My poodle has a large heart....

Question
My poodle has a large heart and she is 14 years old, about 5lbs. I am aware that it is important to keep her in a healthy diet. I feed her moist foods- Purina Chef michael's creations. How many times a day should  she eat this. How often can I give her a milk bone?

Answer
Hello Marie,
Though your heart is in the right place, the wet foods that are sold in grocery stores contain alot of preservitives and additives that are unhealthy for your dog.  What would be better for her is if you cooked her food for her so that you know whats going in her food and her body.  

I have created a recipe that contains Vitamins and Minerals that are good for a dogs health, not to mention great for skin and coat.  

1 lb Beef, Chicken, *Lamb or *Turkey Burger (*as its more sensitive on a dogs stomach)
1 can Sardines in Olive Oil
1 cup Spinach blended with a little water and the Olive Oil from the Sardines
1 egg, cooked and scrambled
1 1/2 cup Special K or Total Cereal
1 Apple Blended (or you can use 1/2 cup of Applesauce)
1/8 tsp Garlic powder
1 grated carrot
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked using broth (either a meat or Veggie variety) for better flavor

This recipe is for a large dog, so you can either 1/2 it or mix it up and freeze a portion of it for later.  You can either give her this diet by itself or you can mix it with some dry kibble.  I would suggest a dog food such as Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Nutro Natural Choice, Nutro Max, Bil-Jac food, or Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers.  If she needs a softer food, soak the dry kibble in some water or broth for about 15 min or so to soften it up a bit.  
I would feed her around a cup and a half a day, spread out between 2 meals.  If she eats less than that, go ahead and cut her amount back a bit.  

Feel free to give her a few Milk-Bones throughout her day (you can find the really small ones in Pet Stores such as PetCo or PetSmart, and you can give her those more frequently).  But instead of just giving her one, make her earn it.  Have her sit for one or give you her paw.  This makes it a special occasion and builds your bond with her.  

Give this a try and let me know how it works for you,(if it doesn't work, let me know and we can try something else) and if you have other questions or concerns for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim