FEEDING PROBLEMS

[louise]

Hello all,

I'm having problems with my 3 month old boy and wonder what anyone else is giving their setter?

All responses appreciated,

Marie

[Christina Gray]

We can give better advice if we have a better idea of what sorts of feeding problems you are having. What to you feed now?

[louise]

Hello Christine, since I've had Oscar I gave fresh lamb offcuts but he went off them, also the vet pointed out that's how they get worms, so I boiled or roasted them, no success.   

 

Then canned meat with/without dry biscuits, raw chicken necks, raw chicken mince, baked chicken mince with cooked peas, brocolli, carrots, spinach, rice and scrambled egg, He will eat a quarter to a  half a chicken carcass a day but he he'll have to eat nothing the previous day.

It's 8.45 at night, he's had the total (of my outstreched hand) of cooked puppy chicken roll from the supermarket today.  I waited 10-15 minutes per serving then removed the food, 3-4 times a day.

He acts hungry- goes crazy when I'm getting it, then sniffs and walks away, goes 2 days with no food, which may be OK once in awhile but not all the time.

He's fully immunised and I've been to 2 vets, they only advocate canned/dry food. He's quite thin.  

Any input, I'm grateful for - I had an English setter, he was nothing like this.  

   

[Lois McCullough]

Hi Marie do you know what he was weaned on and did you receive a puppy feeding chart from the breeder? You could try some cooked white fish (no bones), canned sardines and cooked pasta and sometimes a little bit of competition helps - on your hands and knees pretending to eat with him. It is a worry but he's still very young and one day you'll wonder if he really was a picky eater! Good luck I'm sure you'll get a lot of helpful advice from other ES members.

[louise]

Hi Lois, the breeder was adamant she brought pups up on raw lamb offcuts, when I called her she suggested I try the chicken roll, raw chicken carcass, raw chicken necks and the puppy milk.

I felt stupid, the vets looked at me as if I WAS THE FUSSY ONE! ( and if I don't laugh I'll cry)...

Thanks, will try  

[Fran Griffin]

Is he being picky?  or is it that giving him a lot of raw food and fresh foods he is self regulating and just saying  I have eaten all my body needs?  This is what my Barkley does.  What is his weight like? Is he a bag of bones or is he well covered.  Raw pork can cause a worm load, but my dogs get raw lamb on a regular basis, and they don't get worms any more than any other dog I have owned.  I also worm them on a regular basis, so if  you do this. Worms shouldn't be an issue.

[louise]

Hello Fran, I've just weighed him- 12 kg.He's 13 weeks. At one point he did have worms, since cleared up.

He is a bag of bones, hips are obvious, so if he has what his body needs, the restlessness, hungry actions concern me -   someone suggested I feed him.

No puppy feeding chart   

 

[Catherine Carter]

Hi Marie,

I don't know if you can get hold of raw tripe in Australia. This is what I feed all my dogs on and have done for nearly thirty years. In the UK, we can have it delivered frozen to our homes and the dogs love it! I am rather concerned that you did not get a feeding chart with your puppy. At that age I would like to see him  well covered rather than hearing he is a bag  of bones.

[louise]

Hi Catherine, I've never needed tripe but will definitely give this a go.

Thankyou

[louise]

Hi Catherine,

Sorry to bother you, I've got a butcher who has tripe ( thought it was a vegetable-woopsie! ) - he says it comes in to him frozen,cleaned (but he didn't sound very sure if it's been parboiled)

I've never cooked it but found on the net that it's boiled it for 5/6 hours then cut into 2 cm pieces.

How are you preparing it, do you give it cut up (apparently it's qiute tough) and do you give it on it's own? 

Marie  

[Catherine Carter]

Hi Marie,

The tripe we get here in the UK is raw green( unwashed) tripe ! It is especially for dogs and get frozen before you can buy it. When I get it delivered ( it is pre-packed in 1 pound bag) I will take out 4 bags ( I have 4 Irish Setters at the moment) and defrost them the day before. On the day, the dogs get two meals( one 1/2 pack per meal per dog) with some laughing dog terrier meal( Laughing Dog is just pure wheat biscuit meal which is baked so it does not swell up if you want to soak it slightly before giving to the dogs). I have fed my dogs like this since I got my first Irish in 1982. It is a low protein diet which suits them really well. In the UK we can also get tripe in tins, and I think that way it has been cooked. I only used tins if I am travelling with the dogs. I have never cooked the tripe I get frozen. I hope this helps!.

[Karen McKelvey]

My puppies are 9 weeks I have been feeding Royal Canin (puppy) now junior steeped in warm goats milk. I have introduced some mince and chicken also scrambled eggs with a little grated cheese. My adults are fed tripe with their mixer I havent started the puppies on tripe yet but will shortly.

[Rose Muffett]

Hi Marie,

 

When my last Fleetwood arrived, he was older, 15 weeks old and he didn't really like eating his dry puppy food at all.  I gave him what I fed my other dogs.  I take boneless/skinless chicken breasts and boil them until tender, then I slice them up into pieces and return them to the boiling water and add white rice.  I make a large batch and keep it in the refrigerator.  Each feeding I put a few spoonfuls over the dry food and mix it well.  All of my dogs love this. 

 

You might also have your Vet do a fecal and check for worms.  Worms can cause digestive problems too and make a puppy or dog not want to eat much.  But, since he already saw a Vet, they probably already did a fecal.  ~Rose