Do you feed your dog REAL food?

[Sylvester McBean]

are scrambled eggs OK for the pups? I've also heard they love green beans(with a Beano), but haven't tried it yet.

 

[Aimeedyan]

are scrambled eggs OK for the pups? I've also heard they love green beans(with a Beano), but haven't tried it yet.

Eggs are great for their skin, I actually do raw instead as it's healthier for them. They have a very short digestive tract so there is no risk of salmonella like for us. My dogs LOVE raw egg - my Shih Tzu spins circles when I bring out the carton and then starts to lick his little lips while I crack them The shell is very good for them, too, but neither one of mine will eat it. I only feed 1 a week or so.

Green beans are good, calorie free filler. My Shih Tzu is on a green bean diet - he's gained some extra weight and we are doing some kibble/some green beans so he feels full without any calories. I just use no salt added canned green beans. You can use regular canned beans but just rinse them prior to remove excess salt. I feed them fresh beans, too, for snacks when I buy them =)

 

[icebrat001]

Rice with bananas, brocolli, yams (cooked), ground turkey, expensive dog food, cottage cheese (vets idea) Sophie likes those things. She loves cucumber and snap peas.

She does not like pineapple, oranges, lemon, carrots (carrots gives her the runs)

 

[Sylvester McBean]

thanks for the info. I'm going to start playing around with their diets. I've never heard of a dog eating apples before until I read this thread.

 

[Aimeedyan]

thanks for the info. I'm going to start playing around with their diets. I've never heard of a dog eating apples before until I read this thread.

A super cheap treat is a bag of baby carrots. My boys love them and they're pretty low calorie. Plus I like to snack on them, too

 

[beckmrk04]

thanks for the info. I'm going to start playing around with their diets. I've never heard of a dog eating apples before until I read this thread.

The funny thing is- I didn't actually think she'd eat it!! But she hovers around me now every time I cut one. One for mommy, one for pups.

Carrots didn't work out as well... And I didn't know not to feed her grapes, although she wouldn't eat it anyway- maybe she knows more than I do. Wouldn't doubt it!!

 

[Fan2CSkr]

My dog is a fruit hound. He can be on the other side of the house and he hears the banana skin snap. Hes at your side drooling in an instant! He loves apples and strawberries and any type of melon.

To his kibble (Solid Gold Hund N Flocken) I add one or two different items each night. sweet potato, scrambled eggs, pasta, rice, boiled chicken or other lean meat. I also make a broth from a whole chicken gizzards and all.

Once a day he gets yogurt. My husband often jokes that the dog eats better than him. Not true of course

 

[Sylvester McBean]

son of a biscuit, the little one is trying to eat a tangerine I picked from our tree. who knew? I'll just keep checking this thread. I thought dogs just ate dog food.

 

[icebrat001]

They LOVE yogurt!

 

[SamRoc]

A few years back my dog Oreo was put on a boiled chicken and rice diet because of pancreatitis and it stuck. I feed them the meat off of a chicken leg every night (never give dogs chicken bones!) and then they get a scoop of dry dog food. We gave up on the rice after too much mess and occasionally throw in some veggies or potato.

Your dog has the same diet that our Yorkie Bundles has. He was sick a few years back and the vet recommended chicken and rice. Its his favorite meal with some small hard dog food thrown in there to clean his teeth. He also likes steak too, I know he is spoiled but is a very picky eater. He goes crazy when we order pizza and wants the crust, I give him a small taste of it, and he loves it.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

Pizza! Thats a whole other ballgame. The boy is Italian and he likes his sauce.I do usually give in a fed him a slice. Its good pizza and hes a big boy, I think he can handle it!

 

[nliedel]

eggs are great for dogs.

Onions. They cause the dogs body to get a severe kind of anemia. While Rachel Ray's dog Boo did live to an old age my vet said no dog should get onions, ever. It is not reversable and builds up in their system. I do love Rachel Ray. I really do. Everyone in entitled to a mistake and her publisher should have caught it.

 

[BWVDenise]

I honestly believe a raw diet is probably best but it's something that takes a lot to learn and $ and time. I'm not able to do that now. If you do want to homecook, really really do your research - they have to have a very good balance of things like bone meal, organ meat, etc. Feeding boiled chicken and rice is fine when a dog is sick but not for everyday nutrition. Plus different breeds have different needs of protein levels.

There is a kibble that is next best to raw - Innova. It's too dense and rich for my boys; I feed one Natural Balance and the other CA Natural. It's as good as I can get for kibble. They also get supplements like pumpkin, sweet potato, raw egg, yogurt, cottage cheese, veggies (no onions), fruits (no grapes, avacado), flaxseed oil, salmon oil, fresh meat, raw bones, etc.

