Re: Am I doing this right?
[Re: Kelsie Chandler ]
#338581 - 07/14/2011 02:47 PM |
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Ok so this morning I gave Macy a couple of oz. of meat. Then for her 2nd meal I gave her a chicken wing quarter... pretty much just the wing, and the smaller wing part. Took her forever to rip through the skin to get to the meat... She was doing really well and getting down to a smaller piece, which I was going to take from her and throw away so that she didn't choke on it, but when I reached out for it she chomp chomped swallowed on me!!! It's ok for her to eat that whole thing, right? Her tummy acids will break it down, right? I know if it's too big she'll likely throw it up, but I'm a little nervous. She's got a good set of teeth in there, and she's had a time or two where she didn't "chew" her food enough and when it went down she yelped in discomfort. So I'm thinking she's learned her lesson, but... Now I'm nervous about the cornish game hens... Are they too small for her? Just bought two... one in the freezer, one thawing out in the fridge. I guess I would just leave them whole, huh? No need to cut up a tiny little hen...
I mean this chick is am.bi.tious.!!!!
Kelsie Chandler & pups |
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Re: Am I doing this right?
[Re: Kelsie Chandler ]
#338585 - 07/14/2011 02:58 PM |
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Yes, she'll be fine. She processed the food to a point where it fit down her throat. That's all dog's are aiming to accomplish by "chewing". She didn't learn a lesson, she accomplished a goal.
Cut the Cornish hen into a meal size portion. Hand it to her and walk away. It is OK, and preferred, that you can see her while she eats, but you don't even need to be in the room. If she doesn't know you are watching, even better.
What you've described in this thread doesn't sound like a gulping I'd worry about. The couple times she yelped, she just swallowed a piece that was too big. Hell, i do that every now and then. If she was choking, there wouldn't have been any air for a yelp.:wink:
That last meal sounds like a success to me.
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Re: Am I doing this right?
[Re: Michael_Wise ]
#338589 - 07/14/2011 03:38 PM |
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Close your eyes and picture a wild Shih Tzu, hunting for prey on the savannah.
It would be catching and eating baby birds, frogs, small lizards, mice, and the scraps left over from bigger predators. All of which it would gobble up in about two bites.
As Michael says, dogs' teeth and stomachs are evolved to consume hunks of carcass reduced only small enough to get down the throat. They don't grind food before swallowing; they don't even have any molars.
Cinco | Jack | Fanny | Ellie | Chip | Deacon |
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Re: Am I doing this right?
[Re: Michael_Wise ]
#338597 - 07/14/2011 04:25 PM |
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Yes, she'll be fine. She processed the food to a point where it fit down her throat. That's all dog's are aiming to accomplish by "chewing". She didn't learn a lesson, she accomplished a goal.
That last meal sounds like a success to me.
Love the way you said that! She absolutely accomplished her goal! And I do think the last meal was a HUGE success... maybe for both of us!
And Tracy, I could definitely see this little girl chasing down tiny prey. She's super smart and adjusts well to everything so well. Should have known she'd be better at this than me!
Thanks guys! I hope this thread helps other toy breed puppy owners! I'm excited to watch her grow.
Kelsie Chandler & pups |
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Re: Am I doing this right?
[Re: Kelsie Chandler ]
#338598 - 07/14/2011 04:27 PM |
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I'm sure it'll help others.
I know how hard it is to come up with individual meals for a 15 lb. dog. Can't imagine one smaller.
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Re: Am I doing this right?
[Re: Michael_Wise ]
#338603 - 07/14/2011 04:50 PM |
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Re: Am I doing this right?
[Re: Tracy Collins ]
#338616 - 07/14/2011 08:52 PM |
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Re: Am I doing this right?
[Re: Kelsie Chandler ]
#338617 - 07/14/2011 08:54 PM |
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Did I do that right?
Kelsie Chandler & pups |
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Re: Am I doing this right?
[Re: Kelsie Chandler ]
#338642 - 07/15/2011 06:45 AM |
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Perfect. Couple of very cute and happy pups!
Cinco | Jack | Fanny | Ellie | Chip | Deacon |
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Re: Am I doing this right?
[Re: Kelsie Chandler ]
#341873 - 08/17/2011 12:16 AM |
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When I started feeding raw to my Shih Tzu puppies I fed chicken necks and wings for the most part. They had a hard time eating them whole, so I used to chop them with a cleaver into mushy chunks to encourage them to at least chew them up a little bit, they used to work on chunks for a few moments before swallowing. My show dog LOVED her raw food, but her brother could take it or leave it...they are still the same to this day (12 yrs later)
These days I am feeding Johnnie (the former show dog) Primal nuggets, she LOVES them, but prefers the cat food variety...LOL The chicken and salmon is her fav. I don't argue with the old lady. Besides, I always joke that Shih Tzu are more like cats anyway.
By the way, I used to buy 40 lb boxes of chicken necks or wings and then divide them into freezer bags to defrost when needed. SOOOO Much cheaper. I got them from a local Poultry warehouse/distributor.
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