# weetabix and puppies



## missieh (12 September 2012)

Hi, getting our new pup this weekend..springador. Just one question for all you knowledgeable people!! It's been nearly 8 years since I had a pup and things may have changed! This litter are already off weetabix completely and onto a puppy mix, 3 times per day.

 I feel it is a bit soon to be on puppy food but wondered if anyone has any thoughts. I always did weetabix and water for one meal at this stage and went onto a soaked complete puppy feed fully by about 10 weeks.

Any thoughts?


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## Cinnamontoast (12 September 2012)

Dogs do not need nor can they process cereals. I don't understand why anyone would want to give weetabix but I know lots of people do  

Puppies don't need specialist puppy food, that's a big marketing myth. Choose the food you want the dog to have and slowly swap from whatever the breeder has fed. 

I think it would not be the right thing to go back to sloppy stuff if the pup is weaned. Surely it's better to stick with more grown up food: switching back to weetabix is likely, IMO, to cause tummy upsets and you have to wean properly all over again.

My lot were on dried food aged 9 weeks when I got them then switched to what I wanted soon after. How old will your pup be when you get him?


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## MurphysMinder (12 September 2012)

I used to feed weetabix  but now wean straight on to complete puppy food.  I would stick to the puppy food as long as it is a good one, although I have to say that at presumably 8 weeks I would give 4 feeds a day.


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## missieh (12 September 2012)

Thanks very much. She is 8 wks this weekend. I will start with what she is on, increase to 4 smaller meals per day....then gradually change over onto Fish4dogs puppy food as this is what I want her on longterm.


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## Cinnamontoast (12 September 2012)

missieh said:



			Thanks very much. She is 8 wks this weekend. I will start with what she is on, increase to 4 smaller meals per day....then gradually change over onto Fish4dogs puppy food as this is what I want her on longterm.
		
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 Fab food


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## ladyt25 (13 September 2012)

I remember we used to do the whole weetabix thing with puppies way back - I wonder who started that off?

One question though about Fish4Dogs - given the name, I assume it is actually fish/fish-based? How come that is such good food for dogs where dogs naturally (ie in the 'wild') would never or very rarely come across fish as a meal?? Just a pondering I guess......


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## MurphysMinder (13 September 2012)

It was always the given wasn't it, start puppies off on weetabix and lactol or goats mix.  Good point about fish4 dogs (which I agree is a great food) , you don't often see dogs setting off with their fishing rods do you.  I often think the same about cat food, with its exotic flavours, shrimp, cod etc, you would think the favourite would be mouse!


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## NeverSayNever (13 September 2012)

i also wondered where the weetabix thing started off but i do remember pups being on it years ago.

OP fish4dogs is a great dry food - I do wonder though about the fish4dogs...  dogs need a variety of protein sources ideally. So where fish4dogs is highly preferable over a crappy dry food with cereals in it, I still think there are better options.

Just food for thought OP , no pun intended, but Ive got my pup on Natural Instinct raw. It comes ready prepared in tubs, is human grade and is a balanced diet. There are 3 options for puppies. I started my little girl off on the chicken puppy and after 3 weeks have now progressed to the working puppy variety as it has other protein sources in it; chicken, duck, beef heart, beef liver... as well as the other things they add like butternut squash, apple,carrot,sea kelp, spinach,salmon oil. I mean , seriously! How fab is that!!  They also have a &#8216;weaning puppy&#8217; variety. Its worth a squizz at their website.


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## ladyt25 (13 September 2012)

MurphysMinder said:



			It was always the given wasn't it, start puppies off on weetabix and lactol or goats mix.  Good point about fish4 dogs (which I agree is a great food) , you don't often see dogs setting off with their fishing rods do you.  I often think the same about cat food, with its exotic flavours, shrimp, cod etc, you would think the favourite would be mouse!

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Phew, so i am not THAT mad for wondering a little bit about feeding dogs mainly fish! 

I feed mine on Nature Diet (after some posts on here) as I don't like feeding dogs purely dry food  - I find most dogs we've ever had like wet food and some actually turn their noses up at any dry food! Mine has a few bits of mixer for some extra 'crunch' but other than that it's mainly the wet food.

