21 replies to this topic

[Samantha J]

I don't know if this is the right section to put this but it sort of follows on from Holly's other thread.

I am still trying to get hold of tinned pumpkin but it is looking like it is a hard to obtain item over here. The store that i found that might sell it doesn't.

I am after ideas for vegetable fillers to add to Holly's kibble dinner. She put on some weight a while ago so we reduced her food but i don't think it is filling her up enough. She is now on the same amount as Zac which doesn't seem enough to me. I wanted to try pumpkin but at the moment can't get hold of it.

I was recommended on my other thread to try tinned green beans (runner beans) which i am going to do. I am going to cook some fresh or frozen when i can and try those too.

Both my two get raw carrot as treats which they love, they also have cooked carrot and cooked broccoli sometimes.

I was wondering what other vegetables i could give them that are 100% safe. Years ago i didn't know that grapes were toxic to dogs so i want to check before i start trying different vegetables to make sure they are safe to feed.

So if anyone can pass on any other veg ideas they use to fill up their dogs more i would appreciate it.


Also while i am asking, how about fruit - they have both tried apple and strawberry but that is all.


Thanks very much.

[Samantha J]

Eileen - can you please move this if i have posted it in the wrong place.

Thank you.

[Journey]

Where to start? My crew loves Butternut Squash, Zucchini, Summer Squash, Asparagus, Broccoli, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Apples, Honey Dew Melon, Bananas, Sweet Potatoes, pretty much whatever is fresh at the time.

[Samantha J]

Where to start? My crew loves Butternut Squash, Zucchini, Summer Squash, Asparagus, Broccoli, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Apples, Honey Dew Melon, Bananas, Sweet Potatoes, pretty much whatever is fresh at the time.

Thank you, I have never tried the Squash's myself actually so those are new to me too. I never thought about melon, my dh really likes the Honey dew ones. We always have bananas in the bowl with the apples so i could try them.

Are the sweet potato's better than normal ones?


I should also have asked - are there any vegetables or fruits that are not good?

I know grapes, raisins, onions, garlic are not good but i don't know of any others.

[Journey]

The sweet potatoes are better imo and theirs! They like them raw, sliced and fed like you do the carrot treats.

I buy what I see that looks good, I don't buy Brussel Sprouts - I don't like Brussel Sprouts! Oh and baby spinach, this they really like.

[Samantha J]

Cool , thanks, we like sweet potato's ourselves so i could try them cooked with dinner for her sometimes, that would give a bit more liquid to her food as well. I could also try raw for a snack or training times. I do like keeping the carrots raw for a treat instead of cooked really as they love gnawing on a whole one of those also they are healthier raw.

Oh i love brussel sprouts! lol

[Journey]

Oh, don't forget Yogurt, Cottage Cheese and eggs! And do forget the brussel sprouts!

[Root Beer]

My dogs love smashed up cucumber, and I've also smashed asparagus for them.

When I give them squash, I do steam it.

If you want to give them pumpkin and can't get it canned, you can slice fresh pumpkin, bake it, and make your own pumpkin puree. Of course, you probably won't be able to do that until fall, but you could make up a whole bunch and freeze some for future use.

[JohnLloydJones]

Most vegetables are fine; just avoid Onion. Garlic has long been used in dog food and to prevent fleas -- I understand that whatever is nasty in Onion is present in smaller amounts in garlic and anyway you use so little.

Senneca loves almost any vegetable dish we make, but she absolutely loves broccoli. Pumpkin (the canned stuff) is excellent as a filler and to bind after a tummy upset, but I think whatever squash or marrow you can get would be similar (all need to be cooked, of course).

On the fruit side, Papaya, pear, apple, watermelon, banana, figs, dates; almost anything except grapes/raisins.

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

I know grapes, raisins, onions, garlic are not good but i don't know of any others.

I think that about covers it. Garlic is fine if it's cooked in something. I think it's just the raw, green shoots that start to grow on the ends if it's been sitting too long. At least that's what I remember reading somewhere.....

Any veg that is high in fibre will be a good filler. You'll have a better time finding any of the squash family in the fall and it looks like, where you are, you'll have to go fresh. Pumpkin is the most common of the squash family to be canned, but that is only because people bake with it and I think that's just a north american thing?

I don't know how fruits relate to animals, but I know most fruit will speed up our metabolisim, so if you're looking for fruit to be a "filler", it might not work, but a great alternative as a training treat or snack.

[Journey]

but I think whatever squash or marrow you can get would be similar (all need to be cooked, of course).

No, I feed them raw - puree in the food processor and into their bowls. The melons though they get whole!

[JohnLloydJones]

No, I feed them raw - puree in the food processor and into their bowls.

That's interesting -- I've always thought that the squashes needed to be cooked. Which type do you puree?

[urge to herd]

Be careful of the higher sugar fruits - bananas, some melons. pears. They can add pounds, too.

And with my guys, I had to watch the amount of vegies/fruit they got, because a little too much extra fiber could cause diarrhea.

