Dog Food

[Guest mikedwood]

When I started dating my wife she had this little dog and I have gotten pretty attached to the little fellow. He is just a great dog.

We had to mix something in with his dog food or he wouldn't eat it unless he was starving.

I went to get him some dog food several months ago and wondered "What is the difference between $2.99 a bag dog food and $7.99 a bag dog food?" (He's 9 pounds so a 5 pound bag lasted awhile, and can't feed him table scraps cause he would puke more than half the time).

Best I could tell there is no difference what so ever. It's all crap and lots of corn. I dunno just didn't sit right with me to be feeding him that crap after I looked at the ingredients.

So I did a little research and found the same recipe on several different sites and started making it for him. His coat seems better and he seems better over all. Plus it's so funny to watch him. He knows when his meal time is and goes banannas to get it and cleans his bowl completely.

I mix 2 cups rice

pound and a half of sale meat (steak or chicken)

some green beans, sweet potatoes and or carrots

Lasts about a week and a half.

Anyone else make dog food for their dogs? Or am I just wierd?

I did find out grapes and onions can cause long term problems in pooches and also fat can be bad for them.

[Guest Old goat]

If I had a small dog, I probably would. We have two that go about 75 lbs for 1 and 90 lbs for the other, so gray train it is.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Different dogs seem different kinds of picky about food. Dogs I've had, DO NOT seem to appreciate doggie health food. Two previous dogs had got old and fat and the vet shamed me into putting them on food like that Science Diet stuff. Dawgs grudgingly ate it for a few weeks then finally staged a hunger strike and would barely eat it. Put em back on the medium-price fatty stuff and they snarfed it down. Figgered what good is possibly-extended life for an old dawg if he can't even properly enjoy his daily meals?

Some dogs really like bread. It may or may not be good for the dog, but they love it. The current two rescue coon hounds love bread so much they about go nuts if they see a piece of bread. Especially corn bread. Give em some corn bread and their eyes literally roll up in their heads they love it so much.

Perhaps a far-fetched theory, but fox hounds and coon hounds, were raised in packs for hundreds of years. I read that in the past a farmer who kept a pack of hunting dogs couldn't just go to walmart and buy big sacks of Ol Roy. So they often fed em "dog bread" which was a simple cornbread recipe cooked in mass quantity.

I don't believe in "species memory" or environment directly affecting genetics, but wonder if hounds had been fed dog bread for hundreds of years, dozens of generations, then perhaps some kind of natural selection process would make em more likely to really really crave corn bread? Or maybe corn bread is just good eatin regardless who you are.

My hounds would probably not be healthier if they could eat corn bread every day rather than canned dog food, but they would probably be happier doggies.

They go nuts for any corn or wheat. Fritos. Cheetos. Plain old white soda crackers.

[enfield]

My little dog is on an expensive dog food (venison + potatoes + nothing) due to suspected food allergies. Earlier, she'd eat anything I gave her, except black olives. I believe that dogs will eat an unhealthy diet, if that's what's provided to them. They seem to prefer junk food. We owe them better.

[Guest mikedwood]

The reason I even thought about it is he's 9 and dad had a mutt that he loved.

She was about 12 and it was getting hard for her to get around. His groomer was a complete nut but better than a vet and told him to feed her brown rice, liver and give her a baby asprin a day.

He started doing that and in a short amount of time that dog lost about 5 years (even jumping into the truck again, she went everywhere with him) and did great for another 3 years until a car hit her after he forgot her at the office.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Yeah, I don't feed the dawgs junk food, but that is what they seem to prefer.

Read somewhere that modern hunting hounds tend to be larger than their ancestors, possibly explained by improved diet. Modern people tend to be taller than our ancestors, possibly from the same reason.

Rice is supposedly one the least-likely allergic foods.

[Guest 85rx-7gsl-se]

My dogs have always been on Pedigree. Seems to have worked fine so far.

