Feeding new puppy

Feral_Moon

krlyr wrote: »

I believe the idea is that dry/commercial food takes longer to digest - therefore mixing raw and dry, you slow down the digestion of the raw food too. This means it can sit around the gut longer than it would on its own, giving bacteria a chance to multiply (normally the strong stomach acid and short digestive tract would prevent issues with things like salmonella etc.)

Personally, I raw-feed and sometimes use dry food as treats, and have had no issues, but it's something to bear in mind.

Yes, this was all explained to me by both the vet and the nutrition adviser in the pet store but the dry food I'm feeding is different to usual commercial food and has been especially designed to compliment a BARF diet as it's very easily digested.

Some of the blurb from the website:



The concept behind Gentle is simple. All our foods have a high meat content – essential for your dog’s good health.

First, we take some great quality ingredients and gently mix them together. Then we add cold pressed oils, herbs, vegetables and other lovely healthy stuff.

Next, and this is a really important bit, we press them together for 1 second at a very low temperature.

Cold pressing is a fantastic way of preserving the nutritional integrity of all the ingredients we put in your dog’s food. This unique and gentle process creates a dog food where natural enzymes and vitamins – as well as fibre and molecular structures – are retained, keeping all their healthy goodness.

Using only very low temperatures allows us to create a complete, balanced dog food that’s as close to nature as possible. In the wild, puppies, adults and older dogs all eat the same natural food - they just need different amounts. And our unique Gentle approach is suitable for all breeds and life stages. Whether you have a gentle giant or a gentle soul, Gentle has everything they need for a healthy, happy, active life.

It’s easily digestible and free from any synthetic substances, preservatives or artificial appetizers.

At Gentle we believe in only using the very best, freshest ingredients.

Our simple rule is: if we wouldn’t eat it ourselves then it doesn’t go in.

The Gentle recipe provides the perfect balance of vitamins and minerals – high-meat content with a healthy combination of brown rice, vegetables, herbs, cold-pressed oils, green lipped mussel and other vital substances.

It delivers all the valuable nutrients and energy your dog needs – without adding unnecessary bulking agents.

I have to say, I've had absolutely no problem in switching puppy onto raw food and Gentle, no upset tummies or feeding problems, and she appears to be thriving.