- Joined
- Jan 31, 2022
- Messages
- 473
I recently adopted a dog from the local shelter. She's a lab mix, about 8 years old, and a real sweetheart though a total goofball. Her name is Katie.
My last dog, Mattie, was the best dog in the whole world. She was a lab/husky mix and lived 14 years. I always felt bad, believing that feeding her commercial dog food contributed to her health problems toward the end of her life.
So when I took Katie in for her first vet appointment last week, I asked about recipes for home-made dog food.
The vet assistant was kind, but a bit patronizing and spent a lot of time explaining to me that commercial dog food is best, and it's the only way to make sure the dog is getting all the nutrients they need. I could tell her mind was made up, so just smiled and nodded.
But the more I think about it, the more I think that's a load of hooey.
How many hundreds of years did we have dogs before there was such a thing as commercial dog food?
Even as a kid I remember our dog being fed the scraps from our suppers, including the bones. We didn't buy dog food.
The dogs survived, didn't they? Why should burnt little crunchy nuggets of who knows what be necessary?
So for now, I'm doing research, (home-made dog food recipes on the web range from odd to complicated!) and in the meantime I'm using a dry dog food that is supposed to be grain and dye free, and I'm mixing in an equal amount of home-canned venison or chicken, pumpkin, and sometimes an egg. Katie actually won't eat just the dry food alone.
What do y'all feed your dogs?
Do you believe in commercial dog food, or do you make your own?
Any advice, natural food recipes, experiences?
I'd appreciate the input - and I think Katie will too!
My last dog, Mattie, was the best dog in the whole world. She was a lab/husky mix and lived 14 years. I always felt bad, believing that feeding her commercial dog food contributed to her health problems toward the end of her life.
So when I took Katie in for her first vet appointment last week, I asked about recipes for home-made dog food.
The vet assistant was kind, but a bit patronizing and spent a lot of time explaining to me that commercial dog food is best, and it's the only way to make sure the dog is getting all the nutrients they need. I could tell her mind was made up, so just smiled and nodded.
But the more I think about it, the more I think that's a load of hooey.
How many hundreds of years did we have dogs before there was such a thing as commercial dog food?
Even as a kid I remember our dog being fed the scraps from our suppers, including the bones. We didn't buy dog food.
The dogs survived, didn't they? Why should burnt little crunchy nuggets of who knows what be necessary?
So for now, I'm doing research, (home-made dog food recipes on the web range from odd to complicated!) and in the meantime I'm using a dry dog food that is supposed to be grain and dye free, and I'm mixing in an equal amount of home-canned venison or chicken, pumpkin, and sometimes an egg. Katie actually won't eat just the dry food alone.
What do y'all feed your dogs?
Do you believe in commercial dog food, or do you make your own?
Any advice, natural food recipes, experiences?
I'd appreciate the input - and I think Katie will too!