Dog Feeding Advice

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

funkyfish — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:22:17 GMT

What breed is she? I've found that some dogs need to work for their food, once the scavenger instinct kicks in so does the appetite. They are designed to spend a long time looking for food, so putting it in a bowl is boring.

Try feeding several small meals, some in bowls and some in feeding balls, kongs, scatter feed etc. Have you tried differend bowl sizes, shapes? My collie wont eat out of a china bowl as he hates the noise when his name tag hits the rim-is fine with metal bowls though.

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Vicky RVN — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:46:31 GMT

Reading this rather late! Re the amount of food. I found this with Jack, he didn't want to eat the volume of food he needed. He was on James Wellbeloved, and needed quite a lot of that. I changed him to Burns and found the amount he needed was much less, so he will happily eat the daily requirement. He was on Arden Grange when i first got him. Personally i didn't like it for him, made his faeces dodgy, as did JW. He's much better on Burns. Re using a raised bowl, i've heard that that isn't recommended to prevent GDV anymore.

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Forlan — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:17:48 GMT

More advice needed

She eats pro-plan, but nowhere near her 'recommended daily intake', she acts as if dinner time is a chore and doesn't seem to enjoy eating at all. I am not sure if I should change anything? I have been looking at changing her food to Arden Grange and would like an opinion on that if possible. I have read contradicting advice on whether her bowl should be raised or not as well. I just want to know that what I am doing is right, or wrong but with advice on how to change it.

Thanks guys.

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Vicky RVN — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:02:07 GMT

Yay glad she's eating it

It really doesn't bother me that Jack likes a bit of meat and veg with his biscuits, he does well on it

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:10:14 GMT

I had a CKC once who had been fed on roast beef!! I done as Gillian mentioned, offered the dry and nothing else.. 3 days later she ate the dry.

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Forlan — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:05:04 GMT

Tell me about it! However, it appears she may have been taking me for a ride....this morning was her first dry day and she wolfed the whole lot down with no complaints!!! The cheeky monster

But it's all good...at least she is eating it now

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Vicky RVN — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:31:32 GMT

[quote user="Forlan"]But I will stay strong....promise [/quote]

Easier said than done when those big brown eyes look at you....!!! And when the head rests on your knee!

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Forlan — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:35:55 GMT

Haha, I get the feeling my girl will be spoiled too! The only thing I want her to do is eat a dry diet! And the no treats rule until she eats her dinner is breaking my heart! But I will stay strong....promise

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Vicky RVN — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:32:33 GMT

What a little monster, bless her! I don't give Jack dog meat...he has roast dinner left over meat! And if we run out of veg for him and we're not having veg for tea he has some cooked especially...spoilt...not at all!!!!!

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Forlan — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:28:59 GMT

I would do that for her, but she is a monster and just licks around the biscuit to get the meat and juice from the meat! Even when I wet the biscuits she manages to avoid them. I wouldn't have minded her having a mixed diet, but I didn't want her on a meat only diet!

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Vicky RVN — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:26:14 GMT

Fussy monkey! I'm a bit soft with Jack...he has dry food with a spoonful of veg/meat! Without the veg he turns his nose up! Doesn't bother me though cos it's not doing him any harm.

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Forlan — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:22:57 GMT

I have changed her over gradually, so tomorrow is to be her first dry day, but to be honest the guidelines say change over gradually, but because she won't eat the biscuits when there is meat in the bowl, tomorrow will effectively be a complete change of diet (IF she eats anything) She's a pain in the bum, but sooooo cute

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Vicky RVN — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:00:23 GMT

But surely just putting down dry food goes against the normal advice of changing food gradually for their digestive system?

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Forlan — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:37:01 GMT

Thanks every one for the advice. I will try putting it down for her to eat and if she doesn't eat, taking it away. I will let you know if it is a success

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Stella Skelton RVN — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:46:37 GMT

i agree with Gillian. I usually always advise feeding twice a day and removing the food if not eaten within 15 mins. They dog will soon get the idea that if it doesn't eat the food it doesn't eat anything. DO NOT give in. You're the boss. Good luck. x

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Gillian Mostyn — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:03:05 GMT

[quote user="Sophie Gosden RVN MBVNA"]put a crumbled up oxo cube in with the dry food - to start with you could also make this into a paste to make the food more palatable...[/quote]

Wouldn't recommend this - oxo is just basically a lot of salt!

My advice? Put the dry proplan in the bowl. Keep putting the bowl down at mealtimes for 3 days. Give NO other treats, titbits or basically anything edible. If the dog hasn't eaten it by day 3 then I'll eat my own smelly socks....lol.

p.s. no harm will come to a 5 year old dog by not eating for a couple of days!

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Sophie Bedford RVN CertVNECC — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:14:46 GMT

The other thing that I've found works for some dogs is to make it smell better put a crumbled up oxo cube in with the dry food - to start with you could also make this into a paste to make the food more palatable...

Good luck!!

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Forlan — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:21:15 GMT

Thanks, I will try this! Yeah, it's pro plan I have.

Re: Dog Feeding Advice

Katie Tallett RVN MBVNA — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 07:57:06 GMT

try soaking the dry food with warm water soit goes soft and smelly, you could even mix some wet food thoroughly with this until she begins to eat. *offer nothing else*

if the food has been untouched after 15mins or so, remove and try again an hr later. repeat until succesful!!

if she eats this, gradually add less water and meat until she is on completely dry food.

also make sure you go for a good quality dry - pro plan is a good palatable one that most animals would eat.

good luck!