Advice on Dachshund Puppy changing from Raw

[Lisa Smith]

Hi There,
This is the first time I have posted but would love some advice please ? I have a 5 year old Jack Russell Cross who is our baby, she is currently on 1/2 pouch of wet food handful of biscuits and small amount of Chicken. We have just welcomed a lovely mini Dachshund puppy into the family who came to us on a raw diet. As much as I would like to keep him on this unfortunately it isn't practical. I work part time and dont want to leave raw food down knowing of the risk of bacteria etc. Also my other dog is taking some of his food. She is fussy and would soon refuse it and Id have the same issue with leaving it down. I want the best for him, so what is the best for him being a puppy and his breed.
Thanks in advance
Lisa

 

[JoanneF]

Have a look at www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk

It is an independent dog food comparison website which scores all types of foods (dry, raw, wet) out of 100. You can set filters for your dog's breed, weight, age etc. and for your daily budget; then you can add in any specific needs you have such as aiming for weight loss or avoiding specific ingredients. The website will automatically show the foods listed in order of what the assessors believe is best quality, and it also will show daily feeding cost (calculated from your dog's age and weight) so you can see what gives you best value for money. It has its limitations but it's a decent place to start.

 

[Lisa Smith]

Have a look at www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk

It is an independent dog food comparison website which scores all types of foods (dry, raw, wet) out of 100. You can set filters for your dog's breed, weight, age etc. and for your daily budget; then you can add in any specific needs you have such as aiming for weight loss or avoiding specific ingredients. The website will automatically show the foods listed in order of what the assessors believe is best quality, and it also will show daily feeding cost (calculated from your dog's age and weight) so you can see what gives you best value for money. It has its limitations but it's a decent place to start.

Ah thank you so much I will have a look

 

[JudyN]

Are you planning to leave the food down for the dogs when they're unsupervised? This could be a recipe for disaster if either should be guardy - or if either should wolf the other's food down, so you end up with one overweight and one very hungry.

It's best, if possible, for dogs to be fed away from each other, and for them to eat their food in one go, as soon as it is put down. If your older dog tends to graze, it's worth considering whether she's getting more than she needs or the food isn't enticing enough. If you did convert them to eating their meals in one go, this would mean that you wouldn't need to change the new pup's diet.

This isn't based on my own experience, just on what I've picked up elsewhere... my dog wouldn't dream of eating every morsel just as fast as he can get it down his neck!

 

[excuseme]

As @JudyN has mentioned. Teach your dogs to eat their food when it is given. Leaving food to be eaten at their leisure is not a good idea. It would be better if you remove what is not eaten after 10 to 15 minutes and either offer it again at the next feed time, or you could also offer less food at meal times, so that the dogs are looking for the next meal. This is much healthier for our dogs and as Judy has mentioned the puppy could remain on a raw diet and also learn to eat food at the time it is given.

 

[Lisa Smith]

Are you planning to leave the food down for the dogs when they're unsupervised? This could be a recipe for disaster if either should be guardy - or if either should wolf the other's food down, so you end up with one overweight and one very hungry.

It's best, if possible, for dogs to be fed away from each other, and for them to eat their food in one go, as soon as it is put down. If your older dog tends to graze, it's worth considering whether she's getting more than she needs or the food isn't enticing enough. If you did convert them to eating their meals in one go, this would mean that you wouldn't need to change the new pup's diet.

This isn't based on my own experience, just on what I've picked up elsewhere... my dog wouldn't dream of eating every morsel just as fast as he can get it down his neck!

Hi Thank you for your feedback. I do feed them separately, my puppy is becoming fussy and not eating his food all in one go. This is fine when I'm here as I can pop it back in the fridge, but when I'm at work it will create a problem. Both dogs are also kept apart while Im not here until they grow to know one another. My five year old is fussy anyway, and can refuse her breakfast and dinner every now and then . Now she has seen the raw food she is inquisitive but I know this will change when she gets it daily. I was just looking to see if any Dachshund owners can recommend a good healthy alternative to raw. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Jen_lajen]

I had 1 poodle who was eating normal human food while she was with her first owner. This owner gave her to me and we had to get her used to eat dog food. Sometimes she wouldnt eat her own dog food, just to be waiting for our human food. Years later, all her puppies would eat normal dog food without any problem. It is harder to change their food later if they are used to something else.

 

[Alexliu]

While raw diets continue to grow more popular with pet owners, thanks to the many benefits they can provide to our furry friends, they simply are not for everyone. With this in mind, a number of pet food manufacturers are striving to provide the nutritional benefits of a raw diet while addressing common pet owners concerns with alternative options like air-dried, dehydrated and freeze-dried foods.