Rockafella

you could try real fish? canned sardines are cheap. My puppy absolutely loves the days he gets them in with his dinner.

my stafford pup is absolutely thriving on an all raw diet. I even tried him on the super expensive "biologically appropriate" Orijen and that disagreed with him. I say go for it (the raw diet), and if it's not right for him - just find what he does do best on. My vet kept telling me to put him on Hills Science - but first ingredient - cereal... I very diplomatically declined.

he's going really, really well. He loves everything we feed him and he's looking really healthy and happy! You're advice was spot on and now I'm only ever picking up small hard white poos with NO smell at all.. even the fresh ones don't have a smell which is fantastic! Thanks so much for the great advice!!

I've had no consistency with my stafford pup's poos since being on the Orijen (as previously posted). And OMG the wind could make you puke!!! So thanks to some great advice from DOL postes (see puppy problems forum) he's been on a raw diet since last Thursday - and he's had a 200% turnaround... not ONE SINGLE runny poo and NO WIND!!!!!!!!! He's also gone from gobbling down his dry in about 30 seconds to at least a 5-10 min chomp on his wings/necks, which is great. So the Orijen has now gone to the cupboard for emergencies only and he's a raw food boy now - and loving it!!!!!

Update - he's now on a raw diet.. and no longer eats his poos at all... his rear end has cleared up and he doesnt have wind either. So I guess the Orijen is great... but not for all dogs... it truly is what's best for YOUR dog is the best!!!!

QUICK UPDATE... I've had Rocky on wings since Thursday night and his poos have firmed right up, he also has NO wind at all and is doing just great! So now he can happily be where he wants to be all the time.. in our bed!!! Thanks heaps for all the advice given and if anyone out there is freaking out a little bit about going raw, the DOL'ers are just great for offering top advice that works!!!! And it is just as easy to throw your dog some raw meat etc than it is to scoop dry out of a bag!!!! Who would have thought!!!

Thanks PPS, you're a legend!! And I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who was freaked out at how hard "raw" was, when in fact it's not at all.

Actually I've changed my mind.. I'm stopping in at the pet food shop tonight to get supplies up.. no time like the present hey!!!

yep! And thank you, thank you, thank you one and all for your advice!!!! I do have some turkey mince in the freezer and some chicken necks.. so tomorrow I'll start him.. and keep the dry for emergencies only! I'm sooo excited now!!! I guess I just overanalysed the whole food thing.. basic is best and raw is even better!!!! Cheers

Thanks PPS. I used to feed my beloved rottweiler carcases in the morning and raw mince (chicken/turkey/roo or a veg mix) with a little dry mixed in at night. Would this diet be ok to give to a him???? Not necesarily the carcases - since he's much smaller than a rottweiler - but maybe necks, flaps etc in the morning and a good quality pet mince/chucks etc with some dry at night? I have to small kids and a hectic life already and so I'm a bit freaked out over the thought of having to prepare freshly made meals for the dog aswell, if you know what I mean. I'm just a little overwhelmed I guess at how small and young he is, I'm used to a dog who'd eat anything and everything and was in perfect condition (weight/coat/temprament) his whole 9 1/2 years. Sorry for all the questions... I guess I should just trust my judgement - and the Orijin just may be too high in protein and too rich for his belly to handle.

I feed Rocky twice a day.. around 6:30am and around 5pm. He's 10 kg and nearly 5 months old. But it's in the late evening (around 8pm) that he goes out for a #2 and normally proceeds to eat it (and it's usually a runny one). It's at no other time of the day (that I've noticed anyway). It's been suggested to me that I should either maybe wait till around 6-6:30 to feed him - or break his night meal up into 2 smaller meals and spread them out - maybe 5pm and 8pm. Would anyone else agree that maybe, just maybe he's eating his poos out of hunger/boredom and that this could be the answer??

thanks for all the suggestions!!! I might just give the raw diet a try. And as for the amount of dry he's getting - it's what's reccommended on the packaging... It's Origin Puppy... 16-26 weeks, 5-10kg - 1 3/4 - 2 1/2 cups per day.. So I'm just doing what's advised. Once again thanks!!!!

thanks guys!!! I'll get rid of the rawhide for sure!! He's close to 10kg and he has 1 cup on the morning and 1 cup in the evening.

Cheers Nekhbet. And you're right, the well digested poo's aren't the ones he's interested in which is why I'm suss about why he's so up and down (well put!!!) They are fantastic and I'm sooo glad to see them! In a typical day he does 3-4 good ones - and at least 2 runnies

Thanks Terrorbull. I do pick them all up asap.. I do a daily bucket run... but the really runny ones are the only ones he eats.. not the nice ones!!!