Meal time ideas??

Hello everyone:D

have a quick question - I addopted Missy about a month ago now,as i have mentioned in other posts she has been great.setteled in well, well behaved and training going well etc...but she is been very fussy at meal times.

i was told by previous owners that she eats dry food twice daily.no scraps and perhaps weekly/fortnightly treats such as a bit of chicken, beef or tuna.

i tried to stick to this but when she wasnt eating very well probibly because of the stress of moving and change of enviroment etc i decided to mix in a a tiny bit(not even 1/4 of a tin) of wet food into her dry food. this worked a treat and she ate all of her meals(and seemed to realy enjoy it:)) for the next few days each with a tiny bit of wet food mixed in.

this was great untill we put her back on the plain dry food now she just wont eat it!! she will sometimes pick out the "meaty bits" but will leave all the rest. i even went and bought her a 9kg bag of her favourate dry food!!!

just worried she will not be geting the nutrition she needs or the energy for her long walks.

any suggestions??

cheers
Kev

We think she is just been stuborn but it has been 3 days she has not eaten properly:( should i just cave in and give her wet food with her meals??

What dry food do you give her?

If you want to add a bit of wet, that's fine, just don't make it too much cause it isn't very good for their teeth.

Caryll wrote:What dry food do you give her?

If you want to add a bit of wet, that's fine, just don't make it too much cause it isn't very good for their teeth.

She gets bakers complete. beef flavour as she hates the chicken one for some strange reason. aparantly that is what she always ate with previous owners.

yeah only use a tiny bit of wet.one can would be used as mixer for 6 meals.

we were hoping to keep her on a dry food diet though:S

beter for her and we dont get gassed haha

thanks:)

Bakers isn't one of the greatest dry foods to feed her, it does have a lot of rubbish ingredients. If you can please try one from the list below:

http://staffy-bull-terrier.co.uk/dryfood.html

Kev13 wrote:

Caryll wrote:What dry food do you give her?

If you want to add a bit of wet, that's fine, just don't make it too much cause it isn't very good for their teeth.

She gets bakers complete. beef flavour as she hates the chicken one for some strange reason. aparantly that is what she always ate with previous owners.

yeah only use a tiny bit of wet.one can would be used as mixer for 6 meals.

we were hoping to keep her on a dry food diet though:S

beter for her and we dont get gassed haha

thanks:)

Not Bakers, anything but Bakers! Please try & find a better one than that, it's full of additives. Generally speaking, anything with multi coloured bits in it is bad for your dog. Have a look at the link Kathy's given you.

will do.thanks guys:)

thot a big brand like bakers that advertises its product as healthy and nutricious would be just that!!

will look into a better brand.

cheers:)

Kev13 wrote:will do.thanks guys:)

thot a big brand like bakers that advertises its product as healthy and nutricious would be just that!!

will look into a better brand.

cheers:)

They should be prosecuted for deception! It's really awful stuff. The additives (colouring/flavouring etc) are known to cause hyperactivity & allergies in children.

I've often thought that maybe a lot of the behavioural issues some people have with their dogs is down to their diet.

Could well be.

Bakers is just about as bad a food for a dog as it gets. You only need to look at the ingredients to see that. I contains so many additives and fillers, it also contains carcinogenic fillers and is just a big no no!

i will certainlly be geting a different brand next time! although i must say us humans ingest alot of food with artificial colours, flavours and preservitives. many of which are harmfull and possibly carcinogenic. most people however do not change there diet despite this knowlage. as for missy,she cannt make a choice so i will do the responsible thing and get her one of the brands reccomended. thanks alot everyone for responces.had no idea bakers was so bad!!

still not sure how to convince her to eat in the meantime haha....

cheers:)

I'm glad you are changing. Be sure to do it gradually!

kathytake2 wrote:I've often thought that maybe a lot of the behavioural issues some people have with their dogs is down to their diet.

