CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Feeding => Topic started by: mg500 on March 27, 2019, 08:54:20 AM
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About 2 months ago I changed Alfie's food to Skinners Field & Trial Junior of which for his weight (12kg) Skinners recommend 150g of food. As he always seemed to be hungry and quite skinny I gradually upped this to 180-200g. On this amount he isn't scrounging so much but still seems to be skin and bone (protruding hip bones and ribs). He is healthy and very active and I have kept to the 5 mins per month of exercise for most of his life. So should I increase it again or possibly change to a different brand/type of food?
Also he seems to be pooing a lot probably about 5 on a 50 minute walk. They start off solid and progressively get runnier, he doesn't stop running for the whole walk so is it just a case of his stomach being "churned" up or is this abnormal.
Any help or advice would be really appreciated as I want the best for my "little rascal".
Mark
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Hi Mark,
I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along in a bit, so take all this with a pinch of salt but thought you may find it helpful...
Foods vary and it's trial and error I'm afraid but you'll end up being an expert on dog poo :lol2: Each dog is unique and feeding amounts will vary, but 200g for a 12kg dog seems a lot to me as does 5 poos per hour! Jack is 4 yo and 18kg which is on the high side for a Cocker, but he's always been a biggish boy. He's fit and healthy and not overweight. He gets 150g of Eden per day and usually does one well formed poo per day, occasionally another one in the evening. I used to give him 180g (recommended for his weight) but found he put some weight on, so have cut it back a bit for the time being (and cut out the biscuits!). Eden recommend 130g for a 12kg dog.
I'm tempted to suggest a change of food, just to see if it makes a difference. You don't have to buy a 12kg sack. I've tried Jack on Millie's Wolfheart, Acana and currently Eden. He's done really well on all of them, but I'm happy to stick with Eden at the mo'.
Edit: Have a look here for more info: https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/ (https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/)
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Hi,
I think that is a lot of pooping even when out charging around! They can do looser poos when they are charging about like, well, a cocker! That wouldn't be my main worry, but the fact he is doing so much would indicate there is a lot of waste. Personally I would be looking for a change of food. Daisy is RAW fed and it works great for her. A lot of companies will do sample sizes, either FOC or for a small charge, and that can be worthwhile. The link posted in the above reply is really useful. There are some very good quality food out there, and some not so good, it is a bit of a minefield, so good luck and ask as many questions as you need on here, most of us have already been down this route :D
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Hi Mark
I think most cockers are food driven and always appear to be hungry.
I have one of the skinniest cockers, He’s just less than 10kg and we only feed him 125g per day. (Barking Heads) He’s maintained the same weight for the past 3 years. We are slightly unfeeeding as he’s has health/mobility issues.
Excessive pooing, that becomes soft and runny is a classic result of over feeding. So initially I would suggest reducing the amount your feeding and see if that has a positive effect. If need be give him some carrot as a snack. Also it might be worth considering a change in food, but one step at a time
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Thank you Barry H, ejp & Darwin
Some really useful advice, I think i will cut back to 160g as I still have a bit left and if no improvement I will look at buying a quality brand such as Millies, Acana, Eden. The link to the allaboutdogfood looks interesting and hopefully I will learn a lot more about dog food....and there was me thinking all dog food was the same :lol2:
TY
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I feed my dog 1 and a half regular size mugs of kibble a day. One mug in the morning and half a mug at 5pm. I could see his ribs too until he was around two years old he has slowly filled out I can't see his ribs anymore. He was 12kg when he was one years old 13.7kg when he was two now he's 14.6kg he's still slim can't see his ribs but not underweight. Vet said ideal weight is between 12 and 16kg. Depending on his age if he's still young it might just take a bit of time to put weight on.
