[yorkiepuppie]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

So, my point in all those links is...I don't think feeding "human food" (ie, homecooked) necessarily means the safest diet (sadly...for both humans and dogs). I think there is risk no matter what we feed and that every brand stands a chance of being recalled (understanding some have better QC than others). Of course, it would be interesting to get into the nitty-gritty of it - ie, what is the "salmonella threshold" for meat in dog food vs. human food, ya know? That would really be an interesting comparison!

Honestly, you may be feeding one of the healthiest diets , with good variety, and varying the sources of manufacturers (thereby lessening your chances of hitting a recall of some sort) (plus, you're still saving novel proteins in case of allergies). If your kiddos like variety, maybe you have found the ideal diet for them !!!

Oh! One more thought....as to "what is healthiest" -- I think most Vet Nutritionists might be able to agree upon (if nothing else? ) the fact that a diet balanced for a canine is very important (balancing the cal-phos etc etc), bc dogs really can get out of balance and it can be detrimental to their overall health.

i know human grade food is dangerous too, but doesn't the cooking process remove all the things that's supposed to be dangerous? that's why i think feeding them home "cooked" meals is the safest option.

what i would prefer to feed them is raw and home cooked. plus, you know how picky milu is, she used to run away to a different room to hide when i prepare her raw food. now she will go in the kitchen when i am preparing her homecooked meals, and she waits there for me while i cook it for her or prepare it for her. sometimes when she is hungry, she will also go to the kitchen and bark for me to prepare her some food. you know how unusual it is for milu to like eating. she is getting a small belly on her! hehe

Originally Posted by Sweet Apple

What is the healthiest diet for the dog?
what is safest diet for the dog?
Time commitment
Ease - is it easy to prepare and feed?
Does your dog like eating this diet?

1...I believe in raw, and it may be that you just didn't hit on one they liked...Stella & Chewies is hydrostatic pressurized, so there are no pathogens in it, and it's not cooked, so it is still natural raw...I think Primal and Bravo are both excellent too..

2...There is always a risk in anything we put in our mouths, or that of our pets...Even kibble can get salmonella, so go w/the food you have the most faith in, based on your research..

3...I think raw, canned, or kibble would be less time than homecooking, although I haven't tried that, because I burn water on the stove...lol...

4...I find raw, easy and convenient, although I would think kibble would be the most convenient...

5...My Apple wouldn't eat kibble, and was thin as a rake, 'till I put her on raw...If I think she's getting a little thin, I just increase her food, a little, and go from there....My dogs LOVE LOVE LOVE raw!!! I don't think Apple would eat kibble or canned...Buzzy Boy will eat anything you put in front of him...that boy can chow...lol...

Good luck!

thank you, i prefer the raw for my dogs too, but for some reason they do not like it. also, when i feed S&C raw to milu, her poop is not very firm, i think she might be a little bit allergic to some of the ingredients.

Originally Posted by hugz4all4

Dont believe in raw, wont home cook so my dogs eat good old dog food. Wet and dry. We have fed them SEVERAL different high quality brands. What I found out.. they cant tolerate high protien foods, they do better on some grains, thier poos have always stayed hard, small and not to smelly with just about every food we tried but candiae and innova (green bags). They did the best on Science Diet and I regret jumping on the high quality food bandwagon, waisting a ton of money on food my dogs wont or couldnt eat, making them sick, and picky eaters. Of course I wont put them back on science diet cause that would make me a bad pet owner, but all this food stuff has had me stressed out and given me one super bad headache. .

well, i think a lot of us use the dogs "poop" and their fur and energy level to determine if the diet they are on is a good diet for them. i think that for your dogs, they do very well on the kibble, you are lucky, but for us, they get really stinky/mushy poop that sticks to their butt fur, so it makes me think they are allergic to some ingredients in the kibble i feed them. it doesn't work very well for us, plus my concern with kibble is the quality of ingredients used. however, if my dogs did well on kibble and they enjoyed eating it, then i probably would have never tried to look for other things to feed them.