[Patricia A]

Hi Aimee,
Thank you for assuring me that I’m asking good questions and always understandable, researched replies.
I have a questions that I hope you can clear up. I’m getting really OCD about feeding and I do want to calm down about my perfectionism, which as Mike posted, will never be met in feeding “the perfect” food. Hence, I agree with him on some rotation.
So perfect diet or not here is my question. I think I wrote several times that I use kibble as a base. I like to give less and make up their caloric /nutrional needs with the freeze dried.
So I can handle rotation of two. This way I can keep track of brands and their proteins/flavors when rotating and making sure I’m not cleaning up any soft poo or hearing stomach grumbling. Easier when I just had my two. My Hannah passed at 17 1/2 few years back and was only eating kibble with home cooked. Especially toward the end she would ONLY eat home cooked. Dad passed, my mom living with us now and her little Chihuahua also. Luckily she gets along fine and no longer has pain from disc since losing much weight. My mom was filling her bowl with Pepperidge Farm gold fish instead of dog food. Uhhh So with long walks and proper diet she is like a new dog.
So I recently ordered Vital Essentials. Bag says 70kcal per mini disc. Feeding guidelines suggest just ONE MINI PATTIE A DAY for a 6lb. dog. My dogs are approx. 6lbs. Their caloric needs are over 200kcals for their energy level . How in the world would just one disc meet their caloric needs at just 70 kcals IF anyone fed as their daily diet????? I wrote then and this is their response. Can you please clarify. I also use Primal which is 3-4 suggests equate to an ounce which equals 113kcals. So sounds about right that suggestion is for 5-10lb dog they would require 5-9 for full meal. As I said, I only use as topper so only use like 1 1/2 with the kibble.
So my concern is I always make up their calories with the topper. I give less Kibble then suggested for full meal and then figured out approx. needed calories when topping with the freeze dried. I don’t go crazy because they do get divided boiled egg in morning and treat at night etc. But really???? 70kcals fora full meal all day???

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Patricia A.