Mixing Rice/Vegetables in Dry Food?

**Kingston** · 09-10-2009, 09:46 AM

So I've been feeding Kingston Purina Pro Plan (http://www.proplan.com/products/Chic..._DryPuppy.html) for a while now mixed in with boiled rice, boiled veggies (carrots, beans) and pumpkin. I was adding chicken or turkey (boiled) as well to his food but I started to take that out yesterday. He's turning 7 months old on Friday. He gets 2 cups in the morning and 2 cups at night mixed in with a 2 spoonfuls of the rice & other stuff. His weight is approximately 50-55 lbs (I think).

Is it healthy for him to be eating this in addition to his dog food? If I don't mix it in he will barely touch his dry food - he's always been a picky eater with it.

Should I cut out the rice/veggies? I've been thinking of putting him on a strictly RAW diet but I have not researched enough about it yet. Any suggestions otherwise?

Thanks for all your help!

**Kingston** · 09-10-2009, 10:12 AM

Oh and before anyone gets mad at me saying Pro Plan is a bad food, I've tried tons of other kibbles - Blue Buffalo, Innova, etc but Kingston always has loose stools on these higher end dog foods (I guess they are too rich/high in one ingriedient for him to digest it properly).

**Michele** · 09-10-2009, 10:20 AM

He's a good looking dog. :) I feed Royal Canin and I add only veggies to my dog's food.

**raoh** · 09-12-2009, 03:12 PM

its very likely that those veggies and rice will go to waste. Who knows if dogs can digest it due to their different (and shorter) digestive system.

**MJandFERN** · 09-12-2009, 03:20 PM

At night I add in a small amount of brown rice and carrots to both my APBT and Chihuahua's food...it's more like a treat than anything else...even thought I've read both can be very good for them...I've been doing this for awhile and I haven't seen anything negative from it...

**Mollie's Nana** · 09-12-2009, 04:12 PM

Depending on what veggies you're feeding, like carrots & green beans, they are fine. I would either cut out or greatly reduce the rice. There is more than likely rice in the kibble you are feeding, and adding more is just a filler and unnecessary.... unless you're running low on kibble and trying to stretch it out. There are probably enough fillers in the kibble that you shouldn't have to add another one. Usually, I think that brand has a lot of rice, barley and oatmeal. If you can get him to eat it with just the veggies, I would do that. Corn is just another filler and probably already in the kibble, so I wouldn't add that.

Have you tried adding one spoon of a high end canned food to his kibble. I use Merrick Before Grain sometimes, but I only add one spoon to the bowl, and Mollie and Bella love it. Merrick BG is a little high at $2 per can, so you might want to go with something else, but be sure to read the label. The reason I like Merrick BG is because it only has two ingredient, 100% meat (chicken, beef, turkey, Salmon) and water for processing. If I am going to use canned, that's the only one I will buy. Luckily, I've gotten mine to eat just dry kibble. Every now and then I will throw in some green beans or carrots, but for the most part, they will eat it dry.

Just remember, your dog will eat when he gets hungry, he won't starve. He's only picky because he knows if he holds out, you will add the good stuff to make it more tasty. Dog food is very bland, has no salt in it and not a wide variety of flavor. We make them picky eaters by adding "people food" to it, which has a high sodium content. Have you ever tasted a dog biscuit? It's very bland and tasteless, but dogs love them. Mine will beg for dog biscuits like they are made from prime rib... but they are bland and without taste.... dogs don't have the palete we do, but we give them a taste for it by feeding them people food. I've done it myself with Mollie, and it took me a long time to break her from it. Bella has no table food other than frozen green beans, carrots, bananas, strawberries, and a little peanut butter (mixed with banana and her meds) and stuffed inside a kong with several bites of kibble. You would think it was heaven to her, and it's Salmon flavored kibble, mixed with PB & banana... sounds gross to me... but then again, so does cat poop. :p

**Victoria** · 09-12-2009, 08:20 PM

Ok, its been entirely too long since I've really studied kibble to be as much help as I would like to be. BUT, I have copied the ingredients list for pro plan chicken and rice at the bottom of this post in case it helps others.

If I was feeding this food, I would not add any carbs to it - so no rice, no potatoes, oatmeal, etc, and limit sugary veggies like carrots. It already has plenty, including an awful lot of corn, and brewers rice, which is nutritionally pretty much worthless.

I would add fresh meat, like that boiled chicken or turkey you were feeding, or any other meat you happen to have, so long as it is good quality meat. So beef, pork, lamb, fish, etc... I would stick to no more than 2 tablespoons per day with his kibble, to avoid digestive upset. And keep adding the pumpkin, so long as it is plain pumpkin and not the stuff for making pies. Its great for digestive help.

I would suggest you speak with a natural pet food store about the issues he had with the quality foods like Innova. They will be able to help direct you to a good quality food that will work for him.

Ingredients of the purina pro plan puppy:

Chicken, brewers rice, poultry by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole grain wheat, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), whole grain corn, corn bran, dried egg product, animal digest, calcium phosphate, fish oil, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, calcium carbonate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.
Q-4458
Manufactured by: Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, St. Louis, MO 63164 USA
Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Pro Plan Chicken & Rice Formula Puppy Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for the growth of puppies, females in stages of gestation and lactation, and maintenance of adult dogs.

**bullimom** · 09-12-2009, 11:39 PM

I give Hemi and Sasha a little buit of white rice in their dry food. makes them eat it all! lol Want them to grow strong! They eat Intimidator! We LOVE IT! Hemi actually had a huge sore/blister that popped up when he got bitten by a dog pincher/bullweavel/ ear wig (all the names for it) . It just wouldn't heal and then we changed him to Intimidator! IT HEALED IN 1 MONTH!!!!!

