Dry Food Advice?

[Alfiewhippet]

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I get mine from pets at home beef mince or tripe mince i tend to alternate weekly so the dogs get a bit of variety also have a good deal with the butcher and can get 14 chicken wings for £1.25 :thumbsup: just remember to freeze them first before you give them.

 

[kim & Tilly]

Its fine saying what to buy but like how much do you give with what?? :teehee:

Can some one list what an average meal would be

ie half a tin of food plus a tin of tuna and handful of biscuits...

Or one chick wing and mince

See see i have no idea :wacko:

*sobs in the corner*

 

[Alfiewhippet]

Its fine saying what to buy but like how much do you give with what?? :teehee:
Can some one list what an average meal would be

ie half a tin of food plus a tin of tuna and handful of biscuits...

Or one chick wing and mince

See see i have no idea :wacko:

*sobs in the corner*

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i have no idea what each meal weighs i just know if it looks right in the bowl, it's all done on handfuls which is no help to you at all Sorry , you may need to ask a "pro" as this whole BARF thing is relatively new to me too , they do have 1 small chicken wing each every lunch time,

 

[Whippets Rule]

My whippets were all raised on pedigree chum puppy food ie tinned with biscuits.

they stayed on tinned food for around the first six years of their lives but one dog had colitis so we changed over to James Wellbelloved complete dry food.

since the change over..which was simple with no fussy eaters...they have all had lovely glossy coats,better apetites and seem happier and healthier all round.

our boxer and beagle were both put straight on James Wellbeloved puppy complete and have thrived again with really lovely coats and skin.

Personally i would never put a dog of mine on the BARF diet due to the possible health risks involved but have found JW hypoallergenic food very good and the dog with colitis has not had another bout in four years since the change of food.

 

[llannon]

Mixing up a BARF diet is not the problem...the problem is physically having the space at the minute for a freezer! We are due to move house (fingers crossed) in about 3 months time, then the space won't be an issue.

I am also hugely confused as to where you start with BARF, thats why I wanted to buy a pre-mixed variety, as I haven't done enough reading yet to ensure my puppy gets a balanced diet.

Given our circumstances I wanted to start my pup on a dry food, or tinned/biscuit mix...but I seem to have opened up a whole can of worms about BARF being best (which I can see is probably true).

This thread has been very informative, and I thank everyone for their input...but being a soon to be first time whippet parent, I have been left with even more questions than I started with...

It seems like Burns maybe the way to go for me now...it would be great to hear from other whippet puppy owners who are feeding dry complete mixes.

Thanks again for your comments/suggestions,

Matt

 

[urchin]

Dij eats wafcal mainly - with lots of sardines/chicken/liver/other stuff for variety - and i have no complaints

but

i'd been (niavely) assuming that BARF was just another brand of dog food DOH!

so, true to form i've been having a little looksee, finding out what it's all about (thanks for the very useful link to previous threads Helen)

and i can feel a new project coming on!

i think i understand the principle, and as soon as i can free up some time from 'Listening' to Dij i'll do a bit of research around finding a friendly butcher - i know if i can't find one who will give me bones, scraps and of-cuts cheap, it's a non starter!

definately food for thought guys (sorry for the pun!)

 

[hellybobs]

I feed mine on the barf diet and it isn't as time consuming as alot of people think.

I was also scared about how to feed barf and all that it entails but I got alot of sound advise from members of K9 and read a few book and my girls are thriving on it.

As for freezer space, for 1 dog you won't need alot.

There are pre-packaged versions of the barf that can be bought too, maybe its worth a look at them before making a decision?

Its well worth keeping your puppy on the food its used to but if your going to change it a complete food would be best.

Whatever you decide good luck :luck:

 

[doris]

It seems like Burns maybe the way to go for me now...it would be great to hear from other whippet puppy owners who are feeding dry complete mixes.
Thanks again for your comments/suggestions,

Matt

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I feed my dogs mainly on burns, but I add scraps (I know, its against the rules!!) of whatever is left in the house, they eat fruit, veg, pasta, tinned toms, the oil or fat that gets drained off cooked meat or tins of tuna, gravy, trays of nature diet and occasional cooked minced chicken and raw chicken wings

sounds a lot, don't it? but its basically burns with an added extra every day, I think its important to give something else cos I think it helps avoid upset tums when they pick up and eat things they find

to be honest Matt, whatever you do will sometimes feel like the wrong thing! :luck:

oops, just edited to say that although I am a whippet owner, I do not have a whippet puppy

 

[ruth]

I feed Monty on pro plan (dried complete stuff) and to my eyes he seems to do very well on it, he is a good weight and his coat is lovely. The only extras he gets are fruit and veg (mostly raw-his preference) and hyde chewy sticks.

I am lucky as he is most definiely not a fussy eater (w00t) I have never tried BARF so obviously could not say whether he would be better on it, but he seems happy with the way things are and so am i

 

[masta]

Mixing up a BARF diet is not the problem...the problem is physically having the space at the minute for a freezer! We are due to move house (fingers crossed) in about 3 months time, then the space won't be an issue.
I am also hugely confused as to where you start with BARF, thats why I wanted to buy a pre-mixed variety, as I haven't done enough reading yet to ensure my puppy gets a balanced diet.

