# ZiwiPeak



## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm going to try Pip and Roo on this. I'm still going to use THK, but want to try this as well. They have it at a local shop near me too which is nice. 

For those that feed or have fed it, which version do your pups seem to like best? Did you use the pouch or the wet? (I think I'm going to go with the pouch.) How much do you feed? Pip is down to 5.1 pounds now and Roo is at 4.4 lbs. Should they get about the same amount? I remember seeing people post pics and it looks like such a tiny amount.


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

Yea! I was wondering a few things myself about ZP. I have two pouches that I got as samples from the company. I've had them in the freezer and I'm thinking about adding a teaspoon once a day to one of Midgies THK feedings.
I also heard that some add water to the ZP. How much water? My vet told me not to give her too much ZP at 1st as she is sure Midgie would get diarhea. 
Sorry I couldn't help answer your question, but I look forward to hearing how your pups like ZP.


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

We use both the wet & dehydrated in our rotation (and both of those is all Mari will eat atm). When we fed ZP for a month this past fall I fed mainly the dehydrated/pouch & added a tbsp of the wet to one meal a day. It sort of added some "bulk" because my lot, unlike most, lost some weight with just the dehydrated. The wet was just enough to even it out. 

They love love love the wet & dry both about the same. And they really have no preference between the dehydrated formula's. (I personally prefer the smell of the venison formulas if that matters LOL) They have tried them all & like them all the same. They do go absolutely ga-ga over the wet tripe ZP though. :tard:

I can't wait to hear how you like the ZP. I really REALLY prefer it over THK but I do think THK is a great food as well. Just like the ZP where it's just meat & organ so I feel better about feeding it. Anyway...good luck!!


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

I've tried both pouch ZP formulas, the Venison and the Venison/Fish formula, and my dogs not only liked them equally they all did equally well on both. Both of them smell a little offensive to me so it's not like one smelled better than the other. lol My sibe is typically sensitive to fish so I prefer to stick with the Venison formula but I just fed the Venison/Fish pouch formula of Ziwipeak last night to all three and no one had any tummy troubles at all, including my husky. I can't help with serving sizes since I mix my ZP with The Honest Kitchen and I only put in about 1-2 tablespoons of ZP with 1/6 cup of Honest Kitchen.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

woodard2009 said:


> Yea! I was wondering a few things myself about ZP. I have two pouches that I got as samples from the company. I've had them in the freezer and I'm thinking about adding a teaspoon once a day to one of Midgies THK feedings.
> I also heard that some add water to the ZP. How much water? My vet told me not to give her too much ZP at 1st as she is sure Midgie would get diarhea.
> Sorry I couldn't help answer your question, but I look forward to hearing how your pups like ZP.


I'll definitely post about it.  That's great that you got samples, I hadn't thought of that, but will probably just buy some. I feel pretty confident mine will like it. As far as the diarrhea, I guess a slow switch is always best, but I put mine directly on THK and they had no problems at all. Whereas with kibble I always had to do a very slow switch.



MChis said:


> We use both the wet & dehydrated in our rotation (and both of those is all Mari will eat atm). When we fed ZP for a month this past fall I fed mainly the dehydrated/pouch & added a tbsp of the wet to one meal a day. It sort of added some "bulk" because my lot, unlike most, lost some weight with just the dehydrated. The wet was just enough to even it out.
> 
> They love love love the wet & dry both about the same. And they really have no preference between the dehydrated formula's. (I personally prefer the smell of the venison formulas if that matters LOL) They have tried them all & like them all the same. They do go absolutely ga-ga over the wet tripe ZP though. :tard:
> 
> I can't wait to hear how you like the ZP. I really REALLY prefer it over THK but I do think THK is a great food as well. Just like the ZP where it's just meat & organ so I feel better about feeding it. Anyway...good luck!!


Thanks so much, Heather.  Mine do really well on THK, so I'm always leery to mess with a good thing, but Ziwi seems excellent, so I feel good about adding it. Plus I don't add meat to THK (I'm a vegetarian and don't have meat in the house, well, other than for the pups, lol) so I sometimes worry a little that it might be lacking. I think I'd feel better either adding Ziwipeak or using it for a meal. Plus it would add some variety.



huskyluv said:


> I've tried both pouch ZP formulas, the Venison and the Venison/Fish formula, and my dogs not only liked them equally they all did equally well on both. Both of them smell a little offensive to me so it's not like one smelled better than the other. lol My sibe is typically sensitive to fish so I prefer to stick with the Venison formula but I just fed the Venison/Fish pouch formula of Ziwipeak last night to all three and no one had any tummy troubles at all, including my husky. I can't help with serving sizes since I mix my ZP with The Honest Kitchen and I only put in about 1-2 tablespoons of ZP with 1/6 cup of Honest Kitchen.


