# What do you feed your dog on



## jonesy1

I have been out voted by my wife, daughter and granddaughter about having a dog free life. (we?) are now the proud owners of a Bichon Frise, (I had not heard of it either). It is a small dog. The question now arises as what to feed it on. It has been decided to use dry food (nibbles), but which brand? Obviously at first, use the one that the breeders use. Next ask the vets what they would recommend. Then in true motorhomefacts style do my own research. I came across a website which was quite an eye opener. www.dogfoodanalysis.com 
There they look into different methods of dog feeding and compare brands of nibbles for suitability, don't be put off by the fact that it appears to be a site for owners of boxer dogs, the findings are general for all. The 2 brands I was looking at, came bottom of a 1 to 6 stars rating. The one recommended, and sold, by the vet also had ingredients which might be carcinogenic. I hope this site is some help to others, I (we), have yet to decide on which brand to use.

Les.


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## Zebedee

Hi Les

That's an American website, so immediately suspect in my (_admittedly rather cynical_) opinion! :roll:

A couple of points we turned up during our research - which was very extensive. Our mutt has a deformed tongue, and it was quite difficult to find a food that she can eat easily. _(Won't bore you with the details. :wink: )_

1). If it's heavily advertised on TV - forget it. You are paying through the nose for the adverts.

2). Check what the agility trainers use. They are the real professionals.

3). Be aware that dry food was developed for the convenience of lazy owners - without much thought for the taste buds of the poor dog. That doesn't make it bad, but it is a consideration. _(John Burns is a friend of my wife's family - horse's mouth or what!! :wink: )_

4). Don't necessarily take your vet's advice. They are often sponsored by certain brands, and are paid to recommend them. (Our vet admitted it! :roll: )

5). We use Autarchy, which is (as far as we can establish) just as good as the well known and heavily advertised brands, but half the price - or less. The agility trainers near us use it exclusively with their dogs, and indicate that the list of ingredients is virtually identical to the top price brands. _(It is the best bite size for our dog. The tongue problem - too small and she can't hold it in her mouth. Too big and she bites it into small pieces . . . which she can't hold in her mouth. :roll: )_

6). We would not feed our dog on dry food alone. We don't fancy dry lumps of chaff for every single meal of our lives, and don't see why the dog should either!!

We mix the dry food with a *very *small amount of . . . well, almost anything to give it a bit of flavour and appeal. Not very much though since it is already a carefully balanced diet and it would be daft to undo the balance.

The mutt likes a little taste of our food best of all, far better than tinned or pouched dog food, so she gets a small spoonfull of curry, bolognese sauce, stew, pate, fish, or anything else that's going.

Phew - sorry about the epistle, but I hope it helps.

Dave


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## wakk44

Our two are not particularly fussy eaters,they are both adult dogs and get one meal per day in the afternoon.This consists of 90% dry food which is just covered with boiling water,mixed to release the flavour and then a small amount of tinned dog meat added on top.

They both wolf it down and look very well on it.We tend to buy complete dry food in 20kg bags from Tesco in any flavour,although they are partial to a bit of rabbit.


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## jonesy1

Thanks Dave.
I will consider your advice.
I am not too put off by the fact that it is an American site, the rationale and science behind it appears to be good. Some of the products are available here and they give the information to make an informed choice on products that they do not evaluate. But I am with you, that a healthy scepticism is always a good thing. I will continue to search, but at the end of the day a decision has to be made. 

Les.


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## SomersetSteve

We feed our 3 Beta kibbles (size/type to suit size of dog) and HiLife morsels which they are all keen on - though addition of some of our gravy and or veg is a real treat for them.


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## mags52

Both our dogs have sensitive guts and our vet recommended Chappie. Since feeding them on this they have been well, active and have settled stomachs. I do sympathise with dog owners worrying about giving the best food but I also think we need to remember that these are dogs. Some owners are more concerned about what their dogs eat than themselves or even their children. I think in the end its about perspective. Feeding dogs with the very best food is expensive and may of us couldn't afford it. Chappie is reasonably priced, they are not over active or difficult on it (which they can be on some of the other foods e.g. Bakers) and they get a little bit of tinned food mixed in for taste (I mean a tiny bit).
By the way, if this is a puppy you are getting you will need special puppy food. Bichon Frise are very small as pups. Very cute too - and a good choice for a pet.
Enjoy!


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## xgx

Chudleigh's Original complete ...dry mix, just add water. A balanced dried food from a reputable company... the dog liked it too 

I used to use a plastic toy box roughly 60 x 35 x 60cm deep for storage at home and bought the food in 15 kg bags.

For travelling there was a snap top plastic container that would hold the measuring cup and at least 7 days worth, for longer trips I used to re-use the original bag half filled.

The empty 15kg bags are great for garden rubble and rubbish :wink:

*** whenever there was chicken on my menu I used to cut off the bits of fat etc leaving a generous bit of flesh on them and lightly boil for the dog... she didn't _need_ it but it pleased me


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## jncrowe

We used to feed our little dog on Naturediet Tray dog food from Pets at home 
They do both Puppy and adult dog menu its in a tray and its like meaty brawn its advertise as being Highest quality and is passed as fit for human consumption!!! It has rice and vegetables already in so its ready to eat straight from the pack which is very handy in the motorhome and it doesnt need to be kept in the fridge untill its opened
ITS really good stuff you can warm it in the microwave
(Their recommendation ) which makes it easier to mash up 
it was very popular with our fussy eater she was a pekinese pomeranian cross and was very particular when it came to food 
Hope this helps
Cath


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## Zebedee

mags52 said:


> I also think we need to remember that these are dogs. Some owners are more concerned about what their dogs eat than themselves or even their children.


Spot on Mags. :wink:

I nearly said as much, but had waffled on long enough already! :roll:

Pets have become huge business and just about every aspect of their care is commercially driven, and designed to prey on our affection for the little brutes. If we are made to feel guilty about feeding them, some of us will fall for it and buy them the most expensive food we can find, thinking we are doing the best for them.

That ignores at least two issues.

1). Is the most expensive food the best? I very much doubt it - more likely it's the one marketed by the biggest company who can afford all the persuasive advertising, and pays for it by inflating the prices of the product.

2). Dogs usually have cast iron digestive systems and can eat anything natural and unprocessed (_which immediately excludes some dog foods_!)! You only have to look at the rubbish they try to eat on a walk, and there are much worse things than horse muck _(Our little swine's favourite snack!  )_

Or what they bury in the garden, and dig up weeks later when it is indescribably vile, eat it, then come and breathe in your face - if you will let them near enough!! 8O

The advice about Chappie is very sound. It is one of the simplest foods and has not been "messed about with" to make it more appealing to the *owner *of the dog - unlike many of the others. If a dog has a weak stomach (probably due to irresponsible breeding) it's as good a choice as any.

Dave


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## ardgour

Our beardie seems to thrive on two meals a day of the James Wellbeloved dried food plus a few tasty scraps (whatever bits available from our meals, fish skin is a favourite). We moisten the meal and scraps with a bit of warm water or left over gravy. Kept her healthy for the past 5 years.
And you have just reminded me I was supposed to nip up the the vets to buy some more this morning - they closed 30 minutes ago  

Chris


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## jonesy1

When I was young we had a golden retriever cross. Lovely dog. It was fed on Chappie with Spiller shapes plus food scraps. As far as I am aware, it never needed a vet. With this dog now things are different. It could be that if it is fed the wrong food it could make it ill, and give me vets bills, I don,t want either if it can be avoided.

Les.


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## Lesleykh

Funnily enough I've recently had this conversation with my vet. Having fed our last two dogs on any tinned dog food plus scraps from our own food, the current pup came on dry puppy food, which I continued with. The vet said to stick with dry food, and to buy almost any type except bakers, which she considered to be the worst, being very high in salt.

However, when we were travelling last year it was impossible to always get the same type of food so we need to train this new dog to be able to eat more or less any dog food. I also agree with Zebedee that to eat only one type of food forever would be so boring, so our dog is gradually getting used to a wide range of foods - dry, tinned, ours. Today she has mostly been eating ball point pens!

In my experience small dogs tend to be more sensitive to what they eat, but you will soon know which foods disagree with your dog. Any changes you make are best made gradually - mixing a little bit of a new food with the usual food and gradually increasing the ratio over time.

Pommie loves raw & cooked veg, which spices up the dry food, and she can hear my husband take his first bite of an apple from anywhere in there house, from which moment on she follows him everywhere until she gets the core.

Have fun with your new dog.

Lesley


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## greenasthegrass

I have two miniature dachshunds they have webbox stuff in a tube and handful of dried stuff Bakers I think it is. Most kennels use chappie makes mine have smelly breath and trump or is that just me? Mmm anyway considering mine like licking a drain lid whenever they can they get a mix of what's left over from our table and the webbox stuff. They aren't dead yet!

It's ok is all this dried stuff but my vet tried to flog me a sack for £60 then under her breath said don't bother but her boss was around said it all really!

Greenie


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## aldra

Shadow has a tin of dog meat( Butchers) which is just about a quarter

of his daily need if fed all meat, and 3/4 of his daily need of all in one again Butchers mixed together

He loves it. Once a week I cook him oxheart,kidney, Barley and rice in the pressure cooker -- he adores that

His coat gleams and he is in excellent health

Spoilt or what :lol: :lol:

Aldra


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## The-Cookies

Always the BARF method of feeding , not that we use it , but ours loves the occasional raw beef.

BARF world


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## ched999uk

We have a Maltese (6lb weight, similar to your new arrival) we have always fed her Royal Canine Mini. It is dry but we always add some cooked chicken. We buy a bag from Iceland and she has 1 cube of chicken a day with her food. The food is good as it can also be used as training treats!!! It's also light and easy to transport. 
One tip that might help you is we have never fed our dog from our plates and she doesn't realise that she can eat human food!!!! So she never begs for food when we are eating. She is very much a lap dog (sitting on my lap as I type  ) and mainly sits on sofa with us. So if we have a snack on sofa she will just lie there and not hassle for food.

Beware that you need to check all food and treats are suitable for small dogs. Pedegree for example have confirmed to me that they make no treats suitable for a 6lb dog!!! They told me it was due to the way the treats break up and a small dog may choke on their products!!!!


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## tattytony

We have 3 Bichons and feed them on Wainwrights Salmon dried food and a small amount of asda's hero sachet/pouch soft food, only a very small amount of the hero and a measured amout of dried as per the weight of the dog, the asda's heros is just like adding a bit of gravy on our dry potatoes I think, a little extra for the dogs 8) 

The Wainwrights fish is the best we have found to contain everything they need and have none of the carp in it like additives, e's & colours good luck with your hunting, and dont buy it from the vet or pets at home unless on offer try getting what ever you chose from the stores :wink:


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## geraldandannie

greenasthegrass said:


> Most kennels use chappie makes mine have smelly breath and trump or is that just me?


I'd have thought you'd know whether it was you or the dogs, Greenie :wink:

We used to feed our GR any old stuff, but I read somewhere about behavioural problems with some foods. We changed to James Wellbeloved, and she did seem quite a bit calmer (less barky and less playing with the lead).

On our recent trip, when we ran out of our JW, we started buying Friskies from the French supermarkets. It seemed to have a decent level of protein (23% I think), and she eats it and seems to be fairly normal (as normal as a 3 year-old Golden gets, anyway :roll: ). This thread has reminded me to find out if Friskies is cheaper than the James Wellbeloved 

Gerald


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## cocoa

Our two Italian Spinone have James Wellbeloved as a basic diet with occasional treats of some added tin meat or scraps added, they also eat any available dried food when we 'run out' of the JW on an extended trip across the water. They are both thriving on it, internet suppliers often have good prices compared with local pet stores.


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## zulurita

We had our puppy on James Wellbeloved but she was going quite a few times to No2 so recently have changed her to Burns dried food, chicken and brown rice.

Going less to the loo which is better and normal consistency instead of very loose.

Some foods are rather high in protein so beware of that. Up to 21% is best, I think 23% is a lot.

Our vet also recommended Chappie as a good alternative to the expensive Royal Canine brands.

We also give ours fish as a treat and they love carrots.

We used to give the old dog a mixture of dried food and tinned food but since her pancreatitis 2 ysrs ago we have stuck to Burns chicken and brown rice and she has been fine on it.


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## waz

We use the barf method for feeding our dogs, wife mixes in cooked veg and half cup of kibble. If you go down the dry food route go for one with a low protein content over 24% is a bit high. High protein can make the dog a bit hyper.

