Nutrition for Dogs | Tips on Dog Diet- Page 4 of 4

a dog waits for his food by staring at his bowl

All About Dogs

The Ritual Of Feeding Your Dog: Make Them Work For It

Domestication has made it possible for dogs to receive their food without having to hunt it down themselves, but it’s still in their nature to feel the need to work for it. Before my dogs eat, I take them for a walk. In this way, I ask my dogs to work for food and water. This is a form of waiting, which is psychological exercise that helps nurture a balanced, happy dog. My Tips for a Healthy Routine The morning routine should look like this: You project calm-assertive energy before you give your dog affection. You walk your dog to

June 17, 2015 No Comments

All About Dogs

Switching To Adult Food From Puppy Food

I am reading conflicting information about when to transfer our puppy from puppy food to adult dog food. Our vet says anytime between 6 and 18 months for our type of dog (Basset hound). The dog food guide says 12 months, the 30-year pet store owner says 6 months, and our back-up vet says 12 months at the longest. My gut instinct says, because a Basset’s bone structure is not fully developed until about 18 months old, keep her on puppy food until she’s 18 months, but she’s not interested in her puppy food anymore and as of late goes

June 17, 2015 No Comments

All About Dogs

Rock-Eating “Pica” Pup

We have a 7-week-old Rottie/Dobie mix puppy. He was gotten from a rescue organization that was pretty shabby looking. He came to us with ticks, terrible diarrhea (which we are managing) and a terrible behavior: compulsive rock eating. He doesn’t randomly pick up rocks, he eats them as fast as he can scoop them into his mouth – he seems desperate to eat rocks. In his last stool, I counted 45 rocks (and those were the ones I could see). We try to keep him confined to our grassy area when he’s outside, but he still manages to find rocks.

June 17, 2015 No Comments

All About Dogs

I Can’t Get My Overweight Dog To Lose Weight

My Cheena (a Chihuahua/pekinese) is overweight at 11 lb. I have had numerous suggestions on how to get her to lose about 3 or 4 lb. Can you give me some advice on how to take some weight off her? Her diet is boiled beef, beef marrow bones, and a snack of dehydrated chicken. Yeah, I sometimes cheat, but not as a habit. Daniel Rivera Brooklyn, NY Read Dr. Sherry Weaver’s Advice I have always believed in the weight watchers approach to weight loss. I don’t forbid any specific food; I just provide 20% less of it. If you measure

June 17, 2015 No Comments

Holidays Feast: Is The Fun Worth The Risk?

We each answer that question for ourselves every day. Feeding high fat foods, such as turkey skin, is not good for dogs. That being said, neither are cheese-its or popcorn or a million other things people use in the real world as treats for their dogs every day. Any sudden change in a dog’s diet can result in Irritable Bowel Disease or Pancreatitis, and a high fat treat can be dangerous. For some of us, the joy of sharing our holiday traditions with our canine family is worth the risk. Although it can be fatal, pancreatitis only happens a small

June 17, 2015 No Comments

All About Dogs

My Puppy Is Not Eating

I’m having so much trouble making my 3-month-old puppy eat. I exercise him. I make him work for his food. I tried multiple types of food. I added canned food, etc. He just won’t eat. I’m so worried about him. What should I do? Stephanie Lopez – South Plainfield, NJ I hear this scenario at least daily in my practice, and the answer is always the same: If he is growing well and your vet says he is not underweight, then the best thing to do is just provide nutritious food and let him eat when he is hungry. I

June 17, 2015 No Comments

All About Dogs

Pet Food Recall

Amid all the pet food recalls there is so much controversy about feeding our pets commercial pet foods. Can you recommend a food that I can make at home for my dog? She has been eating [a national brand] since she was born. Now whenever she eats this she vomits within two minutes. I have given her brown rice cooked in chicken broth for the last two or three days, and this stays down. Do you have any suggestions? My dog is a German Rottweiller. She will be six years old in August. She is an indoor dog and is

June 17, 2015 No Comments

A dog sniffs around the back yard for poop to eat.

All About Dogs

Dog Eating Feces?

We have two dogs, and Lola, our youngest who is almost two years old, loves to eat poop. Now that she is eating poop, our other dog Bo, who is three years old, has copied her in this bad habit. Why do dogs eat poop, and how can we discourage them from eating it? Thank you, JoAnn Morris Dr. Sherry’s Answer: Dear JoAnn, Eating feces is normal with many different animal species. In dogs, it is not part of the digestive process, but it is a normal cleaning behavior in mother dogs with pups. Some dogs eat stool even without

June 17, 2015 No Comments