dog food comparison

Okay, I have to join in on this now... I have been laughing my blank blank off!! Your stories are so funny http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif! Karen, the nylons?!?!?!?! Oh my gosh, I lost it. That is hilarious! I cannot believe a dog can acutally swallow those! My dog was a horrible chewer as a puppy. She grew out of it finally when she hit 3. She destroyed and entire recliner chair (my mom's doberman's personal chair in the back patio) and has chewed up remote controls (lost count - I'm sure we owe our cable company a bundle for those), books (for some reason she knew which ones were mine. How weird is that?), pillows and much more. Whenever she would feel deprived, after her destruction phase passed, she would just grab a glove of mine or a book of mine or something that she somehow knew was mine and just take it outside and leave it there. That's when I knew she was mad at me. With all that she ate, and I mean ATE, I swore she had a stomach of steel. She even broke a porceline penguin salt shaker and ATE a foot http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/eek.gif! Ouch! Anyway, I did want to know some things about this food subject. First of all, how many times a day does a dog need to eat. I know it varies but sometimes I feel very cruel only feeding my two girls once a day. They eat Iam's small bites and love it. I was feeding them Pedigree small bites and they liked it for awhile but I think they were spoiled and wouldn't eat it without canned food mixed it. Well, I don't like giving canned food every day so I had to find another food they liked by itself. Iam's is it. Every once in awhile they will get a french fry for a treat. Sasha devours it and Lexi has to lick the salt off first. She picks it up gently, then drops it, then licks it a little and so one. Finally she will eat it. The love real bacon too... I practially lose a finger anytime I give them a piece but I have stopped giving it to them. Lexi also watches me like a hawk when I eat banana popsicles (my favorite and hers) I get down to the end and let her lick the rest. She does the same thing with a glass of milk. She is in my face until I let her lick the glass... and I mean in my face! Trying to drink from it at the same time! I have also heard milk isn't good for dogs. I felt bad giving them these people foods but it sounds like you all give them to your dogs. I didn't realize it was okay for them to eat fruits and veggies http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/confused.gif. I may have to try that.
I do have to be careful because Lexi was severely dehidrated a few months ago and had to spend a night at the vet. He said it could have been a foreign substance in her that caused it... meaning people food or junk or whatever. So, now she doesn't get much in regards to people food. So, is ice cream actually okay for dogs? Just curious.
Sorry about my novel... I just get carried away when it comes to my girls!

Angel http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

doggiemom:
My Aunt had a wonderful labrador (Ruby). She used to grab the T.V. changer and would take off with it and would not give it back.
My Uncle would get so aggrevated.
She even ran out of the yard with it.
She would also pick up his shoes and hide them. (served my Uncle right for leaving them around anyway.) Ruby trimed all the bushes in the back yard and made them into Bonsai trees. hehehe
Ruby passed away 4 years ago, and to this day my Aunt still trims those bushes leaving them the same way Ruby did. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif
Now for your question.
I have been feeding my dogs 2 times a day
for years. I was advised to do so by my vet
who said it was better to feed more smaller meals than 1 large one.
Ice-Cream is NOT good for dogs.
I cheat once in awhile in feeding them junk
food. I like to share. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/wink.gif
They also love french fries and Pizza Crust.
Vegetables in moderation are good for your pets if they will eat them. My little Terrier will eat anything. Give her a carrot or broccoli for a treat and she is happy camper.
My other dogs will not touch raw vegetables. If they are hungry enough they might eat 1/2 of a banana. My Aunt had a GSD that used to pick apples off their tree and eat them.
(some vegetables are not good for dogs such
as onions)

Thanks for your help Kys. Ruby sounds like a great dog with an incredible personality. I'm sorry she's no longer with us.


The whole pizza crust thing reminds me of the times the dogs would help themselves to what was left in the box. My husband and I would go off to the bedroom for some "alone time" after eating the pizza and we always forgot to put it up - we were thinking of other things http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/wink.gif- Well, the dogs thought we left the rest for them so they finished off the box for us. How sweet of them to clean up for us!! We have since learned to put up the leftovers. Now when our "alone time" comes around I know they are wondering where their pizza treat is http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif!!


