good deal | merrick's hungry dog

Our former foster dog was a seriously aggressive chewer.... he could get through most bones within an hour.


So, I thought I'd try Merrick's Hungry Dog grab bag to see if it would last us longer than investing in a handful of bully sticks/rawhides/chews.

It is considered a "grab bag" so you'll never get the same mix twice. Our bag was a pretty good mix of one snoozle, tons of texas toothpicks, one small flossie, two corporal caps, and what looked to be ears  :


It wasn't a great deal, but it was a good deal at $9 via heartypet. Bestbullysticks also has them at $10.

getting canned

aka - crash course in wet dog foods.

Puppy is not yet on a raw diet. I have been preparing his portions each time I shop for my shibas, but I am waiting for my grinder before I begin him on his new diet. He just turned 4 months old, and still has a mouth full of razor sharp puppy teeth.

In the meantime, I've been feeding him wetted kibble mixed with canned foods... soup really.

A lot of people advise the use of canned foods be the same as kibble (slow transition, etc) - and that is sound advice.
Except, I didn't follow it.

And it turned out OK.

What I do is take his normal portion of kibble and add approximately 2 tablespoons of a canned food, some warm water, mix and serve. Yeah, it is a bit more than his package-printed serving, but he's a growing puppy.
- A basic rule of thumb, especially in raw feeding, is to feed your dog the amount you would feed him at his adult weight. It comes to about 5-8% of his current weight while growing (depending on the weight), which ultimately 2-4% at his adult weight. [eg. a 25lb adult dog will get 0.5-1 lbs of fresh/raw food a day, at 2-4% of his weight. A puppy that may only be under 10lbs at 12 weeks, but is determined to be about 25lbs as an adult should get 0.5-1 lbs of fresh food daily]

Back to "getting canned" - either he has a stomach of steel, or changing cans on a tri-daily basis (a few tablespoons at a time) won't cause stomach upset without transition. If you've had a different experience, post a comment - we all learn from each other!
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A note about consistency:  Canned foods seem to have three different consistencies..
1. Cubed.

This is Merrick Wilderness Blend. Buckley was actually less inclined to chomp the cubes in an amongst his kibbles, but ultimately he did.This type of food comes packed with gravy, which helps when mixing with kibble.

2. Semi Solid.

This is Nature's Logic Venison Dinner. Buckley can't get enough of this food! It has the perfect consistency to mix in with kibble.

3. Spam-Solid.
I don't have a picture of this, but if you've fed anything like Tripett's Green Tripe you'll know what I mean. It is s-o-l-i-d in the can... that you have to scrape it out (and with Tripett specifically, its just. not. pleasant!). Like a stinky carving station..
For this consistency, I think its actually better to serve it separately from the kibble, lest a choking hazard should present itself.

RECALL - Merrick Beef Filet Dog Treats

The FDA issued a warning about Merrick Beef Filet Squares. If you still have the resealable package, check for a "Best By 11/19/11" date — those batches may be contaminated with Salmonella. To be on the safe side, if you're not sure when you bought the treats, discard!


Luckily no illnesses have been reported yet — the bacteria was caught in a routine inspection in December — but be careful when handling the treats (to discard them), remove anything else they could have contaminated, and thoroughly clean any containers, too.