Gone Off Her Food?

[PoppyDog]

Poppy is 8 months old and has always been fed on Supercoat puppy. In addition to this she has had minced chicken frames (something we haven't done in a while), meaty bones and a raw egg or two each week. If we have left over chicken or beef meat, sausages etc she will also get that with her Supercoat.

On Saturday night we went to a friends place for a BBQ. THey have a 4 month old Border Collie so both dogs had some left over BBQ meat along with their dry food.

On Sunday morning Poppy happily ate her dry food. And Sunday night she was at Varicool's house having a sleepover and apparently she chowed down her supercoat then too. This morning she turned her nose up at it but then ate it when Varicool made a game of it and threw it around for her to eat.

Tonight I gave her some Supercoat & a whole raw egg. She ate the egg but left the supercoat. ;)

Poppy has NEVER turned down her food or ANY food for that matter. But our friends Border Collie went off his Supercoat Puppy. Just stopped eating it.

So I'm wondering if this is something dogs do? Get sick of their dry food?

Any suggestions? Tips? Advice?

[ellz]

Have you ever tried the stuff? I'd knock it back too! ;)

[PoppyDog]

Have you ever tried the stuff? I'd knock it back too! ;)

I obviously haven't eaten my dogs food.

And with all due respect I am after constructive advice and ideas.

I am willing to try new things but as a newbie I am VERY confused when it comes to providing a nutritionally balanced and budget worthy diet.

[ellz]

Have you ever tried the stuff? I'd knock it back too! ;)

I obviously haven't eaten my dogs food.

And with all due respect I am after constructive advice and ideas.

I am willing to try new things but as a newbie I am VERY confused when it comes to providing a nutritionally balanced and budget worthy diet.

Actually very seriously, many people do taste their dog dry food.

And I'm being very serious....as dry foods go, you can do a LOT better than Supercoat.

I WAS a die-hard Supercoat feeder for many years. Fed it to my adults, recommended it for my puppies. Until a few years back it appeared to undergo a change of formulation and it wasn't the same after that. Dry skin, dull coats, itches, voluminous SMELLY output.

Incidentally, there is no nutritional benefit in mincing chicken frames.

[Staff'n'Toller]

She might be just waiting around to see if any more chicken frames or bbq meat is on offer.

[rubiton]

Offer the dry food and after a time take it away - gone til next scheduled feeding. If there are no other problems tend to agree with staff n toller. Dont give the dog any alternative in between offering the dry food again. A healthy dog wont starve itself but one training you to give it only the fun stuff might try it. They wont do it for more than a couple of days - so if it went on would contact your vet.

However if there are any other symptoms apart from refusing the dry food ring the vet in case there may be an actual problem.

[persephone]

Actually very seriously, many people do taste their dog dry food.

*nods* !

yes- don't make a game of it .. food is there- if she doesn't eat it, well, nothing else til next meal time . easy if she's healthy she'll eat.

However if there are any other symptoms apart from refusing the dry food ring the vet in case there may be an actual problem.

;)

yes!!!!

[Crisovar]

Some dogs go off 2 meals a day, maybe she simply isn't hungry.

Let her skip a meal, then put down her normal meal next time and see what she does.

I would look at a better quality dry food though.

[Gayle.]

I am feeding my dogs on Supercoat at the moment, due to lack of anything better that I can afford and they like. One of them is getting Uncle Albers and he doesn't mind it, but the other one won't eat it, mores the pity because they do very well on it.

My dogs love Supercoat.......in the past they have had Eagle Pack, Nutrience, Pro Plan and Pro Plan Selects and a variety of other high and mid range kibble and they are doing better on Supercoat than they've done on some of the "better" foods. Coats are soft and shiny, skin is clear and elastic and they are looking good. Output is more than raw meaty bones but not as bad as I'd expected it to be.

My puppy gets Supercoat Puppy, he prefers it mixed with sardines but if none are forthcoming, he eats the plain kibble. Sometimes it takes a few minutes for him to get the picture that he's not getting a topping on it but once it's clicked, he chows down happily enough, although probably doesn't hoover through it as fast as if there's sardines on it.

[PoppyDog]

Have you ever tried the stuff? I'd knock it back too!

I obviously haven't eaten my dogs food.

