We've had our boys on the lamb and rice version and they are thriving on it. I wondered if any of you have switched to Venison and if you have, do you think the extra cost for the venison is worth it? The boys love the lamb and are thriving, but if they could look even better on venison................:D

Thanks in anticipation!

Lesley

My dogs are on the vennison one, and honestly, it smells good enough to eat. I started them on it a bit reluctantly because of the extra cost, but they love it, and they look fantastic on it. I would never change them off it - they barely moult, have brilliant shiny coats, are not hyper, and really enjoy their meals :)

Thanks Chloe :) Our boys certainly love Burns - the older one used to be a fussy so and so, lounging on a chair, whistling and looking at his claws when I was getting the food ready, deciding whether he was actually going to deign to eat. But since Burns he's been right there, head in the food bin desperate for his nosh! But if the Venison is going to be even better, I'll give it a try!

Don't think much of the fish one though, yuck!!!

Lesley

No fish is allowed in my house - except the ones swimming in the tank :)

Changed mine from fish to venison and they love it, so do I (the smell) and so does whoever is picking up after the dogs, hardly anything deposited and what there is, is in lovely condition, as are my hounds. The 10 year old is now acting as she did 3 or 4 years ago, IMO yes it is worth the extra.

Thanks Jackie and Chloe :)

I've placed an order of half lamb, half venison so that I can switch them over gradually.

Lesley

I'm just coming to the end of my first bag of Venison. Their coats were already great but the main difference I've noticed is the very small amount coming out the other end!!!
I presume they absorb a lot more goodness and there's not much left. It's also very low odour and harder. (apart from the two giant choc muffins they stole yesterday).

Thanks Dudley

The main thing I had noticed when I put the boys on Burns was the difference in their coats, and the poo, and if they are going to get even better, hooray! I'm just so impressed with it as a food; we've tried several of the usual suspects over the years, plus feeding raw for a while, but having found Burns, I wouldn't switch again.

Lesley

I've changed to venison...my boy was on fish (the only one he really enjoyed) my elder girl was on chicken (she didn't like the fish) and the youngest was on whichever she was given (she's a gannet!). Now they are all on venison, they love it, poos are less and they look even better than they used to. (I think it is slightly higher in fibre and oil than the others). :D: :D: :D:

I have been looking at changing foods and i have heard great things about the Burns diet, i have read through the Burns website (very informative and boy does Mr Burns not appreciate the BARF diet methodology, great read actually!)
So I have decided to change to Burns, how long do you think the introduction should take? how do i do it? Mix? He is 10 months old, is he old enough for the Venison?
Appreciate your advise....

Ta

Well he wouldn't would he otherwise he would not be making any money out of his food :)

S'pose, commercial enterprise touches us all!
Do i take it your a BARF-er?
:)

Yep; anyone who has a commercial interest in what they are saying will always have an agenda; including Mr IB and his products! :)

I think the thing about Burns, well, what we've found anyway, is that it allows the convenience of a dried food, and seems to be as good as dried food gets taking into account quite a few factors. We did feed ours a raw diet for a while, but decided that it wasn't a regime we were able to follow easily (difficulty in getting a ready supply of bones etc) and that a dried food suited our circumstances best. At the end of the day, I suppose it comes down to individual opinion and choice, you just have to read up and form opinions, and see what suits your dog etc. If our circumstances changed I would readily revert back to the raw diet, whereas my hubby wouldn't switch the boys from Burns at all!!!

Sooz, if I were you I would either email or phone Burns, and ask them for a regime for switching over, giving them details of your dog's breed, age etc. That would be a basis to work from and you can always tweak it yourself depending on how your dog is getting on.

Lesley

Lesley - I agree. I know breeders who feed BARF themselves, but as they say, they cannot force their new puppy owners to follow suit. So those who want to feed commercial food have Burns recommended by these breeders.

I have mailed Burns and requested a 'regime', they have mailed me back saying it would be their pleasure, so well suggested Lesley TA! :)

Glad they were helpful for you, Sooz :) They'll also be helpful with follow up once you put your dog on Burns, if you find you have any queries about it. It is really good, as others have said, to have this sort of forum where things can be discussed.

I sometimes am amazed though at the amount of thought and effort and worry we put into feeding our dogs! My grandparents would be baffled by it all - they just fed their dogs what was available and all their dogs were as fit as fleas and lived to be good ages :D

Lesley

Commercial interest includes the raw meat and bones advocates who make money from book sales, speaking engagements, consultant fees and the like.

Burns is the only dog food manufacturer I know that includes a recipe for homemade dog food on its site. He does not suggest that his food is the best, nor the only appropriate food to feed. I think his attitude is to be admired.

Billinghurst and Burns have to feed and house their families, because either makes money from their individual philosophies toward feeding is hardly a crime.

Stacey

Absolutely otherwise we would all be criminals :) However it behooves us all when taking advice to consider the source (as has already been posted). That is why I mentioned IB :)

One of the reasons this and other forums are useful is that so many people are able access so many viewpoints and then make up their own mind from the information available.

THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF BURNS VENISON IN THE SOUTH EAST.....:(

What's a girl to do.......... anyone?

Roadkill :)

hmmmmmmmm + brown rice and a couple of Sanatogen, hey presto ;)

Ohhhh errrrrrrrrrr hope it is not my fault, also hope it does not go short here, will get withdrawal symptoms.

My supplies didn't come yesterday as expected!! I phoned the supplier and they hadn't had their stock from Burns but were hoping to get it today. The supplier mentioned something about the carrier being snowed under with work cos of picking up extra business from the postal strike. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it is there tomorrow when I go up to the suppliers, else we are in trouble cos the food bin is getting low!!! The boys have had bad guts, so every cloud has a silver lining - if they'd have been on their Burns the last few days things would have been desperate!!

Lesley

I order direct on their website - 15k is free postage and its usually at my door within two working days.

I used to Fillis, but the supplier I found sells it cheaper than Burns does :D Mind you, that's not much use if they don't have it!!

Lesley

If you look on their website they have run out.
Something about having trouble sourcing the venison I think

OH NO!!! :( :( :( I've a sack and a third at the moment, so can keep going for a while, but I hope this doesn't mean it will be discontinued. If so, we must get a petition to them!

perhaps theres more spare sheep and chickens that available deer :D

I honestly thought it was a tad OTT, venison is considered a delicasy. How many dogs in the wild live on such meat? not many i'll bet lol.
Leave the prime cuts to the upper crust i say, theres plenty of beef available for the hounds!!!! :-)

Here's what it says ***Please note that due to a supply problem with the New Zealand Venison used in this product, we are temporarily out of stock of Venison & Brown Rice - we do apologise for any inconvenience***

So not only was it posh, it came all the way from New Zealand as well :D Maybe the New Zealand deer have gotten wise and headed for the hills!!

At least my boys will never know what they have missed :)

Lesley

Well I hope they sort it soon, my dogs have never been so fit and well, would not want to use anything else now.

Hi Jackie

Will ask the supplier today when I go if he has heard anything about it and whether they know how long the shortage is going to last.

Lesley

i've just been told 2 weeks by my local stockist! :( PANTS!

My supplier didn't know anything about the shortage, but 5 bags of venison had come in on his delivery, so I got a couple for the boys to try, hooray!!

Lesley

Burns told me it should be sorted out by the end of the month - just a short term glitch, apparently.

Whew!! what a relief

http://www.burns-pet-nutrition.co.uk/fun.html

found this whilst i was posting a question on his website....i can't beat the damned thing either!

It's got me beat :rolleyes:

Hells Bells, whats wrong with good old English Venison??

Guess it's not farmed to the same extent over here, and the cull of wild ones only takes place once a year. Plus who wants to give a dog a joint of wild venison if they own a kitchen.

Guess my boys are spoilt then!! or I see too much of it.

A favourite treat here is slow dried vension chips.