Given our circumstances I wanted to start my pup on a dry food, or tinned/biscuit mix...but I seem to have opened up a whole can of worms about BARF being best (which I can see is probably true).

This thread has been very informative, and I thank everyone for their input...but being a soon to be first time whippet parent, I have been left with even more questions than I started with...

It seems like Burns maybe the way to go for me now...it would be great to hear from other whippet puppy owners who are feeding dry complete mixes.

Thanks again for your comments/suggestions,

Matt

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you dont have to freeze all meat just beef as a precaution re neospora chicken and lamb dont have to be frozen, 1 dog takes hardly any space

if your not feeding barf and feeding complete the easiest way to compare quality etc is to check the ingredients meat should be 1st, also price cheap food is manufactured cheaply by using "cheap" products

 

[jok]

If you do decide on BARF, check out suppliers. Places like pets at home are an absolute rip-off. If you shop around you will find the price varies dramatically. I am using Landywoods (www.landywoods.co.uk). The price and quality are extremely good. Great choice and they deliver too. :thumbsup:

 

[~Helen~]

I'd say if you're going for a complete, then Burns is great but my first pup got fed up of the boring dried same-ness of the little puppy biscuits quite quickly, which is why we used James Wellbeloved for a short time. It comes in various flavours so you can ring the changes. It's also more widely available where I live - I found Burns was only stocked in two places.

The Burns company seem very good, and have a very helpful website which you could look at, and if you call them they'll happily send you little sample bags through the post to try out :thumbsup:

Going off at a bit of a tangent...

Its fine saying what to buy but like how much do you give with what?? 
Can some one list what an average meal would be

ie half a tin of food plus a tin of tuna and handful of biscuits...

Or one chick wing and mince

I don't know what other Barfers think about this, but IMO there probably isn't an average meal. I think with Barf, people get a bit hooked up with 'measuring' and 'getting the balance right' - which is great, of course, that people take it so seriously... but as a human I personally don't obsess about every meal being a perfect balance. I might eat lots of veg or fruit some days, not much other days... overload on protein one day and feel fed up with it the next. I think most of us are happy that over a longer period of time than one meal, we're eating pretty much the right sort of food, and we don't all rush out to find an astronaut-style space-food to ensure we're getting a balanced diet. The same goes with my dogs - maybe one day they'll have raw green tripe and nothing else. Another day they might have for their main meal a bit of rabbit mince with some pulped spinach and a dollop of Evening Primrose Oil, with a couple of wholemeal Bonio biscuits later on at bedtime. Another day it might be scrambled egg. Or sardines. Or a couple of raw chicken wings for breakfast. Or beef and kidney mixed up with some grated carrot. Or a great big marrow bone... I could go on and on :lol: Stop me, I'm a Barf evangelist! (But then I think Barfers do get a bit like that!)

Be aware of what constitutes a balanced diet, and keep an eye out for deficiencies, but I don't think it's necessary to get too scientific about food.

 

[jean.dunbar]

I too feel that Barf is best. How to feed this is a matter ofindividual choice but as an example my dogs get Laughing Dog mixer ( ok not 'pure' Barf) with 1/3 packet green tripe for a main meal. A couple of nights per week they get approx 3 chicken wings each as their meal. 1 or 2 (depending on size) bits of oxtail will replace a meal...etc.. They regularly get fish etc., and they get veg. daily as 'treats'.

I feel that when feeding pups it is important to give them variety. Would you like the same stuff 4 times a day? I also feel that a limited diet at this stage can make for fussy eaters later on. This variety should prob. include a complete which they can be left with to graze at times. It is my experience that pups go off certain foods at times - just like humans. When I need to use a complete dried food I have found that Nutro is best. I know it is expensive, and often difficult to source, but I find it does what it says and I have never found a dog who will not eat it. One of my older Whippets needed to lose some weight. With all the other 'light' varieties I tried her weight either went up or stayed the same. With Nutro light we achieved our goal and now remain constant.

This is only my opinion, based on my experience, but I hope that it offers useful guidance.

:luck: Good luck with the pup. :luck:

 

[~JO~]

I'd say if you're going for a complete, then Burns is great but my first pup got fed up of the boring dried same-ness of the little puppy biscuits quite quickly, which is why we used James Wellbeloved for a short time. It comes in various flavours so you can ring the changes. It's also more widely available where I live - I found Burns was only stocked in two places.The Burns company seem very good, and have a very helpful website which you could look at, and if you call them they'll happily send you little sample bags through the post to try out :thumbsup:

Going off at a bit of a tangent...

Its fine saying what to buy but like how much do you give with what?? 
Can some one list what an average meal would be

ie half a tin of food plus a tin of tuna and handful of biscuits...