If my dog had HER way though, I think live rabbits (or rotten old dead ones!) would be on the menu each day!


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## Bosworth (13 September 2012)

I will be picking up my whippet puppy in 3 weeks, she is currently fed just raw, raw mince, raw chicken. When she comes here she will continue on the same diet as my 14 month old bedlington who is also on raw chicken necks and carcasses, plus raw pet mince from my butchers.  They thrive on it,


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## krlyr (14 September 2012)

ladyt25 said:



			I remember we used to do the whole weetabix thing with puppies way back - I wonder who started that off?

One question though about Fish4Dogs - given the name, I assume it is actually fish/fish-based? How come that is such good food for dogs where dogs naturally (ie in the 'wild') would never or very rarely come across fish as a meal?? Just a pondering I guess......
		
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I don't know, if you're looking back at "wild dogs" in terms of their ancestors, the wolves, apparently it's not uncommon (especially in juvenile wolves) for them to go fishing for salmon. And probably no less 'natural' to substitute this for other fish sources in a commercial diet than switching ox for bog standard cow, wild bird for chicken, and so on. I'm not sure there will be a gazelle or elk flavoured food being readily available commercially but these complete diets are manufactured to have the right amount of protein, carbs, etc. in a slightly more convenient food. It's funny because you rarely see rabbit flavoured dog food or mouse flavoured cat food, but you're think these would be quite easily sourced ingredients and a good gimmick for "natural feeding" given that a straying dog or cat is far more likely to catch one of those than a whole cow or a regular supply of wild chickens! (mind you, I think making cowpat flavoured treats would probably get a lot of attention but maybe not be a best seller, so maybe we shouldn't let dogs decide on their food flavours...)

I would have to echo everyone else, Weetabix isn't necessarily or really benefial to dogs. The only cereals I may go out of my way to add to my dog's diet is possibly bran for fibre (but I would probably up the bone content in their diet for a more natural bulking agent instead) or I sometimes give porridge for the calmative effect it supposedly has. Or I may occasionally use a bit of chickpea or buckwheat flour to make homemade treats, but generally it's meat, bone and offal all the way. 
Personally, I would be a little concerned about what other outdated/unnecessary methods the breeder follows if they wean their puppies on Weetabix..but then the whole "Springador" would probably have been a bigger red flag to me!


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## missieh (14 September 2012)

Thanks for all your comments. Very interesting 'food' for thought on where the whole ideas come from re feeding dogs today. When she can tolerate it Ruby will be having her fair share of cooked rabbit, freshly shot, as well as Fish4dogs.


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## KierelyMiss (14 September 2012)

cinnamontoast said:



			Dogs do not need nor can they process cereals. I don't understand why anyone would want to give weetabix but I know lots of people do  

Puppies don't need specialist puppy food, that's a big marketing myth. Choose the food you want the dog to have and slowly swap from whatever the breeder has fed.
		
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Oh my goodness! OF course they need puppy food! that would be like saying large breeds dont need large breed food... and then you end up with all sorts of development problems!


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## CorvusCorax (14 September 2012)

Large breed dogs don't *need* large breed food. It's all marketing. What did we do before puppy and large breed foods existed? Or dry food at all? It's a modern phenomenon.
(Edited to add - a modern phenomenon that suits OUR lifestyles - less mess etc - and OUR pockets)

Large breed food with rocket-fuel proportions of protein, fed to slow-maturing breeds, can actually CAUSE growth/development problems.


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## KierelyMiss (14 September 2012)

CaveCanem said:



			Large breed dogs don't *need* large breed food. It's all marketing. What did we do before puppy and large breed foods existed? Or dry food at all? It's a modern phenomenon.

Large breed food with rocket-fuel proportions of protein, fed to slow-maturing breeds, can actually CAUSE growth/development problems.
		
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APOLOGIES! IF you CHOOSE/NEED to feed dry food (which we (we as in the owners of a specific dog) do, need that is) Then yes of course the food needs to be appropriate, i.e large/puppy etc.

