Adding veg to Staffie diet.

I pretty much feed Ti Amo on a dry complete food, and he eats it fine. Chappie. Yes, it may sound like a boring one, but I have had so many people sing it's praises, and he is looking good on it.

Just recently, and almost by accident, I discovered he has a real penchant for most vegetables, and even some fruits.

I have began adding a bit of raw carrot and raw Brocollli to his diet, and he loves it.

Anyone else here have a dog that likes veg, and is there anything I should avoid?

Steve

Dempsey loves carrots & cabbage.

As long as you treat them as treats & not part of his food, there's no problem. If it's to be part of his food you'll need to either cook them (losing most of the nourishment) or pulp them.

Frozen Carrot, Moo loevs it! Xx

Caryll wrote:Dempsey loves carrots & cabbage.

As long as you treat them as treats & not part of his food, there's no problem. If it's to be part of his food you'll need to either cook them (losing most of the nourishment) or pulp them.

Why?

I cubed some raw carrot last night, gave him less of the dried mixer, and that seemed to go down well.

janey wrote:Frozen Carrot, Moo loevs it! Xx

Like a sort of ice lolly?

x

I just get the cheap bags of pre sliced carrots, chuck it in the freezer and she gets them as treats

well my 2 often get grated carrot mixed with their grub..they also love cooked pumpkin ! And they often nibble on a raw carrot or apple.....Whatever left over vegies I have from tea they will eat. ( except I never ever give them onion !! )

vanessa wrote: well my 2 often get grated carrot mixed with their grub..they also love cooked pumpkin ! And they often nibble on a raw carrot or apple.....Whatever left over vegies I have from tea they will eat. ( except I never ever give them onion !! )

Yeah, onion can apparently be toxic.

Mine has tried a bit of cucumber and tomato - seemed to like both.

Fruit is maybe not such a good idea, due to sugars.

Ti Amo Edinburgh wrote:

Caryll wrote:Dempsey loves carrots & cabbage.

As long as you treat them as treats & not part of his food, there's no problem. If it's to be part of his food you'll need to either cook them (losing most of the nourishment) or pulp them.

Why?

I cubed some raw carrot last night, gave him less of the dried mixer, and that seemed to go down well.

Dogs can't digest raw veg unless it's pulped. Something to do with them not being able to break down the cellulose. Cooking breaks it down for them, but loses a lot of the nutrients. Pulping breaks it down & retains all of the nutrients.

If you give them raw, un-pulped veg as part of their food, they'll be taking in less nutrients & may suffer from deficiencies as a result.

would I be better off grating the apple?? They only have a piece every now and then, and they have a ball they roll around and food drops out, so I put bits of apple and carrot in that.. ( Jethro is just getting too homely to put biscuits in it !! ) They only eat apple maybe once a week..

They can have it any way they like it! But if it's a part of their food ration, then it should be pulped.

As something to keep them occupied, or as a treat, it's no problem having chunks etc.

Caryll wrote:

Ti Amo Edinburgh wrote:

Caryll wrote:Dempsey loves carrots & cabbage.

As long as you treat them as treats & not part of his food, there's no problem. If it's to be part of his food you'll need to either cook them (losing most of the nourishment) or pulp them.

Why?

I cubed some raw carrot last night, gave him less of the dried mixer, and that seemed to go down well.

Dogs can't digest raw veg unless it's pulped. Something to do with them not being able to break down the cellulose. Cooking breaks it down for them, but loses a lot of the nutrients. Pulping breaks it down & retains all of the nutrients.

If you give them raw, un-pulped veg as part of their food, they'll be taking in less nutrients & may suffer from deficiencies as a result.

Oh.

Not what I had hoped.

Oh well.

But that shouldn't stop you giving them raw veg as a treat, most of them really love it!

Plus, any food processor will pulp veg, so you could add some to their food!

Caryll wrote:They can have it any way they like it! But if it's a part of their food ration, then it should be pulped.