Or one chick wing and mince

I don't know what other Barfers think about this, but IMO there probably isn't an average meal. I think with Barf, people get a bit hooked up with 'measuring' and 'getting the balance right' - which is great, of course, that people take it so seriously... but as a human I personally don't obsess about every meal being a perfect balance. I might eat lots of veg or fruit some days, not much other days... overload on protein one day and feel fed up with it the next. I think most of us are happy that over a longer period of time than one meal, we're eating pretty much the right sort of food, and we don't all rush out to find an astronaut-style space-food to ensure we're getting a balanced diet. The same goes with my dogs - maybe one day they'll have raw green tripe and nothing else. Another day they might have for their main meal a bit of rabbit mince with some pulped spinach and a dollop of Evening Primrose Oil, with a couple of wholemeal Bonio biscuits later on at bedtime. Another day it might be scrambled egg. Or sardines. Or a couple of raw chicken wings for breakfast. Or beef and kidney mixed up with some grated carrot. Or a great big marrow bone... I could go on and on :lol: Stop me, I'm a Barf evangelist! (But then I think Barfers do get a bit like that!)

Be aware of what constitutes a balanced diet, and keep an eye out for deficiencies, but I don't think it's necessary to get too scientific about food.

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EXACTLY, EXACTLY, EXACTLY!!!

 

[Joanna]

I don't do BARF for the simple reason that I am not confident that my dogs would be getting the correct balance of food. I would much rather feed a high quality complete food which has been researched and balanced. However, it is very important when you have a puppy to feed then well. Initially at least 4 meals a day. A typical day might be for breakfast, porridge made with goat's milk (easy peasey in the microwave), late morning scrambled egg, afternoon a small bowl of good quality complete puppy biscuits, supper cooked lamb mice with a few crunchies.

As your pup grows, gradually cut down the amount of meals and up the quantity of feed. Eventually you'll find twice a day is enough. I am now left feeding goat's milk an weetabix for breakfast, and we use a good quality complete which I add a scrambled egg to or some cooked mince (only a small amount and I reduce the portion of dried to offset the extra protein). For the first year of your puppy's life, feed them as much as they will eat or want, and adding a variety of items (sardines, mince, eggs) to a good complete is a compromise. Incidentally I used to feed chicken wings, but I am now slightly paranoid about the bones.

Good luck with your new puppy, and as others have said, if you are altering a diet, do it gradually or your pup will have an upset tum. Soon enough you'll find something that works for you and your dog likes which may have elements of a more natural diet but isn't full on BARF.

Jo

 

[~Sarah~]

Incidentally I used to feed chicken wings, but I am now slightly paranoid about the bones.Jo

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I would love to change over to BARF, but I too am paranoid about giving bones to Bobby and Dolly. My sister-in-law's lovely little Westie (aged eight) died a few years ago as a result of a bone that got lodged in the oesophagus and was not diagnosed by the vet until it was too late. Also when working for a vet years ago I witnessed a number of problems caused by bones.

I currently feed my two Red Mills but feel it must be rather boring, but I worry about adding anything in case it upsets a balanced diet.

 

[Joanna]

Incidentally I used to feed chicken wings, but I am now slightly paranoid about the bones.Jo

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I would love to change over to BARF, but I too am paranoid about giving bones to Bobby and Dolly. My sister-in-law's lovely little Westie (aged eight) died a few years ago as a result of a bone that got lodged in the oesophagus and was not diagnosed by the vet until it was too late. Also when working for a vet years ago I witnessed a number of problems caused by bones.

I currently feed my two Red Mills but feel it must be rather boring, but I worry about adding anything in case it upsets a balanced diet.

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I use Red Mills racer ans I just cut down on the amount I give as I always add a little extra egg or mince. They seem fine and have nice coats and are healthy.

jo

 

[~elizabeth~]

I've always fed mine complete diet, he has always been fine on it, no coat or other problems. I did find he couldn't keep weight on using just the standards ones, so we now use Burns working if we feel he needs a boost. I found Red Mills made him quite hyper (and that was the maintainance ration) so we only tried it once. I've heard good things about Royal Canin; we use this for out cat, and it seemed to improve her mild seizures greatly when we switched to it from Hill's Science (hmmmn, those additives?)

 

[Millie]

For those who want BARF without the worry. I reared my last whippet litter on Nature Menu Traditional and they loved it. :thumbsup:

I work at Pets at Home and its always in stock.

Here's a link for what you are looking for........

Nature Menu

 

[Joanna]

I've always fed mine complete diet, he has always been fine on it, no coat or other problems. I did find he couldn't keep weight on using just the standards ones, so we now use Burns working if we feel he needs a boost. I found Red Mills made him quite hyper (and that was the maintainance ration) so we only tried it once. I've heard good things about Royal Canin; we use this for out cat, and it seemed to improve her mild seizures greatly when we switched to it from Hill's Science (hmmmn, those additives?)

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Neither of mine are hyper, Archie is neurotic at the best of times. I think what you say is very valid Elizabeth. It has a high protein content, and this can cause problems in some dogs, there is a tracker variety which is lower in protein and is advocated for use when the dog is resting from racing. I also think wheat can be an ingredient which certain dogs are sensitive to. It is trial and error, and what suits one, won't necassarily suit another. Incidentally, for some people, cost is an issue and foods such as Royal Canin are over double the price of Red Mills or equivalent :thumbsup: .