MeShell

New member
Jan 27, 2016
33
2
Minnesota
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Mavis
Here's the scoop, every store bought food we've bought for our Mavis in the past has given her allergies. We tried so many brands/flavors/proteins we decided to try strictly home cooking. Once we transitioned her skin cleared up so well and she practically stopped itching all together! We even were getting a lot of compliments on how good she looked for a bulldog - lol!

Here is the issue... it seemed like it didn't matter how much we fed her, she was always hungry. She would be begging for food every chance she got and she NEVER would beg before we did home cooking. So we tried a mix of home cooking and kibble and she’s back to itching. Urg.

So - my question is... are we missing something in the home cooking and she trying to tell us she needs nutrients? Maybe we need to add more of something as a good filler to help her feel full? We don't want to over/under feed her but we also don't want to be woken up in the middle night because she's hungry.

She's 55 pounds.
Here is the home cooking ratio we use: 1/3 ground turkey, 1/3 white rice, 1/3 veggies (carrots and peas). Plus a couple of supplements - calcium (linked below) and Solid Gold SeaMeal supplement.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002AAO2M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Any advice would be welcome! Thank you!!!
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
Staff member
Community Veteran
Jul 28, 2011
48,580
3,672
Gilbertsville, PA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
I tagged a few members that may be able to help out

good luck!
 

Hankster

Well-known member
Community Veteran
Aug 27, 2016
4,496
88
Country
US
Bulldog(s) Names
hank
Just for the heck of it.... Look up Honest Kitchen, Grandma Lucy's, Sojo's and just see if you think any of those ingredients would bother her. We've used all three and just add our turkey, or beef or???? to the mix. I was afraid of solo home cooking but I know it can be done. So far, mine has no apparent allergies so this has been good for us but you might see something in one of those feeds and not the other that may make it easier for you.. They also have w/or w/o grain and since yours does fine with rice, you might go that route. Just some thoughts. Also, if you do stick with all your own, add some organ meat once or twice a week ???
 

cefe13

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2013
3,714
205
Country
Sweden
Bulldog(s) Names
Castor (2013-2021 RIP)
Interesting - Castor has seemed much more hungry on raw than on kibble, even losing weight although he ate a lot. We are now trying Orijen kibble to see if that will 'fill' him better. Looking forward to seeing what replies you get!
 

Hankster

Well-known member
Community Veteran
Aug 27, 2016
4,496
88
Country
US
Bulldog(s) Names
hank
Ya know, same actually for us with the Honest Kitchet etc... I have started adding a scoop of his origen/accana mid day to see if that helps... it sure does and he sleeps through the night more comfortably it seems. So he still eats his morn and eve meal, just the added midday kibble seems to sooth that almost anxious hunger.
Interesting - Castor has seemed much more hungry on raw than on kibble, even losing weight although he ate a lot. We are now trying Orijen kibble to see if that will 'fill' him better. Looking forward to seeing what replies you get!
 

cefe13

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2013
3,714
205
Country
Sweden
Bulldog(s) Names
Castor (2013-2021 RIP)
Ya know, same actually for us with the Honest Kitchet etc... I have started adding a scoop of his origen/accana mid day to see if that helps... it sure does and he sleeps through the night more comfortably it seems. So he still eats his morn and eve meal, just the added midday kibble seems to sooth that almost anxious hunger.

Oh, now you make me think that Castor's nightwalking might be hunger?! Will consider adding a mid day or afternoon snack! Thanks for posting!
 

helsonwheels

Well-known member
Jan 10, 2016
13,065
2,367
Alberta
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Nyala, Jake (R.I.P. Duke)
Here's the scoop, every store bought food we've bought for our Mavis in the past has given her allergies. We tried so many brands/flavors/proteins we decided to try strictly home cooking. Once we transitioned her skin cleared up so well and she practically stopped itching all together! We even were getting a lot of compliments on how good she looked for a bulldog - lol!

Here is the issue... it seemed like it didn't matter how much we fed her, she was always hungry. She would be begging for food every chance she got and she NEVER would beg before we did home cooking. So we tried a mix of home cooking and kibble and she’s back to itching. Urg.

So - my questionis... are we missing something in the home cooking and she trying to tell us she needs nutrients? Maybe we need to add more of something as a good filler to help her feel full? We don't want to over/under feed her but we also don't want to be woken up in the middle night because she's hungry.

She's 55 pounds.
Here is the home cooking ratio we use: 1/3 ground turkey, 1/3 white rice, 1/3 veggies (carrots and peas). Plus a couple of supplements - calcium (linked below) and Solid Gold SeaMeal supplement.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002AAO2M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Any advice would be welcome! Thank you!!!

Nyala has been on Home Cooking over a year. I do it 2 ways. And yes its a dog and they can eat till they drop so DONT feel guilty!

