Dog Food

[kerley]

After the pet food problems the U.S. experienced last year from imported Gluten. We decided that if we can not buy safe pet food we will mix our own. My wife feeds a mixture of hamburger, rice, green beans, peas, sometimes turkey meat. She mixes and cooks it and the dogs love it. Cost wise it is less expensive than canned dog food and we know what they are eating. They are healthy and seem to be happy. What are you folks feeding ? Tom :cboy:

 

[grannysoo]

We did the same for our little inside dog before she passed away and it was good for everyone. A lot less waste coming out the back end than with commercial food. We used chicken and rice, vegetables, and beef liver. She would gnaw off your hand to get to it.

 

[Lammie]

When I was growing up, our dogs seldom ate anything other than what we ate. Now the most expensive dogfoods have stuff like veggies and rice in them, just what we were feeding way back then. My dogs eat a lot of leftovers and do just fine. They prefer it to dogfood. I don't feed them the sweet stuff, but any meats, as long as it is without the bones, veggies, rices, heck they eat it all.

 

[J. T.]

Hey Kerley,
Any chance I could come eat supper with your dogs? That sounds like a pretty good concoction!

 

[kerley]

J.T. I gotta tell you our old faithful girl LUCY is fourteen and sleeps most of the time. She has been a wonderful pet. And very protective of her family. She is getting old and hasn't got much time left. She loves her home cooked meals. When she gets hungry she looks for my wife and starts barking till she is fed. The only thing she loves more than her meals is riding in the back of my pickup. I can't take her in the pickup anymore as she is to feeble. When we loose her it is going to be a sad day at our place. I am sorry for getting of subject, but I love her and could tell of our adventures together all day long. Tom :cboy:

 

[TexasBred]

Heck Kerley...that's not off topic. Tell us some more about that good buddy of yours. Ain't nothing like a good dog. We still feed purchased dog food but since she never gets full anyway she always gets any scrapes that are left as well as anything in the frig. that might get a little old.

 

[spinandslide]

After the pet food problems the U.S. experienced last year from imported Gluten. We decided that if we can not buy safe pet food we will mix our own. My wife feeds a mixture of hamburger, rice, green beans, peas, sometimes turkey meat. She mixes and cooks it and the dogs love it. Cost wise it is less expensive than canned dog food and we know what they are eating. They are healthy and seem to be happy. What are you folks feeding ? Tom :cboy:

Im intrigued! Ours get Pedigree or Diamond(depends on which area of town Im going to be in when Im almost out) and of course, leftovers. They love steak night, 3 people with 3 bones to 3 dogs. Life is good. :lol:

Is there a ratio of weight for how much you feed this concotion? Is it REALLY cheaper? I pay almost $20 a 40 lb bag for dog food. Id love to put my dogs on a healthier diet, espc my male heeler. HE is overweight, Ive noticed his eyes are getting cloudy and getting older(8). Poor old guy had some sort of stroke afew weeks ago. HEs normaly a terror and the rest of the day was quiet. Id like to keep him around for as long as possible, it'll be a tough day when hes gone.

Please share! The pet food issues scared me terriably!

 

[jonbri55]

Hey Kerley-that's a good mix. I feed raw meat to my dogs-don't have to spend time cooking! The enzymes are great for them and the bones give them the needed calcium, etc. they need. I buy meat for $1.00 # or less usually whole chickens that I cut up. The dogs are all slick and healthy, white strong teeth and -YAY-no bad breath! There are some good books on the subject. Oh, and yes, they eat the chicken, bones and all. Once you cook any bone the consistency changes and that is when you get into trouble but when they are raw, the dogs can eat them without a problem. I even give them raw fish heads and tails when we have fish! I find the cost compares to the good dog food. I feed 3 dogs.

 

[kerley]

You know what your pet is eating when you prepare the mix yourself. Our Vet told my wife "Kathy, you have the luckiest dogs in town". We are very lucky to have such a nice person for our vet. My wife said that dog food is expensive and her mixture might cost a little more but we love our dogs. I have never ever met anyone that cared enough about me to grab you by the leg for just raising your hand towards me. Or attempt to bite you if you were silly enough to stick your arm inside my pickup when the window is left down and I am not in the truck. Tom :cboy:

 

[TexasBred]

After the pet food problems the U.S. experienced last year from imported Gluten. We decided that if we can not buy safe pet food we will mix our own. My wife feeds a mixture of hamburger, rice, green beans, peas, sometimes turkey meat. She mixes and cooks it and the dogs love it. Cost wise it is less expensive than canned dog food and we know what they are eating. They are healthy and seem to be happy. What are you folks feeding ? Tom :cboy:

Im intrigued! Ours get Pedigree or Diamond(depends on which area of town Im going to be in when Im almost out) and of course, leftovers. They love steak night, 3 people with 3 bones to 3 dogs. Life is good. :lol:

Is there a ratio of weight for how much you feed this concotion? Is it REALLY cheaper? I pay almost $20 a 40 lb bag for dog food. Id love to put my dogs on a healthier diet, espc my male heeler. HE is overweight, Ive noticed his eyes are getting cloudy and getting older(8). Poor old guy had some sort of stroke afew weeks ago. HEs normaly a terror and the rest of the day was quiet. Id like to keep him around for as long as possible, it'll be a tough day when hes gone.
Sarah there's nothing wrong with the "high quality" commerical dog foods. Actually the more expensive ones are very high in energy and very digestible. The cheaper ones go right thru the dog.... I feed Purina Pro Plan and don't feed a lot of it because it is so highly digestible and the dog stays plenty healthy...she does get scraps as well.
Please share! The pet food issues scared me terriably!

 

[Victoria]

I still feed a higher quality dry food but have been thinking more and more about switching. I just don't know what is the right quantity of each item to use and although there are some books out there which do you trust?

 

[TexasBred]

I still feed a higher quality dry food but have been thinking more and more about switching. I just don't know what is the right quantity of each item to use and although there are some books out there which do you trust?

Victoria unless you have a very big dog and a very active working dog 1 to 1 1/2 cups is about all a typical dog will need of a really highly digestible premium dog food. Like us, anymore and he just get "overconditioned". ;-) Just observe his condition and feed accordingly.

 

[spinandslide]

After the pet food problems the U.S. experienced last year from imported Gluten. We decided that if we can not buy safe pet food we will mix our own. My wife feeds a mixture of hamburger, rice, green beans, peas, sometimes turkey meat. She mixes and cooks it and the dogs love it. Cost wise it is less expensive than canned dog food and we know what they are eating. They are healthy and seem to be happy. What are you folks feeding ? Tom :cboy:

Im intrigued! Ours get Pedigree or Diamond(depends on which area of town Im going to be in when Im almost out) and of course, leftovers. They love steak night, 3 people with 3 bones to 3 dogs. Life is good. :lol:

Is there a ratio of weight for how much you feed this concotion? Is it REALLY cheaper? I pay almost $20 a 40 lb bag for dog food. Id love to put my dogs on a healthier diet, espc my male heeler. HE is overweight, Ive noticed his eyes are getting cloudy and getting older(8). Poor old guy had some sort of stroke afew weeks ago. HEs normaly a terror and the rest of the day was quiet. Id like to keep him around for as long as possible, it'll be a tough day when hes gone.
Sarah there's nothing wrong with the "high quality" commerical dog foods. Actually the more expensive ones are very high in energy and very digestible. The cheaper ones go right thru the dog.... I feed Purina Pro Plan and don't feed a lot of it because it is so highly digestible and the dog stays plenty healthy...she does get scraps as well.
Please share! The pet food issues scared me terriably!

What do you think of the diamond foods? We switched to that from Eukanuba, which is what we raised my male heeler and my husbands Akita(now deceased) on, but Diamond was easier to get down here. The price on it has jumped from $11 for the maintenance to almost $17 in about 6 months.

 

[TexasBred]

Diamond is a good dog food. It is one of those that had a recall last year due to aflatoxin contamination but that can happen anywhere. Dogfood like other feeds has gone up due to ingredient costs and will probably continue upward.

 

[ToddFarmsInc]

I look at the numbers on the back of the food bag. I don't like the sodium content of some foods. I don't like seeing corn, or wheat as a first ingredient, and I like seeing meat listed first. I also pick up food with a very high proten content, and a pretty high fat content.

I feed primarily dimand high energy. My border collie mix used to be really hard to keep weight on. She was so active she was always a little on the light side.

It's funny how the different breeds eat differently. The border collie and the black lab eat simularly, but the blue heeler, oh boy. That dog has no end to her appitite, she will polish off her food, and then wonder around and look in everyone elses dish. I honestly don't think she would ever stop eating if I let her have free choice. :roll:

 

[kerley]

My Blue Healer was the same way. She loved Hamburger and any table scraps. But she really enjoyed the trimmings off the horses hooves and testing any fresh horse dropping.
Tom :cboy: