CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Feeding => Topic started by: JFJ on January 21, 2008, 11:41:02 AM
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We have just taken on a 16 month old working Cocker Spaniel called Charlie. He has not been worked and will remain a family pet but getting plenty of exercise. He has only been getting very short on lead walks but been fed a very high protein, high cereal content diet. I just wondered what would be the best thing to feed him? I know he won't need a working dog feed.
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All my dogs work but never feed them a working diet as they do well on just ordinary food. :D What are you feeding at the moment :D
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sorry I don't understand the bit where you say he's getting plenty of exercise but only has short on lead walks? Is most of his exercise offlead? (not disagreeing with lots of offlead exercise, just your post hasn't quite made sense to me :D )
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Not sure but I think JFJ meant in his previous home Charlie had only been getting short walks?
Mine are fed on Burns Complete Dry Food and once a week have Burns Moist food mixed in as a treat!!
They both love it and are doing really well on it!
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The short on lead walks were with the previous owner. We only got him on Friday but he is having two walks a day off the lead and running around like a maniac. Fortunately his recall is very good. We live in the New Forest so he has plenty of space. Just for the short term we have been feeding him Pedigree Small Bite Mixer with liver or tinned food. We wanted to feed him the fished based complete food that we feed our other dog, but he doesn't seem to like it. He's had access to food all day and seems to like to pick.
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From what i have read Pedigree foods have lots of additives that can make your dog hyper.
Are you wanting to use a dry or wet food?
Good dry foods - Burns, James Wellbeloved, Arden Grange
Good wet foods - Burns, NaturesMenu, NatureDiet
Hope this helps
x
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I use Skinners Muesli. I dont know if its just a scottish brand or if the whole of the UK has it but it was what Elmo was on (puppy kind) when i got him and ive just changed over to adult. They do working mixes and for non working dogs
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We have had our little man a week, when he came to us he was on Judges choice, the vet said it was not a good food
Anyway he decided he did not like it, I got some Iams and he loves it, is it a bad food? he seems to be really good on it and his poo's are normal, so not upsetting his tummy
But, should I change again? to Burns, or stick with what he seems to like?
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I am against IAMS/EUKANUBA for ethical reasons please read HERE (http://www.uncaged.co.uk/iams.htm)
Changing your puppies food often is not really good for your dog as it can upset their tummies although when I brought Honey home she was fed on Eukanuba and as soon as I read the above link I soon changed to James Wellbeloved, but this food did not agree with my dogs (they had really bad wind >:() so changed to Burns and havent looked back!!
If you are going to change their food do so over about a week or so - substituting your original food with more of the new food each day (say 10/90, next day 20/80 etc) until they are 100% on the new food!
Hope this helps
x
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I never knew this
I have heard a lot about Burns, I will have to talk to OH about it tonight, have 2 small bags of Iams, so would not want to throw it away, but am interested in Burns if I can find any of it around here, also noticed that none of the boarding kennels have Burns either
this doggie feeding bit is so confusing, so many conflicting stories on what to feed them. It is hard when he gets on so well with Iams, but I can see the good in Burns, just wish I knew this before getting him so happy on Iams
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Well of course it is totally up to you what you feed your dog on - if he is doing well on IAMS, keep him on it.
I was just pointing out the fact as to why many members on here choose not to feed IAMS to their own dogs.
You can order Burns from their website and they deliver - which is what i do. Website HERE (http://www.burns-pet-nutrition.co.uk/)
Lucy x
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Thanks for the Info
so for a 5 month old puppy, which is the right Burns food?
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I'd still buy the Puppy food (Mini Bites)
I changed Honey onto the adult food when she was 6 months!
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I would agree with that :blink: According to Burns, the chicken and rice is the closest food to the puppy minibites for when you change over to adult food. Although having said that, my two didn't do too well on the chicken and rice and are on the lamb and brown rice now. If you still have some bags of Iams that you want to finish, it may be that you can go straight to the adult food, depending on how long they last. Burns told me that adult food was ok so long as they had lost their puppy teeth.
