What do you feed your dog?

[woodyblueeyes]

Well lets see...over the weekend our pups had shrimp, some clams, and flounder...a little bit of ham/cheese on wheat...

and last night they had roast with potatoes and carrots, with cabbage...

tonight it's breakfast, so eggs, bacon, and bisquits...

[4everdogluver04]

Originally Posted by Fury

What brand of dog food do you feed your doggy? Or does anyone here cook your dog meals?

I started feeding Abba California Natural puppy blend and then switched to adult as she got older. She eventually got bored with the California Natural so I went to Innova (same makers as California Natural). She liked the Innova much better but her stool was soft and greenish.

The Innova was too rich for her so I decided to try the Eagle Packs (can't recall which one) but eventually Abba started to dislike it and developed hives. The vet thought the hives might be caused by the corn products in the Eagle food.

I went back to Innova for a few months untill a friend recommended a new product (to Canada) called Canidae. No wheat, corn, or soy products with lots of nutrients. She gets 2 to 3 cups a day and she really enjoys it. Her coat has a nice shine and her stool is more firm.

It's also cheaper per serving than Innova too.

Hi,
we feed our dogs beneful and ol roy and mix the mtogether the vet told us to do that.

[Renee750il]

Hi there, 4everdogluver04,

Please be sure to keep a close eye on your dog. Dogs have different nutritional needs, but we had a very bad experience with the Ol'Roy. When I was a teenager, my Dad started getting Ol'Roy food for my first German Shepherd. We noticed he was losing energy and his coat began looking and feeling thin. We took him to the vet, who told us he was suffering from severe malnutrition. He was as surprised as we were. At the time, the only "premium" dog foods available here were the Purina O.N.E., so we immediately switched him over to O.N.E. high protein along with extra vitamin and mineral supplements and generous amounts meat and vegetable leftovers. Thankfully, we caught it before he sustained any permanent harm and he lived an active, long life.

I guess this is why I am so "loud" about dog foods.

Different dogs have different nutritional needs, so we all must keep a close watch on our companions to make sure their needs are being met, because they can't tell us in words. What one dog might thrive on can be totally inadequate for another dog.

I really would like to encourage you to read the article at

http://www.greatdanelady.com/article..._do_I_feed.htm

[Renee750il]

Hey there, Woodyblueeyes,

It sounds like you have doggie gourmets! I'll bet they have gorgeous, soft coats. I used to have a big Shepherd/Akita mix who just loved anything with marinara sauce on it. He also liked a little taste of Mexican beer every now and then - no domestics, please. He'd only drink about a quarter cup, very slowly, then would just kind of sit and watch the world go by with a big grin on his snout.

It probably sounds awful to give a dog beer, but it's really not in very small portions. It's actually good for them in the same way it's good for us. When Shiva had to have her hide stapled back together (we still haven't figured out how she did it) I asked the vet about giving her a little bit of beer as a very mild tranquilizer after the meds wore off and she was hyper-pup again. He laughed, but said it was a great idea and the beer would be better for her than more sedatives. It worked like a charm!

[DarthVadersMum]

Originally Posted by Fury

What brand of dog food do you feed your doggy? Or does anyone here cook your dog meals?

I started feeding Abba California Natural puppy blend and then switched to adult as she got older. She eventually got bored with the California Natural so I went to Innova (same makers as California Natural). She liked the Innova much better but her stool was soft and greenish.

The Innova was too rich for her so I decided to try the Eagle Packs (can't recall which one) but eventually Abba started to dislike it and developed hives. The vet thought the hives might be caused by the corn products in the Eagle food.

I went back to Innova for a few months untill a friend recommended a new product (to Canada) called Canidae. No wheat, corn, or soy products with lots of nutrients. She gets 2 to 3 cups a day and she really enjoys it. Her coat has a nice shine and her stool is more firm.

It's also cheaper per serving than Innova too.

We have a Great Dane (11 mths old). We have been feeding him Chicken Soup for the Adult Lovers Soul (can't feed a Dane puppy food) since we brought him home from the breeders last summer. He eats about 10-12 cups a day. I always buy the 35 lb bag because its a better deal. It costs us $24 about every 2 1/2 weeks or so. His breeder feeds Diamond but we could find that here. So, I went with Chicken Soup which is made by Diamond.

A lot of people do the BARF diets with their Danes but I haven't looked into that much.

[Renee750il]

Hey there, DarthVadersMum,

The Danes are so gorgeous. If you don't know about it, I'd encourage you to check out the website at www.greatdanelady.com. She really has an incredible breadth of knowledge, and the Great Danes are her passion. I've learned so much from reading her articles that has been more useful than I can begin to say, and I don't even have Danes!

[pimp]

Try to feed your dog something nutishish like lams.Sometimes what your dog likes the most is bad for it.

[Renee750il]

Originally Posted by Fury

Btw. Abba is a female

Sorry, there, Fury! I get that a lot, too, so I should pay better attention. Most people look at the size of my Shiva and think SHE'S a male, and assume, since Bimmer is the smaller dog, that HE'S the female! (g) The same thing will probably happen to Kharma when she gets bigger, although she actually has a daintier (?) build than Shiva.

[k9rotehexe]

I feed Pro Plan, because I like that the first ingredient is chicken, not chick meal, or chicken by products and its preserved with vitamin E. I use to feed sensible choice but when they were bought out they totally changed the ingredients. My dogs both have shiny coats, I don't have to over feed to make sure they get enough, the poo doesn't smell like DEATH and there are not piles upon piles to pick up.

[Renee750il]

My biggest "beef," so to speak, with what's available to feed pets is that the ingredients are fraught with chemicals and hormones. Even most feeds that are supposedly premium, like Iams, Eukanuba, Pro Plan, et al, are all using polluted ingredients. The BARF diet is great - if you're getting organically raised ingredients.

I've become more acutely aware of this since getting involved in raising beef cattle. The regimens of injections and other unnatural interference that beef producers are encouraged to use is unbelievable. We don't do any of it, and our cattle only eat what grows out of the ground; grass and clover in the warm months and good hay and corn in the winter. Our beef tastes nothing like what's available in grocery stores or even butcher shops. The color is even different.

Now, imagine what kind of stuff is going into most commercial dog foods since they primarily use non-human grade meat. Think about the stuff you see in the meat section of your grocery store that makes you think "UGHH!" as you pass it by. Now, realize that what's going into commercial dog food is several steps worse. Think about all the jokes about potted meat products. Their ingredients are "human grade" - infinitely higher grade than what's going into most dog - and cat - food.

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox - for now! (lol)