don't hate me-bad dog owner

MotherOfChickens

MotherOfChickens

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Right (gets a bit graphic), so for months last year Quarrie had problems with anal glands. this culminated in an infection that took a lot to clear (swabs taken, several rounds of a'biotics, flushed under GA didn't clear it-finally we hammered it with a month's course of three different antibiotics). Vets were grumbling about removal which I wanted to avoid.

thing is, he's a fairly large dog but never really did big poos. He was on MWH as a pup but he got constipated on two flavours of it (recommended by them), then Eden which he was ok on.Eden then bunged their prices right up so I then tried RAW (he was a year old by then) but he dropped weight and then an AG infection following a dicky tum. went back to MWH but a different type (lower in protein) but still didn't really produce decent poos-small hard poos but not emptying his glands. If I fed him more per meal he'd get loose again, stick to two meals a day and glands would fill up. went back to Eden with added pumpkin or sweet potato and saw a reasonable improvement.

Then due to Eden getting an order wrong, I ran out just as we first got snowed in. Driver couldn't get the new order to use for over a week so I had to use the emergency Chappie I had left over from my old dog. He's now been on it nearly two months-glands totally fine, happy dog holding weight, loving his food and leaving his back end alone an this is the longest he's been good since April last year.

I've spoken to other vets who agree that anal gland problems can sometimes be due to allergies. I would describe as an itchier dog than Fitz but there's absolutely nothing to see on his skin (my own vet has checked too), all looks perfectly normal. On the Chappie, he's no more itchier than Fitz though.

so I now have this dilemma, feed him Chappie, which everyone agrees is ***** (its the wet stuff) and feel bad about it. Or try to go back on Eden or something else and risk this happening again.

He's two in May. Now I have fed Chappie in the past (in the 90s) and I used to feed it to my old dog on occasion when he was being fussy. They do both get RAW bones weekly for their teeth. Fitz is now finishing up the Eden-he's got cast iron guts and has no problem with anything and I'd put him on RAW if it was just him. Quarrie will not go back on RAW.

WWYD?
 
I would keep him on the Chappie. Things may have changed but vets often used to recommend it for dogs with digestive problems so despite it not looking or smelling particularly wonderful I don't think it's that bad.
 
I've given up on premium, expensive food. It simply isn't working for Daisy. So she's now on a pretty cheap, albeit gf, dog food. Her foot chewing is much better.

I've come to the conclusion that we may simply get too het up on it. Obviously we'd all agree that feeding Bakers is something to avoid. But being canny about a cheaper food doesn't have to mean a compromise om over all health.
 
I always think it best to feed what works for your individual dog. I would carry on with the Chappie tbh. I don't like its fishy smell but if the dog is healthy on it, that's the important thing.
 
We've had to put Suzie back on Burns, she became very allergic to the MWH and her skin was awful on it. She also had started not eating it all, which is unheard of for her.

So if it works for your dog, feed him the Chappie.
 
Feed what works for your dog. It seems a no-brainer, although I understand the dilemma about feeding a lesser quality food. Could you feed him some raw extras (chicken carcasses, duck wings/necks etc) and raw bones a couple of times a week as well as adding in raw egg etc?
 
As can Wagg, Chappie and Pedigree dry, all terrible examples contains carcinogenics.

Chappie wet is mostly white fish, chicken, rice. Possibly cheaper to make big batches of your own if you can be bothered. I’m another one who says feed what works as long as it isn’t one of those horrific ones. Not ever dog suits raw.

I’ve had intermittent issues with my youngsters leaking, it’s just disgusting! Fortunately it’s now very rare. Having lots of bones made no difference but growing older did. They’re 7 and seem to have stopped leaking. I still have a towel on my chair just in case!
 
More because of finances than anything else but when I lived in Australia the dogs lived on boiled up kangaroo, rice and veggies. Now I appreicaite that 'roo is not that easy to get hold of in Scotland but I am sure toher meats could be subbed.
(Bad dog owner - I used to chuck a tonne of garlic in it too, to deter ticks and fleas).
 
The Chappie wet food tins are really not that bad at all and it is a complete food.
Its just a fish based food, its low in fat and nice and high in fibre which should be helping with the glands as well. Grain allergies are unusual in dogs, despite the current grain-free trend arguing otherwise, so i wouldn't worry about wheat and maize if your boy is doing well on the food. You could rechallenge by adding another type of meat in 3 months and try and figure out if its a protein allergy however. Personally I tend to think if you have found a complete food that works for a sensitive dog...stick with it!

If the anal glands are his only issue-allergies often show eyes ears paws as well, and they recurr again. I would strongly consider surgical removal however. Saves a lifetime of infections and discomfort.
 
Feed what suits him - If you want to have a dry food to bulk things out the Burns Brown Rice Mixer is pretty innocuous and has helped with anal glad issues in a few I know of, don't think it's overly cheap though
 
Thank you everyone. I was kind of ok with keeping him on it until I looked it up on that dog food comparison site and I saw it's score of 0.7/5 and some of the comments below-saying how awful it was and how owners who fed such rubbish need shooting (with a fair few defending it).so I had a wobble. I'd rather not feed it, it stinks �� And they also get breakfast at work so tins are inconvenient but it's lovely to not stressing about his glands and that he's comfortable.

Glad that you have food that suits am and jb, it's not nice when they are uncomfortable like that.
 
