Dog food... wowzers.

[xeross609]

So I've been reading up a lot on dog food, since I figure that this investment is probably the most important decision for the dog I could make. I've come to learn just how BAD some dog food is. Every time I see a commercial I go online and look up the ingredients and a description of what each ingredient really means

Comments

[nicolemarieh]

food's not everything, but i do think its an important factor. there is so much evidence that the way we eat every day affects our health (including risk of cancer), that it just makes sense to try to give the best food for our animals too. and it only makes sense that a food full of real ingredients instead of a bunch of mystery by-products, waste products and chemicals is going to be healthier.

i have mutiple research papers on the topic, so if you have a question feel free to ask me. if you get really curious, i can recommend some good books too.

wellness is great, but consider choosing 2-3 brands as options. for one, because the animals may simply not like the food you want to give them, or it may not agree with them for whatever reason. secondly, its good over time to switch up the brands, that way they get a good variety. theres no such thing as one perfect food, and eating the same thing indefinitely is almost guaranteed to be oversupplementing in some areas while undersupplementing in others.

For Tanner, i buy a bag of food that will last about 2-3 months, then I buy a different kind. I have a few that I rotate between, and what's on sale can certainly influence that decision too. I try to do a similar thing with my cat Willis, but he's a really picky eater so its tougher.

[xeross609]

Isn't it bad to constantly switch dog food(as it can cause stomach problems)? I know if you switch you should do it gradually, but still, every 2-3 months?

If wellness doesn't work out, there is a good dog store really close that sells lots of other healthy dog food, so it will be easy to go and buy a new brand and try it out.

[nicolemarieh]

it depends on the dog's system. For a puppy, you make a good point, you should probably stick with the same one for the first 6-8 months or so - just my opinion, please do discuss with your vet and do more of your own research to decide what works makes the most sense to you. There are no absolute rules since no one can say for sure what is or isnt best. Puppies systems are more sensitive and I wasn't thinking of that - I just meant in the long run, variety is better.

Every 2-3 months isnt really that often. That means they are eating the same food a couple times a day for 60-90 days. You shouldn't switch foods every week or even every month. I switch it gradually- the last week or so of the old food mixing in with the new.

I can't say as any kind of absolute that switching foods is better. I can just say that my opinion based on my research is that switching is the best way to ensure a varied and well-rounded diet. I mean just think about it - eating one food ALL the time?? Its impossible that one food is going to be exactly perfect, because theres no such thing - because we do not *know* what that perfect formula would be. We can only guess, and you can hedge your bets more safely by mixing it up from time to time. Also worth noting: there is a *lot* of evidence out there that feeding one food for an extended period of time can cause food allergies (like people who work with certain chemicals or cleaning supplies develop sensitivities and allergies to them), not to mention picky eaters who dont want to eat anything else (can be problematic if the manufacturer discontinues).

[xeross609]

One of the things the breeder recommended, and is actually what she does, is supplement the diet with raw food, and certain vitamins (fish oil with b12 I think it was?). I was kind of in information overload at the time, so I still don't have a good grasp on what she does, but I hope to have a better idea as the weeks go on.

[nicolemarieh]

haha, yeah there is a ton of information out there! and its tough because no one can tell you exactly what you should do, just like no one can tell you exactly what your diet should be. even for people, every year they have some new opinion on whats best.

if you guys can do raw sometimes, i personally think thats awesome! I fed Tanner raw for awhile and loved it - he seemed a lot healthier and happier, and it was awesome to see him actually really working and enjoying his food, and it kept his teeth in amazing condition (all the chewing and ripping of the meat really helps to clean them - far more then crunching on some kibble).

Quite honestly, I just got lazy and quit doing it because it was an extra hassle of figuring out what to buy, what to feed when, mealtimes required more prep and clean up, etc etc, whereas a scoop of food from a bag is so much easier. So even I can admit I think there are better options out there then what I'm doing. Though we don't *know* how beneficial raw feeding truly is, but I am a huge fan of supplementing with it. If nothing else, purely because the dogs really really seem to enjoy it.

and yeah, fish oil is typically a great supplement, though most top quality dog foods do already contain enough vitamins and minerals, so just try to keep an eye on those things. Personally, I wouldn't do any supplement constantly for long-term, but thats just my personal opinion on things like how I eat for myself too. In the winter or when Tanner's coat seems dryer/skin flakier, I will give him an oil supplement to help. Flaxseed is another good one besides fish to consider giving at times.

You have tons of time to figure all this out, as your pup grows :) there is no reason you have to figure it all out now, and you probably wont be able to :p its all a learning process, and really it will just come down to what works for you guys. i think of it as kind of like having a baby. everyone is going to have their own differing opinion on what they think is best, but guess what, chances are the kid is going to grow up relatively healthy and happy regardless, so you just do what ya can and dont stress.

[nicolemarieh]

*side note: i am trying to be nice because i can get super lecture-y on this topic - mostly because i feel like i am basically an expert on it. not a true expert, but nearly, because I have been actively researching the topic of pet nutrition for more than seven years, have probably read in the neighborhood of 20-30 books specifically on pet nutrition, read even more magazine and newspaper articles, not to even count all the trillions of internet anecdotes. I have been a part of rawdogs for six years, which I feel like is a LOT of time to see a lot of the same people go on raw and how it has worked for them over the years, have also been a member of a couple other pet communities for just as long, have talked with multiple vets at my clinic and others, have discussed it with a few dog trainers, currently work with a ton of people who all have vet backgrounds and have discussed nutrition at length with them at various times (although this is all just in the last couple months) and.... well to sum up and shut the hell up, basically this is one of the few areas in life where I do feel confident in saying I know what the hell I am talking about, because it is just something that I have so fully immersed myself in.

it is safe to say that the average vet has seen about 1/10 of the information that i have reviewed and studied when it comes to nutrition. like you said, most of their brief education on it typically is sponsored by Hill's. Veterinary medicine focuses far more on the medical side of things then on "simpler" things like diet. Most vets can't recommend much further then "follow the feeding instructions on whatever bag you buy", although happily this has been changing in the last few years, as more and more people tune in to their pet's diet.