Thanks Val.  That's good that none of yours had any tummy troubles, my main concern would be Pip as he's more sensitive, but it's a pure food so he really should be fine hopefully. I like the idea of adding it to THK too. I guess I'll see how it goes, not sure how I'll end up feeding it, alone or mixed, probably some of both. I'm going to try and get out and pick some up on Saturday. I'll definitely let everyone know how it goes.


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## N*T*M*4U (Nov 10, 2008)

MoJie is the one with sensitive stomach and ZiwiPeak (dry) won't give him diarrhea.....I think probably 1/2 a cup a day is good .....


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

N*T*M*4U said:


> MoJie is the one with sensitive stomach and ZiwiPeak (dry) won't give him diarrhea.....I think probably 1/2 a cup a day is good .....


Thank you.  A half cup yeah? Hmm.. I thought it might be less. It always looked like such a small amount when I've seen people post pics. Do those of you who use the dehydrated mix it with water? 

Heather, you mentioned yours losing weight on it. I really hope that doesn't happen with Roo. I don't want her to lose any weight. I think she is verging on a little too thin right now. She's lost weight on THK, compared to when I fed her kibble. I wonder if it might be the same with the Ziwi. Of course, I could feed a bit more.


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## N*T*M*4U (Nov 10, 2008)

foggy said:


> Thank you.  A half cup yeah? Hmm.. I thought it might be less. It always looked like such a small amount when I've seen people post pics. Do those of you who use the dehydrated mix it with water?
> 
> Heather, you mentioned yours losing weight on it. I really hope that doesn't happen with Roo. I don't want her to lose any weight. I think she is verging on a little too thin right now. She's lost weight on THK, compared to when I fed her kibble. I wonder if it might be the same with the Ziwi. Of course, I could feed a bit more.


I'm using the cup that come with it...(I think it's smaller than the cup for cooking..)...it's 1/2 scoop a day ......

for TucTuc he's around 4 lb 11 oz ... I feed him 10 pieces and also a tablespoon of the canned and mix in just a little of water.....


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

The majority usually gain weight probably because it's SO easy to over feed.  My pups always seem to require more raw food than most for whatever reason. But we feed between 1/4-1/3 scoop twice a day depending on our pups. (Matilda, Milo & Marley require a bit more than the others) And we also add water (about 2oz) to their meal as well just to make sure they get some hydration at the time of processing.


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## rcj1095 (Mar 4, 2009)

I have started using the ZP and mine adore it. I think, according to you guys, I might be overfeeding them still. Ugh. Trying to shave two pounds off Coop and 1/2 lb. off Chloe. THK makes mine go potty twice as much as the raw and Ziwi so I'm just kind of experimenting.

Maybe I should get some canned also and play with that. I've never added water to the dehydrated???


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

Oh & the wet definitely seems more "rich". When we tried THK I added 1tbsp of wet ZP to every meal & it definitely bulked them up a bit. Saying that...my pups lost a bunch of weight when switching to raw to begin with so their loss on ZP may have had something to do with that & may have continued to be normal weight loss. I'd not worry about it making Roo loose more weight. Just monitor their weight while adding it in. It will probably take some trial/error to get the quantity "right" where every dog has a different metabolic rate, etc.


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## rcj1095 (Mar 4, 2009)

MChis said:


> Oh & the wet definitely seems more "rich". When we tried THK I added 1tbsp of wet ZP to every meal & it definitely bulked them up a bit. Saying that...my pups lost a bunch of weight when switching to raw to begin with so their loss on ZP may have had something to do with that & may have continued to be normal weight loss. I'd not worry about it making Roo loose more weight. Just monitor their weight while adding it in. It will probably take some trial/error to get the quantity "right" where every dog has a different metabolic rate, etc.


Heather, mine adore the ZP. I'm so glad you suggested it. Should I be adding water to the dehydrated? I never even thought of that.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

I think Ziwi would be a great addition to your THK! The NICE thing is that they poo a lot less on it. It shouldn't cause Roo to lose weight, I don't think, but I understand why you are wary of that, for sure  Mine all seem to like all the formulas but the venison smells the "least" offensive to me hahaha. I am not smell sensitive and TBH I really don't like how they smell.