Waz


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## lindyloot

Rich used to feed his GSD Dillon once a day in the evening but one day he died of torsion.Since then we have fed our dogs their daily amount split into two meals a day. When we had our Merlin (GSD) the breeder was feeding him on Arden Grange with a small amount of Nature Diet. We found none of the local pet shops sold Arden Grange so have tried Wainwrights and Beta with a small amount of either any of the tray ones like wainwrights, or similar or some of the tin brands. Occasionally I give them raw bones with the marrowbone inside. If Muffie (Yorkie) is feeling a it off when in season she has alight diet of scrambled egg and cooked chicken.
Both our dogs are well on what we feed them and people often comment on how glossy Merlin's coat is.


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## Spacerunner

The website referred to in the OP's post does make the point that meat should feature high in a dog's diet.
What now concerns me is the very low amount of meat in normal dog food.
Bryn would eat almost anything but did once totally refuse to eat from one batch of dried food, and when we examined it a bit closer it stank awful.

The other thing mentioned is the use of known carcinogenics in dog food. The fact that Bryn succumbed to cancer is now rather worrying and make me wonder if it was his food that caused it.

And the fact that our dogs like our food so much could be they are trying to tell us what bloody awful stuff they put in those bags!


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## BillCreer

Zebedee said:


> Hi Les
> 
> That's an American website, so immediately suspect in my (_admittedly rather cynical_) opinion! :roll:
> 
> A couple of points we turned up during our research - which was very extensive. Our mutt has a deformed tongue, and it was quite difficult to find a food that she can eat easily. _(Won't bore you with the details. :wink: )_
> 
> 1). If it's heavily advertised on TV - forget it. You are paying through the nose for the adverts.
> 
> 2). Check what the agility trainers use. They are the real professionals.
> 
> 3). Be aware that dry food was developed for the convenience of lazy owners - without much thought for the taste buds of the poor dog. That doesn't make it bad, but it is a consideration. _(John Burns is a friend of my wife's family - horse's mouth or what!! :wink: )_
> Dave


Hi Dave,

If you rule out American Web Sites from your searches then you are going to miss an awfull lot of relevent information.

Forgive my ignorance but who is John Burns.


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## joedenise

When we had dogs we always fed them once a day, in the evening, with raw tripe. Smelt absolutely awful but the dogs loved it. Made the mistake of buying a whole tripe from the butchers. Came in 3 large black bin bags! Took over 2 hours to cut up and bag in useable packages. Don't need to put anything with it as it contains everything a dog needs. Although we occasionally put leftover veg into it - but not necessary.

Joe


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## Zebedee

BillCreer said:


> If you rule out American Web Sites from your searches then you are going to miss an awfull lot of relevent information.


And a lot more irrelevant rubbish Bill. :wink: As you know, the fact that it is posted on the web doesn't make it true, or genuine, or honest, or even worth reading.

Discrimination is the keyword!



BillCreer said:


> Forgive my ignorance but who is John Burns.


Ignorance forgiven! 

The South Wales multi-millionaire vet who "invented" John Burns dry dog food.

I should quickly point out he was just an ordinary vet and family friend for years, before he realised how idle some dog owners are and how easy it is to sell convenience dog food . . . convenient for the owner that is. 8O

I'm sure there's nothing nutritionally wrong with his food . . . in fact it is very good for the dog, and is a perfectly balanced diet. But it must be as boring as hell for the poor mutt to get that dessicated chaff every day of its life - and check out the price of it!! 8O 8O

I reckon Spacey has hit the nail on the head ;- _"And the fact that our dogs like our food so much could be they are trying to tell us what bloody awful stuff they put in those bags!"_

Dave


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## patp

It is so dangerous to give dogs human thoughts Dave!  
They eat to asuage hunger. If they are not hungry they will not eat. We forget this at our peril. The exception to this is when a dog learns that if it leaves its food something tastier might appear :wink: 

At the moment I feed Salters which advertise as being made to a quality not a price. Yes it is expensive but then so are vet's fees.

As a general rule if it is sold in supermarkets it is not a good food as supermarkets expect a huge mark up.