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Thank you Barry H, ejp & Darwin
Some really useful advice, I think i will cut back to 160g as I still have a bit left and if no improvement I will look at buying a quality brand such as Millies, Acana, Eden. The link to the allaboutdogfood looks interesting and hopefully I will learn a lot more about dog food....and there was me thinking all dog food was the same :lol2:
TY
Make sure you introduce a new brand of food gradually whilst you have some left unless you are changing completely to raw.
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Well as update I took Alfie to the vet yesterday for a 12 month check up just to make sure everything was ok in the skinny rib and hip bone and excessive pooing department. He hasn't put on weight in the last few months but the vet said how healthy he looked and when she measured his heartbeat she commented "Wow what a super fit dog". So I am not overly concerned now. :D
As a little treat for being a good boy at the vets I took him for an hour run up some steep Dartmoor hills and when we got home I ordered him some Millies Wolfheart samples (as recommended by the MW nutritionist), Gamekeeper, Ranger and Farmer so we will see how we get on with them before ordering in bulk. I was contemplating going over to raw but kind of bottled it, so a better quality dry food it is for the time being.
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A glowing report from the vet, well done! Glad you are more content with how things are and you can enjoy him without worrying excessively! If you find a food that suits you both, that is the most important thing. Took me a while to start RAW feeding, I order ready prepped frozen food, and it is a doddle. But, you need to decide for yourself, and you can ask questions on here as there are a number who feed RAW.
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Thank you Gazrob, Patp & ejp
ejp - I still want to eventually go raw but I need to convince my partner of the benefits. Can I change during any stage of his life or is it best to get him on it early. Any particular frozen brands you would recommend?
Also I have noticed Millies don't include chicken in their recipes however raw food brands seem to use a lot of chicken....slightly confused!
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Raw is the least processed food you can get, is how I see it. Daisy has Honey's real food for dogs. It suits her, I find the quality very good and their customer service is excellent. They have a variety of meats. Beef doesn't suit Daisy so we avoid that. She usually has the lamb, turkey, pork and the chicken mixes, just for a bit of variety. The next order will have a few pouches of the venison to try. Madam is just a tiny bit spoiled :005: I find that her skin is better and she is just generally well on it. So it works for us.
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I tried my dog on raw and unfortunately it's not for him he kept getting the runs. I feed him a grain free salmon based dry dog food. Anything with pork, beef, chicken don't agree with him. Once or twice a week at the most I will mix in a tin of sardines in with his food. He loves it and they only cost me around 50 pence a tin. He has slowly filled out but he's not overweight. You could try doing that but don't feed sardines daily as I say I do it once a week as a treat.
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Once or twice a week at the most I will mix in a tin of sardines in with his food. He loves it and they only cost me around 50 pence a tin. He has slowly filled out but he's not overweight. You could try doing that but don't feed sardines daily as I say I do it once a week as a treat.
Started doing this when Jack was a pup. 4 big fat Glenryck pilchards in tommy sauce twice a week mixed in to change things up a bit. 50p a tin from Sainsbury's. He breathes them in. Even have them myself.
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Lol. I haven't tried him on pilchards but that's a good idea I'll pick up a few tins next time I'm in sainsburys. I buy the sardines in spring water from sainsburys he loves them but I'm not a fan at all I hate the smell. I also feed him the odd carrot, a little cabbage or tiny bit of apple or watermelon as a treat now and again.
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Daisy has the sardines in water too. Sometimes the ones in tomato sauce, if I can't get the ones in water. The ones in water are definitely the best option.
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Yeah I tend to avoid the ones in tomato sauce. I've heard that tomatoes/tomato sauce is not good for dogs but I'm not 100% sure on that. I've looked into feeding him a raw fish only diet but again I've heard that you should not feed dogs too much fish only in moderation. He loves chicken, beef, pork, duck but he can't digest it properly. I've had a look on honeys raw food site and they don't seem to have a fish option.
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No, they don't do fish. They do have venison, rabbit and turkey (if memory serves) which are a good option for a sensitive tum. If you are interested in giving it a try I would recommend dropping them an email and asking to speak to someone regarding your cherub and they will keep you right.
