# Can't chew - any food suggestions?



## mel2mdl (Sep 7, 2008)

My little Oscar recently lost his eye due to a dog fight. (My brother was babysitting and his dog snapped at him - got ONLY his eye, unfortunately.  ) Anyway, at the vet the dog would only eat cat food. Finally they got him to eat wet dog food. I picked up some Natural Balance, cause he's had that before with no problem.

Well, he won't eat that anymore either. He really wants his chicken, but cannot chew it, even when I cut it off the bone. He just gets exhausted and frustrated. I don't have a way to grind up his food, or I would.

Any suggestions on a strong smelling, healthy alternative? I have a store that sells different types of pre-packaged raw, and am willing to that for him as well. He ate a bit of the Stella and Chewies patties, but stopped recently again. Poor guy - he's only 15 pounds and lost a full pound during this ordeal.


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## MrTroyHouse (Jun 4, 2011)

We just bought a meat grinder for $50 at Harbor Freight. They have them online too: Search results for: 'meat grinder'.


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

If you are looking for a food/meat grinder I would HIGHLY suggest looking on craigslist!! Around here GOOD old ones(ya know the GOOD reliable ones) go for like MAYBE $30:biggrin:


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

I would be more interested in knowing why he can't chew. Are you saying he chewed fine until the incident with the other dog? If this is only after the accident, I suspect he still has an injury that hasn't been discovered yet either to his jaw or inner mouth. If this is not new, then forget what I said, I'm full of it. :smile:


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

thanks for bringing that up....bill, i was wondering that myself..

the trauma of losing an eye can be damaging to the psyche and maybe your dog is in enough pain that he doesn't want to eat...pain does that...

or

is there damage to the mouth or neck too? what did your vet say about that....

if you have a hammer or a mallet, you can take a drumstick or a chicken breast frame and smash the heck out of it....and see if he'll eat that..

i hesitate to suggest that you feed him by hand, for you cannot feed the bone and that's what he wants....

i would try smashing the bone in piece of chicken...and if he cannot eat that, i'd be going back to the vet to look for further injury to gums, teeth, jaw, or neck...


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## Kess (Jun 20, 2011)

Mel2mdl, I’m so sorry about what happened to your dog. I hope he is feeling better soon! I just started doing my own raw now, but I have used Stella & Chewys frozen patties in the past. My dog seemed to like them the first few times and then refused to eat them. Then I switched to the freeze-dried patties and she liked them much better. As stated, smashing or grinding the chicken and bones probably will be the best for him. Hopefully your boy will start eating his chicken again!

MrTroyHouse, I’ve been searching for a good meat grinder because I would love to make my own patties and freeze them for when we travel with our dog. Is the one in the link you provided capable of grinding chicken bone?


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

Kess said:


> Mel2mdl, I’m so sorry about what happened to your dog. I hope he is feeling better soon! I just started doing my own raw now, but I have used Stella & Chewys frozen patties in the past. My dog seemed to like them the first few times and then refused to eat them. Then I switched to the freeze-dried patties and she liked them much better. As stated, smashing or grinding the chicken and bones probably will be the best for him. Hopefully your boy will start eating his chicken again!
> 
> MrTroyHouse, I’ve been searching for a good meat grinder because I would love to make my own patties and freeze them for when we travel with our dog. Is the one in the link you provided capable of grinding chicken bone?



does your dog have trouble eating whole bones? like drumsticks or backs?


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## Kess (Jun 20, 2011)

So far she can handle chicken bones great. She didn’t do as well with a pork rib I gave her the other night. She tried and tried and then starting getting frustrated and barking at the rib, lol. I had to cut the meat off and give it to her that way (she loved the pork, btw). 

