It has been a while since I last posted…thought I might never do so again (hate the bickering which I am equally guilty of), but rather like the feedback of this group on the _correct, innocuous_ topic.
What are y’all feeding your dogs?
As for me I look for what is on sale. I tend not to purchase store bought brands (like it matters), but hell these guys have historically been getting by on crap since dawn’s early age and live to be upwards of 12-14y/o. Mind you I mix wet with dry and once a day Buckley gets sardines chopped in. He is quite possibly/nearly the most important entity in my life at the moment, but I just can’t see spending $2.00+ per can of food which he eats daily never mind the cost of elitist dry food.
Within the last month I read a CNN article produced by vegens who had switched their dogs over to an all vegan diet. For the love of God… The only comical thing I wrought from the article was in the comment section whereby someone commented,” _vegen_, the latest synonym to anorexia. Now your dog can be just as pale, underweight and sickly as you!” To be clear he gets plenty of scraps - premium shit.
As an aside having recently reentered the dating scene I am all set with Vegetarians-talk about a pain in the ass. I had a rather pretty girl tell me last week when I confronted her about catch and release fishing that we will never know the true consequence. The punctures in the lips can result in infections. *sigh*
WOT: Dog food
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rlomba8204
- Posts: 4869
- Joined: Feb 12, 2006
- Location: Washington, DC
Welcome back.
Our situation is that George is on a vet prescribed dry food that we mix with a half a can of good quality wet food (otherwise he protests and carries on about having only dry food -- love him but there have been times when I have wanted to strangle him) so we don't have to deal with deciding among the myriad options. As far as the wet food, I am not terribly picky but I typically check the label and make sure that the first ingredient is a meat -- chicken, beef, poultry, etc. So typically an Iams, Science Diet, Purina One -- he does well on all those as a "sweetener."
As far as pretty girls and vegans, it's been a while since I've played that game but unless you are looking to marry her just practice acting interested. In your shoes, I have even very mildly interrogated the date. Nothing severe, but it is a way to show some interest and keep it fun too.
Our situation is that George is on a vet prescribed dry food that we mix with a half a can of good quality wet food (otherwise he protests and carries on about having only dry food -- love him but there have been times when I have wanted to strangle him) so we don't have to deal with deciding among the myriad options. As far as the wet food, I am not terribly picky but I typically check the label and make sure that the first ingredient is a meat -- chicken, beef, poultry, etc. So typically an Iams, Science Diet, Purina One -- he does well on all those as a "sweetener."
As far as pretty girls and vegans, it's been a while since I've played that game but unless you are looking to marry her just practice acting interested. In your shoes, I have even very mildly interrogated the date. Nothing severe, but it is a way to show some interest and keep it fun too.
I don't know how to vote. My dog only eats Bil-Jac, which we keep in the fridge. He gets sick whenever we try to feed him dry food, so wet chunks of meat it is. It sucks because nobody in my family likes the hassle or expense, but he's a cute little thing so we put up with it. Give your dog whatever he will eat and keep him healthy. If you can do that with store brand food, sounds good to me.
Vegitarians don't bug me. PETA members bug me. Here's what they don't get about catch and release fishing. You still need a license, and the license fee pays the wildlife service. It's their job to survey and maintain healthy populations of fish. Overpopulation is an issue that's far more harmful than a couple infected animals.
PETA can die in a fire. That's coming from a proud supporter of the ASPCA.
Vegitarians don't bug me. PETA members bug me. Here's what they don't get about catch and release fishing. You still need a license, and the license fee pays the wildlife service. It's their job to survey and maintain healthy populations of fish. Overpopulation is an issue that's far more harmful than a couple infected animals.
PETA can die in a fire. That's coming from a proud supporter of the ASPCA.
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option00002
- Posts: 2434
- Joined: Dec 23, 2006
- Location: Tepoztlan, Mexico
Thanks, Ray. Email me the details on the baby as I might send you another present...rlomba8204 wrote:Welcome back.
