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

[mmgy]

Originally posted by sophies-mom
do I think I should feed something else, yeh...probably......

Ahem. You have been given OPTIONS!!!!

[RottiMomCT]

We fed Pedigree for years until we started researching better foods. None of the dogs did well on Canidae - too many meat sources andthey all had the runs for weeks. YUCK! So, we tried Wellness, not good either. Tried Royal Canin Sensible Choice Natural Blend and the dogs all eat it with no problems.

As for 'treats' - Ben gets a scoop of vanilla ice cream weekly during the summer, potato chips, pizza crusts, watermelon, carrots, various brands of dog treats, ice cubes, ravioli, roast beef, steak, ham & eggs, cataloupe, and anything else I think he might like (never grapes, raisins, onions or anything I know is bad for him, and nothing given in huge amounts - just a taste. Oh yeah, he LOVES cucumbers, lettuce and cheese - he'll do anything for cheese!!

I say feed what you can afford to feed - and if the dogs does well on it, who cares what people say! If you want to try to do better for the dog in terms of food, try it, and if it does not work out, don't feel bad going back to what you fed before.

[Jamie & Odin]

So far, my dogs have done the best on Eagle Pack Lamb Meal and Rice formula.

And I get a free bag every month through our employee feeding program:)

And, I only pay 10% above wholesale.

So, I get to feed a brand I think is pretty good, maybe not in the "best" category, and at a reasonable price.

I have tried Canidae, Wellness, California Natural and Innova, as well as Eagle Pack Holistic.

I have to order or drive 45 min to get any of the other above foods I mentioned. I'm willing to do that, but my level of organization caused me to frequently run out before ordering more, whereby I ended up feeding a bag of crap from the grocery store in the meantime Kind of defeats the purpose.

I'm pleased with the results from Eagle Pack and will continue feeding it.

[Burnsway]

Originally posted by RottiMomCT
ravioli

After Psyche did a 30 minute down while I ate a whole bowl of ravioli this afternoon, I was nice enough to let her lick the bowl when I was done. I personally think Kibbles and Bits are probably more nutritious then canned ravioli.....

:D

[Miabella]

After watching our own DNeff use tortellini from the freezer section with Riven at Rott Stock, Ilsa has been working her butt off for tortellini the past couple weeks. Her attention was already pretty good, but now she is almost obsessed with watching me anytime she even suspects there might be a tortellini somewhere in the vicinity.

[DNeff]

Originally posted by Miabella
After watching our own DNeff use tortellini from the freezer section with Riven at Rott Stock, Ilsa has been working her butt off for tortellini the past couple weeks. Her attention was already pretty good, but now she is almost obsessed with watching me anytime she even suspects there might be a tortellini somewhere in the vicinity.

GASP!!! Moi, giving tortellini to my dog? :) Seriously though, they work great, frozen meatballs are also excellent for tossing easily seen food that most every dog loves.

My guy has been know to have the occasional sugar coated artificially colored marshmallow on occasion. He has a horrible sweet tooth and I have been known to let him indulge on occasion.

Dawn
U-CD Cammcastle's Mystic Riven CDX OAC OJC OGC OAJ NA TT CGC
http://members.aol.com/dplantier
http://members.aol.com/rottweilerworld

[Bucky's Mom]

Originally posted by DNeff

My guy has been know to have the occasional sugar coated artificially colored marshmallow on occasion. He has a horrible sweet tooth and I have been known to let him indulge on occasion.

Dawn
U-CD Cammcastle's Mystic Riven CDX OAC OJC OGC OAJ NA TT CGC
http://members.aol.com/dplantier
http://members.aol.com/rottweilerworld

- You feed your dog
Lucky Charms!!!??? :D

[DNeff]

Originally posted by Bucky's Mom
- You feed your dog
Lucky Charms!!!??? :D

Lucky Charms?! Of course, Lucky Charms. That's what I give him for his sugar fix. :)

I was using the occasional Frosted Flakes as well.

Dawn
U-CD Cammcastle's Mystic Riven CDX OAC OJC OGC OAJ NA TT CGC
http://members.aol.com/dplantier
http://members.aol.com/rottweilerworld

[JD102175]

Well, Misha is 13 and has been fed Kibbles-n- Bits her entire life, as was our dog before her. Mindy,a Heinz 57 variety, lived to be almost 13.