And with all due respect I am after constructive advice and ideas. ;)

I am willing to try new things but as a newbie I am VERY confused when it comes to providing a nutritionally balanced and budget worthy diet.

Actually very seriously, many people do taste their dog dry food.

And I'm being very serious....as dry foods go, you can do a LOT better than Supercoat.

I WAS a die-hard Supercoat feeder for many years. Fed it to my adults, recommended it for my puppies. Until a few years back it appeared to undergo a change of formulation and it wasn't the same after that. Dry skin, dull coats, itches, voluminous SMELLY output.

Incidentally, there is no nutritional benefit in mincing chicken frames.

Okay, not that committed! Cannot bring myself to taste the dry food!

As for there being no nutritional benefit in minced chicken frames...are you kidding me??? What about the meat and bones???

Am more confused now than I EVER was!

Offer the dry food and after a time take it away - gone til next scheduled feeding. If there are no other problems tend to agree with staff n toller. Dont give the dog any alternative in between offering the dry food again. A healthy dog wont starve itself but one training you to give it only the fun stuff might try it. They wont do it for more than a couple of days - so if it went on would contact your vet.

However if there are any other symptoms apart from refusing the dry food ring the vet in case there may be an actual problem.

Thanks! Will try this. She is completely fine. Her normal happy self. She was a bit quiet but she had a sleepover with Varicool & her puppies and the night before that a playdate with a VERY energetic BC so I think she is just warn out! Will keep an eye on her though!

Some dogs go off 2 meals a day, maybe she simply isn't hungry.

Let her skip a meal, then put down her normal meal next time and see what she does.

I would look at a better quality dry food though.

Hmm, didn't think of this. Will see how she goes with dinner tonight. This morning I served up her breaky and put it outside before I went to work and she just walked away from the bowl! She has NEVER done that before....EVER!!! So maybe she isn't hungry??? But it seems so unlike our Poppy to refuse food!

[ellz]

As for there being no nutritional benefit in minced chicken frames...are you kidding me??? What about the meat and bones???

You'll see that the quote said "no nutritional benefit in MINCING chicken frames" not that there is NO nutritional benefit in minced chicken frames.

DON'T mince the frames....feed them whole, mincing is a waste of time and energy for a young dog, or most dogs for that matter and they also get the benefit of tearing the frames apart and the whole bones massaging teeth to help clean them.

[PoppyDog]

As for there being no nutritional benefit in minced chicken frames...are you kidding me??? What about the meat and bones???

You'll see that the quote said "no nutritional benefit in MINCING chicken frames" not that there is NO nutritional benefit in minced chicken frames.

DON'T mince the frames....feed them whole, mincing is a waste of time and energy for a young dog, or most dogs for that matter and they also get the benefit of tearing the frames apart and the whole bones massaging teeth to help clean them.

Ahhhh! Okay, I see. Way to confuse a newbie!

Will have to try the chicken frame thing.

[persephone]

Chicken frames are great Yes, no mincing needed!

[PoppyDog]

So what would be a well balanced, easy, budget friendly diet for an 8 month old CKCS X?

Do I get rid of the Supercoat completely? Do I alternate it with chicken frames? Can I give chicken frames frozen? Or do I need to buy fresh every few days (pain in the butt!).

I know A LOT of people are against commercial food but TBH as someone who has never owned a dog until recently I feel more comfortable with this type of feeding because I KNOW they are nutritionally balanced. So is it worth my while in changing brands?

HELP!!!

[rubiton]

If she is doing well on the supercoat cant see a reason to change. We use to feed it as it was perfect to go in the food ball and buster cube. We also ended up with very shiny healthy looking doves/pigeons that would turn up outside in the morning waiting for the dogs to have her food ball so they could have breakfast on the bits she missed. The only reason we stopped using it was that the pedigree food that she also did well on came in bigger bags so was easier to buy in bulk and store than the supercoat.

So the dog did well on it and the birds did well on it.

However has she started eating again as its been a couple of days now - if not give your vet a call just to ask for advice.

Edited August 17, 2010 by rubiton

[SueM]

I didn't realize the food was Supercoat, I am not a fan of the stuff myself, but Poppy looks so well and her coat is beautiful as well. Maybe she smelt the Natures Gift my two were getting yes she wanted it and decided she is keen on that. Sunday they played non stop for two hours as well, could be worn out or waiting for some more barbecued meat.

