There is a large debate over what is appropriate to feed our dogs - a home prepared diet or a commercially manufactured diet. While the notion of cooking for your dog gives a sense of wholesomeness, it is to be approached with great caution. Home prepared diets can be very nutritious if prepared using a recipe book such as "Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: the Healthful Alternative" by Donald R. Strombeck, DVM. This book contains many great recipes for your dog that are fully balanced.
Fortunately for those of us who choose not to cook for our dogs, there are many great commercially manufactured diets. Iams, Eukanuba, Hills, Purina, Nutro and Royal Canin are reputable companies (as are many others). The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is the organization that dictates what nutrients should be in our pet foods. On the bag, can, or pouch of food will be an AAFCO statement that tells you what life stage the food is appropriate for. Any food that has an AAFCO statement appropriate for your dog's stage of life is ok to feed your otherwise healthy pet.
One other type of diet for your dog is the so called "BARF" diet. This is a bones and raw food diet. Many veterinarians do not suggest feeding this type of food because it is a raw food product that can easily grow salmonella, E. Coli, and other bacteria that are dangerous to your pet.
Before changing your pet's food, it is important to talk with your veterinarian about your decision. He or she can help you choose an appropriate diet and will be able to discuss the pros and cons of feeding a commercially prepared diet versus a home prepared diet.
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3 comments:
Hi Jenn,
What are the health risks for dogs swimming in lakes, rivers and creeks?
With the opening of Bow Wow Beach there has been concern over dogs swimming in water where many dogs are pooping in the water daily.
I know that some algae can be dealdy to animals and people. How do we know which waters are safe for our dogs?
Jean
That's a great question Jean. I've been wondering the same thing. When we were at Bow Wow Beach, I just kept offering Poppy clean water to (hopefully) eliminate the temptation to drink from the lake, but even if they don't drink it, I'd think there could be other risks posed by high bacteria count, parasites, etc. My guess is that, as creatures of habit, most dogs wouldn't choose to eliminate in the water, but who knows? Even if they don't, I'm sure some will have stepped in it and tracked it into the lake. It's such a great experience for the dogs that I'm hoping the benefits outweight the risks.
I have to say I'm a bit disappointed not to see anything on the differences in "commercially produced" foods. There is a huge difference in the quality between something like Ol' Roy and Royal Canine even if all of them are approved by AAFCO. The amount of fillers and quality/quantity of meats play a large difference in nutrition.
I also find exploring holistic options to be one of the best approaches (such as Innova and Canidae). Kibble produced with human grade ingredients, higher meat content, pro-biotics, zero grains, no fillers, and other quality foods has a huge benefit above most "premium food" brands around. It is far easier on dogs with allergies and often help soothe chronic skin and digestive issues. It may cost a bit more but often saves on vet bills.
Patches started on Science Diet (technically a "premium brand") and had bad skin issues and loose stools, Her situation was similar when changed to Euk. Patches showed improvement when changed to Blue Buffalo (a holistic brand available at Petsmarts) but it doing great now on the Innova adult food.
Also, Innova Evo is also a nice alternative to the BARF diet's raw food handling issue.
I hope you will elaborate on this in a future entry in your blog.
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