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Donna also mentioned that she is shocked that people could blindly feed their dogs commercial foods. Well I feel that over the years the public has been brainwashed into believing commercial foods are the healthiest way to feed our pets. A lot of money is spent on advertising in order to get their point across that "people" food is bad for pets. I think the tainted pet food problem was a good wakeup call for a lot of us, myself included.
Like Donna says, we need to do our homework to insure that we our feeding our pets what is best for them. That can vary tremendously from breed to breed. So that is something to consider and research. There are websites that provide valuable information on this subject.
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RSO and Dietary Changes
★★★★★
Satin Balls
★★★★★
EC: Here's one link to a recipe: http://www.holisticdog.org/Nutrition/Satinballs/satinballs.html
Apparently these satin balls put weight on a dog very quickly, as well as getting their coats nice and healthy!
Snorting Food
The problem is his tendency to eat/attack his meals with so much gusto that he makes snorting noises and often chokes on his food. The food goes up his nose and he blows or spits it out once or twice. Afterwards he often makes long and loud snorts in and out as if food is stuck up his nostrils, then he flicks/lick his nose area and his bedding until there is a huge wet spot. He acts panicky and I try to massage his nose outwardly hoping to help dislodge the food. Is there anything I can do to help him? Could I use a baby's bulb syringe?
(Sydney, Australia)
01/21/2015
(Mpls., Mn)
01/21/2015
Hey Asdzaan!
I agree that your dog may be eating too fast - wolfing his food down and getting some into his sinuses. There are ways to slow him down - food cubes where he has to work one piece of kibble out at a time to eat, the muffin pan idea is excellent as well. You might also consider hand feeding him; make him work for each piece of kibble by doing a sit/stay - down/stay - come - heel, etc. Hand feeding each piece of kibble goes a long way at creating a very obedient dog to boot!
Vegan Diet
A Vegan diet is best. Does anyone have an opinion?
(Madison)
12/26/2022
I disagree. Look at canine teeth and you will know what sort of food they are meant to eat. They tear meat off a carcass and swallow it whole. In nature, you rarely see a dog eating spinach or green beans, although I had a malamute who ate strawberries. Vegan is not normal for dogs, in my opinion. Do your own thing, though, and good luck.
(Eu/Can)
12/27/2022
Well I must disagree with you. A dog is not designed for veganism, nor is their acids, teeth, jaws, digestive tract, bowels etc.
Our dog lived 13.5 years, just passed last month and lived a long life for a large dog.
We had a really good vet the last 3 years here in Eu, and the owner said that animals should live much longer than they are if people would do 2 things. 1, not get them vaccinated and 2, feed them properly.
Pet vaccinations are unnecessary, other than the first rabies shot. He has tested animals for many years and in doing titer tests found that after their first rabies shots, 99 percent of dogs keep antibodies in the system their entire life. You do not need yearly or bi yearly or any other shots. As for lepto, parvo and all those other shots, they are not needed. In fact the unvaccinated dogs he deals with live longer and have less health problems.
The diet is another he is adamant about. Why do dogs have the digestive system that they do? They have acids that break down things we cant. They can drink ditch water, mud water, eat bad food, eat bone, skin, hair, etc and not get sick, but get nutrition from it. Then, they have these things called canine teeth! You know the long ones! And if you look at the rest of their teeth, they are not at all like yours and mine. They are all serrated. Each and every one of them. You think thats for veggies or tofu?
Now, of course you can feed dogs and other animals vegetables. Our dog loved cooked carrots, raw peppers, cucumbers, potatoes etc. He ate them daily, but...they need a level of animal protein that is required to keep their carnivore body in balance.
Where you got that vegan dogs live longer is not true. There is no literature that shows anything other than a natural diet (for them in nature) is the diet that keeps them living long and healthy.
Belief that all things must be vegan is incorrect.
Not even humans should be vegan. We are omnivores. We need both. We in our history are hunters and gatherers. We have the same digestive system as a bear which is an omnivore as well. We do not have a cow system, nor a dog system.
Preaching one diet over another is dangerous.
(Texas)
12/27/2022
★★★★★
I was experimenting one day to make vegan burgers from lentils, germinated lentils, barley and sprouted barley because the combination provides all 9 essential amino acids. While the mix was on the stove both the cat and dog started begging. They never begged for lentils or barley cooking before I came up with that combination. BTW - tasted good but made into patties it stuck to the pan. So fail on one count but success on a different.
(TX)
12/27/2022
I am a VEGAN, and believe wholeheartedly in Vegan Diet for Dogs👍
Tamara
Animal Advocate🌱🐾
"The Longest Living Vegan Dog Bramble was a Border Collie who was recognized as the oldest living dog by the Guinness World Records. Bramble was born on April 10,1981 and lived to be 27 years old." Vegan Dogs May Live Long…
(EU/Canada)
12/28/2022
★☆☆☆☆
Of course they were interested. How often do dogs not notice smells like something cooking?
Many times my dog was interested as well, but either turned down when offered, or ate it.
No one says dogs can't eat or enjoy veggies, beans, lentils, or any other food. But they can not sustain on it. Whether containing all 9 aminos or not. Animals, or rather Carnivores are not designed that way, and you do more harm than good.
Also, science has proved that just because something provides all essential amino acids does not mean it is sufficient as there is a difference in animal and plant protein. There are good free articles on NCBI or National Library of Medicine on this topic.
I am not knocking a vegan diet per se, but it can not comprise of the complete diet. There must be some animal protein in there. There are enough studies out there now that show this to be true.
(Eu/Canada)
12/28/2022
Well I read the article you included, and it uses the word 'may' quite a lot. The fact that there have been only a few studies as the article admits on vegan diet for dogs, is telling.
Also, the longest living dog was attributed to many many factors, not diet alone. Genes play a huge part in any lifespan. Exercise, proper diet, love, genetics, lifestyle (city/farm) etc. To pick one of these and say it's the reason is illogical.
I believe that every living thing must be raised according to its place in our ecosystem. Every living thing should be raised as it would in nature or the wild. Not at the whim of fad diets related to humans, or the emotional connection people have with animals, therefore refuse to partake in their consumption.
I see the connection, and I respect your individual choice no to eat this or that food. I believe humans in general are on a downfall as it is. Obesity is over 40 percent in Canada and the US, 60 percent plus are pre or diabetic, and overweight/out of shape. We have failed to take our health and make it our priority. A vegan diet may work for some, but not for others.
But...if you truly love animals as I do, why would you not feed them as they would in nature. You can love, cuddle, talk to, walk, go for car rides, provide toys and mental stimulation, give that animal everything and more to make his/her life happy and long. But do not short change him on his diet.
(Eu/Can)
12/28/2022
So I noticed you listed that you are an animal advocate. If you truly had the best intentions as an animal advocate, you would want the best for that animal. Which means as close to natural life as possible. Which does not mean vegan in a carnivore species.
I am sure that you mean well but are letting personal bias enter your decision making.
(Dublin, OH)
12/29/2022
Just another thing to think about: @8 years ago, I had my Golden Retriever on a high-quality dog food. Then realized she was pooping 4-5 times per day! I took a good look at the ingredients: legumes were among the first 3 ingredients (these are peas & beans, which are basically filler). This is why she was pooping so much. I then put her on a legume-free, good-quality protein dog food (she did better on salmon than on chicken), and "everything" was normal after that. Bloodwork, her weight, energy-level was always normal, as well.
(Eu/Can)
12/30/2022
Water Kefir
The other time daily, they get ACV.
Namaste, Om
