Dog food and other supplies

[DisneyAprilFool]

You want the full she-bang or you want a synopsis?

Check the label- skip food with corn or soy in it- corn and soy is simply a filler and goes in one end, out the other.

Skip the food with just 'rice' in the label- rice tends to cause allergies in dogs.

Make sure the first ingredient is a true protein- you should be able to comprehend what you are feeding your dog. I use brands that start with either a chicken or a chicken meal (it's disputable which is best- they both are good in regard to protein).

Do you know what's IN Ol'Roy and the grocery store brands? If you have a sensitive stomach and don't like knowing what goes into hotdogs, you won't be thrilled here either. Grade D meat goes into Ol'Roy and Purina and Alpo. What's grade D meat, you may ask yourself? Grade D meat is meat that is already dead, decaying and/or diseased before it reaches the processing plant.

THAT's what we are feeding our animals.

The benefits of feeding a good quality food outnumber the cost factor in saving a few bucks.

You will have:

Less chances of your dog developing allergies
Less poop
Less smell
Less digestive issues
You will FEED less of the higher quality foods

Want a good example? I usually feed Canidae- I changed over to Purina for the summertime. My giant breed dog started to act like he was bloating and I spent $500 at the vet on GAS. He had to fart. Yup. Why? The low quality of the food.


You can have some dogs on these grocery store brands and they'll do good on them. Of course, you can have some people who thrive on McDs and BurgerKing and never develop heart disease or obesity- that doesn't mean it's HEALTHY though.

 

[trulygoofy]

Want a good example? I usually feed Canidae- I changed over to Purina for the summertime. My giant breed dog started to act like he was bloating and I spent $500 at the vet on GAS. He had to fart. Yup. Why? The low quality of the food.

I had to laugh. Not at your dogs discomfort, but about the $500 on GAS. That stinks, no pun intended
One of our dogs is a boxer. Anyone out there with a boxer knows about dogs and gas, but they never have a problem passing it! Sometimes I think he must have eaten a skunk and no it isn't the bad dog food we are feeding him. It is the breed. They are stinky in that regard and I don't think even the worst dog food could stop him! Glad your dog was OK.

 

[DisneyAprilFool]

You don't have a clue how upset I was! LOL! We actually took him in after hours- I took a friend who was visiting from OUT OF TOWN (nice way to spend an evening, eh?) and we ended up shelling out $500- he came home, he took a giant dump on my floor as soon as we walked in the door with some huge farts- and he was fine.

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!

 

[labdogs42]

I feed Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul. It is a great high quality food. Not involved in any recalls, FYI. I have a lot of friends who feed raw, but that is a little too much effort for me. I read Whole Dog journal for their updated recommendations every year, I highly recommend their magazine for all dog owners. Any brand they sell at the grocery store is not something I would feed to my dog.

 

[trulygoofy]

You don't have a clue how upset I was! LOL! We actually took him in after hours- I took a friend who was visiting from OUT OF TOWN (nice way to spend an evening, eh?) and we ended up shelling out $500- he came home, he took a giant dump on my floor as soon as we walked in the door with some huge farts- and he was fine.

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!

Sounds similar to what happened when our 95 lb dog got into a bag of Oreos only without the $500 expense luckily. Gotta love dogs! No matter what you feed them, we all have to deal with what comes out!

 

[DisneyAprilFool]

Um, hate to break this to you- but Chicken Soup IS involved in the recall...

http://www.diamondpet.com/

 

[earthfaries]

You want the full she-bang or you want a synopsis?

Check the label- skip food with corn or soy in it- corn and soy is simply a filler and goes in one end, out the other.

Skip the food with just 'rice' in the label- rice tends to cause allergies in dogs.

Make sure the first ingredient is a true protein- you should be able to comprehend what you are feeding your dog. I use brands that start with either a chicken or a chicken meal (it's disputable which is best- they both are good in regard to protein).

Do you know what's IN Ol'Roy and the grocery store brands? If you have a sensitive stomach and don't like knowing what goes into hotdogs, you won't be thrilled here either. Grade D meat goes into Ol'Roy and Purina and Alpo. What's grade D meat, you may ask yourself? Grade D meat is meat that is already dead, decaying and/or diseased before it reaches the processing plant.

THAT's what we are feeding our animals.

The benefits of feeding a good quality food outnumber the cost factor in saving a few bucks.

You will have:

Less chances of your dog developing allergies
Less poop
Less smell
Less digestive issues
You will FEED less of the higher quality foods

Want a good example? I usually feed Canidae- I changed over to Purina for the summertime. My giant breed dog started to act like he was bloating and I spent $500 at the vet on GAS. He had to fart. Yup. Why? The low quality of the food.


