Nutrition Consults

Ongoing niggly digestion issues? Itchy? Know your dog isn't perhaps as good as can be? Underweight/overweight? Overwhelmed with the amount of info out there? Had numerous tests and 'nothing wrong' but your instinct says otherwise? I can help.... 

Feeding your dog used to be quite straightforward. In recent years there has been an explosion of choices - kibble, wet, raw, freeze dried, cold pressed, home cooked..... and I'm sure there will be more options to come. 

There was no such thing as dog food until the 1860s when James Spratt was watching dogs eating biscuits left by a ship in dock and his entreprenurial skills kicked in and he made a trial of biscuits containing beef blood, wheatgerm, beetroot and vegetables - he marketed these and the the first official 'dog biscuits' were established.

In the 1920s in America with the much celebrated use of canning food the first tins of dog food, mostly containing horse meat were produced. Moving on very little until the 1950s & 60s where 'kibble' was introduced. A generic term for small brown uniform biscuits of basic ground meal. I have to admit I did wonder what kibble was for a while, when I became a raw feeder most discussion groups were often staunch and very serious raw feeders and would slate kibble, for some time I wondered where this awful kibble was bought/made available and what it was!

When you bring your puppy home there is often not much thought to food, when to feed maybe and the initial types of puppy food and quantity but looking forward to a new best friend, a new member of the family and all the fun, love and happiness that will bring is likely way more towards the top of the list.  Breeders will always recommend and instruct on those first few important weeks of feeding.  However breeders are often incentivised by dog food companies, substantial discounts by the manufacturers will have breeders almost demanding your dog is fed a particular brand. Now if you believe your breeder knows best, and so many do, your dog might be on that brand of food for a good 13 years - well worth the discount. My advice is to ask your breeder what they feed their dog, look when you collect, see what they are feeding. Always good to stick to what puppy is used to for the first few week. Your puppy has a new home, has moved away from likely many siblings at just 8 weeks is a big deal so not feeding what they are used to is not a good idea. Consistency and as less trauma as possible is the best bet at this stage.

My interest in nutrition began with adopting Delylah, she was a bull lurcher rescue with lots of problems - here I learned how much good nutrition can affect not only the physical but also temperment and behaviour, click here if you'd like to read more about our journey.  Nutrition has since always played a part in keeping our dogs as well as possible, 10 years ago we took on Eccles who also had many health issues as quite a young dog, you can read more about him here.

My goal is to help you through the minefield of information and promises out there. There is no one size fits all, I am a big fan of raw feeding but know it isn't for everyone and there are many ways to feed a good wholesome diet to fit with the budget you have. I have studied canine nutrition, helped 100s of owners and have experience of many supporting therapies and can signpost you if I can't help. Of course you should always consult your vet if you are in any way worried about your dog's health. 

I offer consultations to look at your dog and the presenting problem. I take in to account the big picture - home life, place in the family, feeding history, medical history and every concern you might have. 

A complete Nutrition Consultation is £65 this covers a complete wholistic look at what is going on at the moment and what you would like to achieve.  Please email for more information  woofswithlove@gmail.com