Posted on 09/17/2010 10:04:19 AM PDT by decimon
MANHATTAN -- While natural food is a rising trend among humans, pet owners should be careful before feeding similar types of food to their pets, according to a Kansas State University veterinarian.
All too often pet owners assume that because certain foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are healthy for them, they are also healthy for their pets, said Susan Nelson, K-State assistant professor of clinical services.
"Natural and veggie-based pet foods are based more on market demand from owners, not because they are necessarily better for the pet," she said.
Natural pet food isn’t necessarily unhealthy for pets, and there are good brands on the market. But cats and dogs have specific nutritional needs that some of these foods may not provide, Nelson said.
For instance, a natural dog food may provide antioxidants through fruits and vegetables, but it may be deficient in other nutrients the dog needs. If pet owners opt for natural pet food, it's important to make sure pets still receive a well-balanced diet, she said.
Before buying any pet food that is labeled natural, owners should make sure it comes from a reputable company. Nelson said the Association of American Feed Control Officials, or AAFCO, sets guidelines for the production, labeling and distribution of pet food and sets minimum standards for the nutritional adequacy of diets.
(Excerpt) Read more at k-state.edu ...
He comes to the conclusion that the wolves main diet is mice, moles, etc..
Thanks for the tip!
Yes - my dogs LOVE to roll in all the dead bugs and worms that come out of the pool filter. Every day at least one dog smells like something that died in the yard.
Canines in the wild eat the stomachs of their prey, which usually contain vegetables. It provides some of the vitamins a dog needs.
So a bit of veggies isn’t bad. But dogs mostly just needs meat. And not necessarily lean meat.
We feed our dogs raw hamburger, raw turkey, raw chicken. I use ground egg shell for their calcium. Throw in a tiny bit of veggies, a few egg yolks and some cod liver oil...yummy.
Our dogs are very healthy and have excellent coats of soft fur.
Well, if having dogs sizing 90 lbs and above are living way beyond their lifetimes is any indication; such as 19 years, 15 years; 17 years and cat 19 years is any indication; I will stick with Science Diet.
Thanks so much for your comment.
We had a yellow lab that liked to roll in manure. One day she came home and she was green.
It is usually a specific mineral.
We had a miniature dachshund that was a terror. He'd get out and wouldn't come back. The only way to get him to come home was to rattle a container of "Whoppers" malted milk balls. He ate them, M&M candies, Hershey's minis and popcorn like they were going out of style. This was before we knew about chocolate being bad for dogs. He lived to be 15.
We feed our dogs a raw diet too. They are 11and 12years old now, and our only vet bills have been their rabies shots every three years, required by state law.
they never get ticks, fleas, have no “doggie smell”, sweet breath, good teeth, no cleaning required, and best of all?
Their poops don’t smell, are not “ gushy”, and crumble away to white powder in a couple of day.
But for those who do not want to feed raw, I suggest Honest Kitchen. They have one mis that contains no grains at all.
My dogs will forage for food in the garden. They go for a vine-ripened sun gold tomato, my female has learned to dig up a carrot. They like berries, ripe fruit, etc.
I will never feed any commercial dog food again!
TEH CUTE!!1!1!
Out of curiosity, what do you think coyotes eat? Plants, birds, animal fat, berries, dung, if necessary. If they got immunizations, we’d be up to our asses in them...and little else.
I feed my boys Simple Solutions salmon and rice formula. No wheat, no dairy, no soy, no corn, no eggs.
They both still occasionally get into the cat box, but a firm hand keeps them away for the most part.
I think there’s something they *like* in cat plop, not something missing in their diet, since they have gone into the catbox no matter what (or how much) they’re fed.
You’re VERY welcome. Please pass it along to as many people as possible.
There is just nothing like seeing your little best buddy on her back with her legs straight out and shaking. I was sure she was a goner.
Spread the word!!
I buy dog food based on whether I think it will help maintain a long, high quality life for my dogs, not whether I want to most closely mimic what they’d eat if left to fend for themselves.
What do they feed cows to fatten them up? Corn. So why should my dogs be eating it?
Coyotes also have fleas. Should I not treat my dog for them so they’re more comfortable and prevent them from getting tape worm?
Hmm...from experience, not every veterinarian recommends what is best for the animal.
Years ago I had a shih tzu that was given a routine lepto vaccine. Several hours later it was apparent that she was having some reaction to it; the vet said that sometimes “those little dogs are just wimpy” and offered no further suggestion.
I feed my real German GSD a raw diet. He’s been on it for two years, most of his life. Other than a yeast infection in his ears, he has never suffered from any health issue.... this should be gone within 10 days.
He is strong, fast, competitive, well mannered, high energy, loving, quick to learn, remembers well, obedient, a serious gentleman and just plain fun to be around.... so he’s with me 24/7. Okay, he sleeps in a crate, but it’s in my bedroom. ;>)
He is beautiful and everyone that sees him wants to meet him, touch him and they immediately fall in love with this gentle giant. He never has bad breath, his teeth are a brilliant white, he doesn’t fart, poops very small amounts and only once a day.
He gets both mental and physical exercise every day, sometimes several times a day, but in 10 and 15 minute sessions.
There is not an ounce of fat on him and he’s generally between 10 and 15 pounds underweight for is breed and age. I want him slightly underweight because it’s better for his hips. He even refuses any commercially made treat that folks try to give him. Oh, he politely accepts it and then places it on the ground and looks at them as if to say, “ thanks, but where’s the liver”.
His daily diet (evening meal), primarily consists of a quarter raw chicken with bones, half pound of lean burger with the addition of vegetables, occasional fruit and cattle guts/brains etc, molasses, oatmeal and added nutrients, 4 to 6 large chunks of beef (stew meat), and a raw meaty bone for desert. He occasionally gets chunks of venison steak. Oh, and a farm fresh egg. There is ALWAYS fresh water for him... I don’t leave it out, I wait for him to ask and I offer it at mealtime. I tried leaving it out, but he loves to play in the water. He bangs his dish around when he wants it.
For treats, we do cook beef liver and cut them into small pieces. We don’t give him many of these and only cook it to make it easier for us to handle... no raw liver in my pockets. LOL
He will only eat an evening meal and will decline most anything offered to him during the day. Just recently has he decided that he wanted a breakfast beyond his every other day single egg, so for breakfast, he has been getting about half of what I listed above for his dinner. We will let him have this additional food for a couple of weeks, weigh him and reevaluate.
Now, I am no expert on any of this, but my dog is as healthy as they get and my vet agrees when I take him in for checkups and shots.
Admittedly, I have gone overboard with my dogs diet, but he takes very good care of me and quite frankly, I love him more than I do most people.
As a side note. I have sleep apnea, so when I fall asleep without my machine on, I quit breathing. Falco will quickly come to me and wake me up with his wet nose. If I ignore him (for fun) he will bark and snuggle his head at my neck until I respond. He checks on me about once an hour during the day no matter what I am doing.
Each to their own.....
Oops, I forgot to say that he also gets sardines once a week. AND, he takes the same daily fish oil gels that I do.
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