Gomez the Norfolk

thanks, I think we'll start with the ribs, they seem to be the "safest" bet for now, and work up to the wings and marrow bones - will he just chew, or do pieces come off and he swallows? Will there be anything left of the bone? How long should I let him go with it? do I need to adjust gis regular food at all?

Been thinking of maybe giving Gomez a bone sometimes - not necessarily to replace a meal, but for him to chew and clean his teeth - I'm not even sure he will like it it, but thought I might try... What would be a good "intro" bone? Can bones be given as a snack? I want to keep him on his kibble as his main food source. I know that they should be raw and not weight bearing bones... He is 2 years old, weighs about 7.5 kilos and is healthy with no teeth problems. He does tend to gulp things rather than chew them nicely, so I think if I presented him with a chicken neck it would be swallowed whole thanks!

I think they do, but why not give them a call and ask? www.eaglepack.com.au all their contact info is on there...

I'm so glad you resuscitated this thread, I've been trying to find it! We're here! Let's go, I'll pm you...

On the subject of yogurt, not all dogs can digest it - Gomez gets a wicked case of the runs if I feed him yogurt - so we stay away from it - maybe he's "lactose intolerant", who knows... Some dogs can have it and not have a problem at all...

Feed your dog whatever you like and whatever he does well on, but please, do some research into what goes into dog food and the quality of the ingredients. They are not "all pretty much the same" there are huge differences in quality and production. Some pet foods have been found to contain traces of euthanasia chemicals in them... There is a lot of information in this forum alone.

He is sooooo cute! He does look a bit like Gomez, just more curly... adorable. With the EP, either holistic or regular, you should be feeding a bit less than the Advance, the nutrients are more densley packed, so less quantity food gives more nutrients - look at the feeding guidelines on the bag - it is possible he is eating too much too fast. The changeover can be done over two weeks, start with half and half and then taper off the Advance until you have just EP, in the meantime, keep an eye on the portion size that he eats.

Semantics, oakways, I think you will find that most people refer to dry dog food as kibble and vice versa... Eagle Pack Holistic is by no means an inferior product, and the standards are consistent throughout and guaranteed.

Eagle Pack Holistic, Nutro, Naural Balance, Innova - these are ALL complete foods. Kibble is dry dog food -

kibble is dry dog food...

Yes GTN - we have all heard your opinion plenty times before Perhaps you can try telling people what you think is good without dragging down the names of other brands of food you've never even bought? BTW - Where DO you get your info concerning Nutro not being popular? Sorry but just seems you pulled that statistic out of your If you're gonna sprout "facts" you need to back them up! -WithEverythingIAm Whoa.... back up there... I did not drag any names down, I simply said that while Nutro is good, there are better brands... there are also better brands than Eagle Pack Holistic, but they're just not available in Australia. I used to feed Gomez Burns in the UK, I consider that superior to EPH, which he gets now, but hey, I can't get it here... Listen, If EPH wasn't sold here I would probably feed the Nutro, but I'll make that choice as and when... It's a shame that we can't get some of the other brands such as Orijen, Canidae, Timberwolf Organics, Merrick, etc - at least we would have more choice. As for "statistics" and "facts" I didn't quote numbers or percentages - I lived in the US for 15 years and I am aware of what people tend feed their dogs, that's all At the end of the day, if you like what you are feeding your dog, and the dog is doing well on it, then that's all the "endorsement" you need, eh?

Yes, I meant Advance dry. I was advised to buy by the pet store. Corn is the second ingredient. I do supplement his food with vitamins, flaxseed oil and probiotics. Tonight for the first time, I gave him some minced chicken roast and cooked beans, carrot, mixed with kibble and canned food. He loved it! Licked the empty bowl for about 3 mins afterwards. He also seems a lot more placid on a part natural diet. Will see what his poo looks like. I think I will continue to supplement his food with some extras from my meals before I add seasoning to them. I called Eagle Pack for some samples today. I read on this forum that their poo is not as firm with Eagle Pack, but the forum post didnt indicate Holistic or normal range Eagle Pack. By the way, your little Gomez is a cutie. You've got some great advice. Sounds like you're on the right track, phasing out the Advance - Gomez's poo is fine on the EPH, he's tried the anchovy, the chicken and now the duck formula and gobbles them all... When you stop feeding the Advance, and if you have a lot keft, there was a suggestion a few weeks ago that unwanted food could be donated to shelters or rescues... Where's a picture of your little guy?

