Continuing on our series of Stories From The Community: All About Spitzes, this second article will be discussing the topic of diets – what are common foods they avoid as well as recommendations by our very own Spitz owners.
This article will feature the experiences & insights from the hoomans of Orithespitz, legendthespitz and hweeventures!
Q: What diet are your Spitzes on?
H: Hwee is currently on a 50% HCF & 50% Kibbles diet. She used to be really picky with her Kibbles so we introduced HCF to encourage her to eat more.
O: Ori is on an 80% HCF & 20% Kibbles.
L: Legend is also currently on an 80% HCF & 20% Kibbles.
Q: Is there anything you avoid feeding them? Alternatively, what do you encourage them to eat?
H: We are very cautious and picky with what we feed Hwee. She is allergic to chicken so we naturally avoid that though it was pretty hard to find kibbles with no chicken by-products. Moreover, due to her previous pancreatitis flare up, we now have to keep her on a low fat diet.
Hwee’s meals always consist of a good balance of lean meat/fish & veggies! We were advised to keep her meals within 20% of fat content, so we will always calculate the fat percentage for each of her meals. To keep the range within 20%, we will request for lean cuts from the butcher when preparing her meals.
O: Ori is not picky or allergic to anything so I generally let him eat anything. But I avoid lamb because I don’t like the gamey smell. I’m also watchful of the amount of treats he eats, I definitely try to ensure he doesn’t eat too much.
L: We will avoid beef because Legend started to develop brown patches after we fed him canned beef in the past. We suspect it’s due to an allergic reaction.
We would add salmon to his meals as it is a good source of protein and it helps to keep his skin healthy & shiny. We also feed him pumpkin as pumpkin helps to boost his immune system. On top of that, we try our best to incorporate fruits and veg into this diet.
Q: Is there anything in particular that Spitzes should eat?
H: For Spitzes, coat care is very important so adding fur & coat supplements like fish oiI and coconut oil helps a lot with that!
And since they’re double coated, the Singapore weather may be too humid for them. Often, it leads to itching, scratching & hot spots! So I firmly believe in skin and coat supplements to help maintain a healthy coat condition.
O: I would also recommend supplements for coat care. I usually add coconut oil, fish oil and other similar supplements to Ori’s diet whenever necessary.
L: Spitz are prone to luxating patellas so it’s important to take preventive measures. We feed Legend Arthrix Plus as a joint supplement, Augustine Superboost, fish collagen and salmon oil supplements. Salmon oil helps with shedding and also promotes a shiny and healthy coat. This is especially good for them since they are a double coated breed.
– – –
THE WOOF AGENCY would like to thank Orithespitz, legendthespitz and hweeventures for sharing about their experiences!
Stay tuned to next Stories from the Community, where we talk to owners of long-back dogs to learn more about how to care for them!
* This blog is designed to be a community where pet owners can learn and share. The views expressed in each post are the opinion of the author and not necessarily endorsed by Pawjourr. Always consult your veterinarian for professional advice.
