Barbara, don't know how long the vomiting has been going on, but get the impression it's been a few days at least? I think it's time for a vet visit. I doubt it's the food and it wouldn't be because she's picky. Sounds like something else is going on.

Sandy, she has always had this tendency. The vet says she is healthy, she has good energy, is never lethargic, she checks out well. I try to keep food available for her, the vet commented once that she thinks she has a fast metabolism and to feed her less amounts more often. She seems to go for a while and I don't notice the vomiting, then she will hit a spell and I notice it again. I did recently change her kibble to the Canidae, she doesn't care for it. I was feeding her Royal Canin but was not feeling real good about the food. I tried Nutro for a while, she ate that better.

She doesn't vomit her food, it is always when she seems to have an empty stomach. If she eats and keeps food in her stomach she doesn't do that. I am wondering if she needs a low glycemic diet, no grains, more protein.

I am taking my pup to the vet on Thursday. I will mention this to her again.

I was at Walmart today and picked up some ground turkey. I added some to my dogs kibble this afternoon. She loves it! Hopefully, we can continue this way.

 Quote: Barbara Fisher

I was at Walmart today and picked up some ground turkey. I added some to my dogs kibble this afternoon. She loves it! Hopefully, we can continue this way.

In what kind of proportion? If the boneless meat is significant, then calcium has to be considered. Or do you mean just a little bit to flavor the kibble?

This won't work with THK? That would be a much better combo, IMO, than kibble with raw meat.

I mixed a little bit into her food to try it, to get her used to it. She very much does not like THK so I wanted to try it with the kibble first. I will gradually add more and decrease the kibble. Maybe I will even try a different kind of THK and see if she will eat that better. Then I can mix that with the raw. I am encouraged that she liked it so well.

How long should I wait until I introduce the raw with the bone in? Is a week of the ground/boneless enough time to acclimate her?

 Quote: barbara fisher

I mixed a little bit into her food to try it, to get her used to it. She very much does not like THK so I wanted to try it with the kibble first. I will gradually add more and decrease the kibble. Maybe I will even try a different kind of THK and see if she will eat that better. Then I can mix that with the raw. I am encouraged that she liked it so well.

How long should I wait until I introduce the raw with the bone in? Is a week of the ground/boneless enough time to acclimate her?

Gotcha. My dogs like Force.

I doubt that it will take a week for the dog to accept digestible bones now that she loves ground poultry.

I went back to the beginning and saw that you were going with THK to give you more confidence with raw feeding. Lots of people use that "bridge" until they feel that they have learned the ins and outs of raw feeding. What I would do is put a little Force in a different consistency from how you made the one she disliked, and then I would sprinkle/spread the raw poultry over the top.

See what happens. Raw meat can make even kibble look good (as you saw) to a dog.

And remember that you can always go raw all the way. With a sensitive-stomach dog, you simply add every ingredient slowly, a bit at a time (and one at a time), so that you can assess her reaction to each one. Especially fat and organ meat, you ease into each item of a balanced diet.

Personally, I think that a smooth and gradual transition trumps "balance." Balance is something to achieve over a week (or even more), and not necessarily in one day.

JMO.

 Quote:

I went back to the beginning and saw that you were going with THK to give you more confidence with raw feeding. Lots of people use that "bridge" until they feel that they have learned the ins and outs of raw feeding. What I would do is put a little Force in a different consistency from how you made the one she disliked, and then I would sprinkle/spread the raw poultry over the top.

That is a good idea, I will do that. I have the Thrive version of THK. Honestly, it smells awful. LOL My pup likes it, but she eats anything I put in front of her. Maybe I will try the Force.

I had tried mixing it into her kibble, and giving it to her alone with no kibble. She totally refused it when it had no kibble, and would only eat it in the kibble when she was very hungry. I only tried giving it to her by itself the one time. I am not sure how to present it now, maybe with more water so it is more of a gravy.

I hope to eventually go raw once I get the hang of it all.

 Quote:

Personally, I think that a smooth and gradual transition trumps "balance." Balance is something to achieve over a week (or even more), and not necessarily in one day.

Yes, I agree. A few days or a week or so of not feeding a completely balanced diet I don't think will have any true effect. My main objective is to find an excellent food she will eat, that will bring her great health. And, I think it will eliminate her throwing up because she won't have the empty stomach.

At least now I have a place to start since she really went for the raw turkey. I usually have to leave her food down for a bit, maybe 20-30 min., so she will keep going back to it and finish. She had this bowl of food gone right away.

Also, I agree 100% with the vet's advice for this particular dog of small frequent meals.

And I would put just a bit of the THK (gravy-texture is good) in the dish. See what happens when it's just a little coating under the good new thing.

Texture is often a challenge.

For example, I have had to start more than one adult with ground poultry because of a suspicion about the texture. (I know that was it because of the reaction after I ground it. After the dog knew he liked the meat, the un-ground texture was fine.)

My dogs salivate when they smell THK. One of them hated it at first, though.

I needed them to like it; I wanted it to be my travel food. So I took it slow and did exactly what I am suggesting to you.

And don't worry; if the THK is hopeless, then a slow intro to 100% fresh raw will be very doable. You have found out what she likes: real food!

Yea, I am pretty jazzed that she liked it so well.