I alternate between raw pigtails and raw whole chicken legs as the main staple, bone-in, of course. I supplement that with a small piece of beef liver every day, a few frozen berries (a variety of them), and a fish oil gelcap. Several times a week, they get one or two raw eggs, too. Occasionally, when I can find them, I feed them a raw beef kidney in place of the pork or chicken, for some variety.
Been doing this for many years. My oldest dog will be 12 this spring, and still looks and behaves like a dog in her prime. Both my dogs have pearly white teeth, with no plaque buildup, healthy gums, sweet breath, and have never needed a teeth cleaning.
A report from the Tufts Veterinary School that reports a link between legumes and DCM. Most dog foods that are grain-free use legumes instead of grains as the filler:
I lost a great hunting dog, Gretel, at 7-years old due to this legume/DCM problem. It is not the presence or lack of grain that is the problem, it is the presence of legumes that interfere with the uptake of taurine, which is essential for canine heart health. No one knew about this problem when I choose the dog's food in 2015.
Gretel was an incredible athlete, and a rockstar in the uplands and in the water. I fed her "Orijen" from puppy-hood to the DCM diagnosis at 7-years old, as diagnosed by a canine cardiologist by echo cardiogram. Part of the danger of diet-based DCM, is that there are usually little-to-no symptoms until the DCM is well advanced.
I immediately switched to a non-grain-free food, but the damage was done and it was too late for Gretel to recover. The irony is, I chose the food because it had lots of high quality animal protein in it, I could care less about the grain-free aspect (which is just marketing BS, IMHO). Not all dogs are susceptible to this, but if it is, you'll be very sorry if you feed it a food with legumes in it, and you won't know it is a problem until it is too late.
The cardiologist recommended not relying on only one food for the dog, but, instead, rotating between two or three high quality brands. When one bag runs out, replace it with a second brand, and when that one runs out, replace it with a third brand. Repeat that cycle throughout the dog's life. Super easy to do, and any unknown problems with one formulation are mitigated by the other formulations.
No need to believe me, a company's marketing claims, or self-appointed internet gurus because there's plenty of research-based info available from respected vet schools on the subject.
Grains have no place in the diet of a canid. If there's a problem with "grain-free" processed dog foods, it's because the ingredients they use do not match a natural canid diet.
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe, costs a bit more, but the dogs love it and appear to thrive on it. Easy to clean up after them in the yard too.
Last night my mutt slobbered down a 14 oz Wagyu Ribeye and a butter soaked baked Sweet Potato followed by 4 Milkbone Flavor Snacks for dessert(1 of each flavor).
Oddly enough, as much as he enjoys a well cooked steak his true preference is a toss up between Lasagna and Baked Chicken. A whole chicken will last him about 2 1/2 to 3 days.
His regular dog food is cheap azzed Pedigree Small Bites which he consumes a consistent amount of daily along with whatever I'm cooking for dinner.
Last night my mutt slobbered down a 14 oz Wagyu Ribeye and a butter soaked baked Sweet Potato followed by 4 Milkbone Flavor Snacks for dessert(1 of each flavor).
Oddly enough, as much as he enjoys a well cooked steak his true preference is a toss up between Lasagna and Baked Chicken. A whole chicken will last him about 2 1/2 to 3 days.
His regular dog food is cheap azzed Pedigree Small Bites which he consumes a consistent daily amount of daily along with whatever I'm cooking for dinner.
Purina laced with chicken or beef broth...If I want to bulk them up in combination with exercise then it gets milk...Contrary to some reports milk causes them no problems. During hard hunting, will add eggs. Additional fat if it is cold out.
Purina Pro Plan salmon, Blue Buffalo salmon/chicken canned dog food plus small amounts of elk and venison for my 8 1/2 year old GSP. She can still quail hunt all day.
I do give her Next Level joint fluid and it seems to work.
My wife and I fed our pooch Purina Dog Chow for years. We did throw in leftovers from our dinner table at times. He was healthy until near the end. He died when he was a bit over 17 years old. If I were to get another dog, I'd probably go back with Purina.
