bulldog4me Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Hi I tried to start this thread in the wrong section so here goes again What do you all feed your Bulldogs? Due to the strange shape of their mouths I've been advised not to feed them ANY bones by several breeders and vets. When we got Wes he'd been raised on chicken necks and basically would rather starve than eat anything else!!! So he's on about 7 necks a day (which leaves him with terrible breath) and they are also too high in calcium which is really bad for bulldogs! and he nibbles on supercoat. I prefer the all in one foods as they're easy and already nutritionally balanced. Wes refuses to eat Royal Canin or Advance and I'm not game to keep buying new foods for him to reject!! There is a new Bulldog 24 formula which has been formulated specifically for British bulldogs due to their different growth and health needs and is even shaped for the bulldog to eat easily without leaving a rim of food in the edges of their bowls. Unfortunately the food is still only in the US and possibly Europe (Royal Canin is French) so I don't want to try and get it shipped as I would want it bulk otherwise it aint worth it. Scared to take an expensive risk.... What do other British Bulldog owners think? What do you feed yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 thats hard to read Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 A healthy dog will not starve itself, so I would be feeding the dog what I wanted, not what the dog chose to eat. Decide on the food you think is best and then stick to it. If your dog does not eat it within 5 minutes take it away and have another go at their next meal time. Trust me, they will eat if they're hungry. I prefer my dogs to eat everything in their meals and dont leave food around to nibble, so I make sure they're kept hungry and I never have a problem with them eating food regardless of what it is. You can add things to kibble such as sardines, raw egg, cottage cheese a couple of times a week to make it more interesting for the dog and they're all good for skin and coat too. As for what others feed their bulldogs, I dont know, but I cant imagine it would be much different to any other premium diet. Some others will jump on and answer that one for you though. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 thats hard to read Yes, it is hard to read. I had to put these on and sit back a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I don;t have BB's but I have brachy breeds. They eat dry, chicken wings, lamb flap, chicken necks, chicken carcass, lamb shanks, whole eggs, sardines, vegies... they eat just like any other dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huga Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 My pug eats the same as her normal-nosed brother - dry, bones, vegies, yoghurt, sardines, eggs in their shells... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 We board many bulldogs & the eat anything & everything. Sounds like your pandering to your dog . Also to much chicken & no quality dry /other meat or supplemenst can also increase the risk of them becoming anemic. Sorry but unless you have a retarded Bulldog they are normal dogs that eat just like every other breed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joypod Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I've got a French Bulldog who gets Barf patties and Royal Canin atm. Where abouts are you? 4Paws in Keilor stocks the Royal Canin Bulldog kibble. Also, don't believe what the vets have told you. Brachy's can eat anything any other dog can eat, including bones. ;) ....and ignore those who are choosing to only coment on the format of your post rather than offer helpful advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldog4me Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 Thankyou so much Joypod! Thats the type of response I was hoping to get. I'm in WA, but country WA so not many vets/pet suppliers here. I have even tried to contact Royal Canin distributors to no avail. I was worried about the bones because they can lodge in the teeth and I also read on the forum here that chicken necks are too high in calcium and can cause bone deformities. So I wanted to make sure I wasn't harming my dog, I don't think I pander to my dog but I've only had him for a short time and he fretted a lot when he first came to us and wouldn't eat. He lost 6 kgs in his first week which we found quite alarming! So I probably have treated him gentler than usual. He loves his chicken necks so that's good to hear that they don't have a problem with the bones lodging. I would prefer him to be on bullodg 24 because they do grow differently to other breeds, I was just hoping to hear some other dog owners nice opinions which sadly were fewer than expected.... Sorry I have a bright bubbly personality and do enjoy colour as it's better than being grey.... Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I've got a French Bulldog who gets Barf patties and Royal Canin atm. Where abouts are you? 4Paws in Keilor stocks the Royal Canin Bulldog kibble. It's not available in Australia and there are no plans to bring it in. 4Paws wouldn't have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puggy_puggy Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Sorry but unless you have a retarded Bulldog they are normal dogs that eat just like every other breed I have pugs and they eat anything and everything. When I feed the chicken necks I usually cut them up a bit so that they don't gag trying to get a whole one down their throats. Feeding chickens necks only doesn't seem to be a very balanced diet. Try other things like a tin of sardines, eggs, fruit, vegtables. Does he get bones to chew on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joypod Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I've got a French Bulldog who gets Barf patties and Royal Canin atm. Where abouts are you? 4Paws in Keilor stocks the Royal Canin Bulldog kibble. It's not available in Australia and there are no plans to bring it in. 4Paws wouldn't have it. I stand corrected. I thought I'd seen it there. With regards to feeding bones, the only thing to watch for is if they start to swallow them without chewing them first. I had to stop giving Gus chicken necks because he was swallowing them whole and he was only 12 weeks old at the time! That was a diaster waiting to happen. I'm just about to start him on chicken wings because they're bigger and he'll have no choice but to chew them first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nellybly10 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 It's not available in Australia and there are no plans to bring it in. 