Feeding help please

[Rana]

More help needed from you knowledgeable lot please

5 month old terrier mix puppy. She's been having Hills Science Plan, but she doesn't *really* like it. She eats it begrudgingly, but usually only 2 or 3 of her 4 meals a day. Strangely, she eats it out of her Kong more willingly, but only if we're not looking

She's having a really bad teething phase at the moment, so we've been soaking the kibble, and mixing with a tiny bit of cheese to make it more appetising.

Unfortunately the teething has made her quite poorly (she has been seen by the vet), and she's had an upset tum. So, onto the chicken and rice diet for a couple of days.

Now she LOVES chicken and rice. She's eating it really well and looking for more afterwards.

I gather it's not a long term diet though, so I'm looking for a replacement for the Hills. I prefer dried food as it's easier to manage and her poo's are nice and firm on it. However, I am open to other suggestions.

It needs to be palatable, and easy to digest. Price is obviously a factor but if she'll eat it and she gets what she needs from it, it isn't really a consideration (but given 2 identical foods of course I'd choose the cheaper one lol). And it needs to be easy to get hold of (online or pet shop).

Any suggestions?

Thank you

 

[CorvusCorax]

Four meals of dry food would be way too much for a five month old IMO, she's probably over-faced.
She should be fine with two at the most at that age.

There's nothing wrong with feeding chicken and rice long term
But if you want to stick to dry Skinners is a good, reasonably priced food.


Additionally - your vet sells hills, don't they?

 

[Rana]

Thanks CC

Will drop at least 1 feed from that (I think I read somewhere that they should be cut down to 3 meals at about 4 months, and 2 meals from 6 months). We have been planning to do that, but thought while she wasn't too well that smaller meals would be better for her. Do you think feeding at 6am, 1pm, and 8pm would be reasonable?

*sigh* Can you tell I'm a numpty first time dog owner?

Is chicken and rice balanced enough? I wasn't sure it would provide everything she needs. And it doesn't come with a nice label saying "Feed this much" either lol. How much should she have??? Heeeelllpppp. She's 3.8kg, estimated adult weight of 4.5kg at most.

Will have a look for some Skinners, need to order the cats prescription diet, so it's a good time to get some.

Hmm, I don't think our vets sell food, except prescription diet. I know what you mean though I did used to get the cats prescription diet from them, then I googled it and found it £10 cheaper online. Guess where I buy it from now?

 

[CorvusCorax]

No worries

My fella came at six months and he did (and still does) get his feeds at 8am and 6pm. I really don't think cutting her down to two won't do her any harm but it's up to you and that sounds like fine spacing.

Never listen to packets IMO, you know your own dog, feed by eye. If she's looking well, keep here at that level, if she gets too porky, drop the portion, if she gets too lean, put it up.

FI my adult dogs get two scoops (empty tin cans) of meal twice a day, if I see the female getting porky, she gets cut to a can and a half. If they've had treats or stuff taken out for training, then it gets removed from the main feeds, see what I mean?
Male is a skinny boy so he always gets the same.

This balance thing is a bit of a myth if you listen to the raw feeders dogs in the wild don't eat rice, wheat, corn or any of those things in dry food, extra super dooper vitamins and minerals etc.
My two get a dry food for convenience (and B can't take *too* much protein) and they also have raw days (usually a turkey leg or chicken legs/wings), fish in oils, natural yogurt, eggs for a bit of variety/condition/balance.

 

[blackcob]

If the bad tummy has cleared up on chicken and rice, try a chicken and rice kibble - Wainwrights, Skinners and James Wellbeloved all do poultry and rice and the first two work out cheaply. Hills has maize in it which was one of the triggers for a runny bum in my dog, some dogs can't tolerate it.

Two meals is fine and nothing wrong with stuffing a meal in a kong, mash it in there with something gloopy, freeze it and you have a natural trickle feeder so you don't need to feed three times a day.

 

[Rana]

Right, 3 meals for now, then we'll cut out the lunch feed in a month or so (actually it fits in well with my winter working hours so her routine will change slightly anyway, probably a good time to make changes!).

No, of course, I just like a guideline to follow. She was looking really well on the Hills, and slightly overweight now with the chicken and rice, but I suspect we've been overfeeding in sheer relief that she's eating and keeping it down! Time to cut back a bit and see how she goes.

I think we'll have to watch the training treats and Kong treats too - it wasn't a problem when she wasn't eating much of her Hills, it was a good top up, but if she's eating proper meals again, she'll be getting porky!

That's interesting actually, as I'm browsing foods now and all I'm seeing is a load of waffle to be honest. I just want a convenient dried food that she will actually want to eat! Skinners looks great, but I'm struggling to find a stockist (well ok, more accurately, I want to buy the Skinners and the cats prescription diet, from one place so I only pay one delivery charge....). What's the general feeling about James Wellbeloved and/or Arden Grange?

At least she can have chicken and rice for a while until I get sorted.

Thank you again

 

[Rana]

Thanks BC, was looking at the James Wellbeloved foods (see above, can get it from the same place as the cat diet, no delivery charge blah blah).

Interesting about the Hills, because thinking about it, one of our cats is quite often sick on it. But there's only 2 manufacturers of the prescription diet (the other being Royal Canin) and I'm not sure there's much difference between the 2...

She gets part of a meal in her Kong, but to be honest, if I make it too difficult to get out, she just gets bored with it and leaves it. *sigh* She is a bit of a bloody princess when it comes to food!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Arden Grange is a good food, would be my preference for dry if my dog wasn't such a sensitive berk but it can be pricey. Mine looked shocking on JWB but again AG was initially designed with my breed in mind.

Give Skinners a phone or an email, they were more than helpful to me (again tried it, loved the price, loved the fact that it smelled like the actual ingredient but it wasn't for Mr Itchy Pants)

Re training/treats like I say, I deduct that from their daily meals...also they will work for you better if they are hungry, a dog who is already full won't care that you are waving food at them

 

[Rana]

I'll give them a try after lunch

Yes, too true, she definitely won't work if she's full up - she just wants to sleep!! I'm really at a loss as to how to work out diets for dogs. I know where I am with horses, why can't dogs be the same? lol I do know it's all just guidelines and you need to go on the general condition of the dog, but a starting point is really useful.

Thanks again