JLJ and Journey, what I've heard is that vegetables need to be either cooked or ground fine, for the cellulose to be broken up enough for it to be digestible. I know all my dogs used to love it when I steamed winter squashes.

Ruth

ETA: If you can't find pumpkin, I wouldn't worry. Any of the hard shelled squashes will do the same fill 'er up thing, pumpkin is just easy for us in the US, I don't think it's any better than the other squashes.

[JohnLloydJones]

Be careful of the higher sugar fruits - bananas, some melons. pears. They can add pounds, too.

Yes, they only get a taste.

And with my guys, I had to watch the amount of vegies/fruit they got, because a little too much extra fiber could cause diarrhea.

So far, I've not had a problem with that -- but that may be because they don't get much of anything (except maybe watermelon, where my wife sneaks Sennca more than I would give her).

JLJ and Journey, what I've heard is that vegetables need to be either cooked or ground fine, for the cellulose to be broken up enough for it to be digestible. I know all my dogs used to love it when I steamed winter squashes.

At least for the winter squashes (the hard ones) I would think cooking is preferable. Still, Samatha is interested in filler more than nutrition, so as long as Holly will eat it, that would be fine I guess.

[Journey]

That's interesting -- I've always thought that the squashes needed to be cooked. Which type do you puree?

All of them. Though I will steam the Butternut to soften it some.

I've no worry about my crew getting fat quite the opposite

[Samantha J]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I really appreciate all of them.

I was not aware that the squash family was like a pumpkin. I have seen them for sale before but never fancied trying one until now.

I have been reading up on them and one site says the butternut one tastes similar to sweet potato. I am presuming i would only get the summer type ones now though in the shops, i shall see what i can get and try one, for me as well as the dogs.

Do they have the same calming effect as a pumpkin though for the digestion?. That is another reason i wanted to use pumpkin as a filler and also get some canned in incase they have upset tummys.

I do have to be careful what i feed my two and any new food i would introduce gradually and see how they go with it. I will give Zac a little of what i give Holly so he won't feel left out.

The fruit was just for training or a special treat. We have been very careful about what we feed our two and they don't get that much in the way of treats apart from dog biscuits, carrots and the odd dog treat. Sometimes apple pieces and also cooked broccoli.

I have not been training them as much as i would like to lately. They both like to have treats when we train things and i have been using brought training treats that are quite small already but then i break them in half. I have still been worried about feeding too many of those though.

So i was thinking of using fruit sometimes for that as it may be better for them both than those shop brought ones. I would still be careful how much i used though.

Thanks again everyone.

[NorthfieldNick]

Wow, are squash just not a popular veggie in the UK? They are a North American native. Once you try some, though, you may eat it rather than give it to the dogs Our dogs will happily eat the skins after we've eaten the flesh.

I have one dog who is severely allergic to regular potatoes (do you know how hard it is to find dog food without potatoes?!), so my dogs get sweet potatoes (sometimes called yams, although that's a misnomer). You can slice them thin and bake them int the oven until they're dry & crispy (or use a food dehydrator). They make great dog chews! Over here, you can buy bags of them, but it's cheaper to do it yourself. Add a little salt & they make great people chews, too

Wow, do you think I used enough parenthenses in this post?

[JohnLloydJones]

You can slice them thin and bake them int the oven until they're dry & crispy (or use a food dehydrator). They make great dog chews! Over here, you can buy bags of them, but it's cheaper to do it yourself.

Yes, though if you haven't tried baking them before, you need a really low oven temperature to dry them out. Senneca likes them made with the red sweet potatoes best. Watch out for carpet stains! Oh and if you are baking your own, try with carrot, too.

[Samantha J]

Wow, are squash just not a popular veggie in the UK? though, you may eat it rather than give it to the dogs

I don't think they are, i tried our local supermarket this afternoon but they didn't have any there. We have a much larger supermarket a few miles away so i will try there next.

I know we do have them over here as i have seen them, they just have never looked very appealing to me to try before. I don't think they are that popular here.

I have one dog who is severely allergic to regular potatoes (do you know how hard it is to find dog food without potatoes?!), so my dogs get sweet potatoes (sometimes called yams, although that's a misnomer). You can slice them thin and bake them int the oven until they're dry & crispy (or use a food dehydrator). They make great dog chews! Over here, you can buy bags of them, but it's cheaper to do it yourself. Add a little salt & they make great people chews, too

Yes, though if you haven't tried baking them before, you need a really low oven temperature to dry them out. Senneca likes them made with the red sweet potatoes best. Watch out for carpet stains! Oh and if you are baking your own, try with carrot, too.

Thanks, i will have to try these as well. I can get sweet potato's, picked some of those up today.

eta - forgot to add, when i listed what Holly has treat wise earlier i didn't mean she has all those things all the time and everyday. I just meant that is about all the variety of treats they usually get.

[NorthfieldNick]

Hard squash is a fall crop, at least in our temperate climate, so you may not find much of a selection until the fall. Over here, any winter squash around now is imported from south of the equator.

I thought of the low temp for sweet potatoes last night as I was roasting some for us (the people) for dinner