Our situation is that George is on a vet prescribed dry food that we mix with a half a can of good quality wet food (otherwise he protests and carries on about having only dry food -- love him but there have been times when I have wanted to strangle him) so we don't have to deal with deciding among the myriad options. As far as the wet food, I am not terribly picky but I typically check the label and make sure that the first ingredient is a meat -- chicken, beef, poultry, etc. So typically an Iams, Science Diet, Purina One -- he does well on all those as a "sweetener."
As far as pretty girls and vegans, it's been a while since I've played that game but unless you are looking to marry her just practice acting interested. In your shoes, I have even very mildly interrogated the date. Nothing severe, but it is a way to show some interest and keep it fun too.
Out of curiosity did you know that it is illegal in Western Europe for veterinarians to prescribe or rather host specialty food as it was determined it inherently eroded ethics?
As for the dating advice we yet again differ. You once told me to apologize, apologize to a/the wife. Now you are telling me to _act_ interested. I guess we come from different stock, but fortunately we like each other and that's all that matters. (yes homo)
Cheers.
Um, to be slightly more on topic, I'll offer up that I pretty much fed my previous two cats whatever dry food was on sale until they were both pretty old. Then I switched them to whatever wet food was on sale. Both made it in good health to ripe old ages for a cat (17 and 20 ) so I'm pretty skeptical about all the hype surrounding the 'premium' brands.
I don't have a dog. BUT I DO HAVE 2 CATS
after seeing a previous feline family member of mine die an untimely death (just over 5 years), I have chose to feed my cats high end food, At least IAMS. I know it may not be organic, but I believe it is better than the walmart store brand crap that has nonsense in it. My 2 cats are roughly 10 years old and seem to be doing just fine.
after seeing a previous feline family member of mine die an untimely death (just over 5 years), I have chose to feed my cats high end food, At least IAMS. I know it may not be organic, but I believe it is better than the walmart store brand crap that has nonsense in it. My 2 cats are roughly 10 years old and seem to be doing just fine.
Depends on the dog; we have six. All this is based on Cindy's 18 years as a vet tech.
Mostly Pedigree, but the German shepherd is missing a foot and a half of large intestine so we have to juice his up with some beef broth so he'll eat enough and the extra salt helps too since water absorption is a problem.
Purina One Lamb and Rice is great for dogs with allergies and/or sensitive digestive tract. The 11y/o poodle gets this at times.
Dozer the mastiff, gets extra turkey through the holidays, but is watching his weight in general, but it's all about portion control. Oh and he loves the peanut butter candies at Halloween.
And if you're wondering the horses get Omolene and Purina Senior. The rabbits get Prina rabbit, veggie scraps, and alfalfa cubes. the kittens get formula and kitten chow. and the hedge hog gets Cat Chow.
As far as the vegan/PETA crap, it's just that and wife thinks so too.
dj
Mostly Pedigree, but the German shepherd is missing a foot and a half of large intestine so we have to juice his up with some beef broth so he'll eat enough and the extra salt helps too since water absorption is a problem.
Purina One Lamb and Rice is great for dogs with allergies and/or sensitive digestive tract. The 11y/o poodle gets this at times.
Dozer the mastiff, gets extra turkey through the holidays, but is watching his weight in general, but it's all about portion control. Oh and he loves the peanut butter candies at Halloween.
And if you're wondering the horses get Omolene and Purina Senior. The rabbits get Prina rabbit, veggie scraps, and alfalfa cubes. the kittens get formula and kitten chow. and the hedge hog gets Cat Chow.
