| InLoVeWiThPuPpIeS |
| Posted 3/2/2008 1:54:21 AM |
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Active: 02-26-2008
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How does a person decide what kind of food to feed their dog? Wet? Dry? Dry with water? Certain brand? It's like a child, so it should have what's best for it, no? Is this something to discuss with a vet? We don't typically ask pediatricians what to feed our kids...
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| beaglebrat |
| Posted 3/2/2008 10:03:46 AM |
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Active: 05-01-2006
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Wow, this is a can of worms. Really, it is a personal choice and opinion what the best food is.
Many would argue that 'some' veterinarians aren't the best qualified to determine the 'nutritional value' of Dog food, since they get so little training on this issue in school. Other vets are PAID to sponsor a certain brand, so their is financial motivation to promote one brand over another.
I am of the opinion that most 'middle of the road' brands of Dog food will NOT kill your dog.
If you have a Dog with a sensitive stomach or allergies, that is different. But most normal dogs will be fine on 'normal' mid-grade food. While processed grains may not be the 'best' for them, I don't exactly eat 'the best' all the time either.
I like McDonald's and white bread as part of my normal diet.
I personally make sure to supplement with REAL meats and eggs and overall my dogs are healthy, great weight, and great coats.
I'm not saying feed the cheapest of the cheap 'Old Roy' and DO NOT FEED BENIFUL (sp) which has ZERO nutrition.
Just use your best judgment. |
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| moggie |
| Posted 3/2/2008 11:24:32 AM |
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Active: 09-01-2005
Posts: 410
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 once again...hats off...except...this is the same person who asked the question about shipping and potty training...WHY!!!! hasnt she discussed all of these issues with the breeder who she is purchasing from?? this breeder should have told her everything from potty training to vaccines..puppy care...what the Puppies are eating..how long and how often to feed....etc..something is wrong here...either the breeder cannot speak english or this girl is deaf....if i couldnt get any or all of this info from the breeder of choice...i would certainly reconsider my purchase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! google has a world of information too!! |
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| suebgone |
| Posted 3/2/2008 7:22:02 PM |
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Active: 01-10-2006
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you need to learn about the ingredients & the effect they have on dogs.
that corn is not digestable & is an allergen. that soy & wheat are too.
learn that dogs can be allergic to specific meats.
that brewers dried yeast can cause yeast infections.
learn as much as you possibly can so you can make your own decisions about food. it is a never ending learning experience |
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| InLoVeWiThPuPpIeS |
| Posted 3/3/2008 12:54:56 AM |
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Active: 02-26-2008
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moggie there is no need to be rude. there are just somethings that i didn't want to ask the breeder because i did not want the reaction you are giving.you are a jerk. that post was not helpful in ANY WAY |
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| nysirk21 |
| Posted 3/3/2008 1:05:39 AM |
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Active: 01-30-2008
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the first ingredient listed should be some type of meat also be aware that chicken by product means chicken leftovers chicken heads and chicken feet, instead of the good parts of the chicken,(wont kill them just kind of gross) the advance nutrition brands are the best if you don't mind paying the extra $ they have more nutrition in them so that the Dog will absorb more good stuff and poop less the advance formulas also help improve skin and coats conditions and you can buy them by dogs age puppy-senior and by size large breed/small breed or for problems sensitive stomach/sensitive skin/joint problems, I personally like the brand Nutro has all the good stuff and doesn't break my bank |
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| moggie |
| Posted 3/3/2008 8:11:11 AM |
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Active: 09-01-2005
Posts: 410
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which one is in question here?? you are getting ready to make a long life commitment...from a breeder of whom you are afraid to ask questions or one who has left you clueless??? what is wrong with this picture?? it is YOUR responsibility to obtain ANY and ALL information from the breeder of your choice..if you are not comfortable with asking the pertinent questions for the well being of your new puppy...maybe you are not mature enough to own at this time...you know..you might want to have someone else call and discuss things with her/him. many many questions need to be addressed..and aparently you are not up to it...here are some samples...hello, my name is*** i am interested in your*** puppy, which you have advertised on*** i would like to ask you some questions. how long have you been breeding this particular breed?? what can you tell me about the breed..would it be a good choice for my family giving the outline?? what will his/her size be?? is she/he a good example of the breed?? are there any faults?? what are some of the health concerns of this breed?? have you had any of these problems within your lines??have the Puppies had at least 2 vaccines and if so, were they given by your vet or by yourself??what are the Puppies eating and what do you suggest in the future?? could you explain the feeding schedule?? what is included in the price of this puppy?? health cetificate, registration, crate?? when should i take my new puppy to the vet and when are the next vaccines due?? what do you feel is the best way to housebreak?? do you have references from your veterinarian and prior buyers?? could i have 2 previous buyer contacts and the phone number of your vet?? how does the shipping work?? is there an additional fee or is it included in the price?? on and on!!