By the way, I think I am going to start feeding them 2 small meals a day now. That sounds like a much better idea. I think they will like that better, too http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif


Thanks again http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

This food comparison topic really does seem to be a "hot topic!" But as I listen to everyone voice their individual food brand preferences, feeding habits....how carefully we all scrutinize EVERYTHING we put in their mouths, read labels, compare, make sure that all their dietary needs are met, etc. it dawned on me that many human parents (of which we are many, I'm sure) don't seem to monitor anywhere NEARLY as closely what they feed their human kids or even themselves! I often have to laugh at people who will go toe-to-toe with a fellow furparent and defend to the death what a dog should and should not be fed, while their human pantry is filled with junk! I've known of animal professionals who HUMILIATE pet owners who, out of simple ignorance, or because they just can't afford the trendy "designer" petfoods, feed their furkids, say, Gainesburgers or Purina Dog Chow. All the while stuffing Fritos and Burger King in their own families mouths! As a recovery room nurse with extensive cardiac background, I'd love to inform THEM of the ramifications and peril they are placing their family human in by not feeding them properly. Not everyone is as animal educated as others, and I think politely suggesting they discuss their dog's dietary needs with their vet, or tactfully suggesting a few changes, would be a much kinder and more productive approach. One worker at my kennel totally humiliated a client when she handed back the client's "own food" to be fed her pup during her stay. She looked in the bag and saw Pedigree Little Champions and and handed it back and said. "We don't need this junk; we'll feed her our food." The older woman left in tears, with her pup, I'm glad to say. I wanted to cry myself! This woman obviously loved her dog, and did not deserve to be so shamed. I might add that this worker has the worst eating habits and feeds her own children junk all the time!!!! She laughs at me for my "health food diet." I just hate such judgemental, cruel behavior. Discussing this topic over this forum is great for educating us all, so many great suggestions and sound advice, and maybe we can pass along this info. to others we know, new pet owners etc., who might need some guidance. WITH KINDNESS!

Well, since Cody always seemed hungry and seemed to forage for food, the vet suggested 2 small meals a day. Tried it but it messed up his"clock", he wouldn't eat the morning meal, so I went back to 1 meal at EXACTLY 530P(believe me, he will let you know and with the time change this weekend he pestered me at 430p!!)He'll eat no matter what, so I became less concerned. He is far from the poor starving wretch of a dog! He gains weight faster than a speeding bullet and I am concerned about his hips. He gets a milkbone and Bonz during the day as a treat. I have to control ME because those pitiful eyes can lure me into anything. The stinker. He loves yogurt, apples, oranges, peaches. I am working on not giving him the dreaded, evil rawhide bone at night, breaking a 7yr old habit. On rare occassions, i give him 1/2 cup of dried rice krispies before bed. He loves french fries (don't we all) but they give him messy you know what. (Burger King is his favorite FYI) Milk products make him sick too (Lactate intolerate like me!) A piece of cheese cut into small pieces so he thinks he's getting a lot is a treat for commands and I use dried beef liver - the kind they use at Westminster. He would go thru hound-hell and back for that. We also use small pieces of liverwurst for vitamins and Cosequin pills. That's enough. After his surgeries and lectures from the vets, I watch his weight like a hawk. I can immediately tell by his waistline. He went from over 125 to 98 (he just lost 2 lbs in 2 months)and I'm aiming for 90. He'll be 9 in Dec and i want to add on many more healthy years.

Karen
4:30 for me too! Only it was AM not PM! She eats breakfast at 5:30AM normally. Glad I was off today. Tired!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by tatsxxx11:
it dawned on me that many human parents (of which we are many, I'm sure) don't seem to monitor anywhere NEARLY as closely what they feed their human kids or even themselves.>>>>>>>>>


How true.
I feed my dogs much healthier than what goes into my own mouth.
IF you only new what my cholestral count
was you would cringe. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

Hi,
Salt is a doggy danger and all human processed foods have huge amounts of it!
My Retriever is a tomato stealer although he is so sly when he does it it took me several weeks to realise why the ones that were nearly ripe yesterday had dissapeared today! I have had him for five years and have only caught him once. This year my plants were the best I've ever grown and I managed to rescue four fruits the whole summer!
We used to feed our Greyhounds a high carbohydrate mixer biscuit, minced cooked chicken, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, egg, pearl barley, greens - in fact just about any vegetable going and garlic. All this, except the biscuit, was put through a mincer. (We varied the meat too.) One of our dogs, Whisky, always carried his full dinner bowl up onto his bed platform to eat and always, always managed to leave the tiny bits of minced carrot in the bottom of the bowl!
Splitting a dogs daily food into two meals makes sense, especially for larger and older dogs. Karen, try feeding Cody only a third of his normal ration one afternoon and offer the rest in the morning. If this works you can then split it equally.
I have had some success with fussy eaters by giving up to four or five tiny meals a day. A few morsels are sometimes taken more readily than a dish full. Try adding minced fruit and fresh minced garlic. Small pieces of raw hamburger mince for a change. Try not to offer the same food on two consecutive feeds and this helps to create anticipation in the dog. Take a long time preparing the food to stimulate interest. Try not to fuss or encourage the dog to eat. Simply pick the food up after ten minutes if it has not been eaten. As you are feeding so often it is not too long between meals for an ill dog.

