Feeding two complete foods...

Hi guys ... please don't flame me or anything for feeding two complete foods but I want to make my dog better and I beleive this is the best way.

The story

Mac's had meningitis for a while so he's on steroids to clear that up - but he's also on anti biotics for diahorrea. It seems that the anti-biotics his diahorrea clears up really well - but the day he finishes the course he has it bad again. He's had the diahorrea now for 2 days and last night woke us up and it was all in his cage and on him! So I rang the vets and they said back on the anti-biotics for 2 weeks, they also recomend a sensitive tinne food...

The Question
Okay so I feed JWB and a tinned food normally - but he's recently had meningitis so we've been feeding JWB and a Hills sensitive tinned food. I'm aware that both are complete foods so would I half the reccomended amounts and feed that so for example - if JWB says to feed 400grams or kibble and Hills say 2 tins do I feed 200 grams of kibble and 1 tin per day?

So that it's kinda balanced? Is it that easy? (I'm thinking not!) lol. Oh, and the reason I feed both is - he's a VERY fussy eater refusing to eat dry kibble on it's own and so feeding it with a tinned food is the only way i can ensured that he actually eats.

If someone could verify this by about 5 ready for his next feed then that'd be awesome!

Thanks for any help guys! I really want to switch him to RAW but don't want to put him through anything more than what he is at the minute!

Cheers,
Ryan. (sorry for the long post!)

Sorry to hear about the meningitis - I hope Mac will be ok soon.


My initial thoughts are if he keeps having upset tums - is this the food - is he sensitive to the food.

Whenever mine have an upset tum I switch to boiled chicken and rice then slowly reintroduce a complete.

Do you think he is sensitive to the food - just can't understand why the anti-biotics for upset tum? If its a virus they won't help if an infection should clear it up and be gone? Not an expert on upset tums.

p.s. I know what it can be like with a fussy eater believe me and many people use wet and dry food to tempt an appetite.

How old is Mac again?

Well yeah that what I though. .. surely a course of Anti-biotics and it's gone? I suppose the vet knows what they're on about? ... Or so one would think!

He's 17 months now We were feeding him winalot ... so perhaps he's allergic to that or soemthing ? I suppose we'll see in a couple of days...?

I guess the vet has prescribed AB's for a reason unbeknown to me so wouldn't like to disagree but most vets will suggest bland food i.e. chicken and rish or white fish until the poos firm up?

If it were me I would certainly give chicken and rice for a few days until the poos firm up and slowy introduce either kibble or tinned not both to see how that effects his tum - if he gets a runny bum again then it could be the food!

IMO it's ok to give two complete foods as long as you give half and half or 75%/25% etc.

Hope your dog is ok x

A vet who dishes out antibiotics in this manner - I am loathe to use them long term as they cause tummy upsets - and sells (I presume) Hills Diet food at a huge profit - is extremely suspect. He does not have your dog's best interests at heart.

I think you should seek a second opinion.

Shamus has a very dickie stomach he gets home cooked chicken with a variety of veggies when I give rice it makes him have runny poo (I think he is the exception to the rule on that one though)maybe you should try home cooking

Oh gosh! I think part of the problem is that he had to go to a university hospital about 45 minutes away so it's not easy for them to assess him, and my regular vet hasn't dealt with the case so doesn;t really know what's going on. For example on the phone they were aksing me how much percentage he goes down when he's off the AB's and my regular vets wouldn't give me the medication they phoned the other vet so as to ensure they sure about it ...

I'm totally confused now ... and a litle angry too!

Rice and grains in general aren't really appropriate for dogs digestion and many dogs are allergic to them.

I agree the home cooking/raw route might be best.

So how do I make the Chicken and Rice thing then?