The feeding of American Eskimo dogs is
much the same as it is for most other small to mid size
breeds. The Eskie has a refined and sophisticated
palette and will train you quickly as to what he or she will
or will not eat.
If you have an Eskie puppy, most breeders will recommend a
combination of dry and moist food, brands. Be sure to check
out the FDA
pet food recall list for a complete listing of all pet
foods that have been recalled before you decide what to feed
your Eskie. There are currently 109
brands of dog food on the FDA pet food recall list.
Natura, based in California is a dog food manufacturer, never recalled. One of their premium brands that is popular with
Eskies is Karma Organic dry dog food
which is USDA certified as 95% organic. Believe it or
not, Eskies like the stuff. Natura also makes a dog
biscuit very popular with Eskies called Mother Nature, Scooter & Friends Mini Biscuits
These treats are given to our Eskies at our Eskie
Events. You can see them begging for these mini
biscuits in
our videos. The Karma dry dog food and biscuits are
available at Tisol's
with 6 locations in the lower mainland.
Be careful not to switch dog food brands often as this can
sometimes cause gastrointestinal discomfort resulting in
vomiting or diarrhea. When changing food brands, blend in a
mixture of the old brand and new brand together and
gradually introduce the new brand to your Eskie. Do
this over a period of three days on average. This
technique applies regardless of their age.
Dangerous Items That Will Poison Your Eskie
Chocolate
Cocoa Mulch - garden mulch made from shells of the cocoa bean
Aspirin and Tylenol
Raw bread dough
Avocadoes
Onions
Macademia nuts
Grapes and Raisins
Oleander, Mistletoe and Lily Plants
Antiseptic Mouthwash or anything containing boric acid
Fabric softener sheets
Ice melt and anti-freeze
Theobromine
Xylitol - a sugar substitute found in gum and packaged foods
Certain items and foods are known to be toxic for dogs. If fed these
items, serious illness or death can occur. Of course household cleaning products and other items around
the house that you would consider dangerous for ingestion by
your child are also dangerous for your American Eskimo dog
to ingest. So keep any product that could threaten the life
of your dog in a safe place where they can not access it.
Watch For Allergies
Some American Eskimo dogs have a strong stomach and can
easily eat a variety of foods without any unpleasant side
effects. However, some Eskies have a much more
delicate constitution and can not tolerate some foods.
You may even find your Eskie can be allergic to some foods
such as salmon. A violent reaction such as continuous
vomiting will tell you that your Eskie has an allergy.
Take your dog to the veterinarian right away.
Dehydration and other complications may evolve quickly so
you need to seek medical attention quickly to deter possible
serious illness. When introducing a new food to your dog, be
sure to give only a small portion at first. If after a
few hours, there are no symptoms of illness, then you know
your Eskie can tolerate the new food and you can introduce
the new food into his or her diet.
Avoid Raw Hide Chews
Some veterinarians have advised against providing Eskies
with raw hide chews. Raw hide chews are available in any pet
store and at your local supermarket. If your dog does
not properly chew and break down the raw hide, there is a
chance that a piece of the raw hide can get stuck in their
throat or somewhere along the digestive tract. Only a
quick and costly trip to the vet can cure the problem.
In extreme cases, surgery may be required. So instead, feed
your Eskie natural and easily digested chews such as real
beef chew sticks or real smoked pork chews.
Avoid Real Bones
Many veterinarians advise against feeding your dog real
bones like chicken bones, turkey bones, steak bones and ham
bones. With such smaller bones, there is a chance that
while chewing the bone, small bone chips can get lodged in
the throat or in the digestive tract. Such lodging
might cause tissue to be damaged leading to surgery for
repair and removal.
Some veterinarians have advised that it is OK to feed an
Eskie with a large bone much like a beef soup bone where the
probability of small chipping is minimized. If you do
feed your Eskie with a bone, be sure to watch over him as he
chews away. At the first sign of gagging or choking,
remove the bone immediately. If choking persists,
stick your finger down his throat gently to see if you can
retrieve whatever piece of bone that is causing the problem.
If you can not remove the cause of the choking, take your
Eskie to the vet right away. Never leave an Eskie
alone chewing a bone unsupervised. |