Some small pet shops are good places because owners report back if a food is causing problems.

I am a big fan of Burns food because I believe John Burns when he said he was, as a vet, constantly giving dog owners feeding advice to cure their dog's ailments. He decided to do something about it and made millions in the process - nothing wrong with that.

Burns is very low calorie, high quality, diet so if your dog struggles to keep weight on it may be difficult to get enough into them. As most pet dogs are overweight it is excellent for them  .

I feed Salters because it is very similar to Burns but has more calories in it.

Orijen is another one to check out as is Markus Meule (?sp) as they are taking food manufacture a bit further by cold pressing their food. Both are hard to get hold of as pet shops are stacked full of food and can't take any more. May have to order online for Salters and the others.

You may like to know that as will as being high in salt (to make it palatable) Bakers is also rolled in caramel. Full of colourings and e numbers too. I once new of a dog that was very aggressive and just changing from Bakers to a better quality food made a huge difference to his temerament.

One test is to read the ingredients. If they start with anything other than a meat source then leave it on the shelf.


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## moragg

We feed our two (retriever and dobermann) on Arden Grange. Used to be Bakers but since switching coats are shinier and what we have to pick up when out walking has vastly reduced in quantity. We get ours delivered from here

http://www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk/


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## BillCreer

Zebedee said:


> BillCreer said:
> 
> 
> 
> If you rule out American Web Sites from your searches then you are going to miss an awfull lot of relevent information.
> 
> 
> 
> And a lot more irrelevant rubbish Bill. :wink: As you know, the fact that it is posted on the web doesn't make it true, or genuine, or honest, or even worth reading.
> 
> Discrimination is the keyword!
> Dave
Click to expand...

Thanks Dave,

I would agree that discrimination is a good idea but to say that American websites are any less credible than any other is simply not true.

To say that there are more American web sites than any others is probably true.


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## erneboy

It's also important to know which foods can be bad for your dog: http://www.nocans.com/avoid.html

Alan.


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## Jodi1

Our golden retriever, who will eat anything, is fed Burns dog food. It is expensive, but is a good quality food and not made from animal derivatives which could mean anything is in it, which I dare say she wouldn't mind anyway :lol: However she seemed to become very itchy when she was younger and fed on other types of food and remained itchy after being treated for fleas, so we changed her food and lo and behold she stopped scratching. Tried returning to old food, scratching re started. I reasoned that the cause was artificial additives and chose a food that does not have them and she is fit and well and is now 13 years old. She has had no digestive problems at all is slim and energetic despite having an enlarged heart. Worked for her.


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## jonesy1

Thank you for all the helpful replies.

It does appear that it is just as important what not to feed your dog as it is what to feed it, I have bookmarked the site Alan, for further reading. This is also a point made very strongly on the American site. The cheap fillers in some products can be harmful. It would be interesting to hear the views of dog owners who use the american site, as to if they think it a good idea to change the product they are presently using. Bakers and Science Plan come immediately to mind.
I will look into John Burns and Salters as a brand to use. Yes we are going to be idle with our feeding, using dry feed, it is very convenient,especially if away in the motorhome. One brand that I am looking at is Acana grasslands available from www.gjwtithuss.co.uk. It is quite expensive but it is a small dog and won't eat much. I will phone them up first to see if it is suitable for a small puppy. That is another issue, does a dog really need puppy food, would an adult type do. Obviously you don't want them choking, but I would have thought the puppy biscuits swallowed hole would cause a problem, they do need to bite them. I also do not want a product that is very high in protein.

Les.


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## aldra

Jonesy1

I think it is the formula of puppy food not the size

Formulated to the digestive system and calorie requirement of a pup

Aldra


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## adonisito

This thread keeps popping up to the top. So Bramble eats dry Chicken and Rice food from an agricultural local supplier. They do stuff for working dogs, horses, pigs etc. He has it twice a day along with 2 40 min walks (more when abroad)
It's not branded and is half the price of Wellbeloved and all that stuff. He seems fine, I often think that these branded foods are well over priced.


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## jonesy1

Sorry that address for Acana grasslands pet food was incorrect, typo error. Should read www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk

Les.


