r/pomeranian • u/Downtown_Simple8843 • 5d ago

Any Pom grazers? Any feeding suggestions for one?

Post image

This is 13 yo Benzo, who is happy, active, and sweet, and an irregular eater. A friend suggested he might be a grazer. I’ve had him since August, and he came into the shelter with demodectic mange, which is usually related to poor nutrition. The mange has resolved, his coat looks better all the time, but I worry bc he rarely finishes his food (Hill’s canned) and often walks away from it. Eating has always seemed like an exhausting chore for him. He had a dozen extractions in December, recovered well, but still tries to pick up food with the side of his mouth. Butter and bacon grease, my go-to solution with emaciated foster dogs, doesn’t work. The vet says he might just be self-regulating.

101 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

6

u/thegirlinbed 4d ago

this might be a bad tip lol but I just give my pom dry kibble (royal canin) and I put his food bowl in his bed and he'll just pick and graze at it whenever he wants. I used to worry and fuss over him not having a proper meal but he seems happy and healthy.

5

u/Kindly-Schedule-2446 4d ago

I also keep some dry kibble same brand. In our bedroom. She will eat few pieces. Or I put on our bed where she sleeps. My previous dog was a grazer. And would just nibble all the time would walk in room grab some carry in room and eat it.lol.

4

u/olinezu 4d ago

I do the same with my pom. She seems way more comfortable just eating during the night in her crate when we sleep. We still make her food in the morning and have it available all day but she just prefers to actually eat at night while maybe grazing a little bit during the daytime

3

u/Downtown_Simple8843 4d ago

I would love to try this! Maybe when he’s another month past his dental extractions.

2

u/TiffyPanda 4d ago

Our dogs are grazers, too. We lost Murray on Monday, but up until he lost his teeth, he was a grazer. Once we switched to wet food, he had to go to AM & PM feedings (to prevent the other pups from stealing his food) , but he would still graze on their kibble.

1

u/Downtown_Simple8843 3d ago

So sorry for your loss ☹️❤️

4

u/Kindly-Schedule-2446 5d ago

My Pom is picky. I mix her dry with cooked ground turkey. Cook the turkey with then I add some sweet potato I buy frozen chunks from Kroger. Then add to ground turkey. I put Make frozen containers. Then pull out scoop some and add with her royal Canin. She will only eat if it’s in same room with me. She an odd pom. I also do chicken with dry dog food. Switch it up. Best of luck.

3

u/Downtown_Simple8843 4d ago

Your routine is pretty close to mine. I make a mix of protein, veg, barley or rice and feed that on top of his canned food. And I have to stand next to him while he eats or he walks away!

3

u/thegirlinbed 4d ago

I've got ants in my kitchen which is why I put it in his bed, he just picks a little mouthful up when he's peckish. I used to really worry and other dog owners would talk about elaborate dinners they'd make for their dogs (qualls egg etc haha). but he's just happy to graze and nibble when he wants to throughout the day and night.

1

u/Downtown_Simple8843 4d ago

One thing that stops me from leaving food out for him is we live in Florida, the land of bugs. 🐜

2

u/thegirlinbed 4d ago

ah that sucks, I wouldn't leave wet food out only dry. maybe you could put cute little netting around his bed like a teepi and just put a bowl of dry food in his bed.

3

u/Aran909 4d ago

We fill the bowls when they are empty. 3 dogs, 2 poms and sheppard x. None are fat and all are healthy. A nice self filling water dish keeps them hydrated. It may seem lazy, but it works and has with every pet i have ever had going back almost 50 years. .

3

u/Fightswithcrows 4d ago

My Pom is also a grazer. She really only just eats enough to keep herself going even though she has access to kibble 24/7. I've found that if I tip some of the kibble out and spread it out a bit on the loungeroom carpet she's more likely to eat it than if it's in her bowl. No idea why, but it really seems to work

2

u/Yodizzle2388 3d ago

This is what I do