Do you own a Dog?

[xr8cam]

A dog's natural diet is raw meat & bones, offal or innards and some fruits that drop on the ground. They do not eat grains, flour's and all types of rancid fats. Dried food,like fast food, is the reason many dogs & people are overweight, combined with not enough walking.
Wet (cans or tins) & dried (kibble) are both equally bad options. All they do is fill the stomach, ever noticed how much poo there is with dried food? There is no nutritional value. A diet with some raw bone, will naturally clean the sacs around the dogs bum which is another downside to soft food. You see dogs scooting on their bum, not worms, their trying to clean these sacs that will become infected eventually if not cleaned. Australia has no minimum standard for dog food production, that's right, none. It is cheaper to feed raw chicken wings & legs,chicken necks are brilliant for small dogs & puppies. Throw in some lambs kidneys or hearts and some cheap fish. Tinned sardines & tuna are all cheaper than tinned foods. Up untill the 1950's, people used to feed their dogs this diet combined with table scraps. Very few health problems, teeth were good and dogs lived long healthy lives. Then farmers went looking for a way to use spoilt grains from storms and disease's etc so they went to an american company called 'Purina' and dried dog food was developed. Please google the truth behind dried dog foods. If I tried to describe it the post would be too long.They ruin teeth & dogs become overweight & diseased, costing money, shortening their lives & making them miserable. The only benefit is for the human because it is quick & easy.Dries food is the fastest way to ruin teeth & gums. Think what your gums & teeth are like after a bag of potato crisps/peanuts. They do not clean teeth. Most people love their dog's, if you do, have a look at what your feeding your dog and offer a bit of variety etc. Do not cook bones & do not give give weight bearing bones to dogs, they are extremely dense & wear down enamel plus the risk of breaking teeth is there. By weight bearing, I mean the leg bones etc. Most treats are rubbish and very high in sugar & salt.Try apple,orange & mandarins etc. No onion, potato or grapes though. Your best bet for treats is locally farmed pigs ears. Ideal as scissors will cut them for smaller dogs. Stay away from anything IMPORTED. These 'hide' chews from 2 dollar stores and many dog supply stores can cause bloat which is often fatal. Also, many rubber chew toys are recycled car tyres. They have cancer causing properties. Buy a "Kong"brand or something reputable. Remember don't leave your dog in the car, ever. If they are kept outside, make sure there are plenty of spaces in shade, good beds, cool water. They depend on us for everything and they give unconditional love. Something so valuable & rare, very few humans can manage it. But, we quickly overlook that unbelievable quality and abuse our best friends. There is a saying, "you can tell a lot about a country in the way they treat their animals" If you know of anybody involved in abuse of animals, do not hesitate to call rspca. They are very discreet & will happily drop in on people to check on animals welfare if you think somethings amiss. I love my dogs so much, they a wonderful creatures. Treat them as such & you will have a happier pet, a healthier pet with a long life with less visits to the vet. I have taken the time to make this as informative as I can because I love dogs, I am a big supporter of animal rights & I believe we need some serious changes regarding the way we look at dogs as a society. There is plenty of room for change, that much is obvious.

[Junkyard-Dog]

I really don't mean to sound like a hippie here but we keep pets but don't consider ourselves to be their "owner" if that makes sense.

We have one dog, a Rottweiler-Labrador cross. We have tried a lot of different food combos to figure out what is best for him. We mainly give him this fancy scientifically-blended dry food along with some tinned dog food and some chicken necks/roo meat on top.

Something we have found is great for his teeth is Dentastix. He also loves them so it works as an occasional treat. We don't give him big bones for the exact reasons you have mentioned... unfortunately my boss gives his dog COOKED chops and things like that and ignores me when I warn of the obvious health risks.

I think you're absolutely spot-on when you say you can tell a lot about people in the way they treat their animals. I simply can't understand those horrible individuals that are cruel to their animals and/or neglect them.

[ford71V8]

My staffy used to love chicken necks. Was scary how fast she could consume them

[superyob]

My ducks are suspiciously similar to a dog in their general comportment.

