Rice?

[Bokezu]

I have started adding rice to my dogs diet because I think I have been giving them too much protein. They have roo mince or beef mince with premium kibble, sardines, offal, chicken wings, grated carrot, cheese, egg + roo tails and meaty bones.

I have been adding cooked rice now for about a week and they like it. Is there anything wrong with adding rice or oats to the diet?, I add about 20% to the raw mince.

[ZAUBISTAR]

Rice is a good bulk grain but it needs to be really cooked, nearly mashy. There are debates on brown rice because it stays fairly firm. I've always done a well washed then boiled and add more hot water to absorb overnight white rice.

Oats are good for the very active dog. I got into the habit of giving my shepherds 1-2 cups of cooked oats with egg for breakfast on cold winter mornings. Provided the egg white is partially solidified (stir through oats when warm) and the yolk left fairly raw this is a really good 'up and at um' breakie.

Depends on your ratio of grain and kibble to meat and the age of the dog. Too much meat in the diet can lead to developmental problems.

[Cavandra]

Rice will usually build up over time to cause skin problems & ear infections........I feed brown rice occassionally or when there are left overs but it isnt part of the diet as such.

Dogs are carnivores, which means they dont need anything other than raw meat & bones..........

[persephone]

Hi

Your dogs don't need rice- their systems are built to digest MEAT,bones, and a small amount of vegetable matter.

[Golden Rules]

I agree with the others, you don't need the rice (or rather your dogs don't) but as rice is a grain and oats are a grass, I would be inclined to try the oats as a supplement - ie 20% as you are doing already.

The bulk can sometimes be beneficial depending on your dog.

[sas]

We use brown rice mixed in the veggies (mash it all together with an electronic masher), we haven't had a problem with the dog trying to toilet, everything seems to be digesting well, brown rice is a good source of fibre.

Brown rice should be soaked for 25 to 30 minutes in the water before cooking. The soaking process of brown rice helps to soften the bran layer on the rice seed and makes the rice easily edible. The normal proportion of water to rice when cooking brown rice is 1:2, this means that one cup of brown rice should have two cups of water to cook. Brown rice once cooked.

My dog does have skin issues (prior to consuming rice) however since adding brown rice there hasn't been anything worse occur or anything I can attribute to the brown rice, his skin has actually been better but I'm not going to make the assumption that it has anything to do with the brown rice.

Here's some information on Brown Rice vs White Rice:

The difference between brown rice and white rice is not just color! A whole grain of rice has several layers. Only the outermost layer, the hull, is removed to produce what we call brown rice. This process is the least damaging to the nutritional value of the rice and avoids the unnecessary loss of nutrients that occurs with further processing. If brown rice is further milled to remove the bran and most of the germ layer, the result is a whiter rice, but also a rice that has lost many more nutrients. At this point, however, the rice is still unpolished, and it takes polishing to produce the white rice we are used to seeing. Polishing removes the aleurone layer of the grain-a layer filled with health-supportive, essential fats. Because these fats, once exposed to air by the refining process, are highly susceptible to oxidation, this layer is removed to extend the shelf life of the product. The resulting white rice is simply a refined starch that is largely bereft of its original nutrients.

Brown rice as an excellent source of manganese, and a good source of the minerals selenium and magnesium. The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. By law in the United States, fully milled and polished white rice must be "enriched" with vitamins B1, B3, and iron. But the form of these nutrients when added back into the processed rice is not the same as in the original unprocessed version, and at least 11 lost nutrients are not replaced in any form even with rice "enrichment."

If you're interested in reading more from the above scientifically backed article, head to: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=f...ce&dbid=128

Health Benefits of Brown Rice:

1. Provides all necessary carbohydrates requirements (Humans).

2. Rich in fibers.

3.Helps control blood sugar.

4. Helps control cholesterol.

5. It is a body building food.

6. Beneficial for stomach and intestinal ulcers and for diarrhea. It is easily digested starch food.

7. Because of the mineral content, it supplies important nutrient for the hair, teeth, nails, muscles and bones.

Brown rice contains natural oils in the bran layer of the rice, these oils could become stale if the rice is stored for more than 4 to 5 months. Stale brown rice has a rancid flavour and is not suitable for eating. It is therefore important that you check the packing date and expiry date on the packet before you purchase brown rice.

[Danois]

Re feeding oats to dogs. A vet told me that this should be done with caution as oats increase the temperature of the blood.

[sas]

Yeah I can second that, when Dante was a pup he would always overheat when the tempertures weren't terrible, changed the food and wahla all better.

Edited July 13, 2008 by sas

[Golden Rules]

Re feeding oats to dogs. A vet told me that this should be done with caution as oats increase the temperature of the blood.

Yeah I can second that, when Dante was a pup he would always overheat when the tempertures weren't terrible, changed the food and wahla all better.

Interesting to hear this guys.

It was a chinese herbalist who told me about rice heating the blood up as well as an Asian friend - along with other foods, one of which were mandarins (not that you'd feed those to a dog).

The yahoo group nznaturaldog is loaded with nutritional tips and info and the list members there also seem to prefer oats over rice. Breeders on that list add soaked oats to their version of Tukka Thyme - as opposed to rice for the reason mentioned above.

I guess it maybe comes down to the individual dog - and what works best for each dog perhaps?

[Danois]

mandarins are fine for dogs - I know someone who adds them into her BARF mix sometimes.

[Bokezu]

Very interesting re brown rice, I did mix white with brown last week and cooked it for longer, but ran out of brown so will definately get some more brown as seems to be a lot more nutrient content. Did cook some oats with the rice for one mix and my very fussy boy (who loves the added rice btw) wouldn't touch it

[cashew]

Re feeding oats to dogs. A vet told me that this should be done with caution as oats increase the temperature of the blood.

Yeah I can second that, when Dante was a pup he would always overheat when the tempertures weren't terrible, changed the food and wahla all better.

Interesting to hear this guys.

It was a chinese herbalist who told me about rice heating the blood up as well as an Asian friend - along with other foods, one of which were mandarins (not that you'd feed those to a dog).

The yahoo group nznaturaldog is loaded with nutritional tips and info and the list members there also seem to prefer oats over rice. Breeders on that list add soaked oats to their version of Tukka Thyme - as opposed to rice for the reason mentioned above.

I guess it maybe comes down to the individual dog - and what works best for each dog perhaps?

The Chinese always have a concept of the Yin (cooling) and Yang (heaty) in food. My father will warn me from using too much beef/mutton (heaty protein) as opposed to chicken (cooling protein). But too much chicken will cause arthritis (due to the Yin in body) to act up so there must always be a balance. Well, such knowledge is passed down from generations so it is really up to one's beliefs. I don't give my dog rice as it is way too high is sugars and will cause teeth rot and higher chances of yeast infections??? I prefer soaked oats. A very sweet lady once told me to give my dog pasta (she's Italian). So I think feeding dogs can be a cultural thing. :D

There is a whole new knowledge in heaty and cooling fruits. Mandarins are known to be heaty---over consumption of it causes sore throats to humans (as told). Watermelon is a very cooling fruit, great for mouth ulcers and the "heaty" body.