# What to feed Westie/Good quality dog food recs



## ilovesnowy (Apr 15, 2009)

Hi everyone 

I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. 

It's only been in the last few years that I have become a 'dog person' thanks to my boyfriend's adorable little Westie. She is around twelve years old.

She has always eaten standard supermarket canned dog food (eg, Pedigree, Cesar, etc) which I feel lacks nutrition and is no good for her. :sad:

My boyfriend is quite happy to change her dog food, having been convinced by the info I have given him on the subject.

I have told him that it will help relieve her of her terrible skin problems (particularly her VERY itchy smelly ears) as well as keeping her nice and healthy and mobile in her old age. 

(By the way, all that said, she is surprisingly healthy for her age)

We have had a look online tonight and all the good dog foods for Westies seem to be dry but my boyfriend said she would prefer canned food. 

So... Can anyone suggest good dog foods for us to try with her, preferably canned?

And I would love it if people could fill us in on good and bad ingredients to look out for.

Many thanks in advance.


----------



## Lily's Mum (Jan 22, 2009)

Hi there and welcome to the forum. 

I would be quite reluctant to change a 12 year old dogs diet if they seem to be healthy and happy on their current food.

For the itchy ears - I would recommend a trip to the vets to find out what is causing the itch.

Some members love to feed their dogs Nature Diet - a wet food.

Like I say though, even though I see what you are saying that there are better foods on the market than the ones in supermarkets, I would be reluctant to change with the 12 year old westie.


----------



## Felix (Feb 8, 2009)

Hi there, welcome 

The best wet food, I've found (thanks DT!), is Nature Diet. My Olivia's taken to it like it was the best thing since sliced bread! It's cheaply available from here.

Also, there are some great dry foods (search the forum for James Wellbeloved, Burns or Arden Grange) that can be soaked in warm-to-hot water that turn soft and my pup loves it like that.

Be on the look out for a high meat percentage (note, a "high meat percentage" doesn't/shouldn't mean a high _protein_ content, as too much protein to do the opposite of good with some dogs), and try to buy food that's clear about the meat it uses. Pedigree, and the rest of the standard supermarket crap, generally contain only 4% "meat derivatives" of the advertised type of meat, with the rest being made up of, well, shite. And try to avoid anything with too much grain/cereals. The more meat, the better.


----------



## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

Try burns its an excellent food and its particulary good for skin problems its a completely natural food produced by a vet, Mr John Burns if you want to google it


----------



## Felix (Feb 8, 2009)

Oh, and as Lily's mum said, because she's 12 I wouldn't change her food so quick. Not saying I wouldn't at all, but I'd make it a slow and gradual change.. over 2-4 weeks maybe, giving her a bit at a time, maybe mixing it in with her old stuff.


----------



## ilovesnowy (Apr 15, 2009)

Lily's Mum said:


> Hi there and welcome to the forum.
> 
> I would be quite reluctant to change a 12 year old dogs diet if they seem to be healthy and happy on their current food.
> 
> ...


Hi LM 

Just checked with the boyfriend and she is actually nearly 14!

She is a happy and healthy dog but her skin and ears do get her down (she scratches them until they bleed and are constantly caked in dry blood) ... I would like to make a change but would make it very gradually I suppose.

She has been taken to the vets on numerous occasions regarding the ear situation ... it was thought that she had ear mites ... but she has had the treatment around 3 times for this and the problem has never been solved so we don't think it is ear mites or anything.

Thanks for recommending Nature Diet  ... would I buy this online?


----------



## Lily's Mum (Jan 22, 2009)

You can Buy nature diet here
Berriewood Wholesale - Pet Food and Pet Accessories


----------



## ilovesnowy (Apr 15, 2009)

Felix said:


> Hi there, welcome
> 
> The best wet food, I've found (thanks DT!), is Nature Diet. My Olivia's taken to it like it was the best thing since sliced bread! It's cheaply available from here.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info, v useful 

Didn't know that about soaking dry foods so will definitely keep that in mind!

It's horrible what's in supermarket dog foods ... 



haeveymolly said:


> Try burns its an excellent food and its particulary good for skin problems its a completely natural food produced by a vet, Mr John Burns if you want to google it


Thanks


----------



## ilovesnowy (Apr 15, 2009)

This Naturediet stuff seems like a good choice.

