:smt043 @ Wolfie.
Doubt if my OH would risk asking me to do that. :smt002

I suppose it would be good if I could find an alternative to the HiLife stuff (she says after buying 2 boxes full for a fiver ) but I was happy that he was eating more after a period of looking a bit lean.
The minced chicken sounds promising. He certainly likes chicken. Or sardines, in tomato sauce or oil? (spoken like a true novice dog owner-how will the poor pooch survive. )
What about tuna?

I will try the charcoal bics and see how he goes.

Thanks everyone.

PS Inca, yeh I was concerned about the complete aspect too. I reduce the amount of JWB he would normally have but I suspect the wet food may have to go. Tigger is not going to be happy with you all though.

can I suggest that you wait until his system has settled down again before trying different things - and then only one thing at a time.

I am not a fan of processed dog foods at all, but appreciate some people prefer to feed this way.
Complete foods are exactly that - complete. if you start adding bits here and there, you are upsetting the balance of that food - hence tummy troubles.

It might well be that your pup is having a growth spurt, or that the makeup of the food doesnt suit him atm (you can see the breakdown on the side of the bag), maybe he needs an extra meal daily in the short term - rather than bulking up his ration.

just my thoughts.

thandi

If you want to give him tuna, give him the tuna that's in spring water.

If you want to give him fish, I'd personally go for the frozen Coley that you can buy in packs of 6 from most supermarkets.

Complete foods are exactly that - complete. if you start adding bits here and there, you are upsetting the balance of that food - hence tummy troubles.


have to agree mine are fed a complete diet with nothing added as if i do then tummy probs start ...it can take time for your dog to get used he will prob turn his nose up with no pouch added at first but they soon get used to whats on offer

I wish I could say that about my lot Inca They're all on complete food, but won't touch it unless the have a small amount of wet food mixed in it. As for the theory that no dog would starve itself, I'm afraid mine would do exactly that

it takes time sometimes days ...mine either eat or go without .... they know nothing else is on offer these days

I think the longest I've let them go is a few days. The'll go over to thier bowls, sniff it and walk off Then I have to put up with them bringing up bile for the rest of the day

I know it's me being too soft with them

I know it's me being too soft with them


pippa hung out 5 days then ate when i was out the room i nearly gave in sooo many times but it did pay off


before anyone rings the RSPCA she was at the time overweight due to all the extra's and wasn't harmed at all

Oh, I certainly wasn't going to introduce all that lot now. No, I was just trying to get some ideas for if/when we drop the pouches if it turns out to be those that are causing the wind. Im not really bothered about the smell but concerned that to *have* smelly wind means Im feeding him something that doesn't agree with him. Sorry if I havent made that clear..my writing style leaves a lot to be desired.

When I first got him the breeder was giving him Bakers Complete along with a small amount of Pedigree tinned food for one of the midday meals. He was also given countless chews etc. When I learned that these foods werent exactly the best I changed him gradually onto JWB. His coat is much better and his temperament has improved greatly. So I do like the hypoallergenic no additives kind of food.
Unfortunately Tigger then had an massive allergic reaction to something (vet still isnt 100% sure, but thinks it could have been to a flea bite) and was off his food for a little while. The vet gave me a special Hills diet for a week which consisted of tinned food and rehydrate sachets, so you see he has decided that wet food is his right!
A good compromise would probably be to investigate what really good complete wet foods are available.

Im not sure whether another meal would be beneficial as he still has three good sized meals a day. 7am, midday and 5pm with a JWB Crackerjacks bone treat mid evening. He seems to *know* when he is due his food so I thought he had settled into that routine. His bowel movements are regular too, before breakfast, after lunch and before bed, with little extras if he has a long walk.

When you say the makeup of the food might not suit, Ive looked at the ingredients but how would I know if they are for him or not? Is there a certain protein percentage that pups are to have as this is certainly something which seems to differ amongst complete foods?

If I was confident that the complete food was going to do the job then I might be able to endure the pitying looks that a Springer likes to give. However, there is so much controversy around pet food atm Im beginning to get a little confused. He doesnt seem to be 'filling out', but then Im not sure thats particularly what should be aimed for.

Thanks everyone for your help-Im taking it all in. :smt002