What do feed your dog?

[dirtydan]

My female co-worker recently got a new puppy. (Mastiff) She knows i belong to message boards (not this one) where one can ask questions, so she asked me if i would ask members,."What do you feed your dog?" If she hears responses like Purina or Puppy Chow shes going to scream. This young women is very cautious what she puts into her own body, that shes not going to give prepackaged dog food to her new puppy. If only Kev had such love. She would like recipes that one prepares just like in the old days before Purina and mass-marketing came along.

Anyone have ideas? Thanks --- Kev

The best thing to do is go through the yellow pages in the phone book looking for pet shops and vets that carry or have information on top quality food to feed her dog.

 

[vancouverman]

Sorry to say, but cooking meals for your pet, while nice, is definitely not the best way to go. Home-cooked meals absolutely cannot compare to the nutritional balance of a high-quality, scientifically developed commercial formula. And unless you are planning to buy only the best and most expensive organic meats, vegetables, grains and supplements for your pet, you're probably pumping him/her full of growth hormones, preservatives, antibiotics and pesticides. We simply do not know enough about pet nutrition to provide our pets with an ideal diet. That is better left to the professionals, who spend lots of money on research and development.

This is an example of a BS vets and pet food producers are selling to all of pet owners.

Lets look at the history a bit ..... and try to THINK ( and not just repeat what people tell you )

Dog was the first of man's domesticated animal. How and when this domestication took place, however, remains unknown. A 50,000-year-old cave painting in Europe seems to show a doglike animal hunting with men. But most experts believe the dog was domesticated only within the last 15,000 years. I'm sure, they had a bag of "Science Diet" stock in the cave somewhere.
I agree, a "ready" meal is EASY for us to serve, and has all it should contain to be healthy, but so all the "diet" substitutes for food for us, and how long one can live on "slim diet" products?????????

Think people, or ask your animal. If you do not have a Bow Lingual to ask your friend what he likes, just put in front of him a piece of cooked meet or chicken.

 

[CARGO1]

food?

I have had Great Danes for for 15 yrs, and have always feed raw(B.A.R.F).

There are many arguments to support both food diets, raw vs. ready made.I have never tried to persued anyone to do either but would suggest everyone to try it and test the results.

My diet is pretty simple after feeding the same breed for years its as simple as it gets actually. Danes have a short life spane usually 7-8 yrs at best, all of mine have lived beyond that with very little health problems I have a harle now that is 10 and and a brindle that is 2

1. raw meat. ( chicken or turkey necks and backs) you can use beef as well
2. blended vegetabe, usually the night before salad, no celery. add a little water to blender to give consistency.
3. essential oil, 3,6,9 found at any health food store
4. acidopholus promotes healthy bacteria, or plain yogurt
5. crystaline vitamine c and every few days gel cap of vitamine e

for atreat every once in a while, beef heart, liver and kidney they go squirley for it but to much is harmful.

this recipe takes about 2 minutes to throw together

I usually purge my dogs 1 day a month. water only for 24 hours.

With large breed dogs I have found that there is a very noticable difference in the amount and consistency of stool. The ideal stool should be light to medium brown and soft but not runny. It is very is to control the texture and color by limiting or increaseing the vitamine c content. the stool will turn white and into dust very quickly (2-4 days) making it very easy to clean up after and best of all no smell at all.

you will also find that raw feeding produces a very healthy coat, clean teeth bright eyes and a dog that walks high on its paws, very nice for showing.

I have tried just about every type of dried and have found it takes very little time at all, around a week before I begin to notice a change in my dogs well being. The best dried I have found for short term use is Eagle Rock high energy, or Canadie(?) I think thats how it spelled.
good luck with pup.

cargo

 

[vancouverman]

I usually purge my dogs 1 day a month. water only for 24 hours.

I have a friend with a large doog. he feeds him a whole raw chicken every two days .... and I mean WHOLE and sometimes FROZEN.

You should see the dog .... the lean ... mean .... ,,,,,, no, a very friendly dog, in GREAT shape.

 

[CARGO1]

Raw

I have never had an aggressive dog, not to say it wont happen. I really do not believe or buy into the raw feeding causes aggression theory.I have been training dogs for as long as I can remember,right from tracking to puppy classes, poorly trained or misshandled or neglected cause aggression . A major cause of aggression is not properly socializing your dog. Aside from the obviouse , sit, down and stay, are the tools that you teach your dog and are the first step to social behavior traits. Once you teach these tools take your pup to a busy mall entrance or movie theater with lots of people traffic, put it on a "down/sit" encourage people to walk by, pet, step over and essential dull your dogs desire to to play, run, attack whatever. Always maintain leash control I start with a short leash and move up to a 30 foot leash and then eventually out of sight, I do the exact same thing with other animals, horses, cows, chickens whatever moves and sparks the attention of my dog.Dog parks and petcetra are great places to train basic obedience lots of activity and places to hide.