**buddysmom** · 09-12-2009, 11:57 PM

Originally Posted by bullimom

I give Hemi and Sasha a little buit of white rice in their dry food. makes them eat it all! lol Want them to grow strong! They eat Intimidator! We LOVE IT! Hemi actually had a huge sore/blister that popped up when he got bitten by a dog pincher/bullweavel/ ear wig (all the names for it) . It just wouldn't heal and then we changed him to Intimidator! IT HEALED IN 1 MONTH!!!!!

I will try to find a great site rating dog foods that I used to go to. Couldn't find it with a google search. I'll get back with you.

Michele would remember ... Hey Michele!?

**Zoe** · 09-13-2009, 01:46 AM

Canned tripe is another good thing for picky eaters.

**Kingston** · 09-14-2009, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by Mollie's Nana

Depending on what veggies you're feeding, like carrots & green beans, they are fine. I would either cut out or greatly reduce the rice. There is more than likely rice in the kibble you are feeding, and adding more is just a filler and unnecessary.... unless you're running low on kibble and trying to stretch it out. There are probably enough fillers in the kibble that you shouldn't have to add another one. Usually, I think that brand has a lot of rice, barley and oatmeal. If you can get him to eat it with just the veggies, I would do that. Corn is just another filler and probably already in the kibble, so I wouldn't add that.

Have you tried adding one spoon of a high end canned food to his kibble. I use Merrick Before Grain sometimes, but I only add one spoon to the bowl, and Mollie and Bella love it. Merrick BG is a little high at $2 per can, so you might want to go with something else, but be sure to read the label. The reason I like Merrick BG is because it only has two ingredient, 100% meat (chicken, beef, turkey, Salmon) and water for processing. If I am going to use canned, that's the only one I will buy. Luckily, I've gotten mine to eat just dry kibble. Every now and then I will throw in some green beans or carrots, but for the most part, they will eat it dry.

Just remember, your dog will eat when he gets hungry, he won't starve. He's only picky because he knows if he holds out, you will add the good stuff to make it more tasty. Dog food is very bland, has no salt in it and not a wide variety of flavor. We make them picky eaters by adding "people food" to it, which has a high sodium content. Have you ever tasted a dog biscuit? It's very bland and tasteless, but dogs love them. Mine will beg for dog biscuits like they are made from prime rib... but they are bland and without taste.... dogs don't have the palete we do, but we give them a taste for it by feeding them people food. I've done it myself with Mollie, and it took me a long time to break her from it. Bella has no table food other than frozen green beans, carrots, bananas, strawberries, and a little peanut butter (mixed with banana and her meds) and stuffed inside a kong with several bites of kibble. You would think it was heaven to her, and it's Salmon flavored kibble, mixed with PB & banana... sounds gross to me... but then again, so does cat poop. :p

I know, I know. I just feel terrible when he just smells his dry food, walks away and goes and lays down upset. It's hard to watch him not eat. I also don't feed him ANY table scraps at all. He NEVER gets human food unless its in his meal or peanut butter in his bones/kong.

I'll look into getting the Merrick BG or just try mixing the kibble with the boiled veggies. I remember I did once get a canned pro plan but it gave him the runs a little bit. Maybe I was adding a bit too much...

Thank you for your help!

**Michele** · 09-14-2009, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by buddysmom

I will try to find a great site rating dog foods that I used to go to. Couldn't find it with a google search. I'll get back with you.

Michele would remember ... Hey Michele!?

I think this is it:
http://www.pitbull-chat.com/showthread.php?t=2713

**Kingston** · 09-14-2009, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by Michele

I think this is it:
http://www.pitbull-chat.com/showthread.php?t=2713

This Flint River Ranch stuff seems to be amazing? Never heard of it before..:confused:

**The Riddler** · 09-14-2009, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by Kingston

Oh and before anyone gets mad at me saying Pro Plan is a bad food, I've tried tons of other kibbles - Blue Buffalo, Innova, etc but Kingston always has loose stools on these higher end dog foods (I guess they are too rich/high in one ingriedient for him to digest it properly).

How long has Kingston been on these food

**TiggerToo** · 09-14-2009, 08:47 PM

My dog is a slow eater but I moved back in with my parents. Yeah and they have a dog and he is no longer a slow or reluctant eater. But I did mix in raw egg with his kibble, that got him more excited to eat his kibble. So try the raw egg, I think it would be better for the dog then veggies. Dogs really dont need rice and veggies.

**Kingston** · 09-15-2009, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by The Riddler

How long has Kingston been on these food

Which food? The pro plan? If so, for quite a few months now - maybe 3.

**The Riddler** · 09-15-2009, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by Kingston

Which food? The pro plan? If so, for quite a few months now - maybe 3.

Purina is not my choice of food.... You gotta give your dog the same food for around 6 weeks to know if it does good for him. Switching foods all the time is a no no. It might be one of the reasons he gets the runny stools. With all the work you do by adding stuff to your food now, you might consider raw feeding. good luck

**Kingston** · 09-18-2009, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by The Riddler

Purina is not my choice of food.... You gotta give your dog the same food for around 6 weeks to know if it does good for him. Switching foods all the time is a no no. It might be one of the reasons he gets the runny stools. With all the work you do by adding stuff to your food now, you might consider raw feeding. good luck

I wasn't just switching on and off. I kept him on blue buffalo for a while and the runny stools kept coming. The richness/high protein was what was affecting him I believe.

I am just now trying Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover's Soul and I've been mixing it in solely with his old kibble to wean him off that and he seems to love it and I haven't seen any runny stools. I didn't even add any extras except for a couple pieces of carrot and pumpkin...no rice or corn.