I think your very right! 90% of 'problem dogs' could be simply cured with decent food and a good amount of exercise!

that is missy off the bakers now!!
she now is fed "Wagg"
aparantly its very health,lots of vitamins minerals, bit of omega 3 etc...
and "No artificial colours, flavours or preservitives" all colourings used are mineral based and found in nature.

Missy seems to like it too! still prefers the wet stuff but she just gets a fraction of a tin mixed in every so often as a wee treat.

anyone else feed there pet this brand??

Cheers!

anyone else feed there pet this brand??

^

"wag" ... mate .. really ???

Your dog deserve's the best you can afford !!

Wagg's main ingredient is wheat! Many dogs get allergic reactions to wheat. Plus, there's only 10% meat. There might not be any artificial additives, but there's no real goodness either.

I'd always recommend Wainwrights complete, it's cheap but hypoallergenic and high meat content with NO fillers ! My 2 love it.

If u have a pets at home store near u then please go pick some up.

Wagg/bakers.... May as well feed ur dogs on mcdonalds!

Wagg is about the same kind of quality as the Bakers you were feeding. It seriously isnt any better, please see the recommended list of dry foods as below. We have just put rocky onto the Barking Heads:

http://staffy-bull-terrier.co.uk/dryfood.html

Hey guys,thanks agin for responses. as you can tell i am concerned about what i feed her,otherwise i would not be here asking you guys.

although @Andy im not sure i apreciate your "tone"...

i am trying to find a decent brand at a reasonable price as i am a student and cannot afford some of the recomended brands.

i do not have a big name pet store near by, just a small family run store that is not very well stocked unfortunatly

she has no alergys and as mentioned she gets tinned food mixer a few times a week(if shes lucky) and will get proper meat once or twice a month...

once again i will continue looking. thanks again people

can you order the food online? as that gives you a much lager choice of what you can feed

yeah that is an option. going to have to order online i think as cant find decent food localy. going to look into Wainwrights Complete as advised. i need an affordable but high quality feed. as i mentioned on the other topic i am also going to look into raw cuts from butchers too. thanks again for all the suggestions

Well if you can order online i would as you'll save yourself some money

will do
cheers

Amazon & Chemistdirect are usually two of the cheapest places to order dry complete.

Caryll wrote:Amazon & Chemistdirect are usually two of the cheapest places to order dry complete.

nice1
cheers Caryll
and every1 else for your help...

Keep looking at raw feeding, though. At first it sounds complicated, but as you go on it actually becomes really easy. The only problem for some is freezer space & supply.

"@Andy I'm not sure I appreciate your tone ..."

You dont have to! ... you went from Bakers to Wagg in your request for advise, despite the link to recomended brands ... just looked to me like you were after the cheapest

Andy wrote:"@Andy I'm not sure I appreciate your tone ..."

You dont have to! ... you went from Bakers to Wagg in your request for advise, despite the link to recomended brands ... just looked to me like you were after the cheapest

i bought a box because i noticed it was free from all the junk that bakers contains. did not realise it was just as poor a choice untill i asked on the forum for advice...and was met with ur snidy comment amongst other more helpfull ones....and as i have mentioned i am a student so do need an affordable brand! but if it is not nutricious enough for my dog then i will not be geting it again.

Caryll wrote:Keep looking at raw feeding, though. At first it sounds complicated, but as you go on it actually becomes really easy. The only problem for some is freezer space & supply.

yeah am going to keep looking into this...thanks

Kev13 wrote:

Caryll wrote:Keep looking at raw feeding, though. At first it sounds complicated, but as you go on it actually becomes really easy. The only problem for some is freezer space & supply.

yeah am going to keep looking into this...thanks

I was a student when i first got Harv but i've always fed raw and even now with the lump (chance) i still pay about £10 month

Kev13 wrote:

Andy wrote:"@Andy I'm not sure I appreciate your tone ..."

