What do you feed your Basenji?

[crystalncody]

I rotate between Merrick and Natural Balance dry foods. I mix in Natural Balance venison and sweet potato wet food.

The treats vary, but right now he gets Natural Balance treats, the occasional bully stick, and home made treats.

Cody is a very picky eater and usually tries to take his time eating, but for the last month he's been on Merrick's Cowboy Cookout and he eats it all just as soon as I give it to him.

[Basenjimamma]

My pack is on Nature's Domain grain free..switching off between salmon and turkey..sometimes we mix in Blue Buffalo's grainfree or Taste of the Wild..

treats; Charlee bear, natural balance, Zeke, and of course several different kinds of dehydrated livers..anything to motivate and entice..they also love raw marrow bones, or lamb pelvic bones…

They all eat grass on a very consitent basis, almost daily..not ones have they gotten sick from it..but it is a specific type of green grass they like..and it is also very popular with our roaming deer population..they hover in the same area of the yard...funny, come to think of it.

[Walter]

We feed our B Taste of the Wild…Salmon and Buffalo flavors...dry and wet. Hot dog pieces for training. An all natural milk bone type treat (the brand escapes me) and she also gets some organic yogurt on occasion (her favorite treat)! NEVER any human food from our plate.

[AndrewnShango]

@DexterDex:

I feed Dex Blue Buffalo Lamb and Oatmeal. I was wondering: If I want to get the other flavor (Chicken and Brown Rice) of the same brand and switch it back and forth, do I have to do it gradually (since it is the same brand, I'm not sure). How gradually, and how often can I switch back and forth between the flavors?

Hello there! I actually work in holistic dog food and nutrition and hope to help. If you're sticking within the same BRAND of good (i.e, Blue Buffalo) and Dexter doesn't have an ultra-sensitive stomach, you can switch freely without any transition time at all. The reason why holistic lines have so many different flavors and meat options is for this very reason. Dogs, like humans, become bored with eating the same thing over and over, so feel fee to switch it up AS LONG as it's in the same brand (and that there aren't other restrictions to consider- large/giant breed, grain free, senior…etc)

Hope this helps!

Andrew, Shango & Newsom

[AndrewnShango]

Shango and Newsom are on EVO's Turkey and Chicken blend. I work in holistic dog food and nutrition so I am very specific about knowing about what I give them to eat. It's a GREAT food that they both gobble up and do great on.

For treats, they LOVE fresh, raw sweet potato so they get that a few times a week as well as bully sticks and the homemade, holistic bakery treats we make at my dog bakery!

[Kenji24]

We feed Kenji Diamond Chicken and rice for puppies. For teats, his favorite is Healthy Omega Treats: Chicken, but we also give him Raw Naturals by Pro-Treat: Chicken, and lastly we have begun giving him Prime Taste Treats: Freeze Dried Chicken.

[ydelacosta]

@AndrewnShango:

Hello there! I actually work in holistic dog food and nutrition and hope to help. If you're sticking within the same BRAND of good (i.e, Blue Buffalo) and Dexter doesn't have an ultra-sensitive stomach, you can switch freely without any transition time at all.

This is very good to know, Thanks!

[tanza]

@AndrewnShango:

Hello there! I actually work in holistic dog food and nutrition and hope to help. If you're sticking within the same BRAND of good (i.e, Blue Buffalo) and Dexter doesn't have an ultra-sensitive stomach, you can switch freely without any transition time at all. The reason why holistic lines have so many different flavors and meat options is for this very reason. Dogs, like humans, become bored with eating the same thing over and over, so feel fee to switch it up AS LONG as it's in the same brand (and that there aren't other restrictions to consider- large/giant breed, grain free, senior…etc)

Hope this helps!

Andrew, Shango & Newsom

I disagree about it having to be the Same Brand. I have switched brands on my girls every time I fill up their kibble can and have since day one. I have never had to transition when changing because they are always getting something different. I do use one in particular as a base and then mix in different brands, however. I get 5lb bags of each (base brand-Fromm's Surf and Turf) and then mix with a 5lb bag of all different grain free brands.

[Kananga]

@tanza:

I disagree about it having to be the Same Brand. I have switched brands on my girls every time I fill up their kibble can and have since day one. I have never had to transition when changing because they are always getting something different. I do use one in particular as a base and then mix in different brands, however. I get 5lb bags of each (base brand-Fromm's Surf and Turf) and then mix with a 5lb bag of all different grain free brands.

I like the idea of mixing foods. Is that something you do for all of their meals? i.e. taking 2-3 foods and mixing them together

[tanza]

It is, most times it is the Fromm's with one other Grain Free but depending on when I get low, could be two other different Grain Free which they get morning and evening. I have never had a problem with changing foods, which was the purpose… I can go most anywhere and know if I needed to buy food for them, I am not limited to just one brand.

Also I mix in homemade Mutt Loaf for the evening meal. They get usually some canned with the kibble in the morning with yogart and cottage cheese at lunch time (which is just a cookie snack).

I have to admit however, when I first started doing this, I was a bit careful. When it came time to mix in a new/different brand, I would start for a day or two just throwing in a small bit of the new brand with the kibble but once I was through a couple of different brands, it really was not necessary. They are really used to change and different things from kibble to canned to raw to cooked. Makes it pretty easy to feed them. I am sorry that I didn't do this years ago with my very first Basenjis.

[AndrewnShango]

@tanza:

I disagree about it having to be the Same Brand. I have switched brands on my girls every time I fill up their kibble can and have since day one. I have never had to transition when changing because they are always getting something different. I do use one in particular as a base and then mix in different brands, however. I get 5lb bags of each (base brand-Fromm's Surf and Turf) and then mix with a 5lb bag of all different grain free brands.

