Hi all,
Six weeks ago our Rough Collie, Ben 14, had either a stroke (which we doubt) or Vestibular Syndrome. He is almost back to 100% now but at the time he went off his food and the only thing we could get him to eat was Ambrosia creamed rice pudding which even when he was ill he really enjoyed.
Up to him being ill he was fed on James Wellbeloved lamb and rice senior light which really suited him as he has a gluten intolerance, he always emptied his bowl but now we have great difficulty getting him to eat any of his James Wellbeloved even soaked in Oxo.
He has lost quite a lot of weight in the last six weeks and so we are not worried about him putting on weight with the rice pudding but we are worried about the nutritional value of Ambrosia for a dog.
Does anyone know if the Ambrosia will do him any harm and what supplements etc. could we give him until we can get him back on to his James Wellbeloved?
Thanks for any advice.

Yummy ambrosia rice, no wonder he doesn't want to go back to dog food.  I cannot comment on nutrition because I am not an expert, however, it seems safe to say that the nutrients required by a dog would not be found in rice pudding.

If it was me, because he has been ill and lost weight, I would try tempting him back to dog food by mixing in the rice starting off with more rice than dog food and then gradually reducing rice and increasing dog food.  I don't know what other people might think of that, but that's what I would try as I would want him back to normal asap

amrosia contains 76% milk 9% rice and the rest is sugar and whey. go back to basic and the JWB -JO

Hiya and glad to hear that Ben has recovered so well but sorry that you're still having problems with his feeding.  Have you tried feeding him cooked chicken (no bones of course) or fish with pasta (gluten free) or mashed potato?  Even tinned dog food might be more attractive to him at the moment than dried.  Has he always been a fussy eater or is this just since his illness?  I can imagine he is loving the rice pudding :) and can understand you wanting to see him enjoy eating something but think you should try to wean him off this.  It won't do him much good and is maybe stopping him eating more nutritious food.

Hi Annie ns
        Thanks for your comments.Unfortunately Ben also has an intollerance to fresh meat. I have tried to feed him his normal diet,but he appears to have devolped a dislike for it.
   I have given him mashed potato which he enjoyed,but the next day he had loose poo!!
So as you can imagine I am getting desparate because I don't have much to experiment with.
  I am very puzzled with this situation as Ben has got his appetite back since his illness,but for the wrong things.

How about cooked fish then rather than meat?  Did you put butter or some other fat in the mashed potatoes?  If so, this might have caused the loose motion the next day, best used without salt or fat.  However, mashed potato alone wouldn't be very helpful anyway.  Have you tried him on something like Chappie?  Dogs do seem to like it and from memory (although very distant I'm afraid as my dogs are fed raw), I believe it is quite fishy.  Must be very worrying for you, especially as he has lost so much weight, and I hope you soon get him eating well again.  If you're giving him the rice every day, you might have to brave it out and stop it for a short period so he is hopefully hungry enough to eat a decent alternative.  Don't know whether you have changed vets, but have you tried asking the vet's advice about this?