markyspark Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Hello all, this is my first post in this group. I have a new dog coming tomorrow, not sure what my cats are going to make of him but I have been assured that he isnt aggressive to cats or dogs. I have built a dog gate with a cat flap in it that will enable the cats to run away downstairs if they get scared. Just wondering if anyone else has any advice on how to prevent WW3? Also its been a while since I have had a dog and wondered wheres good to get reasonably priced complete biscuits? Thanks for looking Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papillons1 Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 If you have a B&M store its much much cheaper around a tenner for a large sack of bakers which should last 3 to 4 months depending on size of your fur baby. The same sack of compleat from pets@home is around 25 quid. They also stock a great range of treats toys ect. Good luck with your doglet. Regards Sharon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markyspark Posted March 18, 2012 Author Share Posted March 18, 2012 If you have a B&M store its much much cheaper around a tenner for a large sack of bakers which should last 3 to 4 months depending on size of your fur baby. The same sack of compleat from pets@home is around 25 quid. They also stock a great range of treats toys ect. Good luck with your doglet. Regards Sharon. Thanks Sharon, I will have a look tomorrow after I have picked up Milo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adz Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Hello personally i would never feed bakers complete it is full of additives, if you have a white dog it definately alters the colour of the coat, it is also linked to hyper or very energetic behaviour again due to whats in it. Look for something with a lowish protein content to start with i try and stay under 22%. You often get offers on food at most big pets shops and there are people on the forum who give nutrition advice and deliver pet food. As you are just getting the dog buy a small bag and see how you go on some dogs have allergies and intolerances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth13 Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Agree completely with Adz, stay clear of Bakers! Look to something like CSJ - my personal favourite. (http://www.csjk9.com/ ) It does not have any additives, preservatives, artificial colours or GM ingredients - which is not good for your dog and can send them wappy. I get the Natural Champ, along with quite a few other people on here, and it's good for just your average 'normal' pet dog, and only £11 from my stockist (Gill Dale) for a 15kg bag. You can get other CSJ dog foods, such as for puppies, older dogs, dogs with skin problems/sensitive tummies, gluten and wheat free, and also food for performance/competition dogs - so lots to suit everyone. Plus it gives your dog a lovely shiney soft coat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stafford Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I personally wouldn't feed Bakers either it is known to have four carcinogens (cancer producing) additives. I'd keep feeding your new dog what he is currently on untill he settles in your home then change his food but don't try doing it quickly it can give him a very upset stomach. Try going to your local pet shop/retailer or online and ask for free samples, it should help in finding the right food for him as well as what your buget will cater for. ******************************************************************************************************* This is some of the information you can find freely on the internet about Bakers. The law has recently changed and animal foodstuff manufacturers can no longer list 'permitted colours/additives' on products sold in quantities greater than 10 kilos. Well, Bakers and the like can no longer say "permitted X Y Z", they now have to TELL us the crap they put in their food at last. At the end of the day, dogs don't give two hoots if their food is bone shaped, heart shaped or brightly coloured, this is done as a marketing ploy for the buyers. The E numbers are: E320 - has been found to be tumour-producing when fed to rats. In human studies it has been linked with urticaria, angioedema and asthma E321 - banned for use in food in Japan, Romania, Sweden, and Australia. The US has barred it from being used in infant foods. It's so bad McDonalds have voluntarily eliminated it from their products. E310 - Banned from children's foods in the US because it is thought to cause the blood disorder methemoglobinemia E172 - Banned in Germany E132 - Can cause skin sensitivity, a rash similar to nettle rash, itching, nausea, high blood pressure and breathing problems. One of the colours that the Hyperactive Children's Support Group recommends be eliminated from the diet of children. Banned in Norway. E102 - TARTRAZINE - A trial on 76 children diagnosed as hyperactive, showed that tartrazine provoked abnormal behaviour patterns in 79% of them. E110 - Sunset Yellow has been found to damage kidneys and adrenals when fed to laboratory rats. It has also been found to be carcinogenic when fed to animals. E104 - One of the colours that the Hyperactive Children's Support Group recommends be eliminated from the diet of children. Banned in Australia, Japan, Norway and the United States. E171 - Banned in Germany. E153 - Banned as a food additive in the United States of America. Suspected as a carcinogenic agent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonbird Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Same again re the Bakers, I feed mine CSJ dog food which is very good but depending on where you live it can be difficult to source, Lotti on here has a really good and reasonably priced pet supplies delivery service and can get most types of food, delivered to your door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedDemon Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 CSJ can be ordered directly online tho and if you order 2 sacks at a time, it only adds about 3 quid a sack to the price which still doesn't make it expensive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medusa Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I'm a raw feeding fan and again, would not feed Bakers unless the dog was literally starving to death and no other brands were being made. As for preventing war between cats and dogs, can I suggest that you make the cats a space where they can be calm, away from the dog and can eat, sleep and have a poo in peace where they know that the dog can't get at them? Even if the dog is cat friendly, the cats don't know that at the moment and they will go into a bit of a crisis state and that's really not good for their health. Cats take an awful lot longer to start to cope with things than dogs do, so you need to make plans for them to have a 'safe space' for the months that it will take to go through that process, for the good of their health and emotional wellbeing. My cat space is the small spare bedroom, which is fitted out for the cats with chairs, radiator beds and sheepskins on the floor alongside the radiator. It also has a windowsill for observing the world, big hooded litter trays and all their food and water, along with a couple of big climbing frames and scratching posts. I feed my cats last thing at night, just before going to bed and as they come to be fed they then spend the night in their own room, in the knowledge that the dog can't get to them. Any space which you can put up a baby gate or close the door on would work to give them a proper sanctuary- you can decide to leave it open or take down the gate later once they're happier with the dog around. In the short term the best way to introduce them is to beg or borrow a crate for the dog which you use several times a day for a few minutes. The first time, put the dog in the crate and just walk into the room with a cat in your arms. Don't push them together, just walk into the room and allow the cat to see the dog, then allow the cat to leave the room as they want. Repeat with the other cats and as many times a day as they will allow you to pick them up and bring them into the dog's presence. The most important thing is that the dog is not able to approach the cats until they are comfortable with it, so the dog is in a crate or tethered (preferably crated) until they are calm around the dog. The cats will determine how quickly this happens, but it's likely to be weeks or months rather than days. When the cats are calm in the room you can then start letting the dog out of the crate and then allowing the cats to leave again, then working towards familiarity. With a bit of luck and persistence most cats can be persuaded to accept the presence of a friendly dog. Two of mine outrank my dog and our foster feral boy Al is now quite happy to sleep in bed sandwiched between my head cat Billy and Molly the GSD. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieBiz Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Completely agree with Medusa. We had a new addition in November (an adult labrador who had never lived with cats) and we made sure that our cats (we have 4)could get upstairs and he was never allowed to go upstairs. The cats then knew they had their own "sanctuary" . We also fed the cats and allowed him to watch (whilst on his lead) as when cats eat this demonstrated they are relaxed which the dog can sense. The cats soon put him in his place and they now are all living happily together. It took a wee while, realistically it was Jan before they were completely comfy with each other so please be patient. Good luck! x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.