Jaime

[brunie's mom]

Yes...I must admit I am a "food snob":D
I think most pet owners do not understand what goes into pet food. I think the public must be educated and I try to educate people.

I have an unusual position of seeing hundreds of different dogs through the year. I have a small boarding kennel. Most of my customers bring their own food for their dogs. I have been doing this for 12 years and before that worked as an Animal Health Tech.

I can usually tell what food a dog is on as soon as it jumps out of the car....poor coat, awful smell and huge poops...and it is usually Pedigree, or some other grocery store brand.

The most popular breeds in this area are Goldens and Labs....many of my customers dogs have chronic ear infections, itchy , dry coats, hot spots, and the older dogs have fatty tumours.:(

I have lost so many of my favourite boarding dogs through the years.....in my opinion the dogs are not living longer. Most die of cancer at the age of 7,8,9.

Now I'm not sure why.....but the one thing all of the dogs have in common is the food.:( Iams, Proplan, Purina, Pedigree...were all the foods fed to these dogs.

Through the years I have gotten many customers to change their dogs food to a better quality food. They have all thanked me and could not get over the changes in their dogs. I'm not sure why people will not spend a few more dollars for a better dog food....it just boggles my mind.

Many of us on these forums get upset when people want to by pups from BYB's or they want to breed their dogs......to me dog nutrition is another part of educating dog owners.

Rottweilers are a short lived breed. Everyday on the Vet forum we have someone posting to tell us their dog has cancer.:( I know that feeding a good dog food may not prevent cancer.....but at least I will not regret what I did to my dogs. I will know that I fed them good food, did not over vaccinate and took the best care of them.

Gina

[Homerhomer]

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.

No kidding, the other day we brought some seafood pasta leftovers thinking that the dog would be very happy to eat it, meanwhile Homer looked at me like I am crazy or something and didn't even want to touch it.
Yes, our tastes are quite different.

[godfreyc]

Originally Posted by Brunie's Mom:

Everyday on the Vet forum we have someone posting to tell us their dog has cancer. I

Many of whom are feeding premium foods.

[Homerhomer]

I don't believe that I am a food snob, but I don't understand why one wouldn't try to find a best match possible for their dog if you know the differences between different kinds.
And an argument that someone's dog lived to be 15 on poor quality food just doesn't make sense, many poeple live to be eighty and they smoke, drink and eat donuts every day, so what? The main difference is that we can make a choice of what we eat, our dogs don't have a choice, we choose it for them.

[brunie's mom]

Originally posted by godfreyc
Originally Posted by Brunie's Mom:


Many of whom are feeding premium foods.

That is not true!!!!
Most people that come to the forums looking for help...have been feeding their dogs mediocre food....and when the dog is diagnosed with cancer...want to start feeding the dog a better food.

I think it takes years of crap food to show up in the dogs health later. This is why people kick themselves....when the dog is dying of cancer...they ask themselves why????

Many people feel so guilty when they realize that they could have done better by the dog. I don't blame them...slick advertising...for Iams and Pedigree makes people think that it is the greatest food.

I have yet to see Canidae or Wellness or Innova advertise in any general magazines or T.V. ads....I have seen some foods with tiny ads in specialized dog magazines.

If it were not for this forum and other dog forums....most of us would not even know about these great food. I think they are a well kept secret.....and I like to spread the word.:D
It is heart breaking to have your dog die...and I feel so bad when people are saying..."I could'of....should'of" and did not.

Gina

[TrishB]

Originally posted by brunie's mom
I think it takes years of crap food to show up in the dogs health later. This is why people kick themselves....when the dog is dying of cancer...they ask themselves why????

I don't agree with this. Yes, diet is a contributor to overall health. But you can't blame diet for cancer. Indiscriminate breeding practices, poor gene pool, environment and genetics all play a role.

To blame it all on diet .... As I said - not that I completely disagree - but I disagree more than I agree.

I also worked in the vet industry for 9 years. Dogs that had cancer typically had it in their lines, had yoyo health (too fat, too skinny, fit, unfit, etc.) lived in poor conditions and / or poor diets. But the highest factor was genetics.

If you really want to cut down on cancer, find lines that don't have it. Breed them to other lines that don't have it. This has a much higher chance of having an impact. I've seen cancer in a large number of dogs, on various foods.