What to feed my grey

[kjw2022]

I'm sure this has been discussed a lot but I wanted to start a new one anyway. I have a 2 and a half year old male greyhound, about 68 lbs right now. He retired in July, so I have only had him about 2 months. I have him on Nature's Recipe Grain Free Salmon recipe, 4 cups per day, and zesty paws probiotic supplements. His first poops are generally solid and good looking but then he starts to have some seriously nasty soft ones. Any suggestions on what I should feed him. His racing weight was about 74 and he looks thin so I am also trying to bump up his weight. Any advice would be appreciated!

[MerseyGrey]

You’ll get loads of different opinions on what’s best to feed your dog, but whether you go down the raw / kibble / wet food / mixture route should depend on a combination of what your dog likes and what’s easy for you to manage.

We feed a mid-budget kibble with a variety of treats throughout the day. His kibble is topped with yogurt in the morning and kefir drink in the evening (which he absolutely loves!), and we also use Olewo carrots to help firm his poop up. These are dehydrated carrot pellets which you rehydrate as you need them. We rehydrate 4-5 tbsps of dry pellets, which lasts for a few days. They add fibre which helps the consistency of the poop, but if you add too much it will also increase the volume so beware! 

I spent an awful long time trying to ‘fix’ Buddy’s soft stools before accepting that this is just the way his digestive system works. It might take a little while to establish what your dog’s normal is, and remember that if you constantly change the food it might cause him problems.

[ramonaghan]

It's normal for the poop quality to deteriorate a bit throughout the day, but many of us have had luck with kibble that includes beet pulp to firm up the stool. Popular options here are Iams Proactive Health (aka Iams green bag) or Purina Pro Plan, which has a salmon and rice option in their Complete Essentials line that might be an easy transition for your boy from what he's on. I never thought I'd feed Iams or Purina, but here we are! My dogs have done great on both. Grain-free diets can be controversial because of their possible association with heart problems, and grain is not problematic for dogs the way it is for cats, who are obligate carnivores. As mentioned above, Olewo carrots are a great option to supplement with and are readily available on Amazon.

[Jerilyn]

I'd suggest getting him checked for hookworms if you haven't already. I feel it's safe to say all greyhounds coming from a track or kennel have them these days. If he checks out clear it's just trial and error to find what food works for you both.  Everyone is different, you just need to find something that he does well on and eats eagerly that you feel good about feeding him.

[macoduck]

No to any grain free kibble.
Yes to Iams green bag.
Yes to hookworm testing.

[Houndtime]

I was shocked to see at BJ's this week that the 50 lb bag of IAMs is now $63.  When we started buying it, it was $41.  Inflation really hit me with that.

I have been using a product called, now no laughing, Bernie's Perfect Poop.  It has probiotics, prebiotics and other digestive aids.  I was using the carrots for a long time, but, this stuff really works.

[cleptogrey]

On 10/13/2022 at 3:55 PM, macoduck said:

No to any grain free kibble.
Yes to Iams green bag.
Yes to hookworm testing.

NO GRAIN FREE!!!! IT'S LINKED TO DCM- HEART DISEASE!!!!

either Iams or Purina One or Purina Pro Plan- 27/16(beef is rather savory)

Hookworm testing and look into monthly heart worm meds that will also work on hooks. Interceptor Plus or Iverheart Plus- monthly worming as well as protection from Heart Worm.

[Bee]

We had this exact issue for the first year or so of having Rook, and tried everything from different kibbles to olewo carrots etc. Eventually we switched to raw food, which has really helped. He now has less frequent and far more solid poops. (But this is our experience only- I’m really not qualified to comment on the raw food debate more generally.) However, before doing so, we found that giving him (raw) bone as treats also made a difference. Good luck! 

