Member

Posts: 1387
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-01-2004 12:13 AM         

---

You asked about Solid Gold dog food in the FOOD FOR THOUGHT thread...I have heard only good things about it, but have never tried it or really researched it. I wouldn't like the idea of the food NEEDING supplements either, I would hope their food was balanced and nutricious all by itself. Innova is too rich for some dogs...some dogs do great on it, my dogs do not find it palatable and turn their noses up at it. I do feed my two larger dogs Canidae, they love it and do awesome on it, it is the mainstay of their diet and I feed them raw foods as part of their regular diet as well. I would not feed my dogs grapes...I have in the past and I am sure some dogs would do fine with them, however for the dog who does have a reaction, it's devastating and not worth the risk in my opinion, there's no way to know which dog will have a reaction and which one would be ok with grapes..until it's too late, so I just don't feed them anymore.

I do feed lots of other fruits randomly, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, banana, pear, apple, peaches..whatever I have on hand and in small amounts. One of my dogs even likes citrus fruits.
I've been wondering lately if there are any parts of an artichoke my dogs should not eat...my Catahoula Witt, LOVES it, he wants to eat the whole petal, I gave him a few and he seemed fine with it, but I want to know if it's safe...if anyone knows, please speak up!

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 1392
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-01-2004 06:57 AM         

---

I agree with Maisey - the supplement thing sounds fishy. Also, dogs like fruits but they aren't necessary for their health. If you want to feed them as treats that's great, but it shouldn't be a significant portion of their diets. And I wouldn't risk the grapes, either.

You're lucky you have a vet that displays Canidae and not Science Diet. I wish we had one of those!

I also lend credence to "funny feelings." If you get a bad vibe from the catalogue, I would folow your instinct and look elsewhere.

Innova puppy did not work well for my own pup. It gave her horrendous gas that could knock you over at 50 paces. But we switched to Healthwise, which is another brand made by the same people who make Innova. It is a milder food and she did well on it, until we switched her to raw.

Jamiya

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 107
From:sherman oaks,california,USA
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 03-01-2004 07:06 AM         

---

Hello...I also feed my dog Canidae and she does great on it as well. She use to get hot spots on Eukanuba...so i swticthed and she loves it, and her coat looks great...I also give her some fruits and vegis once in a while. I give her carrots as a low fat treat and sometimes cut up some apple for her. She also likes bananas but all in small amounts.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 926
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 03-01-2004 09:15 AM         

---

Maisey, glad I saw this. Jake is getting finiky again and doesnt want o eat his duck and potaato which he has been on for about 2 months. I was going ot go out today to get a sample of the solid gold brand but it they call for supplemetns forget it. I am running out of food options here and may have to go the online route. I am also hoping he is not under the weather. he didnt eat yesterday morning. then in the afternoon, I mixed a little of Wylies pro plan with it it and he ate but note with his usual enthusiam and then this morning he didnt even get up for feeding, he just layed there. so that does concern me.
honeybear

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 1392
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-01-2004 09:42 AM         

---

*whispers* Feed raw, honeybear. All you need is a grocery store and/or butcher.

If you can't bring yourself to go totally raw, have you tried Nature's Variety or one of those brands?

Jamiya

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 13
From:USAMO
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 03-01-2004 10:04 AM         

---

I do BARF - it's definantly the way to go....

(how many from FurKids post here, anyway?)

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 926
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 03-01-2004 10:07 AM         

---

I would try, but my husband is totally against it, I have tried 'sigh"
honeybear

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 1392
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-01-2004 12:55 PM         

---

Get him to read "Raw Meaty Bones Promote Health," by Tom Lonsdale, and THEN make a decision. With all you have been through with Jake's food, it is the cheap and easy solution.

Jamiya

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 926
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 03-01-2004 01:41 PM         

---

Jimiya what are currently feeding Nala, the pre made raw or are you doing the whole prep thing yourself?

laurie

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 1392
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-01-2004 02:55 PM         

---

I am raw feeding, according to the prey model. There really is no "prep" or anything. She gets raw MEATYMEAT bones for dinner. For breakfast, she gets organ meats, sardines, fish, smaller meaty bones, eggs, etc - not all at once of course! Usually she gets a little bit of liver and some other organ meat - like kidney or heart - every other morning. On the off mornings, she gets sardines and an egg, or a small meaty bone.

I'm going to take a chance and assume it is okay to post this (I asked but he hasn't responded yet). It is from the rawfeeding list I am on, posted in response to someone seeking recipes.

******************

LAMB NECK RECIPE
Ingredients:
1 lamb neck

Procedure:
Take lamb neck and hand it to the dog. This can be fed plain or with a side
of organ meats of your choice.

PORK RIBS RECIPE
Ingredients:
1 slab of pork ribs

Procedure:
Take slab of pork ribs and hand it to the dog. This can be fed plain or
with a side of organ meats of your choice.

CHICKEN RECIPE
Ingredients:
1 whole or half chicken(depending on the size of the chicken and the
size of the dog)

Procedure:
Take whole or half chicken and hand it to the dog. This can be fed plain or
with a side of organ meats of your choice.

