What do you feed your dog and why?

[patricia rees]

We feed a raw diet also. Have for about 6 months. Dogs love it. They get so excited when I bring out their chicken. Now if I could just, get them to under stand that not all the chicken thawing out in the sink is theirs. We also eat alot of chicken. (Not raw)

[samanthac]

Originally Posted by poohbearsmom

California Natural Lamb & Rice. This food was rated one of the best by Whole Dog Magazine. Very few ingredients, very good results for my dogs.

My puppy did not do well on Canidae AT ALL. Itchy Itchy Itchy. Too much stuff in there.

Ditto. Had a very difficult time with Canidae here as well. We do CA Natural Lamb & Rice and Chicken and Rice forumlas with a bit of RAW thrown in to boot! :) I have finally found a food that ALL my dogs do well on! :)

Can't get any purer or simpler a food than CA Natural. And no it is not just for dogs with allergies or sensitivity. Its for all dogs. Super food.

[samanthac]

Originally Posted by SamanthasMom

Evanger's canned meat (100% - either chicken or beef) and add in veggies (usually carrots and broccoli)

Very nice canned food that is starting to catch on...plus it is very hiogh quality for a very reasonable price!

Wysong All Meats canned foods are also very nice, but expensive...cheaper to just feed raw ground meat. I can buy 50-lbs of raw chicken for what it costs fro one case of Wysong All Meats.

[K9-man]

I have *five* dogs on Canidae and they're all doing great with it! :)

[SuMdUmGuY]

I just read an article that talked about feeding table scraps. I was always told that feeding table scraps is a bad idea because of it promotes begging, causes obesity, etc...the article I read however, states that it is somewhat essential to feed table scraps in order to ensure that your dog gets nutritional value that is not found in regular dog food due to it's processing.
Can someone help with this?

[Rott-Wiley]

Feeding scraps can be very controversial. Before Purina came along and invented dog chow we only had scraps to feed and the dogs back then lived 16 to 20 years. If someone cuts the fat off of 4 steaks and puts it in a bowl for the dog then that is not going to give the dog a balanced diet. But in moderation (like 10% of the meal) scarps can be very beneficial and the dogs sure do enjoy them.

[LynnS]

The idea is that the dog gets fed in his/her bowl not by begging at the dinner table. What you put in dogs bowl wont impact begging behavior. Getting rewarded by getting food when begging definately will :D

[trackermom]

After ALOT of research I now feed California Natural... I have also fed Innova, Wellness, Nurto and Eagle Pack and find that i get the best results for my personal dogs with the Cal Natural. Short of feeding them raw I have found that it is what works best for my guys.

[Lookie]

We're just in the process of switching over to Natural Blend by Royal Canin. I've heard good things about it...I wanted to switch to something that more pet stores carry, cuz I didn't want to rely on only one place.

We'll see how this goes....she seems to like it better at least.

[trackermom]

Originally Posted by Our_New_Lil_Boy

The Breeder Im getting my puppy from just started him on 'Purina One Growth and Development Puppy food'... I made sure I could find this here and he will tell me how he does with it. He will also send me pics and weigh-in's when he takes him to the vet.

Angie

Angie, you might want to take a look at some of the foods mentioned in these posts. Purina is not exactly a "Premium food". Some foods to look into would be;Innova, for a puppy since it is preserved with vitamin C which in studies has been shown to help prevent hip displasia, California natural, Wellness, or eagle pack are all good premium foods. Just my .02 Good luck with your new bundle of joy!

[Carina43]

Originally Posted by SuMdUmGuY

I just read an article that talked about feeding table scraps. I was always told that feeding table scraps is a bad idea because of it promotes begging, causes obesity, etc...the article I read however, states that it is somewhat essential to feed table scraps in order to ensure that your dog gets nutritional value that is not found in regular dog food due to it's processing.
Can someone help with this?

It's not essential to feed table scraps & other stuff with a commercial diet, but IMHO is beneficial. :) NO cooked bones ever! And avoid large amounts of cooked meat fat, and salty meats.
Here's a great nutrition page; scroll down for foods you can add to a commercial diet.
http://www.bowchow.com/dogfeeding.html

[TrishB]

Let me start by saying that I've ALWAYS had wonderful compliments about Parker's coat. It's sleek and shiney - even now with the Spring shedding season! Since I took him to his first show at 6 1/2 months to now at 21 months, he always gets compliments.

Parker was raised on Pro Plan. He looked WONDERFUL on Pro Plan. I changed his food because of a study that shows that changes in food can help your pet derive more out of the food and limit any lacking from one food that they may pick up in another.

So I switched him to Nutro Large Breed. He looks WONDERFUL on Nutro as well. No more shiney, no less. No more or less poops. No more or less appetite (it's always good).

Take a look at this picture: http://community.webshots.com/photo/...00897004eQyKug
Which was last Fall while eating Pro Plan.

Or this one: http://community.webshots.com/photo/...22547729okSpLS
Which was only a month ago, while eating Nutro.

Both gleaming! :D

A good diet, that agrees with your dog and good genetics are key. If his parents didn't have good coats, chances are that he won't either. A higher fat content for those with typically dry / dull coats will brighten them up.

Find what works for you! :)

As for gas - I find that what affects Parker is when he gets something out of the ordinary. Broccoli (let's face it, anything green) will give him HORRENDOUS GAS! :p So if your dog is typically gassy - try to cut down on the 'new' things introduced to them.