Hamilton's diet....

One of the 'never-fails' questions when out with a Dane or a Dane puppy......

"How much does he eat?"  or "I bet he eats a ton, doesn't he?"

Well, no.

This is Hamilton's daily diet, give or take a little depending on his activity level and what we do that day:

I make my own chicken stock every week- purchase the chicken from the local market (leg quarters, thighs) and then boil with the carrots, celery and some mushrooms.  I remove the chicken from the stock when it's cooked and falling off the bone, and keep the celery and carrots- discarding the mushrooms as they are just for flavor.

I put the veggies and shredded chicken in little Ziplock bowls by portion so each meal = 1 bowl.  I pour the chicken stock when cooled, into jars and refrigerate. The fats go to the surface and solidify, which I then spoon out and discard, leaving the stock in either a liquid or gelatin form.

To this veggie + stock + kibble + chicken mix, I add rice; either brown or white, or a mixture of both.  I steam the rice 1x per week in a 5 cup steamer, and portion out in the Ziploc bowls as well so that each bowl is a complete portion/serving of veggies, chicken, and rice.  

I also re-warm the stock each time, and pour over the other ingredients, and Hamilton is usually bouncing around and spinning on the floor as he knows what's coming is GOOD.

I feed him 2-3x per day depending on his activity level.  Sometimes the 'middle' meal is just kibble with a little chicken stock if we're not having an active day, or if I have to give him anything from the vet- as keeping it simple is better on his stomach if he's taking Vit C or a prescribed med.

He supplements with Iams bones in the Lamb & Rice, and Adult formulas, with his Kong ball and for obedience treats.

All in all, he does not eat much more than a puppy of any other large breed (Lab, Shepherd, etc.) and as an adult he'll probably only do 2 meals per day of 2-3 c of kibble with a mix of rice, veggies and stock.

Things I'm learning....

1. I can go up the stairs now without being carried.... but I can't do 'down' so I sit at the top of the stairs and cry for help.....loudly.
2. Toilet paper is fun to unroll, and string around the bathroom...and into the kitchen...and around the dining room...and into the foyer.... and mommy makes fun noises when she finds this stuff.
3. Mommy having one glass of wine does not numb her up enough where I can chomp on her 'front' without her yelling in surprise.
4. Home Depot has yards and yards of rope, all for me!
5. I can sleep thru Walmart on the day after Christmas and people think I'm totally cute.
6. I can still go under the sofa and loveseat...but it's getting to be a tight fit....and it's tough to get out.
7. When my people fix bratwurst, even all the whining and cute-eyes in the world isn't getting me a bite of them.

-Hamilton