Food

[Jhemphill]

I have read that pembrokes should be fed large breed food. I am changing my pembroke from puppy to adult food and want to do the correct thing for him.

[Jane Austen]

Thank you for that question. I bought a large supply of specialty dog food when I got my corgi. Now I am just about to run out and I want to get a good brand that I can purchase at a supermarket for convenience. I think something like the IAMs brand would be good quality and I am going to change gradually to the new food. But I am a little hesitant because the food she had been getting was keeping her in good condition. Should I change?

[Michael Romanos]

Corgis have very strong jaws and a good set of teeth worthy of a medium sized dog, so when you purchase adult kibble food don't buy small sized kibble but medium where it exists or large if it is just the two options. Corgis should also be getting a portion of fresh meat in their daily diet and for an adult, the meat should be cut in large bite sizes - as you would for a much larger dog. With dog biscuits, adult Corgis should be getting the medium/ large size biscuits.

In New Zealand, the better premium quality kibble food is not found in supermarkets but from pet shops or from vets. All dogs should be getting premium quality kibble - if that forms part of their usual diet.

Only with my latest Pem Corgi, Taylor has any kibble food formed part of his diet. I started with Nutrience and it's not great and Taylor wasn't fussy with it either. Then I went on to Eukanuba (active-plus variety) and that brand produced better results and Taylor also liked it better. At present, he's on Pro Plan because he won a large bag of it in a national contest. But before he goes back to Eukanuba he'll have to try a new NZ-produced product called Ultra because I've been given a large free sample. Ultra is also of premium quality. Taylor gets a variety of food in his dinner food bowl and without exception, kibble type food is the last thing he eats. He expertly works his way around the kibble - and believe me, it's not because he leaves the best til last. Generally speaking, if it's got chicken in it, Taylor likes it. The dog roll part of his diet is chicken based as is the Pro Plan.

If your Corgi's basic diet is kibble then I would suggest changing when the contents have been exhaused simply to counter the food boredom factor. Iams has a good reputation.

[Jane Austen]

Mike can you go into more detail of what and how you feed Taylor aside from the kibble? I have to watch Duchess's weight, she has gained a bit. I have started feeding some raw meat but she wolfs it down so fast I wonder if that is good. It is in large chunks like stew meat. The IAM kibble I bought was not large size kibble as I wanted either. What else do you feed Taylor?I give my dog carrots as treats sometimes but it is easier to reach for a bisquit.

[hugs91882]

Hello, and I find this thread to be of interest.

We had our kids on Science Diet for a very long time. Then Dylan decided it wasn't working for his little system. The vet was always telling us he was over weight and we were feeding him and Newt too much. Well, we put them on smaller rations and that didn't help, Dylan was still not agreeing with SD.
So, we changed the food completely. We had to find something for older dogs for his hip dysplasia. We found Natural Choice/Natures Own. And guess what? They both lost weight, his hip wasn't bothering him and it wasn't sending us to the poor house every time we made a purchase.

Funny thing is, we broke down and bought SD treats, and you guessed it, Dylan's system is upset again. It is so strange how one food can be so good for a dog and another can be so uncompatable.

And please, Michael, explain this raw meat aspect of feeding, I've not heard of it.

[Jane Austen]

where can I buy this Natural Choice/Natures Own meal?

[Michael Romanos]

Hi
Feeding your Corgi correctly is one of this world's most complex and interesting subjects.
My knowledge on the subject is limited. But I take the cue from more experienced people and I treat with suspicion what vets and dog food suppliers promote. You must understand that vets make heaps of money from selling dry food (kibble) and dry food is preferable to a lot of the rubbish some people feed their dogs.

Kibble can vary extensively from one brand to another and sometimes within brands.

Some kibble is more fattening than other brands - so you should give less to your Corgi if they are increasing weight too rapidly. Taylor's condition occupies my mind daily as I would never want him to be overweight and he has to be "trim" for his agility. He usually gets big dinners - I don't have to weigh his food bowl or him - I just know, but this is compensated with lots of exercising. Less or this equates to less food at dinner time.

For dinner, Taylor usually gets one third fresh meat(cheap cuts but not mince for an adult) one third kibble and one third chicken dog roll - but he'll get less of these things if there are vegetables to add or an occassional tablespoon or two of boiled rice or pasta or a portion of cooked meat. Good veges for dogs that we eat regularly are carrots, cauli, broc, pumpkin. There are some of other everyday beneficial food for providing on occasions such as cooked eggs, wholegrained/wholemeal toasted bread, cheese.

What I try and do is provide Taylor with variety, to make his meals more interesting and tasty. It's also getting a balance between dry food and wet food. Raw meat and vege provide for stronger immune systems, less allergies. Their nutritional benefits include providing essential enzymes and amino acids and higher degrees of vitamins and minerals. Kibble promotes urinary tract disorders, allergies and dental problems.And kibble only diets may not be a great preventative measure with regard to cancer, kidney & liver problems etc.

