Basenji and food problem suggestions

[starcentral]

Even with his free feeding routine, I found he only ate a little in morning (or none), at dinner time, and before bed. I can try putting out in morning and at night and removing after 20 minutes, but usually in morning he's freaking out over why everyone is leaving, I'm not sure he will settle down enough to just focus on eating. He was free-feeding before I got him, so maybe best to keep that way until he's back to normal.

This week I put him back on KBN unfortunately, but already his stool is firm. I just want to rule out any possiblities with all the changes so that's why I felt I had to. I don't want to go to boiling food right now but if the problems continue I will. I think I did the food change too fast, I thought he was more robust and I definitely did not wait a month as I've only had him for 3 weeks.

What do people here think of Royal Canin - Chicken meal, brown rice, rice, oatmeal, chicken fat, wheat gluten, natural chicken flavor, dried beet pulp (sugar removed)….

Another one I found was "by Nature" - no wheat, no corn, no soy…...

I'm browsing though the dog food section on Petsmart.com

[nomrbddgs]

If you are looking for a good quality food with no grains, in Canada, you can buy Acana. Pacifica (fish based) is what I am using for my boxer. I can get it for about $63 in southern Ont. for a 17.5 K bag. (I think that's what it is). You probably won't find it at Petsmart. You can go to their website-championfpetfoods.com- and go to locations to find out where you can get it near you.

[Schouiffy]

People seem to be helping with the feeding, but for brands.. we have a million threads on forum about food brands. Take a gander in the search box for more in depth discussion - but check out
www.dogfoodanalysis.com

they pretty much test everything, and honestly the 6 star dog foods don't cost much more than the 4 or 5 - so why not get the best for your pup ? esp when your dog could have allergic reactions to stuff in 5 and below. When Lycia is fed kibble she is on Orijen which is Canadian (no wheat no rice) and I'm sure being in Canada you can get it.

Royal Canin would not be a good choice, not just the lack of meat in the kibble but the ingredients after (brown rice, rice, oatmeal, wheat gluten) all not very good for dogs. and dogs really shouldn't be fed beet pulp.

[AJs Human]

Schouiffy: Thank you for sharing that site…very informative. I am amazed at some of the things dog foods are allowed to contain. I was shocked that they rated KnB a 1 star simply because there was nothing lower! I hadn't realized it was that bad, I just knew I didn't care for it. I have been curious how Pinnacle would rate against other foods. I'm happy it's a 5. I'll probably stick with it because AJ likes it and he does well on it.

I'm not knocking you, starcentral...please don't think I am. You are doing the best you can for Benji. It's all anyone can ask. You can't have him running around with loose bowels. I wish you well with him.

[nomrbddgs]

Orijen is the flip side of Acana. They are both made by champion pet foods based in Alberta. They are both really good foods, I just have tried both and Zina had fewer issues on the Acana Pacifica than the Orijen. Simply my preference to have her on fish based. But I also know Zina's father is allergic to chicken, so that's why opted for fish.

[Patty]

I can't comment on the feeds mentioned as I've no experience of them but I'm not sure from reading your posts whether you are changing food without gradually introducing the new ones over a period of at least a week.

I know that you've alread had so many experienced advice so hopefully you have understood the necessity of this gradual changeover.

[NerdyDogOwner]

www.dogfoodanalysis.com seems VERY outdated. I have bought 2 of the brands/types they have listed and the ingredients are completely different. Don't forget that brands are constantly changing/upgrading the contents.

[AJs Human]

Also don't forget that Europe may have more stringent regulations on what goes into pet foods than on this side of the pond.

[starcentral]

I'm just writing to update that since the switch back, Benji is doing well again. Bile only once so far, and no mud-pies at all either. Now we're learning to deal with the snow, but that's a whole other story.

I'm still researching what new food to transition Benji over too, also he is only eating all his food late at night, none in the morning or during the day. Because of that pattern, I leave it out all day. If I really want him to eat twice a day, perhaps I should remove it at night all together to see if the next morning he manages to eat?

[lvoss]

The best way to instill good eating habits is to decide when you want to feed him then offer him food at that time for 15 minutes. If he doesn't eat it then the food goes away. A healthy dog will not starve themselves and will get the idea that when food is offered to eat it or it won't be there later. Some dogs may miss several meals before catching on but that is okay. In the wild, dogs do not eat everyday so missing some meals isn't going to hurt them.