My wife and I fed our pooch Purina Dog Chow for years. We did throw in leftovers from our dinner table at times. He was healthy until near the end. He died when he was a bit over 17 years old. If I were to get another dog, I'd probably go back with Purina.
FWIW.
L.W.
Same experience, lw. Dogs live long, healthy, active lives. Of course they get scraps too. Never had a food related health issue. But, we have pet dogs, not wild wolves.
Last we talked to the vet they wanted to push Apoquel(sp?).
Heard some bad things not to mention it made the dog extremely lethargic.
Raw eggs ??
I had a friend in AK that bred, showed, competed with West Highland White terriers. Only thing she fed them was cooked chicken, broccoli, and some rice as I recall. Along with a powdered vit/min supplement as I recall.
The rice might be an issue if there's a yeast problem Sam, but her dogs were pretty healthy and strong for small dogs. I'd check what your feeding and see if there's much in the way of corn or other grain for the yeast to feed on.
We feed the whippets ProPlan, except the older one gets some Hills K/D kidney diet food. She's 13 now and test before last showed kidney issues. Last test after feeding the special diet showed improvement. Another couple of months and she gets tested again.
Low sodium turkey hot dogs, supplemented by some dry dog food and during hunting season by elk, deer and antelope liver, heart and kidneys. been doing this for 30 years, all dogs are solid muscle and healthy.
Ours wouldn't eat Costco unless starving but like the high protein from Tractor Supply real well, and I have never had dogs that looked healthier that I recall offhand.
I alternate between raw pigtails and raw whole chicken legs as the main staple, bone-in, of course. I supplement that with a small piece of beef liver every day, a few frozen berries (a variety of them), and a fish oil gelcap. Been doing this for many years. My oldest dog will be 12 this spring, and still looks and behaves like a dog in her prime. Both my dogs have pearly white teeth, with no plaque buildup, healthy gums, sweet breath, and have never needed a teeth cleaning.
Occasionally, when I can find them, I feed them a raw beef kidney, for some variety.
Are you serious? I used to feed my mutt chicken bones. Then my vet told me that the sharp end of a broken bone can perforate the dog's intestine, and the dog needs life saving surgery for $1800. No more bones for my dog.
To be fair, prior to that my dog ate all the bones of 14 chickens, and never got sick.
Another Purina Dog Chow. Before we were breeders, we had a Golden that lived to 16 on Kibbles and bits. Never had a health issue, but it may just have been his genes .Who knows.
Our soon to be 7 yo lab/tasmanian devil mix, eats anything put in front of her. Mostly Purina dog chow, often mixed with Purina lamb and rice. Now and then some beef chow. And some table scraps, but not much. She loves taters, water melon, cantalope and most veggies. Will kill for bacon.
One stepson has lost two Golden Retrievers over the past eight years, to some form of cancer, feeding them expensive and highly recommended dog foods. One only lasted three years.
All of our labs have made it to a bit past 12, so far. And my beagle made it past 15, on Purina and table scraps. Venison turns our dogs into self propelled fart machines, so they've been cut off.
I have a new boxer. He gets bil-jak in the morning, ground deer meat in the afternoon, blue Buffalo dry in the bowl throughout the day. And about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter before bed.
I alternate between raw pigtails and raw whole chicken legs as the main staple, bone-in, of course. I supplement that with a small piece of beef liver every day, a few frozen berries (a variety of them), and a fish oil gelcap. Been doing this for many years. My oldest dog will be 12 this spring, and still looks and behaves like a dog in her prime. Both my dogs have pearly white teeth, with no plaque buildup, healthy gums, sweet breath, and have never needed a teeth cleaning.
Occasionally, when I can find them, I feed them a raw beef kidney, for some variety.
Are you serious? I used to feed my mutt chicken bones. Then my vet told me that the sharp end of a broken bone can perforate the dog's intestine, and the dog needs life saving surgery for $1800. No more bones for my dog.
To be fair, prior to that my dog ate all the bones of 14 chickens, and never got sick.
That vet needs to get out in the wild and warn all those poor wolves, coyotes, and foxes. They are all in deep trouble without anyone out there to debone their prey.
