Opinions of the my dogs' food

[Pomp]

I just rescued two 1-year old beagles from Tennessee. One is 20 lbs, the other is 23 pounds. I've only had them for a few days, but this is what I have been giving them.

- 1 cup each of Blue Buffalo adult dog food (3/4 cup in the morning, 1/4 cup at night)
- 1 serving each of a joint supplement recommended by my vet
- 2 servings each of Gimborn Freeze-Dried Pro-Treats which is supposedly 100% beef liver and is very high in protein.

The first few days they pooped alot, but as I have been feeding them, they are starting to go less often and their stool is becoming more solid and it's coming out in longer pieces.

I would very much appreciate any feedback.

 

[Gallien Jacks]

I havent herd of the foods, do you ave a list of ingredents?

 

[Athebeau]

BLUE Life Protection Formula uses only the freshest, human grade chicken, vegetables and whole grains in all our foods.

LifeSource Bits are COLD formed to maintain the full potency of all ingredients. Other brands-even the super premiums, process all their ingredients with HEAT up to 280 degrees which means their added vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients can lose up to 75% of their potency.

Ingredients

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Rye , Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid and Rosemary), Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Ground Flax Seed, Alfalfa, Herring Oil, Sea Salt, Barley Grass, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Calcium Phosphate, Dried Kelp, Whole Garlic Cloves, Lecithin, Parsley, Glucosamine, Spirulina, Yucca Schidigera, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bacillus Subtilis, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum, Bifidobacterium Longum, Enterococcus Faecium, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Choline Chloride, Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Turmeric, Vitamin E Supplement , Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Natural Color, Beta Carotene, Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Potassium Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Potassium), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin, Calcium Pentothenate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Potassium Iodide, Biotin, Cobalt Proteinate (source of Chelated Cobalt), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (source of Vitamin K activity), Sodium Selenite

Sounds like a great food , the only thing I can see Mordy saying is "there is no need for a superior food to add Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (source of Vitamin K activity).

Here is some literature on this Vitamin K supplement from Mordy's site.
http://www.mordanna.com/dogfood/index.php?page=menadione

That's different, I don't think I've seen many foods with Turmeric in them. I sometimes give this to my dysplastic dogs as an anti inflammatory.

The Gimborn Pet Freeze Dried Beef Liver Pro-Treats look great 100% raw beef liver. It would be nice if they stated the cows were pasture fed and not given any antibiotics. The other Gimborn Pet treats seem to have a lot of salt in them. I would be a little wary of giving too many treats with salt in them.
You could always rotate treats, carrots, Broccoli, any Natura treats, Canidae snap treats...and I am going to try Northern biscuit. As for liver treats, you could always do for a change...is what I do...buy some liver from certified free range cows and boil. I carry it in sandwich baggies for walks etc.

I have all my dogs on a joint supplement as well. I found the Vet's to be a bit pricey...so I buy a horse supplement You can measure the precise amount for an animal as small as a cat. My dogs have been on it for 4 years now and I have seen wonderful results (one dog has Hip Dysplasia, Newf has Elbow Dysplasia, the other has arthritis from an old injury - torn cruciate ligament).

 

[Pomp]

Sounds like a great food , the only thing I can see Mordy saying is "there is no need for a superior food to add Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (source of Vitamin K activity).

Here is some literature on this Vitamin K supplement from Mordy's site.
http://www.mordanna.com/dogfood/index.php?page=menadione

That's different, I don't think I've seen many foods with Turmeric in them. I sometimes give this to my dysplastic dogs as an anti inflammatory.

The Gimborn Pet Freeze Dried Beef Liver Pro-Treats look great 100% raw beef liver. It would be nice if they stated the cows were pasture fed and not given any antibiotics. The other Gimborn Pet treats seem to have a lot of salt in them. I would be a little wary of giving too many treats with salt in them.
You could always rotate treats, carrots, Broccoli, any Natura treats, Canidae snap treats...and I am going to try Northern biscuit. As for liver treats, you could always do for a change...is what I do...buy some liver from certified free range cows and boil. I carry it in sandwich baggies for walks etc.

I have all my dogs on a joint supplement as well. I found the Vet's to be a bit pricey...so I buy a horse supplement You can measure the precise amount for an animal as small as a cat. My dogs have been on it for 4 years now and I have seen wonderful results (one dog has Hip Dysplasia, Newf has Elbow Dysplasia, the other has arthritis from an old injury - torn cruciate ligament).

Thanks for the reply. Very helpful!!

The problem with the Gimborn is that is just says "100% beef liver". It doesn't list any other ingredients, unless I'm completely blind. I usually give them just one a day, but I break them up into pieces so I can give them the whole treat effect throughout the day.

The vet told me to give them the joint supplement just as a pre-emptive measure. Neither one of them have joint problems, but she told me that it just helps strengthen joints throughout their lifetime and helps prevent against arthritis.

Here's another question...anyone familiar with the supermarket Whole Foods? They sell all organic food and also have an organic pet food section.

Finally, I bought a couple bags of Authority Liver Treats, but haven't used them yet. Any opinions on them?

 

[Mordy]

athebeau pretty much summed it all up already. pomp - i also replied to your other thread.

Here's another question...anyone familiar with the supermarket Whole Foods? They sell all organic food and also have an organic pet food section.

yes i am familiar with them, i shop there too.

they sell some decent brands and some not so great ones. your best bet is always checking out the ingredient list. if it helps, here's a summary:
http://www.mordanna.com/dogfood/index.php?page=identify

 

[Pomp]

So in summary, do you think I am properly feeding them on a daily basis?

 

[Mordy]

oh yeah, i do think so - but including some fresh, raw bones wouldn't hurt. it's great for oral health and of course the dogs love it!

 

[Pomp]

oh yeah, i do think so - but including some fresh, raw bones wouldn't hurt. it's great for oral health and of course the dogs love it!

I'm already on it! Thanks.

I now that there is a cleaning teeth thread, but how often should one give their dogs a raw bone?

 

[Athebeau]

I give my dogs a bone every other day. I freeze the bone from the first day and try to get 2 days out of it (depending on how it looks). If the bone is pretty well chewed and marrow or meat/cartlidge is gone and the bone seems to be getting dry...I toss it.

I alternate my dogs bones with raw turkey necks, ox tails (I don't feed a whole breakfast - just half portion when feeding ox tails...all that meat on them).

The bones I have had bad luck with are Lamb legs. I don't know if anyone else has had the problem of how easiely they seem to splinter fresh and raw. Maybe we have old feeble brittle sheep up here

My Brother just gave me some bones from a deer he just got and I give those to the dogs as well.

I always buy fresh bones, but, I always freeze before serving. I have this insane idea that freezing will kill any parasites (if any, very unlikely). Paranoid on my part.

 

[Mordy]

how often should one give their dogs a raw bone?

as often as possible really. you get the most benefit from feeding a raw diet consisting of mostly meat and bones.

i do understand that not everyone can (or wants to) feed that way, and that there are also individual dogs who don't do well on a raw diet, but the more often you can feed bones, the better. ideally you'd also pick types that aren't entirely stripped of meat and tendons.

 

[Pomp]

as often as possible really. you get the most benefit from feeding a raw diet consisting of mostly meat and bones.

i do understand that not everyone can (or wants to) feed that way, and that there are also individual dogs who don't do well on a raw diet, but the more often you can feed bones, the better. ideally you'd also pick types that aren't entirely stripped of meat and tendons.

Hmmm interesting...I have always heard that feeding a dog raw meat makes them crazy.

What about the possibility of breaking teeth while chewing on a bone, especially if the bone is frozen beforehand?

Does the bone itself contain any nutritional supplements? If I give my dogs a bone every other night, should I cut down on their other food?

I'm really look at the raw bone idea as a little treat for them and a way to keep them busy.

 

[vanillasugar]

Hmmm interesting...I have always heard that feeding a dog raw meat makes them crazy.

What about the possibility of breaking teeth while chewing on a bone, especially if the bone is frozen beforehand?

Does the bone itself contain any nutritional supplements? If I give my dogs a bone every other night, should I cut down on their other food?

I'm really look at the raw bone idea as a little treat for them and a way to keep them busy.

Don't worry about feeding them raw meat, it's really an old wives tale that it turns them "funny".

The only time you'd have to worry about teeth is if you're giving a weight bearing bone, like a leg shank. They tend to be the hardest bones and are the only ones that have the possibilty of breaking teeth, or so I've heard.

Bones are an excellent source of calcium, and a great way to maintain dental health while also keeping them occupied and not bored. The only thing I'd look out for is feeding them *too many* bones as some dogs can get easily constipated. If you notice this, just cut back on the amount of bones you're giving

You seem to be on the right track though!

 

[Mordy]

vanillasugar already answered your questions, pomp, i just have a few more little details to add:

not only do bones supply calcium, but also phosphorus and other minerals. this is important, since it balances out the lower mineral content and phosphorus excess in meat. for example, dogs who are fed only meat and nothing else will become sick due to nutritional imbalance. this was a common phenomenon when people started feeding unbalanced commercial foods once they became popular after WWII and little was known about dogs' nutritional needs.

the "too much bone" is the flip side of things, and it is also very common for dogs to have some digestive troubles when you start feeding bones, since they have to adjust. this can manifest in both ways, diarrhea from too much bone marrow and fat trimmings, or constipation from too much bone material. keeping some canned pumpkin (100% pumpkin, not the canned, spiced pie filling mix) on hand is a good idea. a teaspoon or two per meal usually help with either within just a few hours, and it's also a good snack rich in carotene.

 

[Pomp]

Thank you.

If I intend to use a raw bone as a snack, should I cut down on the other food I am feeding them?

Also, I know they sell "real" bones in Petsmart, Petco, etc. I'm assuming that these are no good, but I wanted to make sure. Thoughts?

 

[Athebeau]

I get my bones at the local butcher shop. I know the guy personally, and I "know" the livestock he uses .
Sometimes you can get a really good deal at a butcher shop, my friend gives me bags of bones for free. In town the butcher there sells a bag of 6-7 bones for $2.00.
It just depends where you get the best price....throw them in the deep freeze.

It's amazing how well a bone works to prevent seperation anxiety in dogs as well. All my dogs came to live with me as adults, 3 as complete kennel dogs previously, one a feral dog the other a neglect case. I kept them from becoming anxious when I had to leave by giving them all a bone. They associated my leaving with good things happening.

 

[Pomp]

I get my bones at the local butcher shop. I know the guy personally, and I "know" the livestock he uses .
Sometimes you can get a really good deal at a butcher shop, my friend gives me bags of bones for free. In town the butcher there sells a bag of 6-7 bones for $2.00.
It just depends where you get the best price....throw them in the deep freeze.

It's amazing how well a bone works to prevent seperation anxiety in dogs as well. All my dogs came to live with me as adults, 3 as complete kennel dogs previously, one a feral dog the other a neglect case. I kept them from becoming anxious when I had to leave by giving them all a bone. They associated my leaving with good things happening.

If some of the bones have meat on them, isn't there a health risk?

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

I feed my dogs bones with meat on them, and my dogs are perfectly fine. They absolutely love it, too. They chew on them for hours.

 

[Pomp]

Humans shouldn't eat raw meat because it's a health hazard. Why should dogs?

 

[Saje]

Dogs have been eating raw meat for thousands of years. Their guts are used to it. Kibble has only been around for 60 or 70 years. The bacteria in raw meat is natural to a dog system.

 

[Pomp]

I get my bones at the local butcher shop. I know the guy personally, and I "know" the livestock he uses .
Sometimes you can get a really good deal at a butcher shop, my friend gives me bags of bones for free. In town the butcher there sells a bag of 6-7 bones for $2.00.
It just depends where you get the best price....throw them in the deep freeze.

It's amazing how well a bone works to prevent seperation anxiety in dogs as well. All my dogs came to live with me as adults, 3 as complete kennel dogs previously, one a feral dog the other a neglect case. I kept them from becoming anxious when I had to leave by giving them all a bone. They associated my leaving with good things happening.

So just take them right from the butcher and freeze them? Also, should I continue to feed my dogs the same daily lineup and then also add a bone in a couple times a week? Or on the days they get bones, should I cut back on normal food lineup?