# NI advice please



## mel (Jun 29, 2011)

Hi everyone
I've been toying with the idea of switching Ozzie to NI for some time now (the only obstacle is lack of freezer space). He seems to be suffering increasingly with loose poos, and i'm worried this in turn will lead to anal gland problems. Would NI help to firm his poos up?
Sincere apologies to anyone eating their brekkie!!

melx


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Hi Mel

Sorry to hear that Ozzie is suffering in the poo area! 

Switching to raw will firm up poos as long as his looseness is food related. It is definitely worth a try. It might be something in his current diet which is not agreeing with him?

Raw feeding isn't for everyone but buying NI or pouches from Rawtogo certainly makes it easier. I can't reccomend raw feeding enough, Daisy point blank refuses kibble now which is annoying if I forget to take her food out of the freezer!

NI is a complete food but if you wanted to try a bonier meal you could start feeding Ozzie a chicken wing or two for his tea to substitute what he normally he has.

Good luck, and let us know how he gets on.


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

try him out on some stuff from the super market, chicken wings, cheep mince pop to you butcher see what they offer. start off small then you can work out what you want to do. raw eggs are also binding and if you crush the shell he can eat that too.


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

mel said:


> Hi everyone
> I've been toying with the idea of switching Ozzie to NI for some time now (the only obstacle is lack of freezer space)


I need more freezer space too for the same reason ... searching on Ebay at the moment for a cheap one nearby that I could keep in the garage for dog use only!


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Hi I order 10 kg (ten tubs) at a time i have an american fridge freezer and the tubs sit on top of each other and will fit in one compartment and i also have space for other frozen goods.

Buddy used to have awful poo's and lots of smelly wind (sorry) now his poo's are firm and no more wind!!! And they hardly smell at all which is a bonus.


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## mel (Jun 29, 2011)

right thats it, i've decided to go for it. The smelly wind today is horrendous!!


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## PipE (Aug 4, 2011)

mel said:


> right thats it, i've decided to go for it. The smelly wind today is horrendous!!


We put Kipper onto NI two days after she came home, she loved it and her poo was firm. Then the vet said she was a bit thin so we started giving her Natural dog Food Company kibble at lunchtime as well.
After a few weeks she seemed to go off the NI and as the kibble is easier we stopped the NI and just gave her the kibble.
Well, her poos became really soft, smelly and much bigger. And the wind....!!
So yesterday we decided its NI all the time. We'll just have to manage with it, and if she doesnt eat it- well she's obviously not that hungry!
we'll be like my Mum was when we were little. She'll have two choices for her meals...like it or lump it!!!

hope you get on OK with it, keep us posted

Pip X


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

Millie's poos definitely firmed up when I switched to NI. She did have anal gland problems from 10 weeks old. This has improved since switching to NI, but not totally erradicated the problem.

I would highly recommend giving NI a call and having a chat, they are extremely helpful.


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## hollymow (Jul 26, 2011)

you can try fish4 puppies too, I never have any problems with that food, stools are always nice and hard


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## mel (Jun 29, 2011)

ok so I've put an order in today for about a month's worth (got a bit carried away!)
lets hope he likes it or i'll be selling on ebay! (NI not Ozzie!!)


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Good luck ,im sure he will love it the only thing i'll mention is that Buddy has been on it since he was 2-2 1/2 mths old i think ,anyway a few weeks ago he seemed to go off his food??

I spoke to lady at NI and we decided to try him with some of the adult flavours as well as the puppy food and he seems to be back to normal now loving his food.The puppy food only has a few extra ingredients to it so if the same thing happens to you remember you can try the adult flavours also not just the puppy food.


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## Janev1000 (Oct 4, 2011)

Yes, I've been having the same problem. Biscuit has been loving the NI for 2 weeks and then the last few days won't touch it! I am now having to mix in other flavours, such as dried liver bits, parmesan, raw egg, and today I added a bit of tinned sardine in tomato sauce which he leapt up in the air for as soon as I opened the tin! I am determined to stick with it though. He did have his injections on Tuesday and this may have something to do with it.


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## mel (Jun 29, 2011)

I didnt order the puppy food as Ozzie's nearly 8 months so I thought there wasnt much point starting him on that only to change it in a month or so. I really hope he likes it, he seems to have gone off the kibble now anyway. I think it should be here on Tuesday so I'll let you know how we get on!


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

Tripe & Turkey flavour seems to go down particularly well in my house with both dogs.


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## Kitty4 (Nov 10, 2011)

Hi,

Im new to this forum, and a new cockapoo owner, at the risk of sounding stupid, can somebody please tell me what NI is? Thanks


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

Kitty4 said:


> Hi,
> 
> Im new to this forum, and a new cockapoo owner, at the risk of sounding stupid, can somebody please tell me what NI is? Thanks


It's Natural Instinct, a raw complete dog food bought frozen and fed defrosted to the dog. I'll try to do a link.

http://www.naturalinstinct.com/brands/Natural-Instinct.html

A lot of us feed this and most dogs love it and we like it too as it's convenient and poos are firm and non-smelly!


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## Kitty4 (Nov 10, 2011)

Oh thanks for that. Ill have a look at the website.


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## gemma27 (May 23, 2011)

We have both our dogs on NI and they love it with good solid poos. 

We had problems with freezer space so bought a small table top freezer which takes 12kgs. It is small and compact and cost bout £99. 

It is a Lec U5009W 50cm Table Top Freezer A Plus Rated 40 Litre


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## sharplesfamily (Apr 28, 2011)

Luna went totally fussy, refusing her NI puppy food (as you'll know if you read the other posts on NI) so I emailed NI to ask for suggestions. They gave me some suggestions like mixing in her treats, adding "gravy" or warm water from the kettle but nothing worked.

Well, their next suggestion was to swap our food for us. However, rather than swapping 20 tubs of stuff she doesn't eat for 20 tubs that again she may not eat, they have given us a "sample box" of different flavours for us to try out and then they'll let us have the rest of the swap out.



Mogdog said:


> Tripe & Turkey flavour seems to go down particularly well in my house with both dogs.


Well, Country Banquet Chicken (the expensive range) was "OK" but she wasn't that keen (I'm quite happy really cos it is expensive) but Tripe and Turkey doesn't touch the sides!!! She loves it. Just turkey on the sample tomorrow and then "Chicken and Lamb"

Well, Natural Instinct certainly understand the term "Customer Service" as all of this wasn't their fault - it's our fussy dog's fault - but they are still helping us out. Way beyond the call of duty!!

Dave


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## PipE (Aug 4, 2011)

Janev1000 said:


> Yes, I've been having the same problem. Biscuit has been loving the NI for 2 weeks and then the last few days won't touch it! I am now having to mix in other flavours, such as dried liver bits, parmesan, raw egg, and today I added a bit of tinned sardine in tomato sauce which he leapt up in the air for as soon as I opened the tin! I am determined to stick with it though. He did have his injections on Tuesday and this may have something to do with it.


Here I am at 10 to 3 in the morning, downstairs on the sofa to escape my husband's ('Oops- too much to drink') snoring!
Anyway, having just read through this thread I thought I'd share with you what my vet said the other day.
We told her that Kipper seemed to be going off her NI and she said that like us (doesn't ever happen to me) dogs are sometimes just not hungry.
They will not let themselves starve. They will quite happily go outside and eat slugs, snails, leaves, old tissues .....the list is endless. So, here you are, offering her the highest quality food and she's turning her nose up at it.
If she was really hungry, she'd eat it. Before you go trying this, mixing in that, remember that as much as you love the very bones of her- she is a dog!

This made a lot of sense to me- I wouldn't offer my kids other choices if I had put something delicious and nutritious down in front of them and they decided they werent going to eat it, so why would I do it for the dog.

She advised us to put the food down, leave it for 20 minutes or so and if she hasn't eaten it, put the bowl in a bag and put it in the fridge until her next scheduled mealtime. Otherwise she said she'll start thinking she can just graze a little when she feels like it and that there will always be food available. Whereas if you take it away she'll start to realise that she'd better get on and eat it otherwise it'll be gone.
She also said it wouldn't hurt her at all if she missed a few meals. I think I remember someone on here- possibly Kendal and maybe Jukee Doodles as well, saying that they fast their dogs now and again too.

Don't know if this will be of any help to you but just thought I'd share.

Better try and get some sleep now!

Pip X


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## PipE (Aug 4, 2011)

Ooh, just thought of something else!

It seems to me that a lot of the people that are having this feeding problem have 'poos roughly the same age- around the 4-5 month age.

Could it be that a)It's to do with a teething stage or b)They're trying to assert their authority as they head towards their 'adolescence' stage?

Maybe someone with more experience on here could help with that theory?

Pip X


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

sharplesfamily said:


> Luna went totally fussy, refusing her NI puppy food (as you'll know if you read the other posts on NI) so I emailed NI to ask for suggestions. They gave me some suggestions like mixing in her treats, adding "gravy" or warm water from the kettle but nothing worked.
> 
> Well, their next suggestion was to swap our food for us. However, rather than swapping 20 tubs of stuff she doesn't eat for 20 tubs that again she may not eat, they have given us a "sample box" of different flavours for us to try out and then they'll let us have the rest of the swap out.
> 
> ...


Wow that was good of them,i suppose if you dont ask you dont get!