Ours LOVE the cans, but in the future we won't get the one with the fish in it, it smells like vomit to me and I just can't handle it. The nice thing is 1 can feeds my crew for an entire day, so if we are busy we just pop open a can. A can would last yours much longer though so you'd have to figure out how to keep it fresh if you didn't want to feed it every meal.

Let us know what they think! Between THK, Ziwi and the frozen raws, my guys are happy happy hippos


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

I've left mine in the fridge for a few days covered with plastic wrap & it stays pretty moist. They do make can covers though which would probably keep it better. 

Someone here mentioned a ZP rep suggested they add water to it & it does make sense. Then again I firmly believe you should add water to kibble (or dy food period) as well to help with processing. It takes moisture to digest properly & with foods that don't naturally have moisture I think should be fed with water. Helps keep the kidneys happy. 

I'm a weirdo though...I think the Venison and Venison/Fish formula smells wonderful. haha Maybe I've just grown to like it? I never thought the wet venison/fish one smelled like puke but I also opened our first can of venison green trip Tripett & didn't think it smelled that badly. :roll: I think my nose has gotten tough or something. LOL But the lamb dehydrated ZP did bug me a bit so I usually don't get the dehydrated...just the wet.


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

I love the smell talk I always crack up my nose is mega sensitive I'm using the venison and fish ATM and we have both the cans

If I feed it for a meal I give about 15 pieces daisy and roo are about the same weight daisy is 4lb 6oz the wet I normal give them a table spoon as a meal but the wet stinks like mad but they love It

I add water to mine too idk if it's just my girls are good with food but they chew each little jerky


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## Fizzy Chihuahuas (Mar 8, 2010)

Mine like all the ZP products food & treats/chews


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

I'm probably doing it wrong but when I feed it as a meal I treat it like a regular raw meal so I'll give between 1.5-2.5oz of wet for each meal. LOL I dunno...my pups are all lean & muscular. I wonder why they seem to need more food than most?? I've even upped Maxie to about 2oz every meal because he was getting so boney looking. I've not weighed them in a few weeks but he was 4lbs 6oz last weigh in as well.  I'd say it's the cold but Sarah...it's cold where you are too. Hmmm...weird!


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Brody was getting a little scrawny looking, so I upped his portion a bit too Heather. He's eating about 3-4 ounces a day now instead of 2-3. Maybe it is the cold weather?

I have no problem at all freezing canned food. I just portion it out into ziplocks and squeeze the air out and stick in the freezer. It's always fresh when I open it later and Brody has no complaints at all. He would definitely go on a hunger strike if he had to eat the same thing more than a couple meals in a row and then it would be wasted.


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

It's freezing but mine eat between 3 and 4oz a day coz they are so flipping high energy together but I rarely feed ziwi

I freeze canned too


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## LovesMyPups (Apr 18, 2010)

We have been feeding ZP for about 14 days now.  I'm still so happy we finally have it! We got the 11lb bag of Venison and Fish (Was just over $100 on Amazon, which was $10 less than the store that offered to order it for me). I portioned it out into smaller bags to freeze and pull out fresh. In portioning it out, I counted 106 of "their scoops" in the bag. Over the first 10 days, I fed them nothing but ZP!! Those first 10 days, they ate 6 scoops worth of ZP. (I fed them three times a day, added warm water atleast once a day. They weigh about 5.9lbs, 4.3lbs, and around 4.6lbs.)

They were thrilled with eating only ZP, but now that I have more of an idea of how long it will last/how much they need, I have thrown back in raw/scrambled eggs, the ZP good dog treats, and Carnivore Crunch. They are eating a lot less of the ZP with all their other foods now, so I estimate feeding about 4-5 scoops ZP per 10 day period. 

Personally, I don't mind the smell of the ZP venison and fish even a little bit. LOL. I might compare it to what the fish food flakes smell like, but not nearly as vile. Definitely tolerable. 

My husband always insists on feeding the pups a little more when it starts getting cold out... Even though they don't shake and shiver when we're inside, he has convinced me they are still using more energy than normal to keep themselves warm. So it makes since in my head. :tard:

SARAH: Do you feed your girls twice a day (when you feed the 15 pieces/tbspwet for Daisy)?


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

Yeah twice a day! But I don't mix the two together!! 

