What is the best type of food to feed a dog? Wet canned food or the dry food that comes in a bag. Or can you mix it up?
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What is the best type of food to feed a dog? Wet canned food or the dry food that comes in a bag. Or can you mix it up?
We used to mix dry food and canned food together for our dogs, but now we just feed them the dry food. I don't know that it makes much of a difference.
Without question the absolute best food to feed a dog is a diet of raw meat, bones, and organs from a variety of animals. Commercial dog food is garbage and i'd never feed my dog that stuff. For more information on feeding your dog a raw diet, check out my web page at
http://www.skylarzack.com/rawfeeding.htm
Hi Bill,
Interesting, thanks for that tip. What advice would you give for those of us who might not have the time to always feed raw. Are there specific brands of commercial kibble that are acceptable?
2 Points here, PJ. It takes very little more time to feed raw than it does kibble. It takes me an hour or maybe two per month extra to feed raw and I have 2 Great Danes and 2 cats to feed, so time really isn't a factor. In the beginning of raw feeding it will take more time as you will work out routines over time and the dogs will have to learn how to eat real food. For example my dogs would take maybe 30 minutes to eat a chicken quarter when they first began but now it takes about 30 seconds or less. I have been feeding raw for 9 years so my dogs are old pros at eating proper food.
To answer the 2nd part of your question, if I HAD to feed kibble it would be either EVO or Orijen. You want a food that is the highest in protein and lowest in carbs that you can find. All foods have 4 basic components: Protein, Fat, Carbs, Ash, and Moisture. Raising protein automatically lowers carbs.
I just re-read your question and you asked if any brands of kibble were acceptalbe and my answer to that is absolutely, unquestionably, without a doubt no.
Once you get into a routine, feeding raw is no more trouble and no more time consuming than feeding kibble.
Hi Bill. Thanks very much for your time and answers, totally hear where you are coming from. Never tried raw feeding in the past, as I've always fed EVO, but I'll take a read of your website and suggestions and maybe try it out. I'm a bit nervous about taking such a big leap as my Pugs are in great health / high energy but it seems like it could be worth it for the long run.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill
Should I not mess with a good thing though?
You would be surprised how many people tell me they thought their dogs were healthy until they switched to raw. Many high energy dogs will calm down some when switched because you will be eliminating sugar from their system. Trust me your good thing will get better. :) One big benefit of a raw diet will be pearly white teeth that never need brushed nor cleaned by a vet. Stools will be about 1/4 the size they are now and will be solid. They will turn to dust in a day or two and blow away in the wind. If your dog has any food allergies, they will most likely disappear.
Bill - This really does seem promising. Thank you very much for the suggestions and for your Raw Feeding guide, I think I'm going to make the switch and give it a shot, hopefully I can rely on my new friends here and at Pug Village if they dont take well to the raw diet right away. Sounds like a good overall tradeoff though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill
Thanks again and wish me luck ~
J
Have to agree with this. Both my boxers are raw fed, my collie has various food allergies which started whilst he was on a raw diet, so he has a diet that is part cooked and part raw.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill
I am not anti-kibble, I do use it every now and then too, [the emphasis being on now and then]. I do think there have been some good improvements in kibble mixtures over the years, the better quality ones such as Orijen and Evo are virtually carb free and contain mostly good quality ingredients, although raw is better if you are able to feed this way.
I do understand that raw feeding isn't for everyone and if you were intent on feeding a dry or canned diet, check out the link below for various reviews on dog foods. If you want more info or have any questions on raw feeding please feel free to post them and we will try our best to answer and help you.
http://dogfoodchat.com/dog-food-reviews/
I completely agree that raw is the way to go. My 2 year old pomeranian chihuahua eats raw and is thriving. PJ i'm glad you are considering raw. I have been working with dogs since 2009 and I have seen a huge difference between dogs that eat raw and dogs that eat kibble. There are healthy dogs and then there are dogs that eat raw. They are in a category of their own.
On that note however, I do have some more suggestions on kibble for those who choose that route. Acana (made by the people who make orijen), Go! and Now!, Taste of the Wild, and if your dog has allergies: Natural Balance.
Also a tip, generally dog foods sold at grocery stores are equal to junk food. Also foods sold at vets are for short periods of time if your dog is ill and keep in mind that your vet makes a commission off of the kibble they sell. A few brands that I would suggest avoiding: Nutro, Science Diet, Royal Canine, Iams and anything that has corn, wheat or by-products. I can't stress the importance of reading the ingredient panel!
Bill, I have a friend who feeds her dog on an entirely raw diet, and judging by the condition of her dogs I am sure you are right about it being best for the dog. I have moved my dog a long way towards a completely raw diet, but the dog is a bit resistant to it, when she came to me she was traumatised and I am trying to make the transition to raw food gently.
I don't understand what you mean, "The dog is resistant to it". Exactly what are you feeding?
I agree with this "absolute best food to feed a dog is a diet of raw meat, bones, and organs from a variety of animals". But if you consider canned food, make sure to choose foods that have fewer grains, more moisture, more fresh and does not require preservatives .
When she came to me the re-homing centre had her on a brand of dry food and they encouraged me to stick to it. They'd had problems getting her to eat and this continued when we got her home. I have taken advice from a friend with lots of experience of feeding a raw diet and also from my vet but often she still backs away from her food bowl and refuses to eat. She is not underweight, she is just about right now but it has taken a long time to get there, she was seriously underweight when we got her. I have tried changing the bowl and the feeding location, her teeth and mouth are in good shape and she has no health problems.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill
Do you know anything about the dog's history? I was just wondering if food time was traumatic in some way, was she with other dogs with her previous owner?
I don't know much Kernow. I know that 5 dogs from the same owner were taken to the re-homing centre at the same time. I was told the dogs had been shut up together in a shed for long periods of time. The others had been re-homed by the time we got Lucy, they kept her back because she was terribly thin and so afraid that she wouldn't let anyone touch her. She is a different dog now, but she still has issues about eating.
I have six dogs who are all on raw and have been for years. I think its the best thing you can feed a dog.