Skip to content
Basenji Forums
  1. Home
  2. Basenji Feeding
  3. Rotating food

Rotating food

Basenji Feeding
  • KanangaK

    I noticed when I was at the pet store earlier, that they have frozen raw foods from Nature's Variety.

    I wondered how well it works to do a raw diet at one meal and doing dry kibble for the other meal (in the same day)? I feel like I should be incorporating more into Kananga's diet and not using one thing for every meal.

    Has anyone read anything bad about Nature's Variety Raw? I've used their dry kibble for awhile now and it has been an excellent brand thus far.

    0
  • KanangaK

    One the primary reasons why this came to mind was concerns over dehydration since I only use dry kibble for his diet. I thought perhaps using canned or raw food as one of his meals each day could help prevent future illnesses.

    0
  • lvossL

    My mom uses their raw medallions with her dogs and they do well on it but she has one that will only eat them if they are warmed to at least room temp.

    0
  • KanangaK

    I think I may give the raw medallions a try. I was just making sure there's no harm feeding him dry kibble (same brand, rabbit formula) in the morning and the raw chicken/turkey medallions in the evening.

    I do know, however, that it's best not to mix both in the same meal.

    0
  • nobarkusN

    I rotate frozen raw, 1 week duck, 1 week chicken and maybe 1 week lamb or beef. I also rotate any canned or dry.

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

    0
  • NemoN

    @Kananga:

    I think I may give the raw medallions a try. I was just making sure there's no harm feeding him dry kibble (same brand, rabbit formula) in the morning and the raw chicken/turkey medallions in the evening.

    I do know, however, that it's best not to mix both in the same meal.

    That's what I've been doing the past several of months without any issue. I feed kibble in the morning and medallions of various protein sources (beef, chicken, rabbit or venison) in the evening. I'm in the process of switching over to a raw meaty bones in the evening but planning to keep the kibble still in the morning for now.

    Edit: And I am using Nature's Variety medallions and patties (I think that's what they're called) at the moment. I've also used Prairie medallions too.

    Connect with the Basenji Club of America on Facebook

    http://www.facebook.com/basenji.org

    0
  • KanangaK

    @Nemo:

    That's what I've been doing the past several of months without any issue. I feed kibble in the morning and medallions of various protein sources (beef, chicken, rabbit or venison) in the evening. I'm in the process of switching over to a raw meaty bones in the evening but planning to keep the kibble still in the morning for now.

    Edit: And I am using Nature's Variety medallions and patties (I think that's what they're called) at the moment. I've also used Prairie medallions too.

    Thanks for the input. :)

    0
  • KanangaK

    Out of curiosity, how many medallions did you use in a meal? I've read that 6-8oz should be allocated daily for around a 20lbs dog. So I'm thinking 3 medallions for his meal, which i'll serve him at dinner (kibble in the morning). He also get's a very small portion of kibble before bedtime to keep food in his stomach.

    This is strictly his winter diet. I'll probably up the portion in the summer when he's more active.

    0
  • lvossL

    My mom uses 2-3 medallions per dog, it sort of depends on the calorie needs of the dog. There is a lot of adjusting based on look and feel of the dog.

    She also feeds a kibble meal in the morning and uses the medallions as only one meal a day.

    0
  • KanangaK

    Ah ok.

    I actually did some browsing on their site and they have this nifty calculator:

    http://www.naturesvariety.com/feedguide

    This was perfect to start with as a baseline since I'll still be using their Instinct dry kibble. Gave me a portion of dry and raw to feed each day, but i'll use it as a baseline to start with and adjust as needed.

    It recommended 3.1oz of raw and 1/2 cup dry per day (I put in average activity and 22lbs).

    0
  • KanangaK

    Kananga approves. :D

    Local pet store that I go to carries all of the frozen raw diets offered by Nature's Variety. It's nice to have a good selection to possibly rotate proteins.

    I thawed out 3 medallions and it only took Kananga 20-30 seconds to realize this was yummy food. He's a big fan of this but hopefully he'll still like his dry kibble. :)

    0

Suggested Topics

  • mikesullM

    Food

    Basenji Feeding
    18
    1 Votes
    18 Posts
    2k Views
    S
    I would find out what he scared of or what he dislikes about the car. Is it the car itself, the sensation of being closed in, the movement when the car is being driven? Then work on whatever the problem is, with food. As for food, I use raw duck and vegetables. And I hand-feed all meals, so I never have a problem with not eating/partially eating. I would also recommend hand-feeding for anyone who does have a dog with food issues. Shredded chicken is good (as long as he doesn't have any reactions). But that and some kibble isn't a balanced meal. You may wish to look into a vitamin supplement, specifically something that has a focus on omega 3 (since chicken is high in omega 6), Vitamin C & the B vitamins (because if all he's eating is chicken and kibble, where is his source of vitamin C and the B vitamins?), zinc & copper (same reasons). All the best. EDIT: I just realized this thread is a year old and was bumped by what is almost certainly a bot.
  • H

