Winter Feeding

[Jessr123]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

This is my first winter with a whippet and I have noticed that as the weather gets colder Murphy is getting hungrier. He usually gets one packet of Nature's Diet a day, split into two meals, but he is constantly begging for food and this morning he was eating poo in the field. I am going to pick up some worming tablets today as he has been eating poo and I want to make sure he hasn't picked anything up.

Murphy is also less energetic than usual in the house, but then again he is 8 months old now so I would be expecting him to calm down slightly. He seems to want cuddles now as opposed to play. I even bought a new squeeky toy yesterday which would have kept him amused for hours. Instead he had about 5 mintues play and decided cuddles were best. I am going to keep an eye on him just incase he has a bug which is making a bit lethargic but I can honestly say he seems well enough in himself. He runs around the field quite happily and then crashes for the rest of the day.

So,I was just wondering if whippets need a bit more food in the winter to help keep warm and do they tend to be calmer during the winter months?

 

[*Lesley*]

I don't know about everyone else but mine get fed the same all year, but are much more lazy and cuddly in winter, I think their philosophy(sp) is why get up and get your body chilly when you can stay under the covers/in front of the fire or cuddled up :huggles: o

I do feed puppies more regularly though generally until around 12 months, and at 8 months he's still a babe so if he seems hungry he might be so I would give him inbetween meals of scrambled egg or sardines and a bit of mixer someting not too bulky but nutritious

 

[hellybobs]

How much is in the packet of natures diet?

It could be he's hungry as he's getting a bit older and needs a bit more to eat??

I don't feed mine any differently in winter from the rest of the year.

The only different thing I do is put a coat on mine when their out and not free running.

 

[Mark Roberts]

Murphy is also less energetic than usual in the house, but then again he is 8 months old now so I would be expecting him to calm down slightly

at 8 months he's a bit young to be settling down at that age he should be a terrorist? has he gone quiet in the last few days or maybe after eating the poo if so keep an eye on him just in case hes a little off colour, it may be that hes just having a quiet spell but an 8 month old pup should'nt be quiet for very long.

our get a little extra food over the winter.

 

[Jessr123]

How much is in the packet of natures diet?
It could be he's hungry as he's getting a bit older and needs a bit more to eat??

I don't feed mine any differently in winter from the rest of the year.

The only different thing I do is put a coat on mine when their out and not free running.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Nature's diet weighs 390g and is made of 12% protein, 7% oil 1.5% fibre, 1.5% ash, 75% moisture with the ingredients being cicken, lamb, tripe, brown rice, carrots, egg, kelp, natural ground bone, vitamins and minerals.

It advises small dogs 1/2 to 1 pack a day and medium dogs 1 to 2 packs. Murphy is a small whippet and very slight so I tended towards the average of 1 pack a day. He is still on the puppy packet.

I also put a coat on Murphy when he is not running to try and keep him warm, as he tells me when he is cold by walking under my feet looking pathetic.

 

[Jessr123]

Murphy is also less energetic than usual in the house, but then again he is 8 months old now so I would be expecting him to calm down slightly

at 8 months he's a bit young to be settling down at that age he should be a terrorist? has he gone quiet in the last few days or maybe after eating the poo if so keep an eye on him just in case hes a little off colour, it may be that hes just having a quiet spell but an 8 month old pup should'nt be quiet for very long.

our get a little extra food over the winter.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Murphy has never been a wild whippet - he has always had a calm nature. He gets up to a bit of mischief every so often but he has been a dream dog since day one.

 

[*Lesley*]

Murphy is also less energetic than usual in the house, but then again he is 8 months old now so I would be expecting him to calm down slightly

at 8 months he's a bit young to be settling down at that age he should be a terrorist? has he gone quiet in the last few days or maybe after eating the poo if so keep an eye on him just in case hes a little off colour, it may be that hes just having a quiet spell but an 8 month old pup should'nt be quiet for very long.

our get a little extra food over the winter.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

I have to agree with Mark on terrorist bit, I have edited my original post as I missed the 8 month bit, although mine are quieter in winter it is not an all of a sudden thing, they just get get less eager to go out in the garden because its cold :blink:

