Raw and Dry feeding - tiredness

[DAB]

Hello,  I just registered on this site and wondered if I could get some advice please.  I have a 20 month old lab who for most of his life has been on 2 raw meals a day, and 1 dry.  He has been fine with this but I feel recently that he is very tired a lot of the time.  He is still very active on his walks, and we get the same greeting when we get home etc.  A few weeks ago, we put him just on the dry.  I thought his energy levels did improve but he started getting loose stools.  We decided to put him back on raw (plus one dry meal), but the tiredness I think has returned.  Has anyone else experienced this please, as I don't want to keep changing his food unnecessarily. Thank you. 

[COASTER]

Welcome

I am not a vet & thus don't want to speculate re causes of lower energy levels, however, I do have a couple of comments......

1. I don't see benefit of feeding both raw & dry...even if feeds are separated to avoid digestive conflict (which some feel is an issue).

2. I don't see a benefit of 3 feeds at this age.

3. Given one choice between kibble and raw I would choose the later.


Not suggesting anything wrong with your dog, however, I would simplify diet routine so you can decide if diet is issue or identify any need to think wider.

My comments assuming the dog is not presenting clinical symptoms, is not significantly under or over weight, is drinking and toileting ok, etc etc

Like people dogs can change as they go through life phases. Labs can have an extended puppyhood & can mature later than some breeds.

[Tinyplanets]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I agree with everything Coaster said.

It is hard to say what has caused tiredness in your dog but a well as age, the recent hot weather may have had an impact.

The soft stools may indicate that a diet of dry food isn't suiting him.

[COASTER]

Tinyplanets - Thanks for endorsing my ramlings.

One more thing to add is that excess feeding of suitable foods can cause loose stools also.

Oh & on back of my comments re overall health if not rexently wormed consider worming the dog or better still sending stool samples to wormcount.com to before ruling out or treating same when not neeeded.