You dont have to! ... you went from Bakers to Wagg in your request for advise, despite the link to recomended brands ... just looked to me like you were after the cheapest

i bought a box because i noticed it was free from all the junk that bakers contains. did not realise it was just as poor a choice untill i asked on the forum for advice...and was met with ur snidy comment amongst other more helpfull ones....and as i have mentioned i am a student so do need an affordable brand! but if it is not nutricious enough for my dog then i will not be geting it again.

Soz sweetheart .. didnt realise you were so sensative

Play nicely now!

I swear that if I could put Bakers out of business I would. Trouble is, people see the huge advertising campaign & assume that it must be good.

ella wrote:

Kev13 wrote:

Caryll wrote:Keep looking at raw feeding, though. At first it sounds complicated, but as you go on it actually becomes really easy. The only problem for some is freezer space & supply.

yeah am going to keep looking into this...thanks

I was a student when i first got Harv but i've always fed raw and even now with the lump (chance) i still pay about £10 month

would be more than happy 2 pay £10-£20 a month!

Andy wrote:

Kev13 wrote:

Andy wrote:"@Andy I'm not sure I appreciate your tone ..."

You dont have to! ... you went from Bakers to Wagg in your request for advise, despite the link to recomended brands ... just looked to me like you were after the cheapest

i bought a box because i noticed it was free from all the junk that bakers contains. did not realise it was just as poor a choice untill i asked on the forum for advice...and was met with ur snidy comment amongst other more helpfull ones....and as i have mentioned i am a student so do need an affordable brand! but if it is not nutricious enough for my dog then i will not be geting it again.

Soz sweetheart .. didnt realise you were so sensative

haha! Dont be a **** now...
was only asking for advice!

Caryll wrote:Play nicely now!

I swear that if I could put Bakers out of business I would. Trouble is, people see the huge advertising campaign & assume that it must be good.

Nah its my fault...
was not brainwashed by an ad campaign!
should have done my homework - read the box...
i will get her diet sorted yet....

cheers

Kev13 wrote:

ella wrote:

Kev13 wrote:

Caryll wrote:Keep looking at raw feeding, though. At first it sounds complicated, but as you go on it actually becomes really easy. The only problem for some is freezer space & supply.

yeah am going to keep looking into this...thanks

I was a student when i first got Harv but i've always fed raw and even now with the lump (chance) i still pay about £10 month

would be more than happy 2 pay £10-£20 a month!

Well like i said i buy in bulk and feed nothing but raw it costs £10 altogether to feed my staff and 50kg ambull

ella wrote:

Kev13 wrote:

ella wrote:

Kev13 wrote:

Caryll wrote:Keep looking at raw feeding, though. At first it sounds complicated, but as you go on it actually becomes really easy. The only problem for some is freezer space & supply.

yeah am going to keep looking into this...thanks

I was a student when i first got Harv but i've always fed raw and even now with the lump (chance) i still pay about £10 month

would be more than happy 2 pay £10-£20 a month!

Well like i said i buy in bulk and feed nothing but raw it costs £10 altogether to feed my staff and 50kg ambull

really?? £10 a month for both.thats fantastic!

Andy wrote:

Kev13 wrote:

ella wrote:

Kev13 wrote:

ella wrote:

Kev13 wrote:

Caryll wrote:Keep looking at raw feeding, though. At first it sounds complicated, but as you go on it actually becomes really easy. The only problem for some is freezer space & supply.

yeah am going to keep looking into this...thanks

I was a student when i first got Harv but i've always fed raw and even now with the lump (chance) i still pay about £10 month

would be more than happy 2 pay £10-£20 a month!

Well like i said i buy in bulk and feed nothing but raw it costs £10 altogether to feed my staff and 50kg ambull

really?? £10 a month for both.thats fantastic!

