Well here we go. Time to open Pandora's box!!!! It's a food question! I am an avid fan of Arden grange. It's the third food Penny has been on and seems to agree with her well. Her poo is perfectly consistent (except when she's had something she shouldn't have!), she gobbles it down without a problem. Her coat is soft, not hugely shiny but then it never has been and because of her colour it wouldn't show up anyway. Her eyes and ears are clear and clean, the odd bit of eye gunk but that can usually be linked to when we've had air freshened or deodorant etc sprayed around her. Now, I've been watching her closely over the last few weeks and am concerned about how much she scratches herself. She licks and chews at her feet also. I just assumed that this was a normal level of scratching and washing herself but I am starting to think it might be a bit excessive. If you looks closely between her toes they are red-stained from licking, and she will bite and chew at herself for longer than what I think is just to have a scratch. She often has a small lick stain on her stomach or groin area for a few days and then it's gone. Plus now with this lick granuloma on her foot which is obviously from an itch, I'm starting to wonder if it could be food related. She has never scratched herself raw or sore, and is not losing fur or anything. Arden grange is a very good food, I have never heard of anyone having a problem with it, and really we haven't. But I'm thinking of exploring a grain free option to see if it helps cut back on the itching. I've looked at Arden grange and the only one they do which is grain free is their sensitive salmon and potato version. The trouble with this is that it's only available online. I want something that I can easily lay my hands on as I can't be at home during the week to accept a delivery and I can't impose on my neighbours like that. My husbands parents live 5 minutes away so a delivery there is a possibility as his mum is home all day, but I would like to try and avoid that if possible. A lot of the truly grain free foods I have seen (like Acana, Taste of the Wild etc) seem really expensive for what they are, though I understand you pay for quality not quantity, but I don't really want to be paying a lot more than £40-50 per 12kg. Can anyone recommend anything they have used, or something to look at?
Re: The dreaded food query... Bob and Lush has been brilliant for Harley. It is a bit expensive, but the quality is fantastic We are currently research a barf/raw diet as feel Harley would be better off on this
Re: The dreaded food query... Skinners salmon and rice - £26 for 15 Kg and an excellent food, no iffy ingredients. Tatze has been on it for 12 months and is fit, healthy and glossy with nice firm poos http://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/dog-food-reviews/0296/skinners-field-and-trial-salmon-and-rice This directory is really comprehensive and give a great guide to all ingredients - http://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/the-dog-food-directory
Re: The dreaded food query... Thanks mags, I couldn't remember what that website was called! I was on dog food advisor, but the link for the one you have is much better. I'm concerned about how high the carbohydrate level in skinners is; it's at the top end of the scale, and for a dog like Penny who just has to have one biscuit too many to get overweight I think I would be wary of using skinners. Bob and Lush seems to have the same levels of nutrients as Acana, but at what looks like £40 for 7.5kg for Bob and Lush I think that will be out of my price range.
Re: The dreaded food query... Another good food we looking at was Millies Wolfheart, quite reasonably priced too. We have to look at a feed which suits both dogs, especially as Casper is an older, neutered dog and easily will gain a few pounds. I like the fact they have a range (see link..) to suit activity levels and are transparent on ingredients. Expensive but still cheaper than bob and lush which I have to admit is a fab feed. https://www.millieswolfheart.co.uk/Feeding-Guides/
Re: The dreaded food query... That looks interesting Kate, thanks. I've never heard of that before, one for the short list I think!
Re: The dreaded food query... [quote author=Penny+Me link=topic=9374.msg134650#msg134650 date=1420395321] That looks interesting Kate, thanks. I've never heard of that before, one for the short list I think! [/quote] We tried Eden Holistic for a bit, but it didn't suit him, so switched him to Millies which was great, now we are considering Millies for both of them (Benson has always been on Bob and Lush This is an interesting article when considering the older lab, which obviously Penny is not! https://www.millieswolfheart.co.uk/Weight-Control/
Re: The dreaded food query... Riley was on Skinners Duck and Rise and he looked very well on it. We certainly had periods where he wasn't eating enthusiastically though and I was popping extras on. I wondered if we weren't getting through it quickly enough and the end of the bag was stale......this has prompted a change to Orijen as it seems like the closest I can get to raw while using a kibble. Its pricey but I am feeding less by volume. I would check out Kronch grain free if I still wanted a grain free alternative to Skinners. I'd also see if CSJ have a grain free option as I know plenty of people happy with CSJ. Good luck, it's irritatingly hard work finding the right food
Re: The dreaded food query... Murphy was on Skinners Field & Trial at 23% protein, I thought it was a bit excessive, plus I`m trying to calm him down a bit So we`ve gone over to Skinners Maintenance at 18% protein and feeding him partially raw consisting of chicken necks 4 times a week. He looks good on both, glossy fur, bright eyes, firm poos etc.
