Mixing Kibble With Veggies

[Guest manders4]

I am still preparing to bring my greyhound home, but I want to make sure we have everything in order before she arrives. I have been reading that somewhere around 20-30% protein is ideal for the dogs. I'm thinking of mixing in pureed vegetables with her kibble as I'd like to perhaps slowly transition into a BARF diet. If I'm doing that, would it make sense to get a high protein kibble like Evo as the percent overall will be decreased?

 

I'm interested in people's experience with Innova Evo and with adding veggies into their food as well! Thanks!

[Guest Swifthounds]

I don't have any advice re: kibble and veggies as I'm a raw feeder. Others will help you there. Just wanted to caution you that BARF, which was a fad and all the rage in the 1990s, is not commonly fed by raw feeders anymore because most of it's suggestions have been debunked. Most raw feeders feed what is called prey model raw (PMR) or a version thereof which more closely mimics the diet of wolves in the wild.

[Batmom]

No point in adding veggies to kibble, unless you're wanting to reduce calories fed while maintaining bulk, or just as treats. If you do add veggies, best if they're cooked -- works better than pureeing to break things down to digestible form.

[Guest dee]

I USE EVO FOR MY THREE DOGS...ONE GREYHOUND, STANDARD POODLE AND LABRADOODLE. ALL OF THEM HAVE GREAT COATS AND DO REALLY WELL ON IT. I SOMETIMES PUT A DOLLOP OF LOW FAT, HIGH PROTEIN GREEK YOGURT ON TOP OF THE KIBBLE AND OFTEN ADD FRESH VEGGIES. MICAH (GREYHOUND) IS A LITTLE BIT PICKY ABOUT WHICH VEGGIES HE LIKES....BROCCOLI ROCKS FOR HIM!! IT'S A FOOD THAT HAS WORKS WELL FOR US. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW GIRL!!

[Guest greyhound9797]

Like Swifthounds, I feed raw to my greyhound but my cats are on EVO. It already contains veggies so there really is no need to add more.

 

Why not start your new grey on raw shortly after you get her? There's no need to delay except to possibly feed what she is being fed in a foster home. When you're ready, read the post titled Raw Feeding Basics. http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/242512-raw-feeding-basics/ It's really long but full of lots of good information and questions.

 

Sandra in FL

[Guest Ola]

Another vote for staying away from BARF. This type of diet normally adds a whole bunch of stuff which is unnecessary IMO and can even cause digestive issues. I'm a fan of the simpler raw diet which as Swifthounds pointed out many people call the "prey model". You'll also find that even the high protein kibbles include plenty of veggie matter and carbs (although typically no grains) so I'm not sure I really see the benefit of adding more.

 

I'm not sure that I buy into the "ideal protein percentage" theory that some people seem to have either. I think with anything, a more natural form is easier to digest and process - so with raw if you have the built-in water content, etc. it makes it much easier for the dog to process than the same amount of protein in a processed kibble. You'll probably also find that it varies a lot by dog and depends on actual ingredients used.

[PrairieProf]

Also, know that Evo may or may not work for your hound ... some people here have had good luck with it, some (me included) have had nothing but runny poop. Greys have sensitive stomachs often and if you don't go to raw right off (which might be a fine idea) you may find that finding a kibble that agrees with your dog is the main task -- and may have little to do with your abstract ideas of an ideal feeding regimen! And yes, kibble already has veggies in so there's no benefit to adding more. Lots of us add things like sardines or canned tripe or raw meat on top of kibble sometimes or all the time, if your main goal is supplementing with fresh food.

[Guest manders4]

Thanks for the replies! I hadn't realized the difference in the two raw feeding models. I guess I'll just have to see what works for her. I'll try some raw meat with kibble and see how that works, I guess. Right now she's eating the regular Eagle Pack and the couple times I've picked up after her on a walk, her poop was of the "soft serve" variety. I looked up the food and the second ingredient is corn, so that's not really a surprise! I was thinking that veggies would firm it up some, but I am still in the learning phase, so I really have no idea... :/

[GeorgeofNE]

Sure you can put vegetables in the food! You don't have to puree them! It's a dog, not an infant!

 

Dogs generally love veggies!