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Golly I didnt know science plan was on the list of foods to boycott :o Also ive got Otter on Eukanuba as thats what he was on when I got him but will get him off that at 6 months and onto Burns like the rest.
I find Burns the best food for my dogs and wouldnt go past it :D
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Thanks for the info. I have just bought a small bag of Burns chicken and rice to see if he likes it. I'll phase it in with the other and hopefully he will have a gentle 'comedown' from the high protein and additives. Having read the link about IAMS I certainly won't ever be going near that.
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There isn't really a 'best' food, it depends on the dog. A lot of dogs do well on Burns but when I fed Alfie on it the weight fell off him at an alarming rate, he really didn't do well on it at all and I know other dogs who haven't either. It's really a case of finding what works for your own dog. I use Arden Grange for my lot, it has a stronger meaty smell than Burns and they find it more palatable and do very well on it. Nutro is also good, I've used that a couple of times when I've been waiting for an AG delivery. 'Working dog' brands can also be fed to pet dogs, Autarky is a good one and I know a few dogs on Chudleys and Skinners who thrive on them, they're a good bit cheaper than a lot of other foods as you don't pay VAT.
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I have my lab on Autarky and he is doing great on it (and keeping his weight off)
I had Fern on autarky too but she wasn't putting weight on - but now she is doing brilliantly on Chudley's :D Braan is also on Chudleys and growing too big :005:
(Crazyspaniels are you sure he's not a springer?? :005: as he's still growing :shades: )
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Orrin is on Skinners 'Rough & Ready' and really likes it (looks interesting too, not just brown pellets), she didn't take too well to the JWB. She has a lovely shiny coat as anyone will know who has seen her :D.
Andy & Jo
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(Crazyspaniels are you sure he's not a springer?? :005: as he's still growing :shades: )
No I told you, he's turning into Tilly :shades: The fuzz'll be next :lol: although she's been defuzzed today so they'd look even more similar.
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I have my lab on Autarky and he is doing great on it (and keeping his weight off)
I had Fern on autarky too but she wasn't putting weight on - but now she is doing brilliantly on Chudley's :D Braan is also on Chudleys and growing too big :005:
(Crazyspaniels are you sure he's not a springer?? :005: as he's still growing :shades: )
he's gonna be like his uncle Bilbo, and you know what a handsome devil he is ;)
Looking forward to seeing him soon, though he'll hate me after I stick a big needle in him (microchip for the nosey ;))
Mine are all on Chudleys and they thrive on it, tried all sorts and settled with Chudleys after nothing put weight on Dobbie - not that he has much weight now, but its better than looking starving
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I have my lab on Autarky and he is doing great on it (and keeping his weight off)
I had Fern on autarky too but she wasn't putting weight on - but now she is doing brilliantly on Chudley's :D Braan is also on Chudleys and growing too big :005:
(Crazyspaniels are you sure he's not a springer?? :005: as he's still growing :shades: )
he's gonna be like his uncle Bilbo, and you know what a handsome devil he is ;)
Looking forward to seeing him soon, though he'll hate me after I stick a big needle in him (microchip for the nosey ;))
Mine are all on Chudleys and they thrive on it, tried all sorts and settled with Chudleys after nothing put weight on Dobbie - not that he has much weight now, but its better than looking starving
Bilbo is a fantastic handsome boy :luv:
Yes he's not going to like you so much after that - but I'm sure he'll get over it :shades:
Yep I had the same problem with Fern and Chudley's has definately helped :D
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Like Nicola my dogs love and thrive on arden grange, there are a few really good foods out there its finding the best one for your dog and once you've found it and they thrive on it sticking to it! I find dry food better for mine yours may differ, ;)
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Wow, so many choices
Barney loves Iams, but after reading about them I really would prefer to no longer use it
Tonight at Barney's first puppy training class we got given by the trainer a 2kg bag of James wellbeloved, should I try this, mix it in slowly with the Iams?
