[Yuelang]

Alright, must admit this originated from private chat in FB, but it got me thinking and I decides to ask here to settle the question in my head, so.

Basically I give Mel Mel raw breakfast almost everyday (due to having a convenient poultry butcher in the neighborhood), but then, I just realize that she basically eat the same thing for breakfast almost everyday, with chicken innards, especially guts, gizzard, and liver, being on the menu every morning.

And just recently, I noticed that my puppy do start to not really eating her breakfast enthusiastically, with more time being spent on them emptying her bowls in the morning compared to how fast she eat in the afternoon.

She get either rice and leftovers, or kibbles for dinner, and the former leftovers admittedly varied from what I eat every particular day and Kibbles reserved for days when I'm not having enough leftovers OR eating outside.

And still, Mel Mel eagerly jump and begged for afternoon once she looked at rice, yet only show little joy comparatively when I feed her raw innards or pedigree kibbles?

Is this normal due to human food do taste tastier than raw food, or are my dog actually get hooked upon human food? As some articles said?

This is what Mel Mel eat this morning btw

Any insights would be appreciated.

 

[TiggerBounce]

Yes, sometimes a dog can become a bit "spoiled" and will learn that they can get away with holding out for the yummier, higher value food. It doesn't necessarily have to be people food, but it often is.

As for what you're feeding her, I think you need to make some adjustments to make it more nutritionally complete. Raw is fine, I feed an all raw diet to mine. The ideal ratio to strive for is 80% muscle meat, 10% bone and 10% liver and offal. It doesn't have to be perfect. But having bone is very important for a puppy that's still growing because that's a source of calcium and phosphorus. Especially if she's beginning to not eat kibble.

As for leftovers, it sort of depends on what it is. With cooked veggies, rice, other grains, fruits, eggs, meat etc. you sort of move into a cooked diet. This is another type of diet that also needs special attention to make sure it's nutritionally balanced. You pretty much have to add a vitamin supplement if you're going to be feeding home cooked. You again run into issues with possible calcium deficiencies. Be careful that what you're giving her isn't too greasy or high in sodium too. If it's not good for us, it's really not good for them either, especially when you consider how small their bodies are compared to ours.

This website has some good home cooked diets you might be interested in: Just Food For Dogs

Here's some info on raw: Practical Answers to Practical Questions About Raw
Raw Feeding FAQ