The times when they do become more cuddly all of a sudden is usually when they are feeling sorry for themselves, under the weather or injured so as he says I would keep and eye on him but give him a bit of extra food and worm him regularly :thumbsup:

I'm sure its nothing to worry about they are sent to worry us and it doesnt stop as they get older either :blink:

 

[Jessr123]

Murphy is also less energetic than usual in the house, but then again he is 8 months old now so I would be expecting him to calm down slightly

at 8 months he's a bit young to be settling down at that age he should be a terrorist? has he gone quiet in the last few days or maybe after eating the poo if so keep an eye on him just in case hes a little off colour, it may be that hes just having a quiet spell but an 8 month old pup should'nt be quiet for very long.

our get a little extra food over the winter.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

I have to agree with Mark on terrorist bit, I have edited my original post as I missed the 8 month bit, although mine are quieter in winter it is not an all of a sudden thing, they just get get less eager to go out in the garden because its cold :blink:

The times when they do become more cuddly all of a sudden is usually when they are feeling sorry for themselves, under the weather or injured so as he says I would keep and eye on him but give him a bit of extra food and worm him regularly :thumbsup:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Cheers - he has been injured recently - he was bitten by another dog, recovered and then strained his ankle (sorry I dont know what that is called in doggy terms). I thought he had recovered fully though. I will get worming tablets today and watch him over the weekend. If he still seems lethargic I will take him to the vets on Mon.

 

[hellybobs]

It could be that he's still hungry then, I know natures diet is a good food and has everything in it they need but it could just be he has a higher metabolic rate and getting hungry.

My youngest is coming up to 5 months and has 3 meals a day and acts like I never feed her.

She has about 6oz of mince and a chicken wing for breakfast, 2 wings for her dinner and then the same as her breakfast at tea time, and in those meals she has the fruit/veg pulp and the dorwest stuff.

She also gets sardines/pilchards too.

 

[*Lesley*]

Murphy is also less energetic than usual in the house, but then again he is 8 months old now so I would be expecting him to calm down slightly

at 8 months he's a bit young to be settling down at that age he should be a terrorist? has he gone quiet in the last few days or maybe after eating the poo if so keep an eye on him just in case hes a little off colour, it may be that hes just having a quiet spell but an 8 month old pup should'nt be quiet for very long.

our get a little extra food over the winter.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

I have to agree with Mark on terrorist bit, I have edited my original post as I missed the 8 month bit, although mine are quieter in winter it is not an all of a sudden thing, they just get get less eager to go out in the garden because its cold :blink:

The times when they do become more cuddly all of a sudden is usually when they are feeling sorry for themselves, under the weather or injured so as he says I would keep and eye on him but give him a bit of extra food and worm him regularly :thumbsup:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Cheers - he has been injured recently - he was bitten by another dog, recovered and then strained his ankle (sorry I dont know what that is called in doggy terms). I thought he had recovered fully though. I will get worming tablets today and watch him over the weekend. If he still seems lethargic I will take him to the vets on Mon.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Sounds like he's milking it in true whippet fashion o Sienna got an injury over a month ago and if I look at the wound where it was stitched on her leg she goes all pathetic and lays her head on me as if to say " Poor me, I'm very ill aren't I" o

 

[JAXASS14D]

My two were on Nature Diet for a while and loved it but then the consistence of the food changed slightly and they never seemed to be satisfied with the quantity they got after that even although I still gave them the same amount per day . They were always mooching about looking for more food . I took them off it and gave them Laughing Dog complete and they are fine again .

 

[nicky12]

i feed my lot more or less the same only difference is i like em to have somthing warm in ther belly's first thing in morning so breaky they get warm scrambled eggs or porrige or weetabix and warm milk :thumbsup:

 

[jezza]

Molly is like Murphy, she eats like a ravenous beast when it gets cold, but in the summer time she doesn't even eat enough to keep a flea alive :lol:

Mine get (at the moment - it changes all the time as they get bored of the same all the time) - 1 packet of naturediet/wainwrights and a mixer biscuit in the morning (between 2 of them)and a block of tripe (each) and mixer for tea. Soon though, Molly will decide that she won't touch anything that I put down so I will change their meals around. A favourite breakfast treat is a tin of sardines in oil mixed in with a slice of wholemeal bread. They think all their birthdays have come at once when they get that :lol:

Molly is also quite lethargic in the winter, as soon as I say walkies she starts shivering, preferring to be tucked up on the sofa under a nice fleece blanket

Lenny eats like a horse and behaves like a hooligan whatever the time of year!

