SO . . my question is: What exactly do you feed in the morning?

I ask because mine have become totally disinterested in their morning kibble/canned Pedigree mixture. I've cut the amount I feed in half and even then have to "cajole" them into eating - I wouldn't bother except that 3 of the 4 have to take medicines and need something in their tums!

My latest brainstorm of a solution is to only feed them a little in the evening to see if they'll gobble up in the morning!

Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions gladly received!

Mahalo Nui - Susan

My couch potatoes get about a third of their daily intake in the morning - the rest at night.
Breakfast is a combination of raw meats, usually 80% beef or roo or rabbit, with 20% lamb heart/ox tongue/ofal and a couple of chicken necks on top.

I don't feed any processed food to my dogs.

Ann

Ann

Ann - I've got 4 to feed and I haven't the space to buy in bulk even if I could find a place that would sell bulk to an individual - we don't many choices here - but the weather's fabulous! LOL

I'm lucky -like you I can feed raw very reasonably in the UK - I'd definitely swop Susan's weather with ours tho - it's August and we've had torrential rain and gales for weeks!!!!

Hi Susan

I have the same problem as you that I need to get some food in my old boy for some of his meds ...what's working at the moment (and knowing him that'll probaby change tomorrow) is a chicken sandwich .. no butter etc as he gets colitis from cooked fat, then I can give him his tabs. Meanwhile Tigger the greyhound gets her 1.2lb of raw beef/rabbit/tripe /lamb split between 2 feeds with a dessertspoonful of cooked brown rice and chopped up veg with water and plain yoghurt added to each - being Tigger it all vanishes!

Best wishes

I used to split Doc's daily allowance of kibble with some tinned food between his morning and his evening meals and like you I found he would often leave his breakfast, even after he'd had a walk first. These days after the walk he gets a couple of raw chicken wings instead and he loves those. What was breakfast is now served at lunchtime and again always gets eaten now, as does dinner which is the big meal and is served about 6 p.m. After that he is happy to settle down for the evening and indeed the night.

So he gets three meals a day which suits us but if you don't want to start offering raw to your hounds (which would be quite an undertaking I can see!), how about trying leaving 'breakfast' until lunchtime and seeing if like Doc they have become hungrier then?

Alternatively I'm sure serving the main meal in the morning and a lighter meal later could work, once they get used to the switch. I know that this is how they do it at the RGT kennels Doc came from, and sometimes goes back to for holiday boarding. I'm always assured that he's eaten like a horse when I go and pick him up so he can't have too many problems adapting back!

I cut their food back in the am and try to get them out to exercise if possible but alot of times the mornings just don't allow time for that.

I have been sprinkling parmesan cheese or shredded cheese over their food and that helps. They always love their yogurt so that helps too.
I cut back everyone's amount of kibble in the morning during the summer months any ways.

Susan you can always try cooking like I do. I cook enough for 5 days and keep it in the fridge and a a spoonful to their kibble each meal.
Chicken thighs 4
1 can each of green peas and beans
2 carrots sliced up
1 cup of rice,
a handful of pasta
3 or so cups of water

I bring it to a boil then turn it down and let it simmer for hours until the chicken falls off the bone. Remove the bones and flake the meat with a fork, mix it all up and in the fridge it goes.

Try a small batch and see if it works.

Bobbi

Clare - that's mine to a tee! Maybe I'll just wait 'til late morning or noonish to even offer them anything - the next time I find wings on sale I'll give that a try too - I know they love duck necks - I can get them cheap at the market in Chinatown but it does give them "pudding poops" - I've not yet tried the chicken wings but that would sure be a good "appetizer"!

Scrambled eggs and kibble
Chicken piccata, angel-hair pasta and kibble
Canned dog food (would you believe Cowboy Cookout?) and kibble
Bacon, cheese, tomato and green pepper omelet and kibble
Chicken pad thai and kibble
Grilled hamburger and kibble
Grilled pork chop and kibble
Sausage, mushroom and pepperoni pizza
Spaghetti with meat sauce and kibble
Grilled chicken breast, steamed rice, green beans and kibble
Tilapia, Potatoes Anna and kibble

Star has been living on this kind of diet going on six years now. He weighed 70 pounds when we adopted him and hasnt gained or lost more than one pound ever since. And you can still see his ribs, though my wife is convinced that someday hell suffer a coronary. Am I doing something wrong?

We have one retired (coursing) greyhound who we've had since March. She's not our first dog but she's our first greyhound. She is on a raw/natural diet and her breakfast and dinner are virtually identical:

raw mince (approx 250g)
raw food-processed vegetables (brocolli & carrots)
cooked pasta & rice
handful of Hound mixer biscuits (high oil content)
Moblity herb supplement
Seaweed & Rosehip
Garlic Plus (for parasites)
Hemp Oil (omega 3's & 6's)
Above mixed up with chicken stock

I vary the mince with raw chicken wings, sardines, pilchards, etc.
She looks great on this with a lovely coat and plenty of energy. She gets walked 3 times a day during the week and gets two good walks at the weekend, mostly off the lead and she gets plenty of opportunity to run.

I have noticed that recently her appetite has fallen off in the mornings and she hasn't been finishing off. If I take what she leaves into work with me she will finish it off after I've walked her at lunchtime. She's definitely not sick.

I have simply cut down and given her a much smaller breakfast. I give her milk mixed with water once a day, she loves it and it doesn't upset her stomach. According to my greyhound book trainers and breeders worldwide use milk, bread, and breakfast cereals to feed their dogs, flying in the face of everything I had believed about canine nutrition. Also she loves tea and will drink it out of our mugs if she gets the chance (which she doesn't often). Other than that she doesn't scrounge or steal food.

maybe not Andrew - but isn't that what "retirement" is all about?

you know, lie ins, newspaper in bed, bacon & eggs (I'm talking human retirement here..lol)