Spoiling our Dogs and Puppies

[girl_dee]

Right now i am still in bed, having coffee and waking up. Why you ask? Because the chihuaha is still enjoying sleeping under the electric blanket and i don't want to disturb her.

Can we say spoilt?

[Sachita]

Originally Posted by ArtistLady

Also, is anyone familiar with the website?
http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/

yes and its scary.

Pet food companies are now realizing the popularity of non-grain foods or having a meat source as the first ingredient. Because of this they are scrambling to find cheap meat sources. This means that much of it is coming from over seas- china mostly and it is not fit for human consumption. There is also no control over it what so ever. They can even label it chicken but after its dried who knows whats really in it.

For this reason I call the pet food companies every few months to check where they are getting the meat used in their products. I ask questions about ingredients too. This is a crazy process for me but its also important since it can effect the life of my dogs. Even if it didn't kill them their organs and such are still effected by poisoned food. Over time it does have an effect. Most commercial dog foods are harmful to your dog.

There are other brands I love but more expensive. Taste of the Wild is a good food and within most budget. If you feed your dog food with cornmeal and fillers, even rice, your dog will need to eat more. So if your dog is eating 4 cups per day they WILL eat and need less of a non grain quality food. If you do the math you'll see its not really that much more. If you consider the long term effects and what you'll save on vet bills then you'll find room in your budget.

Taste of the Wild - 30 pounds- $1.60 per day for a medium size dog @ 2 cups per day.

Orijen (what I'll be switch to soon) 29 pounds- $2.30 per day for a medium size dog @ 2 cups. There is one less pound.

Now add greens- a tub of organic spinach or spring greens at Sam's Club under 4.00 or a large package or organic romaine also under 4.00. large bag of organic carrots 5 lbs 5.00. Shred carrots of give whole if they will eat them.

So when I start breaking it down like that and what it cost daily for me to feed my dogs which are like my kids, 2.30 a day per dog is doable. If I have to give up a bottle of wine, dinner out, whatever I need to do I will because its that important to me. But understand that I also know that it's not affordable even still for some. I am happy to private work with you to figure out the best solution for your budget.

I'm sorry if I sound fanatically but this is a hot issue for me. Perhaps because I take care of so many dogs and work with so many groups. Pet health is a very huge agenda for me. So much so that I am planning on raising my own livestock and growing to feed my dogs. Food cost are rising and this is effecting pet foods. Even more reason to be concerned about what is really in your pet's food.

[Sachita]

Originally Posted by girl_dee

The chihuaha is very pissed off

1) it's winter

2) great dane puppy

that new puppy is GORGEOUS! We have a puppy here now that is making everyone crazy. thats what puppies do!

[Jesse]

I'm a bit quirky about my dog(s) and their health too and one thing I do is to always clip the production code which is located by the scan bar usually. This way if they do a recall, you will know if your bag is a part of that recall. This way you'll know to watch your dog for changes and/or have them vetted. I just keep it clipped to the front of the fridge and change it out with each new bag. I also keep a watch for the recalls.

[Sachita]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

I worry when people give their dogs raw diets or just homemade diets. I understand that it is very complicated and complex to meet all of a dog's nutritional needs on your own.

I am sure some people do it well, but I have been reading more and more about concerns people not doing it well. In those cases, it would be better if the dog was on manufactured food.

I would like to hear thoughts from any raw diet/homemade food people here?

My biggest concern with raw diets is that most of the commercial human meat out there is full of hormones and who knows what. If not properly stored you can get all types of bacteria. Organic or grass fed is so very expensive. If you have a small dog then it would be an option.

I don't feel 100% raw is good. Dogs are omnivorous like humans. So if you're making dog food, which I think is great, you just have to make sure they are also getting some fruits and veggies for essential vitamins.

[Metro]

There are a few things I am a stickler about regarding my dogs in order that they remain happy and friendly:

1. Refrain from using dog's name when using corrections (so they do not associate their name with negative feedback). Example: I say "Drop it!" instead of "Drop it, _______!"

2. Refrain from any random teasing whatsoever -- I don't like to make my dogs nervous or manic without reason. Example: I never hype up my dogs with words or physical contact just to get them excited. This doesn't mean I won't engage in playtime... I will squeek their toys or toss their tennis ball to see if they are interested in play, and will always respond positively to their invitation to play if they present me with a toy. My dogs tease and seem to have a sense of humor too, imho, but during playtime is the appropriate time.