They have backward bending legs, can scratch behind their ears, yelp like a dog (well one of them does), are anyone's for a good feed and leave land mines everywhere...

Sinister...

[xr8cam]

The expensive dried food is really no better than the cheap stuff. They spray something on the kibble during production that they can't resist. The marketing mob have worked out that we feel better about ourselves if we spend more. What makes me sick is the amount of vets who recommend this crap. I know they get kickbacks, many industries operate the sameway, but the good few openly state the facts and steer owners in the right direction.

[Junkyard-Dog]

Originally Posted by xr8cam

The expensive dried food is really no better than the cheap stuff. They spray something on the kibble during production that they can't resist. The marketing mob have worked out that we feel better about ourselves if we spend more. What makes me sick is the amount of vets who recommend this crap. I know they get kickbacks, many industries operate the sameway, but the good few openly state the facts and steer owners in the right direction.

I politely disagree with that. I formerly held the same opinion but I have noted too many improvement's in my dog's health to continue to hold that opinion. We actually bought our dog from a really dodgy backyard breeder that lived next door to a friend, simply because we saw him one day and fell in love with him. Unfortunately due to his questionable upbringing, he had some quite bad skin problems and his coat would not fill in under his legs or on his stomach at all.

We tried just about everything to sort out the health issues but didn't have much luck.

Then we switched from the cheap and cheerful dried food to a fancy one the vet recommended us. Immediate results - his skin conditions cleared up and his coat is now full and thick. I should note that the only major change we have made to his diet is changing from the cheap dry food to a better quality one. Now I really wonder why we ever bothered with the cheap crap just to save a few $ (well, more than a few but you get the point).

I'm not usually one to buy into the whole "pay more, get a better product" all the time but on this occasion the proof has been literally in front of my eyes. Today you would just never believe he is the same dog, he is an absolutely splendid animal and we get compliments from anyone that meets him.

[Giant Cranium]

Originally Posted by xr8cam

A dog's natural diet is raw meat & bones, offal or innards and some fruits that drop on the ground. They do not eat grains, flour's and all types of rancid fats. Dried food,like fast food, is the reason many dogs & people are overweight, combined with not enough walking.

Wet (cans or tins) & dried (kibble) are both equally bad options. All they do is fill the stomach, ever noticed how much poo there is with dried food? There is no nutritional value. A diet with some raw bone, will naturally clean the sacs around the dogs bum which is another downside to soft food. You see dogs scooting on their bum, not worms, their trying to clean these sacs that will become infected eventually if not cleaned.

Australia has no minimum standard for dog food production, that's right, none. It is cheaper to feed raw chicken wings & legs,chicken necks are brilliant for small dogs & puppies. Throw in some lambs kidneys or hearts and some cheap fish. Tinned sardines & tuna are all cheaper than tinned foods. Up untill the 1950's, people used to feed their dogs this diet combined with table scraps. Very few health problems, teeth were good and dogs lived long healthy lives. Then farmers went looking for a way to use spoilt grains from storms and disease's etc so they went to an american company called 'Purina' and dried dog food was developed.

Please google the truth behind dried dog foods. If I tried to describe it the post would be too long.They ruin teeth & dogs become overweight & diseased, costing money, shortening their lives & making them miserable. The only benefit is for the human because it is quick & easy.Dries food is the fastest way to ruin teeth & gums. Think what your gums & teeth are like after a bag of potatocrisps/peanuts. They do not clean teeth. Most people love their dog's, if you do, have a look at what your feeding your dog and offer a bit of variety etc.

Do not cook bones & do not give give weight bearing bones to dogs, they are extremely dense & wear down enamel plus the risk of breaking teeth is there. By weight bearing, I mean the leg bones etc. Most treats are rubbish and very high in sugar & salt.Try apple,orange & mandarins etc. No onion, potato or grapes though. Your best bet for treats is locally farmed pigs ears. Ideal as scissors will cut them for smaller dogs. Stay away from anything IMPORTED. These 'hide' chews from 2 dollar stores and many dog supply stores can cause bloat which is often fatal. Also, many rubber chew toys are recycled car tyres. They have cancer causing properties. Buy a "Kong"brand or something reputable.

