Author Topic: Feeding advice for 16 week old pup  (Read 1415 times)

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Offline LaLa

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Feeding advice for 16 week old pup
« on: January 21, 2017, 08:51:09 AM »
Hi all,

I'm hoping someone can give me some suggestions for my 16 week old pup.
She came to us on a very cheap brand of kibble which we gradually changed to Autarky.
I then changed her from that on to raw after advice from the dog trainer who runs our puppy class (and lots of reading about it).
I was really pleased with the decreased 'output' and she seemed happy with it.
However she has never been that keen on any of the foods (except the cheap kibble that drove her insane and resulted in about 10 poos/day). She often misses meals, seems keen and then turns her nose up at it, or will eat half and leave the rest.
I'm not sure whether to persevere with raw (I use nature's menu and nutrimeat) or try something else.
If something else then what?

For training I use small quantities of corned beef, nature's menu meat treats, cheese, and have just introduced a bit of cooked chicken, and she's had an egg but the research I found said not to give eggs too often.
I try to give training treats a couple of hours before each meal so it doesn't spoil her appetite but it doesn't seem to make any difference whether she's had treats or not.

I want to make sure she's getting all she needs nutritionally and would to see her really enjoying her food. Any thoughts would be appreciated!


Offline Blueberry

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Re: Feeding advice for 16 week old pup
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2017, 01:34:16 PM »
I feed Blue raw, but he clearly prefers kibble.  If you asked him to choose what he'd like to eat, he'd have the kibble every time.  Or grilled sausages, if they were on offer!
No easy answer, I'm afraid.  I feed him Natural Instinct now, but he leaves it as often as he eats it.  I carry on with it because I know it's what's good for him.  Mean puppy mummy  :005:

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Feeding advice for 16 week old pup
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2017, 07:41:33 PM »
Hi, I started Humphrey on raw when he was about 7 months. I read quite a lot of conflicting advice as to the best way of doing it but decided, as he was young, to go cold turkey so literally just abandoned the kibble and went straight onto to raw.
I can't get any ready made mixes here unfortunately, so have to DIY it, which is a lot more work but at least does allow me to determine more easily what he likes or doesn't. He always spat liver out for  example but I found if I cut it up really small and mixed it with tripe (the mega favourite!), he'd eat it. It can often be the textures they don't like as much as the taste. He was a bit reticent at first but as soon as he realized he wasn't getting anything else, he ate it and now he loves it.
If it was me, I'd say try and stick it out, maybe experiment with different mixes or add something you know he really likes. There are so many benefits to raw, it really is worth giving it a good go before you give up and change, or you could try it again in a few months but I tend to think the younger tney are, the more adaptable they are . Best of luck, hope you can get it sorted!

Offline LaLa

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Re: Feeding advice for 16 week old pup
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2017, 05:06:18 PM »
Thanks for your comments. I did give in and gave her a bit of kibble which she liked at first but after the first feed she wasn't that fussed and her stools became very soft very soon after so I reverted back to raw. I think she'll have to eat that or go without! She actually is more likely to eat if she has to work for her food. She'll take kibble as a reward even if she won't eat it from her bowl. Hmmm, maybe I need a different bowl!?

I'm also just going to give her smaller potions and if she eats it all I'll give her a bit more. I hate throwing it away!

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Feeding advice for 16 week old pup
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2017, 09:46:39 PM »
Thanks for your comments. I did give in and gave her a bit of kibble which she liked at first but after the first feed she wasn't that fussed and her stools became very soft very soon after so I reverted back to raw. I think she'll have to eat that or go without! She actually is more likely to eat if she has to work for her food. She'll take kibble as a reward even if she won't eat it from her bowl. Hmmm, maybe I need a different bowl!?

I'm also just going to give her smaller potions and if she eats it all I'll give her a bit more. I hate throwing it away!

Actually, now you mention it, I seem to remember someone else recently saying the dog was happy to eat from the cat bowl but not from his own, -might just be worth trying another bowl, just to see if it makes any difference!  ;).........

Offline Blueberry

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Re: Feeding advice for 16 week old pup
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2017, 10:43:20 AM »
Cat bowl, yes that was me!  I suspect the attraction was stealing from the cat (forbidden fruit), rather than the size of the bowl though.

Offline LaLa

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Re: Feeding advice for 16 week old pup
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2017, 09:45:30 PM »
Haha! We don't have a cat but I'm pretty sure if I dropped it on the floor accidentally then she'd gobble it up before she knew what she was eating!