Expert: Jana Connell RVT, CVT - 3/6/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi Jana,
Hope you still remember me, I asked a question a week ago maybe and you advised that I purchase Hills dry food for my 1 year Pekingese
I remember telling you that we dint have this brand here in Dubai, however; I found it  we are both lucky to find this and believe it or not it all happened by chance
I was just searching for something totally different online and found a pet store that I haven’t been to, called them up and asked what food they sell and they said HILLS!!!!!
Aren’t I a lucky owner just a few days after your advice!
Well I brought it and started feeding my dog, she kind of liked it I could tell since she actually goes to the plate and takes a few bites. Here is the problem just a few bites!!!
She eats so little and I’m not sure if that’s okay, she weighs less then 5g and you can feel her spine, chest bone all over when you carry/pat her!
Please please tell me what to do.
When we eat on the table she cries and jumps and sits there zooming into us just begging for a bit its like we are starving her or something, and my mother can resist but feed her from our food.
I can’t let her feed on this dry food only as she keeps loosing weight day by day.
Am not suggesting to stop it completely but perhaps feed her something else along with it. But what?


Thank you so much for your time again!
Looking forward to reading from you asap

Me

ANSWER: Do not give in to this dog. She has learned bad, bad habits and your Mom is contributing to them by feeding her over and over. If you will not move her to the other room while you eat then you need to put a bowl of her new Science Diet on the table and then you give her pieces of that and that only.

Ask your Mom how long she wants this dog around because if she keeps feeding her table food she won't be around for long.
Put some warm water on her food in the morning and see if she likes it better that way. Mix a bit of the wet food with the water and dry and make a gravy for her.

But under no circumstances can you give in to her. These bad habits have to be channeled or she will get very sick and lose her teeth too. She is only going to eat a few bites a day of the food. Leave out the dry for her to eat. She will eat when she is hungry and the more it's down the more she will nibble at it. 10 lbs is just about right for a female peke. She shouldn't weight 15 or 20 lbs- she would be very obese if she was.

She won't need as much food on the Science Diet because it is so nutrient dense. So her energy needs are met easier with less food. This is what saves you money in the long run.

You really have to change your mindset about needing to feed her "something along with it."  That is what is going to undermine your progress here. So don't do it and tell your Mom she has to stop.

With the bowl of food on the table you can give her a piece at a time. I don't recommend ever letting a dog beg but since you have already started this bad habit the only thing you can do is make sure she eats her own food. She doesn't care- all she knows is that you are feeding her from the table.

If she won't eat the food then she will go lie down and she will lose interest in begging.

So a few bites here and there is fine. Don't give in Sara. Be strong for her. You can do it!!  

Check back with me in a few weeks and let me know how she is doing.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: is it ok to feed her pets dry food even though its not approved by AAFCO?

ANSWER: No it is not okay. There is a reason foods are tested by AAFCO. That is to ensure that they at least meet the standard set out by AAFCO to support a dog's health at the bare minimum.

It sounds like you are determined to feed whatever you want, regardless of all this communication between us. I don't understand why you would do that when your dog's health, longevity and happiness is at stake here.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thats not what i want to do, my worries are driving me to different thoughts and ideas, having a first dog is not easy plus i dont want to make any mistakes. All i do online is researching and reading about dogs.
its like having a first child!
The reason i asked that question is because i tried to find an AAFCO stamp on the Hills pack of food and dint see it, that means its not approved by AAFCO!

Answer
Sara,
believe me, trust me, there is an AAFCO stamp on the bag of food. It's the law. Hill's goes way beyond the stamp which states that the food must be formulated to meet the standards of the AAFCO. Hill's does TRIAL feeding to make SURE the food supports a dog's health for the long term, not just for a bag or two.

They did move the AAFCO label but it is still on the bag. Why are you letting this drive you crazy? There are more important things to worry about.

Which formula dd you buy for her? I will go look at where the label is on that bag and write you back when I find it.