Feeding newly adopted dog

[Runrabbitrunss]

I asked for advice re out dog who we have adopted and got appreciated help .. so i thought that id ask about another aspect that we are unsure about.

Its her food.
She came to us from an old lady with health issues.
The lady told us that she has been a v picky eater and she had tried her on numerous dog foods including raw. She also stole tye cats food and ignored her own . She also had “ a bit of toast when i have a bit of toast “ and a biccy when i have one “ which was in part probably why she was said to be picky!
she remained pickey according to the old lady so she sought vets advice the bet said just leave her kibble down all day , she will eat when hungry. ( the elderly lady mixed the kibble with cat kibble to try to entice her )

So she came to us with food out all day to graze on .

We feed pets fresh to her as it has good nutrients and years

However- we are aware that she is a grazer from her past home. She eats small amounts only at a time .’
We would normally put food out m and teatime , taking it away for the fridge if not eaten.

its hard to feed a grazee fresh food due to the fact it cant be left out all day like kibble .
Will she adjust to 2 proper meals ? Perhaps with a snack mid dqy ?
i want her to have good food but i cant leave it out all day . Will she adapt to a new routine - she is small- bichon mix 6 kg - I think smaller dogs may need to eat mire regularly in the day ?

My main question is is it ok to expect an all day grazer to adapt to a new regime of am food and pm food.
?
Also she sometimes ( x3) has had mustard bile in the morning before food. I rwdt that this may be due to empty tum over night? Maybe a little treat before bed if thats the case too .
thank you for your help - its a learning curve with a dog that comes with history- some of which may not be accurate.

I have a foster dog who was a grazer in her previous home. This wouldn't work for me, as I have two other dogs. So from day 1, she was switched to two meals a day. But she is a spaniel, who so far has eaten everything put in front of her.

One of my pervious dogs had health issues, so was fed four small meals a day. Could that work for you? Once four regular meals are established, you could try three bigger ones and see if you can increase her appetite that way if necessary.

And a bedtime biscuit will help with the morning, empty stomach bile.

Thank u ! What is a bedtime
biscuit ? Any snack or a calming bic ?

without more detail I’d recommend switching to two, may be three, meals a day for now. Give her time then take the bowl up. She will quickly get used to the fact she eats it when there and can’t graze. A dog won’t starve itself. Don’t worry if she eats very little for now. Everything is new to her and she needs to build confidence and trust in you and her new home. A high quality food will be more benefit.

unless she is a much older dog, say over 10. Then it may be difficult for her to adjust.

I'd give her warm food to help tempt her. Make a stock with bones and a few dog-friendly veggies. Let it cool in the fridge and skim off the fat then heat a little with some plain water and pour that over her food. If time is short, just a bit of hot water over her food should help. It should be just warm when you serve.

She sounds like she's had a pretty awful diet up until now so I'd also try to reset her digestive system.
Digestive enzymes and pro- and prebiotics should help. Have a look at the Healthful Pets website.
For her bile you could try
AniForte Natural Moor Mud 1.2kg - Supports Digestion and Immune System
I use it sometimes and find it really good.
You might find she struggles a bit as she goes through the transition so go slow with anything new you try.
Bedtime biscuit is anything really. A bit of her regular food or some kibble that suits her. Mine just gets a bit of her regular food when we come in from her bedtime wee.

Dogs are routine driven and are more relaxed when they know their routine and what is happen g when. Leave her food out at the same time every day for a set period and then remove the uneaten food. She will get to learn her new eating schedule very quickly. Also, exercise will build an appetite, maybe this was something she didn’t get much of in her old home.

BuildbyNumbere

you are right- she had v little exercise- the elderly lady had mobility issues. She used to take herself in / out of garden via the cat flap x

I used to take dogs for boarding and always told owners of grazers that they would be fed twice a day.
They got 10 minutes before I picked up the food. All dogs adapted very quickly.

Every dog I've ever seen that has had owners that feed ad lib are overweight.
Usually the owners tell me they self regulate and don't over eat.... which is bs. People just get used to seeing fat dogs and normalize it.
My oldest was fed ad lib when she was in emergency boarding prior to coming to me, and she made the most of that opportunity 🤣
You will be doing your dog a favor if you regulate what goes in. Slightly underweight is always preferable to slightly over.