[Guest Rodslanger]

I've breed pedigreed blue pits and have for several years now.I used to breed pero de presa canarios and german rottweilers before that and there is a difference in a lot of the foods your cheaper foods are cooked up with alot of oils and grease that if you feed your dogs this shi* you can smell it coming thru their skin.I feed mine beneful or black diamond and I do mix some table scraps in with the food at times and I can teel a difference.all 7 of my dogs skin look better and have no smell along with a shinny coat of hair and lots of muscle mass which is a must for me selling pups all over the US for hog hunting,personal protection and sled pulling.the deal for me is having a 100 lb fat stinking unheathly non energetic dog or having a 100 plus lbs dog of solid muscle with lots of energy and a good coat of hair.it works for me and makes me a good side living.just my .02

[laktrash]

"Taste of the wild" grain free here. High protein Good for grain allergies. Supposedly digest more so less waste. "less " which is helpful with 3 great danes. This is according to my wife she's the expert . We get buy 5 get 1 free from feed store. I did get her a giant pooper scooper for xmas last year.

[Sandman]

I mix Purina Pro Plan and Blue Buffalo (Wild) half and half.

[Guest 85rx-7gsl-se]

^$$$

[Spook]

When I started dating my wife she had this little dog and I have gotten pretty attached to the little fellow. He is just a great dog.

We had to mix something in with his dog food or he wouldn't eat it unless he was starving.

I went to get him some dog food several months ago and wondered "What is the difference between $2.99 a bag dog food and $7.99 a bag dog food?" (He's 9 pounds so a 5 pound bag lasted awhile, and can't feed him table scraps cause he would puke more than half the time).

Best I could tell there is no difference what so ever. It's all crap and lots of corn. I dunno just didn't sit right with me to be feeding him that crap after I looked at the ingredients.

So I did a little research and found the same recipe on several different sites and started making it for him. His coat seems better and he seems better over all. Plus it's so funny to watch him. He knows when his meal time is and goes banannas to get it and cleans his bowl completely.

I mix 2 cups rice

pound and a half of sale meat (steak or chicken)

some green beans, sweet potatoes and or carrots

Lasts about a week and a half.

Anyone else make dog food for their dogs? Or am I just wierd?

I did find out grapes and onions can cause long term problems in pooches and also fat can be bad for them.

We feed our very large dog EaglePak brand dog food. It is expensive but almost seems human grade to me... LOL.... My wife also cooks for him sometimes when she finds roasts, etc on sale. Throw in some leftover baked potatoes and add it to the dry food. Cheaper and healtiier than most canned food. He loves the variety. Like most animals he doesn't want to eat the very same thing day in, day out.

(Did I mention that I had the greatest dog on earth?)

[ftncityfatboy]

Science Diet - - - it's vet recommended!

[Guest mosinon]

When I started dating my wife she had this little dog and I have gotten pretty attached to the little fellow. He is just a great dog.

We had to mix something in with his dog food or he wouldn't eat it unless he was starving.

I went to get him some dog food several months ago and wondered "What is the difference between $2.99 a bag dog food and $7.99 a bag dog food?" (He's 9 pounds so a 5 pound bag lasted awhile, and can't feed him table scraps cause he would puke more than half the time).

Best I could tell there is no difference what so ever. It's all crap and lots of corn. I dunno just didn't sit right with me to be feeding him that crap after I looked at the ingredients.

So I did a little research and found the same recipe on several different sites and started making it for him. His coat seems better and he seems better over all. Plus it's so funny to watch him. He knows when his meal time is and goes banannas to get it and cleans his bowl completely.

I mix 2 cups rice

pound and a half of sale meat (steak or chicken)

some green beans, sweet potatoes and or carrots

Lasts about a week and a half.

Anyone else make dog food for their dogs? Or am I just wierd?

I did find out grapes and onions can cause long term problems in pooches and also fat can be bad for them.

