Fussy eater

[kingjonesy]

My 2 year old male cockapoo Monty has never been that excited by his food. We've been through the majority of what’s considered the upper market foods, such as Hills, James Wellbeloved etc.

I'm not sure if this is our doing as when he was younger we used to just leave his food bowl out and he'd graze on it throughout the day. Then when we started going to dog classes they said that this was bad for the dog and to keep to set meal times.

So we then started to remove the food bowl after 30-60 minutes each evening after we put it down. We did this for some time, but Monty just didn't eat or if he did only a small amount of it.

We went to a local pet shop where they sell some food for fussy eaters. It's just loose and sold by the kg etc. We started to add this to his James Wellbeloved, with a splash of water and warmed in the microwave. Someone told use that warming it brings the smell out and may encourage him.

He did show more of an interest so we decided to leave the bowl down over night. By the morning it is usually empty. This is what we've been doing for some time now.

But the issues I'm faced with are as follows:

1. The pet shop food we add is rubbish!! Full of random things (even plastic!!!)
2. If we leave it out overnight our new puppy wants to get at it
3. I want Monty to bite my hand off at the thought of his food\meal time!
4. I want to be feeding both dogs the same in the long term (a good dog food, currently in mind is Orijen)

This afternoon I'm going over to Kennel Gate to get some Orijen for Monty.

Fingers crossed he likes this one!!

Any tips on how to get Monty eating and boost his eagerness around meal times??

Rich

[wilfiboy]

Hi Rich, hope its all going well with your new baby. How intersting Wilfs always been fussy, we fed barf when he was a pup making the patties, which he ate to start with but evevntually went off that then I ve been through most brands like you say trying to find something that he'd love... bags would last forever !! Im surprised that having Oscar has nt worked cos Wilf has eaten more consistently since getting mable, cos she's an entirely different, food orientated creature and would eat his. I have to stand and observe as she would finish hers then go and start on his and he would let her. I've recently swithched to orijens but would nt particularly say he is any better a couple of times this weeks he's walked away .The only thing he consistently eats and LOVES is his chicken wings they both have one a day ... have you tired what Helen / Dylansmum uses he might prefer something thats great for you but not dry ... I keep forgetting what its called dont want to get it wrong..Im sure Helen will post soon x

[kingjonesy]

Yes, all is going well thanks, Oscar is fine. Monty is starting to play a little with him. Although it does just tend to be a game of chase!!

I did think that Monty would start to eat when we got Oscar. But like Wilf, Monty will just stand and watch Oscar eat his own then move onto Monty's food.

[JulesB]

Betty is fussy too and will eat a few biscuits and then walk away. Some days she clears the bowl but very rarely. The good thing is that she is cheap to keep in terms of food!! I've tried a number of foods and she is the same with everything other than fresh meat or cheese. Now I give her some fresh meat or frankfurter sausage with her food and also often add half a carrott chopped uip as she loves this too. I don't worry too much as she isn't losing wieght and has loads of energy and a shiny coat so I figure all is well!!

I think its difficult as you worry that they don't like the food whereas I've come to realise that they are just crafty monkeys who realise that you worry and if they don't eat there food they get nicer stuff instead!!

[Dylansmum]

... have you tired what Helen / Dylansmum uses he might prefer something thats great for you but not dry ... I keep forgetting what its called dont want to get it wrong..Im sure Helen will post soon x

Hi Rich, I get my food from
http://www.naturalinstinct.com
It's basically minced human grade meat and bone with added veggies and supplements to make it a complete, balanced diet. It's a really easy way to feed BARF and not too expensive - about 60p per day. They deliver frozen to your door or there are some suppliers listed who sell it. You buy in 1kg packs and keep them in the fridge once defrosted. I'm feeding their puppy food at the moment, but about to switch to the chicken and turkey.
Dylan has always been a good eater - I think he would scoff anything I put in front of him, but maybe fresh food would tempt Monty more.

