Soaking food

[Tomm156]

Hi all,

The new lab pup is comming on well and allready seems to be a clever little chap!

When I baught him he was being fed on skinners puppy food soaked to make it soft, I was wondering how long to continue to soak this for before he can just eat it dry, he is 13 weeks at the moment and currently eating 3 meals a day but I'm hoping to start cutting that down to just morning and evening to save me coming home at lunch time.

Any help is appreciated
Thanks
Tom

[Alice]

When I fed kibble I always soaked it for a bit, or at least sloshed some water in it to make a kind of gravy.

I wouldn't cut him down to two meals for a good while yet I'm afraid, I think I did 3 til about 5 months.

[Springfield Pointers]

I feed three meals a day until 6 months, two meals daily up to a year, thereafter daily. I don't think water in kibble has any detrimental effects.

[Stacia]

I don't think there is any need to soak but I always put on some warm water immediately before I feed mine. I think you need to feed three times a day for a bit longer.

[Tomm156]

Thanks for the advise, I will continue to soak the food as it only takes 10 mins to go soft, I am reading posts at the moment about feeding raw meat and vegetables rather than dry food, is there a set time I need to keep him on puppy food or can I gradually start swapping him, I have a unlimited supply of rabbits and deer as well as about 30 pheasants and partridge a week in the winter so would like to swap give the natural diet idea some thaught and hear people's eapeiances where possible please!

Thanks again

Tomm

[Miesque]

Mine eat a mixture of dry food and raw - means that if we go away anywhere they can just have dry with a bit of canned to save transporting/storing raw. I also add hot water to all dry food before feeding - no real reason other than it seems to tempt fussy eaters.

You can start to wean him on to raw with mince mixed in with his dry now - start slowly to allow him to adjust and move to larger pieces/bone as he grows. Chicken necks and wings are a good place to start on "meaty" items when he's older.

[Naj]

I'm with Miesque on the raw feeding & there are plenty of sites on FB & forums on feeding raw, but stop soaking his kibble. Can't see the point of that.

Naj

[urzzzzz20]

I use to put a splash of water on the kibble to moisten it, until our vet suggested that dry kibble could help get rid of the tartar on our dog's teeth.

[Rascal]

I do both, in the winter when they are cold and wet after a day in the field or if it's particularly cold I mix it with hot water to make a warm mash...And I give em it warm.

Rascal

[AlandJake]

For what it's worth, I had my Springer pup in four meals until 5 months ish, then three until nine months.

I moved on to raw when we had used up the pack of puppy kibble supplies by the breeder. I never soaked the kibble, just made sure she had access to fresh water.

Whatever you feed, all I would recommend is weighing your pup weekly and adjust its rations based on its body weight. It will also give you another indicator of how it's growing.

Best of luck with your youngster.