Dog food!!?
October 18th, 2009
Just a quick question about dog food.
We’ve got a 14 week old staff, and we feed him james well be-loved biscuits,plus a bit of pedigree from the tin.
I just read in a book that they are both complete food.
Do you think it will ok to give him pedigree for his breakfast and dinner and the james well be-loved for his lunch??
Or would that confuss him??
If not what would think is best for him????
It Shouldn’t be a problem i doubt it would confuse him!
murphywingedspur
Yes, it shouldn’t be a problem. I feed my two German Pointers Bakers Complete, but every now and then I add a little tinned dog food, grated cheese, scrambled egg, or even tinned pilchards….just to ring the changes…….this was recommended by the breeder, after all, it must get pretty boring just having dried food all the time!
October 19th, 2009 at 12:58 AMReferences :
Pass the Salt
I hope those are puppy foods. That is what he needs. Not dog food.
October 19th, 2009 at 1:27 AMReferences :
jj360
Dog should eat dog food. Once a while you can reward the dog with biscuits. Remember our food have too much fats and salts….. The dog food has already well equalised for their body.
October 19th, 2009 at 1:54 AMReferences :
hypersniperuk
It Shouldn’t be a problem i doubt it would confuse him!
October 19th, 2009 at 2:12 AMReferences :
Dog Focus
Our dog get two complete feeds at once as well. A dry biscuit and a meaty topping.
I don’t think your diet plan would confuse him, if anything it may make meal times more interesting, having a little variety through the day.
It is entirely up to you, of course, as your dog’s owner to decide what to feed him, but I would personally recommend sticking to his original diet in case he DOES get a little estranged by it - i doubt he should though, being a younger dog…
I’ve probably confused you by saying that and contridicting myself, but either way is good. As long as youir feeding him good stuff! lol
Good luck with him…
October 19th, 2009 at 2:38 AMReferences :
http://dog-focus-uk.piczo.com/?g=1&cr=7 - you can now enter your dog into a mini online dog show for free!
chomby
I use James Wellbeloved too and I also add a bit of wet food to it in the evening.It gives the dog a bit of variety ,just cut back a little on the dry food so the dog is not been overfed.I use Nature diet wet food,it is really good solid food and not sloppy as some of the wet dog food can be,it is holistic and no additives in it .I have a Siberian Husky and they are known for sensitive tummies yet she has no problems with this food and at 69p a pack it lasts her 3 days,pretty good value
October 19th, 2009 at 3:15 AMReferences :
Lindsay Dawn
Dry food is great for your dog as it decreases the chance of tummy upsets and makes for firm poos etc which are easily picked up.
You have to think of it like this, if you fed just dry food for every single meal, it would be like you eating cereal for every single meal.
Myself and many other dog owners and breeders that i know feed dry food for breakfast, then for evening meal, some dry food mixed in with steamed PLAIN chicken breast, or tinned tuna, sardines, any oily fish. Dogs need oily fish to keep their joints supple and coats shiny, any vet will recommend this.
As for brands, i use to feed James well beloved, But have now moved onto a cheaper brand as after reading the ingredients, they were the axact same, in amounts too!!!
Make sure ur brand doesnt have any additives.
Puppy or dog food doesnt matter. The only difference between the two is that puppy food has more protein, which yes is good for your dog, helps him to have plenty of energy etc, but it also makes them grow that bit quicker. So a lot of people feed their puppies dog food.
Your dog can also have some fruit and veg however you must be careful as some can be poisonous to dogs, You can search this on the internet.
Never feed your dog any human sauces, gravies,processed foods as these contain far too much salt than your dogs hearts can cope with!!!!
October 19th, 2009 at 3:22 AMReferences :
swinnk8
Stick to tinned meat with pedigree small bite mixer, or james wellbelloved, do not feed both.
October 19th, 2009 at 3:30 AMhis breakfast should be a light meal and he should be gradually weaned off 3 meals a day by 6 months of age.
You are right in them both being complete foods and mixing the foods will unbalance a good diet causing body weight problems and digestive problems.
One of the problems with inbalance is too high protein cause hypoactiveness and the dog becoming incontrolable. This is common in your breed as well as many other strong breeds like the border collie and GSD.
Your dog may end up getting the runs due to the inbalance and toilet training will become a problem
It will also make your dog fussy as he will start to pick at the dry and eat the meat only.
There is no need to give your puppy two different foods in one day or any other in that matter.
Alot of this selective feeding is caused by humans thinking the dog is bored with the dry food, which is utter nonsence.
A puppy/dog will only copy what it is taught and will eat anything you give it unless you give it the opportunitiy to choose.Dogs/wolves in the wild will not select which animal is tastier. They take whats there or starve.
There is enough (and better) goodness in the james well beloved then there is in the tinned rubbish that is sold. Alot of the tinned foods are 75% water and the rest is assorted animal matter.
Pedigree can be too rich for some dogs and just because the advert has said top breeders recommend it its does not mean it can always be suitable for your dog . It has also been messed around with for many years to so called improve the quality of the food, but i have seen customers who have ahad to change from the food due to their dogs becoming sensitive to the changes pedigree have made.
James wellbeloved on the other hand is also good on sensitive stomachs, which staffies can have, and is gluten free and dairy free for dogs that have wheat allergies and allergies to dairy products.It is also free from preservatives, something that is in canned meat. It has a godd mixture of vegetables too and has a good protien level and fat content so fed to the feeding guide it will keep your dog in good shape.
the dry food can be moistened a little with warm water half an hour before feeding. This will also stop the food swelling in the tummy. Even though the pellets are extruded already you will be surprised how much it expands.
At the end of the day find one food and stick to it
References :
I have worked with petfoods advising on diet for 20+ years and have had plenty of rabbit rodent and dog keeping experience. I am certified in petcare/store management and pet nutrtion