I recently flew to Kelowna with a dog, when I arrived I unkenneled my dog out side the front doors to the airport, put her on a down. Loaded all my gear and her kennel into a trolley walked half way accross the parking lot with all my crap, loaded into my rides car walked back and there was a crowd of people standing around my dog laughing at this crazy dane just lying there, it really was a funny site, a 200 pound dog that looks like a cow blocking half the entrance to the airport. a big pool of drool and a tail going 500 miles and hour back and forth. I stood behind the crowd spoke the word "heel" and walked back to my ride with my dog walking confidently beside me.

it has been my experience that dogs that are aggressive tend not to trust, or respect their masters.. but what do I know? I have a dog that looks like a cow...lol

Cargo

 

[CARGO1]

dog

The best dry foods will have little to no Ash or paper by products. these will cause dehydration and the failure for your dog to properly absorb the beneficial nutrients in the rest of the food. As explained to me by a holistic vet.. whatever that means

I have also read any cooked meat or by product will contain carcinagens(?spelling), this goes for human food as well. this can lead to enlarged hearts, bone/hip and joint issues as well as digestive track problems... but who knows,I still prefer medium rare to blue.. thanks

cargo

 

[chuck1561]

But Paige

does this mean you dont' want any of your own

 

[CARGO1]

Paige,

Thats an excellent link you provided, my favorite book/author out of the list you provided for diets is "the Give your dog a bone by Ian Billinghurst", I just found it the easiest to read....just my 0.02

Dr. Pitcairn's Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. Richard Pitcairn, DVM, and Susan Pitcairn. Rodale Press. ISBN 0875962432.
Natural Cat Care. Celeste Yarnall. Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc. ISBN 1885203632.
Natural Dog Care. Celeste Yarnall. Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc. ISBN 1885203470.
The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog. Wendy Volhard and Kerry Brown, DVM. Howell Book House. ISBN 0876055609.
Give Your Dog a Bone. Dr. Ian Billinghurst. Bridge Printery. ISBN 064610281.
Home-Prepared Dog and Cat Diets: the Healthful Alternative. Donald R. Strombeck, DVM. Iowa State University Press. ISBN 0813821495.
It's for the Animals! Natural Care & Resources. Helen L. McKinnon. C.S.A. Inc. Available from www.ItsForTheAnimals.com; P.O. Box 1913; Fairview, NC 28730; toll-free 1-888-339-IFTA (4382); info@itsfortheanimals.com.

Cargo

 

[vancouverman]

Hey Vanman... got any extra?

Just used a last one ...

they can be such a headache until they're frozen!

they all should come with the warning label

 

[chuck1561]

lol... you think you're sooo funny, don't ya!

I've made it this long without any, why would I want to change that now????

Besides, bb is very happy being an only child.

well if bb needs a lil brother you can always adopt me

 

[Mchatte]

We have a purebred German variety German Shepherd male. Talk about a finicky eater. You'd think a dog that would take a person's leg off would gobble down anything, but no.

When we first got him, we used Eukanuba and when we took him to doggie training school, the trainer who also breeds Shepherds told us that Eukanuba is very expensive and not necessarily superior to some Walmart varieties.

Since then, our vet recommended Science Diet and he seems to eat that a little better. Once in a while, we give him a can of soft dog food and depending on his mood, he will eat when he feels like it. Diet is important for Shepherds to maintain good hip strength and also a nice coat of hair.

Most of the time, he prefers raiding the cat food dish though even when he isn't hungry.

M

 

[Kev]

What's really in pet food

and 3/4 of the way down you'll find a sample diet link

Great links Paige. And there where recipes i can pass on. TY

I did a little more looking into it and I have to eat crow and say don't buy Iams dog food.

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2003/may2003_report_pet_01.html

http://www.iamskills.com/

So now I'm in the market for a new dog food.

Great link BC visitor.

What i have learned is you really have to "READ THE LABEL." This i cut pasted and edited from lef.org.

The first ingredient in quality pet food is meat. High-quality protein is crucial for the health of dogs and cats. Dogs are omnivores, able to utilize both animal and plant proteins. Chicken, beef, turkey or other meat listed as the first or only ingredient indicates that the food is the highest quality commercial pet food you can buy. Meat by-products is the next grade down. By-products are things the slaughter house doesn't want-like chicken heads, brains, blood, lungs, bone or diseased livers. The word "meal" or "hydrolyzed" indicates that the food is bottom-of-the-barrel. This "meat" is from rendering plants, which take in road-kill, euthanized animals and other refuse

http://www.thepoop.com/pooppantry/, all sorts of different choices for her to cook up...

Good link HFS.


I don't have a dog myself but i have learned alot about dog food these last few days. When i get one i'll be prepared. Thanx again everyone for your input. --- Kev