Hi All, Just dropping by to ask your opinion of whether it is wise to mix kibble and wet food? Specifically I was thinking of mixing a bit of NatureDiet with Arden Grange Puppy food -Of course, I will ensure that the portions in which they are mixed equate to a single healthy serving so as to ensure my puppy doesn't become a fatty. Any thoughts on whether this is wise or not is appreciated. Also, as I understand, after trawling through doggy literature, if you feed wet food your puppy, then one must undertake the task of brushing thy puppy's teeth often. My question is how often should I be undertaking this (currently perilious) endeavour? Up until now I've only managed to brush my pup's teeth once or twice and he is currently 4 months old. What makes the process of brushing so taxing is my pup absolutely loathes the brush!
It's definitely fine to mix kibble and wet food You may have read that it is not ok, but that is just not true. There is no problem with mixing the two. Tooth brushing is a good idea because it is important to keep your dog's teeth clean. You need to use a soft brush (like an ultra soft toothbrush with a small head, or a child's toothbrush) and doggie toothpaste (never human toothpaste). You have to build up to this really gradually. First, don't use the brush but get your dog used to you touching their lip with your finger - touch the lip then give a treat. Next, work on lifting the lip for a treat. Then touching the front teeth. Then the teeth at the side. Next, add a bit of toothpaste to your finger and start again with the front teeth, building up to the teeth further back. Once he's ok with that, start with the toothbrush, but front canine teeth only and just a brief touch. You have to gradually build up to teeth brushing over many days, using lots of nice treats. If your dog seems unhappy with it at any stage then go back a couple of steps. Never use force or restraint of any kind. Just take it really slow Feeding soft, meaty bones can also go a long way to helping keep teeth clean - when the teeth slice through the meaty bone this helps to scrape off plaque from the teeth (by soft meaty bone I mean things like chicken thighs or legs on the bone, or lamb ribs with meat on them, or a whole raw fish....). Tooth brushing is still better though as it's the only way to get under the gum line.
Thank you for the info! Glad to hear it's okay to do so! Will start on the brushing. One have but one more question: is it okay to give my pup uncooked chicken legs or thighs at this age?