As far as the vegan/PETA crap, it's just that and wife thinks so too.
dj
Precise or Back to Basics (Beowolf Natural) are both human quality foods with a minimum of junk in them. I use Large Breed Precise for most of the pack at my house. Dogs are not Vegans, Vegetarians or any such other nonsense, they are omnivores. If you watch dogs in the wild, they will rip open the stomach of plant eaters (antelopes and the like) and eat the contents (likely more than you want to know) which proves that they eat plant matter as well as meat. The major off the shelf brands are highly processed but there are exceptions. Most dogs do fine on them if the chemical balance and protein levels are correct. Like in human foods, the mfg. are required to list the contents in rank order, so if the first on the list is corn or wheat or chicken or sawdust, that is the primary ingredient, so read the label. Back to the veggie issue, I do use a prescription Purina food called DRM on one of my Geat Danes who has a food alergy. It is fish based. Maybe you talk your date into being a Pescetarian rather than a Vegan. it's ok to kill a fish for your dog. So there you go.
English or Bull? My buddy is on his second English Mastiff, named "Emma Darling" (she earns the darling part every day). They're the sweetest dumbest most loving balls of slobber I've ever seen.djazz wrote:Dozer the mastiff
As far as what to feed dogs, I find it's important to look at the labels. Ingredients and nutritional content. Also, most small to medium breeds do fine on dry, but with the larger breeds you have to be careful. Some brands (particularly the cheaper ones) have a tendency to expand when they hit water and can cause intestinal torsion in breeds prone to it. If you're using dry, just put some water over a few kibbles and see what it does. If it just takes on water and gets soggy, it's fine. If it gets bigger, either switch brands or wet down the food with some water before feeding it to the dog.
If you have a large breed (I dog-sit for a pair of Irish Wolfhounds and that aforementioned Mastiff on occasion), feeding stations that raise the bowl off the floor help. It makes it easier for them to pick up the food and swallow properly.
The actual nutritional conten and ingredients are more important (IMHO anyway) than the wet/dry debate. It is a debate in certain circles, too, believe me. If your dog likes it and the food's got what your buddy needs, it's good as far as I'm concerned.
I have a 3 year old lab (which I got from this board as some of you may remember) who is my big baby. He's a great dog. He eats only Iams Large Breed dry dog food twice a day (Mostly because it's one of the only decent brands that is readily available at whatever grocery store I stop at). On very rare occasion he gets some scraps of meat, but generally he eats only the dog food.
He's trained very well, too. I can make him lay down and put a bowl of food right in between his paws. I can then go into another room and watch TV and he will not touch the food until I say "okay." My friends are always amazed. lol
He's trained very well, too. I can make him lay down and put a bowl of food right in between his paws. I can then go into another room and watch TV and he will not touch the food until I say "okay." My friends are always amazed. lol
Wellness.
We've kept our dog on 50/50 mix of dry and canned with an added dose of glucosomine & chondroitin(sp?) to help with her joints and arthritis (large breed issues). She's been on an adult formula up until recently and now that she's passing 11 years, we're moving her over to a senior mix (less fat, more fiber). Wellness has been pretty good through the years in terms of using few chemicals and additives and only human grade proteins (chicken, duck, lamb, fish, etc.) and organic vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, etc). We've joked through the years that she probably eats better than we do, especially when you see the price tag. We've never had the problems associated with other cheaper foods high in processed additives giving her food allergies which are common in specific breeds. It's not sold everywhere, but typically at independent pet food stores and I even think Petco sells it as well, although in limited selection. They even make cat food as well.
However, we're going to switch to a mostly canned diet and get her off of dry. The issue is that most any dry (even the organic super healthy stuff) uses grains and corn meals as a base. Grains have been proven to be extremely unhealthy for dogs in the long run (or at least diets high in grains). The canned foods are mostly the proteins, the added vegetables, and water which is closer to a dogs natural diet needs. While dogs will eat anything (for those of you with Labs and Goldens, you understand them to be closer to goats this way), and are considered omnivorous, they are closer to carnivores by nature and as such, need meat to survive healthy. This is what makes vegan diets for dogs such a joke and tragedy at the same time.
