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BPO Food Forum => Food Discussion & Information => : Newf Lover September 08, 2005, 10:03:11 AM

: Doctoring up Kibble
: Newf Lover September 08, 2005, 10:03:11 AM
Because we love Drake so much and we want him to eat well, we chop up a slice of lunchmeat or left over steak or chicken and put it in some warm water and then mix it into his Kibble.  Sometimes we just put a little warm chicken broth in.  He loves it and now wont eat dry kibble unless he is absolutely famished.  It helps in getting him to eat his vitamins we put in his food as well, otherwise he picks them out.  Does anybody else do this?  Or at least doctor up their dog's food?  When we travel with other people and their dogs, they have to do the same for their dog because we do it for Drake.  Their dog will try to eat Drake's food if they don't and Drake is VERY protective of his food.  Fair is Fair!!!  I'm curious to hear other people's concoctions.  Some of our friends have had to continue doing this afterwards because their dog has been converted. ::) ;D
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: GYPSY JAZMINE September 08, 2005, 10:10:06 AM
I do this pretty much every day...parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, regular cheese slices ripped up into small pieces, boiled ground beef, Chunky soup, etc...etc...& a little warm water...Whatev er it takes to get them to eat what I consider an "appropriate amount"...lol!
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: Newf Lover September 08, 2005, 10:15:44 AM
I do this pretty much every day...parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, regular cheese slices ripped up into small pieces, boiled ground beef, Chunky soup, etc...etc...& a little warm water...Whatev er it takes to get them to eat what I consider an "appropriate amount"...lol!

MMMMM!!!!  That sounds pretty good!  You know, we buy Flint River Ranch kibble which is like $50 a bag and is really, really healthy.  But I think it tastes like shit to Drake so he doesn't like it too much.  Just a little meat in warm water goes a long way because the water coats the kibble with the meat flavor.  We sometimes use Parmesan Cheese too.
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: pndlake September 08, 2005, 10:28:39 AM
I've done exactly what you are doing for many years for all my dogs.  We get tired of the same thing every night and so do dogs.  Sometimes a little gravy, sometimes an egg and sometimes strange concotions of left overs mixed with kibble and they are happy campers.  When a dog gets real excited about meal time, then you know they are healthy.

 I've heard - no chicken bones.  Wild dogs live on chicken-like creatures and they eat the bones.  I have never heard of any of my friend's dogs nor mine having any problem with chicken bones.  I have heard of people that feed their dogs raw whole chickens with the bone in because if it is cooked then the bones become more brittle.  Is that true, any experts?
:D
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: Saintgirl September 08, 2005, 10:38:45 AM
RAW chicken bones are a great source of nutrition for our pups, at least if you believe in the raw food. The raw diet has been up in the air with whether it is the best for your dog or not, each person can choose for themselves. I won't feed cooked bones because they will splinter more easily, but the raw ones are soft and will not harm them. Of course they are watched the entire time they get one of their tasty treats. There are a few on this baord who feed only raw diets who can better fill you in.
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: Rachel September 08, 2005, 11:03:56 AM
I put Merrick canned food on top of Sophie's dry food in the mornings.  She loves it! I feed her in her xpen so as soon as a bring out her bowl she runs for it and sits patiently.  This makes mornings soooo easy, I no longer have to fight her to get her in the crate.

If we run out of Merrick then I use cottage cheese, parmasan, carrots, apples, or whatever else is handy.  :)
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: lins_saving_grace September 08, 2005, 11:14:32 AM
We put on Lady and Grace's food at night (at Grace's breeders suggestion) yogart (2 tblsp) and a 1000 MG vitamin C tablet.  they love it.  they will eat their dry food dry in the morning and don't complain much about that.
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: greek4 September 08, 2005, 11:20:37 AM
My dogs just get dry food most of the time.  Occassionally I clean out the fridge into their bowls, they get stuff like rice, cooked meats, moldy cheese.  And once a week they get yogurt.
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: mcenter September 08, 2005, 11:25:53 AM
Yup Ive been doctering kibble for years too....I usually cook up a few pounds of boneless chicken thighs and make a broth and add some veggies. I also will put in soft boiled eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese a few times per week also... I feed them Innova large breed which they like, but if you give them a bowl of just dry kibble they look at you like "yeah, right, would YOU eat this?"
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: GYPSY JAZMINE September 08, 2005, 11:44:39 AM
I do this pretty much every day...parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, regular cheese slices ripped up into small pieces, boiled ground beef, Chunky soup, etc...etc...& a little warm water...Whatev er it takes to get them to eat what I consider an "appropriate amount"...lol!

