what do you feed and why

[tanya1]

what and how do you feed your dogs and why do you use what you use?

i feed raw chicken wings as breakfast, also cleans teeth!
evenings they have cooked chicken/beef mince with rice or pasta with a dog mixer added, also garlic is added

on the days they dont have chicken wings they get sardines or pilchards in oil or raw tripe with small amount of mixer, i think my dogs have very shiny healthy coats and very good teeth

whats your views?

[Johnny]

Our two are fed around "Pets at Home" dried food, with variations added to it (as described below). We've found this food to be very good for our two. It has a high chicken (or meat) content, and provides the other essential vitamins and minerals needed.

We ended up on this particular type of dried food, following a series of problems we had with Star - tinned dog food (which made him hyperactive and scatty), Hills Science diet (too rich, and which gave him diarrhea) and Purina (quite good, and heading in the right direction).
Since June last year, we have been feeding "Pets at Home" dried food, mixed with a little hot water (allowed to cool a little before feeding).
In the mornings I add a variety of grated carrot, parsnip, sprouts, apple or brocolli to it, and a tiny-weeny drop of virgin olive oil.
The reason behind feeding grated vegetables, is that they are very good source of enzymes which help with the digestion of food. In actual fact, in the wild, a wolf pack will eat the gut of their prey first. Although this sounds disgusting, scientists believe that they do this to absorb the prey animal's digestive enzymes, which assists with their own digestion. I remember studying enzymes when I was at school, and I know they important, and have several health benefit.
Freshly grated carrots are an excellent source of dietry enzymes - both for humans and for dogs.
On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, the dried food part of their meal is replaced by Tuna or Mackerel. They go absolutely potty about fish - perhaps they were cats in a former life!

So, as you can see - we probably feed a rather bizarre mix of stuff to our two, but they seem to do OK on it, and they never leave a single morsal. The vets always say that they are in very good health, so we're quite happy to keep them on this diet.

[cathy]

Tiggs came to me from the NASA Trust rescue kennels where he had been fed standard greyhound maintenance food mixed with pilchards. Although an ex-racer, he had also been owned by gipsies so I suspect he had been fed varied diets in his time. After 6 months we have established a balanced menu which he eats in preference to tinned or normal processed dog food and which seems to keep him happy and healthy.

He has a large cupful of Wafcol Greyhound Maintence twice a day - simply because it is cheap to buy, he's used to it and it contains all the vitamins and minerals he needs. This is mixed with minced beef or equivalent meat or chicken (about 150 grm per day) to give some extra flavour. Since I don't have access to a friendly butcher, I buy 'basic' meat in bulk from the supermarket when it is on offer, cook it and then freeze it in individual bags. Once a week I give him a few spoonfuls of tuna in sunflower oil instead of meat. Nasa told me not to give him fish in oil, but it doesn't seem to harm him and he prefers it to pilchards in brine or tomato sauce! His evening meal is supplemented with a few left-overs from our 'human' dinner as a special treat, and I always cook a few extra green vegetables which he seems to enjoy.

During the day he has a 'Dentastix', a pig's ear, and one or two sausages. I was buying dried sausages from pet shops at 20p each until I discovered Sainsbury's sold a pack of 8 'basic' sausages for 45p!!! Cooked and frozen, they make an ideal 'treat' when defrosted. And he has two cups of tea a day - complete with milk and sugar! All my dogs in the past have had their daily cuppa. It is said tea enhances the coat and, certainly, Tiggs' dandruff cleared up soon after he arrived!

I wonder, though, if anyone else has a greyhound who raids their herb-bed? Since the day he arrived Tiggs has eaten grass and other plants regulalrly. His favourite seem to be borrage, margoram and marrigold. He eats most of the green vegetables I dish up with his dinner, but it seems he can't get enough herbage.

Also, it is said greyhounds are born thieves, but have you ever known one steal whiskey out of a glass!!! I have to keep all alcohol out of reach these days or I may have an alcoholic dog on my hands!

[Johnny]

I don't know about whisky, but our Star is a real lover of lapping beer if he can get it!

[Sara]

I'm keeping my whisky hidden up in future..

[cathy]

Tiggy was born in Limmerick, hence whiskey in preference to whisky! By the way, the only water he will drink is the obnoxious concoction in the bird bath.

[Tracey]

We feed our little Meg with 'Wainwright's' this has all the nutrients required I believe. Although after reading these comments I now realise that we are depriving the poor little girl as we don't feed her anything else, only the vegetables which the children leave. Of course, she gets whatever she can steal when the opportunity arises!! like aftereights, kids packed lunches, anything out of the fruit basket and she spends ages picking the 'Wild' birdseed out of the lawn which I've thrown out for them. Washed down with the birdbath water too. She gets regular vitamin treats during the day and dental chews. She Never has an upset tummy and no skin complaints so it can't be too bad hey !!

[sarahjayne]

Jack and Abi get fed on Pero Gold. It's a complete food but I mix in various treats/leftovers like rice and pasta, and plenty of vegetables. It seems to keep them looking good and at the right weight and they haven't got bored of it...... yet.

They probably will now I've posted this!

My first dog Fred would steal beer and tea whenever he could. He once started drinking a big burly bikers beer at a bike show I was at. I was horrified but (thank goodness) the biker loved dogs and didn't seem to mind. Phew! I was kinda proud as it was Newcastle Brown Ale and being of Geordie descent and having lived in Newcastle I was impressed with his choice!!