What Does everyone feed there dogs??

[marykay]

Thanks for all the advice,I will work out a good diet for Xena,have only kept her on what she  was given by the breeder it's time now to change though she's getting bigger and older and feel a bit at a time to introduce a different food as I truly don't like any of it but felt I needed to just give her time to change slowly.Marykay

[baileysworkworld]

When I got Bailey (English Pointer) at 12 weeks, he was on 3 meals a day, 1 rice pudding and goats milk, 1 was Weetabix and goats milk and the 3rd meal was meat and mixer. His breeders suggested this and he was a very healthy strong pup (at 12 weeks he was bigger than a Springer Spaniel) with long long legs and had loads of growing left to do.

When he was about 6 months we gradually changed him to a dry food, which started as JWB and after a year or so we changed it to Wainwrights (it is a pets at home own brand and a fair quality) but it was the large breed one - 18 month-5 years.

As he was outside all day (he came to work with me) he always dropped weight every winter so after 3 winters I got wise and started adding raw tripe to his pm meal August to Jan and not the rest of the year (this was on the advice of another pointer owner), and he stopped loosing weight.

When he reached 5 years, I changed from the large breed 18month-5 year to the large breed 5 year +. He dropped condition. I spoke to my vet who said, that although he is a large breed dog, his lifestyle and exercise regime are more like a younger dog as most large breed dogs over 5 will start to slow down where as Baileys lifestyle had changed drastically and his exercise had increased. So I changed his food back to the one for slightly younger dogs.

Anyone here from the old forum will know that 2 years ago we had some allergy problems with Bailey. When this happened I did lots of research into allergies and feeding. Even though Baileys allergies are almost certainly a hayfever type reaction, I changed his food from dry to a raw meat and veg diet. He has raw meat (bought from pets at home frozen), chicken, tripe, rabbit, lamb, beef etc. he also has steamed veg (the plan was to cook it less over time til it is raw, but he stops eating it when it is too raw!) and a chicken wing with every meal. He is fed twice a day.

He is really healthy (besides his allergies!! ) looks in great condition, good coat, and - best subject ever for dog owners - his poo has never been better, very solid, good colour, hardly no smell and very little of it in general.

Sorry for long post!!! I will put some pics of me and Boo up here soon, I promise. xxx

[Kimmikins]

Even OH has gotten onto the topic of poo! If a food changes Sara's poo too much (more of it, going more often, smellier etc) then we switch her off of it and back to the last good one. Now we're just going to bite the bullet and buy Hills Natures Best in a big bulk bag, as they seem to have stopped selling it at P@H!