You can have some dogs on these grocery store brands and they'll do good on them. Of course, you can have some people who thrive on McDs and BurgerKing and never develop heart disease or obesity- that doesn't mean it's HEALTHY though.[/QUOT

Chicken is definately better than chicken meal. Here is the explination of chicken meal in an article from the Animal Protection Institute: Meat meals, poultry meals, by-product meals, and meat-and-bone meal are common ingredients in dry pet foods. The term “meal” means that these materials are not used fresh, but have been rendered. While there are chicken, turkey, and poultry by-product meals there is no equivalent term for mammal “meat by-product meal” — it is called “meat-and-bone-meal.” It may also be referred to by species, such as “beef-and-bone-meal” or “pork-and-bone-meal.”

What is rendering? As defined by Webster’s Dictionary, to render is “to process as for industrial use: to render livestock carcasses and to extract oil from fat, blubber, etc., by melting.” In other words, raw materials are dumped into large vat and boiled for several hours. Rendering separates fat, removes water, and kills bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other organisms. However, the high temperatures used (270°F/130°C) can alter or destroy natural enzymes and proteins found in the raw ingredients.

Plump whole chickens, choice cuts of beef, fresh grains, and all the wholesome nutrition your dog or cat will ever need.

These are the images pet food manufacturers promulgate through the media and advertising. This is what the $15 billion per year U.S. pet food industry wants consumers to believe they are buying when they purchase their products.

This report explores the differences between what consumers think they are buying and what they are actually getting. It focuses in very general terms on the most visible name brands — the pet food labels that are mass-distributed to supermarkets and discount stores — but there are many highly respected brands that may be guilty of the same offenses.

What most consumers don’t know is that the pet food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture industries. Pet food provides a convenient way for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered “unfit for human consumption,” and similar waste products to be turned into profit. This waste includes intestines, udders, heads, hooves, and possibly diseased and cancerous animal parts.


You can read the full report if you go to http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1

 

[earthfaries]

Actually, no. A smaller dog will have a longer life expectancy than a larger dog. It depends on the size/breed of a dog that determines average life expectancy. While a small dog may very well live to be 20, I would like to see a St. Bernard or Great Dane that lived that long. A good rule of thumb is to see what the main ingredient is. Look for dog food labels that start with meat instead of yellow ground corn.

You should get a dog food that has NO corn products AT ALL and mainstream petfood products don't start with real meat! By products and meal aren't a healthy thing for you pet and aren't really meat, you wouldn't want to eat it that is for sure!!!
I am not trying to be argumentative, just informative. I have worked in the health food industries for 10 years and I know awful stuff about mainstream foods that you probably wouldn't even want to know because it would change the way you eat forever. If you read this article by the Animal Protection Institute, you will see what the mainstream brands don't want you to find out. We have a right to know what is in our food, not just take their words for it, which this also covers in the article under marketing magic.
http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1

 

[earthfaries]

http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1


This back and forth stuff is a waste of time. If you want to know what is in your pets food, and how we the consumers are being taken advantage of and are choosing to feed our pets, just read the article from the Pet Protection Institute above.

At least then you can make an educated, INFORMED choice.

 

[trulygoofy]

Kellia-How did Zoey do last night? I hope you both got some sleep!

 

[kellia]

Kellia-How did Zoey do last night? I hope you both got some sleep!

Yes, thank goodness, we did! Thanks for asking!

We put her in her crate at bed time and she started barking again. She had been sleeping in it earlier with no problems, though. A couple people told me to use a water spray bottle if she started barking again, so after nothing else worked, I tried it (and felt like a horrible person )! I squirted her once and told her to go to bed. She whimpered a little, but was quiet. I didn't hear anything out of her again until 6am!

Anyone know how much puppies are supposed to sleep? Everytime she fell asleep yesterday I was worried I should wake her up so she'd sleep at night!

Also, if anyone has any good potty training sites or ideas for getting her to stop 'nipping' at people (playfully, but still...), please let me know!

 

[LSchrow]

congrats on your new puppy!!
there are a number of good books on training ~ it's worth every penny to train her properly from "the beginning".

friends of animals has a low-cost neuter program:
http://friendsofanimals.org/programs/index.html
put in your zip on right-hand side to see participating vets near you.

& good luck with your new furbaby!

 

[crisi]

If you are going to go for a non-commerical diet - particularly raw, you do need to be careful. We cook our food to get rid of micro organisms and parasites - your dog can get samonella just like you can, and can die from food poisoning. You also need to do a lot of research - a lot of vets believe a BARF diet is too protien and fat based for most dogs to be healthy. This whole thing is a fairly controversial topic, so do your research and make your own decision - and not only at the anti-commercial sites. Its probably best to find a symphathetic vet to your cause as well. Commercial dog food, even the good ones, aren't perfect, but few people are capable of feeding their dog a perfect non-commercial diet.

Another thing to keep in mind is if you will need to kennel your dog or have others watch it. If your dog is going to be kennelled when you vacation, your best bet may be a high quality kibble. Its an unusual kennel willing to cook your pooch up some hamburger and green beans or throw them a chicken. Kennels like kibble - its easy to feed and keeps clean up tider than canned food. Most dogs don't do well with a lot of dietary changes.