My dogs are on a partly complete, partly raw diet. I notice that a couple of companies - Burns and Natures Menu are now introducing a mixer, in Burns case aimed at raw feeders.

I get confused :rolleyes: I want my dogs to have the best food they can for the best health and fitness they can, so they have the best life they can have. So can I feed partially raw, complete and mixer? Should I drop the complete? Should they have a complete at just one meal? Will mixer make them gain weight? It makes my head spin. I especially want to keep them lean as one does light agility (and has HD) and the other will start agility training soon (GSD's). Also the younger boy has corneal lipid dystrophy, so doesnt metabolise fat properly. Good heavens - it wasn't this complicated years ago

Any views, advice etc welcome.

Thanks,
K

You can feed whatever you want! I feed mine a mixture of complete, mixer, raw and leftovers - even in the same meal, shock horror! ;) - and they don't have any problems. I personally feel as much variety as possible should be the way to go, in case the owner's financial circumstances ever change and economics demand changes. :)

My breed has an average lifespan of 12. Since I've been feeding this way the last one lived to 15 and my current oldie will be 14 next week. It can't be too dangerous!

>Good heavens - it wasn't this complicated years ago

Feeding dogs is as complicated as people choose to make it. ;)

> You can feed whatever you want

Exactly :D I feed mine raw, but they get a small quantity of a holistic mixer which they love. I never say I feed a BARf diet, as I do my own 'thing'. I'm not fanatical - I don't weigh, don't work out percentages - just feed what I feel works best for my dogs. The end result is what is important. If your dogs are healthy and look good, then it must be working. Didn't do a lot of weighing etc when bringing up my children and they are healthy adults :D :D

Daisy

I'd agree with that.  Assuming you have a reason for feeding some complete, ie you don't have the time to freshly prepare every meal or you are uncertain the full needs are being met by your own diet, unless that has changed I don't see why you should drop it. 
Just to confuse you a little more though :) Organic mixer? Is there any point in it being organic unless all your raw stuff is organic too?

Wow, I'm happy to hear your responses. I too tend to feed some raw, some complete, some veg, fish, sometimes even tinned chappie, the occasional egg  - also sometimes in the same meal . The mention of the organic mixer is only that the Burns one they are bringing out is organic, not that I would specifically choose it.

What I suppose really worries me is whether something I might do (ie mix up all this lot) will be creating any problems in the future for my dogs by unbalancing something or other. I guess the reason I include some complete IS the fact that I wouldn't be sure that I was meeting complete nutritional needs, and also I guess to provide some 'bulk' to their diet. This I know is probably more a human concept but it makes me feel 'safer'. They look glorious on it, and are always getting compliments about their coats (they are long coated GSD's) and temperaments

K

What you're doing sounds just fine! And yes, I make sure I always have a couple of tins of Chappie in the cupboard as well! Plenty of variety lessens the risk of dietary imbalance - and a bowl of complete (just like my cornflakes!) is easiest on a busy morning. :)

Given that Burns have been in the past totally against raw feeding. I am surprised that they are now going to offer a mixer for raw feeding does anyone else have any more info on this u turn?

They haven't released it yet. I am on their email list, and it came through in a newsletter, offering a free trial to the first 20 to respond. Just had a look to see if I still had it, but OH has been housekeeping on computer again , so |I haven't.
K

Forgot to add, perhaps as they realise that raw feeding is a growing trend, they are creating a product to tap into this market?

Also forgot to add, when my old crossbreed was diagnosed with kidney failure, I approached them regarding phosphorus content of their food. After a little while, they suggested that a home made diet would be most appropriate, and also drew on up for me and sent it in this post, which I thought was very good of them.

In the event, I researched my own home made diet, and she lived another 8 months, having been given 3 weeks by the vet
K

Burns certainly do have a very good reputation for answering queries. :)

I think you are right ChinaBlue :) I think it is what my old "feeding" friend Rose once, disingenuously, described as a "bandwagon" :D