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Alfie loves fish so I will get some sardines and pilchards to mix with his dry food.
TY
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Alfie loves fish so I will get some sardines and pilchards to mix with his dry food.
TY
Watch out for the fishy kisses, he will love you for giving him sardines! :005: :020:
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Watch out for the fishy kisses, he will love you for giving him sardines! :005: :020:
Can't wait :D :luv:
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After feeding Alfie on MW Gamekeepers and the weekly tin of sardines I decided to take him back to the vets to get him weighed hoping that he had gained weight since his last visit over a month ago.
After reluctantly jumping on the scales to my disappointment rather than gaining he has lost another kilo so that now puts him at 10 kg at 13 months old. He still looks very healthy and a total live wire but his ribs are even more visible especially after having him clipped recently.
The vets suggested upping his food (he's currently on 200g) and trying three meals a day or even bulking it up with some pasta. Unsure of what to do I took him for a nice walk and as usual he was on full speed non stop for the whole hour. When I got home I decided to call MW to see what they advised and on speaking to a very helpful lady she suggested a 50/50 mix however, as I had been previously advised the 60/40 and still had quite a bit left she recommended adding boiled potato to his Gamekeepers to use it up and then switching. Has anyone else used potato as I am unsure but trusting the advice from Millies.
So he is now on 210g spread over three meals and extra potato for tea.....I don't think he's complaining :D
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Sorry to jump in but my Ollie is 11years old and 11kilo - always been small and also has a sensitive tummy, you mentioned potato and I thought I would just say that I cannot give Ollie food that has potato in it as it makes him very loose, I go for a protein and rice combination.
It is worth trying a bit of potato as they are all different but just keep an eye in case.
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Mg500 I wouldn't Worry about it too much at this stage. Give it another 12 months or so. If he's getting a lot of exercise that will keep the weight off him too. It's better that he's on the slim side than overweight. Give him a tin of sardines once a week. I promise you he will get heavier probably without you noticing straight away. My dog is 13.6 kg at three years old he is taller than a lot of cockers I've seen so I imagine your dog might be at a good weight. If the vet says not to worry then don't.
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Gazrob,
I did worry a bit as people did/do comment how "ribby" he is but I don't anymore. He's loving his weekly ration of sardines and I might be wrong but he does look like he has gained a small amount of weight.
Thanks
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Has your dog been checked for internal parasites? worms etc, also it is possible that he is not absorbing his food properly
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All good advice!
If you really need to add a bit of weight, and the poo is normal at first, in colour and texture, I was told it was better to afdd sweet potato, more calories and nutrition than spuds, and more digestible. If you can’t face sardines, mix a half a teaspoon of salmon oil or coconut oil .
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Well after feeding extra potato and having three meals a day for the last 3 weeks Alfie has put on 0.5 kilo so we are heading in the right direction. Watching him run around this evening on the moors he has really good muscle definition on his legs and shoulders and looking so fit and healthy. I'm contemplating whether to change from MW Gamekeeper to a higher fat/calorie food or stick with it and add extra potato/sweet potato or try some salmon oil?
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Mg500 I forgot to mention I also use salmon oil. I put three or four squirts onto his morning meal. I'm not sure if it's made any difference to his weight but his coat Is looking great. He will put on weight but it will be so slowly you may not notice. As long as you are feeding him and hes active really don't worry. He's still young and not fully developed. I've seen some cockers in my neighbourhood that are only two or three years old that are overweight and they have all sorts of health problems because of it. They are getting fed too much and not getting enough exercise.
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Gazrob,
He's getting quality food (Millies, sardines, carrots and the occasional marrow bone) and lots of exercise so I'm not that worried anymore, and as you said he will put on weight and I probably wont even notice.
Talking of overweight dogs, only yesterday we saw 2 cockers that were like little barrels, made Alfie look like a skeleton..... :D
Thanks to all those that have replied.