Westie puppy

Hi from Scotland I am a new member to Dogsey just joined this week. I have inherited a 3 Month old Westie from my son and i don't know much about them. Can someone please tell me if Cesar dog food and a mixer is ok to feed him? Or am i better to give him some thing else. Would appreciate any advice.
Thanks.

Hello and welcome, I feed my Chihuahua purina small breed dry dog food with boiled chicken in. There are lots of dog food out there it's what your dog is used to and what he likes. At 3 months he's still classed as a puppy so really needs puppy food with the extra vitamins ect in there, try a pets at home for info ask the staff there they'll tel you what is best.

personally I dont like cesar a vet once said it had a high sugar content I think it was a while ago, or meat to be fed on its own it has a very high water content therefore you have to feed more to get the right nutrients.

puppy food i would recommend- jwl, beta, proplan. If meat is added i would use chappie (even though its not puppy) or winalot.

i also wudnt take advise from pets at home some and really good, some cant just about tell the difference between a dog and a cat lol.

ATD x

If he has been eating Cesar and doing good on it, I would stick to it. Skip the mixer. Dogs do fine on kibble alone.

Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest. You should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them. Each dog is different. Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog must have its food and exercise adjusted to its individual needs.

The worst thing you can do is to bribe a dog with rich foods into eating more than it needs. Instead, Put down the dish with what the dog should eat, and give it 15 minutes to eat. Then take it up. Do not give it anything to eat until its next scheduled meal. In a few days, it should be eating what it needs. Continue to check its ribs and adjust the food as needed. This is not easy. I had a Shepherd go 3 days on a few nibbles. I was a wreck, but she was fine. It is almost unknown for a healthy dog not to eat what it needs. Unfortunately, in too many cases, it is less than the package says, and less than the owner thinks the dog should have. Many dogs are quite good at holding out for tastier chow. Like kids, sometimes it calls for tough love.

I take it the op is talking abuot caeser wet food. It you discontinue the micer your asking for trouble as it wont have enough ruffage in it.
I would personally try to get him on a good quality complete specially made for small breeds, you might have to add a spoon full of wet food at first to encourage him to eat.
By the way Labman were talking Westie here, not shepard there such a small breed they dehydrate quicker

Personally, I would stick to what he's used to.

If you DO change his food, do it very gradually, or there will be "consequences"

Good luck!

Hi I would like to thank all the replies and advice i was given.
Best regards to all.

Just whatever you decide to do with the food, please note that Westie's are prone to bad skin, so keep a close eye on it.

I found with my Westie, he thrived on James Wellbeloved, but also at the same time, that was the only food on the market that had no meat or meat deriratives in.

Hello,

I'm also from Invercylde (hate that name!), so we might even be in the same town, and I also have a Westie.

Personally, I would never, ever feed a Westie (or any dog) Cesar. It's basically full of crap. Additives, sugar, water. Yuck. I would steer well clear of Pedigree too, and especially Bakers. Bakers are one of the worst due to the additives.

As you may or may not know, Westies are notorious for skin allergies so it's better to put your Westie on a mainly hypoallergenic diet now rather than when it's too late and skin issues have already developed. They really are that common, I'm afraid. Also, Cesar (and foods like that) will stain your Westies beard which is not a good look.

If I were you, I would switch your puppy over to one of the following puppy foods and do so gradually over a 5 - 7 days days:

http://www.ardengrange.com/
http://www.burnspet.co.uk/dog/index.asp
http://www.wellbeloved.com/products/dog_food.aspx
http://www.healthypaws.co.uk/
http://www.fish4dogs.com/
http://www.trophypetfoods.co.uk/
http://www.fish4dogs.com/

All do a complete food and treat range and all are very good foods. I'm sure out of the above you'll find one that suits your Westie. The fish4dogs is especially good for a Westie's skin due to the oils in the foods.

The James Wellbeloved pouches are really good, especially for coating the dry food it, which can make it more appealing for the fussy eater! You get these pouches too.

Regarding puppy food, personally, I would switch your puppy over to an adult version of one of these foods at around 6 months of age, as Westies are only small and the higher protein in the puppy foods isn't good for their skin. Again, witch gradually over the course of a 5 - 7 days.

When your Westie has adapted to the new food, try adding a tiny little bit of EV olive oil, again, good for the skin and coat.

There is nothing worse than a Westie with skinn issues, believe me.

My Westie is 6.5 years old and is as fit as a flea, inside and out with no skin issues, but I have always been careful with the feeding and still am, and I'm on top of every scratch like a rash. No pun intended. I can stress enough how important it is to carefully monitor your Westies feeding regime, it really does make a difference.

Please, please steer clear of Cesar, Bakers, Pedigree and the likes as I would put money on your Westie getting a skin compain due to these foods. And I'm not being dramatic when I say that, I promise you.

Hope this information helps, do no be fooled by the cute little Westie in the Cesar adverts.

Good luck and enjoy your wee baby.

Here's my Molly.....

Hi Thanks for your advice will change to one of the brands you recommend and will take onboard all that you say.
Best regards Stef.