Remember don't leave your dog in the car, ever. If they are kept outside, make sure there are plenty of spaces in shade, good beds, cool water. They depend on us for everything and they give unconditional love. Something so valuable & rare, very few humans can manage it. But, we quickly overlook that unbelievable quality and abuse our best friends. There is a saying, "you can tell a lot about a country in the way they treat their animals" If you know of anybody involved in abuse of animals, do not hesitate to call rspca. They are very discreet & will happily drop in on people to check on animals welfare if you think somethings amiss. I love my dogs so much, they a wonderful creatures. Treat them as such & you will have a happier pet, a healthier pet with a long life with less visits to the vet.

I have taken the time to make this as informative as I can because I love dogs, I am a big supporter of animal rights & I believe we need some serious changes regarding the way we look at dogs as a society. There is plenty of room for change, that much is obvious.

i agree with this, when we moved to nyc we bought our mini dachshund dry food and he put on 2kg, a massive 33% in 3 months. we sorted out his diet and is now at 6.5kg.

i added paragraphs because i went a tad cross eyed reading the slab of words

[superyob]

Originally Posted by Junkyard-Dog

I think you're absolutely spot-on when you say you can tell a lot about people in the way they treat their animals. I simply can't understand those horrible individuals that are cruel to their animals and/or neglect them.

Not really, Hitler loved his German Shepards. Many who are cruel to animals don't transfer that to their interaction with humans. (Not that that makes cruelty ok)

[Junkyard-Dog]

Originally Posted by superyob

Not really, Hitler loved his German Shepards. Many who are cruel to animals don't transfer that to their interaction with humans. (Not that that makes cruelty ok)

The victors write the history books.

[pursuit57]

Suppose everyone has their own ideas with food.

My #1 dog had a terrific healthy 18yrs - fed only with a dry mix with water, minimal roo meat as a treat monthly, raw mince, chicken necks, large raw bones & chewy snacks for teeth.

NO CANNED food after puppy stage as his landmines were like dinosaur waste and gave him real bad wind - which I use to get blamed regularly for..

[raised by monkeys]

I feed our dogs dry food on recommendation, but to be honest I'd prefer to feed my dogs too and chicken mince in the mix. I do give them a marrowbone one a week and the odd pigs ear or something.

I do agree that people don't feed their animals nor care if they do; often looking for the cheapest/value route.

[xr8cam]

Originally Posted by Junkyard-Dog

I politely disagree with that. I formerly held the same opinion but I have noted too many improvement's in my dog's health to continue to hold that opinion. We actually bought our dog from a really dodgy backyard breeder that lived next door to a friend, simply because we saw him one day and fell in love with him. Unfortunately due to his questionable upbringing, he had some quite bad skin problems and his coat would not fill in under his legs or on his stomach at all.

We tried just about everything to sort out the health issues but didn't have much luck.

Then we switched from the cheap and cheerful dried food to a fancy one the vet recommended us. Immediate results - his skin conditions cleared up and his coat is now full and thick. I should note that the only major change we have made to his diet is changing from the cheap dry food to a better quality one. Now I really wonder why we ever bothered with the cheap crap just to save a few $ (well, more than a few but you get the point).

I'm not usually one to buy into the whole "pay more, get a better product" all the time but on this occasion the proof has been literally in front of my eyes. Today you would just never believe he is the same dog, he is an absolutely splendid animal and we get compliments from anyone that meets him.

That's great to hear your dogs improvement. Oils from a can of fish once a week often help dry coats or itchy conditions which are often bought on by dry skin. Grains are not a dogs natural diet as they are carnivores. That is a science, not my opinion. The spoilt grain finding its way to dried dog food is a well known history. As I said before, these are only my views on what I deem to be the optimum diet. Please look into how it is manufactured if it takes your interest. Thanks & good on you for being involved with your dog. They are a great 'relaxer' when I get home from work.

[The Yeti]

I used to feed my labs a VERY expensive dry food that they sell
At many vet surgerys one of my labs developed a limp (not the fault of the dry food) but the end result was a $4,500 operation the surgeon asked that we take about 6kg off him as this would help him going forward, it was at this time my son started working at another local vet.