We've kept our dog on 50/50 mix of dry and canned with an added dose of glucosomine & chondroitin(sp?) to help with her joints and arthritis (large breed issues). She's been on an adult formula up until recently and now that she's passing 11 years, we're moving her over to a senior mix (less fat, more fiber). Wellness has been pretty good through the years in terms of using few chemicals and additives and only human grade proteins (chicken, duck, lamb, fish, etc.) and organic vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, etc). We've joked through the years that she probably eats better than we do, especially when you see the price tag. We've never had the problems associated with other cheaper foods high in processed additives giving her food allergies which are common in specific breeds. It's not sold everywhere, but typically at independent pet food stores and I even think Petco sells it as well, although in limited selection. They even make cat food as well.
However, we're going to switch to a mostly canned diet and get her off of dry. The issue is that most any dry (even the organic super healthy stuff) uses grains and corn meals as a base. Grains have been proven to be extremely unhealthy for dogs in the long run (or at least diets high in grains). The canned foods are mostly the proteins, the added vegetables, and water which is closer to a dogs natural diet needs. While dogs will eat anything (for those of you with Labs and Goldens, you understand them to be closer to goats this way), and are considered omnivorous, they are closer to carnivores by nature and as such, need meat to survive healthy. This is what makes vegan diets for dogs such a joke and tragedy at the same time.
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Bimmerguy2002
- Posts: 11973
- Joined: Oct 03, 2007
- Location: Lodi, California
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option00002
- Posts: 2434
- Joined: Dec 23, 2006
- Location: Tepoztlan, Mexico
I am sure it is a nice dog. My cousin owns one. It is a perfectly nice dog as well for a mixed breed. I do not buy for a minute that someone who breeds a labrador and a poodle (or a golden retriever and a poodle thus a goldendoodle or some such bullshit) is doing anything other than trying to sell dogs for money. Real lab and poodle breeders are apalled by the practice of mix breeding dogs and then trying to pass them off as pure bred "designer dogs". I have among my pack a really nice mutt that we adopted from the local shelter. She is a perfectly nice dog. A Corgidachsundoodle perhaps, but to me she is a mutt, a great mutt, but not a designer dog er doodle. Sorry for the lecture, but this is one of my sore spots. Yesterday's puppy mills are becoming todays leading breeders of designer dogs. When you buy one of these dogs, you enable the people who sell and profit from them. Lots of nice mutts at the pound to adopt if a mixed breed is your thing.Bimmerguy2002 wrote:leftover human food.
our labradoodle is 84 lbs
A great dog really, one of the non shedding breeds that are available....option00002 wrote:Of course you own a labradoodle!Bimmerguy2002 wrote:leftover human food.
our labradoodle is 84 lbs
Dogfood,
I use to use Purina One Lamb and Rice,
then like all things really good,
they changed the friggin formula and
my dogs wouldn't eat the new nasty chewy bits.
I went back to just Purina but the dogs begin scratching all the time so I went searching for something new...
Blue Buffalo Lamb and Brown Rice
The dogs love it, it's a great dog food
I agree with Tim, dogs are vegan naturally so why try to make them that way....
Imagine this, your dog staying up all night waiting on you to go to bed so that he can go grab a squirrel while you sleep...
that and your cat might go missing...
Here's Ellie,
She's the prettiest dog in the world...
This is her Lion pose for Playdog Magazine
We named her Ellie after Ellen Degeneres because she really doesn't care for Male Dogs...
and here is Rico as in Rico Suave'....
Rico will hump anything not moving...
This is where he hides during thunderstorms....
She's the prettiest dog in the world...
This is her Lion pose for Playdog Magazine
We named her Ellie after Ellen Degeneres because she really doesn't care for Male Dogs...
and here is Rico as in Rico Suave'....
Rico will hump anything not moving...
This is where he hides during thunderstorms....
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option00002
- Posts: 2434
- Joined: Dec 23, 2006
- Location: Tepoztlan, Mexico
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option00002
- Posts: 2434
- Joined: Dec 23, 2006
- Location: Tepoztlan, Mexico
Thanks for the feedback (pun intended) guys.
