Hi
I have a 10.5 year old Whippet. He is still very lively and fit so I don’t want to switch him to a senior food yet. He has been eating Oscars kibble for most of his life, and was quite gassy on it, with slightly soft stools late afternoon but otherwise ok. I switched him about a year ago to Arden Grange sensitive, which has been great for the gaseous emissions but hasn’t really really resolved the poo issue. Additionally, he is now ravenous all the time which I have helped by adding mashed sweet potato to his breakfast but this is not ideal as something is obviously missing from his diet. Rawhide chews and cheap or non hypoallergenic treats give him gas and/or the runs. He is also a cat poo fan ugh. His weight is good, but if I add extra food he does put some on so that’s not an option.
I have been looking at Cadagan as a possible, but am a bit overwhelmed by all the choice. I want a non allergen kibble with good fibre content i guess to keep him feeling full. Lamb and beef make him looser I’ve noticed. I would consider the ready prepared raw diets, but don’t want to go full on raw. I would ideally like a complete diet with all necessary vits and mins etc. Any ideas?!
Debs
Hello and welcome to the AADF forum. Sorry to hear that you are having a few dietary problems with your Whippet. Regarding life stage foods, there are conflicting opinions but as your dog is still lively I think you are probably right in not going down the route of selecting a senior food. With reference to your dog’s increased appetite, is this a new thing or as he always been a hungry dog? Have you had him to the vet for a blood screen? I was just wondering if there might be a problem with his liver or kidneys that might be causing this. Having said that, many dogs (including my own) would probably eat forever if they were allowed to.
I’ve just looked at Arden Grange Sensitive is grain free and the formula is as follows:
[i]Analytical Constituents: Crude Protein 25%, Fat Content 14%, Crude Ash 9%, Crude Fibres 3%, Calcium 2.3%, Phosphorous 1. 5%, Omega-3 2.2%, Omega-6 1.72%.
Composition: Potato 50%, ocean white fish meal 26%, refined chicken oil, beet pulp, whole linseed, chicken digest, whole dried egg, yeast, krill, minerals, prebiotic FOS, prebiotic MOS, yucca extract, glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, cranberries, nucleotides.
Additives (per kg)
Nutritional Additives
Vitamins: Vitamin A 18,000 IU, Vitamin D3 1,350 IU, Vitamin E 240 IU.
Trace Elements: Zinc chelate of amino acid hydrate 500mg, Copper chelate of amino acid hydrate 100mg, Manganese chelate of amino acid hydrate 67mg, Calcium iodate anhydrous 2.4mg, Selenised Yeast (inactivated) 65mg, Antioxidant (rosemary extract) [/i]
On their website they give some very sensible information about feeding quantity. I am wondering if you are perhaps feeding too much? It is tempting when one has a hungry dog but I understand that it can cause loose or soft poo.
You ask about Canagan. I gave this to mine quite a while ago when it was fairly new to the market. They put weight on very easily and for them the higher fat level was not suitable, despite my giving a smaller quantity than RDA. However, had it not been for that, I might have kept them on it because I like the formula; the carbohydrate source is sweet potato, which is well regarded. You know that your dog is OK with this because you already feed it as a supplement. Also the protein is more moderate than some of the better quality foods. That might be a good thing for your older Whippet. Perhaps you could give the company help line a call and have a chat with them? Here is the telephone number: 0800 068 0608.
If you do decide to give it a try, please could you update this thread? You never know if it might be helpful to someone else.
Hi thanks Dottie
When he turned 10 I had the full range of old man tests which included full bloods which were all fine, but that’s a good point. It was markedly obvious after I switched the food, before he would whinge a bit from mid afternoon until tea time but he started looking at his bowl about midday and crying from 1.30pm!! If anyone has any recommendations I would be very interested, thanks, Debs
Hello and welcome to the forum,
I know of a whippet (aged 13) who was vomiting acid from having an empty tummy. She is quite a picky eater. At the moment she is doing nicely on steak, tuna and other tasty snacks which her owner tries to get as cheaply as possible. To be honest, she was quite poorly with the vomiting and her owner thought she may not have much longer. She is very much enjoying her new diet and is a very healthy old lady. I don’t think she will be happy to go back on her pre illness diet.
It has been suggested on the forum that adding oatmeal cooked in water or brown rice may help fill a dog without adding too many extra calories.
Personally, I do tend to mix foods up a bit in the hope that nothing will be lacking. I also give an egg as an extra once a week and a little low fat natural yogurt which may help firm the stools.
I would be suggesting a higher protein lower carb food to increase satiety, and being a senior the higher protein is needed for good health anyway (that is what most senior foods do, increase protein due to reduced absorption rates.
As Dottie said also check you are not overfeeding.
Signs of hunger part way hrough the day can just be “trying it on”, but you could also try splitting the meals into 3, evenly spaced through the day (approximately every 8 hours)
Hope that helps