[kingjonesy]

Thanks Jules\Helen,

I like the look and the theory of the raw meat\bones etc, I'm just a fan of the dry foods for convenience.
I may get some and give it a try, but I'll probably only give it to him as the occasional treat.
Monty isn’t losing any weight either, the issue is the worry that he hates the food we’re giving him really.
Rich

[Jukee Doodles]

Hi

We feed the raw meaty bones to our dogs, it's fantastic for them and they love it but it is a faff. Helen's idea of naturalinstinct sounds a really interesting one. I've not heard of that before but will research it as an alternative to complete food for our new puppy owners.

One thing I seems to remember from the www.rawmeatybones.com website is that dogs were not evolved to eat cereal. Also that they struggle to digest both cereal and raw diet at the same time as it requires different enzymes to digest. They suggest that you choose one or the other so as to not create digestive problems. You might want to check those facts out and see what conclusions you find.

Hope you find a workable solution.

[wilfiboy]

Jukee Doodles what exactly do you feed, Ive looked into raw meaty bones before but always felt I might get it wrong, mine have a chicken wing a day which is their favourite have given ribs and rabbit before but like anything else its having the confidence and not wanting to do anything wrong, its just not that specific on the site I looked at . Any pointers would be appreciated x

[Jukee Doodles]

We used to feed Purina Pro Plan complete. We did a lot of research on the Barf and the Raw Meaty Bones diets and eventually decided to try it with all of our dogs, cold turkey! As I mentioned they apparently can't digest the raw stuff and the cereal simultaneously. So now we just feed RAW chicken boned out carcasses, no legs, and very little flesh on them. We buy them fresh, in bulk from a poultry producer then freeze them. A working cocker or cockapoo of about 12 kg will eat one small carcass a day. Every couple of weeks they have one starve day because it is a natural occurrence.
We read that we should also feed them veg, mince and egg mix every day but in practice they don't need or want it so often. We have found that every three weeks or so they are ready for the veg and will start to pull grass roots themselves. So we steam any root and leafy veg, NO garlic, leaks or onions though as they are toxic. We mix it hot in a bucket with an electric drill and a plaster mixer, and add some frozen dog mince and a raw egg with shell one for every dog. Whizz it to a mush and feed it in addition to the chicken carcass. Once cool enough they have a big ladleful each. We don't feed them any shop bought treats that are cereal based, but use cheddar cheese to train and reward them.
The benefits we have found is that all of the dogs have fantastically clean teeth, great condition even the nursing bitches don't loose weight, glossy coats, pleasant breath, far less poo that is very firm and practically odorless. Plus it's reduced our feed bill by over half.

It might not be everyones cup of tea, it does take some organising but for us it's a result.

[wilfiboy]

Cheers good to know exactly what someone gives and from your site the proofs in the pudding x

[Dylansmum]

That's great. You go to the top of my breeders list! It's a shame I'm not looking for another cockapoo!!
I've also seen the difference that barf makes to the teeth, breath, poo etc, and have fed it to previous dogs, but being a busy and fairly lazy mum, I was really pleased this time to find a company who do all the work for you and mix it up into one convenient complete food. They use raw veggies, but double grind them to break them down enough for the nourishment to be absorbed. The only thing I give as an addition is lamb or beef bones as treats. Haven't got the heart to do the fast though!

[embee]

That's great. You go to the top of my breeders list! It's a shame I'm not looking for another cockapoo!!
I've also seen the difference that barf makes to the teeth, breath, poo etc, and have fed it to previous dogs, but being a busy and fairly lazy mum, I was really pleased this time to find a company who do all the work for you and mix it up into one convenient complete food. They use raw veggies, but double grind them to break them down enough for the nourishment to be absorbed. The only thing I give as an addition is lamb or beef bones as treats. Haven't got the heart to do the fast though!

So Helen, I'm being seduced by all the BARF talk. How do you work it with Dylan. Do the packs come in meal sized frozen pieces or do you defrost a pack in the fridge then use it over a few days. How much does Dylan eat each day? 1 or 2 meals a day? Could you explain how you work it day to day, how much you bulk buy and how long it lasts!!!!!

