# What food to try next????



## MichelleE (Apr 2, 2011)

I know you are not going to believe me, but my two have completely gone off Natural Instinct 

At the start Poppy was fighting to get at her bowl, but I think she has just got bored eating the same thing (even with the odd chicken wing and bit of Orijen). So, they have been on Naturediet puppy for the last couple of days. Does anyone else use Natures Menu (barf)? My local pet shop stocks this, so could give that a go. 

I'm really disappointed they have gone off the NI, but will try again as I have some left in the freezer. Maybe when I can give a variety of flavours Poppy will approve? What age can/should you change them up to adult rather than puppy?


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

NI told me that there is hardly any difference between the adult and puppy - I think 5% difference in meat content. Call and ask them and they'll advise. The turkey and tripe went down really well with Dylan. By the way Dylan goes off his food if he has an upset tummy, such as when he gets to another dog's food. Are you certain it's not that?


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## Nadhak (Jun 4, 2011)

Oh thank goodness that I am not alone!
Treacle is the same - I think she likes a variety and gets bored quickly - so I have taken to alternating - burns puppy bites with NI - and raw mince every so often!
I bought the Natures menu lamb cubes - she loved them but then went off them!
I can leave food all day and she still will not eat it!
I have no idea if this is really bad for her stomach but we have had no signs of runny poos!
Have a large bag of royal canin puppy in the garage [always hated it but this was her breeders choice]
and have considered trying orijen - she has to go to home boarding next Tuesday but luckily the lady will even cook her roast dinner if that is her preference [she has 4 cockapoos herself] so I am taking a variety of foods for her!
Good luck and let me know - I will try another variety of natures menu and see if I can tempt her - she loved the lamb at first!


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

I know its hard to do when doing a BARF diet but if you do go back to dryed i would try giving all food in kong toys hence making the dog work for her dinner ,also you dont have to give all the food in one go you could space out through out the day so that they dont get bored or too full.
This works for my puppy and keeps him entertained ,dogs in the wild spend their whole day searching for food using their brains etc so it does make sense,worth a try????


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## caradunne (Nov 29, 2010)

Hi, Izzy has also gone off the NI and I have tried all the flavours! I don't want to go back to kibble as the NI has stopped her waxy ears and runny eyes - and I love the new style poo!!!! I have left her to starve herself for a day and a half and then gave in and added some tuna. She gobbled that up for 2 days, then looked at me as if to say, OK, now what can we try? The same thing happeded with sardines. We have had several 'battle of wills' sessions and she always wins! Unfortunately she is underweight and I can't let her keep starving herself. So, finally, I have accepted that she is fussy and gets bored with food quickly. I am going to use a variety, I have just ordered some Origen and a small bag of the mega exapensive K9 dehydrated food. I will buy some Nature Menu as well and just vary the food and see what happens. I have a freezer full of NI and am not going to give up on it!


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## caradunne (Nov 29, 2010)

Also, the plus side of this is that once again our little poos demonstrate their intelligence! They get bored and want change. They know they can manipulate us (well definately me) to get change! Don't you just love them!!!


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## Jukee Doodles (Apr 5, 2011)

*Lily's Kitchen*

The day before yesterday a customer came back with their year old Cockapoo to buy a companion puppy. They used Lily's Kitchen Organic dog food, which I had never heard of before but I'm sure other on this forum have. Their Cockapoo look in tip top condition. It's all natural products but has some brown rice in it too. Check it out and see what you think.

http://www.lilyskitchen.co.uk/

Julia x


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## Ali79 (Mar 30, 2011)

Beau was on Barking Heads with NI but went off all of it! Luckily Pets At Home take back anything that is a good food and hardly used as I have returned numerous bags of kibble and packs of food. She doesn't like raw at all now! Someone suggested putting natural yoghurt on her food which she loved for one or two meals and now wont touch that either. My local pet shop said I am worrying too much but she is under 6 months, 13 inches tall and still only weighs just over 5kgs which she has been for a while so I am concerned! She will however eat training treats and cheese!!!! Will now give Lily's Kitchen a try!


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Ali79 said:


> Beau was on Barking Heads with NI but went off all of it! Luckily Pets At Home take back anything that is a good food and hardly used as I have returned numerous bags of kibble and packs of food. She doesn't like raw at all now! Someone suggested putting natural yoghurt on her food which she loved for one or two meals and now wont touch that either. My local pet shop said I am worrying too much but she is under 6 months, 13 inches tall and still only weighs just over 5kgs which she has been for a while so I am concerned! She will however eat training treats and cheese!!!! Will now give Lily's Kitchen a try!


Light bulb moment ,have you tryed feeding her her kibble by hand?? maybe she'll eat more that way if she takes training treats???


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## Ali79 (Mar 30, 2011)

DONNA said:


> Light bulb moment ,have you tryed feeding her her kibble by hand?? maybe she'll eat more that way if she takes training treats???


Hi Donna - thank you for the tip - will give it a try as will do practically anything to make her eat 

Update...... Just tried doing some training using her kibble and she spat it out every time!!! Gave her a piece of cheese and she ate that straightaway! Back to the drawing board


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

Fortunately Millie still loves her NI, but I will be mindful of what everyone else has said here.