Be thankful you have strong-stomachs in the house! I've been in holistic pet health for 5 years now and you are certainly in the minority. Switching brands without transition periods, especially if they're drastically different formulas, can cause loose stool like you've never seen!

[Kananga]

I had switched between raw and kibble a couple times w/o problems. For some reason, Kananga has had issues on the Nature's Variety grain-free kibble (semi-loose stools at times), I figured it might make sense to mix in another brand to add a variety (pun intended).

I really should be giving him yogurt at times (its like crack to him) because I've noticed it helps solidify things for him, and why not give him a treat that he loves so much.

Thanks for the info Pat. I'll try slowly adding in a different brand or two and see how he does. I've never been a big fan of using one food for a long period of time. Part of me thinks this is just not a proper way to feed them, could lead to allergies over time. Another reason why I had him on raw for awhile and then back on grain-free kibble. I've actually noticed him losing interest after awhile.

[tanza]

@AndrewnShango:

Be thankful you have strong-stomachs in the house! I've been in holistic pet health for 5 years now and you are certainly in the minority. Switching brands without transition periods, especially if they're drastically different formulas, can cause loose stool like you've never seen!

Again, I disagree…. while there are some dogs with sensitive stomachs either due to breed specific or genetic, I honestly believe (and I have had Basenjis for 20+ years) that transition periods are not needed if you work up to using different brands over the course of months. Along with other things like raw, veggies (raw/cooked), Meat/veggies/friuts/eggs (raw/cooked), yogart, cottage cheese.

My OJ who lived till 17+ as a very young dog had terrible eating habits... sometimes he would eat, sometimes he would not... more often then not he would have tummy/digestive problems. When he was about 4yrs old, I started mixing the foods, not as much as I do now with kibble because that was before there were really any grain free foods, but with home cooking. His eating habits changed totally and he very, very rarely had any digestive problems for the remainer of his life.

And I know this also works fine for Silky Terriers, as another breeder that has both Silky's and Basenjis has also done this.

But then there is nothing wrong with agreeing to disagree. Just different points of view

[AndrewnShango]

@tanza:

Again, I disagree…. while there are some dogs with sensitive stomachs either due to breed specific or genetic, I honestly believe (and I have had Basenjis for 20+ years) that transition periods are not needed if you work up to using different brands over the course of months. Along with other things like raw, veggies (raw/cooked), Meat/veggies/friuts/eggs (raw/cooked), yogart, cottage cheese.

Yes, agree to disagree, though "working up to using different brands over the course of months" is a type of transition period, yes. Just not the traditional 7-10 day that is recommended or most used. Agree to disagree

[tanza]

@AndrewnShango:

@tanza:

Again, I disagree…. while there are some dogs with sensitive stomachs either due to breed specific or genetic, I honestly believe (and I have had Basenjis for 20+ years) that transition periods are not needed if you work up to using different brands over the course of months. Along with other things like raw, veggies (raw/cooked), Meat/veggies/friuts/eggs (raw/cooked), yogart, cottage cheese.

Yes, agree to disagree, though "working up to using different brands over the course of months" is a type of transition period, yes. Just not the traditional 7-10 day that is recommended or most used. Agree to disagree

Not really, because now I do no transistion I change brands at least once a month and just start feeding it.

[tlish]

i mix different brands for suki with no transition period. i usually get a big bag of nutro natural choice or wellness, and then mix in small bags of another food like evo or eukanuba or other quality food. she's never had any problem with this.

[Patty]

I started off with feeding my Basenjis raw and biscuit but changed to 'complete feeds' for a while. After having had problems with one particular bitch I switched back to raw and have fed it ever since.

They have all sorts of vegetables and fruit and supplements when necessary.

My vet bills are small over the life of the dog and I put this down to their feeding management but of course it could be just coincidence.

Mine do eat grass but the reasons vary, and they also dig up certain roots and eat certain plants!

[agilebasenji]

http://www.maryshouse.us/Recipes.htm

Here's the muttloaf recipe I've been using. I am lucky in that I get the beef from Betsy who raises longhorn cattle. Excellent quality grassfed lean beef and she usually throws in a few hearts and livers for free.

[tanza]

LOL… love that Mutt Loaf... I make 3 or 4 loafs at a time from the mix... cook one, freeze the others.. defrost and bake as needed... and I warm up the evening ones in the Micro for about 30 seconds. I change up what I use in the mix from time to time... adding different things... but always ground meat (Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Pork and Lamb)...eggs, bananas, apple sauce (unsweeten green apples) dried cranberries, and other fresh/raw fruit/veggies....

I do not use cheap ground beef, but a good cut ground of grass fed steers... one of these days I will get a grinder or food processer and add some organ meat....

[agilebasenji]

I have a grinder attachment for my Kitchenaide mixer. Works great! I always use blueberries or cranberries for the fruit part (depending on the season) and potato flakes for the grain. I had not thought of adding apple sauce. For seasoning, I add garlic and cinnamon. Pups LOVE it. In fact, I started making this b/c I'd get 1/4 an animal from Betsy and had LOTS of ground beef. It's just hubby and I, so that's a lot of ground beef for 2 adults, so I found this recipe and it helped me get Digital to eat. Yes, he's picky. Yes, I cater to him. He's my dog and I can spoil him if I want to. (And if I and hubby dies, he goes back to Mary Turner who will spoil him as much as i do!)