diet help please

I think Victoria's answer seems to be good . I find that with my two if they are reaxed/sleepy you can do things to them that might otherwise not go down too well at other times. TBF Tasha is sooooo good having her drops in her eyes every night. I just say to her 'ready for eyes Tash' and she either rolls over or she will put her head down to the floor to put her drops in.

[quote="simbalove"]If she is anything like Josh you won't stand a chance though he is getting pretty good at the eye drops now and only growls a little instead fo the full scale war I used to have



Well she has had only one day's prescription drops (out of a suggested 8 days ) and I have decided to take my own advice and do what I was doing before I had her checked with a vet , that is, continue with my bathing her ears with colloidal silver and homoeopathic pills. This morning her ears were not so red and I think she just reacts to veterinary meds this is her second lot, she had auramycin before. She will let me bathe her ears and the pills are hidden in her favourite tit bits. I could not make her have any more drops you should have seen her ears , really angry and bright red , I can undertsand why she didn't like the procedure she was given easyotic by verbac and it has a long tube that you fit inside her ear and pump the lotion in, dont know why I went to the vets in the first place , with hindsight I am sure if I had continued my own regime the may well have been better by now. Will keep you all updated with her progress
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Rooney, Roxy&Pip wrote:Awww bless! When she is relaxing can you not stroke her ears they pop some stuff in when she is relaxing?!

The words Tuppence relax and stroke ears in the same sentance.....very funny. She is on guard duty even in her sleep......she wasn't listening when God told her she was a sweet litttle Shih Tzu she was daydreaming about being a Rottweiler

tuppence wrote:

Rooney, Roxy&Pip wrote:Awww bless! When she is relaxing can you not stroke her ears they pop some stuff in when she is relaxing?!

The words Tuppence relax and stroke ears in the same sentance.....very funny. She is on guard duty even in her sleep......she wasn't listening when God told her she was a sweet litttle Shih Tzu she was daydreaming about being a Rottweiler

Naughty little Tuppence

I think Pippa is going to take some controlling! Roo is fab with his eye drops, he just lays there.

I think that is most shih tzu

My partner seems to think that Pippa is worse than the other two were when they were younger.....i cannot remember lol!

I have had to take Pops to the vets again, she has an eye infection, she let the vet put yellow dye in her eye and then put drops in, and has been as good as gold with us as well, and yet if the vet so much as looks at her paws she screams the place down, Shih Tzus are a law unto themselves:lol!: x

Josh got eye problem too at the mo Michele - must be the time of year for it

Yes they are a law unto themselves. I nearly lost Opal once as the vet who examined her when I thought she had hurt her back but she did not flinch or baet an eyelid when the vet pressed her spine and examined her but screamed blue murder when the vet touched her paw. This resulted in me NOT confining her to a cage because the vet was adamant there was nothing wrong with her back only to find a few days later that she was completely paralysed because it WAS her back!! ~so they can be their own worse enemy!!

I had Javari confined to cagerest for three weeks recently because of his limping. Vet couldn't find anything and he didn't flinch or anything but after the prescribed week rest it wasn't over so decided to continue with the regime. It now finally seems better!They are such tough cookies that it is very important to follow your feelings as you know your dog best.

Famke wrote:I had Javari confined to cagerest for three weeks recently because of his limping. Vet couldn't find anything and he didn't flinch or anything but after the prescribed week rest it wasn't over so decided to continue with the regime. It now finally seems better!They are such tough cookies that it is very important to follow your feelings as you know your dog best.

You are so right Famke, glad he is getting better.

so true famke xxxx and I am glad too that he is recovering xxxx

Rooney is loving the nuggets!! He waits for roxy so he can lick her dish.



Why do the nuggets smell when they have defrosted?

If you are feeding the Banquet Nuggets it may be the green tripe and offal in them that you can smell..... most dogs love green tripe and it is probably why Rooney is enjoying them. Tuppence has the chicken nuggets and the only smell from them is from the added apple.....so hers smell lovely.

The banquet nuggets have lots of offal in them as well as the tripe but I don't find they smell that much BUT I don't let them get over-thawed. At this time of year they probably only need and hour or two.

Just for information, the chicken nuggets (as with the other single or double blend nuggets) have rice in them (which some dogs do not tolerate) and more importantly are quite low in protein so I would NOT recommend feeding them to a puppy or dog who is active (eg a dog who does agility). Personally I have found over the years that this breed do tend to do a little better on a slightly higher protein level.

simbalove wrote:The banquet nuggets have lots of offal in them as well as the tripe but I don't find they smell that much BUT I don't let them get over-thawed. At this time of year they probably only need and hour or two.

