Feeding tips?

[Kate Ware]

Hi, does anyone have any tips on food and feeding?

My boy has gone off his food almost completely.. he will sniff it and pick around but he's not interested. He has been wormed and is not unwell at all so I know he just does not like the food.

He is having royal canin maxi junior and tripe (or other meat) I will feel him twice a day, it was three times when he was growing up.

 

When I have given him a tin of processed meat he will wolf it down but the nutritianal value is not good so I don't want to go down that route. Also I want something that'll keep the weight on and his condition... shiny coat, good teeth etc...

 

So, what feeds are good? I'm in England.

Many thanks

Kate

 

 

[Elizabeth Ball]

Ha ha, he is more than welcome any time, though I think it might be a bit far for you to come for a bit of Dog Stew.  For wine and chocolates I would make a bit more of an effort though!

[Yvonne Wark]

Hopefully someone will be able to answer this question.  My bitch Holly is turning into such a fussy eater and I have to hand feed her most of the time.  I read on this thread that some people give their dogs kibble whe out walking.  I have tried this and Holly would wolf down what is being offered.  My question is is it safe to feed a dog when out on their run around and walks?  I stick to the 2 hours before and an hour after rule so where does the feeding fit in with this?  I have to say it works for Holly.

[silvia]

you are right.. but again, common sense.. we give some hand feeding food to oberon while walking, from time to time, since picnics outside is the form in which dry food is more accepted. Never give say 200gr in one go after running.. but a hand here and there during the walk I believe is safer- well, at least for him it doesnt seems to harm.. I know is difficult to decide where to draw the line.. if he's eating too many biscuits (means we are lucky since his diet is well integrated;) then we stop running and nicely walk slowly for a bit, enjoying a quiet walk before to come back home..

[Sherry Miller]

I use a different type of dry kibble here as training treats...in home as well as  when out walking with Molly.  I never give a training treat to Molly after she has been running or if she is breathing hard.  Training treats at home are mostly given for her doing her "tricks" or teaching her a new trick.  Hope this helps....I did start the different dry kibble for training treats the day Molly came home due to concerns that in future weight might be a problem for her due to the fact she was spayed ( she is our first female ever).  Molly does "do lunch " with me periodically and I have found that a small sample size or baggie of her training treats along with her water keeps her content while we have our lunch.....but even then I make sure the walk has not been so brisk she is breathing hard or gobbling food! 

[Sherry Miller]

I am not letting Molly read the forum again!  She has never really gone off her food before but decided yesterday to do just that.  Had Alan really worried about his baby so guess who got to sleep in the family room with Molly to check on her last night?  and again this AM she pulled the picky bit with him again.  Alan left and I decided to give her one of her doggie icecreams...which she delicately licked while making a big todo of looking up to be sure I was watching her!  Alan came back with our daily newspaper which he had her bring in to me and I rewarded her with a few pieces of her training treats( that other dry dog food kibble)  which she gobbled down and then I sat and hand fed her about what she would eat in the morning of her regular food with the little darling being sure both of us were watching her eat!  What a con job we fell for here!  Tonight she was back on her regular food but she enjoyed her day of being coddled it seems.  The only thing I can figure is that I was not home to sit in the kitchen to watch her eat her dinner last night....and by time I got home she did not want to eat I guess....so Molly must have ran in here and read this forum discussion to find out how her Irish Setter peers would work this to their advantage!

[Howard Glansfield]

I think Arthur has been reading this too! He has been of his food since yesterday afternoon .It is most unlike him but it is excessively hot here (90F in my garden) and I think he will eat again when it is cooler.He is well and is his normal self but it worries me when a puppy doesn't eat.He needs to put on weight not lose it.Of course he knows I am worried and I am trying hard not to let him know but he can read my mind a great deal of the time.....I will try him on his training treats and see what happens .

[Howard Glansfield]

Have you ever found that you think you have found something your puppy likes,stock up on it only for the puppy never to touch it again?When Ellie was a puppy she would only eat raw tripe.yuck! And it had to be hand fed.I bought a freezer full of the stuff and then she went off it.The other dogs didn't like it.All she has really eaten since then,dog food wise ,(as she is a scavenger) ,is Classic cat food.

And we love 'em don't we?!!

[Christine Pullen]

I think you are right about the heat Howard. One of mine, the best eater usually, didn't want breakfast and ate it under protest around lunchtime!! I do think though that he is jealous of Jack who HAS to be hand fed and upright so gets "special" treatment in his eyes!!!

[Sherry Miller]

Michelle what type of ice cream are you giving your slow eaters?  Reason I do the doggie icecream here is I was told years ago that dogs are all lactose intolerant but have seen others give milk and real icecream to their dogs so just wondered???  I found with Molly it just sort of jumpstarts her appetite if I am worried about her but think she did figure out how to get one of her favorite things by faking it! :)

[Howard Glansfield]

I think lactose intolerance must vary from dog to dog much as it does with us.Arthur still has Weetabix and a bowl of milk twice a day and has no side effects but both if Ellie and Fred drink milk their bowels suffer the next day.

[Garrech and Canagan]

Dogs especially deep chested dogs like the IS should never be fed immediately after a run or for that matter before. They should always have a rest between exercise and eating.

I read that Howard has mentioned the “NatureDiet”. We have just started to use it and it seems to go down well. Plus as it appears to be hydrolysed which together with the stated constituents it should aid digestion. Cost wise if purchased in quantity is fairly competitive which is always a bonus!

We have had a bit of a problem recently with an extremely well known and respected Pet Food Supplier. I use the description supplier rather than manufacturer even though they are known as manufacturers but it appears that their product is actually made under contract to them. Without going into too much detail I think that what I have learned is: a) What it says on the tin may well be not what the customer expects and b) Check expiry dates on the cans.  Hence our interest in the “NatureDiet” products.

I don’t like feeding any dog kibble even wet although the young one is presently eating a mixture of the Nature Diet and ProPlan Kibble for Sensitive Digestion. Garrech now 5yrs is finishing off the remains of the canned food we have in stock in the morning and the “NatureDiet” in the evening (both are fed two meals a day) with ordinary mixer biscuit being mixed in with the meat. When the pup gets to about the 1yr mark we will stop the kibble, increase the “NatureDiet” and feed him with that and the mixer biscuit. Thankfully both eat well although Garrech has had his picky moments when younger.

[Sherry Miller]

When you refer to mixer biscuit it leaves me wondering exactly what that is?  Any information is appreciated...I know different countrys call things differently.