3. Refrain from encouraging barking. They bark or "huff" to alert me... that's their "job" -- but are not permitted to bark on and on or when greeting visitors.

Over the years these behavioral "rules" have worked well for me in that all 3 dogs brought into my home have been sweet, friendly, and calm companions -- even though they are a breed some mistakenly assume are hard to control. I feel that dog behavior can often be influenced greatly by how well (or not) they are treated by their human companion(s) in everyday life. They need to feel secure and have consistent and fair rules.

I love my dog and like to believe she loves me too!

[Blade]

I think in my next life I want to be one of yalls dog. I can't believe all we've seen so far is dog spoilage LOL. Does anyone spoil anything else?

[Novelafemme]

I have three pups and feed them a mixture of dry and wet food that I make myself. When it was just Olive (Aussie mix) I let her free-feed. She always did great and never had any issues with her weight.

Then along came Ellie (Shih Tzu) and Rue (Schnoodle) and Olive became food aggressive (and fat).

When I prepare their food I use organic meat from Trader Joe's, organic veggies (carrots, greens, beets) and free-range chicken or beef broth minus the sodium. I also buy them free-range beef bones from the local farmer's market. So far their teeth look great with all that chewing!

It may seem excessive to some, but to me our pets are members of our family...not just animals.

[Talon]

Originally Posted by Blade

I think in my next life I want to be one of yalls dog. I can't believe all we've seen so far is dog spoilage LOL. Does anyone spoil anything else?

Nah...human's suck.

*kidding*

I'm a general variety spoiler....therefore, I generally enjoy spoiling whomever I love.

[Novelafemme]

Originally Posted by Metro

There are a few things I am a stickler about regarding my dogs in order that they remain happy and friendly:

1. Refrain from using dog's name when using corrections (so they do not associate their name with negative feedback). Example: I say "Drop it!" instead of "Drop it, _______!"

2. Refrain from any random teasing whatsoever -- I don't like to make my dogs nervous or manic without reason. Example: I never hype up my dogs with words or physical contact just to get them excited. This doesn't mean I won't engage in playtime... I will squeek their toys or toss their tennis ball to see if they are interested in play, and will always respond positively to their invitation to play if they present me with a toy. My dogs tease and seem to have a sense of humor too, imho, but during playtime is the appropriate time.

3. Refrain from encouraging barking. They bark or "huff" to alert me... that's their "job" -- but are not permitted to bark on and on or when greeting visitors.

Over the years these behavioral "rules" have worked well for me in that all 3 dogs brought into my home have been sweet, friendly, and calm companions -- even though they are a breed some mistakenly assume are hard to control. I feel that dog behavior can often be influenced greatly by how well (or not) they are treated by their human companion(s) in everyday life. They need to feel secure and have consistent and fair rules.

I love my dog and like to believe she loves me too!

I need to pick your brain about potty training since you live with a pack as well.

[Sachita]

Originally Posted by Blade

I think in my next life I want to be one of yalls dog. I can't believe all we've seen so far is dog spoilage LOL. Does anyone spoil anything else?

My granddaughter.

[Sachita]

There is also a brand called The Honest Kitchen. It's dehydrated and has fresh free range meats, veggies, fruits and everything is human grade AND made in a human grade inspected kitchen. 10 pounds turns into 40 pounds at around 70 something which is very affordable if you're making dog food. 40 pounds will feed my boxer and two small dogs

[Metro]

Originally Posted by Novelafemme

I need to pick your brain about potty training since you live with a pack as well.

Hi Novela,

I have only lived w/ 2 dogs, at most, fulltime -- now only one. I do not like to be dogless so my technique is to get next pup when first dog is 10 y/o. This way the older one knows the rules while I train the pup -- and they have a couple years to play together full-on before one gets elderly. This has helped me maintain sanity when bringing a pup into the pack.

Feel free to PM if you wish.

[Metro]

Originally Posted by Sachita

There is also a brand called The Honest Kitchen. It's dehydrated and has fresh free range meats, veggies, fruits and everything is human grade AND made in a human grade inspected kitchen. 10 pounds turns into 40 pounds at around 70 something which is very affordable if you're making dog food. 40 pounds will feed my boxer and two small dogs

Sachita, that sounds very interesting!

Has anyone else had to be concerned w/ balance of protein and fat in dog food? My dogs are prone to kidney stones so research has suggested keeping closest match of protein to fat to avoid such... it has worked for me. My large breed dogs have lived to 15-3/4 and 14-1/2 years of active life without getting kidney stones so common to their breed.

Altho the premium brands promote high protein, sometimes that isn't actually best thing for some dogs due to age or breed specific metabolism.

I use ProPlan Selects Natural Salmon since I don't know how to create similar protein/fat balance in homemade dog food. I would "spoil" my dogs with homemade if I knew how to do so and it was healthier for them... and if I could carve out the time to make the food.

[Blade]

Originally Posted by Blade

I think in my next life I want to be one of yalls dog. I can't believe all we've seen so far is dog spoilage LOL. Does anyone spoil anything else?

Guess I should have said Does anyone spoil any other type of pets, instead of saying anything else.......cats, horses, frogs, lizards, snakes, birds etc.....

[Sachita]

Originally Posted by Blade

Guess I should have said Does anyone spoil any other type of pets, instead of saying anything else.......cats, horses, frogs, lizards, snakes, birds etc.....

I spoil all of my animals, however I don't cuddle, pet or name animals that may become dinner.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Sachita

Orijen (what I'll be switch to soon) 29 pounds- $2.30 per day for a medium size dog @ 2 cups. There is one less pound.

Ok, so the biggest reason I have been using Newman's organic is because I wanted to make sure I had a product where the meat was free of antibiotics and growth hormones. I couldn't find a food outside of this one where this was clearly stated ("fresh" ingredients is meaningless, and free range doesn't mean free of hormones either, in all cases). Also, I do like plant based protein and Newman's met this, as well. However, I found on the Orijen website that their meat is antibiotic/growth hormone free and they have a a product with fish as their base meat (6 Fish Dog). I think I am going to switch.

Sachita, I am curious to know why Orijen is your new choice?

Originally Posted by Blade

I think in my next life I want to be one of yalls dog. I can't believe all we've seen so far is dog spoilage LOL. Does anyone spoil anything else?

I have to tell you Blade, I really paused when I read this. I had this serious moment...lol Really, the only other thing I spoil is my car. I spoil it by using high end products on the car itself (the cleaning and protection of the interior and exterior), and also high end mechanical parts/fluids. So, yes, I spoil my car.

<-------maybe needs to look at what (who) is being left out on the spoiling list

[Sachita]

Originally Posted by Metro

Sachita, that sounds very interesting!

Has anyone else had to be concerned w/ balance of protein and fat in dog food? My dogs are prone to kidney stones so research has suggested keeping closest match of protein to fat to avoid such... it has worked for me. My large breed dogs have lived to 15-3/4 and 14-1/2 years of active life without getting kidney stones so common to their breed.

Altho the premium brands promote high protein, sometimes that isn't actually best thing for some dogs due to age or breed specific metabolism.

I use ProPlan Selects Natural Salmon since I don't know how to create similar protein/fat balance in homemade dog food. I would "spoil" my dogs with homemade if I knew how to do so and it was healthier for them... and if I could carve out the time to make the food.

It's more the type of protein. If you take fresh wild salmon for instance the grading is done prior to processing so by the time they process it's less. I also think that keeping fats down is very important. If you simply imagine how you feel eating certain things, its how your dog will feel. If you ate processed foods, lots of carbs and meats you'll feel sluggish and most likely develop health problems but if you ate lean meats and lots of green veggies you'd feel more vibrant and less health issues.

We have quite a few dogs that have organ issues and kidney. I don't think that rice is the answer. I would consider The Honest Kitchen or if its affordable for you buy chicken and turkey, bake it then add things like blue berries, sweet potato, broccoli, kelp, romaine, kale, etc. change it up. Most people that do this make batches and freeze in small bags. It doesn't have to be expensive just time consuming. I'd also add herbs to strengthen organs. Here is an extract that is for humans but I use it for dogs all the time. https://www.herbdoc.com/index.php/Store/K-B-Formula

I know you live in NYC so food is probably expensive there. I know because the farmers I know selling grass fed and organic charge three times what i pay here.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Blade

Guess I should have said Does anyone spoil any other type of pets, instead of saying anything else.......cats, horses, frogs, lizards, snakes, birds etc.....

My dog is my only pet. He's a jack russell...I don't have time for another pet!

[Blade]

I must apologize for the possible derail.....the OP clearly states dogs and puppies and for some reason I had on my mind it said pets. Sorry Linus. Yall carry on and I will be back to post on my spoiled "Skippy" who has more clothes than I do.