We always keep cans of pumpkin in the pantry for the dogs.
We’ve got 4 rescues and at some point, one will have an upset stomach about something, and it works great.
Once and a while, we’ll just open a can and add some to their food anyhow.
We used to feed our dogs Inova - then they were bought by Purina and they started having problems.
We’ve been feeding two of our larger dogs the Natures Domain salmon food from Costco and the two smaller dogs a smaller kibble from Kahoots - also salmon, their brand and both have been great.
I’ve done the home-prep diet thing. Our last Sheltie required a low protein diet in her old age, because of reduced liver function (too much protein equals improper metabolization, equals high levels of ammonia and urea in the blood, equals hepatic neuropathy). Finding a proper balance of nutrients to mix 2:1 with a meat-based canned ration to keep the ratio of protein calories at 15% or less was a challenge, and mixing up batches of the stuff every 4 days was time consuming. Though much like cooking for your family, you can do more harm by doing a good thing half-assed if you don’t have the time, knowledge, or skill to do it properly.
If your dog does well on a good quality commercial ration, then I see no problem with feeding that. The mistake that people make is a) assuming that dogs are small wolves - they’re bloody well not, and they have evolved to metabolize carbohydrates more effectively than their wolf ancestors and b) as such, all they need is meat - ignoring the fact that even wild dogs and wolves get vegetation and fiber from eating the digestive contents of their herbivorous kills.
Ours get a grain-free kibble (Fromm 4-star), mixed with Weruva “human-style” canned or a freeze-dried raw supplement, and they get plenty of natural bone, tendon, and meat/fish jerky treats.
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We tried those DvP foods for a previous dog with serious dietary restrictions, and more than one bag showed up smelling of rancidified oil/fat. Never again.
Dogs are omnivores.
People need to stop projecting their diet fantasies on their pets. I don’t care if it’s veganism, “paleo,” Atkins, low-fat, whatever: your pet doesn’t need to share your neuroses.
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I once taught a lion to eat tofu…
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There is something about this story that doesn’t seem right to me… It just sounds kind of mass-hysteria-ey. People’s pets aren’t invariably dropping dead from beneful, and the potential causes they’re citing just don’t sound like killers to me. Mycotoxins are real, but that would be testable, and Purina wouldn’t go into all out denial mode over something that could be independently verified. As for propylene glycol? I wrote an extended explanation of why I doubt that it’s all that big a deal as an additive. The FDA lets people put it in ice cream and ketchup.
This really sounds to me like a bunch of people whose animals died tragically all managed to come together over the coincidence that they fed them the same thing. It would be like people bringing wrongful death lawsuits against Crest because a large number of people who had heart attacks in the past year use their toothpaste.
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Hey, neat to see your blog! So sorry to see it’s on Blogger and you won’t be able to post those HAWT long-chain molecule pix for much longer…
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No, dogs are CARNIVORES. Web DVM is full of shit, just like Web MD is full of shit. Have you ever looked inside a dog’s mouth…? That’s a rhetorical question because, if you had, you’d not be insisting that they’re omnivorous. To the best of my knowledge, the entire Canidae family is 100% carnivorous.
When was the last time you saw a wolf, jackal, coyote or hyaena eating anything but meat…?
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Carnivorous? Yes. Obligate carnivores like cats? No. Dogs have been feasting off human garbage for fifteen thousand years. The relationship generally has never involved us giving them quality protein, when it has historically been harder to come by than it is today.
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Purina sued over claims it killed 4,000 dogs with ‘toxic’ food
Why did Purina make those claims in the first place. Could have saved themselves a whole passel of trouble…
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