Dried complete food

[Howard Glansfield]

I would appreciate your advice and opinion.

Fred(nearly eight) has been fed all his life on cannned food and dried food,he has Bozita Original Plus which both he an Ellie really enjoy.Last week he vomited, which is only the second time in his adult life.It was obvious the dried food, which is round pellets ,had not been chewed and had swollen to about 50% bigger than when ingested.He normally chews them.I decided not to give him any more for a day or two and then I noticed that the terrible wind that he gets had stopped and his motions,always 'loose' were more normal.I have reintroduced the dried food back into his diet,as he was asking for some, but in a much smaller quantity.He remains wind free and bowels are better.It seems obvious that the dried food is causing the wind but is this common and will all dried food effect him?

Ellie has none of the effects that Fred does.

[Howard Glansfield]

Thank you all again,some really useful advice.I will be acting upon it.

Ellie and Fred came to us with a diet of dried and canned food.My other setters ate canned food and ,sometimes,fresh meat together with a biscuit like Winalot .Arthur was also on a mix of dried and canned but he now totally refuses to eat dried food ,maybe he knows best!

I buy a food that looks like Frolic but I can only get it in France and the dogs love it. I was stopped by Customs once and they were very surprised to see a boot full of dog food!I am glad they didn't want to see inside the sealed bags.The dogs  have it for treats and  when they go to bed.

I too have a Zooplus account and it is cheaper for me to order the cats Science Diet and the dog's Dentastix and dried food from Germany than to buy it from a local supplier.Crazy!

 

[Lois McCullough]

Our boys have a terrier mix with their slow cooked shin of beef, chicken breast or tongue. Always worry about a complete feed you've only got to read about the 27 additives (not allowed on the Continent) we have in our bread including an anti fungus something or other and a swelling agent. I make my own with French flour - sorry digressing a bit. I think we all need to know what goes into our IS's tummies as well as our own!! 

[Chantal McIlveen-Wright]

Howard, just wanted to let you know that looking at zooplus website for dentastix http://www.zooplus.co.uk/ask?query=dentastix

not sure what is the matter here but Dentastix at Tesco is much cheaper than on Zooplus!!!  the pack of 7 sticks, medium size at zooplus = £2.69 - Tesco £1.52 (I bought one yesterday).

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/search/default.aspx?searchBo...

Wish I knew which drug they put into those dentastix to have our dogs so addicted!!!! :-)

[Howard Glansfield]

Thanks Chantal.I have now also looked at the Sainsbury's site and they have a box of 56 large chews for £13.50 but at Zooplus they are now £17.99.I never really thought of looking elsewhere.However I have now found a web site:  http://www.bestpetpharmacy.co.uk/search_results.asp where they are £10.48 and free postage! I have ordered four boxes as my dogs have one each at bed time and they adore them.There must be some additive that makes them so addictive but they do keep their teeth clean!

[Garrech and Canagan]

Howard,

I use Bestpetpharmacy. Pretty good prices although VetUk beat them most times although not by very much. The difference is the customer service from BestPet is much better.

[Sue and Cash]

I was a product demonstrator for Pro Plan for many years and they do make Pro Plan Selects (in the USA) which is wheat and corn free.  Also the Salmon and Rice Sensitive Skin and Stomach formula is also wheat and corn free.  I am sure that you have equivelents in other countries. 

[rosie beere]

on more or less the same subjet, has anyone used the Artimis for large breed puppies?

i am very soon to be getting my pup and have been trying to find the best for him.

i will have to wean off slowly what he is on at the moment.

i am is Australia so any info would be great.

thanks Rosie

[Leisa McDermott]

Orijen Recall in Australia

 

I've read through all the comments here and thought I'd check out the Orijen food as Nula has had a few of the symptoms mentioned.  

One of the results for the search is shocking, although it is directed at the cat food version it does make you wonder what else goes on.  http://wherearethepetfoodchampions.com/web/Orijen_Recall.html

The company have stated that the Australian import/quarantine process for pet food was in effect poisoning the animals.   Australia is notorious for having very strict import regs, (I can personally attest to this having had bday & xmas pressies opened by customs because of a bar of chocolate :(     ) but you would think that a company of this size should have known the import/quarantine regulations and what would happen to their food??  Just a thought.  It also appears they have tried the heavy handed "big company" tactics with the people protesting their responsibility. 

 

I for one won't be buying their products.

 

Please keep posting your advice on diet suggestions tho' they are very helpful.......:)

[Laura Kolbach]

http://www.championpetfoods.com/Australia_Consumer_Release.pdf

i am sorry for the kitties and their owners, but i don't think that the company was at fault alone (see article above) - but that's another story. i believe in them as my dogs are good on it (and no, they are not on it alone but eat gizzard, tripe, meat, etc as well).

think it is similar with Iams/Eukanuba for example. i would never feed it because of their testing on animals, but other people's dog are just great on it and they don't care about the horrible videos aired from their labs. there are so many products on the market, and you just have to find the one that you are okay with.

if i would have the place and space (and time!), i would switch to raw or natural for sure but at the moment i don't have the possibility.

[Garrech and Canagan]

Royal Canin aren't above criticism! It appears they have had several recalls over the years since the melamine contamination in 2007.

Problem is it's big business which added to the fact that our pets can't communicate taste or what they have just eaten might not the best for them (because they don't know what they are eating!) adds up to having to trust the manufacturers. But standards cost money and the quality control isn't set as high as that on food for humans. I agree with both Laura and Lois that if one can produce as much home prepared food as possible then it's a far superior diet as well as the peace of mind knowing what they are actually eating.  

[Garrech and Canagan]

For me I'll certainly be looking at both sites. I remember a breeder telling me that her bitch suffered from the most dreadful of tummy problems (I won't be too graphic!) and changing the diet to raw chicken wings cured her (the dog that is!)

Thanks for the info.

[eva ciechonska]

I would welcome opinions on the BARF diet because my vet has seriously scared me off  raw chicken wings.  She has seen too many dogs with perforated guts to recommend it and there is also the spectre of Salmonella.