[Dylansmum]

So Helen, I'm being seduced by all the BARF talk. How do you work it with Dylan. Do the packs come in meal sized frozen pieces or do you defrost a pack in the fridge then use it over a few days. How much does Dylan eat each day? 1 or 2 meals a day? Could you explain how you work it day to day, how much you bulk buy and how long it lasts!!!!!

The food comes in 1kg packs, frozen. There are some ranges in 400g packs, but they are more expensive. They despatch the day you order for next day delivery in an insulated box so they stay frozen and you just pop them in your freezer. If you're out, they just leave it outside the house. I currently have decreased Dylan from puppy levels down to about 240g a day, split into 2 meals. I was feeding 360g but now that's too much. They recommend for puppies 5-6% of their body weight per day and for adults 2-3%. Once out of the freezer, they're fine in the fridge for about 4 days, and if you forget to defrost you can scrape it out and feed it semi-frozen after about half hour out of the freezer. So it's pretty convenient. I'm just about to switch from the puppy mix to the adult chicken and will also try the turkey which is on special offer at the moment. I usually order about 10-12 kilos at a time but it depends on your freezer space. So one 1kg pack lasts about 4-5 days. They are also very helpful if you have any queries. There are some suppliers across the UK where you can buy it - the list is on the website. BTW they do a friend referral scheme where we both get £5 off I think, so mention me (Helen Conway) if you're going to try it!!

[embee]

The food comes in 1kg packs, frozen.

Thanks - I might take the plunge and give Natural Instinct in the morning and Orijen in the evening. One last question - How big is a 1kg box so I can figure how many I can fit in the freezer??

[Dylansmum]

Thanks - I might take the plunge and give Natural Instinct in the morning and Orijen in the evening. One last question - How big is a 1kg box so I can figure how many I can fit in the freezer??

9" x 7" x 1 3/4"
If you try it, let me know how you get on.

[JulesB]

I know Applaws food has been mentioned on here previously and, as like anything, am sure it works well for some dogs but not others, however I thought I would give it a try as Betty has resorted to not eating any of her biscuits in the last three or four days. I bought a 700g bag and brought it home, stuck about 20 pieces in her bowl and she ate all of it! Then put another 20 bits in there and she ate it all again!! Going to take her out for a walk later and then give her another bowl of Applaws for her dinner and see if she eats it again, if she does I will be VERY impressed as she hasn't cleared a bowl of food in months!! Also I am going to stop giving her meat or carrot with her food and if she finishes her food then I will give her a couple of pieces of meat so that she learns she has to eat her food first - lets see how that goes too!!!!!

[Dylansmum]

I know Applaws food has been mentioned on here previously and, as like anything, am sure it works well for some dogs but not others, however I thought I would give it a try as Betty has resorted to not eating any of her biscuits in the last three or four days. I bought a 700g bag and brought it home, stuck about 20 pieces in her bowl and she ate all of it! Then put another 20 bits in there and she ate it all again!! Going to take her out for a walk later and then give her another bowl of Applaws for her dinner and see if she eats it again, if she does I will be VERY impressed as she hasn't cleared a bowl of food in months!!

Applaws was the first dry food I tried for Dylan when I first got him. The ingredients are pretty good - it was the best I saw until I came across Orijen, which is a bit better. Dylan ate it ok (he eats everything!) but for the first few days I had him he had a bad tummy which I was trying to clear up, and the Applaws seemed to make it worse. It wasn't until he went onto Natural Instinct that his tummy cleared up. But it's definitely one of the better kibbles. Hope it works for you.

[JulesB]

Applaws was the first dry food I tried for Dylan when I first got him. The ingredients are pretty good - it was the best I saw until I came across Orijen, which is a bit better. Dylan ate it ok (he eats everything!) but for the first few days I had him he had a bad tummy which I was trying to clear up, and the Applaws seemed to make it worse. It wasn't until he went onto Natural Instinct that his tummy cleared up. But it's definitely one of the better kibbles. Hope it works for you.