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## patp

Acana is an excellent food and made by the same people that make Orijen.
Puppy food is made specially for puppies who need extra protein, calcium etc for growth. With a small breed, like a Bichon you would change to adult food quite quickly as they reach adult size fairly early.

Each manufacturer will have a helpline so if you are worried at all you can give them a call.


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## annetony

We have a Cavalier King Charles and feed her on Iams for small breeds...we have tried her on various ones but she will wouldn't eat them...at least she eats this one and seems to look well off it..

Anne


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## aldra

I think, basically feed them what they enjoy

We have to carry loads of food because he wont touch the French food or the German even if it is the English equivalent

we found out long ago he would rather starve and ended up feeding him corned beef with his mixer

If he doesn't live as long as his predecessors', 12-13 yrs which is a very good age for a German Shepherd,

he will have had a very good life

and that is all we can give him

Aldra


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## jonesy1

Decision made.

Thanks again for all your help.
I have decided on Origen puppy food with the intention of transferring to the adult food later. The main reason is because dogs are meat eaters and this product is 80% meat. They also seem to take care in the preparation of the food with no rubbish. Some of the others on the market contain a lot of ingredients that are there simply as fillers,of no benefit to the dog and may do harm. I liked the idea that there was no grain. Cost comes into everything and this is a small dog so will not have a large appetite. As it has already been mentioned John Burns the vet, and now dog food producer, said that he believed that some of the illnesses that he was seeing were down to the food that they were being given. It now remains to be seen if the dog likes it. A gradual change taking about a week I think is advised.

If you haven't already got bored I will give you an update later.

Les.


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## brynric

By coincidence I happen to be considering Beth's feeding habits and today I tried a little experiment. Following her walk she came home to 3 handfulls of food in a line on the floor. They were Tesco usual, Tesco senior and Aldi own brand. Beth started at the first and worked her way down the line . She scoffed the lot with little suggestion of preference.
Our old dog, Lucky, had a lifetime of standard (Tesco usually) dried food with a few table scraps to liven it up. I sometimes think the scraps were more to our benefit to make the meal look more appetising. Lucky had an active life and a good coat for 17 years until he passed on earlier this year. 
Beth seems to thrive on the same. Its also easy to serve up when on the road.


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## aldra

Just a reminder

Do not feed your dog chocolate or biscuits, very bad for them I believe

We are strict on this

and Shadow agrees with us in part

after all he has an agreement with the grandchildren 

and they share their chocolates and biscuits with him 8O 8O 8O

Aldra


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## Rosbotham

jonesy1 said:


> It would be interesting to hear the views of dog owners who use the american site, as to if they think it a good idea to change the product they are presently using. Bakers and Science Plan come immediately to mind.
> Les.


I've got two 4-year old bichons. Rudy's been fed on Bakers Meaty Meals since he was a pup. We tried Bakers Complete but it was no good as Rudy was adept at spitting out the bits he didn't like. He's a fit and healthy dog.

Bonnie was rescued by us earlier this year, having been fed wet (tinned) food by the breeder who had her previously. Her teeth are an absolute mess as a result, and although it scares me witless, I know I'll have no choice but to have her put under to have the tartar scraped off.

There are some comments earlier about biscuits being too dry. Don't know what biscuits those posters have used, but the MMs are moist...they're only dry if left to go so.

Have read the website. My dogs love their food and are healthy (according to the vet). Sorry, won't be changing what they're fed.


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## patp

Good choice Jonesy1  
As soon as I'm down to one dog I, too, will switch to Orijen.


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## drcotts

In case its of any use you can get a "dog rice" additive for dogs in large 1kg bags to add to the food of any dog especailly if they have colitis or a dicky tummy.

I used to get it for our labby when we had him but now get it for my sisters jack "nip yer ankles" russel terrier.

its availble by mail order in the UK but its much cheaper in france (carrefour and others) and only 70c for a Big bag which is about the size of a cushion as the rice is so light. its a bit like puffed wheat. You add water to it and let it soak for a few mins before draining the water off and adding to the food.

Our vet had never seen it when i showed it to him and thought it was brilliant. Much better than having to boil your own.

Just though i would mention it.

