I know there's a lot of people on here with dogs, so I thought it'd be worth asking: We've been advised that it's better for Eddie and more healthy to feed him with pet meat from the butcher rather than relying on the processed commercial dog food that he eats at the moment (almost exclusively dried dog food at the moment). We've been and got some (came in 1kg blocks from the butcher) but haven't a clue how to prepare meals with it. There's loads of really vague information on the internet about it, but because we've never had a dog before, we don't know where to start. I don't even know how much to give him - he currently has around 200g of dried dog food per meal. I know we will have to introduce it gradually, but that's about as much information as I have. And I'm worried about doing more harm than good. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
maybe p.m marc and bev dogs n dubs and mrs dnd.....i know what you mean about "cheap" brand dog food but decent brands have always been ok for years so i use that, happy to be corrected though, maybe also see what your vet says? Millie says hello woof! to Eddie lol
We feed ours on commercial dry dog food and to be honest, they all seem to do fine on it. The Wilmas feed Puca on home prepared meat though so they might be able to advise ;D
Our dogs (westies) are fed on nothing but dry dog food. We find dog meats and even decent chicken and other meats from the butchers upsets their stomachs. They tend to eat (and seemingly enjoy) IAMS or Bakers Complete.
My dog has had a history of stomach problems, leading to skin complaints. We initially fed him on a Royal Canin vet prescribed diet of dry food, (or plops as they are know in my house), and then a small bit of wet food, (about 1 tablespoon or so), just to give it some flavour. A couple of years ago when we moved house the new vet told us that the 'special' food isn't really that special and as long as we don't go for the bargain basement brand of spit and sawdust then he would most probably be fine. We now feed him on Iams plops and either Waitrose own brand or Winalot Nature cans. We still give him 3 meals a day, (we split tjhe recommended daily amount by 3, not feed him more), as it means he has less to digest each meal but other than that he is a very fit and healthy dog. No stomach problems, no skin complaints, full of beans and the right weight... I do think you can go over the top with what you feed dogs, it is a bit of trial and error really, try one brand and see how you get on. If the dog likes it, isn't ill, has nice looking poos and is full of energy then carry on. If not try something else, just remember it takes 2 weeks for any food to show its affects so I'd recommend at least a 1 month trial...
My dog gets dried working dog food and the occasional bit of rabbit as a treat Working dog food is vat free which is a nice bonus
No point me answering this - I swear our dogs are better fed than us They have dry food in the morning but it's usually topped with ham, chicken, cheese or sometimes left overs like lasagne or spaghetti bolognaise ??? I run an Airedale forum though, and natural raw feeding is very popular on there. It's good for bones, teeth and skin - things like raw chicken wings, tripe, minced patties, veg etc. I can point you to more information if it's of any interest, just give me a shout.
I should also say that my dog does also get any leftovers from our dinner, we just replace the canned food with a spoon of spag bol, pasta sauce etc...
After years of trying to find out why Púca was so ill, she had a allergy tests and the results came back so high that the vet recommended an exclusion diet to find foods that she could tolerate, it was about 100g cooked white rice to 70g white fish and after about 3 months we introduced different types of meat. Over a period of time we found the foods that she had an instant reaction to and when we had a protein base we introduced different carbs. The vet was really supportive and didn't try to sell us the veterinary food (although his colleagues did). We know she's ok with rabbit, fish (the cheap stuff from most supermarkets labelled 'white fish'), tinned sardines and up till recently dog grade venison (sounds posh but the sinewy stuff that people don't want). Unfortunately venny is off the menu as she's become intolerant to it Big bags of economy white rice and carrots form a big part of her diet, but we alternate that with potatoes or pasta. Finding a mixer was difficult but Burns dog food do a good gluten free mixer and tesco's freedom pasta twirls are cheaper than most gluten free stuff and doesn't go to mush when it cooks. I'll get the websites for the meat up when I get to the 'puter, (this is on my phone). It doesn't take long to make up a big batch of food,bag and freeze it, just a bit of organisation, and it's economical too. Púca's a patterdale and about 9 1/2 kilo's so that'll give you an idea of how much food you'll need daily. The vet also recommended a good multivitamin, one based on brewers yeast. He said at her last checkup that was the healthiest he'd seen her. Good luck!
My dog likes Bakers meaty meals best. And I give him wet food once in a while or scraps of meat as a treat. He is 3 and never been ill so Im pretty sure his diet is ok.
I was asking what breed he is as I have a Sharpei and she is very intolerant to a lot of foods - give her any form of pork for example and she bleeds. She eats dry Science Plan food - which seems to be mostly rice - and you need to be careful how much water goes with it - we changed to a brand that was different to the breeder recommended one as we found that the manufacturer had changed the recipe and it was making her ill, so science plan was the way to go. My neighbour has a dog de bordiex - he was on dry food which was costly - so they now give him raw chicken and turkey carcases which they buy frozen and is a lot cheaper. Safe enough uncooked and his temprament is a lot calmer too. Is the dog a puppy - how big is it if not and what has it been feeding on if not?
Milly is twelve years old now, she's as fit as a fiddle, runs and walks miles every day and has never been ill (touch wood) she eats tinned food, dry food, our left overs including pizzas, chinkys and anything she can get her paws on, raw carrots apples anything, up to now she's only ever turned down celery
