Started some Total Recall exercises with Red yesterday. Have been put off from doing them because of her digestive issues in the past which I have documented on this forum. For a while now she has been ok and I have religiously stuck to just giving her kibble as a reward. This has worked well on the whole for all other aspects of training. In her kongs she still has some Hills i/d wet food as well as kibble. Yesterday I gave her some cheese as a high value reward - only very small pieces and not a lot but this morning she has had a very squitty poo. It's got to be the cheese. Feel disheartened. Her kibble protein is turkey so I guess I need to try some roast turkey. Or maybe I can give her a blob of Hills i/d? This would be a bit messy out and about but not impossible. Anyone else had similar issues and how you have worked around them?
I assume the i/d is a wet food? You could try using baby food pouches. I've used them with blitzed sardines before. You may need to puree the food a bit, if it has chunks. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pouch-Spoo...=1497937142&sr=8-8&keywords=baby+food+pouches
Yes the i/d is wet food and very smooth. Thank you @snowbunny - I will get some of these. Were you successful using these?
If the kibble you use is turkey you could try some turkey breast, as it's less likely to cause a tummy reaction, cut up very small. My guide for small is that the treat should easily fit into the hand of a Barbie doll. Hope the tummy problem resolves quickly for Red
Thank you @Jojo83 - my heart sank earlier. Yes I will try turkey breast when I know her stomach is ok. The pieces of cheese were very tiny but enough to upset her.
Yes. They're more fiddly than using solid food cut into pieces, but if that's not an option for you, then this would work well. You can fill a whole batch and freeze them, then defrost them as you need. The other thing to consider is that Red might be OK in the long term with foods that upset her in the short term. When raw feeding, you introduce new food sources one at a time and expect rapid evacuations for the next few days after adding a new one. But, by persisting, this normally clears up within a week as the dog gets used to the new food. I'm not suggesting you do this with cheese, as some dogs are very sensitive to it, but if you try the turkey and she reacts, it might still be worth keeping going with it for a week "little and often" to see if it sorts itself out. It's a bit unpleasant while you're doing it, but if your dog can get used to eating a range of foods, I think it makes for a healthier life, as they're less likely to react badly if they snaffle something they shouldn't. Of course, she may just be über-sensitive and she can't tolerate many different foods.
Which fish cubes do you use @Boogie? I tried the Fish4Dogs Jerky Tiddlers a while back when she was getting all those diarrhoea episodes.
Thank you for this @snowbunny. I understand exactly what you are saying. I decided on the cheese as it is so convenient but something tells me to maybe leave this alone for a while. I'd really like her to have a range of food eventually.
These ones - they are expensive but a Kilo is a lot as they are lightweight. I carry them in a plastic bag as the are a bit whiffy! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Challenge-...TF8&qid=1497952086&sr=8-1&keywords=Fish+cubes Would you like me to send you a small sample bag to try? .
I've moved away from the 'Finger nail size' as for me it's a bit hit or miss - which finger and whose finger are we using for size. Barbie only has one hand size
Yes, it would be a great idea that you should use some wet and soft food for him and also some baby food pouches.
The fish Cubes are going well @Boogie so I have just ordered some. Red has had 3 or 4 for the past two days.
