improvement, your dog may be allergic to a different ingredient, in which case I would try the raw diet to eliminate all the food coloring, preservatives, etc. If that does not work, I would try to rule out specific meats - chicken, beef, etc.

PLEASE do a ton of research before switching to raw. It requires knowledge and commitment.



QUESTION
My 11 month old German Shepherd wouldn't eat her plain dry food, so we mixed in canned food. She ate that for a while but now she will not eat again. What should I do?

ANSWER
What brand are you feeding? Sometimes dogs just stop liking the food they are offered for no obvious reason. It might be that the company changed the formula or that she just no longer likes it. Have you tried switching to a different brand of dog food? A high quality grain-free brand? If you're feeding a quality food (Innova, Canidae, etc.) and she's still being picky, there are a lot of different things you can do to get her interested in eating.

Here are some of them -

- Microwave the food for a few seconds to give it a stronger smell. (Careful, smell not pleasing to humans!)
- Add a spoon full of plain sugar-free yogurt. It's great for digestion, too.
- Add a spoon full of 100% canned pumpkin. Again, very good for digestion.
- Add some chicken or beef broth. (Make sure it doesn't have onion / garlic.)



QUESTION
I received a small bag of Nature's Best (made by Science Diet) dry dog food for free. Is it safe to feed it to my dog?

ANSWER
If I were in your shoes, I would not feed it.

First, because you should never suddenly switch foods on your dog. That means, don't just feed what you're feeding normally one day and then feed something else the next day. When switching foods, you should always change over slowly, mixing in just a little bit of the new food at first and then mixing in more and more until your dog is eating only the new food. That's why "sample bags" of dog food are always a horrible idea. And, unless you plan to actually switch to this brand of food, there's no point in changing your dog from one to the other just because you got a free bag.

The other reason I would say no is that Science Diet is not a very good food. It's full of grains, byproducts and preservatives. Unless what you're feeding now is worse than SD in terms of ingredients, I wouldn't feed / switch to SD. Instead of feeding it, you could donate the bag to your local shelter or a local rescue. They may have good use for it.

QUESTION
Can dogs eat eggs?

ANSWER
Yes, absolutely. Eggs are a source of biotin, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B9, and Vitamin B12, among other things.

The one thing you want to be really carefully with is feeding a lot of egg whites, as they contain a substance that can hinder absorption of biotin in the body. It's nothing to worry about if you give the egg whole (with the yolk) or cooked, though.

Eggs can be fed raw or cooked. Even though eggs can contain salmonella, it's nothing to worry about. Your dog's digestive system won't have issues with it. Just make sure you handle any raw foods carefully, same as you would when preparing meals for yourself. (Wash hands and clean surfaces after.)

If you give eggs, it's best to give them whole, including the shell if your dog will eat it. Egg shells are a good source of calcium. You can put the whole thing in a blender if your dog won't chew the shells by herself.



QUESTION
Will senior formula food hurt a young dog? We use Lassie Natural Way. I bought a bag of chicken flavored, senior dog food because it was the only chicken flavor that they had left. My dog is almost 10, so it would be good for her, but my other dog is young. Will the senior food hurt him?

ANSWER
Senior formulas are different from adult dog food in that they are usually lower in calories and that the vitamins and minerals in them are water soluble as opposed to being fat soluble. Since it is lower in calories, you may need to feed more to maintain his normal weight. However, that probably won't be an issue if you're only using it for a few days until your pet store restocks on your food.

One thing you might want to note is that because the foods are formulated differently, even though they are the same brand, it may give him an upset tummy. So keep an extra eye on that. If the tummy gets upset, try mixing a bit of the food with plain cooked rice and 100% canned pumpkin to help settle it and return it to normal.



QUESTION
How much food should I feed my 1 year old Chihuahua? She's 5.6lbs. I'm currently feeding the amount it says on the bag, but always seem hungry.

ANSWER
Feeding instructions on the bag are "one size fits all" and do not take into consideration your dog's activity level, breed, and personal metabolism, so you may be feeding him too much or you may be feeding him too little.

The best way to determine how much to feed is by tailoring your dog's diet to your individual dog. This is best done by first determining what a healthy weight should be on your dog. Stand your dog up, four feet square (standing normally), and place the palm of your hand on his spine, fingers facing downward. If you can feel the ribs without putting any pressure on your fingertips, he is too thin. If you have to put a lot of pressure onto your fingertips, he is too big. If you can feel them pushing down just slightly, but not just having your hand there, that's a good weight.

First goal is to reach a weight where you can feel the ribs as described above. Then weigh your dog and write that weight down. Adjust his kibble and weigh every week to see if you need to feed more or less. Adjust accordingly.



QUESTION
Can you recommend a good food that is not very expensive?

ANSWER
Blue Buffalo would be my first recommendation. They made a wide variety of foods, including a grain free formula, Blue Buffalo Wilderness, that are reasonably priced and available at Petsmart.

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance is another one of those pet-store-food lines that are decent and won't break the bank.

Also, remember, quality food brands may be more expensive, but in the long run, they're actually cheaper. How does that work? Well, when you feed a quality food, you feed LESS because there are less fillers and your dog is getting more nutrition from less food intake. So while that quality food may be $10 more a bag, it will also last you longer.