I'd like to try Natural Instinct but don't have ba big freezer and need something that its easy for the dag walker to feed for those days when Betty is at hers longer than normal so its finding that balance. I was going to try Orijen awhile back but the guy who owns the local pet shop told me it was really expensive for what it is and that other brands were better value for money and equally as good.

It's all trial and error isn't it in the end! I know dogs that are prefectly healthy yet eat food that here isn't a chance I would feed to Betty!! I think when they are smaller its easier to get them decent food as they don't need as much so the cost is so much less!!!

[embee]

Jukee Doodles what exactly do you feed, Ive looked into raw meaty bones before but always felt I might get it wrong, mine have a chicken wing a day which is their favourite have given ribs and rabbit before but like anything else its having the confidence and not wanting to do anything wrong, its just not that specific on the site I looked at . Any pointers would be appreciated x

Have you switched yours to Orijen? What do you do at the moment give them kibble (Orijen) for one meal then a chicken wing for the other meal?

[Jukee Doodles]

Hi Jules

It's understandable that you want to keep the food convenient to fit in with your lifestyle. We too, up till now, wean our puppies onto Royal Canin Medium Junior complete kibble as the new families will carry on the same food when they take them home, as raw diet is not what most people want to do. (From this thread, now that we know that Natural Instinct diet is an option for puppy buyers we are considering weaning our pups onto a Raw diet too) However it is well worth remembering that dogs didn't evolve to eat cereal at all and some dogs are at least intolerant and at worst allergic to cereal. That might be what Betty is trying to tell you indirectly. Maybe you could see if she is better with a convenient cereal free dog food? Just a thought.

[Dylansmum]

However it is well worth remembering that dogs didn't evolve to eat cereal at all and some dogs are at least intolerant and at worst allergic to cereal. That might be what Betty is trying to tell you indirectly. Maybe you could see if she is better with a convenient cereal free dog food? Just a thought.

Applaws is cereal free. I researched it before I tried it, and it is pre-biotic and hypo-allergenic. It is 75% chicken and 25% veggies and natural extracts. Ingredients are: dry chicken meat, dry potato, poultry oil, fresh chicken, poultry gravy, salmon oil, beet pulp, dry whole eggs, cellulose plant fibre, brewers yeast, cranberry extract, yucca extract, citrus extract, rosemary oil, seaweed extract, chicory extract, alfalfa extract, thyme extract, carrots, peppermint extract, rosehip extract, paprika extract, turmeric extract, carob extract, fennel extract, dandelion extract, oregano extract.
So you see, it's one of the best kibbles in my opinion and if Betty likes it and it suits her tummy then I think you've cracked it Jules :)

[Jukee Doodles]

Applaws was the first dry food I tried for Dylan when I first got him. The ingredients are pretty good - it was the best I saw until I came across Orijen, which is a bit better. Dylan ate it ok (he eats everything!) but for the first few days I had him he had a bad tummy which I was trying to clear up, and the Applaws seemed to make it worse. It wasn't until he went onto Natural Instinct that his tummy cleared up. But it's definitely one of the better kibbles. Hope it works for you.

Thanks for all your info on food products. It gives us much more options with weaning our puppies, because of the convenience we've previously had to use a puppy kibble with cereal in. We have now joined Orijen Breeder Programme so can give their puppy packs with each pup and we can tell new owners about Natural Instinct. This leaves is free to experiment with weaning our pups straight onto a BARF/Orijen puppy diet from now on. We're really chuffed about this. Thank you! :D

[Dylansmum]

Thanks for all your info on food products. It gives us much more options with weaning our puppies, because of the convenience we've previously had to use a puppy kibble with cereal in. We have now joined Orijen Breeder Programme so can give their puppy packs with each pup and we can tell new owners about Natural Instinct. This leaves is free to experiment with weaning our pups straight onto a BARF/Orijen puppy diet from now on. We're really chuffed about this. Thank you! :D

