Dog Food

[Jabiru]

High protein kibble is not good for older dogs or non working dogs. We make a dog stew using a pressure cooker, plenty of moisture, tasty and damn good for them. Our dogs are 13 and healthy.

Stew is water, chicken stock, chicken, beef mince, plain sausages, pumpkin and soup mix vegetables. When cooked I slightly mash it, put in containers and freeze.

 

[GaryHibbert]

For 12 years now, I'be been making what I call dog stew--no dog meat included. LOL
I cook up a batch including either pork, beef, or poultry, mixed with celery, carrots, and any left over veggies (frozen), and either beef or chicken broth. The meat is from trimmings, butchering (all remaining meat on the bones is removed and frozen), and leftovers too small to make a meal. I also boil all the bones and make bone broth that gels beautifully and freezes perfectly.
My old hound Roxy is now pushing 13, and doing great on her diet of 2 cups of dry dog food and a generous addition of the stew, with meat, veggies, and broth added and mixed well with the dry stuff. Omega and glucosamine with condriton are added to each meal. After supper, there is always enough of everything left on my plate for her "after supper treat".
She, too, gets tired of the same old/same old, so I rotate the flavor and meat stews every couple of weeks.
It's extra work for me, but I don't begrudge that at all. I just look at my old friend, and keep cooking.
Gary

 

[DRKsmoking]

but I don't begrudge that at all. I just look at my old friend, and keep cooking.

Here Here Gary
Could not have said it better,

They give unconditional love , and happy just to be with you and a pat and a kiss.

David

 

[801driver]

Like others here I mix up eithor a couple pounds of fried ground beef or chicken, I also will buy a turkey that are on sale after the holidays to keep in the freezer for cooking and putting in dog food. Couple of boiled potatoes cubed up, 1-1/2 cup rice, couple squares of cornbread, can of sliced carrots, can of cut green beans, can of peas, sometimes a can of pumpkin, beef broth to get it to the right consistency. I freeze it up in cottage cheese containers. I do give them some dry to chomp on if they want on the side and this wet mixture. They can choose what they like. My dogs have a shiny coats and pretty healthy overall. My mostly rat terrier is going on 17 and yes has some health problems and sleeps a lot, but not bad for an old dog. He still smiles when I rub him.

 

[forktender]

Maybe try a soft canned food, maybe getting to the point where she has sensitive teeth and hard food hurts to chew? Just a thought. . .

This is most likely what is going on, Brian, dogs just don't stop eating what they have been good about eating for no reason.

 

[gmc2003]

A friend of mines dog had some nasty allergies to dog food. So he started a raw chicken diet for his dogs. He gets broken down chicken spines from a local butcher once a month and freezes them. Then he'll feed them to each dogs daily. He also picks up the chicken gizzards and other organs and feeds them to the dogs. In the 10 years or so that he's been feeding his dogs this way. Not one has had any major health issues. BTW he gives them the raw bones and all.

Chris

Edit: If you give your dog animal bones make sure that they're raw. Cooked bones can splinter and cause gum and gastric issues.

 

[sandyut]

late to the party, but we use taste of the wild and our guys love all the flavors. Fromm is high quality bust pretty spendy.

Have you tried talking to a local specialty dog/cat food store? Most here will let you return unused bags if the dog doesn't like it.

I also recommend checking out this site . its enlightening to see how food is rated.

Good luck my friend.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

A friend of mines dog had some nasty allergies to dog food. So he started a raw chicken diet for his dogs. He gets broken down chicken spines from a local butcher once a month and freezes them. Then he'll feed them to each dogs daily. He also picks up the chicken gizzards and other organs and feeds them to the dogs. In the 10 years or so that he's been feeding his dogs this way. Not one has had any major health issues. BTW he gives them the raw bones and all.

Chris

Edit: If you give your dog animal bones make sure that they're raw. Cooked bones can splinter and cause gum and gastric issues.

Raw meat is very good for dogs and I feed mine raw chicken and pork quite often. There was a time when I'd feed them raw chicken wings, but not with the price they are now. My oldest dog has lost quite a few teeth so no bones for him. There's some interesting reading out there about what feeding dogs an almost exclusive diet of dry food has done to their stomach chemistry, specifically pH. A dog's stomach pH should be real acidic, but their mostly dry food diet these days has raised it to a neutral pH. A simple interweb search for "dog's stomach pH" returns a lot of info.

