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02-14-2014, 01:08 PM | #1 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker | Is it worth it? Dog food of course..... I am new to this site, thank you. I don't know anything about dog nutrition, and would love some feedback. I attend dog trade shows, and see so much hype about dog food, I wanted to know what you feed yours and what you do and don't recommend. Jaz just started on Blue Buffalo, but its a bit expensive, and I wanted to see if it was worth it. Please, some feedback from those of you with healthy older dogs as to what you feed. I was recommend making my own from chicken and rice. Jaz and I thank you for the communication |
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02-14-2014, 01:45 PM | #2 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY
Posts: 6,582
| One thing to keep in mind about the pet food industry is that it is considered "self regulating" meaning there is no one watching what they are doing. There are no regulations concerning their advertizing or just how honest they are about what they put on the label. The FDA groups pet food in the same category as "feeds." There are some very appalling things that the FDA has approved for use as pet food so take all those claims with a large grain of salt. It takes some time and study to get to the bottom of what is actually in that bag or can of food. I do believe that it is worth it to buy the best food you can possibly get for your pet but finding what food is actually the best is a tricky task. Most big name companies are some of the worst offenders as far as using low grade ingredients and then adding a ton of synthetic vitamins in order to make it meet the nutritional requirements. You won't find the details of how they manufacture their food on any label or even the website of these companies. If you are interested in some really well investigated articles on the pet food industry Truth About Pet Food is a very good site to read. Susan Thixton has been investigating the pet food industry for many years now while trying to get them to raise the standards but it is a multimillion dollar industry and a difficult task to get the info out. Truth about Pet Food |
02-14-2014, 02:32 PM | #3 |
Yorkie mom of 4 Donating YT Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LaPlata, Md
Posts: 23,247
| If you home cook food you have to get a recipe from a vet nutritionist and use a supplement like balance it.
__________________ Taylor My babies Joey, Penny ,Ollie & Dixie Callie Mae, you will forever be in my heart! |
02-14-2014, 04:36 PM | #4 | |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY
Posts: 6,582
| Quote:
Is there some law that has been enacted stating that you have to get a recipe from a vet nutritionist? I don't remember hearing about that legislation. | |
02-14-2014, 04:41 PM | #5 |
Yorkie mom of 4 Donating YT Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LaPlata, Md
Posts: 23,247
| She said she was thinking of making her own food. With the recipe from a vet nutritionist and a supplement you are not meeting there nutritional needs and doing a lot of harm to them. I read an article maybe a year ago about things people where doing to there pets that where actually hurting them and it said home cooking with out the proper balance is one of them.
__________________ Taylor My babies Joey, Penny ,Ollie & Dixie Callie Mae, you will forever be in my heart! |
02-14-2014, 06:05 PM | #7 | ||
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Quote:
Quote:
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 | ||
02-15-2014, 02:47 PM | #8 | |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY
Posts: 6,582
| Quote:
Many people here do home cooking for their dogs without costly consultations and have found that their dog's health improves while doing so. Yes, people have the right to feed their pets whatever they feel is best. I personally don't think that highly processed foods with synthetic vitamins added in order to meet the minimum nutritional requirement is a healthy choice for my pets. Many people feel that feeding fresh meats and vegetables is a better choice. That does not mean that I or others are feeding unbalance meals to our pets. I don't tell people how to feed their pets and I would never tell you or anyone else that they must go to a nutritionist before preparing food for yourself or your family. We give suggestions and discuss options. By the way, I feed my dog a commercial raw brand of food with occasional homemade meals. I did a lot of research before deciding for myself what was the best way to feed her. I feel I know a lot about the subject but I would not tell others that they must do what I do or insult others because they do not agree with me. | |
02-15-2014, 03:28 PM | #9 | |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posts: 12,693
| Quote:
Back to the OP. When it comes to dog food, I try my best to treat Kaji's meals the same as I do my own. Everything I eat I try to get with simple ingredients. For example if I buy ice cream, it can't have complicated sciency words. I try to do the same for Kaji. If I'm feeding him duck flavored kibble, duck better be one of the ingredients, and not duck meal. Etc. it's not an exact science, but I try my best to feed him good food. I would go to a vet nitritionist but I doubt I could afford that.
__________________ Littlest JakJak We miss you Kaji | |
02-15-2014, 03:31 PM | #10 |
Don't Litter Spay&Neuter Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: So Cal
Posts: 9,874
| Key word is: BALANCED...home cooked meals are NOT balanced, chicken & rice is DEF not balanced. Vet nutritionists are recommended so they can formulate a balanced diet w/the right supplements. What?s in a Balanced Dog Food? | petMD Know What the Best Homemade Diet for Your Pet Is another good read w/vid: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites...isastrous.aspx
__________________ Last edited by mimimomo; 02-15-2014 at 03:34 PM. |
02-15-2014, 03:42 PM | #11 |
Don't Litter Spay&Neuter Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: So Cal
Posts: 9,874
| People need to be aware that they can cause more harm than good by feeding an unbalanced diet.
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02-15-2014, 03:51 PM | #12 | |
Don't Litter Spay&Neuter Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: So Cal
Posts: 9,874
| Quote:
__________________ | |
02-15-2014, 05:18 PM | #13 | |
Yorkie mom of 4 Donating YT Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LaPlata, Md
Posts: 23,247
| Quote:
__________________ Taylor My babies Joey, Penny ,Ollie & Dixie Callie Mae, you will forever be in my heart! | |
02-15-2014, 08:51 PM | #14 | |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Quote:
I didn't say a consultation was required. Research is fine, but yes, I do believe having credentials is important. Veterinary nutritionists are not just veterinarians. And BTW this is part of what I'm going to school for, so again I do believe there is more to it than a couple hundred hours of reading.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 | |
02-15-2014, 09:20 PM | #15 |
Don't Litter Spay&Neuter Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: So Cal
Posts: 9,874
| I'd love to homecook for my dogs, but am so afraid of it not being balanced. The only thing holding me back from using Balance It supplements is that it's too carb heavy. My guys are doing well on premade raw dog food, so we'll stick to that for now. Just thought I'd post this in regards to gracielove's question about whether or not it takes special preparations to feed a human than a pet. The Best and Worst Pet Foods By balanced I mean food that contains all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your dog or cat needs. This isn't something you can guess at – it should be guaranteed through testing. Nutritional balance is vitally important because deficiencies will develop much faster in your dog or cat than they will in you. A poorly nourished puppy or kitten can end up with obvious signs of skeletal problems and organ degeneration before she's six months old. An older animal can develop life-threatening organ degeneration, among many other not-so-obvious symptoms, over a one to three year period of eating an unbalanced, nutrient-deficient diet.
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