Mr. Crites emailed me about that 2013 post, the only one I've ever written about the care and feeding of critters. He explained that he contacted me because he was researching safe/toxic people food for dogs, which was exactly my topic on that long-ago day. (Maybe he thought I knew something, but I didn't. Just telling a story.) He wrote:
If you’re open to suggestions, we just published an infographic; massive guide with over 200 people foods for dogs (dogfood.co/can-dogs-eat/). Hope you dig :)
I checked out his link and, yes, I dig. Seems to be a definitive guide re what's safe to feed canine pets and what's not. I didn't see any way he and his co-creator were selling anything other than ideas to help pet owners improve their pets' health. So here's the link, and if you have a pet, have a look.
Can Dogs Eat That? The Ultimate Guide
Once upon a time, dogs were in my life. I love dogs. I did not know how to feed them. They got grain-based kibble and table scraps. And probably too much of what they're not supposed to eat.I regret not having known. My favorite dog, Buck, developed a bowel problem, likely diet-based, and I was clueless. I wish I would have had this feeding guide and had made his later years more comfortable.
Anyway, here's that long ago post, but if you don't have time to read it, but have a dog whose health you want to improve, at least click the link above.
April 4, 2013
My buddy Jan Harding loves her dog like most people love their kids. Sadly, I can think of parents who don't seem to care for their kids as much as Jan cares for her best friend and companion of 10 years. Actually, I think that a lot of people like their dogs more than they do people in general and, in some cases, members of their own families. |
Jan with Tasha BEFORE she switched the dog to people food.Tasha was then fed typical dog fare:
dry kibble loaded with corn and soy. Grains. Just what dogs don't need.
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When it comes to feeding time, however, that care does not necessarily translate into the best food for Fido. Oh crap, what do I know about feeding dogs since I don't even have one? And when I did, I fed my various pets, as many dog owners do, occasional canned dog food, inexpensive kibble and table scraps. Not good—especially the table scraps since they often included fatty meat trimmings, chicken skin, leftover bread, or, gasp, Krusteaz pancakes. Yes, there was a time during years of steady weight gain (mine, not the dog's) when Krusteaz was a breakfast staple.
But dogs are such good sports, usually, and so starving all the time, that they just wolf down whatever.
They're dogs. Who cares? But overfed or poorly fed pets can and do get fat and lethargic and sick, just as overfed or poorly fed humans do. That happened to Jan—the over-and-poorly fed part—and she gained weight and felt crappy before she got religion about diet and exercise and so on and she began to look and feel better.
But Tasha the dog? Still old and fat. Then Jan had an epiphany about her dog's diet. In an email, she wrote:
About six months ago I started Tasha The Dog on a real-food program, since 1) even the top-of-the-line dog kibbles are loaded with grains, 2) she loves real food (apples, pears, berries, and of course meat of any kind.)
Dogs, being carnivorous (and cats even more so), I cook a huge turkey occasionally and make up a couple months' supply to freeze in 6-oz serving-size freezer bags. She gets one in the morning, along with half an apple or half a pear, maybe some berries. Of course she loves it. It's all gone in two minutes. In the evening she gets a hard-boiled egg and whatever fruit I have around.
I think she is a kind of mini-petri dish study for me, but nothing like this has happened to me! Probably because I still eat grains. But she is 10 yrs old, was too fat, could not jump into the pickup without an assist, and--most startling--had a white undercoat that shed constantly year-round, all over carpets and furniture.
She now does not shed at all and has a luxurious coat. I think the undercoat will come off as soon as it starts to get hot, but she literally stopped shedding!
She slimmed down to vet-prescribed weight, is energetic, and can jump into the back of the pick-up truck without an assist.
It looks like Jan is onto something. Tasha's diet is just about identical to the ingredients in grain-free dog foods that cost around $85 for a 10-pound bag. Uhhhh, I don't sense that pet owners are reaching for credit cards, even though these 10 pounds arrive via free shipping!So--I am a believer; dog likes real food as opposed to commercial food. Who knew? My personal coat is not so thick and glossy, and I am still about as fat as ever! But then, nobody controls MY eating habits, which slop over regularly into French vanilla ice cream and Cheetos. Sigh.
But you might keep your eye on good prices for fresh turkey.
And if your dog itches a lot, has skin problems, bowel issues, or any other maladies, it wouldn't hurt to look check out the feeding guide linked earlier.
