Diet

[Kim.T]

Is it better to feed your dog a fresh meat diet or use wheat free wet & dry foods ?

[Mairead]

There are many more options than those two. Meat only is not a balanced diet for a dog. Very very few dogs cannot digest grain so wheat-free sounds like a marketing gimmick like gluten-free for people who have not been diagnosed with celiac disease.

The best diet for your dog is the one it does well on. Usually this is dog food of some sort (dogs are not furry humans) and not a home prepared diet unless you really know what you are doing and only if you have time after exercising, training and otherwise caring for your dog.

There are also other important things about diet than the actual food, such as feeding at the same times every day in a peaceful place, measuring how much you feed so you can adjust for weight gain or loss, never abruptly changing the diet so making sure you don't run out of the usual food.

You will find that some people treat the subject of diet almost like a religion and swear by a particular ingredient or mix but be guided by how healthy your own dog is.

 

I'll just step down from my soap box now.

Edited May 25, 2023 by Mairead

[Papillon Kisses]

If you’d like to learn more about nutrition, a few websites that I’d recommend are the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines, Tufts Clinical Nutrition Service, and Veterinary Nutrition Group. The WSAVA handout for pet owners includes questions you can ask of manufacturers.

 

The best diet for a dog is one that is complete and balanced, appropriate for their life stage and any health issues they have, and which they enjoy and appear to do well on. Grain/wheat free is largely a gimmick. I personally would not feed it unless your dog has a diagnosed intolerance or allergy as there are risks. Part of dog’s evolution from wolves included their ability to digest grains.

 

The vast majority of homemade and raw diets aren’t complete and balanced for a dog, some are extremely unbalanced, and this includes ratio diets. If you want to make your own I’d suggest buying a recipe or a doing a consult with a vet nutritionist such as VNG linked to above. You’ll note how they include recommendations for supplements that are needed the vast majority of the time. 

 

Be aware that ‘nutritionist’ without the ‘vet’ in front of it isn’t a protected term. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, whether or not they have any qualifications, and if they do have some sort of certificate it’s not necessarily worth the paper it’s written on as anyone can put together a course. There are some degree qualified, non-vet nutritionists out there but they are in the minority. Incidentally the same applies for human nutritionists!

 

For variety, I like to give some fresh food in qualities that don’t unbalance the diet, e.g. as training treats or when stuffing food toys. However there is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding kibble. It is a convenient, accessible and economical way for many people to ensure that their dogs are getting the nutrition they need to thrive.

[Mairead]

Kibble meaning complete balanced dry food? (which doesn't have to be fed bone-dry)

Because there used to be a greyhound kibble, mostly grains, which was formulated to be mixed with fresh or cooked meat.

[~Anne~]

13 hours ago, Mairead said:

There are many more options than those two. Meat only is not a balanced diet for a dog. Very very few dogs cannot digest grain so wheat-free sounds like a marketing gimmick like gluten-free for people who have not been diagnosed with celiac disease.

The best diet for your dog is the one it does well on. Usually this is dog food of some sort (dogs are not furry humans) and not a home prepared diet unless you really know what you are doing and only if you have time after exercising, training and otherwise caring for your dog.

There are also other important things about diet than the actual food, such as feeding at the same times every day in a peaceful place, measuring how much you feed so you can adjust for weight gain or loss, never abruptly changing the diet so making sure you don't run out of the usual food.

You will find that some people treat the subject of diet almost like a religion and swear by a particular ingredient or mix but be guided by how healthy your own dog is.

 

I'll just step down from my soap box now.

I don’t think I’ve ever agreed with a post so much as this one! 
 

The overzealous raw feeders and the tales told about canine diets over the years has done my head in. 
 

Dogs are basically scavengers. They’re not strict carnivores either. Their digestive systems have evolved. Sure, hundreds and hundreds of years ago their diet was different, but ours was too! 
 

Ensure you feed quality food (commercial or whatever), give them something regularly for their teeth (large bones they can gnaw on or a substitute), ensure they have plenty of fresh water and don’t over feed them. Dogs don’t need snacks. 

[Rebanne]

20 hours ago, Mairead said:

 

Because there used to be a greyhound kibble, mostly grains, which was formulated to be mixed with fresh or cooked meat.

Don't know about being a Greyhound dry food but there was, and still is, Vet's All Natural, which had to be soaked and added to meat. I am currently using Phud's which is similar but no need to soak all day. My dog's love it.

[Boronia]

1 hour ago, Rebanne said:

Don't know about being a Greyhound dry food but there was, and still is, Vet's All Natural, which had to be soaked and added to meat. I am currently using Phud's which is similar but no need to soak all day. My dog's love it.

I also give VAN to my lot, I mix it with their meat, I also add a good tablespoon of frozen Bell's Winter Vegetables (winter vegetables don't contain corn) that I have whizzed in the food processor then a lump from a packet of frozen spinach.

and bones...they get bones

They do well on it

[Mairead]

In case OP is reading this, bones always raw never cooked.

[_PL_]

Hi @Kim.T   Welcome!

 

Great advice in this thread, I can only add, if you have a young small breed then encourage the raw meaty bones. Smalls not used to bones can have an aversion to chewing and keeping up the habit not only helps with tartar into older age but is a kind of enrichment.

Choose carefully, not bones they can swallow or crack/fracture teeth on obviously.   

e.g. I'm a bit scared of whole chicken necks being a choking hazard.  

[Papillon Kisses]

23 hours ago, Mairead said:

Kibble meaning complete balanced dry food? (which doesn't have to be fed bone-dry)

Because there used to be a greyhound kibble, mostly grains, which was formulated to be mixed with fresh or cooked meat.

If that was a question for me, I was referring to the dry food that comes in bags. I wanted to mention it as there’s a lot of kibble shaming and fear-mongering online.

[Boronia]

2 hours ago, Powerlegs said:

Hi @Kim.T   Welcome!

 

Great advice in this thread, I can only add, if you have a young small breed then encourage the raw meaty bones. Smalls not used to bones can have an aversion to chewing and keeping up the habit not only helps with tartar into older age but is a kind of enrichment.

Choose carefully, not bones they can swallow or crack/fracture teeth on obviously.   

e.g. I'm a bit scared of whole chicken necks being a choking hazard.  

yep, brisket bones or chicken frames