Or do you think vets earn commission.. hmmm now you have me wondering


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## NeverSayNever (14 September 2012)

CaveCanem said:



			Large breed dogs don't *need* large breed food. It's all marketing. What did we do before puppy and large breed foods existed? Or dry food at all? It's a modern phenomenon.
(Edited to add - a modern phenomenon that suits OUR lifestyles - less mess etc - and OUR pockets)

Large breed food with rocket-fuel proportions of protein, fed to slow-maturing breeds, can actually CAUSE growth/development problems.
		
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yup, this ^^^

for example - i feed the puppy version of natural instinct but the only difference is the size of the grind, the ingredients are the same.

same with babies...  when my wee one is weaned he will go straight onto solids and get bits of whatever we are having. He doesnt need all that mushed up stuff in a jar


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## Venevidivici (14 September 2012)

My kids *hated* jar baby food-just didn't compare to blended,say,Sunday dinner or whatever we'd had! Only ever bought jars once-screwed up their faces like I'd poisoned them Hmm...am thinking now,it's a good analogy for commercial dry dog food v raw diet for dogs


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## NeverSayNever (14 September 2012)

Venevidivici said:



			My kids *hated* jar baby food-just didn't compare to blended,say,Sunday dinner or whatever we'd had! Only ever bought jars once-screwed up their faces like I'd poisoned them Hmm...am thinking now,it's a good analogy for commercial dry dog food v raw diet for dogs

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hehee, could well be! Although we wont even blend


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## CorvusCorax (14 September 2012)

I was a nipper when my mother started feeding Winalot and it was a revelation to her, after years of her going to the abattoir, buying strips of fresh tripe straight out of the cow and feeding it by hand through a mincer, bleurgh!! 

My big dog is five, he is fed senior dry food (for 7+) because the ingredients suit him. It's just a guide on a packet.


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## Cinnamontoast (14 September 2012)

KierelyMiss said:



			APOLOGIES! IF you CHOOSE/NEED to feed dry food (which we (we as in the owners of a specific dog) do, need that is) Then yes of course the food needs to be appropriate, i.e large/puppy etc.

Or do you think vets earn commission.. hmmm now you have me wondering 

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Sorry, I disagree quite vehemently! Puppy food didn't exist back in the day and was developed as a complete marketing ploy. The protein levels vary enormously between brands/types. Just choose the one you want. Feed the dog what you want, but unless the dog has a specific issue eg allergy etc, I don't see the need to feed large breed, weight loss, puppy etc. Feed more, less, look at exercise and research what is in the food. And avoid supermarket stuff. 

Are you saying you use food from the vet?  And are you honestly asking if they earn commission on the food in their surgery? Yes, they do, obviously. 



Venevidivici said:



			My kids *hated* jar baby food-just didn't compare to blended,say,Sunday dinner or whatever we'd had! Only ever bought jars once-screwed up their faces like I'd poisoned them Hmm...am thinking now,it's a good analogy for commercial dry dog food v raw diet for dogs

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*Like*


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## NeverSayNever (14 September 2012)

my hubby just looked over my shoulder and said thats sick, youre meant to have milk with your weeatbix, not puppies!


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## Cinnamontoast (14 September 2012)

missieh said:



			Thanks very much. She is 8 wks this weekend. I will start with what she is on, increase to 4 smaller meals per day....then gradually change over onto Fish4dogs puppy food as this is what I want her on longterm.
		
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There is a code published today in the Daily Mail giving 20% off orders placed on the Fish4Dogs website if you use the code 'DailyMail20'. Code is valid until 21 September....


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## Venevidivici (14 September 2012)

^^^^ Ooh,thanks CT! This will come in handy.


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## EAST KENT (15 September 2012)

Funny all this pelleted "special for breed" dog food racket. Foxhound puppies have a leg of lamb/sheep hung up in the corner of their kennel and they learn to pull off whatever they need.Huge boned canines these,and they all grow up without rickets to work incredibly hard. Amazing. Consequently my puppies are also fed meat and chook carcases,  if it rears a healthy foxhound it`ll do for mine.


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## KierelyMiss (15 September 2012)

cinnamontoast said:



			Sorry, I disagree quite vehemently! Puppy food didn't exist back in the day and was developed as a complete marketing ploy. The protein levels vary enormously between brands/types. Just choose the one you want. Feed the dog what you want, but *unless the dog has a specific issue eg allergy etc,* I don't see the need to feed large breed, weight loss, puppy etc. Feed more, less, look at exercise and research what is in the food. And avoid supermarket stuff. 

Are you saying you use food from the vet?  And are you honestly asking if they earn commission on the food in their surgery? Yes, they do, obviously. 


*Like* 

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what I am saying is (ALLERGY!) using a food from a vets I AM NOT. Using a certain dry foods on their reccommendation due to breed when he was a puppy - yes.


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## KierelyMiss (15 September 2012)

EAST KENT said:



			Funny all this pelleted "special for breed" dog food racket. Foxhound puppies have a leg of lamb/sheep hung up in the corner of their kennel and they learn to pull off whatever they need.Huge boned canines these,and they all grow up without rickets to work incredibly hard. Amazing. Consequently my puppies are also fed meat and chook carcases,  if it rears a healthy foxhound it`ll do for mine.

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Racket? - If mine eats anything other than dry he will literally die from D and V...


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## Venevidivici (15 September 2012)

No,don't feed them rackets...far too stringy and it'll cost you a fortune....


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## Cedars (15 September 2012)

We fed Symply Puppy til he was 12months, then the adult version from then onwards. 

Only discernible difference was the pellets were smaller - but that's fine by me - we soak all our food when they're puppies so makes it quicker to soak!! 

No cost difference.


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## NeverSayNever (15 September 2012)

KierelyMiss said:



			what I am saying is (ALLERGY!) using a food from a vets I AM NOT. Using a certain dry foods on their reccommendation due to breed when he was a puppy - yes.
		
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Kierlymiss Im finding some of what you are writing hard to understand what it is you mean 


there are many dogs out there now who were fed of specific high protein puppy food/junior/large breed puppy etc etc that had their growth accelerated so much it&#8217;s had a detrimental affect. Other brands, as has been said, are just the same ingredients as adult versions, its all a marketing con.

at the end of the day, each to their own as long as your dogs are fit and healthy. But is was you who came on here and stated facts that were incorrect, as you did on the kennel cough thread where you had a go at the OP for not spending money on the vaccine. No offence meant but if you dont want people to argue with you, perhaps read up on your facts first before you wade in?


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## KierelyMiss (15 September 2012)

NeverSayNever said:



			Kierlymiss Im finding some of what you are writing hard to understand what it is you mean 


there are many dogs out there now who were fed of specific high protein puppy food/junior/large breed puppy etc etc that had their growth accelerated so much its had a detrimental affect. Other brands, as has been said, are just the same ingredients as adult versions, its all a marketing con.

at the end of the day, each to their own as long as your dogs are fit and healthy. But is was you who came on here and stated facts that were incorrect,* as you did on the kennel cough thread where you had a go at *the OP for not spending money on the vaccine. No offence meant but if you dont want people to argue with you, perhaps read up on your facts first before you wade in?
		
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PARDON??? I quite CLEARLY stated in THAT post that it WAS NOT an attack in any way a, just a MUSING and my SECOND reply to that thread said I was JUST GENUINELY interested as we were due to vacc next week.

Perhaps its you that needs to read posts properly jeez.


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## NeverSayNever (15 September 2012)

KierelyMiss said:



			PARDON??? I quite CLEARLY stated in THAT post that it WAS NOT an attack in any way a, just a MUSING and my SECOND reply to that thread said I was JUST GENUINELY interested as we were due to vacc next week.

Perhaps its you that needs to read posts properly jeez.
		
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maybe Im reading a tone into your posts that isn&#8217;t intended? As I said, I did find a couple of them hard to ascertain what you meant. However despite your initial disclaimer that you weren&#8217;t having a go, you still said &#8216;for the sake of £16 why not vaccinate&#8217; which does, to me, insinuate the OP didn&#8217;t bother and reads as quite derogatory Same with this uninformed advice...




KierelyMiss said:



			Oh my goodness! OF course they need puppy food! that would be like saying large breeds dont need large breed food... and then you end up with all sorts of development problems!
		
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If you read my reply, i also clearly stated that no offence was meant, I didn&#8217;t shout in capitals either.


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## Cinnamontoast (15 September 2012)

KierelyMiss said:



			PARDON??? I quite CLEARLY stated in THAT post that it WAS NOT an attack in any way a, just a MUSING and my SECOND reply to that thread said I was JUST GENUINELY interested as we were due to vacc next week.

