[hunniebunnie]

Originally Posted by myriamha

Just take a minute and read the labels on dog food packages and see how its full of crap, you don't have to be a genius to figure out what a puppy needs in terms of nutrition : preteins come first that vegetables than carbs. Yogurt and cottage cheese for calcium and fruits as treats .

i've taken more than a minute to read the labels of several dog food packages. the ingredients of the dog food i feed my puppy are: Turkey, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Ground Barley, Ground Brown Rice, Cottage Cheese, Tomatoes, Sunflower Oil, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavors, Flaxseed, Potatoes, Herring, Apples, Carrots, Alfalfa Sprouts, Egg, Garlic, Chicory Root Extract, Taurine, Vitamins/Minerals, Viable Naturally Occurring Microorganisms I don't see any "crap" about turkey, chicken, etc. And this is compared to a contents of a typical frozen dinner found at the grocery store (i used marie callenders frozen meals): Coated With Chicken Breast Honey Roasted [ Water, Seasoning {Honey Dehydrated <Honey,Wheat Starch>,Corn Syrup High Fructose,Honey Dehydrated <Honey,Maltodextrin>,Salt,Chicken Flavor <Maltodextrin,Cornstarch Modified,Salt,Corn Oil,Gelatin,Turmeric Extract,Yeast Extract,Lactose,Dextrose,Chicken Fat>,Food Starch Modified,Spice,Bell Pepper(s) Dehydrated,Parsley Dehydrated,Soybean(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated,Spice Extractive}, Chicken Breast, Water, Honey, Seasoning {Chicken Broth Dehydrated <Chicken Broth,Salt,Gelatin>,Soy Sauce <Wheat,Soybean(s),Salt,Maltodextrin,Salt,Sodium Phosphate,Sugar,Dextrose,Onion(s) Dehydrated,Garlic Dehydrated>,Chicken Flavor (Contains) <Salt,Milk Skim Powder>,Cottonseed Oil Partially Hydrogenated,Soybean(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated}, Soy Protein Isolated], Potato(es) Mashed [ Potato(es) Flakes Rehydrated, Potato(es) Granules Rehydrated {Water,Potato(es),Mono and Diglycerides < from Vegetable Oil>,Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate,Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate,Citric Acid,Sodium Bisulfite,BHT (andTo Preserve FreshnessTo Promote Color Retention)}, Cream Heavy Whipping, Soybean(s) Oil, Butter {Cream,Salt}, Sugar, Carrageenan Gum, Spice, Butter Flavor {Soybean(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated,Flavor <Butter Oil,Butter Fat Enzyme Modified,Whey Powder,Milk Non Fat Dry Powder,Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier(s))>}], Peas Green, Water, Soybean(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated and/or, Soybean(s) Oil Liquid, Sugar, Salt, Emulsifiers [ Polyglycerol Esters Of Fatty Acids], Butter Flavor [ Butter Oil, Butter Fat Enzyme Modified, Whey Powder, Milk Non Fat Dry Powder], Soy Lecithin Emulsifier(s), Beta Carotene [ Corn Oil, Vitamin A Palmitate, Beta Carotene]

i think it's obvious there's more "crap" in the human food than in the puppy food.

furthermore, it may not take a genius to GUESS what your puppy/dog needs in terms of nutrition. protein > vegetables > carbs makes sense. but how much of each? in what porportions? how much per day? what kind of food can puppies eat vs. what can't they eat? how is the meal considered a balanced meal complete with all the amino acids, vitamins, iron and calcium, protein and fat, fiber, fatty acids, carbs, etc etc in the right proportions necessary for a healthy puppy's growth and through out adulthood and senior status? afterall the nutritional needs of a puppy is different than that of an adult which also differs when he becomes a senior. and unless you're making home made yogurt and cottage cheese, how does the packaged stuff you buy at the grocery store with all its preservatives impact the health and welfare of a puppy? if yogurt and cottage cheese are okay, why not milk? what kinds of veggies are good and which kinds are not? does frozen veggies make a difference from fresh veggies? how will the lack of hard food impact the dental health of the dog, especially a yorkie since they are prone to early tooth decay? so i don't think it's as easy as just "protein > vegetables > carbs" and that's it. so it may not require a genius to understand this, but it is a science.

i do applaud you for taking the time and effort to cook for your furbaby. we should all be so lucky as to having the know-how and the time to serve our babies a well balanced, homecooked meal. but please do not assume that just because i feed my puppy a commercial pet food that i do not care or am ignorant about the nutritional health and needs of my puppy and would purposely and carelessly feed him "crap". i, like most pet lovers, tend to feed my puppy better than i do myself. there are good quality, super premium, commercial dog foods. and i have chosen to feed my puppy that and he is healthy and perfectly happy with it. so to each her own.