Can anyone suggest a good quality mixer type biscuit - one that has good ingredients and no animal by-products ?
We can only see Pedigree and Winalot mixer locally.

We've stopped giving her milky cerial type food for breakfast, and she now has biscuit with things like scrambled egg or a banana - I just think there must be a better plain mixer than those mentioned above.

She has JWB Junior Lamb or Fish for her two main meals.

How about naturesmenu they do three different varieties, their traditional biscuits might fit the bill

Ingredients

Wholewheat flour min 97%, tripe min 3%
Typical Analysis

Protein 14.67%, oil 2.18%, fibre 3.09%, ash 1.6%, moisture 8.31%

http://www.naturesmenu.co.uk/products/biscuits/traditional/

When my puppies get to the scrambled egg for breakfast stage,I mix it with a couple of slices of Warburtons seeded batch. It has loads of seeds that are good for dogs in it. I usually toast it and put a scraping of olive oil spread on it.

Laughing dog do a puppy version you can order it in from here

Emz - thanks, it looks good: nice and plain. I see they have the terrier size too - perhaps that would be better as she's 22 weeks old now ?

Minpin - thanks to you too - I hadn't realised that they did biscuit! I'd prefer one with no meat etc added, but if she doesn't like the plain, I'll give that a try.

:) thanks!

Ah - toast! ...my Mum used to make a slice of toast for our dog every morning! So many years ago now, I hadn't thought of toast! thanks Saxon :)

Trisha can i ask why you want to use mixer? I've never quite understood the point of it,especially when the main ingredients are usually wheat.

Ktee - For one thing, I like to give her plenty of variety in her meals. She doesn't appear to have a sensitivity to wheat as we've been giving her Pedigree mixer for some weeks now, and I wanted something of a better quality to mix with fruit or savoury items such as banana, scrambled egg, or even yoghurt etc.

She is such an unfussy eater, and will eat virtually anything she's given.

The other reason is that as she's well established with her two main meals, this can easily be gradually eliminated when the time comes as it's a relatively small meal.

She's been growing like a solid weed since we got her and although not overweight, she's not particularly lean either, yet has/uses lots of energy each day. The vets advised putting her on the Junior instead of puppy at four months old because of the rapid rate she was growing tall. She's a standard poodle and already 22" at the shoulder, and weighs over 22kg.
She often leaves a little of her main meals, and is a leisurely eater, so I think she's certainly eating her fill at lunch and dinner. The amount of JWB has been increased as she's grown, yet like most dogs, she never eats the amount indicated on the pack.

Is there any particular reason not to give a dog  something containing wheat if no sensitivity to it is apparent ?

Is there any particular reason not to give a dog  something containing wheat if no sensitivity to it is apparent ?

Personally i think it's just one of those uneccesary ingredients totally foreign to the canines natural diet.Just my personal preference :)

My question was...Why feed a mixer,what is the point? Why not feed a complete food aswell as fresh foods? :)

My dogs get loads of variety too,,but i dont think a product made from mostly wheat would be beneficial or needed.I'm not sure what goodness or benefit they would get out of a meat free wheat mixer

Right, I see what you mean - the point I was getting at was that we're trying to keep from putting any more protein in her meals as she was shooting up too rapidly. Also, seeing her breakfast is a meal that will be eliminated, I'd have thought she'll miss it less when the time comes if it were a plainer, carbohydrate based meal. She does only get a relatively small meal at breakfast.

The two meals that she will always have: lunch & dinner, are a complete food.

I'll ask again at the vets if they still think this is ok :)

>we're trying to keep from putting any more protein in her meals as she was shooting up too rapidly.<

Ahh okay i see what you mean now too :D

Just cut her food back a bit as you say she tends to the plump and even leaves some food suggesting she is getting jut a bit too much.

If she was ravenous and I needed to cut her nutrient intake then I would replace some of the food with vegetables., used as a bulking agent and not or any nutritive benefit.

I was thinking that way Barbara, but not too sure whether I should with her being so young - glad you suggested it, and I'll do that.
It's the first time we had a dog this big, so not used to having to consider taking this kind of care with rapid bone growth.
She's not exactly plump - yet, but I could see her easily going that way. Can feel her spine & ribs. Trouble is, she seems to change shape and size so often still, it's hard to tell.

I've read and heard conflicting thoughts on when a SP is at it's full height & size - some say she'll be full height in a couple of months time, others at 12-14 months. I know her body devlopement will probably be 12-16 months, but am still unsure about the height.
He mother is an elegant girl, neither small nor overly large, but apparently her father is a gorgeous & big example of the breed, so perhaps it's a wait and see thing.
In this aspect, I do find it confusing at times to judge the right amount of JWB - I do wish manufacturers had more realistic guidelines on amounts to feed.

I'll reduce her JWB until it's an amount she eats all of, and if she seems ravenous later on, I'll start adding vegetables as you suggest. I've tended to consider the JWB the most important part of her diet.