Feed people please help

[Bosworth]

Flodden is my 12 month old Bedlington. He is fit, healthy and full of energy, but totally calm and controlled. he has gone off all dog food. I have tried everything suggested, i have put food down, given him 5 mins to eat it then taken it away. Tried that for 5 days, he just did not eat. Tried different foods, and he just did the same. I have finally got him onto pet mince from my butchers, basically raw meat all minced up, including fat, tubes, offal. He will not eat it completely raw, but we have reached a compromise of partially cooked. Well about 50seconds in microwave, so some completely raw, some cooked and some in between. I add in a teaspoon of salmon oil and stir it all in, and give it to him warm. he eats it, never pigs it, just calmly eats his way through it.

Can you food experts tell me if that is enough for him, I am confident there is no additives in the meat, that it is all straight meat and I do give him a raw bone once a week. He gets no treats, except for a little cheese one evening a week at ringcraft training, and no left overs from me. He looks good on it, I am just wanting to be sure he will be ok on it.

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

It sounds fine to me will he eat some veg as well - wither raw or cooked? My two help themselves to fruit and veg out of the basket if I am not carefuland they always get any cooked that are leftover - just good for extra vits and mins

 

[Bosworth]

Hi slinky, he used to like veg, but has gone off it. I think I am having the teenage flodden now. He has just been too perfect as a pup. Never known a dog so disinterested in food. even competition from my other dog makes no difference. He just stands and watches her eat his as well as hers! All the expert advice has been tried and he has just ignored it! If butchers mince is Ok then to be honest that is dirt cheap and he is welcome to it at 85p a kilo he is about £1.50 a week to feed. Bargain. And he is putting on weight on it. in the past month he has put on 500g which is great as his weight had stabilised for 3 months and it was just a little low. Now he is 8.8kg so heading in the right direction again. I would like him about 200g heavier for his age and size

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

I wouldn't worry then - he sounds like he is doing well on it which is all that matters I would just occaisionally put fruit/veg in both bowls - if he eats it great if not your other one will

 

[Cinnamontoast]

If you're feeding raw-sort of-then you do need to consider the ratios and to ensure that you nclude bone for his calcium. Does the butcher do carcasses and would you just chuck him one occasionally? Or is it in the mince already? For his teeth, he would benefit from recreational bones or easy stuff like chicken wings/lamb or pork ribs.

It may be that he is going through a phase. My first two were totally disinterested in food til about 18 months when they decided food was great.

 

[Bosworth]

he doesn't really like raw, will not touch raw chicken, and is not keen on pork! fussy little git! Will beef bones given once a week, that he knaws on all week be enough calcium for him?

 

[GinaGem]

Have you tried a frozen chicken wing?

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Lamb breast/ribs?

 

[lexiedhb]

Lamb breast/ribs?

THIS^^^^^ cant say i have meat a dog able to resist a meaty lamb rib!

 

[Bosworth]

ok will go and get lamb ribs today and try those. last night i fed his tea to the cats. just locked them and him in the back porch. he shared with them! He is just odd. had refused food for 2 days, just not interested again. so rather than waste it i thought the cats would like some mince. a definite yes from them. I then just put Flodden in with them and a pile of his food on the floor next to the cats. he stuffed it down! This is food he has backed away from for several days, food he looks at me as though is poisoned. He never ever bothers when our other dog takes his food, as I thought competition may help focus him. But watching the 3 farm cats stuff his food with relish seems to have triggered a response. or perhaps he just wanted food tasters to prove i wasn't trying to poison him. Will try the same again tonight as never convinced things are not just a one off with him.