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Post by charmed on Feb 1, 2004 16:13:05 GMT -5
i was just wondering what some of you guys think is the best to feed a dog..I have a 8 month old bichon firse..i have been feeding a commercial brand dog food called.maximium nutrisian lamb and rice for puppys..she has some tear staining going on and i have heard that that can be from to much protien in the diet..so im really thinking of switching her diet..what do you duys recommend??
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Post by sibemom on Feb 1, 2004 16:37:02 GMT -5
Well the best IMO is to go RAW. We have posted lots of info on the subject if you are open to that. If not well the best of the worst in my opinion would be wysong. It is an holistic brand of dog food that can be purchased at your vets or pet stores. If you cant make the switch to Raw then when you look for kibble it must not be high in grains. Rice is ok but you also have to make sure there are no artificial colors. No corn No soybean No wheat Rice is ok. I use to use one called Purina Mills Exclusive Rice and Lamb out of all the kibbles this one did seem to be better. You can get it at your feed store. Hope this was helpful. ;D
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Post by Brooke on Feb 1, 2004 17:39:39 GMT -5
In my opinion as far as kibble goes these are what I've found to be pretty good brands. I am considering switching to raw because of one of my dogs ungodly gas problem... Nutro Max Nutro Natural Innova Wellness Eagle Pack Canidae Wysong Nature’s Recipe Cornucopia Solid Gold Natural Life Flint River Ranch Life’s Abundance
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Post by Willow on Feb 6, 2004 14:45:31 GMT -5
As the other's said, Raw is best. No matter which brand of kibble you feed, it is not good, because it is cooked and even *premium brands* have chemicals etc. in them. I can't, in good conscience, recommend any brand of commercial dog food.
The runny gooey eye thing is from feeding kibble. Period, and/or from the other chemicals etc. we put into their bodies.
Actually, on a raw diet, dogs do not get *too much protein*. They can get too much fat, though, and that's why it's a good idea to trim as much fat as you can off the meats you give.
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Post by amyjo on Feb 6, 2004 17:48:28 GMT -5
Loey - do you take the skin off the chicken?
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Post by Willow on Feb 6, 2004 19:51:34 GMT -5
NO, but if there is any of that yellow, greasy fat on it, I cut that off. I also cut the thick rhind (?) (hide)and fat off the fresh pork hocks I get before feeding it. Once in awhile I also feed pork steak/chops and I cut any fat around the edges off of them. Some fat is good, but too much is not.
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Post by Alpha Sheltie on Feb 9, 2004 0:42:11 GMT -5
Another vote for raw.
I fed raw for a little bit but didn't feel like I had enough info so I went back to studying and getting opinions from vets and dog crazy people. So right now, we're on chicken soup for the dog lover's soul which is an alright brand but I really prefer raw.
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Post by Willow on Feb 9, 2004 10:40:40 GMT -5
Hi Alpha Sheltie. Nice to see you here and to also hear you are open to rawfeeding. There is a rawfeeding group on yahoo that Sibemom and I are on, plus there are some good books. Here's the group: groups.yahoo.com/group/rawfeeding/You will receive all the help you need. ;D
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Post by Willow on Feb 9, 2004 10:45:12 GMT -5
p.s.....I did the same thing. Fed raw for a few months and was uncomfortable, feeling I didn't know enough about it, plus started hearing all sorts of negative stuff from well meaning friends, etc., so I quit. Then I met an Aussie breeder who really helped me go raw. Her Menu is in the Health/Nutrition section and is very good, except I don't feed the veggies like she does. She also steered me to the Truth About Vaccines List and my dogs have never looked better or been healthier.
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Post by Brooke on Feb 9, 2004 12:23:45 GMT -5
The thing I'm debating on the most right now is with the move back to indiana. We both are going to have to separate the dogs and stay in separate places for awhile till we can get on our feet. The army will be sending us home. I won't have a job and he of course won't be able to get one for god knows how long.
There is no telling how long it could take for his disablity to kick in. This will also mean less freezer and refridgerator space because my grandmas fridge is always packed to the maximum capacity. Even her freezer down stairs is ALWAYS maximum capacity. She gets a lot of company.
So I'd hate to put them on this new diet and have to switch them back. Ya know? :thinking: I would think that would be kind of hard on their systems. I really wanted to do this too....I think it will be best to wait until we are settled I guess...
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Post by amyjo on Feb 9, 2004 12:32:55 GMT -5
Brooke -
First... you have to take care of you and Shen first and a few more weeks or months on kibble is not a major issue... However - I will say economically speaking this is much easier on my wallet.
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Post by Willow on Feb 9, 2004 14:35:18 GMT -5
I know it's daunting when there will be so many *other* things to worry about, and I agree with Amyjo, that you and Shen come first, but since you will have to shop for your food, (unless you eat fast food all the time), you can just buy a few chicken quarter's, beef or pork neck bones etc. and feed the dogs.
As far as travelling and feeding. Just have a cooler to keep a couple days meals in for the dogs and look for sales in the meat dept's. along the way! ;D
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Post by Aussienot on Feb 11, 2004 19:40:18 GMT -5
Brooke, you've got a lot on your mind and a lot of things to take care of, so a few months either way is no big. Raw feeding takes up "mind space". You do have to think about what you are feeding, and plan in advance. Especially at first when it's all new. Slopping some quality kibble in a bowl is much less demanding. expecting flames for thisFridge/freezer space has been an issue for me. There are times when I could have saved money by stocking up on bulk buys but I didn't have the space. If you're buying weekly or day to day, you have to shop carefully and be a bit lucky to keep it cheap. Willow's right that you can still do it under any circumstances, but stress management is about acknowledging the pressure you are under and taking steps to reduce it.
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Post by Willow on Feb 12, 2004 15:56:58 GMT -5
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Jeff
puppy
Posts: 44
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Post by Jeff on Feb 28, 2004 11:33:25 GMT -5
Interesting I have been looking at switching over from kibble to a raw diet, but I need to do some more research before committing. Currently, I feed my dogs Wellness Lamb (homone free.) Sometimes I will switch it up and go with the Wellness whitefish/sweet potato. I have tried many of the natural kibbles, and have found that my dogs do well on Wellness. However, Dex did have some allergies to the Chicken Wellness. I also fed Solid Gold for a short while, but IMO it is too high in grains. Akitas are known to not do so well on a high-grain diet. PLus, it gave them the worst gass imaginable
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