what do you feed your dogs
 

well since i have 3 english mastiffs (picking one up today), a pointer terrier mix, and two yorkshire terriers, i have a lot of animals to feed.i always have dry food (nutro max) to feed but mainly i feed raw beef,pork, chicken,and turkey with bones.

since i have been feeding them this way their fur is softer, they seem more energetic, and there is a lot less waste to pick up:thumbsup: .i was curious what other feed their dogs.

I am a raw advocate. But I have been told over the years that pork is not a good meat source. I would stick to the others.

As far as dry- I am a fan of Pinnacle, Life's Abundance, and Innova Evo.

The breeder for my Rhodesian Ridgeback suggested Lifes Abundance...

You feed your dogs raw meat? Is there a benifit to raw meat? Ive had dogs all my life and ive never fead them anything but dry dog food and an occasional can of the wet food. And turkey with the bones, arnt poultry bones bad for dogs? Ill let shyla chew on a beef ribbone after dinner and she occasionally gets some trimmings of my steak, but thats a rare occasion...

Does your dog eat better than you?

Innova Evo red meat for my Ridgebacks
jeffnsa I have always wanted an English Mastiff I think they are awesome dogs

the innova evo is 30$ for a 20lb bag, that ten dollars a feeding. poultry bones and all bones are bad if they are cooked, when they are cooked they splinter. turkey necks are a good starter for dogs eating raw food because they learn to chew their food instead of swallowing it whole.

advantages of feeding raw is less waste, and it is closer to what dogs real diet should be.

Jeffnsa-what do you use for suppliments? I tried raw for awhile, loved feeding them the "good stuff" but my one beagle with allergies didn't respond. I'm guessing he's got some sort of poultry allergy. Right now they are on Premium Edge. But I also like Canidae. There is a grain free out there that I may try soon called Taste of the Wild. It's lower protein than other grain free kibble.

2 labs, fit n trim................raw chicken? no way

bil jac. awsome stuff. and frozen bil jac for a treat now and then, but my lab is allergic to poltry (really baddly) and is epleptic too so at the moment he eats venison and potatos from the vet

chicken soup.... great food

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11384748#post11384748 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TOURKID [/i]
[B]bil jac. awsome stuff. and frozen bil jac for a treat now and then, but my lab is allergic to poltry (really baddly) and is epleptic too so at the moment he eats venison and potatos from the vet [/B][/QUOTE]


interesting, my oldest lab, yellow, has epilepsy, going on 13 yrs old tho, which is old for a pure bred lab, he takes 4 phenobarbital a day to control seizures, and we have valium enemas in case he deosnt come out of it, i know one day its going to be his last seizure.................what a smart dog tho, leaps and bounds ahead of my black

Hund-n-flocken Gold. My GSD enjoys it and it is a healthy food.

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11384396#post11384396 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeffnsa [/i]
[B]poultry bones and all bones are bad if they are cooked, when they are cooked they splinter. turkey necks are a good starter for dogs eating raw food because they learn to chew their food instead of swallowing it whole.

advantages of feeding raw is less waste, and it is closer to what dogs real diet should be. [/B][/QUOTE]

Ive never had a problem with beef bones, but then again untill Shyla, my Ridgeback, all of my dogs have been ankle biter schipperkes, they dont bite hard enough to crack a beef rib. My step brothers brindle pit destroyes them with out any problems. Well never give any poultry bones to the dogs. I didnt think it mattered weather or not they were cooked though...same with pork. I could see feeding Shyla raw beef but not pork or poultry...not to mention if I buy meat I bbq it and eat it. Dont get me wrong I love all of my pets but they will never eat better than me and I can only afford for Jeny and I to eat steaks and meat and I can only afford kibble for shyla...

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11384396#post11384396 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeffnsa [/i]
[B] advantages of feeding raw is less waste, and it is closer to what dogs real diet should be. [/B][/QUOTE]

You get less waste because of the low fiber. Canned food or any highly digestible diet will have the same benefits.

As for your statement about a "real dog's diet," please explain. Dogs are not obligate carnivores like cats are. Wild dogs eat what's available to them, ie whole carcasses including poorly digestible parts like fins, feathers, tendons, teeth, ect. They are non-discriminate and will ingest plant material and partially digested plant material from their prey.

Problems associated with a raw diet include:
- Imbalanced calcium supplementation - not enough you get bone fractures, too much leads to constipation and developmental disorders (osteochondrosis)
- Infectious pathogens: not only for the dog, but for you and your family too. It is not uncommon for raw food to be contaminated with E. coli, Salmonella, or Camplyobacter bacteria. Raw food can also harbor parasites which cooking destroys (Toxoplasma, Gnathostoma, Trichinella, Echinococcus).
- Raw food can also contain antibiotic residues which can lead to the development of resistant infections.
- Bones (especially chicken necks) can lodge in the esophagus and cause obstructions.

