A few general food questions...

[Jared.]

I have a 10 month old basset hound who is on Royal Canin (I know, not great but it was the food she was fed when we received her and we haven't wanted to change, except for a short stint on Nutro Lamb and Rice). She eats 1 cup twice a day, and currently weighs 44lbs.

My wife and I feel that she can gain about 10 more pounds to fill out, but her eating habits have slowed. She used to eat her food too fast, and now she seems disinterested and does not complete every meal, sometimes skips "breakfast". She isn't losing weight but is also not gaining any. I recently started adding some boiled chicken to her meals.

What would our best course of action be? I would like to look into switching to Kirkland and possibly supplementing it somehow. Good move? What would be best to supplement the kibble with? Raw is not a feasible option right now, and I'm unsure of what would be best. I also do not know what the ideal weight is for her age right now.

Any info or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

Welcome to the forums!

Sometime dogs become disinterested in food, sometimes something is wrong. Have you had her checked out first to rule out anything being wrong? If you have and all is clear, then I suggest switching to another food.

Kirkland is fine, one of the lower, but still good quality foods. Have you checked out any grain free foods? Like Innova or any of Natura's products, actually...

I feed my own dogs based on a per day calorie count, and raise it or lower it depending on activity levels. All of their meals are supplemented with salmon oil, an egg every other day or so, sometimes some leftovers and canned food. I would never follow a bag's recommendations for feedings, as each dog is very different.

 

[Saje]

He could definitely do with a step up in food quality but are you sure sure sure he needs to gain? Pups grow at different rates and it's best not to rush him. Plus it's usually good to have dogs on the slimmer side than fatter.

That being said there are plenty of decent brands out there. Kirkland is good for the price. That's what I feed cuz that's what my wallet allows!

 

[IcyHound]

Your dog is 10 months old. They slow down. If the dog is not losing weight, is behaving normally, and is skipping meals and self regulating the dog doesn't want/need that meal/food. Shoving food into her will not help. At ten months old she has not even started to fill out yet. She is still growing up, it just is a slower more internal thing now.

 

[Jared.]

Thank you for your replies.

She's my first dog and I am still learning, rapidly thanks to everyone here.

 

[ihartgonzo]

It REALLY is a good idea to keep your Basset girl on the lean side... especially while she's still growing. Extra weight puts a lot of pressure on the knees and hips of "short" dogs in particular.

I do agree that, if possible, a switch to a higher quality food could benefit her! Royal Canin is quite expensive for the quality. You could get a really premium food for the same price, if you have specialty stores or feedstores nearby. : )

Where are the pictures!? Bassets are the cuteeest. I'm sure she's precious!

 

[Jared.]

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