Commercial food / Homemade food

[BabyFidgette]

Originally Posted by myriamha

Baby carrots are excellent for his teeth .

Aha! Thanks.

[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.

[myriamha]

Originally Posted by hunniebunnie

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.

You can take a minute and do some research on the internet about commercial dog food and you will see by yourself ...

[BabyFidgette]

The real research would be this (and please, I'm not trying to be mean )...there needs to be long term studies done on the benefits of feeding homemade food as opposed to commercial dog food. Are there any? Many Yorkies live for up to 16 years. Have these Yorkies been fed homemade food or commercial food? I for one, don't need to see the studies b/c I'm not going to start cooking for Baby, as I posted above, I don't cook for myself. But, there may be others who would benefit from research. I'm not talking about research on one pup. I'm talking about hundreds of pups and long sterm studies. What benefits one, may not benefit another. You know? I mean, there are humans who smoke all their life and live to be 100. It's all in genetics. Of course, eating well helps, we all know that. But does it really put on extra years of life? Even though your research is on your own pup, I would love to hear how your pup's health is and how this food benefits him/her. Thanks!

[hunniebunnie]

Originally Posted by myriamha

You can take a minute and do some research on the internet about commercial dog food and you will see by yourself ...

i have done quite a bit of research on the internet about dog foods, which is why i don't feed my little one just any dog food u can buy at the grocery store that's full of fillers, by products, and preservatives. i only feed him the super premium stuff. but perhaps i'm looking in the wrong places. care to share the results of your research? i may consider mixing homemade with dry if it's proven to yield better results for the health of my baby.

[bosslady]

I do cook for my 3, Not particuarly because I know it is healthier but because they are VERY picky eaters and I could not find a dog food they really liked and would eat very well.
We feed them Biljac frozen dog food and they will eat it sometimes.
I boil a whole chicken, take the meat off the bone and mix it with cooked rice. I add some vegetables like peas and carrots and mix a little broth with it and they love it. It really doesn't take me that long and it lasts me quite a few days. About twice a week, I scramble some eggs for them and add a little cheese. Sometimes I will give them weiners for a snack. I cut them up in small pieces. I also put spam or some other kind of meat in their eggs sometime. If I don't have time to cook a chicken, I make them hamburger and rice.I also give them yogurt and cottage cheese. They like pieces of cheese as a snack. It seems as if they get tired of the same thing all the time and won't eat it as well. They do seem to like a variety. That is probably because of the way I have always given them different things. I have had dogs in the past who seemed perfectly satisfied with the same thing every day.

I try to keep dry dog food out all the time so they can eat a little at a time and help their teeth. THey don't eat it very well though. I bought a new kind last night. It was rice and lamb and I poured it in a bowl and they turned up their nose. I picked up the bowl went into the family room and sat down and hand fed them and two of them ate quite a bit.

My three are so spoiled. My husband says they eat better than he does.
Actually I like to cook. My husband is not in good health. He is a diabetic so I have to cook anyway

I have always been known as a very good cook and I love to cook and see people eat and enjoy it. Maybe that is why I don't mind cooking for my furbabies.

I am not criticizing anyone who gives theirs dog food. I would give mine more if they would eat it better.

[Tiger's Mom]

Originally Posted by bosslady

I do cook for my 3, Not particuarly because I know it is healthier but because they are VERY picky eaters and I could not find a dog food they really liked and would eat very well.
We feed them Biljac frozen dog food and they will eat it sometimes.
I boil a whole chicken, take the meat off the bone and mix it with cooked rice. I add some vegetables like peas and carrots and mix a little broth with it and they love it. It really doesn't take me that long and it lasts me quite a few days. About twice a week, I scramble some eggs for them and add a little cheese. Sometimes I will give them weiners for a snack. I cut them up in small pieces. I also put spam or some other kind of meat in their eggs sometime. If I don't have time to cook a chicken, I make them hamburger and rice.I also give them yogurt and cottage cheese. They like pieces of cheese as a snack. It seems as if they get tired of the same thing all the time and won't eat it as well. They do seem to like a variety. That is probably because of the way I have always given them different things. I have had dogs in the past who seemed perfectly satisfied with the same thing every day.

I try to keep dry dog food out all the time so they can eat a little at a time and help their teeth. THey don't eat it very well though. I bought a new kind last night. It was rice and lamb and I poured it in a bowl and they turned up their nose. I picked up the bowl went into the family room and sat down and hand fed them and two of them ate quite a bit.

My three are so spoiled. My husband says they eat better than he does.
Actually I like to cook. My husband is not in good health. He is a diabetic so I have to cook anyway

I have always been known as a very good cook and I love to cook and see people eat and enjoy it. Maybe that is why I don't mind cooking for my furbabies.

I am not criticizing anyone who gives theirs dog food. I would give mine more if they would eat it better.

I too love to cook and I am known amongst friends to be a great one and I would love to pamper my Tiger too but my dilemma is when I go on vacation and cannot include Tiger in the trip. As it is, I don't give him plain Innova kibble anymore. I have branched out and expanded his meal to include crushed 100% preservative free beef frozen liver and cottage cheese, or cut-up apples or mangoes . . . am continiously experimenting on what he likes so I can add to his plain kibble. He will definitely be boarded though (through my vet) when I travel and wonder how he would be with just the kibble, but I doubt if they will give the extra time to make his meal this complicated. Can you share tips on what you do when you do have to go out of town and cannot bring your furbabies?