So we started taking our dogs to him, this guy went on about how hogs are meant to eat raw meaty bones and stuff so we started both of them on that as the vet suggested we dropped the dog down his 6kg easily and we're now feeding them on roo beef entrails goats bits rtc they're coats have never been better it's costing about 1/2 that of the expensive kibble and they're loving the food

This guy knows his stuff http://www.rawmeatybones.com/articles.php

[Adamz Ghia]

My best mate (and I mean that literally) is Ed, a 6 year old Kelpie. I won't go on about him, I could fill up an entire page, but I couldn't imagine my life without him.

When he was a puppy I bought livers, kidneys, hearts, pigs heads, brains, rabbits, wings, drumsticks, necks ect and cut them up, portion them out and give him that, he loved it. As he got older I just bagged a bunch of stuff up and gave him a couple of kilos a day, some times 3 kilos (you'd be amazed how active he is), 5 days a week with veggies and fruit mixed in, the other two are canned food nights as a treat. He grew up nice and strong and is smarter than most people. In summer I blend up some apples in water and freeze them and he'll sit there licking the ice blocks till they're gone.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Agree 100% with this.

I remember taking my two dogs to the vet for their shots when they were 12 months old, the vets response was, "wow these dogs are in superb shape, their teeth are clean and they are lean and fit, what do you feed them?"

I replied, 'bones, chickens, rabbits, butchers left overs, etc, and that I run them at least 5km's several times a week', she was horrified saying that I should be feeding them some fancy science diet they sell and that bones were bad for them

I just replied, 'you just told me they are in great shape.' We don't feed them grains or anything like that at all, and they don't really eat cans, they don't like them.

I do give them a can of sardines in oil every now and then, it's good for them to get the fat, makes their coat shine.


They are now three years old and still in superb shape and fitness, for a hopefully long healthy life, I hate fat dogs :

[pottery beige]

my dog sh ts on the lawn when im mowing it

[Lunch]

Lol wtf!?

[pursuit57]

well it is his lawn...could be worse if he set the landmines before you cut it.

[Junkyard-Dog]

Originally Posted by xr8cam

That's great to hear your dogs improvement. Oils from a can of fish once a week often help dry coats or itchy conditions which are often bought on by dry skin. Grains are not a dogs natural diet as they are carnivores. That is a science, not my opinion. The spoilt grain finding its way to dried dog food is a well known history. As I said before, these are only my views on what I deem to be the optimum diet. Please look into how it is manufactured if it takes your interest. Thanks & good on you for being involved with your dog. They are a great 'relaxer' when I get home from work.

That is an interesting and valid point. I have ensured that the carbs in this dog food actually comes from sweet potato, which is a great source of carbohydrates for dogs. There is still a lot of debate about whether dogs are true carnivores or omnivores due to the fact that they are scavenger animals in nature and therefore quite adaptable.

My dog eats well and is a very happy chappy.

[5.8]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

my dog sh ts on the lawn when im mowing it

image

image

You need to back off on the right handers Mr Beige, you've peeled a front left hubcap off the Victa!

[LG17]

No, I care for 4 of them.

[ford71V8]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

my dog sh ts on the lawn when im mowing it

Mine used to do the same. With 2 strips left 2 mow, she'd hunker down and leave one right on the uncut area then lay in the freshly mowed part and watch me

[xr8cam]

Originally Posted by Adamz Ghia

My best mate (and I mean that literally) is Ed, a 6 year old Kelpie. I won't go on about him, I could fill up an entire page, but I couldn't imagine my life without him.

When he was a puppy I bought livers, kidneys, hearts, pigs heads, brains, rabbits, wings, drumsticks, necks ect and cut them up, portion them out and give him that, he loved it. As he got older I just bagged a bunch of stuff up and gave him a couple of kilos a day, some times 3 kilos (you'd be amazed how active he is), 5 days a week with veggies and fruit mixed in, the other two are canned food nights as a treat. He grew up nice and strong and is smarter than most people. In summer I blend up some apples in water and freeze them and he'll sit there licking the ice blocks till they're gone.

