What do you feed your dog?

[mamiecarter]

Being a cheap skate and conservative in my personal habits I have always just provided Purina Dry dog food with episodic high quality people food for treats. But a friend of mine gave me some expensive dry dog food, 3 kinds, and the little guys love it. Should I trade up to the pricey stuff?

Another friend is getting a Papion puppy and is considering a raw diet or home cooked meals. Dog food has gotten really expensive so my extra chicken breast left overs cost about the same as premium canned food. But will a raw diet work for the puppy?

Any one have any insight into what to feed the dog? What do you feed yours?

It stands to reason that large active hunting dogs will have different nutritional needs than tiny lap dogs.
Older dogs and puppies also need different amounts and kinds of food. There must be some science to this what to feed the dog question.

 

[pjrose]

I feed mine Science Diet dry food for older dogs, which was recommended by our veterinarian. Whether it's really any better than the big brands like Purina, I have no idea. My dog is thrilled with the occasional dropped piece of people-food, but we avoid giving it to her because I don't want to encourage her to sit in the kitchen or dining room annoying us.

I would be very hesitant to feed anyone - dog or human - all raw food, given the possibility of microbes, parasites, and so forth. But cooked chicken and rice and veggies? I know people who do that and their pets seem healthy and happy.


I would recommend checking with the vet and googling information on using anything other than the major brands.

 

[Darlene]

I have two toy poodles. I feed my dogs Purina senior formula, if you look the first ingredient is real chicken. I don't like dog foods that start with corn meal (or something like that) as the first ingredient. I have seen a big improvement in my older dog (10 yr. old) joint health since I started feeding him this dog food, and giving him chicken jerky. The also get a Cesar, too. I cut out all other treats, like pupperoni, beggin strips, anthing soft and gooey that would stick to their teeth.
Darlene

 

[SueDonJ]

We use Science Diet here, too, the light recipe for heavier dogs. Bandit is a 80-lb mutt (coon hound/shepherd mix), we got him from the MSPCA shelter when he was a puppy 12 years ago. They started him on Science Diet and recommended that we continue with it because he has skin/allergy issues.

I have heard of vets recommending a bland diet of boneless skinless chicken breasts and white rice if a dog has an occasional upset stomach, or after surgery that requires anesthesia. Makes sense, it's the diet recommended for people with stomach issues too.

The one thing that both the shelter and the vet recommended was that whatever the dog's diet is it should be constant, it will cause stomach issues in any animals if the food or feeding habits are constantly changing.

 

[Laurie]

We feed Costco's Kirkland Super Premium Adult Dog Food, a good quality dog food at a reasonable price - I think this is as about as good as many of the pricey foods, unless you need a higher protein or fat for dog athletes. The Costco has 26% protein, 16% fat. First ingredient is chicken. As Darlene said, avoid foods whose first ingredient is corn, dogs can barely digest corn. Always go for #1 ingredient an animal product (chicken, lamb) and generally, higher protein and higher fat content foods are higher quality, more expensive and more digestible, and overall better for most adult dogs, except those who need a special diet.

 

[Steve]

Wellness Core

I feed my two cocker spaniels Wellness Core Reduced Fat Formula. It's not cheap, but I feel it's an excellent choice:

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog_wellness_grain_index.html

Here's a very interesting web site where a huge number of dog food brands have been compared and rated:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

Science Diet is recommended by many vets, but my dog who was on it for a while didn't do well. He lost too much weight and his fur became dry and scratchy. I was really surprised to find out how low in protein it is.

Obviously, opinions vary when it comes to dog food...and different dogs thrive on different foods. Mine are doing great on Wellness Core.

Steve

 

[Passepartout]

My adopted daughter, the 12 year-old Cocker Spaniel who adores me, gets Purina Beneful. Healthy weight now, formerly whatever the original was. Actually the regular Purina has been proven to provide all the nutrition your pet needs. Like fishin' tackle, 95% of that stuff is made to attract humans.

She does get a little cheese once in a while and a scrambled egg on Sunday mornings. The dog is office hostess at DW's law office and considers the bank nothing but a fancy doggie treat dispenser for her Milk Bones.

