Would you feed your dog this?

Now remember this is will be fed with Taste of the Wild dry kibble which is a grain free food that ranks pretty high from my understanding. Right now he is only eating about 1/6 of a cup of dry kibble 3 times a day with about a tablespoon of this mixed in. He will eat this without my hand feeding. He will also eat just the TOTW if I put about a teaspoon or 2 of water in it without the handfeeding once I get him started but will this mixture he jump on the feed like flies on poo. I guess the gravy covering the kibble really helped him eat. He is only about 3 lbs I would say so I'm not sure 1/2 a cup of TOTW is enough for him. The bag says a cup to cup 1/3 for 3-5lbs.


Ingredients: Meat Broth, Beef, Pork Liver, Spiral Pasta (Enriched Durum Semolina, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Wheat Gluten, Carrots, Ham, Animal Plasma, Tricalcium Phosphate, Guar Gum, Sodium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Tomato Powder, Caramel, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Natural Flavor, Minerals (Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide), Sodium Carbonate, Vitamins (Vitamin E, A, B12, D3 Supplements, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement), Choline Chloride, Olive Oil.

Cynthia

Lots of ingredients in there which makes me wary. Try making your own stock - get a chicken neck/carcass or some stock bones (beef, venison, etc) from your local butcher and simmer in a pan of water for a while. Bin the bone, as cooked bones are dangerous, but you can freeze and store the stock in individual portions. That way you know exactly what's in it. You can add a bit of flavouring by chucking some veg in with the bones if you want. Remember to add it to the kibble warm, not boiling hot, as boiling water will destroy some of the nutrients.

Chicken or beef liver gravy
•1
Boil chicken or beef livers until they are cooked and no longer pink inside.

•2
Mash with a potato masher in a medium bowl, or use a food processor.

•3
Combine milk, livers and olive oil until blended.

•4
Let cool before serving to your dog, and store unused gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for no longer than three to four days.

Does this sound ok? I can freeze this too right

I would agree with making your own broth, but wouldn't have a clue how to do that. LOL

That being said, don't be too concerned about what the bag recommends. I feed TOTW as well and it says to feed a 40-60 pound dog (mine is 51) 2 1/3 - 3 1/4 cups.

If we don't feed her canned food (which is really rare these days), we feed her around 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups (less in the summer when she's not getting as much exercise).

I've looked at the ingredients but am wondering what precisely 'animal plasma' is....?

I just used to boil some mince and spoon that on top.
If the kibble is that unappetising I`d change it.

Thats good to hear that your dog isn't eating what the bag says. I have been going nuts trying to figure out how to get Buster to eat more. Maybe the question above isn't so much a concern now that I know that maybe the 1/2 cup is enough for him and he isn't just refusing to eat.

Cynthia

It's possible he's just content. Or he may not like it too much. Have you tried different formulas of it? I've found our girl really loves the Pacific Stream one but didn't like the new lamb-based formula as much (she can't have the other one because she has issues with chicken).

We tried feeding the full amount on the bag at one point (before we fed TOTW with a much crappier food!) and when she ate it all, she got fat (gained 5 pounds the first summer we had her!). I tend to judge how much she should eat by if she's gaining or losing weight. She's holding pretty steady, so the amount I'm feeding her is good for her!

If it contains wheat gluten, then it ain't grain free. Gluten is one of the highest allergens for humans and canids, in particular wheat gluten. And the pasta will almost certainly not be wheat free pasta, so it is a total misnomer to claim a grain free product. This alone would be enough to put me off the stuff, because of the deliberate and blatant misleading information.

Aside from that, I only raw feed so wouldn't touch it anyway, but there are one or two kibble type foods that if I was stuck up a creek without a paddle, I would consider giving to my boys.

Just to clarify -- the grain-free thing she was talking about is TOTW. The ingredients listed are NOT TOTW, which is indeed grain-free.