[AUSgrey]

On 11/30/2022 at 2:22 AM, Bee said:

We had this exact issue for the first year or so of having Rook, and tried everything from different kibbles to olewo carrots etc. Eventually we switched to raw food, which has really helped. He now has less frequent and far more solid poops. (But this is our experience only- I’m really not qualified to comment on the raw food debate more generally.) However, before doing so, we found that giving him (raw) bone as treats also made a difference. Good luck! 

Sounds like he is in very good hands! Could you please tell me which bones and also if you use veg (cooked, raw or both and what kinds)? Also, are you using grains, supplements etc. your positive experience could be so helpful. Thanks so much!

[LazyGrey]

After adopting my greyhound, I tried different commercial foods, introducing them slowly into the food the agency gave me.

He had loose stools to diarrhea, constantly. It wasn't until I started home cooked meals that his stools became normal and they have stayed that way.

And after having several other rescue mixed breed dogs, with cancer, fatty tumors, etc, I decided to see if a good diet could help prevent some of these common issues.

So now the diet is 100% organic and because of this I am very careful how it is all prepared. I steam the vegetables to not over cook them, same with the turkey or chicken.

Every bit of food is weighed carefully.

He is 65 lbs, stays a healthy lean weight without any problem of weight gain and he loves his food.

He gets 12-14 oz. of food twice a day. This consists of 3.5 oz of meat (chicken or turkey, twice a week sardines with an egg)

6oz of A green and yellow vegetable: squash, japanese or purple yams, carrots etc, broccoli, green beans, frozen peas, smaller amounts of kale or spinach.

3.5 oz of a healthy starch like potatoes, oatmeal, quinoa (soak overnight and drain before cooking is important to remove the saponins and improve digestibility)

I put the vegetables into my food processor to chop them up a bit (not to puree them). 

To his food I add an anchovy sardine oil, glucosamine, vitamin and probiotic.

I make his treats: In the food processor I mix up 3 cups ground oats, 3/4 cup of peanut butter and 1 cup of blueberries, banana or pumpkin. Press onto baking sheet, score into small squares, and bake at 220 for as long as it takes for them to dry.

He gets a handful of treats in a normal day. He also gets one Denta Stix every day.

Needless to say, this is not a cheap diet, but if it keeps him healthy. My goal is better health and fewer vet bills.

He recently had his teeth cleaned (it had been 3 years) - no extractions and the vet stated there was very little plaque.

I do brush his teeth with an enzyme tooth paste about 3 times a week and should be doing it everyday..working on that!

Hope this is helpful. This has been his diet for two years and seems to be working well for him. 

[AUSgrey]

On 10/8/2023 at 2:23 AM, LazyGrey said:

After adopting my greyhound, I tried different commercial foods, introducing them slowly into the food the agency gave me.

He had loose stools to diarrhea, constantly. It wasn't until I started home cooked meals that his stools became normal and they have stayed that way.

And after having several other rescue mixed breed dogs, with cancer, fatty tumors, etc, I decided to see if a good diet could help prevent some of these common issues.

So now the diet is 100% organic and because of this I am very careful how it is all prepared. I steam the vegetables to not over cook them, same with the turkey or chicken.

Every bit of food is weighed carefully.

He is 65 lbs, stays a healthy lean weight without any problem of weight gain and he loves his food.

He gets 12-14 oz. of food twice a day. This consists of 3.5 oz of meat (chicken or turkey, twice a week sardines with an egg)

6oz of A green and yellow vegetable: squash, japanese or purple yams, carrots etc, broccoli, green beans, frozen peas, smaller amounts of kale or spinach.

3.5 oz of a healthy starch like potatoes, oatmeal, quinoa (soak overnight and drain before cooking is important to remove the saponins and improve digestibility)

I put the vegetables into my food processor to chop them up a bit (not to puree them). 

To his food I add an anchovy sardine oil, glucosamine, vitamin and probiotic.

I make his treats: In the food processor I mix up 3 cups ground oats, 3/4 cup of peanut butter and 1 cup of blueberries, banana or pumpkin. Press onto baking sheet, score into small squares, and bake at 220 for as long as it takes for them to dry.