Hoping all your pets give you as much pleasure as ours gives us.....

Jim Ricks

 

[Mydogs2big]

We had two big outdoor labs that lived over 13 years.
THEY WERE REALLY OLD, but healthy!

We fed them nothing but Purina Dog Chow and a little extra, like an egg or a little meat before winter.

My vet said that was why they lived so long and people don't realize that scraps, although they sound great and dogs love them, are really not good for them.

So my big new dogs get the same...Purina Dog Chow

 

[Icarus]

I found out that Science Diet is not a very good brand, unless you just want to waste money. Read about it at the link that Steve posted. It's been posted before on TUG. In fact, all of you should read the analysis of the foods you use at that site.

Many of the so-called premium brands are only better due to marketing, not because of the actual content of the food.

I switched Bosco to Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul which is pretty good, especially compared to Science Diet and he seems to do well with it. When I run out of it, he doesn't do very well with the cheaper stuff or even more expensive stuff for that matter. If you recall, Bosco had a bunch of seizures one night, so I try to be careful with the food I give him. We don't really know what caused them, but he's been fine since, and I've recently weened him off the meds the vet gave Bosco.

We don't have that great of a selection of good dried foods on Maui, but I can get the CS brand at Del's Farm and Feed Supply in Kahului. Of course, since the bags are heavy and large and shipped from the mainland, it's all pretty expensive here, unless you buy the real basic junk at Costco or Walmart.

Overall, the best dog food is the dog food you make yourself, but not that many of us are going to bother to do that. That was the crux of the advice I found when I started reading about doggy epilepsy.

-David

 

[Timeshare Von]

Another vote here for Wellness (dry) - the Super5Mix Chicken. Our Little Miss Heidi (a 6 yr old mixed breed pound mutt) has been on it for many years after some food allergies to the stuff they cut Science Diet with. Wellness is 100% natural and has ingredients that you or I might eat . . . chicken, carrots, apples, sweet potatoes, etc.

Sometimes she's a bit bored with the dry food so we will lace it with a tablespoon or two of the Wellness moist (can) food . . . which is also 100% natural.

 

[KristinB]

We feed Costco's Kirkland Super Premium Adult Dog Food, a good quality dog food at a reasonable price - I think this is as about as good as many of the pricey foods, unless you need a higher protein or fat for dog athletes. The Costco has 26% protein, 16% fat. First ingredient is chicken. As Darlene said, avoid foods whose first ingredient is corn, dogs can barely digest corn. Always go for #1 ingredient an animal product (chicken, lamb) and generally, higher protein and higher fat content foods are higher quality, more expensive and more digestible, and overall better for most adult dogs, except those who need a special diet.

Laurie,

You and I are again, as we so often are, on the same page! My vet of 20 years recommends this food and feeds it to her own pets.

 

[wackymother]

The raw food for dogs isn't just raw meat that you buy at the grocery store--it's usually these little patties you get from a pet store. They're irradiated or something? Or frozen? (Obviously we don't feed them to our dog, but I know someone who uses them.) They're ruinously expensive.

You're not supposed to just give dogs raw meat for the same reason that people shouldn't eat raw meat. That said, we have other friends who just smack down a hunk o' beef for their German shepherd, and the dog is fine. We also know someone who has never fed her dogs anything but plain cooked chicken breast, and again, the dogs have all lived or are in the process of living to ripe old ages.

Anyway, we give our 12 lb poodle mix Purina Benefuls. We tried some other brands, but this is what she really likes, and she's very healthy and hearty. We would try the Costco food, but it comes in 40-lb bags!

 

[DebBrown]

I also rely on the dogfoodanalysis website for guidance. My dogs now eat a grain free food. We chose the new Canidae grain-free product because it is not super high in protein. Grains, especially corn and wheat, are responsible for alot of allergies, skin conditions, ear infections, etc.

And just a comment about RAW food. Some people buy the frozen stuff and I agree it is super expensive. Other people do indeed feed their dogs raw meat and bones direct from the butcher. I'm sure my dogs would love it but I'm not comfortable with it and stick with kibble.

