Do you feed a diet that the forums might frown upon?

[Greg_1111]

I think you can look at all of the posts regarding food and brands, do your own research, and use your own judgement. Never worry about what anyone else has to say about your decision. DO what's right in your own situation. Every situation is different

[rottnkidd]

Hi Trish - My girl was weaned onto ProPlan by my breeder, so I fed it for the first few wks we had her. I already knew I would be feeding a natural diet because my girl's sire was raw-fed. I just wasn't prepared to do so when we first brought her home at 8 wks. She's 3.5 yrs old now and still raw fed and doing very well, however, I think what one feeds is a personal decision and should be based on an individual's comfort level. If Parker is healthy and thriving on ProPlan, then good for you! Best wishes -
kathy

[Burnsway]

Well although I do try and encourage people to feed a better food I try not to be a snob about it. Depends on the day and mood I'm in......:D

But in a world where millions of dogs are starving I often am just glad to see them being fed!


In my 18 years of adult life I have fed these brands.

Old Roy(dodging bullets) Iams, dollar store food(Dodging more bullets....:D) Purina one, store brands, Nutra, Science diet, Kibbles and bits.....don't ask whats really in the bits....lol! Many canned foods, mighty dog......oh I could go on forever.

I now feed Canidae but it is very hard and far for me to always beable to go get it before I run out.(almost 2 hours one way) So when I do run out I buy a small bag of Science diet or Purina one. I always have Canned Mighty dog put up in my closet for Kong fills and for strays I may pick up that have bad teeth and can't eat dry.

I also buy when I have a coupon many types of treats that are not so hot for your dog. You know things like snausages......:D But sure works in training. I never worry when I do feed a cheaper brand because my dogs get a ton of people meats, fruits, eggs, tuna and veggies! Infact kibble is only about half of Psyche's daily diet.


I will say this, Psyche acts a wholelot more hyper when we feed the cheaper store brands so I do try and stay on Canidae as much as I can. I don't think feeding a lesser brand makes you anymore a bad doggy person as feeding your kid a cheaper meat at times. people need to do what they can do when they can do it and do what works for them.

Right now Canidae works great for us.....;)

[samanthac]

I only try to reply when solicited. Having worked in the pet food industry, I was privy to alot of reports and information and R&D info (and continue to be) that many of you will never see. So, I can offer a very fair, unbiased and much more honest perspective than your average consumer.

I do tend to feed more holisitcally, but I try not to be a dog food snob. But, based on my knowledge, if a food is crap, I will say the food is crap. Due to the unique insights I received while in the industry, I am much more equipped to be able to say that.

One thing I try not to do is bash. If anyone reads any of my previous posts on nutrition, I ALWAYS say that no food is the perfect food for every dog. And that the perfect food is MORE than what goes into the bag...the perfect food not only keeps your dog healthy, but it also is affordable to you, readily available and easily prepared.

I always try to offer all different levels of food and you will never find me offering only one and saying that it is THE food. There is NO perfect food. I often times come under fire for that, most recently because I wasn't on the Canidae is IT bandwagon, but I stand by that conviction.

One thing I HATE is people who try to convince people that they are killing their dogs through the diet they feed them. Hey, lets face it, not all of us have the ways and means to feed Fluffy the best diet on the market. But they still love their pets and they try to do the very best by them. My grandmother can't afford $3 for a can of cat food and feeds Friskies and her cats do well and are happy. She can afford it, the cats are spoiled rotten and everyone is happy and isn't THAT all that matters???? Sheeesh my grandmother had a Siamese that lives to 23 and all she ever ate was Friskies.

I prefer people not feed grocery or discount store brands. Based on my research and info garnered from being in the industry, these foods are very substandard and contain many unidentifiable ingredients and often times chemicals. Classic example is those foods with moist bits...lets face it where in nature does one find those colors or textures? Those foods are like McDonald's for dogs. Can they survive on it? Yes. Is it the healthiest diet? No. But are people killing their pets by feeding it? No...look at all the dogs that have lived happily for years on Dog Chow and cats on Friskies before there were any premium or holisitc foods.

Heck I am feeding Sensible Choice to my one bitch because it is all she can tolerate. She is allergic to flaxseed, barley, fish and oats which are in almost all holistic foods. And you know what she does quite lovely on it! Its the right food for her, yet some people would bash me for feeding it. I ahve also fed Eukanuba in the past with very good results. When I was growing up, we got whatever was on sale at the grocery store...Gravy Train, Come 'N Get It, Dog Chow etc. There were no holistic foods...save Science Diet and Iams which were very expensive back then and very few people fed it. And all of our dogs lived to ripe old ages.

