Baffled On Food Options

[Guest LisaLocket]

Hi All

 

We got our gorgeous Rocky a 5 1/2 year old black male from a Greyhound Trust in the UK about a week ago. He is around 32kg and was fed a mid range kibble at the kennels (he has not raced for over a year), with the odd treats, biscuits from the kennel hands etc. The trust have basically said feed him what I feel is best, but having so much info and differing opinion's thrown at me I feel a little overwhelmed as to what is best. Even the two kennels used for the same trust feed differently, one is strictly raw and the other dried kibble!

 

My first grey died at 7 due to bowl cancer so I think I am frightening myself that I need to make sure he has the best diet so I don't cause any problems that could be avoided.

 

He has two walks, one early morning before breakfast then another in the evening about 7ish, so about 40 mins of walks a day, the odd giddy zoomie but other than that he is very calm and lazy.

 

In his first week we fed him a dry Pedigree Chum complete, with added cooked veg, potatoes and pasta and added in the odd bit of white fish and chicken then on Friday he had half a tin of sardines in oil, throughout the week he has had various dried off the shelf treats when we have had visitors they have bought him stuff which im not so fussed about as its not too regularly he is having them. Its more his main meals that I am in two minds about what is best. The bag of pedigree has run out and my other dog (collie cross) has always got on well with the ocean fish James Wellbeloved kibble (they didn't have stock when we got him as it was a rush hence the pedigree for the 1st week). What I am being bombarded with is about him being fed raw, lots of people on another site have given me lots of info and their opinions etc, now this is completely alien to me, the concept etc although certain aspects do make sense, but I am getting a bit frightful of doing something wrong and hindering his health.

 

If it is possible I would like to incorporate the two part raw part kibble, and I have on order being delivered tmw 30x500g packs of raw chicken mince with 10-15% bone, my intention was to use that with the kibble, my question is, do I add it in with the kibble if so how much should I add, should I mix it up with other types of meat in the week to give him some variety and should I add veg, pasta etc or will he be getting enough with the meat and kibble, or do I feed them as separate meals, one day kibble one day raw meat? Also would it be advisable to let him have raw chicken wings in the week as a treat, if so how many and at what time of day?

 

I work in the day so he has his breakfast at 7ish then tea at 5ish, so ideally any suggestions on the quantity of his meals and if I need to mix it up what I should feed him at what mealtime.

 

I am losing sleep thinking about what is best, its like the breast/bottle feeding dilemma I had when I had my son lol.

 

Any help and advice would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks

[Guest Sportingfields]

Please ease your heart, there is no commercial food or raw diet that will prevent cancer. Cancer is a genetic disease which either lies dormant or rears it's ugly head. Feed what you feel is best, leaving the cancer out of the equation. I"ll let others explain the kibble/raw thing as they are more knowledgeable.

[XTRAWLD]

I have fed kibble and I have fed raw. I prefer raw and still feed that solely, and use kibbles as treats/training. I switched because my pup had big time allergies, and this alleviated it. Also alleviated the gas! I find they do much better on raw all around, less poop to pick up as more is absorbed by the body since kibble often has fillers. Their eyes are brighter, coat is nicer, just all around happy dogs.

 

Go cold turkey and switch to raw from kibble. If you still want to feed kibble, feed kibble on one meal, and raw on the other. Don't mix.

 

The amount of raw depends on your grey's body condition. 2% of the bodyweight a day if overweight, 2.5% of the bodyweight for maintenance, 3% if underweight. http://www.raw4dogs.com/calculate.htm

 

To get the ratio's right can be tricky, too much bone and the stool is really hard, too much organ and stool is soft. I often found one chicken heart (as they are so small) was enough organ per meal. One pig rib was often enough bone for a day. The rest was all meat. However I have since gone to a fully ground version, no messing with large parts of animals and taking up space in my fridge. I buy from this place, maybe there is something similar where you are. Often pet stores that have a refrigerated section should have something like this prepared version for you. http://www.bigcountryrawstore.com/Signature-Blends-s/1817.htm

[Scoutsmom]

My advice to new owners such as yourself is "don't stress so much about food." Find something that gives a firm stool, little gas, that the dog likes and is easily available. It most likely won't be the highend dog kibble as they are often too rich for greyhounds. I feed my 2 greys Iams Green Bag Chicken and Barley Recipe and I have fed Purina's Pro Plan, plus appropriate treats (meat and veggies) from my own dinner). I don't know if those brands are available in the UK. My dogs have all lived healthy long lives (except for the one born with defective kidneys.)

 

I have never dealt with a raw diet. I hate cooking and am not going to add to my burden by cooking another meal just for the dogs. But if you are into cooking and have access to the foods and time to work out a nutritious diet, go for it if you want to.

[RedHead]

Your dog most likely ate some kind of kibble/raw mixture on the racetrack. Most greyhounds do very well with this. A lot of sources say to not mix kibble and raw (due to different digestion rates, etc. which is not really true btw ) but most dogs do fine. Of course you can feed separate as well, but it is really up to you, I wouldn't really worry. Your dog will appreciate the fresh food!!

 

You can choose to mix whatever amounts you prefer, and chicken wings are okay as long as your pup chews them and doesn't gulp them down (if so, try a bigger bone like thighs). I personally would not add extra carbs like pasta and potatoes if you are doing kibble as most kibbles are at least 60-70% carbs already. That's just my opinion, though everyone finds what works for their pup.

Edited November 28, 2016 by RedHead

[Guest LisaLocket]

Thank you everyone for your replies they are much appreciated, I have settled my mind and just decided to go with the flow and trial and error to see what works for him.

 

Thanks again, really helped ease my stress.