Your husband sounds like my dad dad always tells me I need to put on weight in winter to keep me warm lol


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## LovesMyPups (Apr 18, 2010)

OH! Ok, I read that wrong and thought I was waaaaay under feeding. haha. Thanks for clearing that up for me!


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

They get so little of it it's so so concentrated


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

LovesMyPups said:


> My husband always insists on feeding the pups a little more when it starts getting cold out... Even though they don't shake and shiver when we're inside, he has convinced me they are still using more energy than normal to keep themselves warm. So it makes since in my head.


I strongly believe this since my dogs start losing weight every time the cold weather rolls in. Every single winter I have to increase feeding amounts to get them to maintain a normal weight, if I don't they start losing weight fast! I've had to nearly double feeding portions for the past two months to keep my dogs from getting too thin.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Interesting about the cold and them needing more food, maybe that is the case with Roo. Roo looks thinner in person than she does in the pics I posted on the weight thread. She looks really skinny to me. While I want her thin, I think she may be a little bit too thin. You can see her spine even, I'm sure the fact that she has very little fur and some alopecia on her back makes it even more noticeable though. I have upped her THK for a week and it's made no difference at all. She just seems to burn off whatever she eats. Anyway, I'll be stopping at the pet shop tomorrow to buy some, will be curious how they do on it.


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

Paula I had problems for ages getting lotus to gain weight she gain 1oz in 8 weeks from 12 to 20 weeks she was getting 4oz of Raw a dy so I started using ziwi as treats not their treats but te cuisine one and it really helped but I was treating her a lot

She's about 3lb 5oz now I think up from 2lb 1oz at 20 weeks (she's 7 months next week) so I do think ziwi helps in that way

And I gotta say something my mum would adore you she is a massive meat eater I wasn't allowed to be a veggie when I lived at home and she had vegetarian friends fed their dogs a vegetarian diet and my mum was distraught about it she's live you because you're feeding them near enough what nature intended I think it's great

Btw peoples I don't wanna get into a veggie debate I was just saying how fab it is that regardless of paulas beliefs she feeds the correct diet for her babies xxxxx


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Just pinch your nose off before you open the bag hahahaha. I haaate how the Ziwi smells. Sometimes we sprinkle some on their THK, too.

LOL on the other hand, we left P & L off at the boarding place with an exact instruction on amount of Ziwi to feed and they followed it and Trigger lost ONE POUND in 11 days. He was 7 lb 5 oz when we left him off and 6 lb 5 oz when we picked him up. They said he ate fine and everything, so he apparently needs more Ziwi than recommended. We just didn't know!


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

I only have 1 chi so I can leave food down. I'm feeding Midgie 3 different foods at the time (I know that sounds crazy), but I'm still experimenting with good quality foods to see which one is right for her. I love the THK (2 a day) Started adding ZP to one of the THK feedings & I always have a handful of ACANA left down for her to nibble on in between. In the evening when hubby & kids are snacking on popcorn or something, Midgie will grab 3-4 pieces of Acana & snack on them on the couch. She'll go back & forth getting food a few times. With obesity being such an issue today, I was a little worried at first, but Midgie's at a perfect weight. I feel since I'm feeding her such good, nurishing food that her bodies using it in the right way & she's maintaining a good healthy weight. I've always left food down for my dogs & I'm glad I found ACANA for her. I don't feed her hardly any snacks.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Daisydoo said:


> Paula I had problems for ages getting lotus to gain weight she gain 1oz in 8 weeks from 12 to 20 weeks she was getting 4oz of Raw a dy so I started using ziwi as treats not their treats but te cuisine one and it really helped but I was treating her a lot
> 
> She's about 3lb 5oz now I think up from 2lb 1oz at 20 weeks (she's 7 months next week) so I do think ziwi helps in that way
> 
> ...


Thank for you post, hun.  I totally agree with your Mom, of course. Dogs are carnivores and need a meat diet, absolutely.

I really hope Ziwi will help Roo put on a little bit of weight. I want her lean, but I do think she is a little too thin at the moment. She weighed more in the summer and seems to have lost during the colder months. I think 4.4 pounds is too thin for her. While they are doing awesome on THK (their coats are so nice now and no more itchies, yay) I do feel it is a little lacking in the meat department. That concerns me about it. I wish they'd change that.

Anyway, I have the Ziwi now (just got it actually, I ended up ordering it online) and I'm wondering how much everyone thinks I should mix in with THK? I feed them 1/8 cup of THK twice a day. What portion THK to Ziwi would you all think best? I'm a bit unsure.

Editing to add their weight - Pip is 5.1 pounds now and Roo is 4.4.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Paula, I'll just throw this out there in case you are interested ..... Brody is thin too. I think he and Roo have very similar body types. He seems to be more lean in the winter. Maybe it ramps up his metabolism since it's cold outside and he has to burn more energy to stay warm? Anyway.... I have added virgin cold pressed coconut oil as a new supplement. It has lots of omega acids and while not 'species appropriate', I have been impressed with others testimonials on how it has helped their dogs skin/coat/allergies and WEIGHT. It's very nutrient and calorie dense. A teaspoon has 130 calories! I am just doing 1/2 teaspoon a couple times a week (not daily) to see if I can sneak on a few ounces in a healthy way. Will let you know how it goes but thought that might be an option for Roo as well if you are interested in supplements. You can use it topically as well. 

Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Brodysmom said:


> Paula, I'll just throw this out there in case you are interested ..... Brody is thin too. I think he and Roo have very similar body types. He seems to be more lean in the winter. Maybe it ramps up his metabolism since it's cold outside and he has to burn more energy to stay warm? Anyway.... I have added virgin cold pressed coconut oil as a new supplement. It has lots of omega acids and while not 'species appropriate', I have been impressed with others testimonials on how it has helped their dogs skin/coat/allergies and WEIGHT. It's very nutrient and calorie dense. A teaspoon has 130 calories! I am just doing 1/2 teaspoon a couple times a week (not daily) to see if I can sneak on a few ounces in a healthy way. Will let you know how it goes but thought that might be an option for Roo as well if you are interested in supplements. You can use it topically as well.
> 
> Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil


Tracy, I have been considering supplementing a little bit of coconut oil into my dogs' diet based on the glowing reviews I've heard as well. I decided not to put it on my order of supplements this week as I want to know more before buying it. I would love to know your feedback on it and how it works out for Brody.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Thanks so much for the info, Tracy. I'll definitely be interested in hearing your feedback on how it goes with Brody and consider from there.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

huskyluv said:


> Tracy, I have been considering supplementing a little bit of coconut oil into my dogs' diet based on the glowing reviews I've heard as well. I decided not to put it on my order of supplements this week as I want to know more before buying it. I would love to know your feedback on it and how it works out for Brody.





foggy said:


> Thanks so much for the info, Tracy. I'll definitely be interested in hearing your feedback on how it goes with Brody and consider from there.


I will let you guys know how the coconut oil goes. So far he LOVES the taste. I take out half a teaspoon (just a dice sized blob) and then add about a teaspoon of really hot water to it. That way it melts. Otherwise it is solid. Then I add it to his food. He really likes it so far. No digestive issues at all. I am hoping to put a little bit of weight on him and MAYBE it will help with his areas of alopecia. Can't hurt and might help.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

How long have you been using the coconut oil for Brody so far? Do you think coconut oil in liquid form would work as well? The place I normally order supplements from has it in liquid form and also in a liquid capsule form I think. I was thinking that if I did the capsule that maybe I could prick it and squeeze out the oil over their food. Your thoughts? I haven't done much research on this yet so I'm still feeling through the dark right now.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

huskyluv said:


> How long have you been using the coconut oil for Brody so far? Do you think coconut oil in liquid form would work as well? The place I normally order supplements from has it in liquid form and also in a liquid capsule form I think. I was thinking that if I did the capsule that maybe I could prick it and squeeze out the oil over their food. Your thoughts? I haven't done much research on this yet so I'm still feeling through the dark right now.


I just started the coconut oil last week. I'm giving a dice sized blob 3 times a week with Nupro and salmon oil the other two days. No supplements on the weekends. 

I have no idea about the liquid. I ordered the human stuff off of Amazon. It wasn't pricey at all, I was kind of surprised. If it works well, it's a bargain. I would do some investigating as to what makes it liquid. I know that the virgin coconut oil is solid at room temperature.


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

I have been giving coconut oil for 6 months it's fab keeps their skin so supple however be careful as if you feed too much it does effect them

Its very calorific however good for overweight dogs idk how that works


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Brodysmom said:


> I have no idea about the liquid. I ordered the human stuff off of Amazon. It wasn't pricey at all, I was kind of surprised. If it works well, it's a bargain. I would do some investigating as to what makes it liquid. I know that the virgin coconut oil is solid at room temperature.


Hmm, the stuff I was looking at was a human product as well. I will have to look at it again later, the supplements I order are usually either from Amazon or Swanson Vitamins.


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