My thoughts on pet food claims

[QuickSilver]

Well, I think the OP has some good points. This answered a question for me, actually. I have always heard that dogs are omnivores, but I didn't understand how that could be if wolves are carnivores. It makes a lot of sense that wolves would get partially digested vegetable matter from their prey's guts.

I know people get very passionate about dog food on this forum. I personally think there's still a lot we don't know. A diet that is high in protein is hard on the kidneys, so I have trouble with the idea that dogs should not eat grains.

Food for thought.

[tsurc]

Oh my gosh...that made me cry to think of all the innocent helpless animals eating that crap!!

[Nancy1999]

Dogs are carnivores, but there are 4 types of carnivores, and the first type is any animal that just "prefers animal matter over plant matter". This is the category that dogs are in.

Animals that must eat meat in order to survive are referred to as obligate carnivores, whereas animals that exclusively feed on animal tissue are known as hypecarnivores. An apex predator is a carnivore that sits at the top of the food chain. Carnivore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[phfgkl]

Originally Posted by viviansnickers

It was the propylene glycol, and I see that it is a proven safe food additive but has been linked to antifreeze. YIKES...SCARY!! 2 brands had it in it:
Kibbles N Bits
Wholemeals

My golden retriever ate kibbles and bits for 18 years until we had her put down because she had cancer.

[Ellie May]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

Dogs are carnivores, but there are 4 types of carnivores, and the first type is any animal that just "prefers animal matter over plant matter". This is the category that dogs are in.

Animals that must eat meat in order to survive are referred to as obligate carnivores, whereas animals that exclusively feed on animal tissue are known as hypecarnivores. An apex predator is a carnivore that sits at the top of the food chain. Carnivore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And actually cats are obligate carnivores but they do not need to eat meat to survive. It just means they need things that aren't available in the plant families. However, they can be supplemented and live without eating other animals... Not sure if they "need" any supplement derived only from the animal kingdom though.

[Ellie May]

https://www.petdiets.com/faqs/display_faq.asp?ID=256

[PennysMum]

Feral dogs live 4-6 years. I don't think any of us want that our dogs to live only that long...

Food matters. I'm a nurse at a veterinary hospital and have been doing this for most of a decade now, and I have literally seen animals who showed symptoms of malnutrition from being fed lower-quality brands of dog food, included a dog who almost STARVED TO DEATH while being fed "Ol' Roy". All that dog's owner needed to do was to switch him from that bargain-basement food to a higher quality food, and all of his ailments vanished. I've seen animals who were diabetic go from needing insulin injections to being completely normal or dramatically reducing their insulin doses with diet changes to higher protein diets. I've seen animals tearing themselves to pieces become perfectly normal pets with beautiful coats after changing off foods that contain corn. It has reached the point where, when an owner comes in complaining that their dog has loose stools all the time, I'm completely expecting them to say that they feed "Beneful" or "Kibbles and Bits"-- it's honestly THAT common.

A quality diet fed in appropriate amounts is the easiest way for an owner to keep their pet healthy. People complain about the cost, but honestly-- I pay $12 for a 6-pound bag of high quality, grain-free food for Penny. It lasts her about a month, so that comes to $144 a year. A medical problem requiring vet care could cost that much in a single visit pretty easily.

[BamaFan121s]

Wow will...you have definately given that some thought, which IMO is better than mindlessly just picking something off a list found on the internet. I understand your reasoning and line of thought. I don't really think there is any one right or wrong answer regarding the subject. The needs of dogs vary so much that we all have to research and decide for ourselves what is best, whatever that may be. (Nothing cracks me up more than when someone tells me choices I make are wrong and how I should be doing XYZ instead of ABC....as if they know my dogs better than I do! )

I have never fully understood the "I do this because it's what they do in the wild" line of thought. It's seems like a concept used for justification purposes, but it only applicable in certain instances. Our dogs are not wild dogs. They are domesticated and so little of what we do and what we expect from them is comparable to "dogs in the wild."

We all have our opinions, and I rarely find that any two are the same, but I have to give you credit for at least putting some actual thought into it.

Anyway...just some random thoughts.

[Nancy1999]

I know what Joey would eat in the wild; slugs are his favorite, he also loves flies, and his third favorite is rose petals. Sounds like a balanced diet to me!

[Wylie's Mom]

Will, I hope you watch the video posted by Jencar98 - I think it speaks for itself.

Also, it is not a fact that wolves "always" eat the stomach contents - there is much information out there that expands on whether they do or not.

Canines don't "need" vegetables. They do, however, need carbohydrate - is that what you meant?

[BamaFan121s]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I know what Joey would eat in the wild; slugs are his favorite, he also loves flies, and his third favorite is rose petals. Sounds like a balanced diet to me!

Mmmm....tasty!

[Yorkieville200]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Will, I hope you watch the video posted by Jencar98 - I think it speaks for itself.

Also, it is not a fact that wolves "always" eat the stomach contents - there is much information out there that expands on whether they do or not.

Canines don't "need" vegetables. They do, however, need carbohydrate - is that what you meant?

Anne,

Which carbohydrate is best?

Sheila

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by Yorkieville200

Anne,

Which carbohydrate is best?

Sheila

Gosh, Sheila - I'm not sure anyone can answer that question definitively - I mean, what's best for one dog might be an allergen for another dog, do you know what I mean? I prefer simpler carbs for canines bc complex carbs aren't as easily digestible for dogs - there is quite a bit of reading out there about that subject. But vegetables, while not "required", can provide them too - and many dogs do fine on them. Many dogs do fine on brown rice too, but it may be easier on their digestion to feed white rice. I suppose if I had to pick my favorite carbs, they'd be potato and sweet potato.

[Yorkieville200]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Gosh, Sheila - I'm not sure anyone can answer that question definitively - I mean, what's best for one dog might be an allergen for another dog, do you know what I mean? I prefer simpler carbs for canines bc complex carbs aren't as easily digestible for dogs - there is quite a bit of reading out there about that subject. But vegetables, while not "required", can provide them too - and many dogs do fine on them. Many dogs do fine on brown rice too, but it may be easier on their digestion to feed white rice. I suppose if I had to pick my favorite carbs, they'd be potato and sweet potato.

Anne,

Yes, I understand what you mean about allergens. My girls seem to also prefer potato & sweet potato. They scratch when they eat too much rice.

Thanks for your answer.

I know I can always depend on you for a good answer.

Sheila

[andibaby]

Jen,
Thanks for the video. Pretty alarming stuff. I homecook and feed Wellness kibble. I am at a loss about the "junk" that goes into pet food. I cannot for the life of me imagine how toxic this stuff can be.
Very sad case in point-when me and my husband first met-being the animal lovers we are-we adopted a cat. After having her only a very short 5 years she went into total kidney failure and her liver stopped functioning as well. The vet tested her for everything and she did not have ANY diseases-NONE. He was positive it was the bargain food we had been feeding her without knowing any difference. The 5 years of it took a toll. Now, that was awhile back and we have learned a great deal. But, it is unfortunate that pet food companies can get away with this. Such a tragedy.