Just watching my dogs enjoying their kongs on the lawn and thinking that I should give them more often.

I have seen interesting and unusual recipes for stuffing but wondered what people who give kongs on a regular basis stuff them with?  I use the dogs' normal kibble with a few tiny treats added, packed in with some wet dog food and a piece of dried fish to jam up the opening.  I'm a bit doubtful about the quality of the wet stuff though - does anyone know of a quality brand soft food that's available in small portions please?  Or have any other ideas for the sloppy bit?

Thanks.

How about just soaking the kibble in some water - that sticks in quite well. Or their are those new dog "puddings" that sound stupid but are actually quite good. Just fruit and oats I think but come in small tins that may be usefull to you?

Mine like pate and cream cheese. Also if you make liver cake and forget to put the flour in you get a nice pate-like substance that's great for stuffing kongs. I keep it frozen and just cut off small chunks as needed. (OH loved it spread on crackers when it was warm)

peanut butter or
marmite or
tahini or
grated cheese (then wrap stuffed kong in cling film and microwave for about 30 secs until the cheese melts over the kibble).

Hello, thank you for helpful suggestions but I want to avoid regularly giving anything like cheese or peanut butter.  I find the soft dog food useful, as it can just be part of their normal food ration but I don't really know which are the healthier ones to choose.  I'd really like to use something like Nature Diet but it comes in such large packs.

I'd not heard of dog puddings - have to look out for those! :-)

Lillith, I'll have alook at PAH tonight to see what comes in small tins and has a decent ingreedients list, I know there are some but I haven't looked at them to see what they contain.

Also would something like ND last alittle longer in airtight containers?  Would this be a possibility to transfer it into airtight containers and see if it will last long enough?

Or would something like Iams gravey work?  They arn't too thin but might be too thin for a kong.

That's kind of you, thanks.

Do Iams do gravy, then?  Puddings, gravies ... am I out of touch or what? 

No you've just managed to avoid the hype!!!!

Unfortantly working in a "pet superstore" I get to see all the latest trends.... My face was of horror when I saw this summers range of dog coats!

Not sure why dogs require gravy and puddings, mine are happy with water and biscuit! :D

I won't mention the chicken flavoured re-hydrating water.....

>I won't mention the chicken flavoured re-hydrating water.....

PARDON!!!!!! Now that is rediculas. I only feed whole foods the pet food industry is going crazy

We freeze any wet food that is left over from stuffing a kong and just defrost it to use next time. We also give the kong frozen as it keeps him occupied for longer and means we don't have squishy liver splattering all over the place when he hurls the kong around to dislodge the contents

I quite often put a chicken wing in there!! that takes a while to get out :-P Also use kibble with chicken from a roast then blocking the small end hole fill up with home made chicken stock and freeze upright. My two love this :-D

Frozen yogurt kongs are a favourite here,i also use cottage cheese,pate,peanut butter..pretty much any treat/food other than their regular food.

Harley, I had been wondering about freezing the remainder of the ND, in a couple of portions.  I suppose it's just like freezing a leftover portion of our own supper, as it is a cooked food?

Don't want to give cheese, peanut butter or pate on a regular basis, which is the reason for my original question.

Harley, I had been wondering about freezing the remainder of the ND, in a couple of portions.  I suppose it's just like freezing a leftover portion of our own supper, as it is a cooked food?

I came to the conclusion that if he could eat horse droppings, dead fish and various other decomposed items that he has found on walks without affecting him, any food aimed at canine consumption should not pose too much of a problem even if it had been previously frozen and defrosted more than the one time.

I defrost the meat to stuff the kong, then freeze the kong again to make the contents more difficult to get and on the very rare occasion that the kong is not emptied completely the whole lot is put back in the freezer. So the meat can be frozen and defrosted and frozen again mayber three or four times and we have had no adverse reactions so far.

Freezer it is, then.  :-D  Thanks.

Though I'd still be pleased to hear about any healthy, small packs/tin/trays that are available.

Glad to see this subject. I have always fed my dogs food in his kong just before I leave the house as it keeps him occupied until the minder comes in, but I have changed to BARF food - minced chicken and veg and the stuff is so sloppy that he licks it out of the kong in seconds!!! Are there any recommendations for BARF feeders?

Bit of a thicko question here.  I like the idea of putting mixer in a kong and then pouring in stock and freezing but how do you stop the stock from running straight through?

I usually wedge a bit of chicken skin over the end hole (using a teaspoon handle does the trick) then tape a bit of blutack on the outside edge this usually stops this enough, but do make sure that you stand in a cup or something just incase, usually it all stays in place. Then once frozen peel off tape and blutac. They can be messy when defrosting so either a garden or in a cage is the best time for these :-D

June, I would just stuff with the meat and re-freeze or like I have used chicken wings work well and take a while to get out.

JuneH - I feed raw and just freeze the kong before use to prevent liver etc being flung around the kitchen :)

I use peanut butter to stuff the hole up with.  I freeze with stock if going out for a while but otherwise I am lazy and put a few biscuits in with the bought kong stuffing.  Depends how much time I have when going out.  Only do if I am going to be out for a few hours.  never left ours longer then a football match but we are off to Hay festival next week so she will have a good part of the day to herself.  A rare occasion.  Saw a Kong machine online that throws a fresh prepared kong onto the floor in a timed period!!!  Was flabbergasted at the invention.  

I put allsorts of stuff in mine. Tomatoes (cherry) carrot, raw fish, crabsticks, liver, chicken, snack treats, all topped off by a chewstick (rather like a flake in an ice cream) and top if off with natural low fat yoghourt whizzed with a tin of pilchards or sardines in sunflower oil YUK, then frozen. My lot can't wait for me to leave the house, they're queuing up at the freezer :rolleyes:

Kat