Is sweet potatoe a good filler for dog food?

MistyG. · 12-20-2007, 02:46 AM

I am trying my dog on new dog food, and some people here recommended some kind of filler with the the new food such as green beans with no sodium or pumpkin. My girl Pepper, likes sweet potatoe, is that okay to feed her with her dog food? She gets only a small tablespoon with her food. If not sweet potatoe, what else can I mix in with her food to help her eat.
She is a shitzu overweight by 10lbs and blind.
She won't eat the dog food without some kind of "normal food" taste. I am starting to exercise her more, but she went 5 days without eating last week, and hardly moved so I fed her some bones and things but I need some help, getting her on this dog food.
Please give me any good ideas I can mix in with her regular dog food.
I have her on Innova. Thanks!
It's hard for her to exercise since she is blind she is very timid, and she will not even walk out the front gate of our house. She will only walk around the house and the backyard, she can't run anymore, and her weight is really hurting her legs.
Thanks again!

Misty

poodleholic · 12-20-2007, 05:53 AM

Poor baby! Unfortunately, sweet potatoes will put weight on your dog. What food are you feeding her? You could grate some parmesean cheese on top of her kibble, or, get a food roll from Natural Balance (like doggie heroin!), and grate a little of that over her regular food.

Try soaking her kibble in some low sodium, low fat chicken broth, to entice her to eat.

Lowfat cottage cheese mixed in with her kibble.

Poached chicken breast, shredded with a fork while still warm, and mix with the kibble.

Good luck to you!

the-tenth · 12-20-2007, 07:55 AM

A spoonfull of nonfat organic plain yogurt does wonders for my picker eater. She also loves an egg in her food.

Annamarie · 12-20-2007, 01:42 PM

sweet potato is fine to feed dogs, it's healthier than rice filler that most dog food has in it.

if she's not eating you could try switching her to a wet food. unfortunately if she's not exercising you'll have to limit her portions.

MistyG. · 12-21-2007, 12:06 AM

So who do I believe? The person who says sweet potato is good for dogs or bad?

Willowy · 12-21-2007, 12:36 AM

I don't think anybody said it was BAD, just that it will put weight on her. So just don't give her too much, and if you notice that she's getting fatter, cut back a little.

poodleholic · 12-21-2007, 03:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MistyG.

So who do I believe? The person who says sweet potato is good for dogs or bad?

Sweet potatoes aren't bad (my dogs eat them weekly), but they will put weight on your dog. Since your dog is a good 10 lbs. overweight, and doesn't get much exercise because she's blind, you need to find foods that are less fattening to entice her to eat.

Equestiana · 12-21-2007, 01:27 PM

We've got a picky eater here as well. What works best for her is chicken broth. She adores it! Turns her not so yummy food into delicious food that she would eat all day.

MistyG. · 12-22-2007, 05:55 PM

GOOD NEWS!!!!!

I am so proud, we mixed in Pepper's favorite treat with her new Innova food, and she ate the whole plate! We bought these things called "Treat Umms" chicken and sweet potato flavor and she loves them! Here's the link for their website
http://www.healthypetfoodsinc.com/treatumms.cfm

The lady at the pet store recommended her to be on Innova Large Breed Senior even though she is only 2 years old because she had very little activity in her day. So she seems to like that with the treats. Does anyone else feed the Treat Umm's treats?
She seems to really like it, but then again this is her first meal, hopefully she will eat it everyday!
Positive thinking!
Here's the link to the Innova food we feed her, I hope this is okay for her.
http://www.innovapet.com/products/default.asp?id=1261