Deb

 

[Jan]

Just make sure that none of it is made in China--to include treats!
Jan

 

[AwayWeGo]

From The T. U. G. - B. B. S. Dog Food Archives.

Click here for some earlier TUG-BBS discussion on the subject.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[tlwmkw]

We feed raw food and it's not expensive...

We have a 6 month old Westie and feed her a raw food diet. This type of diet is called the BARF diet (really!) which stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food diet. It is supposed to replicate what a dog would eat in the wild and therefore what their body/digestive system is designed to handle. The food comes in little rolls (like you buy cookie dough mix in) which are frozen. There are no preservatives and no artificial ingredients. No corn, wheat or grains. The food contains meat and some veggies (sweet potato and carrots come to mind). Our pup does very well with it and loves the food. She doesn't like the dry stuff much and her bowels don't tolerate that either.

We buy it in bulk and it's about $50 for a three month supply- we keep it in the freezer until we need it and then defrost in the fridge.

We began checking the labels of some of the dog treats and foods and found that they contain a lot of junk- some even have high fructose corn syrup (why would a dog need that?). We try to eat healthy ourselves and avoid all these additives and eat only food in its natural state (less processed).

 

[Glynda]

I feed Science Diet KD because my Shih Tzu has liver shunts and needs a low in protein diet. I add a couple of low-salt canned green beans to the top to entice her.

I guess I should check out other brands but have just done what the vet suggested. We have to do somewhat frequent fasting/feeding liver tests and the results have been pretty good.

 

[Icarus]

I feed Science Diet KD because my Shih Tzu has liver shunts and needs a low in protein diet. I add a couple of low-salt canned green beans to the top to entice her.

I guess I should check out other brands but have just done what the vet suggested. We have to do somewhat frequent fasting/feeding liver tests and the results have been pretty good.

If it's working for you and your doggy, there's nothing wrong with it. It is very low in protein and that's one of the principle complaints about it on that web site.

-David

 

[dougp26364]

We have a Scottish Terrier who developed food allergies. She gets a limited ingrediant dog food available through our Vet made by Royal Cannine. I noticed the other day that this same brand is available at Petco but, not in the limited ingrediant variety. They have several "blends" made especially for the nutritional needs of different breeds.

 

[Wonka]

Beneful - Dry

Beneful - Regular. She's a yellow lab, almost 12 years...trim & fit, except for a little arthritis like the rest of us oldies.

 

[Timeshare Von]

I feed Science Diet KD because my Shih Tzu has liver shunts and needs a low in protein diet. I add a couple of low-salt canned green beans to the top to entice her.

I guess I should check out other brands but have just done what the vet suggested. We have to do somewhat frequent fasting/feeding liver tests and the results have been pretty good.

I had a toy poodle who had health issues and had to eat a 50/50 mix of S/D KD and RD foods, which were both considered Rx foods. I'm not sure what alternatives there were at the time, but he seemed to improve while on them. That was several years ago and before I heard of Wellness.

 

[Aussiedog]

Our dogs used to be on IAMS Less Active until the whole bad-dog-food scare.

I switched to low-fat California Natural and they are doing fine.

Ann

 

[SailBadtheSinner]

We feed our 3 Minature Schnauzers dry dog food - 50% Nutro Natural Choice for Sensitive Stomachs & 50% Nutro Natural Small Bites Dog Food, purchased at the local PETCO.


SBtS

 

[pjrose]

When our cocker spaniel was getting a tad overweight, the vet suggested a "green bean diet" - basically replace 1/4 c of her kibble with 1/4 c of canned green beans. The dog loved it and gobbled it up. We didn't stick with it for very long, because she turned into quite the little beggar for what she thought was a wonderful treat.

 

[IngridN]

If it's working for you and your doggy, there's nothing wrong with it. It is very low in protein and that's one of the principle complaints about it on that web site.

-David

The Science Diet KD (and other KD formulations) is specifically formulated for pets with medical issues needing a low protein diet. It is not recommended for healthy dogs and cats. One of our cats has been on the KD diet since being diagnosed with kidney disease about 4 years ago and w/o the KD food, I don't think she would be with us now.

Ingrid