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| Tasha AFTER her dietary change: slender, sleek, energetic. Note the hair color change. (Sorry for the weirdness around the haunches that appeared when I scanned a photo.) |
Yeah, REAL FOOD!!! A lot of people say no turkey for dogs. My hoistic vet, who diagnosed McKinley with colitis just before he starved to death, said it's fine. Mac couldn't eat it, but then I figured out it might be the "not more than 12% proprietary solution" they all seem to pump in, which most likely contains a sneaky form of MSG, often labeled as natural flavor or yeast extract. That stuff makes my joints ache, and makes a rather quick trip through my digestive system, so probably not good for dogs who are sensitive to it. Mac ate chicken(with all fat and skin), sweet potatoes, yogurt, some eggs (sensitive to too many), and some oats. He lived to 13 1/2, which is great for a malemute, especially considering he almost didn't make it to his first birthday. I also did the buy in bulk, bake and freeze method for much of it. Bonus: saving the juices off of the chicken gives you a constant supply of chicken stock, if you have a big dog!
ReplyDeleteThis is great, Dawn-Marie. Good you had a holistic vet who was not just pushing Science Diet etc.
DeleteI do know many well-loved healthy dogs who are fed nothing but dry dog food.
As I mentioned, I don't currently have a dog and cook chicken for the cat. The cat eats raw mice and birds but I think i have to cook the chicken because of all the salmonella etc. in raw poultry. I am probably being too cautious. He likes cooked chicken, but the picky little bastard won't eat the skin. Also he LOVES the juices, so I freeze bits of it with each portion. And there are kids starving in Africa.
See Grace's comment. She takes dog feeding to a whole new level!
My dog eats nothing but raw meat: kangaroo (yeah, I wasn't kidding in that song I wrote about Fancy Dogs), venison, lamb. I never give him beef, chicken or turkey as those are the three meats most common to canine protein allergies. Duck is safe for most dogs. I preach to anyone who will listen about not giving grains to dogs (or humans). Some of my clients who eat raw also like a bit of fruit or veg now and then but mine doesn't. (I used to have a beagle that picked her own peas, beans and cukes from the garden and a Jack Russel terrier that stole all the ripe strawberries) Max gets a raw or scrambled egg from time to time and high quality fish oil. The chicken skin and fatty meat scraps you mentioned above are, IMO, good for dogs, in moderation and barring any existing illnesses like acute pancreatitis. My cat subsists on raw chicken and salmon and went from being overweight and having tooth/gum issues to normal weight and much better dental health within 3 months of changing to a raw diet. She's 17. The 2 oldest dogs in the world, at 29, are working shepherds in NZ who eat (one) raw kangaroo and emu, and the other, because of protein allergies, mostly cooked lentils. Of course good diet is essential but regular exercise and work/mental stimulation/challenge are equally important to canine health. Boredom, depression and inactivity, IMO, contribute to shortened life span and a plethora of illnesses in our canine companions. Grains and low fat diets are seemingly as bad for canines as they are for homo sapiens. The change in your friend's dog is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteNo way! About the kangaroo meat. Where / how do you get that? Is in for sale in the grocery store in the village nearest you?
ReplyDeleteChris is in Australia right now, and he says that kangaroos are regarded as overgrown pestsI Are enterprising Aussies shipping "roo" meat to Canadian dog lovers?
I had no idea about canine beef, chicken, or turkey protein allergies.
And WOW about your 17-year-old cat!
I'm right with you on boredom, depression, and inactivity as detrimental to animal health. Just like with humans. And also that grains and low-fat diets are as bad for canines as they are for people.
You continue to amaze and surprise me. Thank you!
There are a couple of companies that produce and package raw food for dogs and cats. Probably the best known is 'Red Dog, Blue Cat'. Some of them contain various amounts of juiced fruit and veg, usually blueberries, kale. Some contain other dietary supplements like minerals, omega oils, vitamins. We have a couple of local butchers who package and sell raw meat for pets. I don't know a thing about the Aussie/Cannuck kangaroo trade market. Noel picked some up as kind of a joke to make me laugh or say "What!! Buying food shipped from such a distance..." and other Greenie type outrage. We were both kind of surprised at the gusto with which our 9 lb dog wolfed down the roo. I know a lot of vets are anti-raw food due to concerns regarding parasites and salmonella. It does require diligence with storage, temperature, age and clean up but (touch wood) we've been doing raw meat for about 6 years with no problems.
ReplyDelete