Yep for both helps once you've found a good supplier or places to buy really cheap

hi everyone:)
just had Missy at the vets for a check up. Everything is fine. nice n healthy

when she asked what i was feeding her and i explained i was feeding her bakers but have decided to look into better brands.(which i have done)

she asked me why i would want to change brand? and i quote "Bakers is a great make of food,its perfectly healthy"

i told her i was concerned about the additives preservitives etc...

she said "Its nothing to worry about,bakers is perfectly ok,i see no problem feeding her that"

soooo,bit of a difference in opinion there?
anyone have any suggestions why a vet would recommend a brand that most of you think is terrible??

unless she has shares in bakers

Vets no nothing about dog nutrition. So will recommend what they sell in the office or 'popular' brands.

Bakers is about as dire as it gets with dog food so i would definitely change

My dog is fed on burgess supadog sensitive lamb and rice. this is the food they were feeding him at the rescue centre. you can get this from pets at home. We find he has a lovely shiny coat and haven't noticed any behaviour problems.

Most vets know very little about dog food sadly; they usually try and sell you the rubbish but expensive stuff they stock!

Have a good look at www.whichdogfood.co.uk will help you understand what's good and what's not. It's also good to help show daily feeding costs as what looks cheaper might not be due to different bag sizes and feeding amounts. Prices on that site are RRPs though I think and most of the foods can be found a good bit cheaper online.

If you're on a tight budget, a good one is Skinners (only the field and trial ones though)

If you're adding a bit of wet then Wainwrights Trays are good.

The only real training that vets get in nutrition is from the brand's spokes people coming around and advising them.. My vet looked at me like I was a maniac when I said I was going to start feeding raw and advised me to feed chappie instead!!

Just seen this, can I add, that Wainwrights are brillant. I use the Wainwrights trays like Jackieb does. I had such a big problem feeding Pixee dried food, tried all kinds, ever James well beloved to no valid. I was also following the story about Sophie on here, I put pixee on rice/pasta with meat, she had the odd raw bone, as she refused raw food. Then she started to be sick, thats where Sophie comes in, she cant take wheat, so following their story, I cut out all rice/pasta, and put her on a pototoe/meat/veg diet, which she loves. But all the time I was worried about her meeting all her needs, I found Wainwrights, asked the forum if anyone used it, Jackieb does, and since then Pixee is doing really well on that diet. She wont eat the dried one, but loves the trays. I have had some samples from fishfordogs for her to try. Today she had both wainwrights and some code kibble from fishfordogs, both she eat, and both were in different dishes. So I am going to be buying some fishfordogs as well, for now and then as she is doing so well on wainwrights. Bakers are the worse food you can buy. You can buy a box of wainwrights trays for 8.99 and they have 12 trays in the box, turkey, duck, lamb. Hope this helps.

Edited as I used Andy instead of Jackieb who uses wainwrights, both your dogs are so alike

Sorry to jump in but when I read that you feed your dog Bakers I was a little more than horrified. It has so much 'bad stuff' in it. I have always fed my dogs Arden Grange before recently moving them onto the raw food diet and I have to say they are both doing absolutely brilliant on it and I feel much better knowing they are only eating meat with no additives, etc. However, when I did feed Arden Grange I used to mix in a bit of wet food (Nature's menu) so they enjoyed their food more.

Personal choice at the end of the day but we all love our dogs and only want to do what is best for them and that must start with their food. Reading through the comments, a lot of good advice is being given but first and foremost, please stopo feeding Bakers.

Our local pet stockist, Pet Shack in Swindon, won't sell Bakers. They have a big sign up that says - Do you know which leading pet food has 29 E numbers and poisonous chemicals?

Benny came to us on chappie dry, we changed him to arden grange but he still wasnt too impressed - he would eat a few mouthfuls and walk away. We tried him with raw mince and some bones a few months ago - he loves it. He eats his mince in about 30 seconds. We normally give a couple of chicken portions or other small bones too. He has never eaten so well, coat is shiny and now looks forward to his food i was really sceptical at first - i cant stand raw meat, but i can see it is doing him good. Also the mince comes in packs 80p a day and chicken portions are in a big bag 3.99 and will last a couple of weeks - cheaper than the more expensive dry foods.