Any experiance with Natural Instinct puppy food?  Have fed their adult food for about a year but no the puppy version.  Considering putting putting my current litter onto it now they are old enough but wary of the ground bone content?  My vet advised caution incase it caused a blockage.  Only ever fed Arden Grange before to weaning pups.  I looked at a sample of it in the shop this morning and it seemed very fine and smooth but thought someone on here may have used it and can advice?  Thanks.

I've never used it but I don't understand what your vet means by ground bone causing a blockage. Does he mean constipation?

I used it for my litter (med/large gundog breed) a couple of months ago and they all did very well on it. I weaned them onto the NI weaning food, which as you say is very finely ground, and once they were a bit bigger, went onto the other mixes (puppy, chicken, turkey, turkey/tripe, lamb etc). I was told by the people at NI that the puppy and working dog chicken are the same, other than the addition of vit C (and the price) in the working and that all the varieties could be fed to the pups. I did also feed some Orijen puppy.

I'm currently using it to feed my 'mum' who gave birth just a little under 2 weeks ago.  It's similar consistency to the 'regular'.  We usually use the 'working dog' varieties, and the bone isn't really visible at all.

I'm planning to wean them using their weaning food which looks wonderful, then move them onto this, and also vary their diet to include a couple of other completes.  I want to give them as varied a diet as I can as I know some won't feed raw, and I know some people have the best of intentions, but still switch them right away to 'their' brand of food.  If the pups have had a well rounded and varied diet here, then they shouldn't have a problem with being switched if that happens when they move.

I did a similar thing last time (though NI wasn't around) and they all did very well with their varied diets. 

Most vets are wary of raw diets (and I can understand that) and the idea of the bone content, but I have had friends raise pups on completely raw including raw chicken wings and lamb ribs from quite young, so I wouldn't worry at all about the NI complete mince.  But that's just my personal opinion.

I have recently used it for the first time to wean a litter. I used the weaning and then changed to the puppy at around 9 weeks.

The pups loved it and thrived so I will definately be using it again! :-)

> I've never used it but I don't understand what your vet means by ground bone causing a blockage. Does he mean constipation?

Sorry yes my term of "blockage" just what my old mum used to call it .  Thanks for all the advice we will give it a go.  Seems very reasonably priced too.  Have found the adult to be economical in relation to the improved condition of the adults we have on it.  Just never fed raw to pups and ebing a bit over cautious!

Ah - I thought you meant blockage as in a proper blockage which needs surgery, not just constipation.