I'm planning to use the Innova, so I hope it works out. Did your babies have trouble digesting it? And is there any difference between giving raw egg or cooking it?

 

[magicmouse2]

IAMs dry dog food pellets mixed with canned tuna.

 

[JerseyJanice]

We spoiled our Maxidog early on, and he loves people food so much, we don't have the heart not to give it to him. He'll only live once! And for nowhere near as long as we, no matter what we feed him.

He gets a helping of whatever we eat for dinner cut up and mixed into his dry food for dinner every night. He's partial to Italian, but that could be because I cook it a lot. Loves meatballs and pasta!

He's a big mutt (mostly black lab) and a very sturdy, strong and healthy dog. At 3 1/2 years, he has never been sick. (Knock wood!) Honestly, I've had total strangers comment while I'm walking him that he looks extraordinarily healthy. He's got a beautiful, black coat that's always shiny, plus he's totally muscle bound. (He gets lots of exercise because it helps us do the same. )

When he has digestive issues, it's usually because he stole and ate an arm or leg off an action figure. Yesterday, he ate three Halls cough drops. So far, they haven't seemed to have hurt him.

 

[BWVDenise]

IAMs dry dog food pellets mixed with canned tuna.

I fed my last dog Iams and will never do that again. If I had known what was in it, I would not have given it to my dog.
See http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/health/common/feeding.html

 

[stamper]

I used to feed Raw, but it's difficult in rural Maine to get meats at an affordable price. I was ordering it in bulk, but that's also difficult. I haven't had time to read all the posts...so some of this may be a repeat.

The diet consisted of ground foods from Oma's Pride (they have a website and you likely have some close to you that sells it...I don't) and then added to that some "whole bone" foods from them as well like....whole mackeral, beef ribs, chicken quarters (I got those locally), green tripe, whole duck (I cut them into meal portions) and whole turkey (bought local and cut up like the ducks).

Contrary to what one poster said on pg. 1, chicken bones are fine if RAW (cooked is a big no-no). Start with the ground to get the dogs digestive tract used to digesting raw before adding bones. You have to supervise at first to make sure that they are chewing/crushing the bones, not swallowing them whole.

If you find that a total raw diet is too much to deal with...look for Timber Wolf Organics dry food near you. It is made to be used in conjunction with raw as well as alone. If anyone in Maine sold it, that's what we would be feeding! For every 20 lbs of kibble (dry food) they use 10 lbs of meat...this is the best I have heard of. The food smells like actual food...not like most dog foods.

I ususally supplement with Bee Pollen and Salmon Oil.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

For anyone near the Houston-area, I have about 30 pounds (at least) already bagged off into 1lb bags, of raw chicken (leg and thigh per bag), several bags (1lb each) of liver, some necks and a little bit of beef short ribs, that I would LOVE to get rid of.

I also have some cans of Mackerel.

If anyone is interested in picking it up, PM me.

 

[VSL]

Interesting to read what people give their dogs.

I was wondering though (and I really am no expert on the subject - just an observer)
- Should dogs have any vegetables? Wouldn't their natural diet be just meat?
- Shouldn't they have only raw meat?
Not trying to start a debate - like I said, I'm no expert here and haven't exactly done any research. Just something to think about though.

Of course, this leads to questions about us and what we should be eating as far as nature is concerned..

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Vicky, for some reason I can't quote you. The button is missing.

Raw vegetables are hard for a dog to digest. Raw feeders pulp them, to break down the cell walls. That was actually one of the most time-consuming processes in the diet. Chloe would get a blob of veggie glop about every other day. Certain veggies are off-limits; especially those in the night shade family and onions.

The whole point of the raw diet, isn't necessarily that they eat meat as it's intended for them, but to get bones as well. Some people don't want to mess with them, either out of fear (which is unfounded), or out of inconvenience, so they feed raw w/o the bones.

Chloe was a PITA and had to have her meat seered for a few seconds on each side, with some garlic powder, or she'd turn her nose up at it. Eventually, I got to where I just got to sprinkle it with some garlic powder.

The whole raw diet is much more than meat. It's a balanced diet (over time) and includes nutrients from pretty much every food group, but the bread group. Chloe got raw eggs, yogurt, fish oil, raw fish, raw meat, meaty bones and veggie glop.

The awesome results were noticed within days and I hate that I can't do it any longer. I just try to keep her on the most premium kibble I can, which is kind of an oxymoron, but it's the best I and tons of others can do for their beloved pets.

Some people do cook their meat and while it's not the optimum diet for a canine, it's probably better than the best kibble.