Help - constant urine issue

VJH · Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 8:13 pm Post subject:

Oh bless her - am sure she will forgive you - poor little girl bet she will be all better tomorrow Laughing

JohnW · Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:54 pm Post subject:

Whenever I feed a dry complete food to a young puppy I add water to it. Amy is on Master's Meaty Crunch, a dried complete and even at 7 months I still add water so I can be sure she is getting some fluids in her. When the dried feeds first came into the country none of us appreciated just how much water there was in the old tins, so how much more water the dogs now needed. This caused no end of problems and I'm sure was indirectly responsible for a number of deaths!

Regards, John

ali5 · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 8:54 am Post subject:

Thanks John for your advice

To be totally honest I never added any water to Milly's dried food and now realise, after talking to a pet shop owner in our area, who our family have always found to be knowledgable, that I should have been adding water for puppy dried food.

Feel quite guilty really that poor Milly now has this infection, probably caused by my lack of understanding re food. Sad

Will know better in the future!!!

Thanks again John

Milly & Ali xx

Lucysmum · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 9:00 am Post subject:

Ali - don't feel guilty about it - its not your fault. If no-one told you to add water then how would you know?

Lucy has always been on a dry food and I have always added water but she still got cystitis!!

JohnW · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 9:19 am Post subject:

True Julie, Ali was only doing what she thought was right. There is no rule about feeding dried food wet, it's just the way I prefer to do it. On the other hand, I never feed adults wet, always dry. I usually make the change at around a year old.

Regards, John

Lucysmum · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 9:26 am Post subject:

Thats interesting John - is there a specific reason why you stop mixing with water for adults? Lucy is just over a year old and I still add a little water - I must say, mainly because I think it must be more appetising than bone dry! Cant imagine eating my dinner without gravy Rolling Eyes

JohnW · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 10:50 am Post subject:

Not a really logical reason Julie!! I start off for the first couple of weeks by soaking the food to make it easier to digest. After that, until a year old I just add water so the food remains a little crunchy to help with teeth cleaning. At a year old I drop the water completely (or course it's available separately) with the idea that it's better for tooth cleaning and scaling. In actual fact I doubt there is any real difference between adding the water to the food and having it standing beside it! I must say though, all of mine seem to like it dry.

Regards, John

ali5 · Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:36 pm Post subject:

Just an update and to thank everyone for their advice

Milly is much much better today, back to her old lively self Very Happy

First walks today and went like a dream, except when cars passed us and then her tail went between her legs and she shied away near the garden walls. She'll get used to it thought, hopefully.

Ali & Milly

JohnW · Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2005 11:04 pm Post subject:

Be bold and confident Ali and don't make a big thing out of it and she'll soon decide that if you're not bothered then it must be ok. Most are a bit that way to start. It took me a week to get Anna to the corner of the road, about 15 houses, but she's bomb proof now just about anywhere!

Regards, John

VJH · Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 2:57 pm Post subject:

Hoorah glad millie is feeling better Laughing

Can someone give me any water guidelines????? Ruby is on burns - I dont soak it but always have fresh water out. I tend to put water down first while pouring her meal out and she drinks just before eating (or inhaling Laughing

) her food.

Ruby is 10 weeks old and weighs 5.5kg and drinks approx between 3/4 and 1 lt a day. Is that about right?

She also has a few ice cubes a day - just because this is a calorie free training reward.

Should I soak her feed too?