Crap, you dog eats better than me! Can I come over for dinner?

No, seriously, I am a terrible cook. I could be there sometime tomorrow night...

I think making your own dog food is actually a pretty great idea. I wouldn't be surprised if it saved you dough in the long run. I am tempted to try it for my dog.

[Guest Jcochran88]

I feed my dog Royal Canine. Its a breed specific blend.

[tnhawk]

With a few coonhounds and a dalmation, I'm going to Sams several times a month for 50 lb bags of dog food. Each of them knows if they don't eat what they're given, the other will.

[Chucktshoes]

I believe that dogs will eat an unhealthy diet, if that's what's provided to them. They seem to prefer junk food. We owe them better.

This.

Our Pugs have food allergies and are fed Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet (LID) formula. At different times we have cooked for them. Such as when they were dealing with Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis and bleeding ulcers caused by arthritis meds. They are spoiled rotten, probably worse than our children will ever be, lol. But they eat better and healthier than my wife and I.

[lewisbd]

I feed my dog Solid Gold because it contains more rice and meats. If you look at the primary ingredients of most name brand dog foods such as Purina and Eukanuba it is contains mostly corn fillers which i don't believe dogs were meant to eat all the time. Blue Buffalo is another good brand.

[tnhawk]

... But they eat better and healthier than my wife and I.

My hounds also sleep as long as they want to everyday.

[dunndw]

We mix chicken, rice, green beans and potatoes in with store bought kibble for our Boxers and they seem happy and healthy. The vet agrees they're in good shape.

[Guest mikedwood]

Crap, you dog eats better than me! Can I come over for dinner?

No, seriously, I am a terrible cook. I could be there sometime tomorrow night...

I think making your own dog food is actually a pretty great idea. I wouldn't be surprised if it saved you dough in the long run. I am tempted to try it for my dog.

Hehe. If you want to feel like you can really cook, cook for a dog. Talk about an ego boost. I have tasted the meals I've cooked for him and it's pretty good. Just like stir fry. And sometimes it's better than me and my wife do.

It wouldn't have occured to me but at 9 he's not a puppy anymore and he has the funniest personality and has never gone in the house. Just figured this might be a good way to keep him feeling better longer and around longer.

My hounds also sleep as long as they want to everyday.

This winter I'm starting to think he's part bear cause he only gets up to eat and go out. Just a few hours short of hibernation.

Edited January 10, 2011 by mikedwood

[MikePapa1]

My only recommendation is that our vet suggested a recipe similar to the one used by the OP, but insisted that we add a quarter cup of bone meal to it. He said dogs need it for proper digestion.

[Chucktshoes]

I highly recommend this book as a resource for taking better care of your "furkids". It contains a lot of great stuff on diet, treatment of common ailments, and other information to help you care for your pets in a more natural and healthy manner.

[enfield]

I used to buy whole frozen chickens (really cheap!) and boil them for my dogs. They got the meat, I got the broth, skin & bones for making chicken stock for soup. Win - Win!

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Thanks for all the good ideas. The previous gone but not forgotten dogs, Lab and Boykin Spaniel, really enjoyed a good meal. Not picky eaters. But they actually did stage a hunger strike on Beneful and Science Diet. They grudgingly ate it for awhile but then decided they would rather starve.

The current rescue coon hounds, there is no way to adequately describe their love of food. Any food. It doesn't seem likely that they would stage a hunger strike no matter what they are fed. Mealtime is the high point of their doggy day.

The young guy gets Pedigree or Alpo and the old man gets Science Diet Mature Adult because the vet recommended a low-protein diet for the old fella. They usually get a pig ear or pig roll for bed time snack. The old man has picked up a few pounds the last year from old age and thyroid, but the young feller runs it off. Not a trace of fat on that guy.

In principle I'd cook for the hounds, but heck I never eat anything unless it will fit in the microwave. Ain't gonna happen.