[Guest Ola]

Thanks for the replies! I hadn't realized the difference in the two raw feeding models. I guess I'll just have to see what works for her. I'll try some raw meat with kibble and see how that works, I guess. Right now she's eating the regular Eagle Pack and the couple times I've picked up after her on a walk, her poop was of the "soft serve" variety. I looked up the food and the second ingredient is corn, so that's not really a surprise! I was thinking that veggies would firm it up some, but I am still in the learning phase, so I really have no idea... :/

I would suggest that if veggies firm up the poop, it's just a band-aid and there's still something in there that she's not processing well. The veggies most likely to work for that are fibrous ones because it's the insoluble fibre that would help bind poop.

 

My grey never got past the soft serve stools. We tried a bunch of really good kibbles and eventually went to raw - and it was like magic.

[Guest Jubilee251]

If you are going to switch from Eagle Pack to EVO, make sure you do it verryyyy slowly! My pups are currently on the new line of Eagle Pack's Holistic Selects and do great...but when I first tried switching Molly to EVO, she woke up in the middle of the night and threw up and had diarrhea all over the yard. It was horrible, but her tummy just wasn't used to processing so much protein.

[Guest manders4]

If you are going to switch from Eagle Pack to EVO, make sure you do it verryyyy slowly! My pups are currently on the new line of Eagle Pack's Holistic Selects and do great...but when I first tried switching Molly to EVO, she woke up in the middle of the night and threw up and had diarrhea all over the yard. It was horrible, but her tummy just wasn't used to processing so much protein.

Wow, thank you for the advice! We'll have to weigh the pros and cons of Evo and maybe choose a different kibble. I wouldn't mind feeding her the holistic line of Eagle Pack. The only problem I have with the regular line is that corn is the second ingredient and I'd really like to stay away from that.

[Guest Swifthounds]

Sure you can put vegetables in the food! You don't have to puree them! It's a dog, not an infant!

 

Dogs generally love veggies!

 

Nope. Not here. I did have a hound that loved carrots and got whole carrots as a chew treat on occasion. You don't need to cook or puree them as long as you don't expect them to be digested or to contribute anything nutritionally.

 

I would suggest that if veggies firm up the poop, it's just a band-aid and there's still something in there that she's not processing well. The veggies most likely to work for that are fibrous ones because it's the insoluble fibre that would help bind poop.

 

Band-aiding a problem just makes for a "less messy" unhealthy dog.

 

My grey never got past the soft serve stools. We tried a bunch of really good kibbles and eventually went to raw - and it was like magic.

 

That is one great side effect. I had totally become oblivious to the difference until GIG this year. I take one bag out to walk the whole crew.

[Greytlady94]

Until you decide you are ready to make the jump to raw why not try just adding a large tablespoon of pure pumpkin to her food and nothing else. One thing you don't want to do is start jumping around from kibble to kibble, that is guaranteed to screw up the tummy. Be sure it is pure pumpkin not pumpkin pie mix. look here

[Guest Jubilee251]

If you are going to switch from Eagle Pack to EVO, make sure you do it verryyyy slowly! My pups are currently on the new line of Eagle Pack's Holistic Selects and do great...but when I first tried switching Molly to EVO, she woke up in the middle of the night and threw up and had diarrhea all over the yard. It was horrible, but her tummy just wasn't used to processing so much protein.

Wow, thank you for the advice! We'll have to weigh the pros and cons of Evo and maybe choose a different kibble. I wouldn't mind feeding her the holistic line of Eagle Pack. The only problem I have with the regular line is that corn is the second ingredient and I'd really like to stay away from that.

 

I've been feeding their new Holistic Selects line, and according to the bag I have, ground brown rice, white rice, oatmeal, and chicken fat were the next ingredients after chicken meal.

 

Link

[cleptogrey]

are you using the large breed hollistic select or the regular chicken?

 

i have both of mine on it, large breed and duck&oatmeal- sensitive stomach. no complaints. do sign up for their montly newsletter, they include a dated coupon every month.

[Magdalyn58]

We have two greys and a border collie. Our BC has malignant melanoma. We recently switched to a holistic vet and he suggested we add raw green vegetables (that have been processed in the food processor) to their dinners. He said that parsley and watercress are especially good tumor-fighting vegetables. He also said to add chopped up fresh green beans. Our dogs also love carrots, so I throw those in as well. I mix the vegetables in with the cooked, chopped up chicken breasts and that is what they all get for dinner, along with some brown rice on occasion.

 

Dinner time is a huge hit around here.