[sokel]

Can anyone sort out a difference in opinions here
We have a very picky dog here that can go days without eating more than a handfull of food she will eat green tripe though
She is only 14 months old and fit and healthy in every other way, it seems her line has tendancies to be picky
Can green tripe be used as a complete diet for a dog ?
I personally feel that it needs to have stuff added so the dog gets all the vitamins and minerals it needs for a healthy diet

[doganjo]

I would agree.  I have a picky puppy too, she gets tripe but I add a handful of kibble too, and mix it well in.  tri[pe can be used as part of a  completely raw diet too

[sokel]

We have tried adding a bit of complete into it and if she picks any up she spits it out onto the floor  the only biscuits she does eat is iams cat food if she manages to pinch any.
 She will eat raw beef/ lamb rib bones but won't touch raw chicken on or off the bone. Pork bones and meat goes straight through her
I tried adding seaweed and garlic to the tripe but she won't eat it with either in.
She will on a very odd occasion eat cooked vegetables and the odd bit of cooked pasta but that's very rare

[doganjo]

IS she very underweight for her breed/age/height?  If not I shouldn't worry about it.  I worry about my pup as I prefer pups to have a wee bit of roly poly till they're about a year - easier to take off than put on (except in my own case!  )

[sokel]

She is a bit leaner than I would like to see her but everyone says she isn't thin.
The Crazy thing is she will turn her nose up at stuff in her dish but she will steal it when its not hers

[doganjo]

I used to have one, Graham, that ate for two days then starved herself for three - i lost track of when I should put food down for her so the others got fat at her expense sometimes  They all evened out eventually.

[Mammyshaz]

Some dogs are just like that, eat one day, skip a few and eat again. I find smaller portions than you would normally feed help them eat a bit more often ( not necessarily each mealtime ) whereas a large meal puts them off for a few days. There is a new paste on the Market for dogs off the feed. It is by Arden Grange. Never used it but heard very good reports.
Obi the GSD is very fussy and skips meals, he is VERy lean because of it but very healthy so I don't worry now he is fully grown, I do put a spoonful or two of 'natures diet' in which he is more eager with than just dry food but still misses the odd meal.

As to your question, no, tripe is not balanced and she is likely to suffer poor health at some stage if that is all she eats.

HTH

[in the hills]

Our Flattie is a really fussy eater. I used to mix a tablespoon or so of wet cat food into his dry food ..... he loved it. Or an egg stirred through. He is much, much better now that he is competing with a food obsessed lab.

As a young dog he carried no weight at all but think it's easier that way than trying to keep weight off a greedy thing like our lab! I have to really watch what she is having and she still carries more than I'd like for a young dog.

They do seem to love a bit of wet cat food .... is it the smell? Maybe that would persuade yours to eat?

[sokel]

Thanks, That was my opinion, Hence the reason I am trying to get her to eat other stuff and why I tried adding seaweed etc.
Raw egg on the biscuits gets her to eat maybe half a dozen Biscuits then she licks the egg off them, Tried adding more egg and she gets bored and wont even eat the egg after that.
Tinned cat food isn't really an option as we have a cat that gets really ill if she eats a tiny amount of it so we tend to never have it in the house
Jade is on 4 meals a day just to try and get little and often into her. Her biggest problem she is distracted so easy
she can start eating and even something as simple as a Goat shouting will stop her eating so she can go and investigate. Once she is distracted she wont eat any more

[doganjo]

I've managed to get Missy to eat small dog kibble with scrambled egg and cheese mixed through it.

[sokel]

I've managed to get Missy to eat small dog kibble with scrambled egg and cheese mixed through it.

Will give that a try , she has not ate a thing today !

[Mammyshaz]

  Are four meals a day perhaps putting her off more? I'd be tempted to offer her those small meals only morning and night which may encourage her to eat the full small meal each time. It won't look much for a days feeding but if she is offered it and starts eating eagerly each mealtime then you can up the contents. I would imagine she is still digesting one meal when the next is being served so doesn't feel much like eating it. It can take up to 7hours for the stomach to empty from a meal. 

I know what you mean by distractions, Obi is nearly three and that's his mealtime problem half the time, too damned nosey for his own good    He is getting better, at one time the household had to come to a stop and sit quietly at dog mealtimes    some people would be shocked at how small his two meals are but I find any more and he is put off, he loves his titbits and treats still, but I keep them to a minimum. He is the first GSD I have ever given our leftovers to but he loves even a tiny bit on top of his meal and if it keeps him in the routine of eating a meal then he can have it.

[sokel]

We actually put her onto 4 meals because with 2 meals we where actually getting less into her than what one of the yorkies eats in a day 
On 4 meals she  eats about just over half that Millie the American cocker eats  in a day:-\

[doganjo]

  Are four meals a day perhaps putting her off more? I'd be tempted to offer her those small meals only morning and night which may encourage her to eat the full small meal each time. It won't look much for a days feeding but if she is offered it and starts eating eagerly each mealtime then you can up the contents. I would imagine she is still digesting one meal when the next is being served so doesn't feel much like eating it. It can take up to 7hours for the stomach to empty from a meal. 

I know what you mean by distractions, Obi is nearly three and that's his mealtime problem half the time, too damned nosey for his own good    He is getting better, at one time the household had to come to a stop and sit quietly at dog mealtimes    some people would be shocked at how small his two meals are but I find any more and he is put off, he loves his titbits and treats still, but I keep them to a minimum. He is the first GSD I have ever given our leftovers to but he loves even a tiny bit on top of his meal and if it keeps him in the routine of eating a meal then he can have it.

I was told to cut Missys meals down - she just ate less.  I also put her in her cage to eat with one of the other dogs' dish right beside hers.  She lays down and watches them eating.  She has bags an bags of energy - never ever stops! But she's too skinny for me to show her.  I'd have the RSPCA after me if i went down to any of the English shows 

[silkiechick]

Mine have tripe most days