mmcginty
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We went back to Royal Canin, they like it, it clearly agrees with them, so we'll stick with it until there's a reason not to, and I'll quit reading dog food reviews... for now.
free feeding to separate bowls: transition strategy
- Thread starter mmcginty
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We went back to Royal Canin, they like it, it clearly agrees with them, so we'll stick with it until there's a reason not to, and I'll quit reading dog food reviews... for now.
I feed Sally EVO - 1/4 cup in the am and 1/3 can of BY NATURE organics in the pm, seems to work out ok for her .Good bms , no v/d weight ok,but we have to watch it with treats and tidbits b/c she has hypothyroidism.She takes soloxine and her levels are good for now. Just goes to show you that our dogs are just like us...some can eat gluten,some can't etc. Some bellies are sensitive to everything, others aren't. Glad you have found what works best for your gang. I like to read the food recommendations too so I can feed the best food and then I'll hear about someone who feeds any old food and their dog is 18...
mmcginty
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I can't take it any more, going back to the free-feeder, I'll just have to watch Jake's weight carefully, and probably need to buy a more accurate bathroom scale. (Mine, I've discovered, has a +-2lbs skew, depending on how you stand on it, and 35lbs worth of dog forward of my center of gravity doesn't help things any. 2lbs is almost 6% of his body weight, so this scale is almost useless.)
Strangely my little female (who is literaly half the male's weight, and almost 8" shorter -- she can walk underneath him) controls the food, and she's obsessed with his bowl. It causes way too much strife and discord.
I hope I haven't made anything worse by trying to change.
Strangely my little female (who is literaly half the male's weight, and almost 8" shorter -- she can walk underneath him) controls the food, and she's obsessed with his bowl. It causes way too much strife and discord.
I hope I haven't made anything worse by trying to change.
mmcginty
Forums Enthusiast
Now the line at the edge of Brandy's rib cage is starting to fade too, so the free-feeder is a bust (no pun) but happily, I discovered the reason (or at least, an apparent reason) for all the strife: Brandy likes the blue bowl a lot more than the yellow one.
There I was trying to apply gender bias about color preference that likely isn't even all that valid for humans, to my dogs, and little Brandykins was unimpressed. Not that I can say color is what's driving her preference... it's nearly the same color as the free feeder, that she has been dominating... No telling, but when I gave Jake the blue bowl she was fixated on his food, and now that it's hers she eats her own food and leaves him alone.
He finishes first; sometimes she leaves a few nuggets in her bowl for later, but he won't touch anything in her bowl, even when she isn't in the room.
I don't think Jake anticipated that using Brandy for a chew toy from the minute she got here, would force her to become tough as nails -- I tried to warn him, I could see it in her eyes, she planned her coup for a long time... now he reaps what he has sown.
There I was trying to apply gender bias about color preference that likely isn't even all that valid for humans, to my dogs, and little Brandykins was unimpressed. Not that I can say color is what's driving her preference... it's nearly the same color as the free feeder, that she has been dominating... No telling, but when I gave Jake the blue bowl she was fixated on his food, and now that it's hers she eats her own food and leaves him alone.
He finishes first; sometimes she leaves a few nuggets in her bowl for later, but he won't touch anything in her bowl, even when she isn't in the room.
I don't think Jake anticipated that using Brandy for a chew toy from the minute she got here, would force her to become tough as nails -- I tried to warn him, I could see it in her eyes, she planned her coup for a long time... now he reaps what he has sown.
Danny's mommy
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who would think it was all about the color of the bowls.My 2 dogs (both 1 year old) were on an Orijen rotation since I got them at 8 weeks. I have had digestive issues with them every week. After spending over a thousand at the vet with every stool and blood test imaginable, I decided to try a lower protein content (less rich) food. I decided to try TOTW (after the recall) and I have not had a single issue with loose stool. I've never free fed my dogs, but after discovering the truth about feeding cats dry food, I decided to stop free feeding my cats. I switched them over to wet. Sure, initially they were used to free feeding and wouldn't eat all the wet in one sitting, leaving it for the dogs (which is NOT allowed). But after a few days, they became so hungry they would eat their entire meal in one sitting. Your dogs WILL begin eating their meals to its entirety soon after the free feeding stops.
My one boy eats his food in less than a quarter of the time it takes my other, submissive dog. So, I either crate one dog (or both) while eating, or, put the fast eater's food on the slick tiles and have him chase the morsels around while my other finishes his meal well beforehand. Yeah...gets dog spit on the kitchen floor but I steam mop regularly.
Btw, I know this site is for shelties, but I just wanted to share the information I discovered about feeding cats dry food. Very interesting article for any sheltie-cat owners out there. My cats are now a healthier weight, and poop a lot less.
http://www.catinfo.org/
My one boy eats his food in less than a quarter of the time it takes my other, submissive dog. So, I either crate one dog (or both) while eating, or, put the fast eater's food on the slick tiles and have him chase the morsels around while my other finishes his meal well beforehand. Yeah...gets dog spit on the kitchen floor but I steam mop regularly.
Btw, I know this site is for shelties, but I just wanted to share the information I discovered about feeding cats dry food. Very interesting article for any sheltie-cat owners out there. My cats are now a healthier weight, and poop a lot less.
http://www.catinfo.org/