MMMMM!!!!  That sounds pretty good!  You know, we buy Flint River Ranch kibble which is like $50 a bag and is really, really healthy.  But I think it tastes like shit to Drake so he doesn't like it too much.  Just a little meat in warm water goes a long way because the water coats the kibble with the meat flavor.  We sometimes use Parmesan Cheese too.
LOL about Drake's taste in food!...Have you tried one one of the Merrick brand's...Wilderness Blend, Grammy's Pot Pie, or Cowboy Cookout?...With warm water they make an awesome gravy & my dogs gobble it up!
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: brigid67 September 08, 2005, 12:05:44 PM
I feed Raw and my dogs love it....we do mostly the BARF thing so the dogs get veggies etc...  Raw meaty bones are great for your dogs..helps clean their teeth, exercises jaw muscles, good source of calcium.  We do mostly chicken - because it is cheaper and easier for my little mojos and Willow to eat.  I have added a little lamb and now they are eating some beef as well...  Billinghurst has a receipe for these veggie patties which I add all of their supplements to....its pretty easy and I just freeze a bunch so I am making dog food about every 2 weeks..which isn't to bad.  The veggie patties include - minced raw meat, veggies (if feeding pups make the veggie part at least 50% or more), couple raw eggs, some plain yogurt, vit c, vit b, msm, garlic, etc...mix it all up and let them eat it...
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: vizslamaniac September 08, 2005, 12:23:14 PM
Hi my nane is Adele and I admit to doctoring my dogs kibble.....Wow! This is why I love BPO. I have been adding tasty tidbits to my dogs food since forever and actually have been embarassed to say so after getting scolded at a Vizsla group site!  ;D Variety is the spice of life!
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: Carolyn September 08, 2005, 12:30:50 PM
I'll buy chicken legs, I call it dog chicken & cook it up just for them.  I can get it .49cents a lb. If we have some left over meat/rice & veggies I'll top off their kibble with that too. Breakfast is plain & for whoever wants to eat. Im thinking of going back to Proplan, Apache & Kiya don't seem to care for thier kibble, Nutro. Every night they wait till Chazzy walks away from her kibble, Proplan -sensitive skin/stomach, & they dive in like they were starving.
Carolyn
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: shangrila September 08, 2005, 02:05:50 PM
I often doctor zoey's food. She has 2 liquid supplements at every meal, and we will frequently add more - bits of leftover meat, cheese, rice, or chicken broth are her favorites. The other day I added some mixed veggies, and she picked out all the kibble and left the veggies - the first time she has left anything in her bowl since I can remember  :o So I guess she doesn't like vegtables much...

Zoey's very favorite time is when we go out to eat something meaty like a big steak; we will cut up all the leftover meat from our meal and take just that home as a carry out - the waiters look at us funny but zoey loves it :)
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: brandon September 08, 2005, 02:35:34 PM
Salmon, flax seed oil, 500mg's Esther C, Glucosamine and Chondroitin, 2tbs plain yogurt, brewer's yeast, and garlic.

I'm sure Bava could care less about all the other stuff, but the Salmon is a hit.
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: Newf Lover September 08, 2005, 02:54:50 PM
This is great, I knew other people did it too.  We just get cheap lunchmeat like Carl Buddig and like I said before, chop it up in warm water and add that.  Whenever we get doggie bags at restaurants or have leftovers, Drake gets his share.  Dogs are such a good way to get rid of excess food.  And a little bit goes a long way.  Some of you add all the healthy stuff, which makes sense, but between the extra healthy kibble and the few supplements I add, that seems like enough nutrition for Drake.  At least at this stage of life for him.  The other stuff I add is purely for flavor and for Drakes enjoyment! ;D ;D ;D
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: Joji September 09, 2005, 09:07:47 AM
lol - Next time my family gives me a hard time about my adding goodies to my dogs' supper, I can tell them I'm not the only one in the world who does it!

My kiddies generally get a liquid (water, chicken or beef broth) as well as a meat, usually cooked turkey or beef (breakfast is dry kibble). Sometimes I'll give them an egg yolk (heard the whites were bad for them); plain, fat-free yogurt; carrots or peas.

RE raw chicken ... I use to feed my shiba 2 raw wings every day, along with his kibble. Sometimes, if the boney parts (ie wings or backs) weren't available, drumsticks were on his menu. He never had any problems eating them and one of the benefits I noticed was his poop ... it was small and not as stinky as his kibble poo. Plus it seemed to be more readily biodegradeable, if poo can be called that!   ;)
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: brigid67 September 09, 2005, 09:09:38 AM
yep poop is much better with the raw meaty bones...it just turns white and dries up and is much smaller
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: ann September 09, 2005, 10:11:01 AM


     i feed merrick dry with canned it looks like stew they love it..sometimes they get cottage cheese but they like the merrick so much i don't realy need to add anything...abo ut the raw bones if you decide to try it becareful and do alot of research of your own..i tried the rawbones and all 3 of my dogs got so sick and i heard raw bones are softer and don't splinter but try to break up a raw chicken those bones can be very sharp......... .......

for everyone who feeds raw bones this is not a put down just my own exsperance.... .............
: Re: Doctoring up Kibble
: tonyc September 09, 2005, 10:49:10 AM
Salmon, flax seed oil, 500mg's Esther C, Glucosamine and Chondroitin, 2tbs plain yogurt, brewer's yeast, and garlic.
ehh.. there are quality kibbles that contain almost everything (except the yogurt & maybe garlic) mentioned in your kibble additives...