Discussion
Good chance I'll be getting a Shiba soon so need some recommendations on what food to get it, treats, etc for training. Have looked into a few things and want as natural as I can. Lot of the mainstream stuff doesn't seem great. Also any "must have" kit recommendations I should get? Have a cage but will get bed and a few toys later.
I’d definitley go raw. Stick with a single protein in a 80/10/10 mix. Avoid anything that is poultry as it is usually a big allergen. I use the dogs butcher website and order in bulk, it arrives frozen and then defrost a pack at a time. The website gives great info as to how much to feed for weight and growth. Go for raw, air dried treats for training. I use Bounce and Bella venison ones.
Maybe it’s a breed thing. I work with bulldogs, they mostly thrive on raw because of allergies. As a kibble we don’t like the royal canin and stick with Working Dog grain free if we do use it. Formulas have changed through the years and RC has more fillers in it than meat content. But again, it’s how we see it within the breed. Join some FB pages on the breed and get some advice from those who know the specifics of your doggy.
wax lyrical said:
What brand would you recommend? 'High quality' is a bit vague.
Thanks!
You did well to stay in touch with the full litter. Well done. Can I ask how you know the dried food is tasty? Thanks!
Thevet said:
Go for quality dry food, been using it for 30 years, it's convenient, tasty and has helped my hounds outlive their raw fed litter mates by 10-20%
I’ve fed dried and raw to the various dogs I’ve had but I’ve not been tempted to try either!
Gone a bit AMG said:
You did well to stay in touch with the full litter. Well done. Can I ask how you know the dried food is tasty?
I’ve fed dried and raw to the various dogs I’ve had but I’ve not been tempted to try either!
I've tried a few. They basically taste of nothing. Slightly salty and bland as anything.I’ve fed dried and raw to the various dogs I’ve had but I’ve not been tempted to try either!
I've never been brave enough to try any wet food though.
All About Dog Food is a great comparison site. They also have loads of articles about hidden ingredients, common allergens etc. Their Facebook page is also very informative.
We use Millie’s Wolfheart, the 50/50 or above mixes. Can only be ordered direct, but this saves the costs of shop overheads and add-on costs.
Basically a food should have a named meat or fish source as the main ingredient. Avoid anything which says “meal” as in “lamb meal” as that’s the sweepings up which aren’t even good enough for the bargain range sausage rolls. Look for “whole salmon” etc. Wheat doesn’t agree with some dogs. I avoid any foods with a cereal as the first (therefore largest quantity) ingredient. Beet pulp is a cheap filler, so we also avoid that.
We use Millie’s Wolfheart, the 50/50 or above mixes. Can only be ordered direct, but this saves the costs of shop overheads and add-on costs.
Basically a food should have a named meat or fish source as the main ingredient. Avoid anything which says “meal” as in “lamb meal” as that’s the sweepings up which aren’t even good enough for the bargain range sausage rolls. Look for “whole salmon” etc. Wheat doesn’t agree with some dogs. I avoid any foods with a cereal as the first (therefore largest quantity) ingredient. Beet pulp is a cheap filler, so we also avoid that.
Millie the Cockerpoo - Millie’s Wolfheart - obviously! plus Orijen dried food, both good quality and get good reviews on the comparison websites, but she’s had acid tummy and/or an allergy for the last couple of years so we switched to hypoallergenic - dry is Purina Proplan and wet is Royal Canin loaf - if anything she’s better on the hypo diet poop wise.
As a puppy she came with a basic branded dry food from the breeder and spent a lot of time chewing paws and legs and generally having a dry coat and dry ish skin. Switching to Orijen made a massive difference. Glossy coat, far less nibbling, better poops, and just, well, better. She was born 2015 and at that time everybody advised avoiding wheat and grain like the plague but things may have changed eg https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/are-grain-free...
eta sossiges gud too. Millie X
As a puppy she came with a basic branded dry food from the breeder and spent a lot of time chewing paws and legs and generally having a dry coat and dry ish skin. Switching to Orijen made a massive difference. Glossy coat, far less nibbling, better poops, and just, well, better. She was born 2015 and at that time everybody advised avoiding wheat and grain like the plague but things may have changed eg https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/are-grain-free...
eta sossiges gud too. Millie X
Good dog food comparison website here: https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/
We feed 2 of ours on Natural Instinct Working dog raw (86% rating) and the other on Eden kibble (75% rating), Royal Canin has been mentioned, it doesn't score brilliantly.
We feed 2 of ours on Natural Instinct Working dog raw (86% rating) and the other on Eden kibble (75% rating), Royal Canin has been mentioned, it doesn't score brilliantly.
Gone a bit AMG said:
You did well to stay in touch with the full litter. Well done. Can I ask how you know the dried food is tasty?
I’ve fed dried and raw to the various dogs I’ve had but I’ve not been tempted to try either!
Hmm is the food tasty? Do the dogs bounce out of their skins at food time and take no time to devour their bowl? And it is not as if they are thinner rather than thicker. As for my taste, it's a bit dry!!but rather like a meaty cracker. However, dogs' tastes are different to ours, I don't eat dog or cat poo!I’ve fed dried and raw to the various dogs I’ve had but I’ve not been tempted to try either!
As regards the litters we've had, nearly 20 pups, we kept 3 and although having no need of my professional input, they outlasted all their contempories, with better skin and teeth than ANY of the ones we kept checking on at the practice.
Hi . Have a think about cold pressed food. I didn’t want to go all out and feed raw for various reasons and cold pressed seems decent alternative . Iv been giving Gloria cobby dogs fish supper And sometimes gentle dogs . She loves them both . It’s more like small pellets and not biscuity like kibble . Cooked at lower temps so meant to hold more of The nutrients. Both can be bought online from the company’s website .
Edited by Marniet on Saturday 21st October 20:39
Got to do raw imo. ours is raw fed and she's so far just perfect.
We buy from primal raw and every month i buy a s
t load of different meats or proteins as they are technically called.
It is much easier than it looks and very little hassle, yes its more than grabbing a cup of dry food but i enjoy giving our dog lovely meat each day.
Key with raw is 80:10:10 diet and to feed as many different proteins as possible (trying each one at a time to work out any allergies).
Ours has everything from pheasant to veal to goose and everything in between.
Its not that expensive either imo. A good quality dry food is similar money.
We buy from primal raw and every month i buy a s
t load of different meats or proteins as they are technically called.It is much easier than it looks and very little hassle, yes its more than grabbing a cup of dry food but i enjoy giving our dog lovely meat each day.
Key with raw is 80:10:10 diet and to feed as many different proteins as possible (trying each one at a time to work out any allergies).
Ours has everything from pheasant to veal to goose and everything in between.
Its not that expensive either imo. A good quality dry food is similar money.
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