Hey, this is worse than having a baby :lol:
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one of the best dry foods that I have been using is james wellbegood I have fed freddie on it since 12 weeks and he has thrived on it
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are Wellbegood and Wellbeloved the same thing?
Sorry to ask so many questions
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ph34r never heard of wellbegood ph34r
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me neither, but that is what Freddie is on according to the post, so thought I would find out
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me neither, but that is what Freddie is on according to the post, so thought I would find out
Thnk they have made a mistake ;) and it should read james wellbeloved ;)
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My two are on Burns and are thriving on it :D
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I have my lab on Autarky and he is doing great on it (and keeping his weight off)
I had Fern on autarky too but she wasn't putting weight on - but now she is doing brilliantly on Chudley's :D Braan is also on Chudleys and growing too big :005:
(Crazyspaniels are you sure he's not a springer?? :005: as he's still growing :shades: )
he's gonna be like his uncle Bilbo, and you know what a handsome devil he is ;)
Looking forward to seeing him soon, though he'll hate me after I stick a big needle in him (microchip for the nosey ;))
Mine are all on Chudleys and they thrive on it, tried all sorts and settled with Chudleys after nothing put weight on Dobbie - not that he has much weight now, but its better than looking starving
Yeh and I dont think otter wil be too chuffed eitherm thats if I decide to get him done on the day ph34r :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
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ph34r never heard of wellbegood ph34r
:rofl1: :rofl1: :rofl1: this really made me laugh!!! can you imagine how great it would be if they did do a food called james wellbegood..... and it did 'exactly wot it ses on the tin' it would be constantly out of stock!! :005:
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ph34r never heard of wellbegood ph34r
:rofl1: :rofl1: :rofl1: this really made me laugh!!! can you imagine how great it would be if they did do a food called james wellbegood..... and it did 'exactly wot it ses on the tin' it would be constantly out of stock!! :005:
If only :rofl1: :rofl1: :rofl1: I would definately be buying it if it did exactly on the tin or sack :005:
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Indie is on Arden Grange as she was being fed this by the breeder and have stuck with it :D
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My two are on Burns, I changed over the Nutro because there was an offer of a free bungee dog lead ph34r, but after they had finished a 15kg bag they had both put weight on, so gave the remaining bag to my local dog rescue and they are now back on Burns :D
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Gari is on Burns, he loves it as treats too instead of fattening biscuits. He was on tinned Pedigree in his last home! >:D
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My lot are on Oscars, I changed from JWB after several years as their coats seemed to really start to dry out. They are doing well on the lamb and rice variety, with salmon bones (biscuits) and lamb bones as treats.
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It is really hard as even Burns treats, or JWB treats give Barney runny poo's but the Iams (which I have now read about and am appalled) is fine, and he loves it, Ia m so torn
At puppy class last night we got given by the trainer a 2kg bag of JWB, and I would like to try it but don't want to upset his tummy
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Hamish is fed on Arden Grange and seems to be thriving on it ;)
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according to my dogs drool mine is the best dinner but they aren't getting ANY of it! :005:
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Indie is on Autarky, she loves it and so do I, soo much cheaper than I was paying for AG and just as good quality :shades:
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I've got Vegas, Disney & Jersey on Royal Canin Neutered, Dallas is on Royal Canin Medium Adult, Harlem is on Royal Canin Medium Junior and Aspen is on Naturediet (he won't eat dry food!)
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;)sorry it is james wellbeloved I just thought it was another name
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You mention that your dog's food is left out all day and he grazes.
It's generally recommended that you just have set meal times (I feed morning and evening, but some people like feeding only once per day), leave the food down for ten minutes and if it's not eaten, lift the bowl and don't put anything out, other than the fresh water dish, till next meal time. It stops some dogs from pfaffing about - they get hungry, know it's a long time till the next meal, and get on with "regularising" their eating.
Let us know which food you settle on. Main things: good quality ingredients (and the main good ones have been listed in this thread) which your dog thrives on.
Good luck.
Denise