[in the hills]

We are looking for some wise words regarding feeding Meg, our BC pup ..... please.


She is now 15 weeks old and is currently fed on a pup food containing 28% protein. At the end of this first growth stage she should apparently go down to a food containing 24% protein, then 21% and by 9-12 mnths be on a food containing 21%.


We cannot find any puppy/junior food available locally that contains less than 28% protein.


What do we do?


She is still on 3 meals per day and in general finishes (more or less) each meal. She is growing well and has bags of energy  . She is very active as we take her everywhere with us, she has 3 walks per day, "helps" with the other animals and spends loads of time wrestling the mad Flattie.


So ...... how do I attempt to feed the right protein level? I could give her adult food of say 21% protein for one meal and stay on pup food for her other meals    or maybe a biscuit type meal for breakfast 


Not sure ...... any advice welcome 

[happygolucky]

I have not looked this up or in fact had a Border Collie but we keep our Labradors on puppy food until they are around 18 mths old.....its easier to digest for them and Labs are not fully grown until sometimes 2 years old...now Border Collies are fast active dogs......so, maybe they also need the higher protien until around a year old as they are lighter frames....hope some one helps you as I am interested........when I had my first dog all dog food was the same!! pups got fistly bread and milK (very bad for them) then got mashed up dog food with biscuits!!!

[in the hills]

Thanks for your reply.


We did much the same with our retrievers but I believe collies are a bit different and the high protein levels can lead to them becoming hyper and also growing too quickly, which combined with their activity levels, can lead to damage to joints etc.


Only going on what I read though and uncertain how to reduce protein levels but ensure the right diet for a growing pup.


I remember my dad giving pups Weetabix and milk for breakfast. Probably frowned upon now but they survived 

[SallyintNorth]

Yes, I would be careful of giving any working breed too high a protein level, unless they are actually living a full working life.

ith, I did as you suggest, and mixed a more adult and lower-protein meal into the diet, working it out to achieve the desired overall protein level, to reduce the protein in stages until she reaches adulthood.

So for instance, mixing a 21% with a 28% to achieve 24%, use just over half 21%, just under half 28% - so your idea of one meal of the puppy food and one of the adult food would work; just make the puppy food meal slightly smaller than the adult food meal 

[happygolucky]

I suspected you had done your home work.......I bet a lot of old fashioned farmers just fed wheetabix then scraps........still, Border Collies are often tough little dogs..unlike the problems with retrievers or Labs.......it is a worry, I think sometimes the manufactureres of dog food con us....when we could buy cheaper but equaly as good food......!! My female Lab could not tollerate cow milk at all, especialy WHeetabix!!
 

[in the hills]

Thanks SITN, shall get mixing. Alf is on 21% so will work well and will put them both onto 18% when Meg is old enough.


When we had Alf as a pup he was on a very expensive dog food. Did continue with it for a while but they stopped stocking it at our store as it was so expensive. The owner said that she could order it in but that manufacturers all had to comply to certain standards and that most feeds were quite adequate and in fact remarkably similar nutritionally. The less expensive foods seem to suit Alf better - firmer motions    ..... not sure why. So guess you could be right HGL.


We had a lab once that was sick if she drank milk, though all our other retrievers liked the occasional drop.


It's probably a no, no but Alf loves raw eggs. His favourite thing is to steal a quails egg and eat complete with shell. Otherwise he is really fussy with food and you can leave your dinner on the floor and he wouldn't touch it. Children are finding it difficult to remember that if they leave food on the floor or chairs pup is rather different and will steal it.    Naughty collie.

[SallyintNorth]

Raw eggs are very good for dogs    If they'll eat the shell, that's great - loads of calcium    When we have the eggs to spare, mine get one each two or three times a week.  Helps keep their coats shiny - and they absolutely love them.

[Backinwellies]

Hi
Be very careful feeding your collie .... cheap feeds contain additives which react badly with collies causing hyperactivity .... when I got my current collie cross from a collie rescue i had to sign to say I wouldn;t feed Bakers.   As for puppy feeding I would suggest you consult  a specialist border collie rescue with your question.

[Bluestar]

Thank you BIW. Yes, have already dismissed Bakers as an option.

The protein guidelines were from B Sykes who I believe has associations with or maybe founded one of the collie rescues and produced a leaflet for I think RSPCA or Dog Trust (can't remember which  )  on how to feed collies.

We feed our retriever on Wagg.

Any thoughts on decent complete dry foods anyone?

On the subject of colourings in dog food ..... I recently walked a neighbours lab and told him I was worried because the dogs poo was bright green ..... and I mean vivid  . Turned out it was the chews that he was being fed 

[plumseverywhere]

Hi
Be very careful feeding your collie .... cheap feeds contain additives which react badly with collies causing hyperactivity .... when I got my current collie cross from a collie rescue i had to sign to say I wouldn;t feed Bakers.   As for puppy feeding I would suggest you consult  a specialist border collie rescue with your question.

I am SO glad I've just read this!! Will make sure Murphy doesn't have any.

[SallyintNorth]

Autarky is excellent, less additives than most.  Not all dogs like it though, and even when you mix it with water you have to build up slowly, keeping an eye on their poo to make sure they aren't getting bound up.  I feed my collies 1/2 a ration of Autarky and half a ration of plain wholemeal baked biscuits with Chappie, unless they are working really hard in which case they get a full ration of Wagg Complete (not the worker version) every other day.

Only when I was working collies on the hill, when I'd be running 12km in the day, goodness knows how much ground the dogs were covering!, only then did I feed Wagg worker - and only then for a few days before a big gather and one day afterwards.

A lot of shepherds around here feed their collies maize.  If they have a very big work day, then they may get a tin of Chappie or similar on top.

Collies have been bred to 'do' on very little input - augmented by scavenging, which they love - for many generations, and do well on this diet.

At lambing time they will be working hard, and there will be cleansings about for them to get their extra protein.  The rest of the time they love to pick up sheep poo (it's semi-digested vegetables ), lambs' tails and testicles  , any trimmings of foot horn, any removed calves' horns, and will eat a little sheep or cattle cake too if they need a bit more protein.

When I had pet collie crosses, I found they did best on wholebake biscuits and Chappie, with an egg once or twice a week, and not any of the complete feeds, all of which I found to be too high in protein even for very well-exercised and stimulated pet collies.  (Once they're adults, I think growing youngsters do need extra protein.)

[colliewoman]

I'm with Sally on this one,  we use tripe and biscuits cos Red Dog doesn't do well on anything fishy 

[SheepCrazy!]

Collies! Toby is beef intolerant which was a real learning curve, apparently it's common in collies so he's on the James Wellbeloved, which is ok price wise online but I'd break the bank buying it from the pet store! Their foods come in puppy, junior, adult, senior and light. he is a working dog and has full access to his biscuits all day, however he's deep chested so he doesn't eat before he runs in case he twists his gut. He also gets turkey mince, pork mince,liver and other tit bits to sustain him 

[Backinwellies]

Love to know where you get your welbeloved from .... can't find it under £40 anywhere .... and I can get it for £42 from shop

[SheepCrazy!]

HI Backinwellies, I get it from www.pet-supermarket.co.uk its £40.35 with free delivery of 5- 7 days so I buy in advance they usually have other deals like an extra percentage off, or free something, the cheapest i've managed is £35 for 15kg ON THAT SITE
£42 in a shop is great up here its £50- £52 a bag! Thats Pets at Home or WCF