But - I was asking about a grinder because I want to make my own my patties for when we travel with our dog, not for everyday. Or, more so when we don’t take her with us on vacation and leave her with someone. I think it would be a lot easier for whoever is taking care of her for the week. I already know that nobody I know will be willing to feed her raw chicken pieces and such, so if I can make my own with a grinder I know my dog will be getting what she needs and it won’t be asking too much of someone else to just put a premade patty in her bowl.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

You know, I'm wracking my brains trying to remember something, somewhere I read or heard It was something about some nerve that goes from the jaw up to the eye area, and how it can be very painful to use the jaw if this nerve gets damaged in some way. 
I'm sorry to be so vague - I honestly can't remember if it was to do with dogs or humans, although I would imagine it could be similar in each species. I'll definitely let you know if a light bulb goes off and it comes back to me.
I'm so sorry this happened to your pup, hopefully as things heal more, she will get back to normal.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

well, there's the facial nerve, the trigeminal nerve in humans.....if dogs have anything like it, penny, you've hit a nail on the head.

what i'm thinking, though, is perhaps let the dog get frustrated, which is, after all, the mother of invention....i figure if she's barking at it, she's interested...if she's interested...she'll keep trying.....i'd leave it down for a while...then put it down later, if she doesn't get it.


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## MrTroyHouse (Jun 4, 2011)

Kess said:


> MrTroyHouse, I’ve been searching for a good meat grinder because I would love to make my own patties and freeze them for when we travel with our dog. Is the one in the link you provided capable of grinding chicken bone?


It can do necks no problem, and I think it can do wings, but I haven't tried it yet.


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## Porphyria (Jul 13, 2011)

If you can't get access to a grinder, Primal nuggets are very soft; my mom's collie just gulps them down without even attempting to chew. Also, Honest Kitchen is dehydrated raw; it comes in a powder and you just add water; it's kind of the consistency of oatmeal once it's rehydrated.


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## mel2mdl (Sep 7, 2008)

It's only been a week since the surgery and a little over a week since the original injury. I think he doesn't chew well simply because it hurts to move much at all. He's finally started to look at and trying to play with his tennis ball, but it keeps getting stuck to the velcro on his cone. Poor baby...

Right now, he's been eating a sliced and serve food called "Vital". The first four ingredients are meat. I've always had a hard time with him eating organ meats, so I may switch him to premade stuff for awhile. (He will refuse to eat for days at a time, if he doesn't like it!) I will also talk to the vet about possible nerve damage when he has the staples/stitches removed next Wednesday.)

I think I will try the Primal Nuggets and the Honest Kitchen though. He really just wants to eat the cat food, to be honest, but I know that can't be good for him in the long run - even if it is high quality (BFF and Weruva).


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise it happened so recently. Of course he's going to be sore for quite a while, poor little thing.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i like the primal grinds.....and they are mush, so it shouldn't be a problem. might be a little expensive in the short run...but until his face stops hurting....he might not be 'on his eating game, so to speak'...poor baby....

when bubba's eyes were operated on, he was off his feed, too....and his operations didn't involve the loss of his eyes...he had two types of surgeries on them...and had to wear a cone...and now that i think about it, the little trash can eater....wasn't eating so well for a few weeks....if i remember correctly i was hand feeding him....we couldn't take the cone off because it was his eyes....


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i like the primal grinds.....and they are mush, so it shouldn't be a problem. might be a little expensive in the short run...but until his face stops hurting....he might not be 'on his eating game, so to speak'...poor baby....

when bubba's eyes were operated on, he was off his feed, too....and his operations didn't involve the loss of his eyes...he had two types of surgeries on them...and had to wear a cone...and now that i think about it, the little trash can eater....wasn't eating so well for a few weeks....if i remember correctly i was hand feeding him....we couldn't take the cone off because it was his eyes....


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## mel2mdl (Sep 7, 2008)

Well, the stupid dog kept trying to steal Thomas's chicken - which, oddly enough, he allowed. So I am back to just slicing up the chicken for now, and giving small amounts of bone. Silly puppy. On a side note, while he won't eat the liver, he slurped up the other meats - sweet breads, etc. Guess he is feeling better and stitches come out Wednesday!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

mel2mdl said:


> Well, the stupid dog kept trying to steal Thomas's chicken - which, oddly enough, he allowed. So I am back to just slicing up the chicken for now, and giving small amounts of bone. Silly puppy. On a side note, while he won't eat the liver, he slurped up the other meats - sweet breads, etc. Guess he is feeling better and stitches come out Wednesday!


dogs are so funny. he'll eat sweetbreads but not liver...go figure  glad he's feeling better....


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