That's great. Everything we can do to give our gorgeous dogs a healthier, more natural life has got to be worth it. They deserve it! :twothumbs:

[embee]

Thanks for all your info on food products. It gives us much more options with weaning our puppies, because of the convenience we've previously had to use a puppy kibble with cereal in. We have now joined Orijen Breeder Programme so can give their puppy packs with each pup and we can tell new owners about Natural Instinct. This leaves is free to experiment with weaning our pups straight onto a BARF/Orijen puppy diet from now on. We're really chuffed about this. Thank you! :D

I would be very happy to have a new puppy that had been weaned onto Orijen, so great that you'll be doing this.

I think the only downside of weaning a puppy onto BARF is that a lot of new owners wouldn't maintain them on BARF and might put them straight onto a cereal based kibble on arriving home. This might mean you would get lots of calls from new owners experiencing tummy trouble with their new pup as it was moved from ideal BARF to kibble with cereal that could upset their tummies. Weaning a puppy onto non cereal based kibble, like Orijen, seems a good option and would also encourage new owners to feed a 'good' kibble in the long term.

[Jukee Doodles]

I would be very happy to have a new puppy that had been weaned onto Orijen, so great that you'll be doing this.

I think the only downside of weaning a puppy onto BARF is that a lot of new owners wouldn't maintain them on BARF and might put them straight onto a cereal based kibble on arriving home. This might mean you would get lots of calls from new owners experiencing tummy trouble with their new pup as it was moved from ideal BARF to kibble with cereal that could upset their tummies. Weaning a puppy onto non cereal based kibble, like Orijen, seems a good option and would also encourage new owners to feed a 'good' kibble in the long term.

Yes I agree with your thoughts, BARF is too extreme for 90% of people. So an Orijen based weaning programme is our preference too.

[Dylansmum]

Yes I agree with your thoughts, BARF is too extreme for 90% of people. So an Orijen based weaning programme is our preference too.

I agree that a lot of owners are reluctant to feed BARF, but hopefully with companies like Natural Instinct, it may encourage more to do so. It's just as easy and convenient as feeding any other food now, and it's nice to be sure that the diet is complete and balanced. That, for me, was always the worst part of feeding BARF - having to add supplements and worry about deficiencies and now I don't have to think about that. Also, at 60-70p per day, I think it's quite reasonably priced and it actually gives me pleasure to see Dylan enjoying "real" food rather than little brown pellets! Illogical, I know!

[JulesB]

Not sure if this is common or not but Betty had been getting more and more fussy over recent months with food. She was spayed a week ago and other than for the first 4 or 5 days when she wasn't that bothered with food, she now seems way less fussy and has been eating Applaws dry food or Natures Diet wet food whereas before she's only eat wet food! Its great to see her much more excited by her food though so am not complaining!!!

[Dylansmum]

That's great Jules - I'm glad it's getting easier. Just one thing to watch though - after Dylam was neutered he put on quite a lot of weight. I think it was more that he had stopped growing rather than the neutering and it was time to lower his quantities to adult levels which I was a bit slow to do. Now I've decreased his food by about 40%. So just as Betty is eating better, you may need to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't gain too much weight!!

[JulesB]

Yeah I was told to watch for her putting on weight too! I've only let her eat a bit more for now as she had lost a bit of weight when she was weighed before the op from the last weigh in (back in January) and as she barely ate for 3 days she was starting to look a bit scrawny!! What I want to do with food going forward is give her dry Applaws food in the morning and Nature Diet in the evening so that way if she gets fussy with the Applaws again I know she's at least having one meal a day she is eating.

I think I do underfeed her in general because she was so fussy it was a waste to put the full amount down that I got used to only giving her a bit. With the Nature Diet she still gets only 200g a day when they recommend 300g as I don't want to not be able to give her treats or have her get chubby!!

