Doggie Diet Dilemma
 

Actually I have three Questions, and I welcome your ideas....

:animal36 Some suggest you can make your own dog food (such as rice, chicken and carrots), and I really like that. But I have heard from others that is is better you feed dry kibble (premium). Is there really a “good” and “bad” way in this?


:animal-paAlso, I read her that adding crushed garlic cloves to food can be toxic, and some say it helps to prevent worms. So a little confused.

:aimeeyorkIs it necessary to use Nutra Cal, or is there a good substitute?

Thanks for your help.

Garlic is a NO NO. NO GARLIC. It is on the list of dangerous foods for dogs and the list in my Yorkshire Terriers for Dummies book.

Not sure about the other questions. I feed dry food and don't know anything about homemade. However, there are members who cook for their dogs that can probably answer your questions :)

haha. Thank you, and where can I get my hands on that book?:p

(By the way, don't worry - I don't have a dog yet, so not (yet) feeding any garlic)

Some people home cook or feed raw with great success. I would not attempt either without studying thoroughly first and consulting a canine nutritionist. Dogs require a balanced diet. It is very easy to make your dog sick with an imbalanced diet.

Small amounts of garlic are okay, but once again, I would consult a nutritionist for the exact amounts. Too much can be toxic.

NutriCal is not always necessary. There are alternatives, like Karo. My boys are 1 and 2 years old and weigh a healthy 7 and 8 pounds. I have never had the need for NutriCal, knock on wood. If your dog is younger and smaller, then it might be necessary.

I have seen garlic on the toxic list, and I have also seen tv dog trainer Victoria Stillwell feed it to a Yorkie. Personally, I would error on the side of caution and not use it.

I LOVE my YT for Dummies book. It helped me out a lot. I got mine from Barnes & Noble, but I'm sure they have it a bunch of places (like Borders, Amazon, maybe even pet stores). It was worth every penny I spent on it!

Sorry if I jumped on that :p I just got a little scared there for a second! :)

Some people make their own dog food, but those who do usually have no choice because their dogs have special requirements and allergies. YT members who home cook recommend that you have a diet created by a canine dietician. Remember, a balanced human diet is not a balanced canine diet, they need as much calcium as a human woman, and it's very difficult to give them that much with regular human food, so supplementation is necessary. Even the worst dog food is probably healthier than a human diet that isn't specially formulated for dogs.

I do not believe that you have to buy the most expensive dog food to give your dog a healthy diet, but I'd stay away from the cheapest brands, as they usually use cheaper forms of protein.

Garlic got a bad name because a dog will eat an excessive amount of garlic, for example, a dog died after eating a bottle of garlic powder, a human would never eat that much, but a dog will, so garlic had to be placed on the poisons' list because there is an amount that is dangerous. The amount found in food and treats is considered safe. Here's a great site that will help educate you on choosing a food that best for your dog. The Dog Food Project - Myths about Dog Nutrition

White Karo syrup is a good substitute for Nutri Cal.

Oh I love her! I would never use it though personally. She is experienced and way smarter than I'll ever be when it comes to dogs. If it is in the no no list in my Dummies book I think I'll steer clear of it :D.

I err on the side of caution for a lot of things I'm not familiar with or don't have the time to thoroughly research into (like feeding higher protein levels). I know some people do things and do fine, but I'm always afraid that I'm not experienced enough to try stuff like that and I could hurt my pup. I think that's a safe policy. :thumbup:

The things YT teaches you... pwned am I! :rolleyes: I still think I'll steer clear of the no no list though because I'm a paranoid nervous freak! :p

Yeah, that's the way I feel too I guess. Nervous to try anthing that's "iffy". I think it's good to feel that you need to be careful, and I guess we all just learn as we go along what's good for our particular pets.

But wow! It's so great to have all this good advice from experienced mommies! Thank you soooo much for all your help....!

[quote=Nancy1999;3372265]Here's a great site that will help educate you on choosing a food that best for your dog. The Dog Food Project - Myths about Dog Nutrition


Thank you both for this useful information:thumbup:

Learning as you go is the name of the game for a lot of things, but do enough research beforehand on things you can to make yourself more comfy! That's what I did! :D

YorkieTalk (or YT) is a GREAT source for help and information. You will lose your life on here... seriously. My bf is always like... "you're on the yorkie boards again???"

One note about Nutrical, you need to make sure you don't overuse it or use it when it isn't necessary. I believe it can contribute to diabetes??? (not positive on that fact... I think I read it somewhere on here once) We bought some for Rylie for her flight home because we had a feeling she wasn't going to be in the mood to eat after such a long day of flying (and we were right). So we used it that first day, but haven't had a need for it since. We have it on hand though, just in case! She could get sick some day and need it. :)

Sorry Nancy, I tried to quote you too in last message, but still experimenting with my posts...(it's hit or miss for now) :)

That's okay, even long time members have trouble with that! :D