I do make it a point to read the ingredients on the food and am aware of its presentation as it relates to the overall scale of its composition. Money has been a bit tight as of late so I confess to buying dry food with Corn as the primary ingredient. As aforementioned I mix with wet food and he does get a can of sardines once a day so I'd like to think he will be o.k for now.
Every other day we go to a beautiful dog park - many acres of woodland - and as a result his weight is perfect. My longstanding concern is the impact on his health from the less expensive stuff i.e tripping over dollars to pick up pennies. We already had one ER visit because he excitedly managed to stab a stick in the back of his throat - $400 - so as I knew going in these guys get expensive fast. On a side note I also got to meet the Dr. House of veterinary hospitals.
Me: "Well, worst case scenario if I were to give it a day and see if it heals what could happen."
Dr. House: "Your dog will drown in his own blood overnight!"
Me: "Gotcha. Do whatcha gotta do."
By option00002 at 2011-06-26
I do make it a point to read the ingredients on the food and am aware of its presentation as it relates to the overall scale of its composition. Money has been a bit tight as of late so I confess to buying dry food with Corn as the primary ingredient. As aforementioned I mix with wet food and he does get a can of sardines once a day so I'd like to think he will be o.k for now.
Every other day we go to a beautiful dog park - many acres of woodland - and as a result his weight is perfect. My longstanding concern is the impact on his health from the less expensive stuff i.e tripping over dollars to pick up pennies. We already had one ER visit because he excitedly managed to stab a stick in the back of his throat - $400 - so as I knew going in these guys get expensive fast. On a side note I also got to meet the Dr. House of veterinary hospitals.
Me: "Well, worst case scenario if I were to give it a day and see if it heals what could happen."
Dr. House: "Your dog will drown in his own blood overnight!"
Me: "Gotcha. Do whatcha gotta do."
By option00002 at 2011-06-26
Looks like a great pup. There are many cost effective things you can do to maintain his health. If you are going with a commercial food (and most dogs will do fine on good ones, My dogs primarily get dry food, albiet a very high quality one, and they include some of the top working dogs in the country), pick one with a protein level of about 25%. That will pay dividends over time. 500mg of vit C a day is a good and cheap overall health supplement and 250 - 500mg/day (or so depending on wt. - my Great Danes get 500, the Dobes 250) of Glucosemine Chondrotin (sp?) is excellent for joint health. Also keep Pepto Bismol (tabs, not liquid, unless you want the pink stuff everywhere), Pepcid, and 100mg gereric Simethecone (the active ingredient in GasX) on hand in case of gastro upset (best to catch it early and treat it agressively, and not end up at the emergency vet - unless absolutely necessary). A tablespoon of olive oil a day does wonders for the coats of sporting dogs like yours. A cranberry cap or two a day will boost the imune system and urinary health of your dog (that's why people drink cranberry juice).The other thing, which most people completely ignore is the mouth health of your pet. Dogs use their teeth their whole lives and a health mouth can add substantively to their longevity. Brush your pup's teeth with a toothbrush and baking soda (add a little water to make a paste) every week or two and his teeth and gums will stay heathy and clean. Last thing - keep his nails cut or ground (I use a Dremil tool on low speed). Long nails cause the foot to splay (because long nails stick in the other toes) which causes weak pastern muscles. 75% of your dog's wt. falls on his front feet when he runs. Those front feet are an important key to how he will age, have a vibriant and active older life, etc. You likely already know this, but just in case - no chocolate, onions, raisins, or red grapes. They are toxic to dogs. Good luck. Looks like a great dog. "I trust no man who does not love his dogs" Thomas Jefferson. That guy knew his stuff!option00002 wrote:Thanks for the feedback (pun intended) guys.
