Wise basenji mom, feeding 3 with no tummy problems!

[CrazyBasenjiMom]

Re: To Switch or Not to Switch? Digestive issues.

[CrazyBasenjiMom]

Pumpkin works, the canned kind with no added ingredients I stock up around the holidays to have it always on hand. When I got my rescue Boys, lot s of tummy issues, skin, and be a old hippie I researched, and started giving a few tablespoons of pumpkin in to their kibble, ( Fromm is the only food they now have with no tummy problems) The pumpkin is very good for digestive too. I also sprinkled, every so lightly, ginger..... a natural , I use it on myself too. The most important thing is I dont feed them any human food from the table. We dehydrate skirt steak for jerky for them, its like crack, they get so excited!

[tanza]

I hardy ever use pumpkin..... obviously rescues without knowing breeding or history, can be difficult figuring out tummy issues.

That said, I change up foods every 3 to 4 weeks (all grain free).... they get lots of people food, same things that i would eat (at least the healthy stuff)... veggies, fruits, meat..... they love lettuce and tomatoes and all root veggies.

Since I change kibble all the time, never have to worry about tummy upsets, they are used to all different forms of food choices

[eeeefarm]

I've never had tummy troubles with any of mine excepting when they were ailing with something else. They always got scraps from the kitchen when I was preparing food, but since I am vegetarian those treats were always veggies. Particularly liked and enjoyed were tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, and dried pasta. Popcorn was also desired! As soon as the first kernel sounded off I would have a waiting audience! (microwave popcorn, no oil).

For years I used NRG dehydrated food, and my Basenjis were always eager to eat every bit of it. Turn around twice, the dish was empty. I have never had a "fussy eater" except when the dog was ill, so turning down food was always a big red flag.

Dogs have historically been scavengers. With today's close breeding many dogs seemingly can't tolerate the kind of food their ancestors had no issues with, but I also suspect that the marketing of dog food has a lot to do with how we view feeding our pets. A century ago, most dogs thrived on what was scraped off plates after the family had eaten dinner, and contrary to what dog food manufacturers want you to believe, most of those dogs lived long lives unless accidents intervened. When I was young the "average" German Shepherd lived to 15 years or more. Many farm dogs I have known have exceeded that age by 2 or 3 years. Not so common, these days! We also have many weird and wonderful diseases and disorders that didn't used to be seen often or at all. I remember when hip displasia first started to become common. Coincidentally (or not!) it was around the same time foals fed commercial foal feed started developing contracted tendons. Do I see a pattern here? Feed companies were all about fast growth, great for an animal you are going to slaughter and eat, but not so much for one you hope will last as your companion.

[Baba Bamidele]

@tanza I'm curious: Why do you change kibble every month or so? We've been using the same kibble for the past few months with our African import, and she seems to be doing well on it. But would it be better to switch her to another kibble every once in a while? Maybe another type of the same brand (from duck- to fish-based, say)?

[Baba Bamidele]

@eeeefarm said in Wise basenji mom, feeding 3 with no tummy problems!:

Dogs have historically been scavengers. With today's close breeding many dogs seemingly can't tolerate the kind of food their ancestors had no issues with, but I also suspect that the marketing of dog food has a lot to do with how we view feeding our pets. A century ago, most dogs thrived on what was scraped off plates after the family had eaten dinner, and contrary to what dog food manufacturers want you to believe, most of those dogs lived long lives unless accidents intervened. When I was young the "average" German Shepherd lived to 15 years or more. Many farm dogs I have known have exceeded that age by 2 or 3 years. Not so common, these days! We also have many weird and wonderful diseases and disorders that didn't used to be seen often or at all. I remember when hip displasia first started to become common. Coincidentally (or not!) it was around the same time foals fed commercial foal feed started developing contracted tendons. Do I see a pattern here? Feed companies were all about fast growth, great for an animal you are going to slaughter and eat, but not so much for one you hope will last as your companion.

Well said. Seeing how dogs live in West and Central Africa, you get an appreciation for how well-adapted they are to scavenging for food, eating a broad-based diet of human leftovers (and, yes, trash), and thriving on it. I realize there are different schools of thought among Western pet owners, but "dogs are wolves" trainers and raw-food advocates have it wrong in my opinion. Our own pup gets grain-free food, but even that is a luxury that I don't think is necessary considering dogs' long history of co-evolution with grain-eating people. Instead, the mass-produced grain-based kibbles may be bad for them due to their preservatives and unnatural ingredients—stuff you don't find in the scraps that come from an African hunter's dinner, say.

[DebraDownSouth]

@Baba-Bamidele said in Wise basenji mom, feeding 3 with no tummy problems!:
I realize there are different schools of thought among Western pet owners, but "dogs are wolves" trainers and raw-food advocates have it wrong in my opinion. <<

Actually, dogs aren't wolves. New DNA show that dogs and wolves have common ancestors. All my learning down the tubes with DNA studies.

That said, the gist of "dogs are wolves" is correct. It takes more than 1000 yrs to change the molecular foundation. Our switch to commercial kibble is way to young to really make it necessary. However, breeding programs and selections can certainly increase what was probably a rare issue (allergies to grains, for example) into much more common. Mostly, "grain-free" is a marketing ploy, much like "gluten-free." The actual medical need for both is severely limited. Research has always shown that dog allergies to food are almost always protein source. But I figure, if I can get grain free, why not? Doesn't hurt them. Though wolves and wild canids don't really eat much raw grains, btw. They got them predigested in the stomach of animals they killed

[tanza]

@Baba-Bamidele I change kibble so that no matter where I am, where I go, if I need food for the girls, I have a number of different choices. Do not have to rely on just one. And I don't have to worry about the standard "change food slowly".... they are used to many, many changes