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Food, Food, Food
Hi guys, just wanted to start a discussion about canine nutrition. I’m curious what everyone feeds their dogs. Who is into raw vs. home cooked vs. commercial kibble vs. a combination? I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts!
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18 Replies
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What a great post! I am always amazed how different people feed their dogs.When I help with the kennel at work you see it all. When I was younger ,the commercials always got me- or even the National Dog Show and who they promote. After my one dog got allergies I knew there had to be better ingredient foods. With some research and like many others ( what works for my lifestyle and budget) I go between kibble and freeze dried toppers. I try to read the ingredients as much as possible. My kibble I have to order, it is made in Canada, which I head they have more regulations on what is in dog food. It is expensive but worth it, my dogs have been pretty healthy and lived till about 13 so far. I do feed all fish brand for kibble but freeze dried toppers and treats are beef and turkey mostly. Cant wait to hear what other people feed….
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I rotate between various premium kibbles (Nulo, Acana, Merrick, etc.) and use Honest Kitchen, a dehydrated food, every day. Occasionally feed Rawganics. And regularly give them whole foods like eggs, blueberries, kefir or yogurt, carrots, apple, arugula, you name it.
My dogs will eat most anything, but they definitely enjoyed Farmers Dog. Just too expensive for me to feed regularly.
As an aside, one of my dogs had a chronic issue of getting up in the wee hours of the morning with a desperate need to get outside to eat greens. It happened several times per week. I finally added a powdered form of dog probiotics to his diet and, poof!, problem solved.
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Great discussion! I like to use whole foods when possible – eggs, tuna, sardines, broccoli, yogurt, blueberries and pumpkin are frequently featured. I do some raw when I can – mostly frozen chicken thighs, beef patties and raw meaty bones. I use a kibble base – I rotate the brand and aim for different, proteins and high quality manufacturers.
Often, I remove the fat and then cook down a rotisserie chicken carcass with water in my pressure cooker (I strain the liquid and freeze it in portions, mash up the bones which are pretty much dissolved, then portion it out and freeze ). Some of this bone broth makes it into my own soups, but mostly I thaw broth and the bone mash and add it to soaked kibble, add in veggies, organ meats etc and pack it into Toppls and freeze.
I used to pack it into washed bones & cow hooves and freeze… but I’ve noticed Bliss’ teeth are starting to look worn already (she’s not even 2!) so I’m cutting back on the hooves and bones.
Keep sharing ideas – it’s so cool to learn what everyone does!
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That is gourmet cuisine! ❤️
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Yeah – she already eats better than I do! ????
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I use a good quality kibble (and have needed to use prescription kibble at various times) as a base so that I know everything is nutritionally balanced. I like to use fresh fruits and vegetables as toppers, and I will also boil turkey or chicken to add in. The pups also love eggs (and so does my cat). I have recently started using some Open Farm kibble and treats, as the company is dedicated to high animal welfare standards on the farms they source from. I am a vegetarian, and I constantly struggle with how to give my cats and dogs what they need without contributing to the downsides of factory farming (not preaching, just explaining my thought process and inner neurotic behavior ????). Today, I believe the pups will be enjoying some fresh turkey and apples on their food!
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Ethically sourced meats are important – If I had ethical hunting friends, I’d be buying wild harvested meats.
Way to go, Lisa, getting your omnivores what they need without compromising your standards. That’s not easy. I know you are not alone.
Most of us are doing the best we can with what we can afford to do – there’s no shame in learning what works best for each of our dogs and our own pocketbook/lifestyle.
When I was a busy mama there was a time when I was cooking my dogs’ meals, until one day I looked at the giant bowl of crumbled meats and veggies, whole grains and supplements I was preparing for my dogs, and my kids were at the table eating hot dogs and chips. LOL!! I shifted, that day. Now that I’m an empty nester, I have nobody else to “nurture” so the dogs get more attention and effort, including their dietary needs.
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Yes, I agree! We each need to work within our individual parameters regarding our time and financial requirements, our own concerns and interests, and our abilities to balance and prioritize what is important in our family’s lives- while keeping our canine pals healthy. Everyone is different with different goals, needs, and priorities, and that’s not just ok, it’s pretty cool! One of my current goals is to teach Tiramisu that my head is not a chair ????
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“…my head is not a chair…” I nearly spit out my coffee! Great goals!
Bliss thinks my body is a bed, so…
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Bliss says this bed is blissful ❤️
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This would be a funny thread intro… I was so involved reading about food and have these two pictures:)
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I feed my 3 Royal Canin – my vet likes 3 brands. That one, science hill and Purina pro plan. Not any other Purina brand but that one. I was feeding boutique brands but didn’t agree with my dogs. I have poodle mixes and they are sensitive anyway.
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I should add Royal Canin has prescription foods that my one berniedoodle must be on for high ph levels in her urine. They also sell breed specific food.
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I have used many a prescription Royal Canine food and they were very good. I also like Purina Pro Plan, and I like Purina’s probiotic, Fortiflora 🙂 The other probiotic I like is Proviable.
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For those interested in learning more about kibble, fresh cooked and raw commercial foods, I’ve found Dog Food Advisor to be a phenomenal resource.
For those interested in learning more about nutrition, check out Linda Case’s courses. Linda also has a great blog. She stays on top of all the latest research, and is not a food producer.
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