Feeding our JRT

[joystir59]

He's 4, fit active and healthy, but feeding him.is a bit of a problem. He won't eat kibble of any kind, just spits it out and looks disgusted. He will barely tolerate wet dog food, and it doesn't seem to satisfy him.even if he does eat it. Likes chicken, beef and lamb and his usual diet lately has been boiled chicken with a bit of boiled potatoes and carrot, sometimes brocolli or peas. Sometimes he gets a raw beef or lamb bone, or a raw chicken wing. Sometimes even on this diet he gets a really gurgly belly and is restless and in pain. He eats a lot of grass but doesn't often vomit. He does some solid poos and some really soft ones. He seems to get bored with whatever we feed him after a short while. Any suggestions?

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

Excellent!

[joystir59]

Milo has recovered! Back to his cheeky growly energetic self. Did a real solid poo today! What stopped the diarrhea was feeding him mashed potato with overcooked rice mashed into it (cos he doesn't like rice), with lean chicken.

[joystir59]

No blood in poo today! Feeding small amounts of boiled chicken with mashed potato with overcooked rice mashed into it (he doesn't like rice but it is very binding and bland). And he seems to have turned a corner. I bloody hope so as the diarrhea always hits in the early hours and then at hourly intervals until 9am. Fingers crossed that tonight is different. Thank you for all your suggestions.

[BiteyShark]

My dog has had collitis on several occasions. We find very small amounts of food every hour helps.

[joystir59]

Oh, also, about bloody diarrhea, the vet said she would worry if I'd described copious amounts of watery red streaked and foul smelling poo as this is a sign of serious infection. Just in case you ever need to know that.

[joystir59]

Have been on the phone to the vet this morning after a night in which Milo has some stomach gurgling which stopped when he ate grass and was sick once, then drank water. But then he continued to go out and poo once an hour throughout the night. Went out in the morning light to discover last two poos were dribbles of bright red blood. Milo still bright and cold nosed though. The vet says it sounds like collitis and not to panic about the blood, that it can be something seen when a dog is healing from a stomach upset and isn't as dramatic in a dog as it would be in a human. She advised us to let him drink small amounts of water and eat a third portion of his normal food, if we feed him at all. And to take him to the vet tomorrow if he's still not right as he might need his electrolytes replacing- it's been 4 nights. He is out walking now. Thank you for all your kind and helpful comments. We will think about changing his diet going forward, but the vet said now not the right time-consuming he was ok on cooked chicken and vegetables for weeks before.

[Rowgtfc72]

Aw he's lovely!
My jrt s always ate super dog active but when poorly liked scrambled egg. Agree with butchers tripe but it doesn't smell too good!

[Pettynotvindictive]

Long time JRT owner here.

Mine always had occasional off food days. They always love egg.
Really runny scrambled egg mix but often raw.

Considering the youngest is 8 and oldest 21, it hasn't done them any harm!

[joystir59]

Thank you, we love him

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

He's gorgeous!

[joystir59]

This is him

[joystir59]

Yes, JRTs are wonderful, and it's his fifth birthday today and a year since we collected him from Battersea

[joystir59]

Today he's had two syringes of yoghurt which he has kept down and then quite a lot of water. Nothing else to eat. We are going to try him on chicken breast and rice later. If he's still gurgling, not eating etc he's going back to the vet on Monday

[bobstersmum]

Our old jack Russell( rest his soul) when young had endless tummy troubles, the only foods that he could settle with were tins of butchers tripe, or chappie! We trialed everything the vet suggested, James well beloved etc, but all went through him like a train. He lived to 17 and from the age of around 10 I tried all the dry foods again and he settled on bakers complete, the small bite one. I am aware of the crap that goes into cheaper foods but if it works for your dog you have to go with it!
I would definitely try the butchers tripe. Jrt's are the best!

[FairfaxAikman]

Personally I'd move him into full raw in your situation- kibble and raw are not supposed to be mixed and that could be what's upsetting his tummy.
However I have also seen people suggest that there is a link between canine food intolerance and eating grain-fed meat (of the dog is already intolerant of grain), so could potential be the chicken?

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

Has he been checked by a vet for any digestive issues?

My JRT x is currently enjoying Butternut Box for breakfast. It's good quality stuff - 5/5 nutritional rating on All About Dog Food, cooked from meat bought in Smithfield Market and delivered frozen to your door. Each delivery has 4 different flavours so boredom is unlikely.

We're currently working our way through a free trial, but even at full price it's value for a top quality dog food.

[BiteyShark]

My dog gets bored easily and doesn't like just kibble so we moved him onto wet with a few bits of kibble for crunch.

I alternate every two days three different flavours of wet so he never gets bored with it. I feed millieswolfheart wet and kibble which has lots of different types including fish.