Messages

1

General discussion / Re: What is logic of reducing number of meals as the puppy ages?

« on: Oct 16, 2020, 19:02 »

Personally I wouldn't  reduce to one feed. I know that when I first got my dog, she was  bringing up  foamy vomit around five o'clock. I am pretty sure it was due to an empty stomach so I started giving her a small biscuit around four an hour or so before her evening meal and it all stopped. She was having a meal in the morning as well. She does fine on two meals and a small snack.

2

Dog news / Re: Pet food is harming the planet

« on: Oct 12, 2020, 20:14 »

I live in hope that there will be a way to produce a healthy food without  harming the environment.

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Feeding dogs with health problems / Re: The itchy/scratching dog (allergic dematitis)

« on: Oct 12, 2020, 20:11 »

Some great information there.

The main issues I have had with itching have been the paws and this always tends to be from July to September. Although we or the vet haven't seen any obvious signs of harvest mites, I suspect it may be linked to these. If not some kind of allergy to something in the environment. She does tend to lick them too which will make things worse. In the early days, she had steroids from the vet which worked well but they did tend to flare up again as soon as the course ended. I didn't want to keep giving her steroids as she is prone to stress. For the last few years I have made sure that her feet are washed after every walk and at the first sign of itching, I add a capful of hibiscrub to her foot wash and give her loratadine, (check dose with vet).  This has mostly worked well and calmed things down.

4

Feeding dogs with health problems / Re: Yeast infection in mouth and feeding guide

« on: Oct 04, 2020, 13:29 »

Hello and welcome to the forum,
If your dog is struggling to eat properly, I would be seeking the advice of a vet again at this stage. I would imagine that raw would be good for prevention of yeast infections, as carbohydrates, especially those from over processed foods, have been linked to such infections.
If I was going to use  a dry food, I would perhaps look at one with a healthier source of carbs like wholemeal grains or grain free. However raw is very low in carbs which suggests they may not be the trigger in your dogs case.

What types of treats does he have? Some of the popular ones can be quite high in ingredients which may be more likely to trigger yeast infections.

5

Feeding dogs with health problems / Re: Obesity and weight loss thread

« on: Sep 28, 2020, 18:18 »

That's a really helpful post Dottie. Thank you for putting it together.

6

General discussion / Re: Lentils in poop

« on: Sep 28, 2020, 18:15 »

I know I had issues with pulses coming out undigested when I fed one of the raw foods but when I enquired, I found that they were put in raw so no doubt much too hard  to digest. I found my dog lost weight on this food.

I would assume that the lentils and veg are cooked in butternut box foods so its a shame they don't seem to be digesting well.

7

Feeding dogs with health problems / Re: Cockapoo Puppy

« on: Sep 23, 2020, 16:55 »

Hello and welcome to the forum. I don't have any experience feeding puppies but a urine infection may be a sign that she isn't drinking enough. In my experience, it is hard to add water to some of the dried foods. I used to feed my dog a cold pressed food and it was quite easy to add a little warm water to that as the food absorbed it well.  Otherwise a wet food might be a better option.
Are her stools soft on her current food? If so that might not be stimulating her anal glands enough.

It is difficult to recommend a food for the itching as it is impossible to know the cause but if you are looking to see if diet makes a difference then it is best to choose something that has only a few ingredients in. You also have to ensure that you avoid treats and extras. If the itching clears then you can try adding more foods slowly to see if anything causes a reaction. It can be  a long slow process and is a case of trial and error.

Home cooking is also an option but you need to be well informed about the subject to ensure balance.  Also if you decide to raw feed, it is important to have good food hygiene practises to avoid cross contamination.

8

Dog foods / Re: Food advice for Lurcher with Lymphoma

« on: Aug 31, 2020, 15:57 »

Hello,
Sorry to hear about Max's illness. Have you been told that the diarrhoea is a side effect of the chemo or is this a separate issue? If due to the treatment, I think that if I was in your situation, I would be inclined not to mess around with his food at the moment.  However If he is struggling to eat enough to maintain his weight, it might be worth considering one of the cold pressed foods like gentle or guru etc. The recommended amounts look quite small compared to other dried food  so it might be easier for him to eat a little more. In my experience they have always been gentle on the digestive system too. Although not as high in meat content as some foods, the grain is a healthier brown rice. Some of the high meat content food can lead to diarrhoea especially if the portion is too big. Often a little trial and error period is necessary to get the right balance which may be hard on Max right now.

9

General dog chat / Re: Dog upset over new kitten.

« on: Jul 29, 2020, 18:16 »

Is your dog male or female? I was just wondering if it is an instinct to mother the kitten or not which may be causing the distress.

10

Introductions / Re: Hi all I’m after some advice

« on: Jul 15, 2020, 18:40 »

Your feedback is appreciated. I am glad your dogs are doing well and have settled at a good healthy weight.

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Dog foods / Re: Help find dog food using packaging as an aid? - so how is your dog food packed?

« on: Jun 29, 2020, 20:03 »

I just found a few similar foods in terms of ratings and what I wanted to feed then chose the one with the recyclable packaging. It is frozen raw food comes in compostable cartons.

12

Dog foods / Re: Vegan Dog Food available in UK

« on: Jun 29, 2020, 19:59 »

I am still not convinced that a vegan diet is suitable for dogs. It is still a bit of an unknown.  Many have argued that it is not suitable for humans as B12 has to be taken as a supplement or added to food. In reality, lots of people who aren't vegan lack this vitamin and others and lots of processed foods have them added.  Whereas there is lots of evidence to suggest humans can do very well on a vegan diet, there just isn't that kind of data for dogs for me to be happy to omit meat at this time. Whatever you feed, you have to feel comfortable with it.

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Dog news / Re: Lily (Lily's Kitchen)

« on: Jun 11, 2020, 18:06 »

Sad news

14

Introductions / Re: Feeding guidelines help, please

« on: May 30, 2020, 12:13 »

500g weight gain is good news. I hope you can work out exactly what is needed to keep the weight stable now.

15

Dog news / Re: Statement from the Animal Health Trust

« on: May 01, 2020, 07:43 »

It is very sad to see how many animal charity organisations are suffering at the moment.