[carrieandcricket]

I see a lot of people on here feeding their chis different times of the day, three or four, and maybe its just the type of food they eat, but how often am I really supposed to feed Cricket? I don't want to overfeed her (as she is already gaining some much needed weight) but I don't want to underfeed her either. Please help. I feed her wet food. Pedigree. A whole package, I give her half in the morning and the other half at night. She seems ok with it, and if she's acting hungry again, I'll give her another half a package. I'm just curious. I want what's best for her.

 

[OzChi]

How old is Cricket? If she is a puppy under 6 months she will need to be fed 3-4 times a day. If she's older than that twice a day would be fine. Also consider supplementing her diet with some bones such as raw chicken wings for her teeth a couple of times a week, this can be in place of a meal.

 

[svdreamer]

Pedigree is not really a good dog food. There are much better foods that are better for her, not just a lot of fillers that she doesn't need and are hard for a dog to break down and process. I personally feed a grain-free food because of all the different allergies my dogs have. There is regular kibble that is made better, with no corn or wheat which is the main cause of allergies. And some here feed raw or premade raw. I personally do not like the canned food, I think it sticks to their teeth and cause more rot and tarter. IMHO If you like the canned, be sure to give chew sticks or chew toys to help get the teeth cleaned.

Here's a web site that breaks down the dog food, it's recommnded for chis to get a 5 to 6 star food. They are a bit more expensive, but they need less because there is no fillers. As for feeding times, I'll let someone else talk to you about that as I free feed all my dogs.

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[20887]

I would switch her to a better food to start with, and then feed her 2-3 times per day.

I like this site for finding good foods:

dogfoodanalysis.com

Some good grain-free kibbles are:

Taste Of the Wild (probably the least expensive)
Acana/Orijen
Fromm

You could also try a pre-made raw such as Ziwipeak, or Stella and Chewys.

 

[Squirrelflight]

I agree with the better food options and kibble is better for chis than wet as they tend to have dental problems anyway.

I free feed all of my chis so kibble is available all the time. Chis tend to be snackers I think. twice a day they get a 'meal'. This is usually eggs, or meat, or fish mixed with cottage cheese or yogurt and kibbles.

And I feed wysong epigen which is starch free.. not grain free but starch free..

 

[carrieandcricket]

Cricket won't eat dry food. She will starve herself before she goes near it. She is small enough already, she doesn't need to lose anymore weight. Is brushing her teeth ok? I know they make doggie toothpaste.

 

[svdreamer]

The only one I had that came to me with a feeding problem supposedly was Delilah. She was skin and bones and was just getting over a broken pelvis. I free feed. She learned that what was in the bowl was all she was going to get. It took a bit, but she gained a pound and three ounces and looks so much healthier.

 

[jesuschick]

She can be on a canned food but you really need to have her on a good quality one. Kibble is no more helpful to teeth. What you are feeding now will not help her health.

Not certain the pouch variety but you can see that the one I selected and list here is a 1 star food:
Dog Food Reviews - Pedigree Little Champions Chunks in Gravy with beef - Powered by ReviewPost

Many here feed Ziwipeak canned and Wellness canned. I am certain that there are others as well, like these, that earn 5-6 stars.
You will be shocked at the difference a higher quality food makes to her eyes, coat, skin and teeth. I certainly was.

 

[carrieandcricket]

I did some price checking and Ziwipeak is well out of our price range. I mean they want over 100 for an 11lb bag of dry. We get special retriever feed for Oreo that doesn't cost that much. Please help.

 

[carrieandcricket]

Retriever® Mini Chunk Dog Food, 50 lb. Bag - 2258968 | Tractor Supply Company
This is what we feed our big dog. The package says we can feed it to small dogs too. I'm wondering if that would be better for her.

 

[MChis]

An 11lb bag of dry ZiwiPeak would last your one Chi 5-6 months!! So $110 that length of time for THE best food out there--way worth it & it WILL save you vet bills in the future.

If you're looking for a wet food...wet ZP is fantastic. You may be interested in the Honest Kitchen as well. Or we just tried Grandma Lucy's Pureformance which is similar that so far I like. We mainly feed ZiwiPeak though with pretty much drowning the food with water before feeding it (it doesn't absorb the water but it ensures they get the moisture needed to process the food).

Anyway...good luck!! Oh & we feed twice a day for what it's worth. I switch up feeding times so 1)they don't get whiney/beggy nearing meal time & 2) some of our Chi's will vomit bile in anticipation to eating. Switching up meal times pretty much eliminates both those issues.

 

[carrieandcricket]

I'll try and find something better for her but despite it lasting for awhile we just can't pay that much right now at one time. I just noticed she doesn't have teeth in the back at all. And I've only had her a week now. So we are going to have to figure something for her teeth cause she isn't a chewer.

 

[jesuschick]

Wellness canned is not super expensive. Like $20-something for a case of 12 cans. Also, Tractor Supply carries Taste of the Wild which is dry but you could add warm water to it and she will think it is canned food. It is a highly rated food.

 

[carrieandcricket]

Ha I got her chewing on a pork chop bone! I can't believe it. What teeth she does have will be ok.

 

[Blue Chi]

I agree with others that they are def better foods out there to try. Jesus chick's suggestion to try Taste of the Wild is good. Just add water to it! I add water to dog food anyway as it's better for the kidneys. Or you could just try the Wellness Core canned. And then throw in a chicken wing and bully sticks every now and then for the teeth.

BUT. That's not the question you asked. I feed my 5 month old chi and 2 yr old Boston Terrier twice a day. Morning and evening. Of course they also "vacuum" under the table every time we eat (I have 3 kids) so I know they are getting people food here and there.

 

[carrieandcricket]

What is a bully stick? She won't chew rawhide, but I did give her a chop bone and she chewed it til it had pointy ends and I had to throw it away. But I keep hearing about bully sticks.

 

[jesuschick]

Oh! I should have said that I feed twice daily. When they were younger (just up to 5 months) I free fed.

 

[Blue Chi]

Bully Sticks You can get them from pretty much any pet store.

They are literally a dehydrated bull penis.:foxes251: But don't let that freak you out. It doesn't look like one! My dogs love them. In fact, that's what they are getting from Christmas.

 

[carrieandcricket]

I think she would like that. I bet my lab mix Oreo would like one too. And we have success. The retriever feed worked I just added water. I know a lot of y'all say grain-free is best, but she doesn't seem to have a problem with the corn meal. The Retriever Feed from Tractor Supply gave 5 stars. Now just to see how her tummy handles it! I'm so excited!

 

[OzChi]

You said you fed her a pork chop bone - was it cooked? Please only feed raw bones as they can splinter and cause punctures in the digestive tract. Raw chicken wings should be small and soft enough for her to handle.