What Did You Feed Your Dogs

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

Following on from shepherdowner's thread re feeding canned food, I thought it would be interesting to know what we/our families fed our dogs in the days before the advent of BARF, dried. etc.

I recall in the early '70's my Mum buying meat from the butcher which was Mt Bundy (N.T.) Buffalo and have no recollection of whether our family dog was fed anything else. Goodness knows what my first dog was fed, as we lived in Uganda (East Africa) at the time (ahem mid 50's ;) )

In the late '80's and the '90's I fed dog roll. I first switched to dried food in 1998 and there have been huge advances in quality since.

I recall my family in the country used to just feed "offcuts" from a beast which they had slaughtered, be it lamb or beef.

Please NO flaming, NO getting into what is or isn't best for your dog now, just interested in days gone by.

[oakway]

Amazingly the same.

Meat and dry food.

[Crisovar]

Childhood dogs ate whatever was going, bones, butchers scraps, leftovers, and then when it was more readily available some dry and tinned food was added to the mix. All except for one that contracted Distemper during an outbreak have lived into their teens.

My own dogs through the years have eaten pretty much the same, a wide variety of foods raw, cooked and packaged with the brands of commercial food varying as more and more became available. Again they lived long healthy lives, and currently we have several in their teens 13 yo and up and suffering no more than the usual geriatric complaints like arthritis.

Fussy cat is 17 and has lived on commercial food all her life.

[raineth]

the dogs in of my childhood were fed bones, scraps and tinned wet food. The were labradors and one lived to 15 and the other 14

[Janba]

Pretty much the same kibble and meat or sardines eggs etc with bone days. I did feed the occassional can then but not as the main diet.

[persephone]

Mostly fresh meat/bones

[Rebanne]

my dogs were fed dry from the very 1st one, 1979 I think it was. I know my Mum used to get the cats raw meat from a pet shop earlier then that but have no idea what the dog got fed. I used to have to cut up the cats meat - ox cheek.

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

OOPS, forgot about leftovers from casseroles and roasts, thanks for the reminder. I don't recall with leftovers that we fed peas or pumpkin, probably just carrots and spuds.

[MolassesLass]

Our family dog was fed dry and scraps nowand then. The only bones given were those massive marrow bones and she'd get a tin of pal for her birthday.

Never was wormed or vaccinated either.

[Bullbreedlover]

Late 1970's through to ??? 1990 our dogs were fed Lucky dog roll, Winna roll and Tux dog biscuits.

NZers will know those ones.

It was actually good dog food way back then. Our dogs were very healthy and kept good condition

[lilli_star]

When I was growing up our dogs were fed a mixture of tinned food (Pal) some nights and biscuits (Good-Os, Meatybites, those biscuits shaped like cheese and love hearts and these other biscuits that were long and thin that looked kind of like mince but separated if that makes sense. Can't remember the name). They also got shank bones and brisket bones and the leftover bone from the roast lamb when it was finished, treats like rawhide chews and Smackos as well as other bits and pieces from us kids (sliced cheese was a favourite. I remember folding it up as much as it could go and sharing the pieces with our dog, Patch . )

Our dogs all lived well into their teens, except for our Foxie who was bitten by a snake.

[Clyde]

Bright red working dog kibble , table scraps, the odd roo meat/tail, and whatever they found in the compost.

Although I should clarify this was about 30 yrs ago rather than 15.

Edited February 19, 2011 by Clyde

[Tralee]

Uncle's greyhounds used to get some cooked concoction that absolutely reeked.

It took hours to prepare and my Nan had to have it simmering in the kitchen, when I visited.

Phew! I couldn't believe anyone would feed that to a dog.

[Sydoo]

Dry food that you poured hot water over to make gravy (Lucky Dog IIRC?). I remember it was unavailable for quite some time so we just poured hot water over regular biscuits...almost the same result. They also got lots of scraps - raw and cooked. Meat, all sorts of vegetables, pasta, even ice cream on occasion (when the adults weren't looking of course). No cooked bones. Can't remember ever having tinned food around.

Cats were fed roughly half dry, half raw.

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

Thanks all, the thread is for 15 PLUS years ago. ;)

My first dog I remember came into our family when I was 2 weeks old, . We were in East Africa at the time (derr 'mid 50's ). Would have to ask my Mum what she was fed-she was a Cocker Spaniel.

[becks]

That would be the time of family dogs, so it would be meat from the pet shop (no idea what sort of meat it was!), green tripe, mixer biscuits, occasional dog roll chubs, pedigree, pal tinned food and for treats, bonios, and they would get to remove the last of the meat from the bone of the sunday roast - yes the cooked bone, but it was taken away when the meat was gone. They would also get the big marrow bones.

Basically they got all the things we now wouldn't want to feed our dogs!

[kelpiekaye]

Late 1970's through to ??? 1990 our dogs were fed Lucky dog roll, Winna roll and Tux dog biscuits.

NZers will know those ones.

It was actually good dog food way back then. Our dogs were very healthy and kept good condition

Yep Same here. Dog Roll, Tux biscuits, bones and left overs.

[FionaC]

dry food and a cooked combination of frozen veggies, rice or pasta and some "dog" mince and a big bone once a week

the occasional can of dog food included ... kitchen scraps as well but never cooked bones even back then .... we used to make up the dog mince/pasta mix every 2 nights, making enough for 2 nights

Edited February 19, 2011 by FionaC

[OSoSwift]

What we ate, Roast, lasagne-yes with onion! Sometimes raw whole herring that we caught on holidays and then froze. The odd raw bone, the odd bit of chocolate, fruit. Our dog didn't eat dog food canned, dry or otherwise.

Whenever mum made tea there was always a bowl with the dogs tea made up as well.

[poodlefan]

Ted is 13.5 years old so he's my oldest dog.

I started him on chicken wings, lamb shanks and necks and an Australian brand of kibble called Eureka that is no longer made. It was chicken and rice based and had Steve Austin on the pack.

Edited February 20, 2011 by poodlefan