[Sarette]

Goodness, this is all really interesting! I shall have a read up on the foods mentioned here, I would like to feed my dog a natural, good diet, with no cereal if that is best for him. So much research to do!!

[JulesB]

Sarah there is so much to read and so many choices!! I went for Applaws as a dry food as it didn't have cereal in it and started feeding Natures Diet as my dog is quite fussy and this is the closest to BARF I can get without going down the BARF route which I don't have the freezer space for so wouldn't be easy for me to do.

The irony is that you can give the dogs the best food possible and then still some of them are such fussy buggers they will only want to eat the cheapest junk!!!

Don't be fooled into think that just because a bag of food costs a bit more for 2kg that it costs more to feed your dog as sometimes the quantity of what they need to eat each day is less so keeps the costs down. I've tried a number of foods now before finding what works for Betty!

[Sarette]

Thanks Jules, We have a large freezer, and also a smaller one in the garage, but with 3 kids it's usually stocked full as it is! I will certainly look into Applaws.

The funny thing is, when we had a dog many years ago, my mum would never let him have chicken bones, as she said they were too sharp for him. I have always assumed this to be correct, and am now freaking out slightly about feeding them raw chicken wings!!

Sarah xx

[Dylansmum]

Thanks Jules, We have a large freezer, and also a smaller one in the garage, but with 3 kids it's usually stocked full as it is! I will certainly look into Applaws.

The funny thing is, when we had a dog many years ago, my mum would never let him have chicken bones, as she said they were too sharp for him. I have always assumed this to be correct, and am now freaking out slightly about feeding them raw chicken wings!!

Sarah xx

It's cooked bones that you must never feed. Also not recommended are weight-bearing bones like thighs. The best raw bones to feed are wings, necks, spines, ribs and carcasses. If you have some freezer space then take a look at http://www.naturalinstinct.com as an easy, convenient BARF diet. The minimum order is 5kg so that's not too bulky, but I usually order 10kg at a time.

[Sarette]

It's cooked bones that you must never feed. Also not recommended are weight-bearing bones like thighs. The best raw bones to feed are wings, necks, spines, ribs and carcasses. If you have some freezer space then take a look at http://www.naturalinstinct.com as an easy, convenient BARF diet. The minimum order is 5kg so that's not too bulky, but I usually order 10kg at a time.

Thanks Helen, I think I will have to start taking notes down into a book!

:)

[JulesB]

A friend told me about another BARF diet supplier called Basils Dog Food. The website is www.basilsdogfood.co.uk

May be worth a look for those of you doing BARF. I only have a tiny freezer so would have to find somewhere else to put a new freezer if I was going to try it!!!

[embee]

A friend told me about another BARF diet supplier called Basils Dog Food. The website is www.basilsdogfood.co.uk

What do you think Dylansmum (compared to Natural Instinct)? You're our resident BARF expert :D so would be interested in your opinion as I would like to switch Flo in next few months (once I can sort a second freezer!)

[Dylansmum]

What do you think Dylansmum (compared to Natural Instinct)? You're our resident BARF expert :D so would be interested in your opinion as I would like to switch Flo in next few months (once I can sort a second freezer!)

Thanks for the link. I've had a look, and my opinion (for what it's worth:) ) is that Natural Instinct still seems to have the edge. Firstly Basil is a little more expensive, at £3.60 per kilo against £2.70 for natural instinct, although they do supply beef and lamb as well, which would push the price up if you bought those varieties at NI. Personally I only buy chicken and turkey, but to add an occasional beef or lamb would still work out ok price-wise. The constituents are very similar, but NI include sea kelp and salmon oil which i think are quite important supplements. Basil recommend adding biscuit/mixer and giving usual treats which I find very bizarre, as the whole concept of BARF is to be cereal free and pure. :confused:
NI also guarantee not to use battery farmed chickens. They give an explanation of what each ingredient is good for and seem to be a bit more clued up and more doggy experts. Basils appears to be a bigger operation, with a meat processing plant and butchers. They also only despatch on Tuesdays, whereas NI despatch Monday to Thursday.
Really, I'm sure that either would be great in terms of diet, but I can't see a good reason to switch from NI.

