What do you add to your dog's dry food, suggestions?

    • Gold Top Dog

    What do you add to your dog's dry food, suggestions?

    I would like to add to Ava's dry food, she is on Wellness.  I've tried a few, Nutriss, by Rachel Ray and also the one by Purina, both make her stools a bit runny and I don't like that.  I only put about tablespoon on and then add a bit of water, she likes both.  Any suggestions?  She will not eat it dry.

    Sorry, I should have put this under nutrition, feel free to move it if necessary.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Have you tried adding a teaspoon of canned pumpkin puree?  Most dogs seem to love it.

    • Gold Top Dog
    I usually don't add anything but if I do, it's canned pumpkin. I don't trust most food toppers. The ingreds are such junk.
    • Gold Top Dog

     Water always.  Raw ground venison if I have some.  An occasional raw egg.

    • Gold Top Dog

     I don't usually add anything, but occasionally I will as a treat (usually canned pumpkin).  I personally won't cater to a finicky eater, but that's just me.  The food is what it is, take it or leave it.  Now, I will do special home cooked meals for Ari every now and then.  Her favorite is when she gets chicken giblets and a neck (along with some other stuff). 

    • Gold Top Dog

    I have always added a teaspoon or two of baby food to my dogs' kibble (meat and veg kind). It really bothers me to feed just dry food...can't do it.  I feel like they aren't getting enough moisture and "fresh" ingredients.

    I also will add plain yogurt, pumpkin, or chopped up fresh veggies.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Their kibble is mixed with canned (necessary for Sinbad, so Mozey gets it, too). They also get veggies (this week it's kale, broccoli and carrots) and a bit of liver, giblets or beef heart.

    • Gold Top Dog

    jettababy

    I have always added a teaspoon or two of baby food to my dogs' kibble (meat and veg kind). It really bothers me to feed just dry food...can't do it.  I feel like they aren't getting enough moisture and "fresh" ingredients.

    I also will add plain yogurt, pumpkin, or chopped up fresh veggies.

     

    I kind of feel the same.  My dogs are not picky and will happily scarf dry kibble but when it's warm I worry they aren't getting enough moisture.  I have 6 quart pails of water inside and out but it's like they ignore the water unless *I* am near it (for example, if I go down to do laundry they all follow me and then gulp water from the pail next to the dryer, but they won't just go downstairs on their own and drink).  I put water in their kibble now.  I don't soak the kibble, just add the water as I'm feeding them.  I also like them to have variety so they eat table scraps, leftovers, and occasional raw meat (mostly venison).  I don't necessarily add it to the kibble though, just give them what I can when it's available.

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    Ruby would gobble up plain kibble in seconds, but we always add something to it.  Like Lies said, a little water is always added.  We also mix about 1/4 cup of canned food in there (lately, one of the "stews" from Merrick).   She also gets a sardine or a raw egg a few times a week.  She gets fruits and veggies often (not with her meals but as snacks) usually when we're eating something ourselves or cutting something up for our own meal prep. 

    She's a good eater, and hasn't turned down anything we've offered her.  We like to give her variety, and we switch her kibble periodically, too.

    • Gold Top Dog

    I rarely feed them dry only... when I do they look at me like....Whats up with this Mom???? :)

    I always put water on the food, I often put garlic powder on it, occasionally I put left over soup or stew as a topper.  I have also on occasion put chicken broth or beef broth on their food.

     

    • Silver

    Wellness makes some good canned food toppers, they are mainly meat, so they are tasty to dogs.  Back when I topped Layla's food I would buy those sometimes.

    • Gold Top Dog

     Nothing... but I rarely feed in a bowl. It usually goes into some sort of toy. Luke gets up entirely too early bugging me for food, so I toss it in one of those, and he leaves me alone for a while.

    • Gold Top Dog

     Chicken broth, raw egg (scrambled in a cup first to mix it), olive oil, salmon oil, parsley, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, canned pumpkin, 1/4 teaspoon of minced garlic, basil, yogurt, canned dog food (about a tablespoon), chopped cheese, chopped boiled boneless skinless chicken breast cooled with salt, pepper and minced garlic, ground beef, ground turkey (I sometimes find a package of turkey burgers marked down as they are on their last fresh sale date, so I grab them and freeze them individually, then use one between 2 or 3 dogs, so I use them 2 at a time).

     

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    Freedom
    raw egg

    Freedom
    1/4 teaspoon of minced garlic,

     

    Neither of these should be fed to dogs.  Eggs are fine if cooked. Egg whites contain avidin which depletes biotin.  There's also the risk of salmonella and E. coli. Cooking the eggs eliminates both these problems. 

    Garlic is toxic to dogs. It's in the same family as onion and the amount needed to be considered toxic isn't known.  Google garlic toxicity in dogs. As more and more research is done on different human foods we're finding that not everything we eat is safe for our dogs.  I know that many people feed garlic, in different forms, but I've read enough to believe it's not something I want in my dogs' food or added as a seasoning.   Why take a chance?

    • Gold Top Dog

    I put open a fish oil tab and squirt it over the food (or buy Grizzly Salmon Oil) I also will add sardines, yogurt or cottage cheese, egg, raw beef or turkey... :)  All kinds of stuff!  I agree with those that say they don't like "toppers".