What Do You Feed Your Dogs?

[suz]

I have a corgi and she eats Science Diet Lite Bites which seems to work well. When she needed to drop some pounds, we had her on Science Diet Prescription R/D which did the job.

I'm sure that whole raw food diet is good for them, but I can't even handle raw meat to cook for us! :no:

 

[mininik]

suz - There are many brands that offer excellent alternatives to raw, if that's something you're interested in. Check out http://www.evo.com for starters. If these types of diets aren't sold nearby, there are places that will drop ship on a schedule or as you order. Try http://www.onlynaturalpet.com

I invite everyone to take a look at the ingredients in what you are feeding. I know Science Diet tends to include PEANUT HULLS. Why? But forget brand names for a minute, what about all that stuff listed on the back of the bag that's impossible to pronounce? Why is it in there? What is it? Would YOU want to eat this stuff every day for the rest of your life?

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[runamuk]

In dog circles there are huge flaming debates over what is right to feed dogs

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Over the last 20 years I have fed home cooked diets, raw diets, kibble's of all types from top end cost wise to low end cost wise. Many of my dogs have come to me with skin issues or sensitivities so using diet changes to solve these problems is cheaper than using vets and drugs.

I currently feed kirkland lamb and rice (from costco) which is identical to chicken soup for the dog lovers soul at 1/2 the cost. They also all get the occasional raw meat, or cooked meat. I have had almost no vet expenses in 20 years other than spay/neuter and euthanasia. So when people try to convince me that feeding such and what will reduce my vet expenses I have to sort of chuckle

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I always say feed what works and doesn't break the bank.

Now if my pup had her way she would ONLY dine on spaghetti and raw fish....as those are her two favorite food groups :bgrin

I also apply this to feeding my horses they mainly get pasture, hay, clean water and salt block.............I have almost no vet bills on this diet as well.

"If it ain't broke don't fix it"...unless your a man then "if it ain't broke fix it till it is broke" :new_rofl: :new_rofl: :new_rofl:

 

[Jill]

In dog circles there are huge flaming debates over what is right to feed dogs

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And apparently here, too!!! I know people get worked up about what should be fed to horses. I feel like I know what works for MY horses, but also am always thinking of ways / open to ideas for improvement... I know for my dogs, I'm more into the "heart" side of it as in what do they LIKE the best but with the horses, I think I'm better at standing back and looking at how it effects them physically (I mean I'm better at it with horses, than with dogs).

Ours may be back to canned dog food for dinner, though. They have been throwing up more than normal, and that's making me wonder if the brown rice is too tough or something for them? They are happy and playful, and do "love" to eat their brown rice + chicken, however...

Anyway...

I've enjoyed reading what others feed their dogs and been interested too in some of the links where foods were evaluated.

 

[Bluerocket]

We used to feed Pedigree canned and Beneful dry --- now feed Pedigree canned and Nutro Max and Nutro Natural choice dry. We have 2 adult corgi and 1 12 wk old golden retriever. They look great.

One corgi was having impaction problems (from too many pig skin twists --- she would practically swallow them whole) so needs mostly canned food that helps prevent colic - and yes, we stopped feeding any sort of chew --

JJ

 

[HGFarm]

Ok, the more I read and the more research I do, the more scared I become in regards to what is in dog food. They mention beef by products, but did they mention the beef was sick before it died and is not only full of medications but also the drug used to put it to sleep? That does NOT cook out or break down out of the carcass when processing. Most of the skin and food allergies with pets is caused by the horrible chemicals, preservatives etc... used in them. Sometimes hundreds of times more than we would put in human food. (and why would it be in there either!)

I know many people who have been making their own dog treats and some food for years, with great success.

I have even heard that dogs and cats that are put to sleep are hauled off to be used for pet food!! Dont know if there is any truth to that, but it would not surprize me. Do you know they have no standard on what makes a pet food 'premium' or 'senior' or anything else?

BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin are all synthetic preservatives with suspected links to liver cancer and other issues in pets.

We quit feeding Purina YEARS ago when our vet had to blenderize food for dogs at the hospital that needed mushy food, and found that the main ingredient in the batch for 'protein' was HAIR!! Like off of a cow hide!! She had a half inch floating in the blender when it was blended so the dog could eat it. (I have also lost so many male cats to urinary blockages from feeding Purina cat foods in the past. ) Hair is high in protein, but is it DIGESTIBLE? No, but it meets the protein requirements to put on the bag!!

Gee, no known link to pet food has been linked to 'mad cow disease' though! Maybe they just save that for human consumption!

Also, none of the pet food companies label their containers with WHERE the ingredients come from. We outlawed DDT in the U.S. years ago as it is dangerous, but we still manufactor it and sell it to other countries, like Mexico, who use it on their vegetables --- do you know where a good portion of your vegatables come from?