edited maoseger1010 |
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| PerfectPom |
| Posted 3/3/2008 10:28:33 AM |
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Active: 04-04-2007
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| Quote nysirk21: the first ingredient listed should be some type of meat also be aware that chicken by product means chicken leftovers chicken heads and chicken feet, instead of the good parts of the chicken,(wont kill... |
Nutro has corn and is not the greatest. |
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| maligirl1 |
| Posted 3/3/2008 10:42:43 AM |
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Active: 12-14-2007
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try blue buffalo or newmans own.newmans own does not make puppy food however.both organic and have the correct ingredients for your dog.good luck |
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| PerfectPom |
| Posted 3/3/2008 11:02:12 AM |
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Active: 04-04-2007
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Quote InLoVeWiThPuPpIeS:
How does a person decide what kind of food to feed their dog? Wet? Dry? Dry with water? Certain brand? It's like a child, so it should have what's best for it, no? Is this something to discuss... |
No I wouldn't bother discussing with a vet...they are either clueless or only promote what they sell. The best thing you can do imo, is to do a google search for organic/holistic Dog foods and read, read, read! A couple of good sites to get you started:
http://www.thepetfoodlist.com
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/family/dog-food/reviews.html which includes the site dogfoodanalysis.com. |
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| suebgone |
| Posted 3/3/2008 8:04:04 PM |
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Active: 01-10-2006
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| Quote nysirk21: the first ingredient listed should be some type of meat also be aware that chicken by product means chicken leftovers chicken heads and chicken feet, instead of the good parts of the chicken,(wont kill... |
the first ingredient should be a specific meat meal, such as lamb meal or chicken meal.
if it just says lamb - it is about 70% water. if it says lamb meal it has no water.
just to clarify - holistic & organic are not the same thing
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| kathystone |
| Posted 3/4/2008 4:30:23 AM |
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Active: 11-18-2007
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I always love to read when people bash Old Roy Dog food. Especially when "OLD ROY" is NOT made by Walmart. You see, when people buy Dog food they don't like to have any kibbles that look different. So, for example, when Eukanuba makes their Dog food kibbles and they are almost ready for processing, the kibbles are put through a screen that sorts out the too big/ too small ones. They go into a bag marked Old Roy high performance.SAME FOOD! When pedigree changed its appearance, did you notice Old Roy red bag changed it's appearance also? Guess what! SAME FOOD!
Sue is right about the first ingredient should be meat of some type. "Lamb Meal" is actually mutton meal as the lambs that are used are almost always the old broken down sheep with cancers etc.If you can stay away from poultry by products please do. The beaks, feathers and feet are not digestible asnd are in fact full of the hormones that the chickens are fed to get the great size in 8 short weeks.
There used to be a food on the market called show results. I think it was from back east somewhere. It was in about 1980 that I started to feed it. The first ingredient was meat meal then ground barley, animal fat and abunch of vegetables. I was showing Akitas at the time and it was one of the foods they would eat and not get allergies to. Anyone hear of It?