[COLOR=silver]***stepping off soapbox***[/COLOR]

jennibee13-your way ahead of me in the game. :(

My lab (black) is 5 years old (6 in feb) hes had 4 seizures so far. If he has 3 in one month we have to put him on meds

If he eats even a handful of chicken dog food his eyes swell up.

He wasent allergic until about a yr ago.

Fishyvet-with all due respect, if done CORRECTLY a raw diet can do wonders for dogs.
A well done raw diet suppliments calcium as well as using alphalfa, and kelp for trace vitamins and minerals. (OTC dog suppliments work too)Not to mention some sort of veggie mash or tripe for vegetable matter. As well as a large dose of what's called Raw Meaty Bones. Turkey necks, chicken wings, chicken backs, etc. Anything the dog can crunch up and injest the bones.
It's my understanding that dogs are less at risk to e. coli than humans. However, many raw feeders also feed their meats frozen to help slow the eating process and make sure things are chewed properly.
the antibiotic residue-can't argue with you there. Organic is best but not easy to find.
Any raw feeder should take the time to teach the dog how to chew RMB's. A big mistake first timers have is to just toss their dog some bones and figure they know what to do. I started mine with finely chopped meats and then frozen necks which I held onto while they chewed.
If it's done with the proper amount of research I think a raw diet is best for our dogs. However if it's done right it's also way more expensive than any high quality kibble. :)

Canidae, her previous owners were feeding her Pedigree. I feed my ferrets Innova Red Meat but can't really afford it for the dog. I have to order all the good foods online anyways which equals about $70 a month. I would like to feed raw but it's way too expensive up here.

LOL....I aways fed my chocolate lab Purina Dog Chow (Fit and Trim when she got older). She'd get some eggs about once a week or so to keep her coat nice and shiny.

dont feed your dogs chocolate. grapes or rasins.

We feed Beneful. Used to feed Kibbles and Bits or Purina. They get table scraps too.

I've had dogs my whole life, as a kid I'd care for my blind neighbors guide dog Midnight, he was a black Lab that had the shiniest coat , healthy teeth and claws, just a gorgeous animal......it was the diet.
I've fed every dog I've owned for the past thirty years the same thing - dry mixed with a cup of cottage cheese and one egg per animal.
They've all looked just like Midnight!:D T

My pups are on Nutro Ultra. Poor Phoenix's GI tract still has issues and this is the one that agrees with him the best.

Personally, I've seen enough problems from raw diets (yes, dogs can still get bones wedged into their mouths/esophagus/lower GI tract)and I have read too many articles on the risks of food-borne illness to chance it on my own pets. Yes, dogs can get food poisoning, we see quite a bit of it actually (sometimes it's accidental exposure, sometimes part of a planned diet). The other risk is to the family--especially if you have kids or any immuno-compromised individuals (chemotherapy, AIDS, organ recipients or any other issue that weakens the body's defenses). If you it's not safe for you to eat it raw, why would you even want the risk in your home? We've seen enough food recalls from the grocery store, that folks should recognize that even those "human-grade" foods aren't without risk. In one study (Colorado St Univ/USDA), over 50% of a commercially prepared raw diet had E. coli contamination so even the commercially prepared diets have risks

The FDA's position statement on feeding raw diets to companion animals: [url]www.fda.gov/cvm/Guidance/Guide122.htm[/url]

Just putting this out there for those who haven't decided. I doubt that I'll change the minds of anyone who's already feeding this (not until a health problem arises anyway.)

If you want to feed a raw diet and understand the risks, be very sure that it is balanced. Calcium/phosphorus imbalances are very common (even if you do feed the bones). A source where you can have your raw diet recipe evaluated is at: [url]http://www.monicasegal.com.[/url]

If you want to do a homemade diet, you can be sure it's balanced too. I'd much rather see someone feed a balanced homecooked diet than a diet containing raw meats

Resources for more info on pet nutrition/diets:
[url]www.petdiets.com[/url]
[url]www.balanceit.com[/url]
Univ of Tenn Veterinary nutrition service

(and I did have more than 4 hours of nutrition in vet school, contrary to what a lot of the BARF and RAW sites suggest, LOL!)

^^^ Couldn't say it any better! Thanks Catdoc

All my dogs eat Hill's

Canidae

My Black Lab, pure bred 13.5 years old with epilepsy, gets Fit & Trim plus 2 pieces of cheese every day to hide the 2 phenobarbital a day he needs to prevent/control the seizures. Our vet told us to try to control his weight and keep him on a reduced protein diet to help with the seizures. So far so good. He has had the episley since he was 4.

Double post:mad2: