CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Puppies => Topic started by: Firestorm on February 22, 2022, 01:23:05 PM
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I know the subject of raw food has probably been discussed many times but I am finding the subject difficult to understand. My puppy Max is 6.5 months and has been on kibble mixed with some wet food and has been doing well. But he can be a very hyper puppy both at home and whilst on the lead. At puppy training classes the trainer said he is like a puppy with ADHD so much energy which is making training to walk on a loose lead difficult. Also I have just managed to find a food that makes his poo firm when it was very runny. I have researched the subject but these are the areas that I have questions about. 1. Does it have health benefits as advertised. 2. Would it calm down a cocker spaniel puppy. 3. How easy is it to change over to raw. 4. We go away quite a lot for 2 - 3 weeks at a time in the UK, how would we be able take enough when it is frozen without it defrosting as you can’t buy it locally anywhere. 5. There are numerous companies offering raw, are they all much the same or are there good and bad.
Sorry for all the questions.
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Hi! Can‘t offer any advice on which companies to use I‘m afraid as I don‘t live in UK but having followed discussions on here, I‘m certain there are a lot of good suppliers who also offer advice to help you get started.
I believe some dogs can indeed by affected by certain foods and also the additives etc which are included in many of the manufactured dog food. Raw food is, for want of a better term, „cleaner“ it doesn‘t include extras, so you know what you‘re getting and you have more control over the diet. I only buy the meat and add fruit, vegetables, oil and cereals myself.
I initially changed my dog over to raw on the suggestion of a groomer, Humphrey was just starting to lose his puppy coat and his hair was dry and matt and looked dreadful. Although the advice is to change gradually, we just changed from one day to the next and had no problems, but its a good idea to start with just one sort of meat and introduce others gradually so if there is any reaction or intolerance to anything, its easier to single out.
I‘ve never had a problem with holidays and with a bit of planning can usually sort things out. You can check out suppliers online to see if you can purchase locally, I‘ve bought supermarket meat during short trips and if all else fails I‘ve bought tinned pure meat and just added vegetables - but I‘m pretty sure someone else on here can give you tips on that.
My personal experience has been positive, my dog‘s been raw fed for nearly 6 years, we‘ve very rarely had any stomach upsets (unless he’s found something disgusting on a walk! >:( ), I have him checked regularly for worms and parasites but he‘s never had any since he‘s been raw fed, so I don‘t worm him and we‘ve had no problems with allergies etc so far. I wouldn’t want to argue that its healthier, there are lots of very good manufactured foods around but I like to know exactly what I‘m eating and the same goes for my dog.
As for behaviour, well that’s a tricky one and while I‘m not denying ADHD, (and don’t want to step on any toes here) I do suspect its often used to label humans and animals who are just trying to use up excess energy. Most young dogs can be pretty hyper and cocker puppies are probably more excitable than most, training classes can be quite challenging (I‘m in my sixties and Humphrey is my 3rd dog but I won’t deny having cried all the way home on more than one occasion!) but I doubt any change of diet would, except in rare cases, have any effect. Good lead walking is probably THE biggest issue with cockers, as you‘ll see from the puppy and behaviour boards, it needs consistency, patience and ongoing training. Mental stimulation is a great way to help them learn to focus and also use up excess energy. So, while I‘m a great fan of a raw diet, I don’t honestly believe it would have any effect at all in that regard, sorry! ;)
I would suggest having a look at some of the websites of the leading raw food brands, most are more than willing to answer any questions and offer advice. Its no where near as complicated and mysterious as many would have you believe so please don’t be put off if it seems a bit daunting and if you need any advice, there are always lots of people on here who can help.
Hope that helps a bit!
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Maisie (seven and a half months) has been on raw since she was about 4 months.
I started by replacing one of her meals for raw and then gradually 2 meals and finally 3.
At present she is down to 2 meals a day.
As to her behaviour I don’t honestly think it has made much difference. She is and always has been a challenging puppy. Yes, she still pulls on the lead but when out and about she is a delight as she is very good with other dogs, mixes nicely but returns when asked and her recall is excellent.
I can see her behaviour gradually getting better but I do believe that is down to maturity rather than her food.
We went away recently and stayed in an airbnb and I took all her frozen food in an icebox with cooling bricks. Our journey was long (5 hours) and the food was in the same condition as when I packed it. I just popped it into the freezer box in the fridge of the kitchen.
At home I do not have a separate freezer for her food, just a normal freezer but I reserve the bottom tray for her. I can’t order raw food to be delivered as usually you have to buy in bulk and I can’t do that. I buy a week’s supply at a time from a local pet shop. i buy a complete mix 80/10/10. Maisie’s condition is fabulous, very shiny coat, firm poos and she really enjoys her food.
If you join a raw feed forum on facebook, there are lots of suggestions of how to continue feeding raw when you go away for two to three weeks.
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We fed Daisy raw food and used https://honeysrealdogfood.com/ They have a good helpline, and I had a small chest freezer for her food, so I could order about 3 months supply at a time. It was ready mixed, so I knew she was getting the nutrition she needed. It suited Daisy and us. When we were away on holiday, I just fed her wet food of a decent quality. IT tended to hange as she was a fussy wee monkey :luv: Certainly worked well for her and previous dogs. You could give them a call, there is no obligation to buy. It may help clear up any issues you have.
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Thanks for your replies, I will contact suppliers to get more information.
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Just wondered where you are situated.
Most pet shops nowadays have freezers and stock a range of frozen food.
I started off just getting 3 chubbs of complete food 80/10/10 to try as I didn’t want to buy lots if Maisie didn’t like raw. As mentioned before, I only have a family freezer and thus can’t order in bulk. I just buy a week’s supply at a time which I keep in the bottom drawer. If you are planning on going away in the UK you can just take a couple of days supply of food as most local pet shops have freezers now and stock raw.
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we started our puppy on raw at 8 weeks old he just didn't seem to like the kibble, he's been great on it and is just over 7 months old now, we didn't wean him off the dry food just switched him straight over, we have been feeding him on nutriment.