Wet food

hmc

Hi all,
The 11 yr old collie has really gone off food
He has had an op for cancer but we know it's on going
He's fine, still going for good walks, playing with spaniel etc but he's not bothered with food
Tried all sorts of Kibble,lilys,Wainright,simpsons etc
He's always been a good eater
So tinned sardines he loves and he will eat wainrights trays,most of the time
So my questions are, how many tins of sardines can he have a week,I get them from supermarket
And if I give up on kibble what do I put with the wet, the amount they say seems to make it very expensive
Thanks

krlyr

Have you tried soaking the kibble? Use warm (not boiling) water. You could always blitz in a food processor to make a mush (I sometimes do this to stuff Kongs)

If the wet food is complete rather than complementary then you don't need to add anything, and by doing so you might throw out the balance (mixing with a complete dry is fine if you adjust quantity for both to reflect this)

I would be a bit careful with fish due to pollutants like mercury in them - but depends if you're looking for a long-term diet or, if it's not too morbid to say, it's just a short-term solution.

I'd speak to your vet as well - they're not always that educated on nutrition (watch out for bias towards prescription products) but may be able to advise. You could discuss high calorie supplements and/or appetite stimulants too.

sheramber

Have you tried tinned Chappie?

It has a strong smell which may encourage him to eat and is easily digested.

hmc

Not tried chappie it gets very low points on all about dogs
He likes the wainrights from pets at home,not sure if it's a complete wet?
We know he's not going to be here forever and ever now but no one can predict. The cancer was totally removed but a lump grew back fairly quickly,much smaller and on his last 2 monthly checks hasn't grown but he is dropping a bit of weight
He's always had soaked kibble

krlyr

I'm pretty sure Wainwrights is complete - it should say on the Pets At Home website.

Have you tried raw feeding, at all? I'd probably join some raw groups and see if it's safe for the type of cancer he has - it's generally very safe but if there's any issues with his immune system it may be a bit risky. But tripe and lamb minces are both quite fatty and often recommended for weight gain. Raw is much more "concentrated" as such, you feed much less by volume, and it's often well taken to by many dogs.

rising_from_the_ashes

Sorry to hear the lump's come back HMC

You can get some really good quality wets for a good price online eg http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/wet_dog_food/lukullus/natural_dog_food/462915 - £1.37 for an 800g can (cashback available and a savings/discount plan).

Another from Zooplus would be the Rocco Sensible http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/wet_dog_food/rocco/trial_packs/472124 - £1.33 for an 800g can


Also things like Weebox trays (Asda), Naturo trays (tesco), Delicious Collection trays (Sainsbury's) - all £1 for a 400g tray but often on offer 3 for 2 or 5 for £4 sort of thing

hmc

I suppose I need to stop worrying about what's the best now and give him whatever he will eat, even if it's cheapo stuff , gravy based has always gone straight through though
Thanks for your thoughts
I was hoping that we would make it through to normal old age with him as it's not growing but the lack of appetite is worrying

rising_from_the_ashes

If he's really not eating then I'd really just let him have whatever you can get him to eat and once he's got his strength back / more settled you can then look at things again

Chappie is supposed to be great for iffy tums and absolutely stinks to high heaven so might tempt him!

hmc

I have so much food in my cupboard it's criminal! Lol if I find one he will eat is it ok to mix the tins/trays to use them all up? So if he will eat chappie mix it with wainrights?
I have no clue about wet food or a dog with no appetite
He ate a bowl of left over rice today so I was thinking of rice with the tins most days?

rising_from_the_ashes

I'm not sure I'd mix the tins / trays in the same meal - would there not be enough in one tin / tray for a meal anyway?


Re rice - it's absolutely fine as a 'filler' to bulk things out but not hugely nutritional so I'd def say to have less of that & more of a good quality wet if you can.

Will he eat eggs? They're full of protein and most dogs (and cats!) like them

hmc

I've never tried eggs? Cooked or not?