which dried food?

[rachael]

Simon and Lyra currently eat Skinners field and trial duck and rice plus a little bit of Butchers Tripe mixed in.
They look healthy and as long as we avoid wheat products their poos are firm. Simon though has recently taken to eating his poo (yuck!!) If he gets the chance! So I was looking into alternatives as some people suggest that they are lacking nutrients if they eat their poo.
One brand I am considering is Orijen, its won some awards and contains no grain. It is very high protein and is supported by people who say that dogs should eat meat and veg only. This however contradicts the idea of only feeding foods around 20% protein.
So I was wondering if anyone else feeds a similar high protein food?
Rachael

[sueb]

Hi Rachael
Pat will know much more about this. But I do remember her saying before we got Brennan not to have too high a protein content (I think they have quite a high ratio when racing) I certainly know when Bren gets a higher protein level he needs to burn off excess energyand can be a bit "hyper!"

[SJ]

This link may be useful to you

www.dogfoodanalysis.com

[Ian]

I'm guessing that 20% protein is the recommendation because going way over that probably tends to make the dogs more entergetic. As I recall a long while ago Sean had a trial packet of Orijen and did certainly seem to like it, however we settled on Harringtons which isn't expensive and is available at most (if not all) supermarkets. That's been the best for his output. He's never tried to eat his or anyone elses poo, but usually poo eating means there's undigested food there so it's like two meals for the price of one! The mother in laws springer has a poo eating tendency, but she is a true doggy dustbin and lives for food and nothing else! With Seans Harringtons we mix in some minced beef (human grade) in gravy, I cook that up 1Kg at a time and it's fridge stored, it usually lasts 4-5 days. Occassionally we get runny piles, but not that often, and with a couple of Cod Liver oil tablets with each meal (which is once a day since he usually turns his nose up at breakfast) Sean stays a consistent weight, has a nice shiny coat and I think looks very good for a dog who's now over 10 years old.

[angela]

Feb 12, 2012 19:52:03 GMT rachael said:

Simon and Lyra currently eat Skinners field and trial duck and rice plus a little bit of Butchers Tripe mixed in.
They look healthy and as long as we avoid wheat products their poos are firm. Simon though has recently taken to eating his poo (yuck!!) If he gets the chance! So I was looking into alternatives as some people suggest that they are lacking nutrients if they eat their poo.
One brand I am considering is Orijen, its won some awards and contains no grain. It is very high protein and is supported by people who say that dogs should eat meat and veg only. This however contradicts the idea of only feeding foods around 20% protein.
So I was wondering if anyone else feeds a similar high protein food?
Rachael

Hi Rachael

Charlie is wheat and grain intolerant, oh yes and also fussy We have tried various foods and he is now on Acana, which is made by Orijen, but does not contain as much protein. It does not contain any wheat or grain and only has meat, veg and potato. We also are adding a tinned food Natures Menu, which I found, this also does not contain any wheat or grain if you only have I think it is the chicken and chicken and beef. I have put links below where I get them from.

www.berriewoodwholesale.co.uk/det/2308/ACANA-Wild-Prairie-Dog-13-5kg/

www.berriewoodwholesale.co.uk/det/1534/Natures-Menu-Tins-Chicken-with-Potato-Peas-Carrots-12x400g/

Hope this helps

Angela

[rachael]

Thanks for all the replies. Someone told me today that pineapple in the food makes the dogs poo taste terrible so I might try that before a more expensive food. Thanks for the link though Angela - much cheaper than any other site I've seen selling Acana.

Rachael

[yvonned]

Rachel I wonder if it could be something in the treats that you give him, have you introduced anything different? When we gave our Dobies some black (charcoal bonios) the male started poo munching, we stopped the bonios and he stopped the munching!!
Yvonne

[rachael]

Thanks for your message Yvonne. I haven't given him any new treats - he has a dentastix and then all his other treats are baked by me - wheat free biscuits and wheat free liver cake! Not that I spoil my dogs!!!

At the moment we are putting a muzzle on him when he goes in the garden so he can't eat it! Hopefully it'll help break the habit!

[yvonned]

I know it's a pain but dogs don't like the smell of lemons, you can buy quite large bottles of lemon juice from the pound type shops. Sprinkle some of that over his poos till you get round to picking em up. I put it over my dustbin bags when I put them out overnight to stop the foxes having a rummage.
What flour do you use for doggy baking? I don't know if you can use potato or rice flour as a substitute for wheat, do you know?
I think you could reduce the protein content of food by adding some extra rice/potato/vegetables, cooked in the micro for quickness.
yvonne

[rachael]

I buy rice flour for all my doggy baking - it works just as well as normal flour and they sell it in tesco! Thanks for the tip about lemons, will try that.

[yvonned]

Thanks Rachael I'll get some rice flour and give it a go.The James wellbeloved hypoallergenic treats are now £2.85 and Fish for dogs £2.50 which I think is a bit steep so the answer is to make them myself. I have made Cass and her friends cheese n garlic biccies using ordinary flour but couldn't give her many because of the poos.

[rachael]

Thought that I would update you all on my quest for a food that suits both my dogs and does not produce poo that Simon wants to eat! First I tried Applaws which looked like a UK version of Acana - basically meat and veg and no grain. It was very expensive and a total disaster! There was tons of horrible slurry like poo! The only positive was that Simon didn't want to eat it! Next I tried Chappie which I had read was gentle on digestion, even though it contains wheat, it was also very reasonable at £17 for 15kg. The consistancy of what came out the other end was good but immediately upon finishing Simon would turn round and gobble it all up again. Yuk!
I got myself a Costco card and noticed that they had a wheat free food, Autarky, that is £13 for 15kg. I looked it up on the internet and it seemed to be good stuff and so I bought a bag. Well I am so glad I did! Output is very firm and Simon sniffs it and then walks away! Looking at the ingredients it has lots of herbs in which I suspect may make the poo not tasty!

[Deleted]

If Simon was a rabbit then it would be a normal activity as they reingest their poo to absorb the remaining B vits (copophrogy). It's amazing what comes back to you after so many years since I studying animal welfare!!!!! I guess Simons activity could be for the same reason if it's only his poo he is devouring but I guess it's worth talking to Pat as it maybe just a basic behavioural issue with him.

Dave

[Ian]

Easting poo usually means there's undigested food in it I think, the mother in laws doggy dustbin of a Spaniel sometimes does it with her own output or other dogs. It's OK as long as your hound doesn't give you a lovely kiss...LOL!