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druid said:
Feed what suits him - If you want to have a dry food to bulk things out the Burns Brown Rice Mixer is pretty innocuous and has helped with anal glad issues in a few I know of, don't think it's overly cheap though
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Thanks Druid, will bear this in mind. I didn't try a mixer but did try various supplements such as protexin that didn't help. Pumpkin was the best but impossible to find on the shelf up here-good old amazon! They both love pumpkin though-to the point I could hide pills in it.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
Thanks Druid, will bear this in mind. I didn't try a mixer but did try various supplements such as protexin that didn't help. Pumpkin was the best but impossible to find on the shelf up here-good old amazon! They both love pumpkin though-to the point I could hide pills in it.
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I've only found Protexin useful for loose stools not "bulking" as such. I never used mixer before the Burns stuff but it's useful for what certain situations! I'm feeding a mid-range grain free currently (VetSpec) topped with raw mince and they get a few bone in meals in lieu and am happy with it. Dogs don't think they're being starved which I've had issues with on the ultra rich stuff and they look/work well and are healthy and that's what matters!! I use the burns mixer in the summer when the lurcher has a vastly reduced work level but is convinced you're starving him if you cut back his feed too much - bulk without too many calories!
 
MotherOfChickens said:
Thank you everyone. I was kind of ok with keeping him on it until I looked it up on that dog food comparison site and I saw it's score of 0.7/5 and some of the comments below-saying how awful it was and how owners who fed such rubbish need shooting (with a fair few defending it).so I had a wobble. I'd rather not feed it, it stinks �� And they also get breakfast at work so tins are inconvenient but it's lovely to not stressing about his glands and that he's comfortable.

Glad that you have food that suits am and jb, it's not nice when they are uncomfortable like that.
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Could you try other canned - maybe lighter/fish or chicken varieties if that that's what suits him and would ease your conscience?
 
well its the Pro-Fibre I used which is supposed to bulk up, there were a couple of US anal gland things I tried too. Quarrie actively didn't like the Protexin either which didn't help. My two are still at the age where they aren't piling weight on so don't have to worry about that.

I do have duck necks and eggs they can have but tbh, I wanted Quarrie to settle right down only on the Chappie and take it from there-Eden has duck in it and they were getting eggs regularly so am ruling them out, Chappie being egg free.

I have ordered a load of large Chappie tins and am also trying a new kibble for Fitz which looks ok-I don't think the Eden semi moist suits him as well as it could-he's drinking gallons on it.
 
Just out of interest, does anyone know the measured salt content in Chappie? …. and when compared with other tinned dog foods, would be an even better reply! :)

Alec.
 
With any young animal - calves, lambs, foals and the like - which is scouring, we generally 'drench' (medicate) them with a salt and water solution. I'm just wondering if Chappie has a high salt content.

Alec.
 
Alec Swan said:
With any young animal - calves, lambs, foals and the like - which is scouring, we generally 'drench' (medicate) them with a salt and water solution. I'm just wondering if Chappie has a high salt content.

Alec.
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sodium content in Original Chappie is 0.45%. it seems as though in the UK, food companies don't have to declare salt content.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
any suggestions? thing is, he's a big dog-needs 3+ cans a day (or one large chappie).
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Maybe the Rocco Sensitive range? Choose your variety - in bulk it's about £1.82/kg and comes in 800g tins so slightly cheaper or similar price to Chappie depending where you're buying.

That's the chicken version:
"Chicken & Potatoes: 65% chicken (chicken hearts, chicken meat, chicken liver, chicken stomachs, chicken throats), 30% chicken stock, 4% potatoes, 1% minerals.

Meat and offal: 65%"
 
druid said:
Maybe the Rocco Sensitive range? Choose your variety - in bulk it's about £1.82/kg and comes in 800g tins so slightly cheaper or similar price to Chappie depending where you're buying.

That's the chicken version:
"Chicken & Potatoes: 65% chicken (chicken hearts, chicken meat, chicken liver, chicken stomachs, chicken throats), 30% chicken stock, 4% potatoes, 1% minerals.

Meat and offal: 65%"
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thanks-will look it up, not one I've heard of before :)
 
If it suits him - feed it...OK so it may not be the "best" in terms of ingredients but if he is doing well on it then I don't see any problem! You are not a bad owner!

I have a customer with a dog prone to pancreatitis, he's been on all sorts of diets, including eye wateringly expensive prescription diets to the point the customer asked me for advice as they simply couldn't afford it anymore and were looking to possibly PTS, after comparing can of vet stuff at £3 odd for 400g I concluded that Chappie was the closest match so dog was put on it....well little dog hasn't looked back and an incredibly happy owner too!!

And another little working spaniel with a liver issue - again happy and settled on Chappie and Dr John Silver - anything else results in sickly hound - So MOC carry on with Chappie!
 
I used to feed Chappie kibble for years, was all I could afford a lot of the time. Vet told me that and the tinned were as good as anything else - I had dogs live to ripe old ages on it. I only stopped because I had a Springer with megaeosophagus and she needed more high protein sloppy food
 
Chappie complete has just been recommended to me by my vet as Im a bit worried about my ESS, he seems to be needing to get up in the night for a poo and have my own suspicion it may be early signs of colitis. Before we undertake any tests vet has suggesting trying Chappie to see if a different diet helps, I have to say his tum does seem more settled and he is perfectly happy in himself. Apparently a lot of vets recommend Chappie for sensitive tummies!
 
Well everyone else has said it but I can’t resist adding to it - yep if Chappie suits then feed it :) I detest the smell but I’ve fed it to mine and it’s always suited them
 
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