As something to keep them occupied, or as a treat, it's no problem having chunks etc.

thanks Caryll !!

On a similar theme, sort of, a women who keeps Bullies told me (and I haven't really done it), that adding a tablespoon of porridge oats to your dog food is v good for it, however, you must reduce some of it's other food.

Harvey loves frozen carrots as treats as well

The occasional bit of white fish can also be good, I believe.

Not frozen and on a stick!

Ti Amo Edinburgh wrote:On a similar theme, sort of, a women who keeps Bullies told me (and I haven't really done it), that adding a tablespoon of porridge oats to your dog food is v good for it, however, you must reduce some of it's other food.

I've heard that, too, but I don't think there's any evidence to support it. Cereals in general aren't particularly good for dogs.

An ex used to feed her Bullies on tripe.

Suffice to say she is an EX, ha ha -

Seriously, I know many favour it for dogs, but it is ...just WRONG!

I also used to give mine a bit of plain pasta, from time to time, but there seems to be mixed thoughts on feeding pasta to dogs, as well.

Ti Amo Edinburgh wrote:
Seriously, I know many favour it for dogs, but it is ...just WRONG!

Why?

Polly will eat Bananas, apples, pears, watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, mint, chives and anything else she can eat from the garden or fruit bowl. We often give her frozen chunks of fruit to eat when it has been hot to help cool her down but usually give them as treats and not part of her meals. All of our dogs get any of our leftovers mixed into their meals though.

At my previous home we used to grow a lot of fruit and vegetables and had an orchard. My then dogs used to literally help themselves to strawberries and take apples of the lower branches. My dog even liked banana sandwiches!

I had a dog (a GSD) who would regularly take an apple out of the fruit basket every night. He'd take it to his bed & daintily chew all around until it came to the core. Then he'd bring the core to me & dump it on my lap!

I give mine carrots, peppers, cucumber, bananas, strawberrys, melon well any fruit really. They are great as low calorie treats and cheap too though they sometimes make a mess with the carrots! Bananas are their favourites!

Milly will eat any fruit, salad or veg we not found anything she will not eat her fav is a small cherry tomatoe she plays with it doe 5 mins then eats it one went under the telly stand once and she nearly brought the telly over trying to get under for it.

Caryll wrote:I had a dog (a GSD) who would regularly take an apple out of the fruit basket every night. He'd take it to his bed & daintily chew all around until it came to the core. Then he'd bring the core to me & dump it on my lap!

now that is cute !!

Not when there's a slobbery chewed apple core on your lap!

Caryll wrote:Not when there's a slobbery chewed apple core on your lap!

Caryll wrote:

Ti Amo Edinburgh wrote:
Seriously, I know many favour it for dogs, but it is ...just WRONG!

Why?

The SMELL!

Ti Amo Edinburgh wrote:

Caryll wrote:

Ti Amo Edinburgh wrote:
Seriously, I know many favour it for dogs, but it is ...just WRONG!

Why?

The SMELL!

If you feed it raw, the smell isn't quite so bad. Not too bad, anyway. Well, slightly better than cooked!

Caryll wrote:

Ti Amo Edinburgh wrote:

Caryll wrote:

Ti Amo Edinburgh wrote:
Seriously, I know many favour it for dogs, but it is ...just WRONG!

Why?

The SMELL!

If you feed it raw, the smell isn't quite so bad. Not too bad, anyway. Well, slightly better than cooked!

I wouldn't wear it as an aftershave, let's put it that way.

Ti Amo Edinburgh wrote:

Caryll wrote:

Ti Amo Edinburgh wrote:

Caryll wrote:

Ti Amo Edinburgh wrote:
Seriously, I know many favour it for dogs, but it is ...just WRONG!

Why?

The SMELL!

If you feed it raw, the smell isn't quite so bad. Not too bad, anyway. Well, slightly better than cooked!

I wouldn't wear it as an aftershave, let's put it that way.

I should bloody well hope not!

My boy loves fruit but my girl doesnt