By Paul Rawlings
Saturday, 10 November 2007
I have recently acquired a 12-week-old springer pup. I'm currently feeding James Wellbeloved dry food, but after reading about BARF am somewhat confused. What is the best diet for a puppy at this age, what food should I move on to and at what age?
A: Using high-quality prepared pet foods, especially those developed for the different breeds and life stages will provide a correctly balanced diet and the same, of course, is true using raw materials.
However, it is far more difficult to get the exact balance right with raw foods and there is also the issue of supply and storage.
In a busy kennel, feeding an all-in-one diet is more convenient, but I still have reservations about the stamina levels of some gundogs fed solely on dry food. Dogs fed either way appear the same on the outside, but the real test is stamina.
In my experience, dogs I have owned that were fed a natural diet appeared to work longer and harder. The recovery rate also seems quicker when fed raw foods.
If your puppy is doing well on its present diet and its motions are firm and regular, don't change to something different, but research canine nutrition more fully before considering changing to a natural diet.
The Doglopaedia, by Evans and White, is a good place to begin
Don't miss our partridge and duck special in this week's Shooting Times (on sale Wednesday 1st September). Plus, how to save money on feed on your shoot and as his Labrador nears the end of her pregnancy, Tony Jackson gets ready for the new arrivals. For all this and much more get down to your newsagents today!
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