Edited August 17, 2010 by varicool

[cj-b]

So what would be a well balanced, easy, budget friendly diet for an 8 month old CKCS X?

Do I get rid of the Supercoat completely? Do I alternate it with chicken frames? Can I give chicken frames frozen? Or do I need to buy fresh every few days (pain in the butt!).

I know A LOT of people are against commercial food but TBH as someone who has never owned a dog until recently I feel more comfortable with this type of feeding because I KNOW they are nutritionally balanced. So is it worth my while in changing brands?

HELP!!!

Hi, I wouldn't take her completely off the Supercoat if she is doing well on it.

All dogs are different, what works well for one, doesn't the other and visa versa, and this reflects on the advice and opinions you will hear.

I personally know of a breeder that has recently won best of breed at the Ekka show, and she feeds all her dogs and puppies, Supercoat Puppy, as well as fresh chicken wings and and chix mince, with the occasional sardines mixed into the kibble, thats it. So it can't be all bad for every dog. And it's a bonus its cheap.

If you really want to change kibbles (which I don't think you should, if your dog does well on it, just because a few people comment it's not a good food), look at the ingredients, don't make your decision based on what is written on the front of the bag. Personally, I don't think Supercoat is bad at all, especially when you compare it to some so called premium dog foods that are 4 times the price.

As an idea, maybe give one meal 3/4 Supercoat with 1/4 Chix mince (lennards do a mince of meat and bone for $1.50/kg), the next a chix wing or frame or whatever chix bone you choose, necks are great for small dogs.

Good luck with your doggy.

Edited August 17, 2010 by cj-b

[Casey & BC Kiara]

So what would be a well balanced, easy, budget friendly diet for an 8 month old CKCS X?

Do I get rid of the Supercoat completely? Do I alternate it with chicken frames? Can I give chicken frames frozen? Or do I need to buy fresh every few days (pain in the butt!).

I know A LOT of people are against commercial food but TBH as someone who has never owned a dog until recently I feel more comfortable with this type of feeding because I KNOW they are nutritionally balanced. So is it worth my while in changing brands?

HELP!!!

Hey I know how you feel! I have owned a dog for all of 4 months and their diet is by far the most confusing and detailed thing I have come across!!! Personally, my puppy is on a raw barf diet but I am considering changing her to a raw prey diet or 50-50. After reading the ingredients on dry pet food and feeding her raw for just one week I was convinced it was the best way to go. A lot of people are concerned about feeding raw due to bacteria etc but dogs have a much shorter digestional tract to humans which greatly reduces the chance of food poisoning plus they have different stomach acids which break down bacteria. Plus research studies comparing dry dog biscuits and raw dog food have shown that both have high levels of bacteria in them - in fact some forms of bacteria were found to be higher in dry food eaters!

Anyway, I strongly recommend you do your own personal research, as I am still doing my own - there is soo much information out there. In fact, I am considering consulting a local hollistic vet who specialises in diet and allergies. A lot of vets will condemn raw feeding, simply due to a lack of knoweldge; they think you just feed your dog a lump of mince and that its, while others are actually sponsored by dog food companies.

Hope this helps

[Crisovar]

A lot of vets will condemn raw feeding, simply due to a lack of knoweldge; they think you just feed your dog a lump of mince and that its, while others are actually sponsored by dog food companies.

Hope this helps smile.gif

Where does this crap come from, in all the years I have worked in the Veterinary Industry (nearly 30) I have never come across a Vet who is sponsored by a dog food company.

[Remarkabull]

I don't know about vets being 'sponsered' by food companies but I have worked for 3 different vet clinics and been a client of many more and more than 50% of them have all but shoved Science Diet down everyones throat. I have been given the 'talk' about how SD is so great and I should give it to my dogs if I want the best for them so many times over the years. I also know vets that wouldn't stock it if their lives depended on it. Some of them (usually the new, just finished uni ones) really do believe that it is the best food available, however others, I believe, are motivated by $$$. This also go's for many of the 'premium' brands sold at Vet Clinics. I think the best thing is to research all different types of pet food and then make a decision that works for you and your pet.