One thing is get rid of your rice. That can also trigger allergies. So I boil a massive turkey with the organs if it comes with it and top with water. Once cooked I debone it n get rid of the fat. I add in the broth green &yellow string beans, sweet potatoes, lima beans, green peas, carrots. I ziploc all in medium bags and freeze them. I take one full cup of turkey (turkey has higher protein) pack bottom of bag. Add 3 cups of your semi-cooked veggies. Never overcook your veggies or its useless in vitamins, then top with your broth. Each bag is for 2 meals. Note they will not drink a lot of water cause its moisture not kibbles. Also yes you give them a multi vitamin. You can even give them regular centrum vitamin. NOT for senior or women or men just the regular one. During the day, Nyala gets fruits like half of apples, pears, berries, mangos, etc etc. Her other snacks are dried up....liver, duck salmon, bison etc. And lately cause im busy with my business she gets honest kitchen. I still try to do her baggies and keep some frozen. She's a healthy furball.
 

oscarmayer

Have Bulldog Will Travel
Staff member
Jan 20, 2016
4,433
1,683
VA
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Lala, Chesty, Winky, Waggles, Moose, and rescue Peggy(soon to be placed)
Never met a bulldog that wouldn't stop what they're doing and eat. Never met a bulldog that would leave food in the bowl unless they were not feeling well. If her ribs can be felt and not seen and she has a waist then you are doing a fine job of feeding. She's playing you like a fiddle. She can do this because she knows how much you love her.
 

helsonwheels

Well-known member
Jan 10, 2016
13,065
2,367
Alberta
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Nyala, Jake (R.I.P. Duke)
Never met a bulldog that wouldn't stop what they're doing and eat. Never met a bulldog that would leave food in the bowl unless they were not feeling well. If her ribs can be felt and not seen and she has a waist then you are doing a fine job of feeding. She's playing you like a fiddle. She can do this because she knows how much you love her.

You're too cute! You always put a smile on me! :2thumbs:
 
OP
MeShell

MeShell

New member
Jan 27, 2016
33
2
Minnesota
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Mavis
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #11
Thank you all for you responses - you are a wealth of knowledge! I'll keep you posted on what we decide and if it works.

:thanks:
 

Hankster

Well-known member
Community Veteran
Aug 27, 2016
4,496
88
Country
US
Bulldog(s) Names
hank
???? Just wondering how it's going :)
 
OP
MeShell

MeShell

New member
Jan 27, 2016
33
2
Minnesota
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Mavis
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #13
???? Just wondering how it's going :)

Good - thanks for asking! Right now we are doing 2 meals of the home cooked (with less rice) and 1 meal of raw food. Primal. Its seems to be helping A LOT. She still it kinda itchy, but with spring upon us in Minnesota it's hard to tell if it's seasonal allergies or maybe the rice or the raw food. She is obsessively licking her paws less as well.

So the plan is to finish up what we have stocked up for home cooked food (since my husband and I are personally not fans of ground turkey) and transition her to either strictly the raw food she's on or do the 1 meal raw and 2 meals with Fromm or something.

It'll be a work in progress but so worth it! The things we do for our bullies - right?? She's gonna eat better than me. :blink:
 

Hankster

Well-known member
Community Veteran
Aug 27, 2016
4,496
88
Country
US
Bulldog(s) Names
hank
It is funny isn't it " the things we do for our bullies" ;) I just got mine his turkey cooked up for the week and packed and frozen.. I /well hank and I love the primal... I also watch for 2 for 1 sales on raw food at my 'healthy pet pantry' and stock up some on that as well and so Hank also eats, frozen raw, some freeze dried raw, mostly Honest kitchen preference or kindly w me cooking up his protein, and also I have acana on hand for his lunch meal... also just added pork and peas Fromm to midday meal as we have on hand as Josie the Chi eats that ;) I know some aren't real big on rotation etc,,, but so far, it's worked for us :) Your new diet looks great ..
Good - thanks for asking! Right now we are doing 2 meals of the home cooked (with less rice) and 1 meal of raw food. Primal. Its seems to be helping A LOT. She still it kinda itchy, but with spring upon us in Minnesota it's hard to tell if it's seasonal allergies or maybe the rice or the raw food. She is obsessively licking her paws less as well.

So the plan is to finish up what we have stocked up for home cooked food (since my husband and I are personally not fans of ground turkey) and transition her to either strictly the raw food she's on or do the 1 meal raw and 2 meals with Fromm or something.

It'll be a work in progress but so worth it! The things we do for our bullies - right?? She's gonna eat better than me. :blink:
 

Lalaloopsie

New member
Apr 18, 2016
1,628
34
Cape Town, SA
Country
Belarus
Bulldog(s) Names
Tank
Seems like you made your choice, but I would like to add my 2 cents - I wonder what was the total amount of home cooked food you gave your dog? May be it was not enough? For sure, natural food is less nutrient dense. But I don't believe that your dog will do better on any of kibble with allergies. Any food we tried, it just gave him more allergy issues. He was covered in sores, interdigital cysts, rotten nose rope, bald back etc. And now I home cook for half a year and not going back to kibble. 95 percent of our problems is now solved.
But concerning amount, I had an interesting discussion with one vet, he told me that bullies who are fed home cooked food can get up to 1/10 of their weight! That means for my dog who is 23 kg, up to 2,3 kg food per day. Ratio of meat:grain was recommended 1:5 (but personally I use boiled potato, as grain seems to have more allergy potential than potato). And I increased amount of food, now my boy gets food 3 times a day and every meal I give him includes 300 gram of boiled beef and 300 gram of boiled potato, so he gets around 600 gram x3 equals 1 kg 800 gram of food a day. A lot!
Irrespective of what you decide, one thing is very important to add - fish oil with high content of EPA and DHA, very important for skin. Good luck with your baby!
 

Most Reactions

📰 Latest posts

Members online

No members online now.
Top