So who knows. All we can do is what WE think is best for us and our pets. They are fed, they are loved and that is all that matters!

[godfreyc]

I tried yesterday to reply to this and it told me I couldn't then I couldn't find the thread. Well here goes. I feed a food that no one here would approve of. Guess what, I don't care :) I've fed premiums and the dogs after a short period of time quit eating it. Now I know that when they got hungry enough they would eat it, but I'm not going to force them to eat a food they don't like anymore than I force my daughter to eat brussel sprouts. This was early in their lives before I started with the food they're on so it wasn't because they knew different. My vet says they are beautiful, praises me for not having a bunch of fatties, and they're all healthy. I supplement with other people food occasionally to keep their diet well rounded and don't intend to make a change until the vet says I have to.

[MARYDVM]

One thing to remember is that the dog evolved as a scavenger, not an obligate carnivore like the cat. Dogs quite willingly scarf down "by-products" and even decaying flesh. When I was a cow vet, one nasty chore was removing "ripe" retained placentas from cows 3 to 4 days after they gave birth. While I was gagging, the farm dogs would be clustered round waiting to grab their share.
I've often thought I could develop a food that dogs would find irresistable if I could use "secret ingredients" such as cow placentas, hoof trimmings, or cat poop.

[sophie's-mom]

Originally posted by MARYDVM
I've often thought I could develop a food that dogs would find irresistable if I could use "secret ingredients" such as cow placentas, hoof trimmings, or cat poop.

OK, now THAT is just DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahahaha!!!!!

EW!!!!!!

[Miabella]

Oh yes, hoof trimmings! I've seen some Pavlovian drooling when the farrier shows up.

[MARYDVM]

Part of the marketing for premium dog foods is appealing to the owner's tastes. Watching a dog come out of the bathroom with cat litter plastered all over its nose reminds us that canine tastes can be quite different than ours.

[samanthac]

Originally posted by MARYDVM
Part of the marketing for premium dog foods is appealing to the owner's tastes. Watching a dog come out of the bathroom with cat litter plastered all over its nose reminds us that canine tastes can be quite different than ours.

EXACTLY! And add deer poop, goose poop, birds egg, dead animals to the list. To us gross, but to them it is the creme d'la creme. It is called the scavengers menu and it rates quite highly on every dogs list.

[sophie's-mom]

it's STILL disgusting!

*BRACK*

[Burnsway]

Originally posted by MARYDVM
Part of the marketing for premium dog foods is appealing to the owner's tastes. Watching a dog come out of the bathroom with cat litter plastered all over its nose reminds us that canine tastes can be quite different than ours.

True but I know many toddlers unsupervised that would do the same but I sure wouldn't be at ease feeding it to them just because they liked the taste......

I'm with Sophies mom.........YUCK!!!!!

[sparklemom]

Part of the marketing for premium dog foods is appealing to the owner's tastes. Watching a dog come out of the bathroom with cat litter plastered all over its nose reminds us that canine tastes can be quite different than ours.

That's like saying that we should allow kids to live on jelly beans, pizza and Snickers bars because they taste good....

[Grendl]

Thanks for the laugh, MaryDVM! And it's so true. Since we are coming out of the closet, I will confess that I fed my Malamutes Purina, dog chow first, then Fit & Trim. They lived to be 12 1/2 and 13, and never had health problems. Fairly early on, I added a tablespoon of wheat germ (as a garnish) daily, a practice I still continue. My first Rottie also ate Fit & Trim, and died of liver cancer at age 8. The breeder from whom we got our current two recommended Diamond premium, which we fed them until this past winter when our male began suffering from constant yeast infections in his ear. I have changed food twice since then, and am currently feeding Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul, which they both absolutely love. I am halfway through my second 36lb bag. I do agree with Burnsway that with millions of starving dogs, most any food would be good. Also, I think that given a choice between a dog who is fed a high-quality, acceptable food, but neglected, left in the yard, untrained, and not part of the family, versus a dog twho is fed Old Roy, but is included in all aspects of family life, including training, discipline, socialization, etc, I would have to say the the latter is the preferable situation. My theory is that pets that are loved and cared for tend to thrive, and the quality of the food is only part of that equation.

[Brooke&Ryan]

Well Julius eats Canidae & we've been really happy with the results. He basically eats whatever we're eating at the time. Sometimes a piece of cheese here, a couple of blueberries there....

BUT....one of his weaknesses is potato chips. God, I love giving them to him. We'll only give him one or two but I just love to hear them crunching in his mouth. For some reason it cracks me up every time. :p

Brooke