Phill


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## cheshiregordon

*Cat vs Dog food*

Our Collie loves nothing more than pinching the cat food from the cats dish! Wet cat food has a higher nutritinal content than dog due to the respective quantities they eat.
So while our dog has access to dry and wet dog food plus dog biscuits its the cat food which she likes the best. Surprisingly though she regulates her food intake and has never increased her weight over the 7 yrs we've had her.


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## SpeedyDux

Hi Jonesy / Les,

Well done for researching this subject for your Bichon. I had the privilege of owning 2 wonderful Bichons. Unfortunately I hadn't been warned by the breeder that Bichons are susceptible to health problems. One died at age 7 from severe diabetes, the other at 11 from cancer. With 20:20 hindsight, if I had paid better attention to their diets they might have had longer, healthier lives. I will never know. 

SD


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## KeithChesterfield

drcotts - In case its of any use you can get a "dog rice" additive for dogs in large 1kg bags to add to the food of any dog.

Is there any specific brand name and internet company to look for?


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## jonesy1

I am still enjoying the benefits of your experiences.

Rosbotham, there is no need to be sorry. I am no expert, which is why I worded it in the way I did. It was for owners to make up their own minds.

SpeedyDux, sorry to hear about the loss of your Bichons. There is no need to blame yourself. I was not aware of these problems with Bichons, but as you can see from my original post I was not involved in the decision making process; what will be will be. Like you we will try to give her the best and if there is something genetic that will affect her, we will have to deal with it as and when, so no blame. I believe different breeds of dog have different problems.

I have got to say they do look lovely dogs and I can understand why my wife wanted one.

To everyone else I hope that you have gained as much from the contributors as I have.

Les.


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## Rosbotham

jonesy1 said:


> I was not aware of these problems with Bichons, but as you can see from my original post I was not involved in the decision making process; what will be will be.
> Les.


That's one thing I meant to add though Les. You'll not regret having a bichon. I'm biased, but they're one of the best little breeds of dogs you could ever hope for.

Paul


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## aldra

Paul I think that's great

I'm a German Shepherd fan, long haired variety, kept them for30+ years

But I have known some fabulous , spirited, feisty miniature poodles

Size really doesn't matter

Its all to do with the spirit

Although a smaller dog might be useful in a motor home  

Too late now  

Aldra


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## jonesy1

That's one thing I meant to add though Les. You'll not regret having a bichon. I'm biased, but they're one of the best little breeds of dogs you could ever hope for. 


Thanks Paul, that is very encouraging. What a nice picture in your avatar. I take it that is your Bichon? My wife wants to know how you get the hair surrounding the eyes so clean, ours at the moment is brownish. Also do you know of any good books concerning Bichons that might help us?

Les.


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## Rosbotham

Hi Les

Yes, the avatar's Rudy. Couple more pictures plus some of Bonnie here.

I don't know if there's any book I can point you to. We've had a few books, but wouldn't really say they added anything over generic dog books. What I would say about Bichons is they're intelligent little things, but intelligence doesn't necessarily mean obedience...there's plenty of times when they know exactly what you want them to do, but getting them to do it's another matter. I'm informed they're particularly hard to house train because of that : I've no reference to compare with, but Rudy certainly was difficult. Would also mention that my oft repeated line of "They're cute and they know it" is very true...they know how to manipulate you to get what they want!

I'm afraid it's not good news on the eye/tear staining. As I understand it, it's genetic and some breeding lines suffer more than others. Neither Rudy or Bonnie particularly get that (or at least they don't if I wipe the sleep from their eyes). All you can do really is, as I say, be meticulous about picking sleep out of their eyes, and you can get lotion that cleans the area. I've heard it said that a touch of vaseline in the area can make the tears run over the fur better so not stain as much. Worth getting your vet to check there's nothing more serious though....see here for some of the more worrying causes.

Final thing, make sure your pup gets used to being bathed and brushed...there'll need to be a lot of that. Like I always say, though, other dogs get just as filthy as mine, it's just that with a white dog it shows that much more....

Paul


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## jonesy1

Thanks for that Paul.

The vet has seen the brown streaks, and like you say suggested wiping them, which my wife does. We may have to live with it. The dog is also getting used to being groomed. We are just waiting now until the dry dog food arrives. I hope she takes to it, I have ordered 13.5kgs. This is to be divided between our dog and her sister who is owned by my daughter and granddaughter who live quite close.

Les.


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