Do you feed your dog REAL food?

[BWVDenise]

I'd like to hear from those who feed their dog food that you make for them as opposed to canned/bagged pet food. What is your recipe?

 

[marjie8230]

A long time ago I looked into it and it totally wasn't worth the time / effort for me. I feel that commercial dog food is pretty poor compared to our food. I always buy better food, too. (Science Diet and IAMS).

I don't necessarily have a diet, but I do give them people food that is something they might eat as "wild dogs." All lean meat scraps and vegetables. All grains like rice and pasta. I know there are a few weird foods (like the obvious chocolate) that are bad for them but right now I can't think. Ask your vet which people foods to avoid and then use common sense to feed your dog an otherwise balanced diet.

I know this doesn't answer your recipe question, but I am so sad when I see people NEVER giving their dogs healthful people food and then there are ALL those people with obese dogs because they feed them off their fork and give them cake and tootsie-rolls. Totally messed up. What a set-up for the dog. Of course they're going to eat it, you're giving it to them and it's associated with love and attention.

Hope this helps somewhat.

 

[Tiffann4k]

Do a search for raw feeding or the BARF diet for dogs, that should give you some info / recipes.

After reading about it, it seems the obvious choice to go but my husband will not let me raw feed our dog. My cats however are raw fed. They do get the occasional bag of cat food though.

 

[Cindyluwho]

My dogs get their high priced dog food plus left over vegies and a small amount of meat. The rest of the table scraps go to the chickens. Except cooked chicken, that just seems weird to me.

 

[Tiffann4k]

The rest of the table scraps go to the chickens. Except cooked chicken, that just seems weird to me.

Want to hear something funny ? We throw out chicken scraps for our cats and the chickens will actually fight for them...same with eggs...lol that just seems sooo wrong

 

[imsorry]

never give a dog onions - they can get a deadly anemia from them

also, never chocolate

 

[Lyn5]

This may be OT, but I separate our leftovers/old food and give them to my animals too...along with their regular standand pet food. My bird will get an occasional old bread or peice of fruit, the guinea pig will get peelings from vegetables and fruits and I will also give him aging vegetables and fruits, my goat loves old cereal and chips and my dogs will get left over table food and old food from my freezer/fridge that is safe for them. Needless to say, my animals are very happy on the days I organize my pantry/fridge/freezer. The fish get only fish food.

 

[Sthronds]

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.

 

[Traveller]

I've feed some combination of people food (cooked lean meat with rice and veggies and some dairy like cottage cheese, plain yogurt or raw eggs) and BARF (Bones and Raw Food) for the last 7 years.

Currently we are doing bones and I give them raw chicken necks with other food and balance with oils and minerals. Very easy and my oldest will be 17 in April. They are in great shape for their age. Few digestive problems and no weight problems.

Raw chicken bones are soft and will not hurt dogs.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I would like to but it just is not feasible right now. I would do it if my dogs had "allergies".

"Bravo" is a raw food that you can buy commercially thru a distributor.

http://www.bravorawdiet.com/

 

[WorldlyWise]

I don't know if I really make it for them, but everytime I hit a squirrel it goes right into Slayer's pen. Sometimes I get two or three in a week and he doesn't even need any Ol'Roy.

 

[LVSWL]

Do we have any choice?

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I fed raw for about a year. Now I have her on premium kibble - Eagle Pack, to be exact.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

never give a dog onions - they can get a deadly anemia from them

also, never chocolate

Raisins and grapes either.

 

[beckmrk04]

I'm fine with feeding my dog plain ol' dog food. She was on Iams, but had the WORST gas- it was awful. We switched to PurinaOne, and she loves it, eats much better, and the gas is less of an issue.

She does get people food as treats, on occassion, such as apples (which she loves), carrots, salmon patties, peanut butter, or a small piece of meat, but that's about it.

 

[abaldacci]

yes he beg's so cute

 

[nliedel]

Not intentionally. She is a husky and she is a big ole food stealer! You cannot leave anything on any counter even for a minute. They are known for that btw.

 

[Aimeedyan]

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.

 

[nliedel]

The BARF diet (Raw Bones and food) is excellent for most dogs but like Aimeeedyan said it's time consuimg to aquire and make sure there is a good balance.

100% off topic. I love Rachel Ray but she said something recently that has me upset and I am not sure what to do about it. In her new magazine she has recipes for homemade dog food which are pretty good but she says to use onions and onions are deadly for dogs.

 

[beckmrk04]

I noticed the Rachael Ray recipe-onion thing too. BUT, she also does warn people to ask their vets about any people food, and her dog Boo lived to a ripe ol' age, so are onions maybe only dangerous for certain dogs? Or in certain amounts? She has large pits. I have no clue, but I thought that was odd too.