Neil, who did the test on the dog food brands that you posted? When was that done? I think I am ready to get out the old pan and chopping block and start making my own. I got thoroughly disgusted when one of the major suppliers of chicken in the grocery stores is now advertising on tv that they will no longer feed antibiotics to the chickens they are selling. And.... why would they do that in the first place??!! This is HUMAN food, not pet food!! Sort of like the 'free range' chickens they claim they are raising now too... they are let out maybe an hour a day sometimes, and if they have enough ground to stand on, they are calling it 'free range'! It only means they have access at some point to the outside world.

 

[Zora]

We feed out Chihuahuas raw food/bones. They also get small amounts of Inova kibble and a mixture of herbs and supplements.

 

[Sixstardanes]

Our 4 Great danes and Terrier/Chi mix all are fed raw.

We've been feeding this way since December 2000 and have bred/weaned & reared several litters on raw.

 

[Frankie]

COST?? What cost!

I have 3 dogs, black lab, Chi mix and a Shih-Poo. It costs me about 19 cents a day to feed them all! They eat a 4-1 mix of Science Diet Lamb and Rice and Nutro Puppy. I just think they all need a little puppy.

And oh, I manage a feed store, dog food is huge for us!! When the fork truck driver has a little boo-boo and tears a bag,,happens for other reasons too,,Science Diet,,I get it for $5 for 50 pounds. We like to get anything torn out right away, we don't like having mice over for dinner. I think I paid full price once in the past 18 months.

I just hope the fork truck driver never quits!

 

[Sonya]

I against my vet's recommendation, got rid of the science diet...I went to diamond naturals for a bit but now I am feeding Dick Van Pattens LIG Natural Balance...so far I love it...and so do they!

 

[chandab]

I against my vet's recommendation, got rid of the science diet...I went to diamond naturals for a bit but now I am feeding Dick Van Pattens LIG Natural Balance...so far I love it...and so do they!

I was feeding Diamond Naturals and like it, and so did the dogs, but my supplier closed their doors, so now I'm feeding a kibble from the elevator and the dogs like and seem to be doing well on it.

 

[Jill]

We switched around the first of this year to the Kirkland Super Premium dry and canned dog food, which our dogs love. I'd read good things about it and it got good reviews (better than the Nutro -- which we fed and were thrilled with for years -- if I remember right). I still cook for them sometimes, but they love this Kirkland stuff

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I've been feeding Innova brand for a few years now, my previous Toy Fox Terrier was on the Innova EVO, but Teo my current TFT didn't like it as well, so I switched him to the Innova adult small bites. He likes it, but he isn't a chow hound, more of a picky eater when it comes to kibble. He looves people food, in the evening I often mix in some baby food meat, leftover veggies, yogurt, etc to make the dry dog food look more yummy. Oh, and if I stuff his Kong with his dry kibble he thinks it's the best thing in the world, go figure!

He loves his Kong now that I've been stuffing it with food now and then, he will play with it empty also.

Another thing I found more recently and love are the Dogswell brand of chews, they have dehydrated chicken breast, sweet potato, etc with flax or the one I like has lavender. I give it to my pup when he has to stay home alone. I'm not a huge fan of rawhide, and turns out it doesn't agree with him anyway, so this is a good alternative.

 

[Connie Ballard]

Ok guys..WHAT would you suggest for my 8 yr old cocker spaniel, Molly.

8 yr old neutered female

Fun, energetic, happy inside dog

Started having seizure type thing when she'd on the bed at night....I thought it was a pinched nerve in her neck/shoulder

cause she'd curl to the left some. I'd rub her neck/shoulder, put little tension on the left leg and she'd relax faster

Vet gave her meds for pinched nerve, muscle relaxer for day or two. Episodes over period of couple months started to be more often. Took her to my horse vet who I've used for 20yrs.

He ran tests, said her bloodwork showed couple things that point to pancreatitis. He put her on med 1/2 tab day and no more episodes.

We've fed Iams in the past, then put her on Science Diet Dental (large hard pieces she has to chew) to help her dental.

I want to move her to a food that will be most digestable. He put her on ProEnzyme powder to help her digest her nutrients, said doesnt need a probiotic cause her problem isnt in the gut...it is in the pancreas.

AND...strange thing about Molly....she'll occasionally poop in the house when we arent looking and eat most of it. Have seen her try to do it sometimes outside...but she's only out when we let her out and we stop her then.

I saw something in Jeffers called Enzyme Pro that is supposed to help digestion and it mentions "stool eating".......?

These feed evaluation sites are over whelming...trying to sift out what to get for Miss Molly.

 

[Leeana]

I've started feeding Nutro lab & rice small breed / small bites dog food since this thread, to my 2 year old shih tzu and she looks and feels GREAT! Hair coat is shiny and almost like silk, attitude and energy is level and she is healthy and playful as she could be. I leave it free choice and she nibbles on it as she likes (normally keep her bowl about half full). She eats a lot of whatever mom is cooking for meals as well but the Nutro is there if she likes. I was feeding Eagle Pack but it was really hard to find and i would have to buy the large bag which would take her forever to go through..

Nutro