He gets a handful of treats in a normal day. He also gets one Denta Stix every day.

Needless to say, this is not a cheap diet, but if it keeps him healthy. My goal is better health and fewer vet bills.

He recently had his teeth cleaned (it had been 3 years) - no extractions and the vet stated there was very little plaque.

I do brush his teeth with an enzyme tooth paste about 3 times a week and should be doing it everyday..working on that!

Hope this is helpful. This has been his diet for two years and seems to be working well for him. 

Thanks so much- that is so helpful and very generous of you to share this. Will be making those treats, for sure. We are brushing Dougie’s teeth each day - we keep the brush by the back door so he gets a water only brush over his teeth and gums up to 3x per day with an occasional enzymatic brush. It wasn’t easy to begin with - he is 9 yo and we’ve only had him for one year, but now he sees the toothbrush and that means either outside or for a walk so he wags his tail at the brush!!!  Love that you feed loads of well chopped veggies! If too chunky, they aren’t digested well! Is the anchovy/sardine oil by Nordic Naturals? Dougie does not do well on salmon oil… thanks again for taking the time to respond. 😊

[LazyGrey]

Great idea on the tooth brushing! Tooth brushing was going well for us until he bit me today while brushing his teeth. He has past biting issues and I could have seen this coming -

he was laying down, and I had to talk him into coming in to the kitchen to brush his teeth...so he really didn't want to. My daughter works for a vet and said to just put the enzyme tooth past on the dental chew and let it do the work. I am going to try this, because honestly I'm not willing to risk it again. 

I'm glad the food info was helpful!  Just make sure you are giving enough calories for your dogs weight and to weigh every thing - every time to make sure 

he is getting enough and the right proportions. It is not the easiest way to feed a dog and certainly not the cheapest, but I feel good about it and he loves the food. And he's been consistently healthy. 

It costs me about $150 a month to feed him on this diet. Also, because I live alone, I have a notebook in his bag with feeding instructions along with all his quirks for my kids in case someone else has to take care of him, since changing a diet drastically can cause major issues.

What we do for these strange dogs!

Yes, Nordic Naturals on the sardine/anchovy oil.

[AUSgrey]

Thank you again - such valuable advice. Sorry you were bitten. We get warned with a growl when Dougie is displeased but he is generally good humoured and we have so far avoided a snap!!! 

[Bee]

On 9/26/2023 at 2:21 AM, AUSgrey said:

Sounds like he is in very good hands! Could you please tell me which bones and also if you use veg (cooked, raw or both and what kinds)? Also, are you using grains, supplements etc. your positive experience could be so helpful. Thanks so much!

Sorry I am so late with this response. We use raw bones only to avoid splinters. Beef rib are his favourites although lamb cutlets work well too. We just avoid marrow because while he likes licking out the marrow he doesn’t chew on them at all. If you’re in the UK, have a look at the Cotswold Raw selection. 
 

No grain in his food although he tries to scavenge a slice of bread or a piece of croissant from me at any available opportunity and as a treat within a generally raw diet it doesn’t seem to be a problem. 

[AUSgrey]

On 11/19/2023 at 5:08 AM, Bee said:

Sorry I am so late with this response. We use raw bones only to avoid splinters. Beef rib are his favourites although lamb cutlets work well too. We just avoid marrow because while he likes licking out the marrow he doesn’t chew on them at all. If you’re in the UK, have a look at the Cotswold Raw selection. 
 

No grain in his food although he tries to scavenge a slice of bread or a piece of croissant from me at any available opportunity and as a treat within a generally raw diet it doesn’t seem to be a problem. 

Thank you - we’re in Victoria, Australia so we have access to quality free range meats/bones. Dougie had teeth extracted before we adopted him so we are keen to keep those that remain in good health. Will be interesting to see the results of the dry fed v raw/home cooked analysis by Wylie Vet Hospital  https://experiment.com/projects/who-has-more-health-problems-raw-or-dry-fed-dogs