4Paws wouldn't have it. I dont think that's true, I spoke to Royal Canin and they are planning on bringing it out here, I spoke to them in August last year and they said probably Feb this year it would be available through pet shops. Its already in NZ. In regards to feeding BBs, I have to agree with others we do not feed them any differently to normal dogs, aside from choosing a kibble that helps improve skin and coat as bulldogs tend to have itchy, allergy prone skin (mine are allergic to grass and get red and itchy when it is freshly mown). I choose Nutro Adult Lamb and Rice for the adults as it is guaranteed to improve coat, and my pup gets Nutro Large Puppy. They also get a mix of chicken necks, mince, meaty bones etc but I do supervise when giving bones and I never give chicken wings. Nutro offer samples so if you wanted to try it on your dog prior to switching, you could contact them or a retailer I'm sure they will send you some. As for your bulldog losing 6kg in a week, that is not healthy at all. If it were my dog I would be seeking veterinary advice, if dogs lose too much weight too quickly, whether from not eating due to choice or stress or illness, it can can have serious long term effects. As someone mentioned above dogs will eat if they are hungry no matter what you feed them, so for a dog to refuse food for a whole week and drop so much weight you would have to think that something else is wrong. My advice is see a vet immediately. Hopefully this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puggy_puggy Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I've got a French Bulldog who gets Barf patties and Royal Canin atm. Where abouts are you? 4Paws in Keilor stocks the Royal Canin Bulldog kibble. It's not available in Australia and there are no plans to bring it in. 4Paws wouldn't have it. I stand corrected. I thought I'd seen it there. With regards to feeding bones, the only thing to watch for is if they start to swallow them without chewing them first. I had to stop giving Gus chicken necks because he was swallowing them whole and he was only 12 weeks old at the time! That was a diaster waiting to happen. I'm just about to start him on chicken wings because they're bigger and he'll have no choice but to chew them first. In regards to the chicken necks try chopping them up into halves or quaters. My boy pug is a total guts and would eat them whole if I didn't chop them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Personally i think you believe Bulldogs are a special needs breed & there not. like ANY dog BONES/NECKS should be supervised when given. What age was the dog when you got it & what did the previous owner/breeder feed/suggest. Bulldogs dont grow differently at all.No matter what the breed a good balanced diet is required for long term health & what you are feeding now isnt useful at all & there is a chance your dog may refuse to eat the Bulldog RC,just because its for them doesnt guarantee they will eat it . You need to deciude on a diet & stick with & start to set the rules of your dogs diet not the other way around Also large print in forumns is seen as very annoying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 It's not available in Australia and there are no plans to bring it in. 4Paws wouldn't have it. I dont think that's true, I spoke to Royal Canin and they are planning on bringing it out here, I spoke to them in August last year and they said probably Feb this year it would be available through pet shops. Its already in NZ. That info was as of yesterday from Royal Canin. I emailed them last week or so, and also spoke to a rep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joypod Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I've got a French Bulldog who gets Barf patties and Royal Canin atm. Where abouts are you? 4Paws in Keilor stocks the Royal Canin Bulldog kibble. It's not available in Australia and there are no plans to bring it in. 4Paws wouldn't have it. I stand corrected. I thought I'd seen it there. With regards to feeding bones, the only thing to watch for is if they start to swallow them without chewing them first. I had to stop giving Gus chicken necks because he was swallowing them whole and he was only 12 weeks old at the time! That was a diaster waiting to happen. I'm just about to start him on chicken wings because they're bigger and he'll have no choice but to chew them first. In regards to the chicken necks try chopping them up into halves or quaters. My boy pug is a total guts and would eat them whole if I didn't chop them up. Excellent idea..... except... the reason I want Gus to have bones is so he can chew them so there's not much point in me choping them first up for him. Good idea otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 We havea few dogs here that pas out if we give them necks so they dont get them but for those who are worried there dogs dont chew try malleting one end so its squashed,It does stop some who are pigs & gulp them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 My smallest Pug girl, powered through a lamb flap for her dinner tonight, she didn't finish that far behind the Pointer boys. You need to be giving your bachy's raw meaty bone, otherwise their jaws do not get any exercise and their teeth get covered in tartar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nellybly10 Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 It's not available in Australia and there are no plans to bring it in. 4Paws wouldn't have it. I dont think that's true, I spoke to Royal Canin and they are planning on bringing it out here, I spoke to them in August last year and they said probably Feb this year it would be available through pet shops. Its already in NZ. That info was as of yesterday from Royal Canin. I emailed them last week or so, and also spoke to a rep. My apologies, I was only going by what I was told but granted that was last year so obviously you have the most recent info! It is a shame I was looking forward to trying it. I agree with other posters here, bulldogs are no different to any other dogs when it comes to feeding bones etc, it is always done under supervision. Also, the only consideration I have when it comes to choosing kibble is I look for something suitable for sensitive skin as I find BBs react to certain preservatives etc (although some are worse than others). Stay away from Eukanuba for example as for some reason BBs react badly to whatever they use in their kibble, I have spoken to many breeders on this and they refuse to feed this brand, I havent used it myself but respect these breeder's opinions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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