What do you feed your Cavalier?

It is interesting to see what everyone is feeding their dogs. I have tried Innova EVO, Nature's Variety Prairie and Freeze-Dried Raw, Solid Gold, Merrick, BilJack, plus maybe a few others I've forgotten. The only one of these that she ate at all was BilJack. (I know I gave in too soon and she probably would have eaten them if I'd have forced the issue, but I guess I was a mush -- I gave all of them to my neighbor who has 2 small dogs and she was thrilled. Apparently her two little girls will eat anything. But she did report that they liked the Merrick (I think it was turducken or stew) the best.)

The only brand Daisy will eat reliably is the one she came home with from the breeder -- Purina Pro Plan Natural Selects Turkey and Barley. It's not the grocery store variety of Purina. It's only available in pet stores.

The vet said Daisy needs to lose 5 pounds eek, so I found the above post about feeding foods with no grains to be interesting. The Pro Plan Natural Selects is very good given all the standard ingredient evaluation criteria, but of course it does have barley, so maybe I will try a switcheroo again. But I know it will take lots of determination because she does not take well to any food other than her normal. I'm sure she will go on a hunger strike for a few days.

I've read the RC ingredients many times in the store, and there is always at least one thing in the ingredient list that makes me put it back down. I don't remember right now what it is (I think it was a significant grain content, but I'm not sure). I'll have to look at it again. From what I've read on this board, it has that kind of oily coating that Daisy's current food has, so maybe she would accept it. Although this isn't an issue with Cavaliers, I talked to a Maltese owner and she said her breeder told her not to feed any food with beet pulp to her dog because it causes the red/dark staining you see on many white dogs' mouths/chins. I know RC has that, and it's listed pretty high.

Beet pulp is a human food waste put in dog food as a fiber. It is a sugar beet and here is a pic-
http://www.food-info.net/images/sugarbeet.jpg I agree that it isn't an ingredient I want in my dogs food-- but it isn't the most likely cause of staining unless the dog is drooling and growing a yeast (?) around the mouth and the pulp is the extra sugar causing it.

We feed a mixture of NatureDiet and James Wellbeloved (although I wanted her to lose a few pounds so cut out the dry for a few weeks). We're lucky, Lucy would eat pretty much anything (it would have to be pretty rank to discourage her), but she loves the NatureDiet. I started it after recommendations from folks on here and we're delighted with it.

I know what goes into my dogs meals, as I make them all.

Raw meaty bones, veggies, omega 3's & 6's, vitamins, eggs, cheese.

Not a hastle at all. Most of us take time to prepare food for ourselves, and try to avoid fast foods as we do not know what they contain - same goes for my dogs.

Prior to the raw stuff we fed them pedigree, and sometimes would have to encourage them with liver and stuff. Best thing for a picky dog is an empty belly. Even a day of hunger for a pup would not harm, but an adult could go longer. Then here's your food - you no want - right I take up!!

I know their cute faces makes you want to spoil them, but offering them another food because they didn't eat what you first prepared will only make things worse.

Ashton is a really fussy eater because we always pandered to his sad eyes when he wanted our food!

This has made us wise, Rio is on the same food that he came from the breeder with (burgess puppy) and he eats like he has been starved!

We are going to move them on to the same dried food at some point with extras thrown in. Touch wood we have been very lucky as Ashton has always been a slender cavalier (hmm wish I could say the same!) he is on science plan natures best and to be honest I don't think its a great food but once the bag is finished we will be changing it. Our breeder feeds Bakers, Pedigree or masters and to be honest her dogs look great.

I would love to feed entirely raw but I don't have the knowledge to do so whilst ensuring they get all the stuff they need to be healthy.

Cavvygirl - please can I sway you from Bakers - my boys used to be on this and the amount of poop that comes out is double what it is now. It is also full of artificial colours (which can make dogs hyper) and I am led to believe that to keep it it is coated in some kind of oil ( I'm not going to say what type of oil in case its classed as slander or whatever)

I now feed mine on a mix of Burns Venison and Brown rice with Healthy options Salmon and white rice (50/50) - these have protein levels of 18.5 and 19 respectively with a teaspoon of either sardine/tuna/cheese/butchers pouches/some green beans/carrots/broccoli/cauliflower on top depending on what I have in the cupboards.

Burns and the Healthy Options have the same nutrient contents as each other and I get nice firm poops - so no trips to the vets for anal gland expression

Burns is available in most pet shops or you can usually order in. Heathly options is made in Colne in Lancashire so there are fewer stockists.

Thanks for the advice, we wouldn't have put either on Bakers as we are aware that it isn't a great food.

Its so hard to choose isn't it, there is so much on the market!

We have been recommended Arden Grange?

We are considering getting our boys neutured so we would also need to find a food that would be good for preventing weight gain.

Why not try Burns? It is more expensive that supermarket brands but it soo nice to have a firm poo from a small dog ( I know I sound sad but I hate picking up softees)

Forgot to add - there are many varieties so its easy to change to a new flavour without the fear of squits and so on.

Thanks.

I had to laugh at your comment on poo but I completely agree!

I've been feeding my oldest Cavalier raw food for the past six years. He developed terrible allergies around his first birthday. He was put on steroids and all kinds of horrible medications. After doing some research, I discovered his allergies were probably being caused by his dog food. I switched him over and haven't had any problems since. My four year old has never ate anything other than raw, since he was 12 weeks old. I use Sojourner Farms as the base.