The Chinese Shar-Pei Information Forums and Discussion Group

My male Sharpei had his first fever the other day at 5 yrs old (see my topic in health) And Im now looking at my best options for feeding both Chester and his twin sister Kiara.
For the last few months we have been using Natures gift
http://www.naturesgift.com.au/DryDog_Chick4kg.html
And http://www.naturesgift.com.au/DryDog_BeefLiver4kg.html.
Prior to that we were on nutrience derma
http://www.nutrience.com/australia/dog/d-7063_derma_3kg_large.html
but had a bad bag with moths so I changed.
I would love some feedback on the above and if there are better options please let me know. Im in Australia so not all brands are available.
Im also happy to mix anything to go with them but Kiara seems to dislike tinned Sardines
(is that unusual?)
I also feed only at night but they do get a few treats every morning but if splitting the meal to morning and night is a better option I will do it.

We have aslo had a few of these http://www.4legs.com.au/dogfood.php


All suggestions welcome.
Thanks,
Danny, Chester and Kiara.

I would choose a brand without any grains. I found this one online. Although pricey it looks awesome.

http://www.ziwipeak.com/nzl/home.shtml

You could also raw feed if you are so inclined and probably do so more economically than with a commercial food. There is a learning curve involved though in preparing a balanced raw or home cooked diet. Not rocket science but some research is necessary.

Since you will be giving Colchicine twice per day, I would suggest that you feed twice per day so that the drug would be given on a full stomach. Colchicine does cause some digestive issues in some dogs.

Raw or Homecooked- Remember if there is no kidney issues you don't need a special diet with low protein.
Grain Free kibble would be in addition to the above. There are lots of homecooked recipes on this site and others ( I cook whatever the hunters, fishers bring me and freeze)
Because of fevers in your pei you may want to make sure you have broth on hand always as that can be a life saver during a fever. You can make in advance and freeze ice cubes and put in zip lock bags.Then there ready for you. If your just feeding kibble and appetite is down you can throw a cube on to flavor it.

Wow, I worked it out to cost $129 per fortnight to feed the two dogs on that stuff.
Do you guys spend that king of money on dog food?

Is this to help give the medication?

I think I will look into some home cooked recipies. If anyone has any they feel will suit please post them. Im no master chef though so please keep any directions nice and simple.( I had to ask my fiance what a broth was)

The broth is given to make sure that the dog stays hydrated. Just plain broth though...no added salt or spices. They sometimes will drink the broth when fevering and not anything else. It also adds nutrients until they are able or willing to eat solid food again.

Jan has a good recipe that she feeds her young puppies before transitioning them to a raw diet.

Quote:
Recipe for home cooked:

Simmer until all is tender...let thicken, cool and serve.
Refrigerate leftovers.

Whole chicken (boiled & de-boned) (2-3 pounds when deboned)* (2-3
pounds pork, lamb, duck, venison, beef...muscle meat)
2 qts of broth (stock) from boiled chicken
12-16 oz offal (liver, heart, kidneys)
3 tins Sardines (or 1 can Salmon)
1 can or 2 cups fresh pumpkin**(or equiv. amt. yams, potato,
sweet potatoes)
1/2 cup fresh (or frozen) cranberries or blueberries (optional)
1 1/2 to 2 cups dried peas
2-4 carrots
1/2 cup broccoli*** (or equiv. amt. green beans, zucchini, spinach,
Brussels sprouts or other green veggie)
1 tbsp steamed bone meal (food grade)**** (or powdered egg shells)
1-2 tbsp virgin coconut oil (optional)

Also optional but excellent
Per meal additives:
1/4 cup yogurt
2-3 tbsp green tripe (canned or raw)
1/4 cup cottage cheese (good for pups and pregnant/nursing mothers)

Where abouts are you living? That would help me figure out what foods are available to you!

Australia, Rachel.

So is the above recipe suited more as a temporary meal or could I use this all the time?

Also, Is it 2-3 pounds of each of the meats or a mix of the meats? (ie of each meat would total 12 to 18 pounds of meat)
Probably silly questions but when it comes to cooking Im happy if I dont set the smoke alarms off when making toast.

That's quite a recipe, I'll need a bog pot for this!

Couple of questions though... How much of this do you feed, I know that all dogs are different, but as a guidline. Also, does it keep well and can you freeze it?

http://www.raw4dogs.com/calculate.htm

Or you can take each dogs body weight and multiply it by 0.4. The resulting number is the total number of ounces your dog should be eating in a day -- either in one big meal or divided into a morning and dinner meal.

Remember that each dog has different caloric requirements due to metabolism, activity and other factors so I started out with the recommended amount, adding or subtracting small amounts if weight decreases or increases.

I usually keep 2 or 3 days worth of food in the refrigerator at a time, the rest gets frozen in containers that contain no more than 2 or 3 days worth of food, so when the refrigerated food starts to get low I place a frozen container out to defrost. You can also divide food into individual meals and freeze although I find this takes up too much room in the freezer for me.

I spend about $60. U.S per month on feeding 1 dog.