bad news

[Wynette]

Nonetheless, as dismal as the quality of most commercial petfood is, it is worth noting that *most* animals eating it do pretty reasonably ok. This may say as much for the resiliance of animal physiology as for the petfood manufacturers, but, still, it's where the rubber meets the road

And I mean, really. What do dogs not-infrequently eat ON THEIR OWN INITIATIVE? Rotting roadkilled groundhogs, things out of muddy stenchy drainage ditches, childrens' toys, Cheetohs, chicken manure, hoof trimmings, etc.

Yup! It amazes me what they are more than happy to eat, that's for sure! Only issue I've ever had in that area is one of my dogs getting...oh, not sure it's spelled...Giardia - a worm - from eating something dead. I have 10+ acres, and though I watch all of them fairly closely when I walk them, having 3 dogs that can run like the breeze...I'm never 100% sure what they may have gotten into!

 

[MsPony]

In some places Giardia is incredibly easy to get, or even carry. My dog carried it, and the vet said it could have been as easy as him licking the dew off the lawn.

Visit the mills yourself if you are wondering what goes into your dog food My nutritionist who treats me and my animals visited Purina and was disgusted by the piles of rotting meat that were going into their food.

Blue Buffalo is the same, just a nasty trashed mill and warehouse. Ick.

 

[freemotion]

This is why I make my own dog and catfood. Neither were designed to eat grains.

Dogs and cats are now getting diseases that humans get, referred to in the medical community as "lifestyle" diseases....heart disease, diabetes, obesity, etc. They are called lifestyle diseases because they can be eliminated, if caught early enough, by lifestyle changes. For dogs and cats, this means eliminating grains from the diet, mostly.

Dental issues have skyrocketed at the same pace as the popularity of manufactured pet foods over the last century. Dental care is now a significant part of the small animal vet's income.

My dog, going on nine years old, has never needed dental care. He started to build up a bit of tarter and a holistic vet told me to eliminate fruit. Just an occasional bit as a treat. My dog liked apples and was averaging two a week, we eliminated them and his teeth look great. He has not eaten any grains, not so much as a bite of pizza crust, in several years. I started making his food when he was a puppy and came close to death due to serious heart problems and was extremely thin due to digestive issues. He has been the picture of health ever since...started gaining weight the week his diet changed.

 

[Wynette]

freemotion, that's interesting to me, given the fact that I have a friend who has a young herding dog (I believe Australian Cattle Dog) that had major digestive issues - she opted to make her food, and within 48 hours, all the issues disappeared. It's a modified B.A.R.F. diet she makes in large quantity and then freezes in individual servings for the dog.

I guess my biggest issue with doing this is how do you know, for sure, that they're getting all the vitamins/minerals they need? But, all in all, it sure makes a lot more sense to me to make your food rather than purchase a dry kibble. It's one of those things that I often "wish" I would do, but never seem to find the time to research it out and put it in action. However, since you're now the 2nd person in a short time period that's mentioned it, I think I might begin researching again with the goal of beginning feeding a homemade (raw?) diet this fall. Do you have any research you could point me toward that would have good recipes and criteria on what to look for, how much to feed, etc.?

 

[lupinfarm]

Yeah we tried raw with Accio and the vet said for the most part, a lot of the reasons he sees UC in cats is because of a raw food diet that is not properly balanced. He believes that yes it is a noble idea, if you know what you're doing but for the most part owners do not. Accio hunts and gets kibble, so whatever lol I trust him but I can't stop Accio from hunting. He's a born killer. I've never seen a house-raised cat with such a strong hunting instinct.