Odd/Dangerous Food Request?

I am biased, because I have a pretty strict "no people food" policy, but a half pound of turkey every day on top of dog food for a 12 pound dog is excessive. I wouldn't change the dog's feeding routine while the pup is in your care, and I wouldn't contact the vet without owner's permission, but I would notify the owner that you think the turkey may be contributing to the pup's health issues. I think there are ways to approach owners about their dogs' health without sounding preachy, and if you demonstrate you really just care about the dog, it should be well received. If they then instruct you to change the diet, then that's excellent!

Perhaps something like..."This morning I went to feed Fido his turkey and noticed that the sodium content for his portion is nearly 2000mg. It's wild what companies are able to sneak into food these days, I had no idea there was that much in turkey! I know the recommended daily intake for humans is around that much, so perhaps it is contributing to his thirst. Would you be open to me trying just the dog food for a day or two and see if it helps?"

Also- I generally don't keep deli meat for 2 weeks... eat it in a week, maybe 1.5, then toss it!

Changing the food of boarded dogs is a controversial subject, I think at one point or another, sitters have been faced with the issue of questioning what a dog is fed. My take on it is that unless it is immediately dangerous, leave it be. The dog is 13, and I'm fairly confident that at least one person (including the dog's vet) has counseled them on what their dog eats.

Is it healthy? Not at all! However, the same could be said for many of the dog foods on the market.

I would not suggest to the owners otherwise however. I believe the best way to avoid situations like this is discussing them at the Meet and Greet. I ask what the dogs eat/how often/circumstances fed. If it's something I can't accommodate I'll tell them (like I won't free feed).

When you get a request you "don't like", you discuss everything with the owner immediately. You always need to have a direct conversation about everything, in order to avoid situations like that. You feed the dogs what the owner to tells you to feed them. You do not switch their food just because you believe in different feeding. If you are unable to feed the dog as requested, you just tell them you're not a good fit for their needs.

I personally DO NOT feed commercial kibbles to my own pup, because I find it dangerous and nasty, but I do feed my clients' dogs kibbles if they bring their kibbles.

I had a request that was worse than just feeding a pet something (subjectively) deemed to be unhealthy. One owner said their "spoiled" pet eats cooked chicken thighs every day, bone in. I was told the dog would choose to starve rather than eat anything else. For other reasons, I did not end up caring for the dog, but I couldn't have fed a dog chicken with bones for fear of the dog choking to death! I'd love to know if the Rover guarantee covers this if you are following owner's feeding instructions!