Odd Question for Dog Owners

We get our dogfood from http://www.healthypetnet.com/Healthypetnet/home.aspx?real...= . The dogs love it and it's real healthy for them. Plus, it gets automatically withdrawn from my bank account monthly and delivered to my door, so I never have to think about getting dogfood.

I haven't tried it personally, but Rachael Ray has her own dog food recipies - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food-network-specials/rachael-....

Labs also have a tendency towards bad hips, so talk to your vet about joint supplements such as glusocamine chondroitin.

PS - not an odd question at all! You're a great doggy mama!

Honestly, I never found a huge difference with my cats or dogs in this respect and I did try the organic/natural dog foods. BUT, those can actually be worse because some of them have more wheat and that is not very healthy for dogs, cats (or humans) and I honestly think some of those foods were the cause of one of my cat's liver disease.

I have friends that have had really good luck giving their dog supplements for the joint pain/inflammation. KVPet has quite a few. My breeder also recommends the Petsaver vitamin product - one dog that I got from her is outrageously healthy for the breed - she had 7 healthy puppies and delivered them naturally when typically corgis need c-sections. And, she actually recommends the chicken dog food that you can buy at Sam's. I've also heard of several vets that actually recommend the Walmart brand. If you read the labels these products are equivalent to the specialty brands. That all said, there are exceptions. I had a cat that had severe liver disease and the Science Diet KD formula helped her tremendously. However, one of the reasons I don't think these special foods work well in all cases is that her brother was on the same food for the past 6 years and he just died from kidney failure a few months ago. So, I really think that most of the pet foods are designed to met the nutritional demands of our pets and since they don't typically (or shouldn't) get junk food (which is why many Americans develop health problems), they really are on a fairly optimal diet.

I agree with the responses on the table food and as far as making your own food, you do need to be careful that you have the right balance of protein and not too much grain.

In the end, I think our pets, like humans have a certain life expectancy and the best thing we can do is to keep the comfortable in their old age - i.e., I don't think food is the big contributor at this point. Indeed, it's very well known that it's the quality of food that pets and people get during their growth years that makes a huge difference in long term healthiness and lifespan and health obviously are largely influenced by genetics and biology - i.e., big dogs have shorter lifespans than small dogs, etc.

Good luck and you are very kind to be so thoughtful about this issue.

Hi Daisy,
I am sure that from all the responses that you got you are maybe even more confused. I do nutritional consulting for my pet sitting clients. One of the foods recommended was Flint River Ranch I looked up the food and the first ingredient on the Senior Food is wheat which is a grain. Labs are fairly big dogs with a deep chest so grain is NOT what you want to see as a first ingredient you want to see a protein souce such as chicken, bison, vension, duck or turkey. The reason is food stays in a dogs system for 16-18 hrs and as it sits there starts to frement when a dog is active it raises the dogs temp which can cause the frementation process to speed up which can cause bloat a very serious condition. Not always but it can happen. I recommend to my client a grain free food. There are several really good ones on the market that I would be happy to share with you. I also work with a superior company for joint health as well as digestive health products. Please feel free to get in touch with me. My name is T. Hunter and my number is ###-###-####

We use Science Diet (the have an all-natural Nature's Best line, but we use the regular line). Our last mini schnauser lived to 15 and had excellent health (and teeth) throughout his lifetime. The vet was always amazed at how well he was doing. We now use it for both our cat and new dog.

Also, we NEVER feed our animals table scraps. Not only does it eliminate issues with begging at the table, it's really much healthier for the animal. We buy them occasional treats and chew bones, so they get something special - and healthy.

Good luck!

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Daisy,
Be careful and change the diet slowly. It can be hard on a dog to switch foods.

Flint River Ranch Pet Food
Dedicated to the holistic well being of your beloved family companions! *FREE HOME DELIVERY*
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we have found our best bet to be the eukanuba natural choice lamb and rice(we use weight reduction, though we prob don't need to)... NONE of our dogs have been "sick" in the three years that we've had them on that food. our 14yo just went to the vet recently to have a geriatric panel run, and the vet was SHOCKED that in four pages of lab values, they were ALL perfect :) we also don't feed people food, they don't get treats but maybe twice a month(and then only hard treats, no beggin strips or things of that nature). we walk our dogs twice a day, yes, that's a lot, and yes, we have three kids, one of which is a newborn, but we do make time for those walks. i think a healthy diet is very important, but honestly, i think the walking on a leash at a quick pace twice daily is the single most important thing that is keep all four of my dogs healhty. good luck!

After a lot of research, we decided to feed our 2 yellow lab puppies Natural Ultramix made by Castor and Pollux. It is all natural and real chicken is the #1 ingredient. It also contains fruit, veggies, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Our labs go crazy for it and we feel good that they are getting the best nutrition possible. (Avoid giving your dogs food that contains wheat, corn, or any by-products). You can get it @ Petco, and sometimes they have $2 off coupons on the bags or great sales. (We stocked up when the 15 lb bags were $10 off!!!) Also, after you purchase 10 bags, you get one free! Look it up on www.Petco.com to read the ingredients as well as reviews from other pet owners. I just remembered that Sprouts does carry this brand, too. Go to www.CastorPolluxPet.com to see all of their natural and organic pet products. You and your four-legged friends won't be disappointed:)

My mother makes her own dog food mostly because one of her dogs has a very sensitive stomach. Her recipe consists of many different types of beans that she just cooks in a crock pot all day, ground turkey (it is much easier for them to digest and has a much lower fat content) and she cooks frozen veggies (I believe she uses green beans and Carrots). I will tell you that if you choose to make your own it is extreemly time consuming and you will have to do it at least once a week. Good luck

We use Flint River Ranch, our dogs (all 4) love it, they won't eat any other dog food. http://www.flintriver.com/