Just for information, the chicken nuggets (as with the other single or double blend nuggets) have rice in them (which some dogs do not tolerate) and more importantly are quite low in protein so I would NOT recommend feeding them to a puppy or dog who is active (eg a dog who does agility). Personally I have found over the years that this breed do tend to do a little better on a slightly higher protein level.

Ever the practical me. I get Mali & Tasha's Nuggets out of the freezer straight after their last meal put them in a Tupperware container and put them in the fridge, and take them out of the fridge about 1 or little less before they are going to have their meal. I find the Banquet Nuggets a little smelly but not too bad.

You are very organised - I seem to be resorting to microwave at the moment (poor dogs) xxxxx

I am the same as Carol but I guess I must be overthawing them!!



Thanks all!

simbalove wrote:The banquet nuggets have lots of offal in them as well as the tripe but I don't find they smell that much BUT I don't let them get over-thawed. At this time of year they probably only need and hour or two.

Just for information, the chicken nuggets (as with the other single or double blend nuggets) have rice in them (which some dogs do not tolerate) and more importantly are quite low in protein so I would NOT recommend feeding them to a puppy or dog who is active (eg a dog who does agility). Personally I have found over the years that this breed do tend to do a little better on a slightly higher protein level.

I have e-mailed Anglian Meat Products and a Lady called Dawn has given me these protein levels for

Natures Menu Frozen Nuggets per meal

Lamb 25%

Chicken 28%

Tripe 30%

Chicken and Fish 37%

Beef 32%



Puppies require 28% protein

Adults require 18 %

Performance Dog requires 25 %

Racing Sled Dog requires 35 %

Lactating Bitch requires 28 %



So going by what simbaloves has said , that Shih Tzu need higher protein, then this is a good food and I have been assured that Tuppence is getting sufficient protein from the chicken nuggets for her activities.

That is how much MEAT is in the mix but in actual fact is NOT the amount of protein ACCORDING TO THEIR PACKS AND THEIR WEBSITE!

If in actual fact their protein level is higher than they are stating then they could possibly find themselves in trouble.

Below I have copied and pasted the breakdown of the chicken nuggets and the banquet nuggets - highlighting the relevant sections.

Ingredients for the Chicken Nuggets:
"Chicken Min 32%, Peas 15%, Carrots 15%, Swede 15%, Brown Rice 15%, Dried Apple 5%, Salmon Oil <1%

Typical Analysis
Moisture 75%, Protein 7%, Oil 5%, Ash 1.8%, Fibre 1.2%, Copper (as cupric sulphate) 2.7 mg/kg, Vitamin A 1500 IU/KG, Vitamin D3 150 IU/KG, Vitamin E as a tocopherol 21 IU/KG."

TOTAL MEAT CONTENT 32%


Ingredients for the Banquet nuggets:
Chicken Min 32%, Tripe 28%, Lamb 14%, Carrots 10%, Peas 10%, Heart 3%, Liver 3%

Typical Analysis
Moisture 65%, Protein 12%, Oil 10%, Ash 2.4%, Fibre 0.3%

TOTAL MEAT CONTENT 80%

If anyone wants to check the link is HERE

Having said that - Natures Menu nuggets contain MORE meat than in many other dog foods (and it is real meat not by-products etc) it is just that the BANQUET nuggets is built of nearly all meat rather than having rice in it. I can understand the vegetables as a wild dog will often gorge on the stomach and contents of its kill first (and their prey is usually a vegetarian ) but I don't know of any rice eating animals personally though there may well be some )

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=459#answer_4

http://naturesmenu.co.uk/advice/

Blimey food really is complicated.



I was over thrawing my nuggets, they are fine now ooooops



I like to deal with food that smells nice but if Rooney likes it and it is better for them then I will put up with it.

I read that as over throwing I thought that might have been what you were doing - I did it the other week when we had a hot day and I had lifted them out at lunchtime for their tea! You should find they have better breath and not be windy on the raw Have a look at the Natures Menu advice link above - the why feed raw is very interesting xxxx

Lol i tend to throw them about!



Yes breath much better and also not much scratching - only ears and that is not as regular now.



Pip is still on the nature menu pouches until I get a proper stock of banquets. I am running out!!

Do you have a local pet shop who would get them in for you? I aksed mine and now I have a ready supply whenever I need them and she isn't more expensive - and I don't need to get the car out as she is within walking distance

Or I am sure they were offering delivery without a minimum amount but not 100% sure