[NerdyDogOwner]

@starcentral:

I'm just writing to update that since the switch back, Benji is doing well again. Bile only once so far, and no mud-pies at all either. Now we're learning to deal with the snow, but that's a whole other story.

I'm still researching what new food to transition Benji over too, also he is only eating all his food late at night, none in the morning or during the day. Because of that pattern, I leave it out all day. If I really want him to eat twice a day, perhaps I should remove it at night all together to see if the next morning he manages to eat?

Getting him to eat 2 times a day shouldn't take too long for him to figure out what is happening.

Just put out the food in the morning. Remove the bowl after 30 minutes (or 15 like mentioned above, I used 30, so he gets some time to register the food). Then don't offer any food until the evening meal. Leave for 30 minutes, and remove.

He most likely will get pretty hungry the first day or 2. But don't worry. Basenjis are the "world best" actors in faking starvation. Also their stomachs are developed in such a way they can go for long periods without food. Actually I read an article saying Basenjis are one of the breeds that could get by on 1 meal a day…but it was still recommended to spilt the amount and feed 2 times, for digestion/health reasons.

I started a 2 times a day for Gizmo 2 weeks ago. His transition was more natural...he just stopped eating all his mid-day and evening meals, just left them half done. So I understood he didn't need 3 times a day anymore.

[Patty]

I'm so glad to hear that Benji is improving.

Don't worry if he'll only eat once a day leave that to him to decide. In my experience if a Basenji only wants eat once a day that's all he needs.

If the time is inconvenient to you do exactly as Ivoss suggests.

[PetsNPlants]

I realize this thread is very old. I joined here because I had ordered a new food online, basically because it was on sale and I had a coupon. It turned out to be a blessing. My basenji, Ginger, has ALWAYS has COARSE and pokey fur. It was like petting a brillo pad. But after this new food, it is super soft and these rashes that she kept getting on her belly has completely subsided. I don't really know WHY this food agrees with her better, but it does.
I'm not trying to use different flavors of the same brand to see if they work as great for her. I ordered Journey brand dog food, the Salmon and Sweet Potato. I also tried the limited ingredient version and that was horrible. So I'm sticking with the regular grain free. I ordered on Chewy and they have bags at 50% off. You can also get a discount if you sign up to auto ship (which you could later cancel). Anyway, this was a HUGE blessing for me. I've had Ginger for 7 years with 7 years of battling and changing foods. FINALLY, she is eager to eat and is much healthier.

[DebraDownSouth]

Purina isn't that great. With a dog with diarrhea, you need to put him on riced to firm up his stool. Bile usually is due to not eating often enough. Once a day won't do it, and in fact I feed my dog 2x a day with a snack midday and before bed.

Many if not most foods we can get are available in Canada.

from DogFoodAdviser... I don't think the best reviewer but safe:

Dog Food Form Rating
Acana Regionals Dog Food Dry 5 stars
Horizon Legacy Dog Food Dry 5 stars
Merrick Grain Free Dog Food Dry 5 stars
Nature’s Variety Instinct Dog Food Dry 5 stars
Pinnacle Peak Protein Formula Dog Food Dry 5 stars
Taste of the Wild Wet 5 stars
Victor Grain Free Dog Food Dry 5 stars
Wellness Core Dog Food Dry 5 stars
Fromm Four Star Nutritionals Grain-Free (Dry)
Fromm Four Star Nutritionals (Dry)
Fromm Gold Coast Dog Food (Dry)
Fromm Gold Dog Food (Dry)
Fromm Heartland Gold (Dry)

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/best-grain-free-dog-foods/best-grain-free-dog-foods-dry/

You might also switch to fish based. Protein allergies are most common with poultry and beef.

I personally love

[raburr3]

We tried Purina Pro Plan food on our 3 rescues. Even though we gave this to them a little at a time to blend in over several weeks, they ALL had very runny stools and it would not stop. In fact, the more Pro Plan they got the more trips to the yard. Gave it up, and no more problems. This was Pro Plan dry and wet. Same results either way.