Guest Tildamire Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Hello, First time poster. My husband and I have had our hound, Tilda, for about 1.5 years. She is 5 years old. For the past 6 months or so, we have been trying to find a food that she will like and will also keep poop and gas normal. It's not going well. Have tried a couple of different brands or flavors within a certain brand (transitioning gradually from one to another). We are now on Merrick Grain Free Buffalo and Sweet Potato mixed with a little wet food which Tilda inhaled at first but now, maybe 2 months later... no more. It's a struggle to get her to eat once a day. She came to us with somewhat bad teeth. Her gums are not the best and we are trying to work on improving them with regular gentle brushing and dental bones (which she's bonkers for). My husband thinks the problem is that her kibble could be too hard, hurting her gums when she eats. Other varieties of kibble that we've given her (Canidae, Blue Buffalo) could be crushed with two fingers. Not so with the Merrick. I'm concerned we are transitioning too many times in a short time frame but we just haven't found the right kibble fit for our hound. As you might have guessed, this is our first greyhound and my first dog ever. Curious if anyone has any suggestions on a "softer" kibble that still has some crunch but might not be as abrasive to sensitive gums. Thanks a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamaha_gurl Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Welcome to the forum! My suggestion would be to add a bit of warm water to her kibble, that will soften it up Quote Greyhound Collars : www.collartown.ca Maggie (the human servant), with Miss Bella, racing name "A Star Blackieto" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tildamire Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 We do that already, and add some wet too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feisty49 Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 Do you think her teeth/gums are so bad that even the softest food might not appeal to her? Has the vet looked at her teeth? Maybe she needs some removed. In the meantime, what about using totally canned food rather than a kibble? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tildamire Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 Our vet's already suggested another dental, which we will be scheduling sometime soon. To me, it doesn't seem like she needs any pulled but, of course, I'm not a vet. Bought some new kibble yesterday which she ate right up when I gave her a little sample. So maybe it's just that she gets bored quickly. Maybe my next topic should be about "rotation feeding!" Thanks for the replies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Because you say you've never had a dog, let me be the first to say that you could well be being manipulated! There is no reason to continually switch foods. You end up with a fussy eater if you do. If your dog's mouth is in such bad shape that eating kibble hurts, she is in serious need of a dental. Until such time as that happens, just put some warm water on the food, let it sit for a few minutes (not too long!) and let her eat it. Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Giselle Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 If your dog's mouth is in such bad shape that eating kibble hurts, she is in serious need of a dental. Precisely. I've seen many older dogs (9-14+) whose owners switched them to soft diets because they were "too old for hard kibble". After a good dental and maybe a couple extractions, I've seen these same dogs wolf down Nylabones, Greenies, and, of course, plenty of hard kibble. So, if teeth are the issue, a dental is in order! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest driser Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 Our male GH has a very sensitive system and can get tummy upset very easily. We feed kibble, but when he's not feeling his best and is hesitant to eat we mix in a spoonful of a same brand (also limited ingredient) canned food but in a different flavor to make a coating of "gravy". Ie: we feed Venison/Sweet Potato and when he's not wanting to eat, a spoonful of canned Wild Boar/potato mixed in changes his mind every time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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