My aussie Annie will literally eat anything. I think it comes from her garbage eating days. My border collie is so picky though. The other night I was making burgers and threw a dill pickle at each of their foaming mouths and my b/c actually puckered, made the funniest face and spit it out like a little kid! Had to do it one more time so my hubby could see!

Teena!! What a HOOT!!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif! LOVED the dill pickle face story! I can imagine! All Cody has to see is a mustard jar and he FREAKS and runs under the table! We sometimes put a dab on the kitchen trash can and he HATES it! Barks at it! So I found something he won't eat! I dropped a teeny piece of paper on the floor the other day while opening the Halloween Candy and he ran like the dickens. thinking it was FOOD -imagine his surpirse (that expression!) when he spit out a piece of paper. He gave me such a look like I was cheating him out if a sirloin. I just ROARED! He's SO greedy!

Karen, opening Halloween candy BEFORE Halloween?? Tut,tut. That would never happen in my house, no never.... http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

Hi,
Another story you may find interesting.... When I was working with greyhounds we also kept Arab horse, a couple of rescued Dartmoor ponies and in the winter we took in a couple of horses from the local riding school as some of their pasture flooded. (As well as a couple of pet cows, a pig and some chickens rescued from a battery farm) One of the riding school horses was an enormous Clydsedale cross, grey, unflappable and totally claustraphobic! He refused to budge as soon as you asked him to go into any building. We had lovely, expensive post and rail fencing on all our paddocks. Barren was very happy with us until he had had enough of his own field and simply walked through every fence that stood in his way! He didn't lean or push his way through - just walked. Well all hell broke lose as we tried to stop him. The Greyhounds all taken back to the kennels and the house dogs shut in the kitchen wher they had a bed. About an hour and half later when things were under control again I went to let the house dogs out and phone the owner of Barren to let her know what had happened. As I went into the kitchen no happy squirmy dogs came to greet me! The two collies were lying on their bed looking like butter wouldn't melt and the eight month old Labrador was trying to make herself dissapear under the table. She was only held back by the telephone, still attached to the wall. Yep, she had eaten the whole thing, handset and all! She regurgitated most of it shortly afterwards and suffered no ill effects except being banned from the kitchen!!

Hi,
Another story you may find interesting.... When I was working with greyhounds we also kept Arab horse, a couple of rescued Dartmoor ponies and in the winter we took in a couple of horses from the local riding school as some of their pasture flooded. (As well as a couple of pet cows, a pig and some chickens rescued from a battery farm) One of the riding school horses was an enormous Clydsedale cross, grey, unflappable and totally claustraphobic! He refused to budge as soon as you asked him to go into any building. We had lovely, expensive post and rail fencing on all our paddocks. Barren was very happy with us until he had had enough of his own field and simply walked through every fence that stood in his way! He didn't lean or push his way through - just walked. Well all hell broke lose as we tried to stop him. The Greyhounds all taken back to the kennels and the house dogs shut in the kitchen wher they had a bed. About an hour and half later when things were under control again I went to let the house dogs out and phone the owner of Barren to let her know what had happened. As I went into the kitchen no happy squirmy dogs came to greet me! The two collies were lying on their bed looking like butter wouldn't melt and the eight month old Labrador was trying to make herself dissapear under the table. She was only held back by the telephone, still attached to the wall. Yep, she had eaten the whole thing, handset and all! She regurgitated most of it shortly afterwards and suffered no ill effects except being banned from the kitchen!!

Oh my god Carrie!!!! That is too funny!

First, in my own defense, I was opening the candy to put in our plastic pumpkin to have ready. However, I do admit that I gave out what I wasn't crazy about (being a choc.fanatic) and , ok ya caught me, I finished off Reeses Crispy sticks, Kitkats and Dots. Cody loves Dots, too! Anyone ever try "dog chocolate"? The pseudo choc. they sell for dogs? Is it safe?
Loved Carrie's story too!! The PHONE?! JESH!