I only feed Millie twice a day and have done since she first went onto NI at 5 and a bit months old - advised by NI lady.

Don't know if that helps, giving the food less often. She has a small puppy dish and the 125g I give her each meal fills the bowl just nicely.


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Betty is still on James Wellbeloved puppy. She is certainly not fighting to get to it and I do get a bit stressed that she is not eating enough. Had considered changing but with all the other comments about our fussy little
dogs think it may just be worth sticking to it. Will a dog just eat if it gets hungry enough?? If we pamper to their fussiness wil they become more demanding for variety?? So many questions....


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## JulesB (Mar 6, 2011)

My Betty was soooooooooo fussy that she was eating two meals out of six when she was on kibble, and i tried a lot of them. since going on to naturediet 4 months ago i have not yet (touching wood and hoping i have not cursed this!) had any problem and she wolfs down her food. i have bought four different flavours and each time i open a new pack k open a different flavour so she only gets the same flavour once every three or four days. this seems to be working so far anyway. And i must admit since being on naturediet she does tiny and dry poos, much like what you guys who are feeding NI say your dogs do. i can tell when she's had treats from the dog walker cos of her poos!! Cockapoos and their poos!!!!


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

MillieDog said:


> Fortunately Millie still loves her NI, but I will be mindful of what everyone else has said here.
> 
> I only feed Millie twice a day and have done since she first went onto NI at 5 and a bit months old - advised by NI lady.
> 
> Don't know if that helps, giving the food less often. She has a small puppy dish and the 125g I give her each meal fills the bowl just nicely.


I have been giving Daisy about 300g but it disappears so quickly I have been concerned she is not getting enough food! She is always trying to get to the cat bowl and pinch her Iams!


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Must say just had my friend around with her cockapoo and he is skin and bone she said he hardly eats anything and he even turned his nose up at some treats i tryed to give him (Buddy had his share he wasnt going to waste them)

Prehaps some dogs just eat what they need like some people are naturally slim?? i remember saying to my vet that i thought my cat was anorexic as she was so skinny and hardly ate and he just said shes just a cat that eats what she needs and nothing more.


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## caradunne (Nov 29, 2010)

Izzy just had her year one jab, so asked the vet to feel her ribs. The vet said she is slim, not too thin and it is refreshing to find a dog that is not overweight.


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## EG1 (May 14, 2011)

Rupert hoovers up his food - barely touches the sides! He was on Pedigree puppy food originally and loved it, but I'm introducing a bit of Naturediet for variety - not sure he's even noticed! My bichon, Alfie is a whole different story - talk about fussy eater! The only food he's ever really enjoyed was Natures Menu which smelt sweet and looked really yummy. Then after being poorly with colitis he couldn't tolerate raw food any more - made him vomit. So I've been making chicken casseroles for about the last year, which he's eaten, but without enthusiasm. I'm now trying to get him on Naturediet, which he seems to like - in the hope that eventually they'll both be eating the same thing! I think it's good to add a bit of variety though with occasional fish, eggs, cottage cheese etc. So glad Rupert isn't fussy or I'd go nuts!  xx


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## MichelleE (Apr 2, 2011)

So glad its not just me - clever little buggers these cockapoos!!!

Well, I've just ordered some Natures Menu from the local pet shop to give that a try. Gave them cooked chicken (which they love) with orijen and some natural yoghurt for tea. They both ate well, but didn't quite clear their bowls. Was good to see them tucking in straight away though. I think with Poppy it is just boredom, so I'm going to try the Nature's Menu and order some adult NI and go for a variety. Will let you know how I get on. Many thanks for all your advice.


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

have you tried giving it to them frozen, maybe the difference in texture?


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## MichelleE (Apr 2, 2011)

Yep - tried frozen, partly thawed and even warmed in the microwave!!


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Hopefully if your coming on Sunday I can give you some of what they've sent me just to see if a ddifference in flavour makes a difference... can bring you some homemade as well but that might start you down a different route x


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## MichelleE (Apr 2, 2011)

Sounds good - will be there!


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

caradunne said:


> Izzy just had her year one jab, so asked the vet to feel her ribs. The vet said she is slim, not too thin and it is refreshing to find a dog that is not overweight.


Oh that's good Cara - so Izzy is the right weight and not underweight after all then.

I took Flo for an 18 month check and the vet said not to let her go lower than her current 10.5kg but she was just right and very fit. She said that some people take their dogs to the vet feeling bony like Flo and she has to reassure them that the dog is an ideal weight and not underweight. How much NI is Izzy having a day at the moment? Flo (at 10.5kg) is having 200g per day plus around 50g training treats (Origen kibble) and about 3 raw bones per week.


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

Dylansmum said:


> NI told me that there is hardly any difference between the adult and puppy - I think 5% difference in meat content. Call and ask them and they'll advise. The turkey and tripe went down really well with Dylan. By the way Dylan goes off his food if he has an upset tummy, such as when he gets to another dog's food. Are you certain it's not that?


