What to feed!

[Stacia]

Flicka came to me on a very cheap food, I have changed her to a Junior Turkey and Rice but wondered about feeding her Salmon and Rice Adult, any thoughts about a salmon diet?

 

[JES72]

Sounds tasty to me. I always mixed up Homer's food, sometimes pork and potato or fish and rice, alternating bags. He was never any good with chicken based flavours.

 

[MellowYellow]

I also mix up different kinds of food, as I think it must be terribly boring always eating the same stuff!! Not that they seem to mind, of course...

 

[kateincornwall]

I feed ours on Skinners field and trial , depending on whats on offer we fluctuate between chicken and rice , salmon and rice and duck and rice . I do cook a mix of fish and veggies to add to the kibble xx

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

I also mix up different kinds of food, as I think it must be terribly boring always eating the same stuff!! Not that they seem to mind, of course...

I agree. I couldn’t feed the same thing all the time even if I wanted to because of our travels, but I also think it sounds nice to have a variety. Because of medical issues, Carbón can’t really have animal protein anymore, so he gets all sorts of weird stuff depending on where we are. Basics are some steamed veg, a raw egg, quark/cottage cheese/yoghurt, quinoa or oatmeal and a fruit (usually an apple or orange) with a splash of olive or avocado oil (he can’t have salmon anymore).

 

[Selina27]

Well , you asked the question Cassie been on raw now for over a year now (most of the time) and I have the zeal of the converted. Seeing is believing in this case!
I felt so bad a while back when I thought I'd go back to kibble that I couldn't do so.

 

[MellowYellow]

My two have been on raw / kibble / canned food mix for most of their lives. Unfortunately Merlin seems to have developed a rather sensitive stomach, and in particular chicken wings give him terrible diarrhea. He doesn't do well with raw fish either. So we have mostly moved to a high-quality kibble/canned food regime, together with steamed veggies, rice and potatoes, a raw egg every few days, and the odd can of sardines.

 

[Stacia]

I didn't know you could chop and change different meats/fish, fascinating, thank you. We have just got back from the vet, first time in the car, first time vet. Friend and vet talked for ages so Flicka relaxed and it looked like a positive experience. However, on getting home she had diarrhoea all over the back yard, I guess it was stress.

 

[M.F.]

I believe in variety. That way you can kind of ensure you’re getting a wide range of all the nutrients. Obviously needs some thought in balancing it.

Snowie is raw fed for meals, and I make up the meals myself. I order whole chunks of meat, organs, fish, and bones and then create meals that are hopefully balanced. He also eats what we eat—cooked veg, salad, and fruit, beans, etc. He begs!! And he gets popcorn for scatter find-it games. Plus a dried chewy treat every night. Plus peanut butter. Plus plus plus. It’s endless really!

Unfortunately he has his health ailments, but he’s still full of beans and always up for a walk. And he is the last surviving sibling plus one other who unfortunately is deaf and has terrible arthritis, so perhaps his varied whole food diet has helped.

 

[Stacia]

I believe in variety. That way you can kind of ensure you’re getting a wide range of all the nutrients. Obviously needs some thought in balancing it.

Snowie is raw fed for meals, and I make up the meals myself. I order whole chunks of meat, organs, fish, and bones and then create meals that are hopefully balanced. He also eats what we eat—cooked veg, salad, and fruit, beans, etc. He begs!! And he gets popcorn for scatter find-it games. Plus a dried chewy treat every night. Plus peanut butter. Plus plus plus. It’s endless really!

Unfortunately he has his health ailments, but he’s still full of beans and always up for a walk. And he is the last surviving sibling plus one other who unfortunately is deaf and has terrible arthritis, so perhaps his varied whole food diet has helped.

Snowie is a lucky dog x

 

[MrChew]

I agree the variety is good for their microbiome. We give Chewie a mix of freeze dried raw (at the moment beef and fish) and kibble (lamb or kangaroo) plus other bits and pieces like sardines, raw meaty bones (rib bones or brisket), veg and fruit (he looooves fruit).

 

[Lab_adore]

Maxx gets a mix of high quality kibble (Black Hawk) and cheaper low-fat kibble every morning with two dollops of yoghurt. For dinner we alternate between the same kibble meal and a mix of meat/veg/rice or potato (this is an excellent way to use up leftovers). We always cook a bit extra when we have things like a roast so we can make and freeze several mixed meals for him. He doesn't complain

He also gets a liver treat broken up and pushed into his black Kong bone every morning after brekkie then a pigs ear when we are having our lunch. Plus a frozen Kong as soon as we all wake up and another at lunch time. These are very low calorie - just banana + water or poached chicken blended with water or carrots + water. He knows to the minute when every single element of his allocation is due. Incredible

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

@Jelinga sounds like except for the last part of dodgy tummy, she did really well. A huge change from just a few weeks ago.

 

[Selina27]

I should add that the food I use comes already prepared in tubs to go in the freezer and which is the minced up whole animal, so bones are included.I wouldn't trust myself to be able to make a balanced meal for her. She gets plenty of other stuff as well, I do extra veg for her and has any suitable left overs. I have a bag of kibble as well for those times I don't get it out of the freezer in time or if I think I might run out she has half and half.
She mostly has chicken, turkey or beef and tripe but they do other varieties such as lamb, venison or pure beef.
I wonder @MellowYellow if this would suit Merlin?

 

[Stacia]

I have never chopped and changed flavours, oh my poor dogs, though I always put some Forthglade on top so they did have a little bit of a change! I think Flicka has a sensitive stomach so still not sure whether to try Salmon and Rice! Your dogs are all very lucky and Flicka says can she move house

 

[Atemas]

Red does not have a varied diet. She had digestive problems as a pup so I found what suits her and stick to it. I would imagine salmon is quite strong….but I don‘t know. Red has turkey kibble and Fothglade turkey/vegetables wet food. All her treats are fish - mostly white fish. It might be boring but she always gobbles her food enthusiastically so it works for her. Dogs are all different.

 

[Selina27]

Bottom line is we do what suits our dogs and our pockets

I don't for a moment think Cass would ever feel bored with any food presented to her !

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Bottom line is we do what suits our dogs and our pockets

Exactly! Talking food with dog people is always going to be a can of worms but we all do our best based on our circumstances and individual dogs. But if you are willing to open that can of worms (or thread on the forum ), I find it really interesting to see what we’re all doing.

 

[Selina27]

But if you are willing to open that can of worms (or thread on the forum ), I find it really interesting to see what we’re all doing.

Yes, I think so too !

 

[Jennifer]

Sorry I don’t believe in variety. Having had experience of a dog with chronic colitis once I find a food that suits I stick to it. Fish protein is often recommended for dogs with sensitive stomachs. My first lab with the colitis couldn’t eat salmon it was too rich. He had a white fish kibble. He definitely couldn’t eat beef or chicken. Once on a fish protein with strict regulation on treats and probiotics he never had colitis again. It took years to work that out though. Scott and Scout were on Skinners Salmon and rice. Hunter is on CSJ lamb and rice adult. I probably would’ve put him on Skinners salmon and rice except I changed him on to CSJ puppy when Royal Canin puppy stopped suiting him. CSJ puppy is Lamb and rice which suited him so I changed him on to their adult lamb and rice. Dog food really is a mine field when you start looking in to it and as @Selina27 said we do what suits our dogs and our pockets.