Kibble/raw question

[Sheepscheeks]

Freddie is 19 months old now and has been on natural instinct chicken since he was 5 months old due to very runny stools with blood - the NI sorted him out straight away and he loves it. Well, he used to love it - for the last couple of months or so he has not been as keen on it. I have even started warming it for 20 seconds in the microwave rather than give it to him straight from the fridge. Anyway, when we went away at Easter he just didn't want any breakfast (he is fed twice a day) so he just had an evening meal. Maybe this is partly due to him having finished his major growing period - his appetite might just naturally be diminished? We've just got back from a fab week in the lake district where he did LOADS of walking/mountains, which he really isn't used to, but he still didn't want breakfast. Now we are home again I thought I might try Burns kibble in the morning and raw in the evening. I've heard Burns is good for sensitive tums. Or, should I just feed one meal a day? He used to be on 500g NI per day (he weighs 16kg but is a large framed cocker, not an once of fat on him) but now probably has around 350g? How much Burns and how much raw do you think I should feed if I do go down the mixed feeding route? (Sorry this has been so long!)
BTW he is behaving exactly the same, not losing muscle and is generally fit and well so not causing me any health concerns.

[elaine.e]

Do you think you'd be willing to try Freddie on different NI varieties? I know you switched him to NI chicken from other food because of his sensitive tummy when he was a puppy, but if you've just kept him on NI chicken since then I don't suppose you've any way of knowing if sensitivity is still an issue or not. Maybe he's just bored with chicken and trying something like NI turkey or NI chicken and lamb mix is worth thinking about.

William has a sensitive tum and skin but since switching him to raw over a year ago I've found that he doesn't have problems any more. He's had most varieties of NI and I've tried him with other raw foods as well. I can even be more easy going with treats that contain cereal now and things like cocktail sausages and tinned frankfurter sausages (small quantities used when training) that he couldn't tolerate before.

Immediately before switching to raw he was on Burns, which after trying other kibbles like JWB and AG was definitely the one that suited him best. He looked good on it and produced good poos too

Then he was on Burns in the morning and NI in the evening for a while before I switched completely to raw. I decided each should be 50% of his food so calculated 50% of 1 day's suggested weight of Burns and calculated NI at 2.5% of his ideal bodyweight then halved that. I tried that for a short while then adjusted it slightly (a small increase in both I think) to keep him at his perfect weight and shape.

[Sheepscheeks]

Maybe he's just bored with chicken and trying something like NI turkey or NI chicken and lamb mix is worth thinking about.

I have tried Turkey NI and he was even less impressed with that. Haven't tried lamb as I thought it might be too rich for him. I might get a couple of the lamb mix in my next order to try. Btw what flavour of Burns was best for William or could he have any flavour? Freddie has home made tuna bread treats and cocktail sausages for recall. He also has some Wainwrights biscuit treats and JWB mini jacks. If he has too many or snaffles something he shouldn't he still gets squitty so I don't think he has grown out of his sensitivity.

[elaine.e]

William is fine with the NI chicken and lamb mix. When he was on Burns I'm pretty sure it was usually the Duck & Brown Rice but sometimes Venison and Brown Rice.

Burns are usually good about sending out free samples, so you could get a variety of them and see what he likes and what suits.