Good luck with the food dilemmas!!! |
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| Ilovekeeshonds |
| Posted 3/4/2008 12:47:57 PM |
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Active: 03-04-2008
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I have never looked at this forum before, but after reading several of the replies, I decided I should say something too! There is no need to be RUDE, not everyone is knowledgeable about what is involved with owning a puppy and I think it is OK to ask for
a SECOND OPINION or advise from others,
not knowing all the facts, I don't think it is nice to question if this person is READY for a puppy when she is asking for advice on different issues - its when someone isn't asking questions that concern me! Remember, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all!! |
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| maligirl1 |
| Posted 3/4/2008 1:06:53 PM |
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Active: 12-14-2007
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i don't think anyone was being especially rude.but the person in question is the same person to 2 postings.she says right in one of her posts that she doesn't want to bother the breeder anymore.if that breeder is reputable they will welcome any/all questions,if the breeder is reputable they won't make you feel like your imposing on them by asking questions,the breeder should welcome questions at least that way they will get an idea of who they are dealing with.if you are feeling pushed or uneasy about asking anymore questions of your breeder ,and they are making you feel that way.run don't walk from them.if they are on here asking alot of questions than maybe they are not ready for a puppy.asking is good but remember not everybody is going to agree with everything you say or the questions you ask. |
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| beaglebrat |
| Posted 3/4/2008 9:32:48 PM |
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Active: 05-01-2006
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Hey, here is another HUGE factor that no one has mentioned (or at least I didn't see).
It is VERY VERY important that OP knows what type Dog food that the breeder is CURRENTLY FEEDING. With the stress of moving to a new home, or really any time completely changing Dog foods all of a sudden is very taxing on a young puppy.
It can cause pretty severe vomiting and diarrhea. Some times new puppy owners think that their Dog is TRULY ILL when all they did was pick up a random bag of Dog food and poured it in a bowl.
Puppies MUST BE SWITCHED FROM Dog FOODS GRADUALLY!!!!! So even if the breeder was feeding Beniful or the worst of the worst, what ever it is, you need to at least buy a small bag so you can switch it over little by little for a week or little longer.
Start out 3/4 old food 1/4 new food for a few days. Then go 1/2 old 1/2 new for a few days. Then 1/4 old 3/4 new a few days, and then just new. |
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| moggie |
| Posted 3/5/2008 8:36:53 AM |
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Active: 09-01-2005
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 im sorry...i didnt think my post was rude...i am VERY serious about what i do and i am VERY serious about the health and well being of animals...if someone is not responsible enough to obtain the information they need to properly care for a new pet....then are they responsible enough to properly care for the pet?? if the breeder is unwilling to answer the pertinent questions about care...feeding...etc...then isnt is horribly irresponsible to continue dealing with this breeder?? i gave her the best advice i could give along with a long list of questions that definately NEED to be asked!! as far as asking the vet for advice on feeding...there is absolutely nothing wrong with that..yes they may promote what they sell..but i will guarantee you that it will be no better nor worse than any of the other suggestions on the posts since there are soooooooooo many opinions....as far as old roy goes...i woudnt feed it...how do you tell someone you feed old roy??? and once again...that is my opinion and nothing more....by the way...did anyone else offer her a helpful list of questions to ask a breeder before purchasing a puppy...how do you know she isnt dealing with a nigerian scam artist who hasnt a clue themselves about puppy care??.....could this be why she is clueless?? who knows...but one thing i do know...if she follows my instructions and asks the questions i outlined for her and calls the vet for a breeder reference along with a couple of former buyers...she will definately be headed in a better direction.... |
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| moggie |
| Posted 3/5/2008 8:37:00 AM |
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Active: 09-01-2005
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edited double post maoseger1010 |
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| moggie |
| Posted 3/5/2008 8:37:07 AM |
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Active: 09-01-2005
Posts: 410
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edited maoseger1010 |
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| PerfectPom |
| Posted 3/5/2008 11:10:48 AM |
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Active: 04-04-2007
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| Quote moggie: edited maoseger1010 |
You're right getting a vet and previous buyers references along with a list of questions to ask a breeder(always outlined in many Dog books I have seen)would be a good way to ensure you find someone reputable. Making some calls to breeders myself I could rule some out by the way they responded to the first question I asked.  |
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| ccrper |
| Posted 3/7/2008 11:11:40 AM |
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Active: 10-22-2007
Posts: 44
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Very interesting discussion.My experience is that it is a constant challenge as the dogs grow. They will stop eating what they have been eating and you have to add or subtract to get them eating again. We have been lucky with our present Dog whom seems to eat most anything with minor changes but we have had dogs like I said with constant changing habits. Our rule of thumb is their health, if healthy then we are doing it correctly. Remmember that dogs have days when they don't feel like eating just like us.
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