Wellness core

daisyprincess

Should I just not leave food in their dish anymore and set a time and if so how many times a day should I feed them?

I wouldn't leave food out all day. Are your dogs overweight? Very few dogs actually regulate their own food intake. 9 out of 10, I think, will eat more than they need, or if you have multiple dogs, get bullied and not eat enough.

Cherokee and Jaz both eat Core (the original formula), and they both eat twice a day. Cherokee never gets gas, but Jaz does, and it's very minimal on this food. They're 65 and 75 pounds and eat about 2 cups each a day (1 in the morning, 1 at night).

I, too, wouldn't just leave food out. Not only for the chance of one dog overeating and another perhaps not eating enough, but I like knowing who is eating what, as if someone isn't feeling well, I can say 'well, they haven't been eating well for X amount of time'

  I have 3 dogs and I have always just had a bowl in the kitchen and had food in it and each time the bowl is empty

wow what an unhealthy way to feed. **content removed**

mudpuppy

wow what an unhealthy way to feed. **original content removed** 

That's kind of uncalled for.

Anyway, I agree with the previous posters. You should be regulating your dogs food in take by having regular feeding times and measured food amounts. What doesn't get eaten gets put away until the next feeding time.

As far as Core goes, it make my dogs very gassy, but every dog is different. You just have to try and see how it works for your dogs.

free feeding isn't a very good thing to do especially when you have more than one dog.  It is much healthier to feed each a set amount, not letting them eat the other's food.  This will help you to see who is eating what and might need more or less and also make their bowel movements more regular and predictable.  Also if they don't eat the food in about 15 minutes take it up.

Initially you may find all this a hassle but you and they will get into the program and feel you will find it better for them

The premium foods are designed to be fed in measured amounts, not snacking all day.  Hence, you might be getting gas from a digestive system that is busy all day with the equivalent of parts of a three course dinner, in bits all day long. 

Gas can also arise from overfeeding, but it would be difficult to tell how much each of your dogs is eating every day when you simply top off the bowl.  

I speak from experience.  I used to leave a feeder out for my livestock guardian dogs and had many problems from the fact that one dog would simply lay next to the food all day, and eat, and get fat, while the other dog would hardly get a chance to eat.  When it became necessary to start feeding the more timid dog anyway, I started the current method of calling them up to eat.  This serves the doulbe purpose of socializing them to people and the house dogs, and being able to check their condition daily and make sure they are eating. 

 I would recommend feeding each dog separately, and splitting their daily food allotment into 2 feedings - half in the morning, and half in the evening. My dog used to be free fed and it worked fine for him - in fact, he will still regulate his own food intake if he's not hungry (particularly if it's during a heat wave and he's mostly sleeping all day) - but I found splitting his meals into 2 measured servings works better. I don't have to worry about the food spoiling or getting dirty by being left out too long, he eagerly anticipates the food and seems much more excited about food in general (though again, he still self-regulates), and it's a good opportunity to use food as a reward/training. For example, when I was getting him used to sleeping in a crate, I would simply feed him his meals in the crate, with the door open. He soon got quite happy about being asked to "go to his pillow," because he associated it with tasty food. :)

 I have always feed them like that never had a gas problem until I changed their food they were eating pedigree but they were just itching so much, my dogs aren't overweight no vet has ever told me my dogs were overweight.  I will try to feed them twice a day.

 As for you MUDPUPPY  I don't know what you had written down seeing how others said it's uncalled for but I really don't know why this site keeps you on it your always getting your post content removed but I guess there is always one perfect person in the place lmao

 
Anyway I will try the dogs on this food, and see how it works seeing I need something that won't make them itch and gas
 

I have to say...of all the foods I have tried feeding my dogs, Wellness Core is the ONLY one that hasn't given them gas and that they actually get excited about eating...but they both did get a hotspot about a week after making the full switch...both are fine now.  Just be sure to make the switch slowly. Definately try to feed twice per day. One of the first symptoms of a dog that is not feeling  well could be loss of appetite. With the number of dogs you have, I would imagine it would be hard to monitor their food intake if food is left out all day for them to snack on. Good luck!  

 huh, I didn't know they were selling Core at Petco.

I wonder if they're any cheaper than where I get it now.  They sell Core Ocean, too, I assume?

That's what I feed Ella. 

 not sure of the other names of wellness core but they had about 5 or 6 different bags at least the petco in brooksville florida

daisyprincess

 not sure of the other names of wellness core but they had about 5 or 6 different bags at least the petco in brooksville florida

The CORE range only has the 3 formulas - Original, Reduced Fat, Ocean - as per the image you included in your first post.

I'm another big fan of this food.
If you want to try and eliminate gas as much as possible, plus also get your dogs to lose a bit of weight, then IMHO the Core Reduced Fat formula would be ideal.

FussyPoodles

plus also get your dogs to lose a bit of weight

all 3 of my dogs are between 40 and 44lbs I don't see why they would need to lose weight no vet has ever said my dogs need to lose weight they all been to the vet recently and vet had no problem with their weight, I feed my dogs pedigree and a store brand for years they never had gas, but they did itch so the vet said use purina one so I did but then went to better food for them and thats when the gas came but they no longer itch like natural recipe didn't make them itch at all but gave them lots of gas I was using the lamb and rice lady in petsmart said it could be the rice which most likely she said was or the lamb so I don't know anymore

daisyprincess

all 3 of my dogs are between 40 and 44lbs I don't see why they would need to lose weight no vet has ever said my dogs need to lose weight they all been to the vet recently and vet had no problem with their weight

Obviously I have NO clue if your dogs need to lose weight since I haven't met them, but when Cherokee went to the vet last year, and was around 10 pounds overweight (should be around 55-57 lbs, and she was 65), my vet didn't mention it. I think most vets are so used to seeing fat dogs they don't know what a normal weight looks like anymore. Or else they're afraid of offending the owners, which is really really scary.