Nutro did not have any KIBBLE recalled either - The only kibble in Australia which was recalled was Hills. I personally found with my fussy Boxer he LOVES Nutro, and doesn't really like EP at all... -WithEverythingIAm Fair enough about the Nutro kibble, but in my opinion, even one product in the brand that is recalled, wether it's kibble or canned or pouched, is enough for "ME" not to trust the brand... to me it speaks volumes on quality control, that' all. Having said that, Nutro is considered a super-premium in Australia (not so much in the US or Canada where there are greater choices) and lots of people feed it here with good results, but it's not for me. If your boxer loves it, and you're happy with it, that's fab!

The canned Eagle Pack is fine, it's the Advance that is not so good... Is that what you meant?

In my opinion, Eagle Pack Holistic is the best kible you can get in Australia - My second choice would be the DVP Natural Balance, but they did have some products recalled in the US in the recent pet food drama, and to me that says lack of quality control in general. EPH did nothave any products recalled... There is also Innova and Innova EVO, but they're only available atPet's Paradise...

You are correct, first ingredient corn is NOT right! Science Diet and Hills are not great quality either... Can you buy Tahni's food at a petstore or online and get her onto a better quality food? I just realized I did not add the link to The Dog Food Project in the previous post - sorry! Here it is: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

But she's already on Royal Canin. I thought that was good for them??? Royal Canin doesn't use the best of ingredients and it is full of fillers - it is not a super-premium brand that uses holistic or human grade ingredients - have a look at this website and then read the label on a pack of RC and a pack of Nutro or Eagle Pack Holistic or DVP Natural Balance. I don't think your vet will carry Nutro -

Just like kids go nuts over fast food or sugary cereals! A lot of the cheapo stuff is covered in rancid fat, salt and/or sugar to make it attractive to dogs..

Tahni is a smart cookie! Maybe you can take this opportunity to upgrade her to a better quality food with less fillers and better ingredients?

Unfortunately, the cheaper kibbles ususally have corn and "all the fillers and things that are just crap" as you said that you're trying to avoid.. If you want a kibble without fillers, you will have to go to the Nutro, Eagle Pack, etc... I don't want Gomez eating any of that stuff, so for me, the "extra bucks" are totally worth it, certainly saves on vet bills!

Last week Gomez got stripped, the next day he had a few little bumps on his back, we figured it was just the stripping - yesterday I noticed some of the little bumps had become crusty and flaky, sort of dandruff-y, not a lot, just enough to notice if you look really closely and he started scratching and rolling a bit more than usual... Vet tolds us folliculitis and prescribed 10 days of Rilexine On Monday I gave him a bath with Aloveen Is there anything else I can be doing? Does this go away quickly?

Never yogurt for Gomez - it would make his bowels much worse! I will boil some skinless chicken in water with a carrot or some pumpkin (only, no salt, or stock cubes) and feed the chicken with some overcooked brown rice and a bit of the stock mixed in - then cool off what's left of the stock and put in his water dish to encourage drinking. If it's summer, I'll put some of the stock in ice cube trays and let him suck on a frozen stock cube... keeps him hydrated and he feels he's getting more than water... hehehe

None, it gives Gomez the runs....

Good to hear they're doing well and nicely lubricated!

Eagle Pack Holistic does not use by-products, and they have a fish version which is good for older dogs - As for the Euk biscuits, I woudn't give those, better to give them higher quality treats - maybe they're causing the porblems... even one, with small dogs, could be the problem Before you change diets again, I would go to the vet, though, especially as they are older, if only for your peace of mind...