[myriamha]

Originally Posted by Tiger's Mom

I too love to cook and I am known amongst friends to be a great one and I would love to pamper my Tiger too but my dilemma is when I go on vacation and cannot include Tiger in the trip. As it is, I don't give him plain Innova kibble anymore. I have branched out and expanded his meal to include crushed 100% preservative free beef frozen liver and cottage cheese, or cut-up apples or mangoes . . . am continiously experimenting on what he likes so I can add to his plain kibble. He will definitely be boarded though (through my vet) when I travel and wonder how he would be with just the kibble, but I doubt if they will give the extra time to make his meal this complicated. Can you share tips on what you do when you do have to go out of town and cannot bring your furbabies?

May be you can buy the food the usually give your dog ( cottage cheese...) and instruct the vet to give it to them along with their dry food ? As for me I never travel without my dog .

[Tiger's Mom]

Originally Posted by myriamha

May be you can buy the food the usually give your dog ( cottage cheese...) and instruct the vet to give it to them along with their dry food ? As for me I never travel without my dog .

I guess I will have to check with my vet to see if they are willing to do it for me. As for travelling, I just got Tiger last Thanksgiving and as much as I would love for him to travel I know it is too much of a hassle, especially since I go international all the time. When travelling by land, I definitely will not leave him behind. Thanks for the tip.

[yorkieK9trainer]

I've done both. Home made diets (can be tricky. Just feeding your dog healthy items doesn't mean you're giving him enough of all the rights things.) and Commercial diets. I enjoy doing both. If I have the time I will cook for my dogs, but they are also used to the variety and they will happily eat the Dick Van Patten food or Artemis food I put down for them.

ONE MORE THING! I DO NOT give my animals milk products! Not like you think anyway. I'll substitute any recipes that call for milk w/ Rice Milk. Not soy as that can reduce the sperm count and quality in males-look it up. I don't even consume cow/goat milk myself anymore, and I LOVE milk! Oreos and Milk are my fav.! But I don't drink it anymore. Yes, I miss it, but take a look at the following link and see why I've stopped. FYI I live in Arizona. http://www.notmilk.com/




Thoughts?
I know we all can't be perfect, lord knows I'm not, but I do enjoy making informed decisions!

[yorkieK9trainer]

lol, here is the right one!
http://www.milksucks.com/pus.asp

[GeorgiesMomma]

I think everyone on this website loves their Yorkies very very much, regardless of whether they can cook for them or not. I am definitely one of those people, however I don't always cook for Georgie. I have tried several different commercial foods of which none of them he liked, however I did find a food that the first 18 ingredients are all quality, including chicken, apples, alfalfa, green beans, bananas etc... it's call Force by Honest Kitchen. I mix a little kibble by California Natural (which doesn't contain fillers either) and Force and he loves it. I do on occassion give him carrots, plain yogurt and boiled chicken, but I have found some Yorkies as with other breeds have sensitive stomachs and can't eat a lot of human food.

[CecileB]

Hi Yorkie Fanatics!

I dont get much time to visit the site - but I love it!

A couple of month ago I have been given reports on commercial pet food - I luckily always given my Yorkies healthy home made foods - and left out pellets/kibble for treats - now I HAVE THROWN AWAY 3 bags of Royal Canin and will NEVER EVER GIVE THAT POISONOUS WASTE to my kids again! I have copied tons of info here but my text is to long so I had to delete it - if you want info please e mail me -cecile.bekker@gmail.com

WHY NOT HAVE YOUR CURRENT PET FOOD REVIEWED? Go to:
Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost and “search” for your brand.

Here in SA we have game meat imported from Namibia when in season I give my yorkies a few pieces raw with their brown rice, veggies and cooked chicken, pork, ostrich or turkey... no BEEF OR LAMB - although no animals are beein fed the health way anymore - it was recommend to me long ago not to feed beef or lamb to my Yorkies!

Sweet baby carrots are fantastic for treats! I can go on forever about the subject - here are some info I got from my holistic/health food suppliers - Vondi's in Cape Town....

I dont feed frozen food as my kids dont eat it and I cook for them fresh daily... LUCKILY I have the time as I work from home to be with my kids all the time (that SAID the computer do keep me busy TOO much!!!! but at least I can touch and cuddle them between working sessions!)

STOP FEEDING YOUR YORKIES COMMERCIAL FOOD! If you dont have time to cook give them RAW FOODS - veggies/ meat if it is of the "free range" type!)

It is very difficult to try and BE HEALTHY AND FEED HEALTHY as most foods are not grown healthy anymore!!! but we can try!

JUST a few more issues -

Khakibos Flea Repellent WORKS like nothing else I have ever tried! If you dont have it in your country you can order it from me - I will get it from Vondi's or you can go online and order it direct too - R45-50 a bottle and I have not seen fleas in months! - It ALSO WORKS WONDERS FOR STINKY MALES! makes them smell good! no need to bath to much !!!

VACINES - another KILLLERRRR - especially for yorkies! do some research!!!! I had to battle a long and expensive war when my yorkie was injected twice in two weeks by VETS! in the days I was still STUPID! it took months to get my Yorkie back to health from a mange attack!!!
Do some research - again I cant copy the info as my text is to long!!! dont make the VET rich on behalf of your pets!!!! we are all being taken for a ride here!!!!


No dog but especially Yorkies or any terrier , should never be fed pellets. This is a high carb calories diet which has too much energy. It is like giving a child with energy, extra sugar.


THE RULE IS: NO SUGAR DAIRY OR PRESERVATIVES -THAT MEANS PELLETS AS WELL...

NO CHEMICALS - NO FLEA REPELLENTS NO HARSH SHAMPOOS)