Puppy food - Help!

[welshdaisy]

Hi,

Bit of advice really. We have a fussy puppy. He will go off food and then refuse to eat. There's nothing wrong with him as he will chase you for a cheese sandwich lol... we've tried leaving it down, cutting out treats completely and even changed the bowls in case it was that.. I spoke with the vet about it and she said as long as it's a slow transition, it's ok to change the food and see how he goes. However, she said no grain free as no dog should be fed grain free without blood tests to indicate they can't have it... I can't really afford the blood tests, but I've noticed a lot of the high end foods are grain free, I'm not worried about this, I'll find one which has grains. Just wondered if I'd be silly to rule out grain free. Wanted some individual opinions from dog owners about this.. obviously the vet knows best, I'm not trying to discredit what she said but I just wonder does anyone feed grain free without consulting a vet? Thanks in advance

[dementedpixie]

Eh. I thought grain free was supposed to be better

[welshdaisy]

@dementedpixie that's what the sales man said at Pets at Home. He said they sell grain free really well x

[dementedpixie]

Or maybe I'm thinking of cats which are obligate carnivores. I'm not sure with dogs. I'd still make sure meat was the first ingredient and that there was plenty of it

[dementedpixie]

www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/fda-grain-free-diet-alert-dcm/ this might explain the vets concerns

[welshdaisy]

@dementedpixie thanks. That article explains a bit more

[GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]

OP, how much are you feeding him? Sometimes the suggested quantities are more than a dog needs (though some dogs will eat themselves stupid, and most dogs will force cheese down no matter how full they are).

If he is growing and gaining weight, don't worry if he's a bit ribby. A lot of breeds look very skinny until they hit maturity - my younger dog was really lean until she was about 2 and a half.

Personally I wouldn't feed grain-free unless I had a definite case of grain allergy in front of me. The vast majority of dogs are genetically adapted to digest starch, and indications are that avoiding grain does them no good at all, quite the reverse.

[welshdaisy]

@GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman I'm giving him what is suggested on the packet. His weight is fine. He's never had any issue, he's just not fussed on the kibble. We've even tried some wet food.. he will eat some and becomes picky. Like I say, the little bugger will chase you for your sandwich lol... I'll try putting smaller portions down and see if that does the trick. He's currently on Hills Science Diet which is what he was on with the breeder. We trialled him with a little bit of James wellbeloved and he was less interested in that than the Hills...

[GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]

If his weight is fine, then he's eating enough. The more you chop and change and try to tempt him, the fussier he is likely to become. Dogs are scavengers as well as predators, and most of them will eat any old shit (literally), but that isn't to say that they don't have preferences.

They don't have to eat the same thing all their lives (my dogs don't, they get switched around depending partly on what's in stock, partly on what's on offer and partly on what I feel they need) but you don't want to end up in the situation where you're constantly trying to coax your dog to eat.

but honestly - if he's growing and thriving, don't worry. And if he loves cheese, use it as a training reward.

[CoffeeBeansGalore]

I've raised my last 2 pups on Autarky Puppy & Junior. Added in extras 3(ish) times a week to give a bit of variety, but reduce some of the kibble to balance it out. Chicken, sausages, mince, grated cheese, bacon, eggs, rice.
They do get bored so this livens things up without changing the "base" food. Ultimately they eat when hungry, but it's nice to give them an extra topping.

[Whynow88]

Mine gets AVA from pets at home. He never wolfs it down but eats enough and his weight is fine. If I make chicken he gets some, usually has some meat and gravy on a Sunday and gets mackerel once or twice a week as well

[welshdaisy]

Hey all... so that evening I ordered a two week trial of butternut box. I know, I know... but I did a fair bit of reading and apparently it's supposed to be amazing for very fussy dogs. Any who. It came fairly quick (Saturday) and we started him on Sunday. He loves it. Clears the bowl in less than a minute and cries for more. I've never seen him eat like it. The price is steep, but we can manage it. But that's the only drawback really, the price. It's early days... never know, he may decide one day to turn his nose up.. but at the moment we are on day 3 and he loves it, and that's never happened with any other food.