Expert: Kaza - 5/27/2010

Question
Hi there, firstly, I would like to say i think what you are doing here is fantastic, and want to thank you for your commitment.  I am due to get a little 11 week old bichon boy on Saturday, and I am sure your website will be a constant source of advice and guidance over the next months and years!! Anyway........!! I have 2 questions, firstly, you recommend the raw food diet i wanted to know if i can use both the raw and dried as i am not sure my finances will stretch to raw food all the time!  Secondly, I am sue to go to the breeder on Saturday us there anything in specific I should be looking for/ checking on the little puppy and are there any questions you recommend i should ask the breeder.  many thanks for your time.

Answer
Firstly ask how they have been socialised, wormed, have parents been health tested, if so you should get a copy of results to prove they are ok to breed from. Ask what they have been weaned with, have any of the parents have any known disease or allergy. Look at the parents , are they friendly or nervous, nervous parents make nervous offspring. Ask about training, crate training etc, has this been started yet? Ask them will they be there in the future if you need help.If KC registered are endorsements in place and if you want them removed what is her criteria. How many litters does she have a year?
Why did she breed?
NO breeder should ever be offended by questions, if they are then maybe they are not what you should be looking for.

Raw diet is far cheaper if you use it correctly remember they will eat less on a natural diet than a dried or commercial diet.
It is not recommended to supplement a complete meal as a dried meal as it can lead to obesity etc, however If you are looking to feed this way then I would supplement using cranberry tablets and lutein from Holland and Barratt as these are the two areas of concern for bichons, urinary bladders and eyes. A diet based on omegas will be good for orthopaedic  issues like patella luxation, arthritis etc. Pilchards in a tin are a really good dietary addition to dried foods (drained of course) as are carrots, apple, pear, garden peas, green beans, chick peas, lentils, salmon cooked.



Follow up advice :

The raw diet will consist of about 175 g of food per day made up of 130g protein based ie meats or fish or both the rest will be veggies or fruit or both.
Snacks will be about 100 g made up of fibre based foods, raw veg, fruit, etc/