Re: The dreaded food query... She does sound excessively itchy. Sounds similar to my first Lab who itched and licked a lot. Changing kibble didn't help, but changing to a home made diet did. It was probably the preservatives in the kibble - was definitely not grain related in his particular case. It's worth trying a few kibble options. Maybe consider a kibble-free option too for a couple of weeks if a change of kibble doesn't help. I'd say you'd see a difference within a few weeks if a food change was going to help.
Re: The dreaded food query... Previous dog was very itchy, plus gassy, until I figured out it was the chicken in his diet that set him off. Switched to a lamb and rice and he did fine. So it might not be the grain, it could be the protein.
Re: The dreaded food query... Its a minefield. If it was me, I would go for a month on Orijin and see whether it helped. Like Barbara, I feel it is nearest to Raw in a kibble. Then decide from there? The Eden and Simpson's grain free come in at less than £50 a bag I think. Mine does anyway.
Re: The dreaded food query... Mine have both been on Millies Wolheart for about 6 months now. Very happy with it. There is a good variety to suit all dogs. I have one on Tracker (low fat) due to pancreatitis and one on Agility as she is allergic to beef so can't have any with tripe in. Chloe
Re: The dreaded food query... How about James Wellbeloved? I moved Molly onto it from Arden Grange simply because she'd started to refuse to eat AG and she seems just as well on it. I think all the varieties are wheat-free and it seems to be widely available in shops.
Re: The dreaded food query... I had considered JWB as they have recently started a grain free range. However on dog food analysis they don't get that great a review - the ingredients look good at first glance but when they break down the analysis it's not actually as good as you would expect. The overall vibe I'm getting here is that high protein might actually be a contributing factor, and that higher protein foods are not necessarily the best for some dogs. SteveF raises a good question; do higher protein levels contribute to hyperactive behaviour in some dogs? If so this is something I want to avoid. Does it depend on the protein source? Oh I'm really looking into this too deeply I think
Re: The dreaded food query... Perhaps you should have a chat to your vet? I was absolutely convinced that Charlie's ear problems were an allergy (and started counting the times he scratched his shoulders : ) but the dermatologist was able - just by inspecting his skin - to say he definitely thought it was nothing to do with an allergy. If it is an allergy, but you don't know to what, you could work your way through an awful lot of brands of kibble before you hit on the one that removes the source of irritation. Lochan has previously posted before about how dermatologists change diet to isolate the source of the problem if an allergy is suspected - you might have a look at those posts? I can't help thinking - given what you say about Penny's behaviour, what you say about how she reacts to an urban environment, and I know you have to leave her all day...whether this might be behavioural. Please don't think this is critical, I have to leave Charlie too - but you might also consider whether a couple of mornings in daycare might be just as cost effective as much more expensive food in the long term? Just a thought...which I appreciate you might have already ruled out because it's clearly about an itch...
Re: The dreaded food query... Skinners Salmon & Rice for Hattie & Charlie, they love it, coats lovely, eyes shiney and no weight issues, I have to watch Hattie for those few extra pounds but Charlie I have to increase his food in the winter months, he is now currently on almost 600g per day compared to Hattie's 300g but Charlie burns energy at a rate of knots so needs the extra fuel . I used Fish4Dogs when we first got Charlie but the protein levels were far to high for him and he was as mad as a box of frogs so changed to lower levels, don't know whether it was the food change but he did calm down quite a bit, well for Charlie he was calmer It's a nightmare choosing kibble, I drove myself crazy looking at ingredients etc. and gave up bought the Skinners from Amazon on a monthly pre-ordered basis, you get money off per bag 10% I think, free delivery and I don't have to remember to order it just turns up on my doorstep even if I'm out - brilliant! Good Luck!!
Re: The dreaded food query... There may be something in the hyperactive because of food thing but I haven't noticed Riley become any more hyper having changed to high protein. Not to say its not an issue for some dogs but rather not a given and clearly every dog is different......which really helps right?! ;D
Re: The dreaded food query... We found some research on high protein food and hyperactivity a while ago... http://www.thelabradorforum.com/index.php?topic=3094.msg32761#msg32761 Largely concluded any link between poor behaviour and high protein food was a myth. But, people do keep reporting it, so I wouldn't completely dismiss it. Although you would - if there were anything in it - expect people that feed raw to be reporting their dogs are bouncing off the walls and that doesn't seem to be the case....
Re: The dreaded food query... [quote author=JulieT link=topic=9374.msg134783#msg134783 date=1420417258] But, people do keep reporting it, so I wouldn't completely dismiss it. Although you would - if there were anything in it - expect people that feed raw to be reporting their dogs are bouncing off the walls and that doesn't seem to be the case.... [/quote] Yes that's very true, which would lead you to beleive it's more likely the artificial crap that causes it! I've first hand experience of this after dealing with rescue dogs that people give up because they can't cope with them, you find out what they're fed; surprise surprise it's Bakers!! A week or two later on some half decent food and they are a different dog! Anyway, we have a vet appointment this evening for the sore on her foot, so I will speak to them about her itchiness too. I'm loath to change foods if I have to, but I have a lot of options if it is needed.