If your Corgi is gulping down his/her meat -it's probably because they like the food so much. But you should try and cut the meat a little smaller to force the Corgi to eat slower and not gulp it down.

Here is one from left field. Dog tracking for their food is something I have never tried but it challenges the dog's tracking ( nose smelling) abilities, creates huge interest and a "game" situation for them, gets them to eat slower and it is like bringing back a natural element to a dog's life. To do this, simply hide parts of their dinner in several places in the outside of your property. Maybe give them a little hint for the "first course." Now that I've written about it, I'll definitely tryout Taylor with eating by tracking. Since today is a wet one, I'll start with an inside the house circuit. It''ll be fun.

[hugs91882]

Jane, we shop at PetsMart. The kibble is reasonably priced there.

Michael, you have brought up some interesting questions. Just because I'm a curious person, how do you know so much about Corgi's? This is not in a bad way that I'm asking, but it seems you know a little bit about everything dealing with corgi's. Now, please remember, I'm new to this board.

Both Dylan and Newt seem to be gobbling their food. It seems to be a race who can get finished first. And Dylan loves to eat and eat and eat any and everything within his muzzle range and then some. Since our 1st Corgi, we heard that only kibble was a good diet and now you are saying kibble and veggies or meat. This is so confusing as I want to do right for the kids, but there is so much pro's and con's as to what to really feed them. And, one more thing --- how much kibble and veggie's and meat should be given to the mature dog. Dylan is 7 and Newt is 6. Their weight is good now, they look to be healthy, but I'm concerned about their health as they are aging.

[Michael Romanos]

Hi
Quite simply, I have a little experience with Corgis and I'm happy to part with it for the benefit of the breed and their families.

Food is a commonsense thing. Is it appropriate to feed your dog only with convenience, highly processed, hard-to-digest food or is it better to mix it up and give your dog something in proximity to what might have been their natural state diet. I would never feed kibble to pups without mixing in a bit of hot water first so as to soften it. Biscuits are sufficient to provide a hard edge to their diet.

I wouldn't consider six and seven year olds as "aging." It's a term I might use for 12 years-plus. The right amount of food varies with the size of Corgi and their amount of exercise. Taylor weighs around 28 - 30lbs for his agility, otherwise he would be heavier at 31-34lbs which would be his ideal "show" weight. However he has lots of length and stands well up from the ground. A typical dinner for him would weigh in total (excluding the bowl) 80 to 90 ounces which is evenly divided between fresh meat, chicken dog roll and kibble. At lunch he gets a large Eukanuba biscuit or eight-ten Hills biscuit bites. Dog rolls are a hazardous thing to buy. Here in NZ, I have only trusted one brand for the past 25 years.

Another thing about eating fast. When dogs eat alongside of each other - it does become a race. So another aspect for not gulping food is to keep them out of sight of each other when they are having their meal/s.

[hugs91882]

Okay, I'll do a separation on the feeding. I was feeding them about 3-4 feet apart to make it easier on myself, but I need to take myself out of the picture and see if they slow down on their munching.

I guess I thought 6 to 7 was "aging" because we lost our first when he was 10.
On the kibbles, I heard that soaking them for about 15 minutes before feeding them to the dog was the best as they would be easier to digest. Is this really true or fiction?

And finally, what is a chicken dog roll? I've seen you mention it several times and now I just had to ask.

[Michael Romanos]

Hi
Don't stop this conversation when you're on a roll.

Corgis are not meant to die at 10 or 12 during the past 50 years (unless they are fully farm working) just like people in first and second world countries are not meant to die in their fifties and mid sixties.
Corgis are a long lived breed and their usual life expectancy is 13 -15 with the increasing emphasis these days on 14-15. But as I've said elsewhere in GoCorgis, there was a Pem in NZ who may have lived til 26 but I've yet to have that confirmed, and there are many instances world wide of Corgis reaching 16, 17.

A little soaking (not sinking) kibble for five to fifteen minutes is thoroughly recommended for puppies - and also adults. But you won't get this advice from the manufacturers of the kibble - which makes for an element of suspicion. I don't soak kibble anymore for Taylor because he's an adult and it's not the major part of his meal.

I don't know what the situation with dog rolls in the USA but it is still big business in NZ. We have not yet caught the kibble bug as much as Americans have. However, the 2 kilogram dog roll I have been consistently using for many years contains a huge portion of chicken along with meat by-products, heaps of added minerals and vitamins and is enriched with calcuim and garlic.

[hugs91882]

Thanks, never giving up on the kids. I want them to live to be a healthy 15!

