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I don't mean to argue, but digestion begins as soon as a piece of food enters the mouth. There are enzymes in saliva that begin to break down edible things. Numerous AP biology classes in high school and nutrition classes in college have taught me that. You are right that the stomach's acids are not breaking down the greenie stuck in a dog’s throat, but the saliva and mucus would start the process. Think of it this way... When a dog chews a rawhide it becomes very mushy, but if you leave it out in the rain it does not lose its original form. The rain may absorb a little, but not nearly as fast or as effective as a dog's saliva would.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady's Human
Also, if the news is reporting the truth, greenies don't break down in the system. They simply just pass through the same way a coin would.
I'm not telling people not to give their pups Greenies. I'm just telling you why I won't. It's not worth it for me.
By the way, I have no idea what the pet owner or vet were thinking by letting the greenie stay stuck in the dog’s throat. It is no one I know personally, I saw it on TV.
You are correct, saliva does contain enzymes that start the breakdown of proteins in food. The process is sped up by chewing. Mucous does not have anything to do with digestion, it is merely a lubricant.
Greenies do break down in the digestive system, but like any other food have to be chewed and broken up for digestion to occur. There are many foods that are untouched by digestion if they are not chewed.
News reports dealing with consumer affairs issues have a tendency to be driven more by sensationalism and ratings than truth. For example, one day coffee is a major cancer killer, the next it's a breakthrough medical miracle. The same has happened with alcohol. Various makes of cars have been named "dangerous" by news reporting at different times. Childrens toys, household appliances, the list is endless. Accuracy doesn't count, sound science doesn't count, all that counts is the rating for the show.
To be honest, I'm a little wary of new products anyway. After all the pro-heart 6 stuff I stick to the time tested treats/medications when I can.
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Originally Posted by Crazy-Cat-Lover
I suppose you eat the same our ancestors did?
FYI, the longest living dogs I've ever met were fed Kibbles & Bits and scraps their whole lives. Not saying that's right, but your statement isn't necessarily true.
And geez, I really wish someone would tell Kiara that, being a kibble fed dog, she is NOT supposed to be so energetic. :rolleyes:
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Originally Posted by Kfamr
I believe we all do eat basically the same as our ancestors did, except
we do cook the meat now. :D
So true. My childhood dog, Barney, was fed not great food until he was older. I believe he was raised on Top Choice. He was born in 1976 when neutering wasn't really big so he wasn't neutered. Both are things I am an advocate for now. Spay/neuter and nutrition. Well Mr. Barney lived to be 18 years old and other than being diabetic (which we controlled with insulin), he was in pretty good shape considering his age.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kfamr
I don't mean to start a war but I thought I'd throw this in..
Dogs are carnivores. Not obligate carnivores, but carnivores none-the-less. There's no denying that their teeth were made for tearing through flesh and eating bones.
But with that said, I can see where you (Kay and Diana) are coming from. The raw diet isn't the end all, be all for health problems. Some dogs do well on raw, some don't. Oh well. Just gotta find what's best for your dog.
Greenies are just as dangerous as any other dog chew... so why point out just Greenies? Your dog can choke on anything whether it's a toy or chew or even food. And you have to get the right size for your dog... it says right on the back!
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Originally Posted by binka_nugget
Exactly!
It doesn't mean CCL's or any other person's dog who's going to be fed raw (partially or what have you) is any healthy or better looking than those fed on kibble.
If that were the case, I'd hate to see how much energy Tango would have on a raw diet. I know dogs who are fed raw (ex: Tango's mom) and dogs who are fed kibble (ex: my dogs). Tango & her mom have roughly the same energy level (Tango's a little more active), both of their coats are beautiful, both of them have great teeth etc. Without asking the owner of both dogs what they're being fed, you'd have no clue whether they were eating a raw diet or kibble. I'm not saying that raw is a horrible diet, in fact, when I move out I'd like to possibly switch my dogs to raw but I also see nothing wrong with feeding a quality kibble.Quote:
Dogs should be eating what their wolf ancestors ate. Raw meat and raw bones. People that feed raw know that their dogs are healthier than ANY dog fed kibble, it shows in their eyes, coat and teeth. They have higher energy and live longer.
Anyway, back to topic....
I don't give my dogs greenies simply because they're extremely expensive IMO and Tango & Winston don't like them. However, I don't think they're a horrible poduct. Like others have said, you just have to supervise the dog if you're going to give them something such as Greenies, rope toys, rawhide etc.
The point of my posts were, your statements aren't necessarily true. You made it seem like dogs coats, eyes, teeth are only nice being fed a raw diet... and you even said..
"People that feed raw know that their dogs are healthier than ANY dog fed kibble, it shows in their eyes, coat and teeth."
So every raw-fed dog there is, is healthier than my dogs, they eat poison biscuits and KIBBLE... That's basically what you're saying, and if not maybe you're wording yourself wrong.
Welcome to the church of doggy nutrition, ours is the only way, everyone else is going to hurt their dog. Let us start reading from the book of Raw, chapter one.
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Originally Posted by Lady's Human
Hehe, thank you for bringing some humor into this. :D I knew men were good for something. :confused: :p
You have made some contradictory and inflammatory statements:
My dog won't be healthy if I feed him Dog Chow, he will be healthy if I feed him premium food.
Followed by:
I too agree to feed only what your dog does best on...
As to what to feed a dog, when I was growing up we got a puppy who had ricketts, fed her what the vet suggested to get her over the ricketts, and for the rest of her life fed her "cheap low grade" kibble, table scraps, and god forbid, bits of chocolate on occassion. This malnourished, abused dog lived to be 14, quite an old age for a dog who was 1/2 Great Dane and started off her life with a nutritional ailment.
And a statement guaranteed to upset people who feed their dog Kibbles'n Bits
"Kibbles 'N Bits is filled with crap and poisonous preservatives. "
I have known plenty of dogs who have been fed kibbles 'n bits, dog chow, etc, who have done fine, had healthy, shiny coats, and lived to be old animals in good health.
When you state your beliefs as the gospel truth, it tends to irritate people. I would suggest choosing words a little more carefully, you'll ruffle less feathers.