Etc., etc., etc. As you may have started to realize folks who feed a prey
model diet don't go much by recipes. Whole carcasses are great if one has
access to them. Those that don't make up carcasses over time from various
body parts. There are no complicated recipes with exact amounts of this and
that. As for amounts to feed the general guideline is to start with 2% to
3% of the dog's ideal adult weight. This is only a guideline. Each dog is
different. Keep an eye on the dog's waist and ribs. If he starts to get a
bit pudgy reduce the amount he's eating, if he gets a bit thin, increase the
amount you're feeding.

****************

Pretty easy, eh? The list is great for reassuring worries and asking questions.

Jamiya

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 926
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 03-01-2004 03:06 PM         

---

Lol I am sorry but I am cracking up (take a slab of pork ribs and hand to dog, take a whole chicken and hand to dog"

there is NO WAY my hsuband would go for this,but glad to hear nala is doing well. I have a holistic vet here that sells stuff prepackaged, looks liek a big long cylinder you slice off ( I think) I may get him to go for that so I am going to check that route out
thanks
Jimiya
honeybear

IP: Logged

Moderator

Posts: 1591
From:NY, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 03-01-2004 04:26 PM         

---

quote:

---

I've been wondering lately if there are any parts of an artichoke my dogs should not eat...my Catahoula Witt, LOVES it, he wants to eat the whole petal, I gave him a few and he seemed fine with it, but I want to know if it's safe...if anyone knows, please speak up!

---

On one of the episodes of "Emergency Vets" there was an American Water Spaniel that had eaten artichoke (not sure if the owner gave it to the dog or the dog got into on his own) and it had caused a blockage in his intestine and had to be surgically removed. I can't recall if they said which part of the artichoke caused the problem but I sorta remember the vet saying it was the fiberous plant material that could not be digested.

IP: Logged

Moderator

Posts: 1591
From:NY, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 03-01-2004 04:35 PM         

---

I have used Solid Gold dog and cat foods in the past and have never supplemented them and my animals seemed to do well on them without the supplements.

According to the FAQ on their website: http://solidgoldhealth.com/faq
"Do Solid Gold foods need to be supplemented?

All Solid Gold foods are complete and balanced according to AAFCO guidelines. Therefore, they do not need to be supplemented with anything. However, we do recommend supplementing any commercial pet food with a supplement like our Seameal. Seameal contains 60 trace minerals, 12 vitamins, 22 amino acids, digestive enzymes and flaxseed meal."

Some people prefer to add supplements to their dogs food. Solid Gold has their own line of supplements for this very reason but their foods are not unbalanced without the added supplements.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 926
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 03-01-2004 04:49 PM         

---

nern, thanks for the clarification on solid gold, I may go that route
honeybear

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 29
From:missoula,mt
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-01-2004 09:47 PM         

---

yes their website is one thing, but take a look at their 23 page catalog sometime. it starts out all right, but it kind of reads like a late night infomercial when they get to all their "supplements". When i read some of the descriptions, its hard not to conjure up a vision of some guy standing up on a crate trying to peddle the latest cure-all snake oil. And, yes, they do "recommend" suplementing all of their foods with atleast the solid gold sea meal. Sorry, the catalog just rubs me the wrong way i guess.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 227
From:Perth, Western Australia
Registered: May 2003

posted 03-02-2004 04:34 AM         

---

when i die i want to come back as maiseys dog..
'I do feed lots of other fruits randomly, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, banana, pear, apple, peaches'

YUM!

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 1392
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-02-2004 06:22 AM         

---

LOL, kyles101! That wouldn't be bad at all. I want to be a cat, though.

Jamiya

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 926
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 03-02-2004 08:01 AM         

---

bluetrain - LOL _ I can see an informercial now with talkingdogs and cats saying how their lifes have changed because of their supplements, uh oh, this could be a reality soon!
Honeybear

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 1387
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-02-2004 11:32 AM         

---

LOL Kyles...the cranberries and blueberries are great for urinary tract health, an issue with one of my dogs and one of my cats. The cats won't eat them, but the dogs live them frozen in their Kongs.

You wouldn't want to be a cat in my house Jimaya..I'm afraid I am a dog person first, the cats are my daughters and over the years they have endured things like being painted green, hair cuts, whisker trimming, being dressed and diapered, stroller rides and once my youngest even tried to give her cat summertime swimming lessons. Oddly enough each cat prefers their kid over anyone else, go figure.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 1387
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-02-2004 11:33 AM         

---

PS, thank you nern for the heads up on the artichoke...figures Witt would like something that can stop him up.

IP: Logged

Moderator

Posts: 1591
From:NY, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 03-02-2004 09:27 PM         

---

Bluetrain: I have the catalog too and know exactly what you mean . No doubt they are definately trying to promote their supplements.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 29
From:missoula,mt
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-02-2004 11:32 PM         

---

lol.. so youve read it then? so you know what i mean. they spend more time talking about the supplements than their foods...intresting. One other thing. Towards the front, they talk about "other" brands of feeds that claim to have probiotics and digestive enzymes in them. They say this is impossible, as pet foods are cooked at 265 degrees, killing the enzymes. But then foods such as Innova claim to have them. Innova claims to "slow bake" their foods, and then adds the fats and enzymes afterwards. Kind of confusing, but i think i will continue to feed innova for now. I could however go buy one of those 7$ 40# bags of ol roy and be done with it. At least i'd know whats in that. Garbage. Nahhhh that wouldnt be right. It would probably be healthier for my pup to graze on the neighbors trash.

IP: Logged

All times are ET (US)