I'm not sure they would really put up with waiting 3 minutes for food to soak up liquid much less 5 to 15! I would have to put a towel under Dylan's chin to catch all the saliva. He loves his food so much.

That is so intersting about the dog roll. In my mind I picture a buritto with everything all rolled up, maybe open ends. Something they can chew up in a little bit of time.

What is your view point on vitamins? Or would the dog roll suffice without an extra pill?

[Michael Romanos]

Hi
Soaking kibble for several minutes is all part of preparing a meal. You just got to get any mindset away from treating "convenience food and feeding" as gospel. I am the cook at home during the weekdays when my wife is at work and nearly all the meals I cook are made from scratch ie fresh. So preparing Taylor's dinner is no big deal.

I would absolutely give puppies and pregnant females extra calcium - either in tablet or powder form as an additive, but premium kibble, top quality dog rolls and fresh meat and raw or very lightly boiled veges - suitable for dogs - and fruit should contain all the vitamins a dog needs. Anything extra is surplus to reqirements.

A typical dog roll in NZ, weighs 2 kilograms, is completely sealed with a plastic cover - just like a large salami is when purchased from a butcher. And it will last up til two months. The brand I buy needs not be refrigerated. But I do. One simply slices pieces of it like they would do to a uncut loaf of bread and then cut that portion into pieces. It's a wet and much more meaty form of food than is kibble. But there are some very dodgy dog rolls on the market which have a lot of fat content and third rate meat and other contents.

Cheers, Michael

[darci]

http://www.mordanna.com

The dog food project.

A great website to understanding dog nutrition.

I feed natural balance, I rotate between 3 of their formulas.
Darci does very well on this, she gained too much weight on Iams.
Better poops since I took her off Iams, and less itchies.

Also some other good foods.

Innova
Solid gold
eagle pack
California Natural
Canidae
Nutro Ultra
Timberwolf Organics

[Corgis'R4me]

Originally Posted by Michael Romanos

Hi
Feeding your Corgi correctly is one of this world's most complex and interesting subjects.
My knowledge on the subject is limited. But I take the cue from more experienced people and I treat with suspicion what vets and dog food suppliers promote. You must understand that vets make heaps of money from selling dry food (kibble) and dry food is preferable to a lot of the rubbish some people feed their dogs.

Kibble can vary extensively from one brand to another and sometimes within brands.

Some kibble is more fattening than other brands - so you should give less to your Corgi if they are increasing weight too rapidly. Taylor's condition occupies my mind daily as I would never want him to be overweight and he has to be "trim" for his agility. He usually gets big dinners - I don't have to weigh his food bowl or him - I just know, but this is compensated with lots of exercising. Less or this equates to less food at dinner time.

For dinner, Taylor usually gets one third fresh meat(cheap cuts but not mince for an adult) one third kibble and one third chicken dog roll - but he'll get less of these things if there are vegetables to add or an occassional tablespoon or two of boiled rice or pasta or a portion of cooked meat. Good veges for dogs that we eat regularly are carrots, cauli, broc, pumpkin. There are some of other everyday beneficial food for providing on occasions such as cooked eggs, wholegrained/wholemeal toasted bread, cheese.

What I try and do is provide Taylor with variety, to make his meals more interesting and tasty. It's also getting a balance between dry food and wet food. Raw meat and vege provide for stronger immune systems, less allergies. Their nutritional benefits include providing essential enzymes and amino acids and higher degrees of vitamins and minerals. Kibble promotes urinary tract disorders, allergies and dental problems.And kibble only diets may not be a great preventative measure with regard to cancer, kidney & liver problems etc.

If your Corgi is gulping down his/her meat -it's probably because they like the food so much. But you should try and cut the meat a little smaller to force the Corgi to eat slower and not gulp it down.

Here is one from left field. Dog tracking for their food is something I have never tried but it challenges the dog's tracking ( nose smelling) abilities, creates huge interest and a "game" situation for them, gets them to eat slower and it is like bringing back a natural element to a dog's life. To do this, simply hide parts of their dinner in several places in the outside of your property. Maybe give them a little hint for the "first course." Now that I've written about it, I'll definitely tryout Taylor with eating by tracking. Since today is a wet one, I'll start with an inside the house circuit. It''ll be fun.

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*~* I am soooooo glad that I found this particular thread. I wanted some advise on what natural & healthy additions I could add to Midnight & Sunshine's diet. Midnight is right around 18 pounds...but, she seems so much heavier than Sunshine ! I am really watching her weight closely. My vet says that Midnight is fine...but, ya know...she is 4 pounds heavier than Sunshine and seems to wolf down her food. Sunshine is like me...eats slowly and takes her time. I have to feed Midnight in a separate room...away from Sunshine OR she will "go after" Sunshine's food bowl !!!

*~* Nikki