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## Janev1000 (Oct 4, 2011)

Thanks Pippa! Yes, I have since read too not to add in other bits. As soon as you do this you can create a fussy dog, so I am going to revert back to just the NI. I tried to do the 'like it or lump it' approach today but we ended up adding just a teeny bit of sardine to it as he is only 11 weeks and he does seem to be rooting around for food otherwise. He then eats it but only about half as much as usual so I think it is as you say - a phase of not being as hungry. I am going to be tougher tomorrow and just offer him the NI as it is!! I am going to place another NI order tomorrow and get some other flavours. I have found a local pet food shop that can order it in and sell it cheaper than ordering it directly from NI, which helps cancel out the delivery charge which still applies, although I have to order a minimum of 15kg. She has kindly offered to keep 10kg in a freezer for me, to dip into when I run out, as I can only store about 5kg at a time.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Dont know where you live but if you have a Pet's Corner near you (my local is at a garden centre) they sell Natural Instinct. I buy 3 tubs at a time as I have little freezer space.


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## glitzydebs (Jun 10, 2011)

*re NI*

Pushca looooves it and will literally wolf her food. I have noticed her poos are firm,don't smell and her coat is glorious and people often comment on how soft it is...boast boast...
I cannot recommend NI enough. My freezer is small I just don't have any of my food in there lol


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## mel (Jun 29, 2011)

It arrived today and Ozzie seems to love it, so far so good! I shall be watching his poos closely over the next few days! He also had a lamb spine bone, how long before I have to throw it away?? He hasn't finished it, but I dont know whether to wrap it up and put it in the fridge, or leave it in his crate? And should he eat it all, like a chicken wing, or just the meat off of it???


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Thats great news dx
I dont feed bones but would probably say it would be best to let him have it in the garden rather then his crate (just because of hygene) if its not finished id cover and pop in fridge ,i think the bone is more for chewing on and is good for their teeth so will last along time dx


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## sharplesfamily (Apr 28, 2011)

mel said:


> He also had a lamb spine bone, how long before I have to throw it away?? He hasn't finished it, but I dont know whether to wrap it up and put it in the fridge, or leave it in his crate? And should he eat it all, like a chicken wing, or just the meat off of it???


Hi Mel
As the lamb spine has raw meat attached, we normally let Luna have the same one for a couple of days before binning. We also wrap it and stick it in the fridge overnight. (Not sure if we need to do both of these but it is what we do.) Also, depending on what size/type of bone we give her, sometime she crunches a lot of the bone as well as the meat but rarely (if ever) eats the whole bone.



PipE said:


> It seems to me that a lot of the people that are having this feeding problem have 'poos roughly the same age- around the 4-5 month age.
> 
> Could it be that a)It's to do with a teething stage or b)They're trying to assert their authority as they head towards their 'adolescence' stage?
> 
> ...


I am far from an expert but when I was discussing Fussy Luna with Suzanne at NI, she said "Quite often puppies will often test their owners at around the age of 5-8 months with food(is she about that age?) and will look around for other options. It is important to try to be strict with her. Food should go down for 15 minutes and then be picked up again and until the next meal time. I know it does seem hard but it is a common problem and can lead to the dog becoming fussy."

What I do know though is that Luna is really liking her NI Adult food - some more than others, but she is back to eating well... at the moment.

Dave


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Dylan seems to completely dispose of most lamb spine bones fairly quickly, as they are quite soft. There is rarely anything left to bin!


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## Green Fairy (Oct 31, 2011)

Kitty4 said:


> Hi,
> 
> Im new to this forum, and a new cockapoo owner, at the risk of sounding stupid, can somebody please tell me what NI is? Thanks


I was just going to ask the same myself! Have seen lots of references on the forum to NI and gathered it was some kind of food but not sure what?! Thanks


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Green Fairy said:


> I was just going to ask the same myself! Have seen lots of references on the forum to NI and gathered it was some kind of food but not sure what?! Thanks


NI is Natural Instinct.
http://www.naturalinstinct.com
They produce a natural, complete and balanced raw diet, delivered to your door frozen in 1 kilo tubs. 
When I got Dylan, I wanted to feed a BARF diet (Biologically appropriate raw foods!) as I had dabbled with it with a previous dog, but have a very busy life and wanted an easy way of doing it. I came across Natural Instinct and was so impressed with the company and the food that I mentioned it on the forum one day. Others decided to try it and also loved it, and the news spread fast, so now a large proportion of the owners on this forum are feeding it. 
If you put NI or Natural Instinct into the search box on the forum, you'll find lots of threads about it.


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## strof51 (Sep 26, 2009)

I'm pleased to say I'm one of Helen's converts, and would not go back to feeding dry food. As for lamb spines there is never anything left, with the added bones of your vet complementing you on your dog having loverly white teeth.


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## mel (Jun 29, 2011)

Day 3 and he's still loving it. So much so that husband didnt realise I'd already fed him, and fed him again.........and not a word from Ozzie about how he'd already had his dinner! Licked the bowl clean for the 2nd time in 10 minutes!!!


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Cheeky monkey! Never yet found a dog who owned up to being fed twice


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