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Raw bones are great for the teeth...
and most doggies will prefer that over rawhide's any day...
They are good for the teeth!
We stuff marrow bones and freeze them. There are no splinters that they can get off the bone, and they work on it for a good long time to get the contents out. They look forward to their treat before bedtime. And they know when it is time, too!
I use extra lean ground meat, cubed stew meat or minute steak, sometimes bits of leftover steak or veggies, a bit of rice, mix it all up and stuff the bone well.
We use Solid Gold Holistic Blendz, and have been on that for years. We supplement with meat, fish oil, Fresh Factors (for skin and coat) from Springtimeinc.com, glucosamine and Ester C. Usually I add a tablespoon of pumpkin and a bit of yogurt. Sometimes they get a cooked egg.
I cringe when I see somebody at WallyMart buying Old Roy or some store brand somewhere for their loyal, loving canine (or feline) companion. Our animals *depend* on us and trust us to take care of them. They can't do it for themselves, so if we're going to have them, we owe it to them.
I'd go with Wellness or Orijen brands or other better brands that are out there, look for ones that do not have corn as the first ingredient, try not to get ones that say chicken digest, chicken meal.
The pet food industry is a disgrace.
I blame the pet food industry for diseases such as diabetes, cushings, kidney and liver diseases.
I have read that cows with cushings are slaughtered for pet food
Just about every chew is made in China, those Waggin Tales brand you see at Walmart with the little dog and cowboy hat on are made in China, take a good look at the fine print at the bottom of the bag on the back or front.
There is nothing wrong with giving a pet some human food with or without some dogfood, leftover cooked meat such as chicken, beef, turkey not made with any type of sugar or covered with BBQ sauce, some green veg's are good such as green beans, broccoli the ones low in sugar and brown cooked rice.
The dogfood's labeled as wholesome etc are misleading as the vegetables in that are not the same as humans eat,
I have tried the fresh corn and cooked corn for pet foods Yuk
Bones are better than rawhide, make sure the bone is the right size for your pet so they can't swallow it, you can buy a bag of bones at a butcher shop, the ones in grocery stores are way too expensive and they only give you 3 bones or less. I always cook the bones
I know pet foods are expensive, you just do the best you can, past 10 years I've had a cushing dog and a diabetic that were given less expensive pet food before diagnosis, that sure changed my way of thinking once I paid for all the tests and vets who didn't have a clue about these diseases.
I made my pets treats from cooking chicken or turkey then I would use a dehyrator, I could put these in a jar in the fridge, I know that sounds extreme but some pet owers do this especially after a pets illness. ( Oh the dehydrator will shrink the meat, you need to make alot depending on size of dog.
There are a few sites out there about pet foods, one I can think of is "The truth about pet foods"
Some pet owner put their dogs down or take to a shelter from urine spoting or leaking urine or heavy panting all the time/wanting to eat constantly or eating anything this happens usually around 5 yrs or later, some earlier, they are not being bad, they need to go to the vet.
I hope this didn't seem to be too strong of a post, I didn't mean it to be that way but its best to know.
Hope this helps
Last edited by rural lady; 11-28-2010 at 06:03 AM..
very good post, rural lady. The mention of rawhides reminds me that just yesterday I saw that there's a place out west that sells USA bison rawhides. Just google bison rawhides, I think it will come up.
I don't use rawhides because of the fear of choking. The marrow bones carry less risk of that and give them good chewing pleasure.
Natural Balance and TOTW are just two of the "better" companies that import ingredients from China. Almost all pet food companies get their vitamins from China, which is really bad since you have no idea what you're getting. I can't believe this is news to so many. Remember the pet food recall of 2007? Every company affected imports ingredients, all of them. Champion Pet Foods (Orijen and Acana) do not.
We're in Vancouver right now and visited several pet stores while here, and spoke to the owners. All they sell is full lines of Orijen and Acana, nothing else. They have formulas we don't have in the states. I applaud Canadian pet store owners for only selling what their country makes locally and using a company that doesn't import any of the ingredients. Now if only American store owners would learn to do what's best for the dogs, not for their pockets, we'd be set!
Bones are better than rawhide, make sure the bone is the right size for your pet so they can't swallow it, you can buy a bag of bones at a butcher shop, the ones in grocery stores are way too expensive and they only give you 3 bones or less. I always cook the bones
Do not cook the bones, cooking changes the bone and makes it brittle.
Do you know why they say not to feed your dog chicken bones? Because they are cooked. A cooked bone is next to impossible for the dog to digest while they CAN digest a raw bone be it chicken , beef, deer or rabbit etc etc.
A cooked bone when swallowed by your dog can cause obstructions and perforations in the intestine, resulting in surgery and or death.
Dogs in the wiled can eat birds with out any consequences because they are raw.
Dogs in the wild (there digestive system is the same as your house dog) will eat the whole carcass bone, digest and all. Raw.
Our dogs are carnivores not omnivores.
Meat does not need to be ground up for a dog to digest it.
we humans attempt to humanize our fury friends and this love can lead us astray from there needs.
I know this is a food thread but don't forget to check where your pets toys, clothing and even crates are made...anything they might put in their mouths or chew on.
I have several small grandkids and have to be on the same lookout for their things too.
Just curious what about Halo or Blue Buffalo? If I recall they both claim they are safe (i.e. china free) but is that true?
I Love HALO, just give chicken variety, sometimes turkey...
but they both like the chicken best. (ops, for my cats)
I have not heard otherwise... about china ingredients from either, but then I really do not like Blue Buffalo that much.
If using BB, would only use the Wilderness, and of course, always feed Wet canned foods.
Friend of mine was using BB regular, her poor dog Always had gas, bad gas, and you could always hear his stomach... and itchy skin...
I was disappointed when HALO, started a Dry food, pets do not need or truly thrive on dry food alone and just assume do with out.
I know is "more convenient" and their dry food is way better than feeding a lot of other dry foods, so if you are feeding dry kibble, Halo, Is good, just would go to the wet is all
The website is full of info and very easy to navigate and ask them questions, Love Halo!
And... Halo claims, Never to use wheat - Gluten.
so that is that!
Last edited by need4Trees; 11-28-2010 at 11:49 PM..
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