Thanks Hobbs! That's definitely made my mind up then!

I did an instant food switch with Ziggy, from Skinners to Orijen. She wasn't doing well on the Skinners, was getting mild chronic colitis and I thought it might be the rice (seems it was). Her digestion and poos became perfect in a matter of hours! Best thing I ever did - just wish I'd done it years previously.

I'm thinking of doing a rotation of Natures Harvest, Wainwrights and Naturediet. But how do I go about this? How often are they rotated? And how do you prevent sickness and diarrhoea from quick changes? (which Ollie has had in the past when we introduced food too quick)

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I OWN A CHOCOLATE ROAN COCKER SPANIEL
RIP David xx Run free at the bridge. Love you always xx 19th February 2011
RIP Jack and Mickey xx Run free at the bridge. Love you forever xx 20th June 2011

Hi - I'm currently using Natures Harvest, Natures Menu, AG Partners and Naturediet, along with the last 4/5 kg of my Acana. I think once you get Ollie onto wet food, hopefully it should be OK. All you can do is try. Maybe once he's had a few days on, for example, lamb Naturediet, try and mix a half portion of another wet food in and see how he goes. I can chop and change Henry, no problem, so once he's on all-wet (hopefully around Christmas if the Acana has gone by then!), he will have a different meat every day. Before you start rotating the flavours I would buy a supply of one of them and wean Ollie over to this over a week, then gradually introduce new varieties.

How much Burns have you got left - you could try gradually reducing it once you get down to a few kgs, although I'd probably try and use most of it up first, otherwise you'll have the bag open too long. Let us know how you get on - have you actually bought the wet foods yet? Claire

thanks. I have 7kg of Burns left, and I've already started reducing it and in a few days, it'll be down to 60g per day (used to feed 120g per day). It takes about a month to use 7kg so should only be 2 months, so around middle of January, should be on to all wet. I've bought a supply of Natures Harvest already.

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I OWN A CHOCOLATE ROAN COCKER SPANIEL
RIP David xx Run free at the bridge. Love you always xx 19th February 2011
RIP Jack and Mickey xx Run free at the bridge. Love you forever xx 20th June 2011

Bpth Dry and wet food manufacturers would baulk at the idea of combining another complete food with theirs although lots of people do it and their dogs thrive on it.

I haven't read the whole thread - but there is no reason why you shouldn't feed a complete wet or dry - although I personally would be adding a good quality biscuit (not kibble) to a wet food if I was going down the wholly wet route.

I would have also thought it more expensive quantity wise to make the food up to all wet than all dry - sadly, another consideration for an increasing number of people these days

I know a lot of people who feed predominantly kibble with almost a 'taste' of a wet food - me I feed straight kibble now and add oily fish or eggs and milk once or twice a week.

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What you need to know before buying a Labrador puppy

Heidi has a sensitive tum and I usually run into problems with change unless I do it slowly.

I do as Claire suggested with a new food or one she hasnt had for a while. Just a small amount to begin with mixed with what her tum is used to and gradually inc the new, decrease the old. Then I keep her on that food for a couple of days and bring back the old one and alternate between the 2 for a few days.(no weaning, straight change)

Once I've introduced them gradually I can chop and change with no introduction unless she's been off that particular brand for a few months. Then as a precaution I mix a bit in with her old food first.

The only food I can give her without weaning, no matter how long since she last had it is WW traysD

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"Life is mostly froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own”

I always use tins of natures menu for my two as one of my dogs doesn't like any of the other good quality wet foods, I have tried them all nature diet natures harvest, wainwrights etc, I can only assume it is down to the texture of the food as he doesn't even like the pouches of natures menu only the tins and then it is only two of the flavours namely the green tin (chicken) or the orange tin (beef and chicken) fussy little monkey lol. I do offer mini arden grange kibble as well in their two kongs if they want it which varies daily. To get around the teeth problem as my two are toy poodles I have always brushed their teeth daily which definitely helps.