I do make it a point to read the ingredients on the food and am aware of its presentation as it relates to the overall scale of its composition. Money has been a bit tight as of late so I confess to buying dry food with Corn as the primary ingredient. As aforementioned I mix with wet food and he does get a can of sardines once a day so I'd like to think he will be o.k for now.
Every other day we go to a beautiful dog park - many acres of woodland - and as a result his weight is perfect. My longstanding concern is the impact on his health from the less expensive stuff i.e tripping over dollars to pick up pennies. We already had one ER visit because he excitedly managed to stab a stick in the back of his throat - $400 - so as I knew going in these guys get expensive fast. On a side note I also got to meet the Dr. House of veterinary hospitals.
Me: "Well, worst case scenario if I were to give it a day and see if it heals what could happen."
Dr. House: "Your dog will drown in his own blood overnight!"
Me: "Gotcha. Do whatcha gotta do."
By option00002 at 2011-06-26
Last edited by m-racer on Jun 26, 2011 12:24 PM, edited 3 times in total.
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option00002
- Posts: 2434
- Joined: Dec 23, 2006
- Location: Tepoztlan, Mexico
Tim,m-racer wrote:Looks like a great pup. There are many cost effective things you can do to maintain his health. If you are going with a commercial food (and most dogs will do fine on good ones, My dogs primarily get dry food, albiet a very high quality one, and they include some of the top working dogs in the country), pick one with a protein level of about 25%. That will pay dividends over time. 500mg of vit C a day is a good and cheap overall health supplement and 250 - 500mg/day (or so depending on wt. - my Great Danes get 500, the Dobes 250) of Glucosemine Chondrotin (sp?) is excellent for joint health. Also keep Pepto Bismol (tabs, not liquid, unless you want the pink stuff everywhere), Pepcid, and 100mg gereric Simethecone (the active ingredient in GasX) on hand in case of gastro upset (best to catch it early and treat it agressively, and not end up at the emergency vet - unless absolutely necessary). A tablespoon of olive oil a day does wonders for the coats of sporting dogs like yours. A cranberry cap or two a day will boost the imune system and urinary health of your dog (that's why people drink cranberry juice).The other thing, which most people completely ignore is the mouth health of your pet. Dogs use their teeth their whole lives and a health mouth can add substantively to their longevity. Brush your pup's teeth with a toothbrush and baking soda (add a little water to make a paste) every week or two and his teeth and gums will stay heathy and clean. Last thing - keep his nails cut or ground (I use a Dremil tool on low speed). Long nails cause the foot to splay (because long nails stick in the other toes) which causes weak pastern muscles. 75% of your dog's wt. falls on his front feet when he runs. Those front feet are an important key to how he will age, have a vibriant and active older life, etc. You likely already know this, but just in case - no chocolate, onions, raisins, or red grapes. They are toxic to dogs. Good luck. Looks like a great dog. "I trust no man who does not love his dogs" Thomas Jefferson. That guy knew his stuff!
I like your thoughts on the matter. If I follow your advice I can appoint Buck as my health care proxy!
All kidding aside that is some valuable and appreciated information that I plan on following. Thanks.
-Landis
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Bimmerguy2002
- Posts: 11973
- Joined: Oct 03, 2007
- Location: Lodi, California
Mom was Bull Mastiff/Pit Bull, dad English. 160lbs of slobber until you tick him off. Then he's a freight train with teeth. Cindy had him since he was 9 weeks old and I had to get his approval on our second date. He ties my rott, Max(RIP), for best dog ever.`Jeremy wrote:English or Bull? My buddy is on his second English Mastiff, named "Emma Darling" (she earns the darling part every day). They're the sweetest dumbest most loving balls of slobber I've ever seen.djazz wrote:Dozer the mastiff
Dozer.jpg by djazzbmw, on Flickr
His "stick" is/was 5ft long and 2 1/2 in thick
IMAG0057.jpg by djazzbmw, on Flickr
We have six dogs and I would say we have a rescue/foster home but once they get here they stay. lol
dj