    Raw food

    Basenji Feeding
    28
    0 Votes
    28 Posts
    13k Views
    L
    We switched our 2 boys to raw from kibble about 6 months ago. The switch came because we were simply exhausted from walking them 3 times a day because they had loose stool (we don't have fenced in yard, so we need to walk them to go to the bathroom). Our vet recommended more fiber in their diet to help with loose stool. This intuitively just didn't resonate with us. Basenji are one of the most ancient breeds of dog… why on earth would more fiber be a solution to their problem (I know the theoretical why, but logically it was counter-intuitive)? We read many sources or literature on the raw diet and thought this would be a good switch for them. Again, they are an ancient breed so moving toward raw foods seemed appropriate and logical. It took that about a month for them to get really accustomed to eating raw chicken quarters, rabbit halves or pork shoulders but now they have no problem gulping their meal right down, bone and all (for those of you who don't feed raw, gulping is a normal behavior and bone is an essential part of the diet). Their digestion issues have vanished and we've even seen marked improvement in their destructive behavior. Two super happy boys now, two super happy Basenji owners!!
  • B

    How many rotate dog foods?

    Basenji Feeding
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    4k Views
    LyshL
    i stay with the same brand, good quality kibble. thats all Hope gets with maybe a raw bone and/or bits of left over meat (such as chicken) and pumpkin to have in the evening. when i was working in a grooming salon she used to get other premium kibble (samples for our customers) as "treats" - she was none the wiser and thought "yummo!" hehe and never had issues with it :) also -when we have fostered dogs she has had some of their kibble and had no issues with eating it. im pretty lucky i dont have a fussy eater :)
  • P

    Dog food

    Basenji Feeding
    22
    0 Votes
    22 Posts
    18k Views
    kah211glhK
    I was feeding my Basenji brand blue and she started getting crystals in her kidneys. With the recommendation from my pet store owner (Pet Ranch), switched to Nature's Variety Instinct RAW. Withing 2 months…all crystals are gone. Now Basenji, Rotty, and Puppy Mastiff/Pitt all get Nature's Variety. Their coats are very shiney and teeth are so white.
  • P

    Best Food?

    Basenji Feeding
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    5k Views
    tanzaT
    @Patty: Interesting that you had a problem with loose stools, Pat, because I had exactly the same but with a puppy who was eventually discovered to have Giardia. It did take us a very long time though and in the meantime the pup was suffering. It also happened to a friend of mine herself who for years had a stomach problem that finally was discovered to be a Giardia infection. Because of my experience with the puppy, I had jokingly suggested the problem to her as well. Yes… Giardia "hides" very well..... Many Vets will write it off to a sensitive digestive system when in fact it is not. Like I said with my OJ, once it was cleared up, he could eat anything...
  • Capt_Jack_our_BasenjiC

    What Food And How Much??

    Basenji Feeding
    22
    0 Votes
    22 Posts
    9k Views
    MacPackM
    Topper,12; Nicky 10, ; and Eddie 8 all eat a combination of 3/4 EVO by Innova, and 1/4 regular adult Innova. We free feed, dry kibble is down all the time, but I think I put about 3 cups out a day, some days they eat it all but some days I don't add kibble at all. Mine do get a bit of whatever we have for dinner, mostly veges, they love all veges as long as they are cooked, especially broccoli and sweet potatoes. IT acts as an appetizer, as soon as they finish their plates they run to the kibble bowls to finsih their dinner. We used cheaper grocery store foods for many years but I felt my dogs deseerved a better quality food so tried several premium brands and settled on Innova. Then when they came out with EVO, I slowly added that but when I went 100% EVO, their poops were a bit loose, so we re-added the regular Innova and it seems to suit them perfectly. Eddie's coat was very coarse when we rescued him, he is soft and silky now. Even though it costs about twice as much as the cheaper stuff, I know they are getting good nutrition and their coats glow and their teeth are clean, so it is worth every cent to me. We are what we eat, and if we eat 'animal by products' (hooves, bones, feathers and even sawdust in some) sprayed with flavors and dyed with food colorings, we may be saving money now, but inviting health probelms in the future. Just MHO, but strangers compliment my dogs on their gloss and vigor! Anne in Tampa, off the soapbox