Cocker Specific Discussion > Feeding

Puppy food - concerned and confused.

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JohnMcL:
Hi, I hope starting a new topic is ok, I’ve read previous posts, done hours of reading google and I’m still going round in circles.
Peanut is nearly 13 weeks old, she’s doing great, the only issue is kibble. I’m getting her to eat kibble by playing games, she isn’t eating it straight from the bowl. She’ll eat it if she thinks it’s a treat or if it’s hidden in a rug or grass etc. She’ll eat our 10 year old’s kibble straight from our older dog’s bowl but that is Senior Food so lacking in nutrients. I add chicken or fish and she’ll eat that, suck the kibble and spit it out.

So far I’ve tried James Wellbeloved Puppy Grain Free, Royal Canin Cocker Puppy and AVA Puppy. Her poop is kickable, on JWB she poops twice a day, on the other two it’s 4 times a day. I’ve mixed all three or kept to one for several days. If anything I think her poop is too hard, I saw her straining a week ago but that seems to have passed.

I feed her 4 times a day. I lift the bowl and throw out the kibble within 30 mins, I’m throwing 90% of the kibble out. I’ve tried soaking it to soften and letting it sit in cooked meat juices to flavour it. I’ve never seen her eat fast or lick a bowl clean. Our older girl hovers nearby and is the exact opposite, we have to watch her weight so we don’t let her eat Puppy Food.

A dog trainer said don’t feed her Raw as it will ‘scourge her stomach out’. I don’t really understand what that means. I’m hesitant to change what I’m feeding as her poop is good but I’m concerned she’s not getting the right amount of nutrients.

She’s not eating anywhere near the amount of kibble that is recommended on the back of all three bags but appears happy. I can feel her ribs but they aren’t visible. The vet said she’s at the high end of normal weight, that was at 10 weeks old. She’s been wormed properly. I stick to the 5mins/month exercise rule religiously.

I cook daily so tend to give her what we are having, so unseasoned chicken, fish or minced beef, cooked. If that’s not possible I’ll cook an egg or open a tin of sardines for protein.

I’ve tried three wet foods too and she didn’t eat any, just sniffed them and walked off. I’ve raised 4 kids with no fussy eaters but I’m starting to think it’s got to be me.

Has anybody got any ideas please? Thank you.

John.

bizzylizzy:
While I appreciate that everyone has their own preferences and opinion, I do get annoyed when people makes such ill founded statements as „raw will scourge her insides out“ - what absolute rubbish!!
The vast majority of foods on the market these days are good quality and well balanced and the decision is therefore based on what the dog likes, what he/she tolerates e,g, with respect to allergies, health issues, age etc etc, what is convenient, what is available, what it costs.
There are a lot of myths surrounding raw and they‘re usually circulated by people who haven‘t got a clue what its all about. Admittedly, it is better to do a bit of research so you understand the principles but its not rocket science and if you follow the advice and introduce it gradually is very unlikely to cause any digestion problems at all.
I‘m certainly not saying raw is best, but experience has shown me that its best for my dog, so all I would say is, don’t discount it based on baseless claims.
Most pups go through phases of finicky eating, (they‘re just kids after all, ;)), sometimes a bit of tinned food mixed in with kibble makes it a bit more digestible. You could also try reducing her meals to 3 times daily so she‘s perhaps a bit more hungry?  I would try not to chop and change too much at first, introduce any changes gradually, - even a change of kibble should take place over a few days, not too abruptly.
If you DO decide to give raw a try, there‘s lots of good info online, - (there are also some rather wierdo groups of followers who see every bit of roadkill as  manna from heaven, but they really are a minority!  :005:), there‘s a pin on COL which is a good place to start and I think you‘ll find most of the distributors of raw food will also happy to offer advice.
Hope  that helps a bit! Give Peanut a cuddle from me!  :luv:

JohnMcL:
Hi Jayne, thank you for helping, what you’ve suggested makes complete sense and has given me a ton of reassurance. I didn’t know how tense some people can get when discussing canine cuisine! A friend got really stroppy over a can of Butcher’s and basically said Peanut doesn’t stand a chance with my choices as I still don’t have control over her biting! She’s 13 weeks old! My recent distraction lessons came in rather handy!!!

You’re so right about swapping food so quickly, I’ve been expecting quick results with too many food choices. I’ll take my foot off the pedal!

I love your profile pic, Humphrey is absolutely stunning  :luv:

I think you’ve nailed it with suggesting 3 meals a day, I’ll try it. I’m looking into raw food too - with a SIMPLE approach this time :D ;)

Thank you, you are my Magic Wand Lady!

John.

cazza:
Hi John, what food were you given for her in her puppy pack?

We were given Beta puppy, so I went and bought a big bag of it - this weekend I am off to buy another kibble for her which I will mix in with her beta puppy (so first two days will be - 3/4 beta puppy and 1/4 of the new kibble, then next two days will be half and half )

I feel your pain re Peanut not eating, I have the other side of the coin with Ash she eats like a lab (ok eats may not be the right word ‘inhales’ is what she does  :005: ) but she is always looking for more

I looked into raw with my last dogs and like it, however we didn’t feed full raw until they were nearly a year old. I started them off with the odd chicken wing as a treat

Good luck with finding a food that Peanut will eat

caro:

--- Quote from: JohnMcL on May 06, 2021, 02:32:20 PM ---I cook daily so tend to give her what we are having, so unseasoned chicken, fish or minced beef, cooked. If that’s not possible I’ll cook an egg or open a tin of sardines for protein.

--- End quote ---

Hi,

I am wondering if she is preferring 'human food' and this is putting her off her own food?

We have been having a lot of issues with Sam and his sensitive tummy and I've changed his kibble to something else based on the scores on here https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk What we currently use is 80% which I think is quite good and his poo is starting to firm up.  I am now avoiding chicken as I think he has some intolerance to it.  It has taken months and months but he has no issue with his appetite whatsoever, fortunately!

I do think she might be holding out for something more something more tasty!

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