PS What your vet said is sound advice with regard to cooked bones, but not raw. Raw bones don't splinter into hard, sharp, points. Dogs represent the end product of 40 million years of evolution equipping them precisely for processing the whole animals they catch. They process them with their teeth, jaws, and the remainder of their digestive tracts, all perfectly designed for the task.
I alternate between raw pigtails and raw whole chicken legs as the main staple, bone-in, of course. I supplement that with a small piece of beef liver every day, a few frozen berries (a variety of them), and a fish oil gelcap. Been doing this for many years. My oldest dog will be 12 this spring, and still looks and behaves like a dog in her prime. Both my dogs have pearly white teeth, with no plaque buildup, healthy gums, sweet breath, and have never needed a teeth cleaning.
Occasionally, when I can find them, I feed them a raw beef kidney, for some variety.
Are you serious? I used to feed my mutt chicken bones. Then my vet told me that the sharp end of a broken bone can perforate the dog's intestine, and the dog needs life saving surgery for $1800. No more bones for my dog.
To be fair, prior to that my dog ate all the bones of 14 chickens, and never got sick.
That vet needs to get out in the wild and warn all those poor wolves, coyotes, and foxes. They are all in deep trouble without anyone out there to debone their prey.
PS What your vet said is sound advice with regard to cooked bones, but not raw. Raw bones don't splinter into hard, sharp, points. Dogs represent the end product of 40 million years of evolution equipping them precisely for processing the whole animals they catch. They process them with their teeth, jaws, and the remainder of their digestive tracts, all perfectly designed for the task.
+1.My bull mastiff(adopted) was fed whole chickens ,legs, thighs and wings from the time he could eat solid food thru the time I ended up with him(one year later). One vet grimaced, his current one said as long as it is not cooked. I feed him Fromm Dog food and have for almost 5 years , he also gets fish, chicken and meat that is cooked.
I was feeding my dog cooked chicken bones. The vet told me, and she wasn't kidding, that she did that intestine surgery about once every six weeks. Chicken bone pierces the intestine, doo doo leaks out into the abdomen, infection called peritonitis develops, and without surgery the doggie will die in 3 days and it isn't pretty.
Interesting that raw bones don't cause a problem.. I have been wondering about that.
I was feeding my dog cooked chicken bones. The vet told me, and she wasn't kidding, that she did that intestine surgery about once every six weeks. Chicken bone pierces the intestine, doo doo leaks out into the abdomen, infection called peritonitis develops, and without surgery the doggie will die in 3 days and it isn't pretty.
Interesting that raw bones don't cause a problem.. I have been wondering about that.
The bones harden during the cooking process and splinter while uncooked will be soft and not have sharp ends. That said I will not feed him uncooked chicken anymore, he doesn't chew his food . Worry about the chicken piece lodging in his throat
I was feeding my dog cooked chicken bones. The vet told me, and she wasn't kidding, that she did that intestine surgery about once every six weeks. Chicken bone pierces the intestine, doo doo leaks out into the abdomen, infection called peritonitis develops, and without surgery the doggie will die in 3 days and it isn't pretty.
Interesting that raw bones don't cause a problem.. I have been wondering about that.
If raw bones were a problem, every day would constitute a decimation of wild canids (wolves, coyotes, foxes, etc.), because they don't avoid the bones of the animals they take down. They crunch away at them, and eat those bones chunk by chunk, and the smaller animals they catch (e.g., rabbits, birds, etc.) get munched down whole.
Wolverines (admittedly, closer to a weasel than a dog), for example, during hard times, will specialize in crushing (they have super powerful jaws) and consuming old carcass bones left behind by larger predators. Captured wolverines are often found to have stomachs chock full of nothing but bone fragments.
Very interesting Hawkeye. Because I knew that if a coyote caught a 10 pound wild turkey, it is going to be Happy Thanksgiving because he is going to gobble that bird down.
How did all those dogs live and thrive before yuppie, feel good dog food was thrust upon the gullible American consumer? Somewhere along the line a dog morphed from a pet/possession, which they have been for thousands of years, to a "family member" with a status equivalent to that of a child. Just another symptom of the cancer that has been slowly eating away at the soul of America.