New boxer puppy

Hi we are first time dog owners and have a 10 week old boxer called Bella. Any advice on food would be amazing raw dry etc getting such conflicting advice. Also going to the toilet ALOT is this normal or would you say food related ?

When you say going to the toilet a lot - yes, pretty normal for pups.

For food, it's a good idea to keep her on the same food as the breeder used for a month or so, just to let her settle in and not put extra stress on her system. Then when you change do it gradually, mixing new with old at ratios of 10:90, 20:80 and so on.

Every dog owner likes to think their food is the best, but at the end of the day the most important thing is that your dog does well on it.

Have a look at www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk It is an independent dog food comparison website which scores all types of foods (dry, raw, wet) out of 100. You can set filters for your dog's breed, weight, age etc. and for your daily budget; then you can add in any specific needs you have such as aiming for weight loss or avoiding specific ingredients. The website will automatically show the foods listed in order of what the assessors believe is best quality, and it also will show daily feeding cost (calculated from your dog's age and weight) so you can see what gives you best value for money. It has its limitations but it's a decent place to start.

What are you using at the moment?

Currently we were on 2 dry meals (wainwrights) and then 1 raw. We have noticed that she is going around 10-11 times per day for the last few days and it looks like there could be blood in the stools. I phoned the vet yesterday who advised us to take her off the raw as this could look like blood but to see how she goes. She is very contented drinking plenty and not at all lethargic. however we have noticed the last 2 days in particular she is waking up in the night and going to the toilet in her area (almost as if she is unable to hold it) we put her out as soon as she cries and then she goes again! Before the last few days she was crying to be put out, going and then going back to sleep so its a little weird. we are first time owners so any advice appreciated.

I think you should expect her to need out in the night, her little bladder and bowel are not developed enough to hold overnight. So yes, she is simply unable to hold (like a baby, which she is). And don't rely on her to tell you, she won't know herself until it is too late, you need to be proactive with toilet training.

So I'd suggest you set your alarm for just before she is likely to toilet and take her out quietly, it isn't playtime. As soon as she toilets, praise and reward then back in. The more outside toilets, the faster she will learn.

I assume you're talking about poos, not wees - including at night?

10-11 times a day is a lot if it's poos - are the poos fairly soft and bulky, or are they firm? And what variety of Wainwrights are you feeding - is it grain free? What are the main ingredients (from the ingredients list, not the description on the packet.

Also, what type of raw are you feeding? Is there any offal content?

My dog did a lot of very large poos on whatever kibble we tried, including grain-free - switching to raw made a big difference, both in quantity and quality. Having said that, it might be helpful to eliminate the raw for a few days and see what difference it makes if for no other reason than that you don't want to alienate your vet in these early stages.

You made the same brave choice as me for a first dog! Endless fun but hard bloody work if you’ve never let dogs.

As you say dietary advice is wide and confusing so I won’t add to this just say read around, form your own view and try what feels right. Diesel has always been on a preprepaired raw diet but due to being allergic to pretty much all meat he’s now on venison or pheasant, posh sod.

And by the way, we need photo
DD

thanks so much we actually ended up at the vets who have given her antibiotics and a pro biotic paste. also put her on a special food and the whole thing has changed her toilet habits. Is literally going to the loo 4-5 times in a day rather than the 11-12. And I thought kids were worrying. Thanks for all the advice I'm sure as a first time dog owner this forum is going to be invaluable.