Protein,Veggies, Fruit, Dairy for Dog??

Question
I have a Tibetan Terrier, male age 5. He is a giant: 50 lbs.! Comes from a champion line, porportionate & healthy.
He's an indoor dog... gets a fair amount of exercise as he loves to play. He is eating Prescription Diet I/D food - 1 can daily. He doesn't like dry food... the high fiber form of the Pres. Diet brand was too much for him... loose stools. He LOVES veggies & fruit, most everything. The vet said it was ok... what about protein... are cooked eggs OK?
What about lean hamburger mixed in his food or skinless chicken? And is any kind of dairy OK? Low Fat? say cottage cheese? He's really not liking his food without some kind of "incentive on it"... Would really appreciate your help.
Thanks much.

PS: I have a friend that just got a Maltese,12 wks. The Maltese and the Tibetans are listed as "hypoallergenic" low shedding dogs. Would this small size of the Maltese in a large home without carpeting be beneficial to visitors that say they are "allergic to dogs" and may get an "asthma attack from the dander"? These people do NOT have severe symptoms or attacks by any means... I just think they are living a myth from their childhood... what do you think the odds would be that they could have a problem? And IF the dog was to be out of the house while they were there and th house thoroughly cleaned before they came... would that reduce even further the possible reaction? Just your best guess-
no guarantees, but this is causing a family dispute. The dog was bought for a depressed stroke patient and these selfish relatives that visit maybe once a month are causing havoc... And the Maltese is definitely listed as non-allergenic and low shedding.   Thanks so much for your info.

Answer
WOW. Fifty pounds? The breed standard says that Tibetan Terriers should weigh between 18 and 30 pounds and stand 14-16 inches tall at the shoulder! If your guy is 50 pounds, I would really be concerned for his health that he might be overweight. Do you have any pictures of him you could send to me? My address is blueridgerescue @ gmail.com  -  without the spaces.

May I inquire as to why he is on the I/D food? The reason being that I/D is supposedly for dogs with gastrointestinal disorders, but in my opinion it is a waste of money. It also tastes pretty bland, which could be why he's not interested in eating it.

Certain veggies and fruits are fine to give as treats, but should not make up a large part of his daily food intake. Some fruits and veggies are toxic, even deadly, to dogs. A few fruits and veggies that you should stay away from include: prunes, grapes, and raisins; citrus fruits; the seeds, stems, and leaves of apples, peaches, plums, apricots, and pears; potatoes (sweet potatoes are okay in small quantities), and their stems & leaves; avocados; cherries; broccoli; onions and garlic; and of course, chocolate and other sweets are on the list of toxic foods for dogs as well.

Eggs are an excellent addition, and may be given raw or poached. You don't want to cook them completely because they lose a lot of nutrition when you do that (the same goes for meats). I give my dogs a raw egg (shell and all) at least once a week. It also helps with their skin and coat. Lean hamburger and boneless chicken are also fine to give him - raw or cooked. Cottage cheese, cream cheese, and plain yogurt are good things to give to help balance the bacteria in the digestive system - but again, none of these things should be given in excess because they can sometimes cause loose or runny stool and other digestive upset.


As for the friend who just got a Maltese, I say it's THEIR house, and they can get any kind of dog that THEY want! There is not one dog on the face of the earth that is completely hypoallergenic. All dogs have the potential to trigger allergies in certain people - even poodles. What triggers allergic reactions in people is the dander, or dead skin cells, that are shed by the animal. Humans have dander, too. If these relatives are truly allergic to dog dander, then it is entirely possible that they could have an allergic reaction triggered by the dog. However, if they are really the type of people that you describe (overly-dramatic), then they might be persuaded that Maltese are hypoallergenic dogs and will not cause allergic reactions unless the relatives rub him on their noses or something. Something else to remember is that puppies do not have dander, because they have no old skin to shed. It usually takes several months before they begin to produce dander, and this explains why some people become allergic to a dog after it has gotten older even if they had no symptoms when the dog was a puppy. So right now, your friend's puppy absolutely cannot trigger allergies caused from dander. If these people are allergic to FUR, they have nothing to worry about at all, since Maltese do not shed (to speak of).

Confining the dog to one or two rooms will not help, IF someone were to enter the home that was allergic to dog dander. Dander is carried in the air, and even if a dog were kept in one room for its entire life, its dander would be carried through that home's air vents and distributed throughout the entire house. One thing that helps is an air purifier. These can be expensive, so perhaps your friend could get his/her relatives to all pitch in and buy him/her an air purifier if they think the dog is going to cause problems with their allergies. The kind that have the metal 'plate' inside that just needs to be wiped clean seem to be the better ones, because there are no filters to buy. You just slide the 'plate' out, wipe it off with a damp cloth, and put it back in!

Bathing the dog with a medicated pet shampoo prescribed by a vet can also help, but again, until the puppy is an adult, he will not be producing dander. Once he is grown, he can be bathed UP TO (not more than) twice a week in the special medicated shampoo to reduce dander. It's imperative that the special shampoo be used, because regular pet shampoos (even those that say they are for dry skin), when used that frequently, will dry the dog's skin out and worsen dander. Daily brushing, outside the home, will also help.

Good luck, and let me know if there's anything else I can help you with!

Kristen