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Originally Posted by oneofakind864  As I said.. fed my last little girl Royal Canin for 7 years, until she started throwing it up after eating it. The vet did some tests and she had early stage kidney problems. I'm not saying the kidney problems were from the RC- cuz we really don't know what the cause was. But, in her specific case, the RC was definitely not agreeing with her any longer. So she went to Hill K/D untl that started making her sick and she wouldn't eat it. Then the final years I just made her a Vet nutritionist approved homemade diet for kidneys.
My new puppy is on the Royal Canin puppy mix- and I free feed her that because she is a little nibbler ( just a few kibbles every 15 minutes or so- but not enough at one time to justify only allowing her 15 minutes. But even so-she seems really small and wasn't growing at all. ( She was 1 Lb 3 oz at 7 weeks and was only 1 lb 6 oz when I got her at 11.5 weeks. She stayed that same weight up until 14 weeks. (A week ago) Last friday- I started supplementing with Halo for Puppies and she's gained 2 oz in the last 8 days. She feels like a sturdy little dog now and has a waist without feeling so fragile. So I will keep the mix of both. But I have to admit-I do like the idea of Organic ( for her and me and my husband) And science is great( love that about Royal Canin) but have to admit I DO feel a bit of nervousness to see that term "By product" in a dog food....Even if they say it's the gizzards only rather than the waste other petfood companies use in regards to the term. When it comes to dog food I don't really trust anyone because I know there really aren't many standards and checks and balances out there to keep "corporations" looking for profit and bottom lines " Honest" when it comes to what is best for this little creature I love. When I read a list of ingredients it makes me cringe to hear a statement like "Dogs aren't people- they are dogs with different needs" If that is the case and all these pet food companies are correct in that...why is canine cancer up more than double what it was 40 years ago when most dogs got "Table scraps" rather than scientifically formulated kibbles? In fact why are ALL cancers up in people too for that matter with all the science advances? it's like the more we know...the more we learn we need to know.
Again.. not saying RC is bad...just that I don't think I 100% trust any commercial dog food. That fox guarding the hen house thing I guess. And my common sense tells me some of the ingredients I see used in RC are not "the best" "Gluten" anything makes me squirm. it's just a cheap plan based filler used to boost protein in dog food that would better be filled with actual meat proteins. ALso don't like seeing corn as an ingredient since it is of relatively low nutritional value to a dog. Soy REALLY makes me nervous as it can mess up hormones even in a fixed dog. And cellulose...waste of space in a dog food. No nutritional valise at all to a dog other than perhaps a little " Regularity" with the added fiber.
I may try some of the suggested kibbles that have ingredients I trust more...but like I said. Anything I feed this little girl is going to come with the approval of a nutritionist. It hurts too much to lose one. 12 years was not enough with my last little girl and I want to give Roxie the best chance at seeing 20 that I possibly can. I'm not afraid to spend a little money to get good advice and or on ingredients and a more expensive dog food. The bottom line is I want a happy healthy little fur baby as we all do.
I just thought the list might be of interest to some of the YT members. It was interesting to me at least. and looked like a good place to start. TO be honest the " Dried egg" product that got RC put on the "not recommended" list doesn't bother me so much as some of the ingredients I listed that weren't mentioned. I think eggs are good for little doggies in moderation. There are just so many variables it's hard to figure out what the best route is. I'm just doing the best I can like everyone else.
Thank you so much to all of you who comment. Even if you are playing devils advocate. it makes one stop and think and you DO bring up very valid points. |
So much of this tells me your uninformed. But, I understand that you're emotional. Plus, marketing works.
Again, I've feed corn, rice, pasta and bread to my male Barney who is an absolutely beautiful yorkie about to turn 15. I home cooked all these years but use backup kibble and cookies as snacks.
Eggs are great for dogs - better than meat according to one vet nutritionist as the protein is more bio available. I feed eggs to Teddy a lot.
It's not recommended to feed home cooked to puppies under a year. If you do it, it should only be with a vet nutritionist guarantee. I probably would feed the RC puppy and use fresh foods as snacks. Btw, vet nutritionist means someone who is board certified. I've used Dr Remillard for over 6 years (
www.petdiets.com).
Making your own dog food is not cheap nor is it convenient. I currently feed grain-free and the ingredients are more expensive than if I was feeding pasta or rice. Gluten is gaining so much attention these days. There are unproven theories and speculation. Sure, some people and dogs are intolerant to gluten (myself included!) or they get fat eating it (myself included) but others can eat it and be thin. My dog Barney loves pasta and he doesn't get fat. He is 8.63 lbs and a body score of 5 which is ideal. My dog Daisy is intolerant to grains of any kind. Like people, dogs are individuals. But what is more important than one ingredient is how the diet fits together. My youngest dog eats chicken legs, green sweet canned peas, and raw veggies with fish oil and a supplement. That tells you nothing about how much protein or fat he gets daily or his nutrient analysis.
I guess what I'm saying is don't assume nutrition is simple. if Deb Sillers who breeds beautiful winning grand champion dogs feeds RC, it's because it produces the health and beauty she's looking for. Any dog can get cancer or disease just like any person. Very few of them will live til 20. I personally declared victory when mine turned 12, and I think you should too. That's a long life and she was loved. I know it hurts to lose a pet, but that's the price we pay by sharing our lives with these amazing dogs. Theses babies do not live forever.