I think NI said adult would be fine for a puppy but not to give a puppy the Working dog NI with extra vitamin C as puppies system are maturing to 'make their own' vitamin C and if you give them Working NI when they are young it would inhibit or suppress their ability to 'make their own' vit C.


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

I'm increasing Dylan's food a little as he's lost a bit of weight. He's just about right now, I think, at about 9.3 kilos - ribs feel good. I think he's very active and seems to need more than the recommended amount, so I reckon about 250g a day.


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## caradunne (Nov 29, 2010)

Hi Mandy, I was very relieved to hear the vet's verdict as you can imagine. So now I am not so bothered about her not eating! Generally she has about 220 g a day, which, for her 6.3ks is a lot. However her weight fluctuates between 5.9 and 6.3ks and she certainly can't get any thinner. I reduce that amount on days she has a lot of treats. She has a few bones and some sheep poo! She is so active and clearly needs the extra calories. 

She is now tending to want to eat only once per day - do you think that is OK? Does any one else's poo do this?


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

My friends cockapoo came over yesterday and he was very very thin she said he just never eats do you think this is common in cockapoos or just dogs in general?


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

caradunne said:


> Hi Mandy, I was very relieved to hear the vet's verdict as you can imagine. So now I am not so bothered about her not eating! Generally she has about 220 g a day, which, for her 6.3ks is a lot. However her weight fluctuates between 5.9 and 6.3ks and she certainly can't get any thinner. I reduce that amount on days she has a lot of treats. She has a few bones and some sheep poo! She is so active and clearly needs the extra calories.
> 
> She is now tending to want to eat only once per day - do you think that is OK? Does any one else's poo do this?


Cara I now feed Rufus just once a day in the evening when all walks and exercise are finished. Rufus was always a bit of a fussy eater and I often ended up having to hand feed him kibble. I did a lot of reading up on the BARF diet and what goes in to most kibbles (some are far better than others!) and decided never to feed kibble again. 

To begin with Rufus wolfed down his BARF and then went through a period of being fussy. It probably took a good 2 months for him to get back to wolfing down his BARF. I do my own which works out virtually half the price of NI.

In terms of fussiness, I don't believe a dog will EVER starve itself. I likened feeding BARF verses kibble to feeding my children a healthy diet with plenty of vegetables verses Macdonalds burger and chips on a daily basis. My kids when they were younger would have loved fast food everyday but there is no way I was going to let them! They are now happy healthy teenagers who will try almost anything new too! I KNOW that BARF is the best diet for my dogs and so I stuck with it.

I found Rufus was more likely to down his food with enthusiasm if he was fed just once, last thing in the evening and for him it has worked a treat. Rufus was 18 months old when I put him on to BARF (of course once a day feeding is not appropriate for puppies). The beauty of BARF is that there is so much variety, especially if you do your own. I will do a thread in a couple of weeks when I have Basil and things have settled down into a routine.

I also believe that changing a dogs diet on a weekly basis encourages a dog to be fussy. However, it is absolutely horrible when your dog refuses to eat so I feel for all you mummies out there! Trust me, I have been there! Do your research, choose your diet and stick with it. Your dog will not starve itself unless there is anything inherently wrong.

Karen x


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## ali-s.j. (Jun 6, 2011)

That would be great Karen  Izzy is certainly a very keen eater, wolfs her N.I. down 3 times a day. I'd be really up for doing my own BARF in the future


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

I just had to give Millie NaturesMenu this morning. My son gave Millie nearly a double portion of NI last night, so when I came to give her her breakfast I realised that there was only a mouthful left in tuppaware box 

So my emergency sachet of NaturesMenu came out, Lamb & Rice and she hoovered it up. I guess now the test is to see if she'll enjoy her NI again tonight. And in the meantime no nasty tummy troubles during the day.


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## Maxwell (Mar 9, 2011)

Hi - can I ask when you first started giving your dogs natural intinsts did you dogs take to it straight away or like Max just sniff it then walk off, I must admit I did get upset as after reading all the great feedback was sure he would love it !


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

Niki read my post on the previous page. It took Rufus approx 2 months of on / off interest before he started to wolf it down reliably. 

Karen x


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## curt3007 (May 28, 2011)

I hand fed for hte first day as George was a bit unsure about the texture, didn't take him long though and now he absolutely loves it


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## Maxwell (Mar 9, 2011)

Thanks Karen, have now read it.


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## Maxwell (Mar 9, 2011)

Jayne I think I will try hand feeding as he does seem unsure and he is fussy. I know it is my fault (husband says) that I spoil him with other food i.e (meat etc), but I am going to try not to this time, but it is so hard when they look at you as if to say what is this that you are feeding me. The thing is he is over a year now !


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## Nadhak (Jun 4, 2011)

I hand fed Treacle NI Turkey and tripe last night - well gave it her from her fork - she loved it - did not touch it when in her bowl!
What a little fuss pot I have - today she has had sticky poo and seems to be really struggling to poo properly - do you think this is down to NI - she did have much more than normal ?


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