# Advice on Natural Instinct please



## Cris (Jun 15, 2011)

Hi, Keltie went off her Hills Science Plan, and after a few days turning her nose up at it I gave in and offered her some sausage - she devoured it. So I thought right we have a meat eater here (if you can call sausages 'meat'!) and I decided to give Natural Instinct a go. Got my delivery on Thursday and just assumed she would wolf it all down, but unfortunately she didn't seem keen so I mixed some sausage with it and hey presto she started to eat! 

However, she is sifting through it and spitting bits of NI on floor, but eating some NI as well. I was hoping to wean the sausage out but at the moment I daren't. Is this usual? Has anyone else had this problem? 

I was hoping to cut out all processed food - is this going to be possible or should I not worry about the odd bit of sausage? Advice warmly welcomed. x


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

I think its probably because the sausage is cooked and NI isn't, my dog hates raw meat, he likes raw bones but not meat.We use barking heads kibble as it suits me and him but your dog may just need a few days to get used to it. You could try lightly steaming it, I know it defeats the object of raw but may be worth a try?


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

its always best to try them on some cheep mince first before you in bulck. 


i cant coment in NI as iv never used it, but it could be the textur that is putting her off. the fact that the meat and the bone are ground together. it might just feel funny in her mouth.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Surprised she does nt like it... have you ordered all the same flavour. Rather than sausage i suppose you could buy mince, turkey/pork and sprinkle on a small amount and then wean it off. Good luck x


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

Now you have the food I would try mixing stuff in with it (but not kibble) - try goats yoghurt, tuna or raw egg. You could also try giving it frozen so it isn't as sloppy. I would also call Natural Instinct as they give really good advice and may have other ideas on the best way to encourage a dog onto a raw diet


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

All cockapoos seem to be extremely fussy eaters! I tried Dexter on all sorts of food with my vet complaining he was getting thin and not putting on weight before I finally decided that he is just a skinny dog! He doesn't seem any thinner that any of the many other cockapoos I have met on our 'Poo Fests' and has boundless energy. I decided to stick with Natural Instinct as it seems to suit him the best but he is never enthusiastic about his meals. Frankfurter sausage I use small pieces of as a treat as it is about the only treat he likes. My advice is to stick with it and she may grow used to it. At least you know it's a heathy choice for her.


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## Cris (Jun 15, 2011)

wilfiboy said:


> Surprised she does nt like it... have you ordered all the same flavour. Rather than sausage i suppose you could buy mince, turkey/pork and sprinkle on a small amount and then wean it off. Good luck x


I got half chicken and half turkey. I will perservere with it as I think it looks good - I was quite worried my husband might mistake it for his tea as it looks a bit like my spaghetti bolognese!


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## caradunne (Nov 29, 2010)

I also put it in the microwave for 10 seconds to take off the chill. I have to put something with the NI to get Izzy to eat it and have found that if I use a small potion of a good quality wet food eg Naturediet, Natures Menu, Applause, tin sardines or tuna to add smell, then Izzy really loves it.


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## sharplesfamily (Apr 28, 2011)

Blimey your lot are fussy!! From Day 1 Luna has devoured her part frozen bowl of NI, even with a stomach upset. It's literally gone in 1 minute & we rarely mix it with anything. Good old Luna .

Definitely try mixing sardines or raw egg or pink salmon or anything really with it to see if that helps??


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## michaelwatson54 (Jun 24, 2011)

sharplesfamily said:


> Blimey your lot are fussy!! From Day 1 Luna has devoured her part frozen bowl of NI, even with a stomach upset. It's literally gone in 1 minute & we rarely mix it with anything. Good old Luna .
> 
> Definitely try mixing sardines or raw egg or pink salmon or anything really with it to see if that helps??


Dito Alfie & Milo eat anything and everything in seconds that includes anything that they come across whilst out walking. I also counted 12 small stones in one of Alfie's stools today so been busy replacing stones with slabs this afternoon
But they mostly have a Chicken Carcus or NI


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## EG1 (May 14, 2011)

Rupert has absolutely no idea what he's eating - everything just gets hoovered up in seconds then he's off like a rat up a drainpipe to see if Alfie's left anything. Makes life easy, but a shame his taste buds don't get a tad more use!


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Buddy will eat anything also and loves his NI ,prehaps she likes the sausage because of the smell and NI has no smell.I would try like others have said heating it up abit in the microwave this might help ,im sure if you stick with it it will be fine.


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

Take it out the fridge so it comes up to room temperature before giving it. It might be that its too cold..

I feed Millie after her morning walk so she's ravanous by the time we get in. 

She has enjoyed her NI from day 1. But then I think she was starving as she hardly ate her kibble.


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## Cris (Jun 15, 2011)

Thanks for all the help - today I left food in fridge mixed with less sausage and some cooked potato for my mum to feed her one portion at lunch time and the other was for tea. When I got home BOTH portions were gone so I rang my mum and she said Keltie wolfed the first bowl down and they cried for more! So I think we have a breakthrough! 

However, she must still have been hungry as once she'd finished both lots she somehow climbed on a stool and reached a £20 note I'd left on the worktop and ran off with it in her mouth - mum said she looked hilarious and luckily managed to catch her in time to retrieve my money! Think she's gonna end up costing me a fortune!


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

Glad to hear food went down well today.

As regards the £20 note....me thinks you need to train Keltie :devil:


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