I take it this Senior version would be the best...?

Naturediet Dog Food on Sale now at zooplus: Naturediet Certified Holistic Senior/ Lite 6 x 390 g


----------



## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

ilovesnowy said:


> Thanks for the info, v useful
> 
> Didn't know that about soaking dry foods so will definitely keep that in mind!
> 
> ...


Just in case you use dried food make sure you soak it with cold or just warmed hot water kills the vitamins


----------



## ilovesnowy (Apr 15, 2009)

Thanks everyone for your help. Sorry to ask so many questions, it's just that I am relatively new to having a dog.

Having considered my options, I have placed an order for NatureDiet (the one for senior dogs).

As suggested, I will integrate it in to her diet very gradually.


----------



## Lily's Mum (Jan 22, 2009)

ilovesnowy said:


> Thanks everyone for your help. Sorry to ask so many questions, it's just that I am relatively new to having a dog.
> 
> Having considered my options, I have placed an order for NatureDiet (the one for senior dogs).
> 
> As suggested, I will integrate it in to her diet very gradually.


Lucky westie|!!


----------



## ilovesnowy (Apr 15, 2009)

I'll let yous all know how she gets on!


----------



## Ejay (Jan 9, 2009)

It may also be worth asking your vet for episoothe shampoo, we used this on our westie and it really helps.


----------



## lambsey (Apr 7, 2011)

Well, I have had westies for the past 30 years !! and I adore them, and when I first had my first one, he started scratching, his skin flared up and I took him to the vet and she said , change his diet, to chappie as it has protein, rice,fish as westies can have sensitive tummies too. So I tried him on that and within weeks he was fab !! and I have put all my westies on Chappie and they have never had skin or tummy problems. I rang chappie and they were so helpful and when I had Frasier 2 years ago I noticed there was so many foods available and I paid the earth for dried foods and he was vomitting, and ended up giving the bag to a dogs home, and I spent pounds on trying new foods whhich wasnt doing him any favours, and his vet said he is no good on dry food, and he said have you tried chappie? I said all my westies have had it, he said, well I wouls put him on that and he is fine with it, he has a lovely coat,,skin and no tummy troubles at all and the best bit is Chappie is cheap !! dont get me wrong if it cost me £20 for a bag of food I would buy it but Chappie actually sent me a scientific breakdown sheet and its great for dogs with sensitive tummies !! try it !! hope this helps:thumbup1:


----------



## DirtyGertie (Mar 12, 2011)

ilovesnowy said:


> I have told him that it will help relieve her of her terrible skin problems *(particularly her VERY itchy smelly ears)* as well as keeping her nice and healthy and mobile in her old age.


Does a Westie have hairy inside ears that need plucking when they're groomed?

I know nothing about Westies other than I think they are gorgeous but a Bichon won my heart  and Bichons have hairy ears that need regular plucking.

Poppy came to us as a 2 month old puppy with stinky gunky ears. Vet gave us Surolan, she endured two lots but the improvement was only temporary and the stinky brown gunk always came back but there were never any mites it seemed to be a build up of wax.

Once she started going to the groomers at 4 months the groomer started the process of plucking her ears and there was such a lot in there. She also recommended Thornit powder which cleared it up in a few days and we've had no problem since, her ears are lovely and clean now and no smell at all. Your dog doesn't have to have ear mites to use Thornit.

It might be worth trying considering the vet's treatment hasn't worked so far. You only need a very small amount, I used an eye shadow brush and just brushed a small amount around the inside rim of her ear and gave it a little massage.


----------



## new westie owner (Apr 30, 2010)

I feed my westie wainwrights wet and dry food from [email protected]  God luck with what you decide hope it works out


----------



## Braggy71 (Jul 29, 2013)

Bit late in the thread, but i wouldn't have changed the food for your older Westie. We have a Westie who is 15 this year and she has been on Ceasar all her adult life and other than one bowt of skin problems (caused by a new carpet :001_unsure she has not had any problems whatsoever, she only goes to the vets for her boosters. In my opinion you have to think about what is best for the dog whether it goes with your own personal beliefs or not.
At 14 years old i think you would have known by now if there was a problem with the food she was eating.
Chappie as someone else has said is what our VETS tell us to feed her on but I am not prepared to 'upset the applecart' if she is OK.


----------