Story's like this make me realise everything is allright in the world.

[xr8cam]

Originally Posted by Junkyard-Dog

That is an interesting and valid point. I have ensured that the carbs in this dog food actually comes from sweet potato, which is a great source of carbohydrates for dogs. There is still a lot of debate about whether dogs are true carnivores or omnivores due to the fact that they are scavenger animals in nature and therefore quite adaptable.

My dog eats well and is a very happy chappy.

Spot on.Carnivore's primarily but out of necessity will eat things like ripe fruit that's fallen from a tree. Mine eat apples, oranges & stone fruit besides all the usual suspects. Grapes are poisonous apparently and potato is a part of the 'Night Shade Family' Very Poisonous. Supermarket own brand salmon & tuna are a great source of natural oils & a treat most dogs love. For a really healthy coat & or any skin itchies etc, a tablespoon of Flaxseed oil does wonders. I mix it through any soft meal. Glad your dogs happy & healthy. Good on you.

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by pursuit57

well it is his lawn...could be worse if he set the landmines before you cut it.

Especially if it's been there for days..... mower goes over it and it's poooof.... big cloud of magic dust.
I love my dog to bits but those magic dust moments really test the relationship...

[Gypzy]

Originally Posted by xr8cam

Story's like this make me realise everything is allright in the world.

I reckon every thing is allright in the world when you have a happy healthy dog. And more so if it's a Kelpie! Feed them right, and give them heaps of room to run around, and a warm bed at night, and you got a friend for life.
I've had 3 dogs since i left home in my late teens, and two have been Kelpies, the other was a three legged Blue Healer. It might seem funny to say, but the dog i have now, Gypz, is the best dog i've had, and every other dog before her was the best dog i have ever had.

[Lunch]

Originally Posted by Gypzy

It might seem funny to say, but the dog i have now is the best dog i've had, and every other dog before her was the best dog i have ever had.

think this resonates with most pet people in general, though I no longer have dogs, that is how I remember them, it also applies for the cats I've had along the way.

[xr8cam]

I should make a correction. Dogs are like us, they are omnivore's. Which means they eat a variety of things, but grains are not one of them. Raw meaty bones etc is the preferred diet.

[pursuit57]

In addition to my earlier post, my bloke ate a lot of unexpected or weird things for treats - one of them was corn on the cob, use to roll back his lips and remove the corn like a lathe....
This too I think, added fuel to previously mentioned farting problem....

And had supersonic hearing...could hear a potato chip packet being opened from 100 metres away..
Been a while now and still miss him and our bond we had, if this thread keeps going I might end up with a new mate.

[Sox]

Originally Posted by The Yeti

I used to feed my labs a VERY expensive dry food that they sell
At many vet surgerys one of my labs developed a limp (not the fault of the dry food) but the end result was a $4,500 operation the surgeon asked that we take about 6kg off him as this would help him going forward, it was at this time my son started working at another local vet.

So we started taking our dogs to him, this guy went on about how hogs are meant to eat raw meaty bones and stuff so we started both of them on that as the vet suggested we dropped the dog down his 6kg easily and we're now feeding them on roo beef entrails goats bits rtc they're coats have never been better it's costing about 1/2 that of the expensive kibble and they're loving the food

This guy knows his stuff http://www.rawmeatybones.com/articles.php

This.
Tom Lonsdale is the guru.

I saw Tom back in the early 90's, he's been singing this tune for a long time.
It makes perfect sense.

All commercial pet foods are junk, all.
Just like Mcdoogles, KFC, Red Rooster, all take away processed garbage.
Processed food is not good for us, why think it's good for out pets.

I haven't fed my dogs commercial pet food for almost 25 years.

They always get fed raw meaty bones, and table scraps.

I mostly buy them whole frozen chooks, cut the bugger in half, cut the leg or wing off. Big dog gets the half minus wing or leg, little dog gets wing or leg.

We did give them necks for a while, but it didn't work because they just inhaled them, no chewing.


It's really simple, just go back to basics...