What to feed your dog?

"Cooking for your dog? Those people must be crazy and have a lot of time on their hands." Is actually something I used to say whenever I heard of people that prepared meals for their dogs. Apparently now I am one of them. But I am one of them for a very good reason !

I want to start the category "Recipes" off with a post on general dog nutrition and where you can find very valuable information.

Food brands:
Ever since working with dogs and people that own dogs, I have figured out more and more how crappy most commercial dog food brands really are. It appears that the rule is: the more you see it on TV, the more you want to stay away from it. Brands such as Eukanuba, Science Diet and Pedigree (especially Pedigree) are basically rated average, below average and crappiest food you can give your dog, you might as well feed him/her dirt, respectively... Forget them all. If your vet recommends them, it is probably because they are getting paid to do so. Seriously, if your vet actually recommends Hill's Science Diet, grab your dog and run. I cannot believe how much this crappy food is being recommended and sold here, considering what is in it. And a word on Pedigree, I am sad how downhill this company has gone. It used to be one of the better brands but in the last 10 years they have become one of the crappiest dog foods out there.

If you are currently wondering about your brand of dog food, here is a very good website where you can check: Dog Food Advisors - they bring out very detailed and unbiased data sheets of ingredients in dog food brands and give them a rating depending on these ingredients. AWESOME !

If you are trying to find a food brand for your dog, think of these things: Lots of meat, few grains (dogs aren't supposed to eat grains after all), NO Corn (dogs cannot digest it and corn has been linked to joint swellings, bloat, allergies - however you will see it a lot as it is a very cheap filler...). And a big tip for meat: if it just says "meat" but doesn't specify which, stay away from it.

Just look at the ingredients and think "would I eat this" - if the answer is no, you should not buy the food (or consider asking someone that isn't as picky with food as you may be). I have tried dog food and dog treats. They just taste bland, but I would never try something from Pedigree as it is not even considered human-grade food... You want to give your dog human-grade food and nothing less. Here are some good tips on pet nutrition.

One thing I want to touch upon is the new fab of a pure raw diet. I am personally not a fan of it because I do not believe that dogs are supposed to be carnivores, they are omnivores and considering how long they have been living with us and eating basically anything we give them I do not believe it to be a good idea to suddenly switch their diet to complete raw again. According to some vets I have talked to there have also been a rise in diseases and ailments that can come up due to a raw diet.

In any case, my tip is just go through that list of dog foods and see which ones are graded better and get that kibble. You can always cook up tings on the side. For example our current dog, Odette, is just about 6 months old and weighs about 6kg. This means that she should be eating give or take 1 1/2 cups a day. She is currently getting kibble, Acana for puppies to be exact. It is very important to give your puppy special kibble as it has all the nutrients your puppy needs to grow - you can also cook it yourself, but finding all nutrients and combining them can be a whole lot of work. Along with the kibble Odette only gets raw meat or the occasional "mommy-cooked-for-me" food; recipes will follow on this blog with the special label "Recipes".

Treats
What treats to give your dog... This might turn into a bit of a rant... Let's consider one of the most often bought and treated things that exists: Rawhide. Rawhide is made from cow or horse hide and sold, basically everywhere.

• First problem: Some rawhide is bleached. Just consider what rawhide looks like, I have seen some very white and some quite yellow if not even brown ones. Would you eat bleached items (well, we do in the case of white flour and such), but seriously ask yourself the question, because I would prefer not to eat bleached food. 
• Second problem: Rawhide is not actually considered a food item ! That is why you may often not find a label with ingredients on it, and they can be quite ugly ! Toxins (such as arsenic and mercury) have been found in rawhide and also salmonella bacteria. Again, would you want to eat something you know contains arsenic ? I definitely would not. 
• Third problem: Dogs cannot actually digest rawhide. This can lead to bloating, diarrhea and blockages that can even lead to death. In a lot of cases the vet has to end up removing it from the dogs stomach. 
• Fourth problem: Dogs can rip off big pieces that can lead to chocking. 
• Fifth problem: Because rawhide gets all soggy and wet after getting chewed on for a while, it is the perfect breeding ground for other bacteria. 

DO I NEED TO SAY MORE ?! I would never eat rawhide, nor am I ever going to buy this again for my dogs. I never knew about all these problems myself, until I did the research on it, and that is (in my opinion) very effed up - that there are no warning labels about this on rawhide items.

Now, what can you give your dog ? Some of the problems mentioned above can also be seen with natural treats (such as pig ears), but very good treats for your dog include raw, meaty bones, even though a lot of people will tell you never to give your dog bones... What do you think they ate in the wild ? As long as the bones are not cooked, you should be fine - if you are not sure, talk to your vet instead of listening to people that pretend as if they know what they are talking about (which includes me...). Other than that my dog loves bull wrinkle which is just dried flesh if you don't like giving your dog bones (it's a bull's penis, in case you were wondering,... smells awful, but the pup loves it). Deer antlers which are very durable and will last you a while. Kongs with peanut butter - peanut butter is completely natural, so it is something you can give your dog without wondering if they'll have any issues with it. Just smear some inside a kong and your dog will be at it, possibly for hours.


I hope this post cleared up some issues about certain dog food and treats and that I was able to help you make a more informed decision on what to get your dog. Please feel free to post any comments, especially if you disagree with something I have said, I would love to read your opinion.