Intro and a Question

Sassy_Cassie

Hey there!  We just adopted Fraggle, an older standard poodle mix.  He joins me with my husband and our two year old son and it's already like he's been a part of our family for years.  The vet estimated that he's little older than 8 years (what the shelter estimated him as) but he's in great health other than the desperate need for a teeth cleaning and a cyst that needs to be removed.  

So the question.  He seems to have difficulty with crunchier treats and food.  The shelter was feeding him science diet and we obviously want to transition him away from that.  I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion or any insights about which of the top rated food might be a little softer for him.  Pixy suggested I look into a raw diet and I'll do some research but honestly (and I admit I know absolutely zero right now) it might be a bit out of my comfort zone.  

darkling_glory

I'm not sue of a softer hard food, but you can always find a food you like and then soak it for 5-10 minutes before giving it to him. Just mix in some water and let it sit. 

I really like doing this (we got into the habit after Dozer had a tooth extraction) because then I know that he's getting water as well. And for some reason my dog thinks it's a treat and goes crazy for it.  

callitcompulsive

I agree with darkling--find a decent hard food and let it soak in a little bit of water to make it softer for the dog to chew. I had to do this for my cat when he had his tooth extraction and cleaning a few years ago. But in the meantime, maybe do some research into a wet food to mix into the dry, or do wet in the am and dry in the pm, something like that.

Congrats on your new addition! It gives me the warm and fuzzies to hear someone adopt an older animal!

LuckyAngel07

PPs have great suggestions if you go the dry kibbly route.

If you decide to look into raw more, there are several of us here that feed a prey model raw diet. I've gotten over a lot of my initial squeamishness in handling raw meat (I used to HATE it when my mom asked me to help her peel the skin off chicken breasts). There are some great sites to check out, too, if you're ever interested!

kellbell1919

Did the vet do a full dental exam? I'd be worried he has decay that is causing pain.  I also don't feed raw bc I'm a vegetarian and it Squicks me out.  What about feeding wet food and mixing some dry in?

Also thank you for rescuing a senior and for involving your child in seeing the benefits of rescue at a young age.  Both are hugely important and mean a lot to those of us who do rescue.  ( not to mention your new dog!)

jen812

Welcome. Great suggestions by pps. The only thing I would add would be to mention that your vet may find a tooth that needs to be pulled when doing the cleaning. That may be the cause of his chewing troubles. I had a dog who had this problem. Once it was pulled, she was back to her old self.
Congrats in your new addition. Pictures please.

M6girl

I feed all raw (or mostly raw) and get it from a company called Blue Ridge Beef. They grind up all their meats so it's very soft and they can swallow it without chewing. 

Canned food is another option as well. 

Sassy_Cassie

Thanks for the advice!  

Here he is the day we brought him home. 


After we had him groomed. They had to cut his fur very short because he was super matted.

wlfpkbride

I don't have any new suggestions. I just wanted to say congrats on the new addition!