We recently had a vet come speak to our club. Cottage cheese is a no- no according to her, except in VERY small quantities on very rare occassions. The reason is that dogs need to get a very specific balance of calcium and phosphorus or they will have problems. Because it is easy to find calcium rich foods versus phosphorus rich foods, they can easily get out of balance.
As far as raw, she said that if you have time to make it balanced overall, go for it. But she said that most folks do not have that kind of time, so find foods without artificial preservatives, and obviously if your dog has food allergies, avoid the allergens (most common are wheat, corn, etc). My kids get a tablespoon or 2 in the AM of Nutro canned foods with their Missing Link Plus vitamins. One dog is very skinny and the other tends to gain weight easily, so I adjust accordingly. In the afternoon, they get 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Natural Balance (venison and rice) or Natures Recipe (Toy breed) dry kibble mixed with 1/4 a can of green beans and juice. They get the 1/2 cup if they haven't trained that day and 1/4 cup if they have. Training treats are high value when it comes to nutrition, so I reduce their food accordingly. The green beans are for added fiber to help them feel more full. My male will eat constantly, so I need to help him feel full. Then they will occassionally get a Kong filled with goodies or a bone of some sort in the evening before bed. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Something is new at Yahoo! Groups. Check out the enhanced email design. http://us.click.yahoo.com/kOt0.A/gOaOAA/yQLSAA/MJOolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> " Lets talk about our wonderful little friends! Join today! " Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