I tried mine on that Laughing Dog complete once, they absolutely loved it (tripe flavour) but I have never seen so much pooh in my life, I was going through about 10 pooh bags a day :x

 

[dessie]

I up my lots evening feed when it starts to get colder but not the meat I add a bit more mixer or Greyhound complete. I also use Skinners meal as a mixer because you add warm water to it so it gives them a nice warm meal in their tums! I sometimes use Forthglade Lifestage which is similar to Naturediet (in same weight packs) and mine only have half a pack of that per day, they have chicken necks for breakfast.

 

[whippynit]

Hi, I'd say he's prob hungry cause not getting enough too...One packet of nature diet a day doesnt seem much at all :unsure: I know its good stuff but i dont believe it can be very filling - Mine have a packet a day but biscuit meal aswell to fill them up a bit! :thumbsup:

 

[Nicola]

Fred eats almost one and a half packs of Nature Diet a day, and has been barking for a bit more recently in the evenings. He's a skinny, small whippet, so I'd say you need to increase his feed a tad I do find I can't give him all the lamb portion in one feed though as it upsets his stomach.

 

[~elizabeth~]

That doesn't sound an awful lot to me either. :unsure: Mine both get 3 meals a day; my 15 month old gets 2 big bowlful of Burns Extra, plus one of something like turkey and rice or scrambled eggs. I don't think there should be any difference in behaviour in the winter; they may get their peeing sessions over a bit more quickly if it's cold :b but they are usually as game for walks or play as any other time. Growing puppies do go through different phases of activity, it's possible its just the stage he's at and will back to a normla level of mischief fairly soon.

 

[whippetgood]

Im not so sure that one pack of natures diet sounds like enough to eat!!! and like ourseves i would imagine a little extra in the winter would'nt go a miss have you tried burns ocean bites as a very good snack they love them they are full of the omega's and maybe he needs some real meat now and then like some cooked chicken or lamb etc etc )

 

[Jessr123]

Thanks for all the advice.

Sounds like I do need to up his food a bit then. I always prefer to keep my dogs on the lean side as my scruffy mutt Ellie puts weight just by sniffing food and it takes months to slim her back down. I have a bag of Arden Grange adult food so I will soak a bit of that for the morning when Murphy gets in from those cold walks and add the meat later. Ellie will have to remain on a strict diet, poor lass.

Murphy does get raw bones a couple of times a week as well as his dinner but I will increase his snacks. I have found he is partial to the odd carrot, although the poo the next day is always interesting - shows just how much he chews his food NOT!

Having said he hasn't been up to much mischief I return home to find my teddies from the mantle piece on the floor looking like they have been flung around the lounge while I am out, as well as one excited puppy. Mmmm...wonder who did that then! What a little monster.

 

[whippetgood]

Thanks for all the advice.
Sounds like I do need to up his food a bit then.  I always prefer to keep my dogs on the lean side as my scruffy mutt Ellie puts weight just by sniffing food and it takes months to slim her back down.  I have a bag of Arden Grange adult food so I will soak a bit of that for the morning when Murphy gets in from those cold walks and add the meat later.  Ellie will have to remain on a strict diet, poor lass. 

Murphy does get raw bones a couple of times a week as well as his dinner but I will increase his snacks.  I have found he is partial to the odd carrot, although the poo the next day is always interesting - shows just how much he chews his food NOT!

Having said he hasn't been up to much mischief I return home to find my teddies from the mantle piece on the floor looking like they have been flung around the lounge while I am out, as well as one excited puppy.  Mmmm...wonder who did that then!  What a little monster.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Arden Grange is a very good food thats what my Finbarr has for breakfast/lunch but he always gets real meat mixed with laughing dog meal and some veggies in the evening and throughout the day he will have a couple of Burns ocean bites and maybe once a week some srambbled eggs for breakfast yes yes i know he is spoilt rotten LOLOLOL )