[embee]

Natural Instinct still seems to have the edge.

Thanks - NI it is then. Have started to replace the odd Origen meal with 2 chicken wings and will switch once I sort the freezer - presumably you either have a very big freezer or another just for Dylan?

[Dylansmum]

I have a fridge freezer and a small chest freezer in the utility room. It doesn't take up that much room - a pile of 5 x 1kg packs is about 8.5 x 7 x 9 inches and that is the minimum order and will last over 3 weeks. The only thing is that you pay a bit more for delivery if you buy smaller amounts, so I buy 10 packs at a time. To be honest, the thing that takes up more of my freezer is the bones. I buy them fresh and freeze them and they are everywhere!

[Sarette]

I really like the look of Applaws, and can buy it locally. Natural Instinct looks good also, but I don't really have the freezer space. Would it be possible to feed mainly with Applaws, but with the occasional Natural Instinct meal (I'd only buy a few packs at a time), and chicken wings, bones etc?

Also, what can be put into a Kong? I've heard of them, but don't know much about them!

Thanks all! Your help and advice is invaluable!

S xx

[embee]

I really like the look of Applaws, and can buy it locally. Natural Instinct looks good also, but I don't really have the freezer space. Would it be possible to feed mainly with Applaws, but with the occasional Natural Instinct meal (I'd only buy a few packs at a time), and chicken wings, bones etc?

Also, what can be put into a Kong? I've heard of them, but don't know much about them!

Thanks all! Your help and advice is invaluable!

S xx

I feed Flo with Origen kibble and give her the odd raw chicken wing meal which seems fine. I'm not an expert but from what I've seen the main thing is to give either a raw meal or a kibble meal and not to mix them together as they digest each differently and at different rates which can upset a dogs stomach sometimes. I think raw gets digested in 5-6 hours and dry food, especially with cereal and/or rice in it takes 10-12 hours.

You can stuff anything your dog will eat into a Kong. I put in Nature Diet wet food with peas, top up with water then freeze. I also put in raw chicken bits which I freeze to make it last longer and that is Flo's favourite. You can also just plug the end and fill with stock and freeze for a dog ice lolly. If we are having a BBQ I get bits of steak and stuff them in so she doesn't bother us when we are cooking. Others on here will have lots of ideas.

[tessybear]

I used to leave my last dog's food out all the time (it had to be dried with no smell). He was very happy grazing on it throughout the day and never ate more than a few mouthfuls at a time. I know some people frown on it but he never over-ate and was always slim- he lived till he was 17!

[Dylansmum]

I used to leave my last dog's food out all the time (it had to be dried with no smell). He was very happy grazing on it throughout the day and never ate more than a few mouthfuls at a time. I know some people frown on it but he never over-ate and was always slim- he lived till he was 17!

I think you have to judge each dog individually. I reckon Dylan would always clear whatever I put in his bowl straight away, but other dogs are picky eaters.

[Sarette]

I feed Flo with Origen kibble and give her the odd raw chicken wing meal which seems fine. I'm not an expert but from what I've seen the main thing is to give either a raw meal or a kibble meal and not to mix them together as they digest each differently and at different rates which can upset a dogs stomach sometimes. I think raw gets digested in 5-6 hours and dry food, especially with cereal and/or rice in it takes 10-12 hours.

You can stuff anything your dog will eat into a Kong. I put in Nature Diet wet food with peas, top up with water then freeze. I also put in raw chicken bits which I freeze to make it last longer and that is Flo's favourite. You can also just plug the end and fill with stock and freeze for a dog ice lolly. If we are having a BBQ I get bits of steak and stuff them in so she doesn't bother us when we are cooking. Others on here will have lots of ideas.

Thanks for the reply!

BTW Jukee Doodles, I have PM'd you (I hope), did you get it my message? xx