Perhaps its you that needs to read posts properly jeez.
		
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Manners, dear. You've come on here and told people you think of course puppies need puppy food, of course large breeds need large breed food, which is frankly a marketing ploy and untrue.

 There are people on here who have raised dozens of puppies and who have researched feeding for many years. Facts are appreciated here, not blindly following what the vet told you to feed. Had I done that, I'd be feeding mostly cereal. Just wrong. Vets have one day of training on nutrition whilst studying-for all animals-unless they research once qualified. They are sponsored to sell the food in their surgery.


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## KierelyMiss (15 September 2012)

NeverSayNever said:



			maybe Im reading a tone into your posts that isnt intended? As I said, I did find a couple of them hard to ascertain what you meant. However despite your initial disclaimer that you werent having a go, you still said for the sake of £16 why not vaccinate which does, to me, insinuate the OP didnt bother and reads as quite derogatory Same with this uninformed advice...




If you read my reply, i also clearly stated that no offence was meant, I didnt shout in capitals either.
		
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Not shouty caps just thought my initial clear statement wasnt clear 

Uninformed advice......??? stalks off to check vets quals and perhaps reregister somewhere else............


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## KierelyMiss (15 September 2012)

cinnamontoast said:



			Manners, dear. You've come on here and told people you think of course puppies need puppy food, of course large breeds need large breed food, which is frankly a marketing ploy and untrue.

 There are people on here who have raised dozens of puppies and who have researched feeding for many years. Facts are appreciated here, not blindly following what the vet told you to feed. Had I done that, I'd be feeding mostly cereal. Just wrong. Vets have one day of training on nutrition whilst studying-for all animals-unless they research once qualified. They are *sponsored to sell the food in their surgery*.[/QUOTE

really.. ohhh shoot sorry I've been raising chipmunks. damn it! 

I dont buy the food from the surgery.... again.
		
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## NeverSayNever (15 September 2012)

KierelyMiss said:



			Uninformed advice......??? stalks off to check vets quals and perhaps reregister somewhere else............ 

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KierelyMiss said:



			I dont buy the food from the surgery.... again.
		
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you dont buy the actual food from the surgery but the advice is from your vet   same thing no?

look, I took my pup to be weighed at the vet this week and they looked at a chart produced by a feed manufacturer and announced she was underweight as the &#8216;chart&#8217; says she should weigh 6kg at 13 weeks, not 4kg as she does. Particularly with Border Collies, its nigh on impossible to go by a chart as there is such variation in the breed. You can have a small, lithe hill dog bitch like one of mine, who is 11kg as a adult, or a stonking great donkey bigger than some labradors at pushing 30kg.  Am i listening to the vet in this case? Nope  Looking at the pup infront of me she is a picture of health In this day and age it pays to do your own research.


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## Cinnamontoast (15 September 2012)

KierelyMiss said:



			Not shouty caps just thought my initial clear statement wasnt clear 

Uninformed advice......??? stalks off to check vets quals and perhaps reregister somewhere else............ 

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Unless your vet has done further nutritional studies, I think it's wise to research your own food. Hills comes up as rubbish on any analysis site, full of unnecessary fillers, low meat content. Most vets I've ever used sell it. It's disappointing. 

Would love to stay, this is one of my Fave topics, but have to go off to a wedding.


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## CorvusCorax (15 September 2012)

KierlyMiss, I am not sure if some of your posts are meant to be sarcastic - if they are, you are very funny and I like your style, but it would help if you used more smileys 

If not, then just chill the head out  no need to re-register  but some of us have learned to push the envelope a bit when it comes to dog management/health/nutrition/training and ask lots of annoying questions of our long-suffering vets  

For the record, one of mine is on dry food or tinned crap, because it suits him, the other is on raw. When my mother was breeding, pups were weaned onto raw mince as was my young dog, I find Weetabix bland, boring and stodgy, would rather eat the box, so there is no way I would feed it to a dog


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## jasmine (15 September 2012)

Our pups are weaned straight onto raw mince, Isabel and her sister were actually fed minced steak, because the butcher had run out of  normal mince :-D


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