PawDeal

As Vizsla owners, we all want the best for our dogs—especially when it comes to food. The challenge is that sometimes, no matter how much we spend or how carefully we choose, certain foods just don’t work out. That has definitely been the case with our Vizsla, Phoebe.

From the start, Phoebe was fed on Calibra dry food, following our vet’s recommendation. We transitioned her from the puppy formula to the adult one without any issues. Her coat looked shiny, her energy was great, and we were happy with her diet.

Things began to shift when we occasionally left Phoebe with friends who mixed beef into their dogs’ meals. Naturally, she got a taste for it. After that, plain kibble wasn’t enough—Phoebe wanted something extra in her bowl. On the bright side, her coat even looked a little richer in color, so we didn’t mind too much.

Later, we decided to try a new dry food brand, Wilderness, since our friends’ dogs were thriving on it. At first, Phoebe loved it—especially the duck recipe. But when we switched to a more premium option, the Salmon Soft dry food, things took a turn. Despite being quite expensive, Phoebe simply stopped eating it. We gave her three days, hoping she’d adjust, but she refused.

At that point, we had to make a decision. Instead of battling over kibble, we chose to prepare Phoebe’s meals ourselves. We started with fresh beef, pork, and a mix of vegetables, carefully following nutritional guidelines online to ensure she gets the vitamins and minerals she needs.

The result? She absolutely loved her first two homemade meals. Seeing her excitement at mealtime again was such a relief, and we’re planning to continue down this path.

We’ll keep sharing updates as we go—and if you’d like to see Phoebe’s recipe, let us know in the comments!