Definitely no cooked bones of any kind...

 

[chp]

Gretchen been getting picky about eating kibble. She just turned 11 which is pretty old for a GSD. She is hungry but does not want it. Having to add stuff and that working good now. The last food got was Rachael Ray. I am thinking of trying ORIJEN Senior Grain Free High Protein Fresh & Raw Animal Ingredients Dry Dog Food. Pricy buy if works I don't mind. Any suggestions would be welcome.

We also have GSDs and switched to a raw a number of years ago. Also issues with teeth on our older girl. We use a Titan (Ross-Wells in Wisconsin) product which is a complete raw formulation that we get through a local co-op. Price is not much different than a decent kibble. Happy to provide more details.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

We use a Titan (Ross-Wells in Wisconsin)

I was looking at that. How much do you feed?

 

[chp]

I was looking at that. How much do you feed?

Our younger one gets 2 lbs/day and the older girl, about 1.5 lbs/day. I would think you would have a co-op in your area. Ours does delivery 1x/month, so it means freezer space, but a big benefit in price.

 

[paulgeorge]

For 12 years now, I'be been making what I call dog stew--no dog meat included. LOL
I cook up a batch including either pork, beef, or poultry, mixed with celery, carrots, and any left over veggies (frozen), and either beef or chicken broth. The meat is from trimmings, butchering (all remaining meat on the bones is removed and frozen), and leftovers too small to make a meal. I also boil all the bones and make bone broth that gels beautifully and freezes perfectly.
My old hound Roxy is now pushing 13, and doing great on her diet of 2 cups of dry dog food and a generous addition of the stew, with meat, veggies, and broth added and mixed well with the dry stuff. Omega and glucosamine with condriton are added to each meal. After supper, there is always enough of everything left on my plate for her "after supper treat".
She, too, gets tired of the same old/same old, so I rotate the flavor and meat stews every couple of weeks.
It's extra work for me, but I don't begrudge that at all for german shepherd and husky mix. I just look at my old friend, and keep cooking.
Gary

Hi, What do you think is the best dry dog food? Right now I'm using Iams but I don't know if that is the best.

 

[gmc2003]

We use to use Purina Pro plan, but that was a few years ago.

Chris

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

When I started Gretchen on ORIJEN Grain Free she did so much better! It is expensive but cheaper than all those vet bills and a bag last pretty long. Just fed her about 2 cups a day.

 

[sandyut]

We recent switched to Taste Of The Wild Ancient Grain. Dogs are doing good on it. Vet Suggested both guys loose some weight, so we cut dowe on the dog food and added frozen green beans (thawed) in the morning and raw egg at night. Less calories but still fills them up. They love it. We’ll see if they loose any weight in a couple months.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

We're now feeding her Farmer Dog. Really stinks up the house but the dog is maintaining a proper weight and really loves it.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

We also have GSDs and switched to a raw a number of years ago. Also issues with teeth on our older girl. We use a Titan (Ross-Wells in Wisconsin) product which is a complete raw formulation that we get through a local co-op. Price is not much different than a decent kibble. Happy to provide more details. View attachment 512667

GS dogs always make me laugh when I see them. I understand what characters they are. Always need to be acknowledged too.

 

[Winterrider]

We did Iams for Black Lab as recommended by the dog breeder. When she passed, with the other dogs, Taste of Wild Sierra Mountain

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I've switched. This is the kibble mine eat along with the homemade I make. After researching Dilated Cardiomyopathy, DCM, I'm not too certain about a grain free diet anymore...

 

[sandyut]

I've switched. This is the kibble mine eat along with the homemade I make. After researching Dilated Cardiomyopathy, DCM, I'm not too certain about a grain free diet anymore...
View attachment 688213

The DCM debate is a rabbit hole I have stop reading about…. Vets are not really taking a stand, but they do say “good grains” are good. No corn And less BS.

we rotate the protein of the Ancient grains TOTW. There are 4 different ones, so we rotate those, or whatever they have in stock when we go for a buy.