Pet foods!

[Pan]

Originally Posted by Diana

I am always interested to hear people's experiences with dog foods...

My dogs were on kibble and Deli Fresh for years before we recently switched to raw foods. We tried many different brands of kibble, with our dogs loosing interest in any particular brand after a couple months. Deli Fresh is alright but it still has grains in it (I dont feel like grains are bad for dogs, but I dont think they can digest it fully, and I know they cannot digest cellulose).

My 4 year old girl has always had really bad skin allergies... and she always reacted to something in the winter. So we switched her right over to raw and she has been GREAT. Her skin is getting better and her coat just gleams, not to mention she is putting on weight and muscle which is great cus she has always been on the thin side.

My 2 year old boy has always put on weight easily, and will eat almost anything. Since raw he has thinned down to ideal weight and he seems to have calmed down.

I dont think kibble is entirely bad, but I have heard some horror stories about it, and after doing a lot of research on the BARF diet I really cant think of any reason not to do raw (except maybe the cost, but since we have small dogs it hasnt been that bad). Plus the dogs just LOVE it. Thier poops are smaller, breath better (depending on the meat), and no stinky farts! hehe.

They get beef, chicken, venison, elk, buffalo, eggs, lamb, duck... the possibilities are endless. Most of the meat comes from dog food stores, but I will buy ground beef and buffalo at the grocery store. I pulp some veggies to add a bit in and they will get a meal of cooked rice & egg once a week to give them a chance to "fast" and completely digest their stomach contents.

Sorry for writing so much but I am excited to share my good experiences with BARF diet.

-Diana

Does this ^ work? Where did you get the advice for this? sounds healthy for a dog...

[fishoholic]

I feed Acana to my dogs. To keep them from loosing interest in the taste I mix a spoonful of Eagle Pack Holistic Select wet food into it.

[my2rotties]

I started feeding home prepared food for my rotties since 1998, when my first ended up with cancer. I don't do BARF but I cook home prepared human grade meals for my pups. I do not vaccinate aside of rabies since I live out in the woods but will not do it yearly and will titer to see if it is needed or not.

Sadly five of my six (one is not even two year old yet) have died of various cancers. It is epidemic in this breed, and I hope Cyren will not be a part of this heart breaking strong of losses. My soul mate rottie Diva lived only seven years, never ate dog food or had a vaccine in her life. Most of my rotties get seven years no matter what the history of their lives are. I have rescued a couple along the way, and always will (anyone knowing of a rottie in need let me know).

My dogs get chicken, beef, liver, ground beef, veggies, and anything we are eating which means breakfast lunch and dinner on weekends. They thrive with their diet are not fat and are the picture of health until cancer comes knocking. I wish I knew why this is happening but dispite my best efforts it seems to find my dogs.

My dogs never need the vet unless it is something stupid or its for spay or neuter surgery. I find that if you spend the time and money on their diets, the payback is awesome. I have no issues with food allergies anymore, since they don't eat dogfood of any kind. They don't get grains and those seem to be an issues with yeast infections in their ears and skin allergies or itchie butts.

[spreerider]

I feed my dog Shar Kare brand food chicken and rice,
It had the same ingrediants list as one of the expensive brands, but the expensive brand had beet pulp and Shar kare didnt and first ingredients are all meat and rice,
not the best food but its good and the price is right.
My dog is a true mutt no way to tell his breed at all and he has guts of steel and can eat everything, except he wont eat any vegetable or grain unless its mixed with meat or gravy or the juices.
we give him a carrot and he carries it away and hides it then comes back and wont take anything else from us untill we show him its real food.