Best Dry Biscuits

[O-Ren]

at the moment i have put O-ren on SuperCoat Active, she seems to like it, i dont think she really neeeeds the extra energy these supply but i figured she is a VERY active dog and these would have the added minerals and vitamins to supplement her barf diet

WHICH is working reallllllllllllllly well btw

i was thinking of askin fellow dolers wot dry bikkies they reccommended for a active border collie???

there are multiple brands out there and all priced differently, Supercoat was like the 2nd most expensive brand in Woolies, but i was thinking cost means nothing really.

i would like to buy it in bigger bags too- as i have seen in Petbarn, they have HUGE bags of bikkies which i think would be cheaper inthe long run which is much better for my budget

anyway, regardless, i would like to read on some DOL opinions onto which brand of bikkies they have used/use etc??? egs that i know of include Science HIlls, Optimum, Eukanuba, etc etc

i give o-ren almost a cup (cup size 250ml) of these bikkies with her mince/egg/chicken/lamb etc barf concoction- wotever is on the menu that night she isnt a big eater so im especially happy to find she has adapted to this new diet verrry well

in fact her coat is looking v.shiny and i even suspect her dermatitis (suspected Poison Oak allergy) seems to be LESS effecting her

ANYWAY, il really love to hear from you guys, thanks

[loki]

Just a question: Why do so many of you use supercoat or barf diets?

We feed Eukanuba, with nothing else & get fantastic results out of our

dogs.

O-ren: I have a very active 8yr old Border Collie who is on Euk. premium

performance, nothing else, she looks great, runs all day etc.

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

I agree with Loki, stay with a premium dog food, my dogs (shelties) are fed Nutro Natural Choice High Energy, a complete dog food with no other feeding required.

[espinay2]

Just a question: Why do so many of you use supercoat or barf diets?

Why a raw diet? Because I have had fabulous results with it.

Been there, done that with the Eukanuba. Total disaster.

[TiffanyAmber]

Why a raw diet? Because I have had fabulous results with it.

ditto.

I have heard of dog owners doing BARF and dry food. I guess its what works best for them.

And I have also heard the some dogs cant tolerate BARF and again thats something we cant help.

I believe, if it works for your dog, then thats great.

I know what works for my dogs.

[SueM]

My dogs are doing much better since switching to a raw diet and they sure like it better to

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

Why a raw diet? Firstly, I've never known a dog that can cook!

Secondly, it works best for my dogs.

Thirdly, it's much less expensive than processed foods.

Fourthly, I know exactly what my dogs are eating - I bought it from the grocery store or butcher, I prepared the veg/fruit myself, I use only human grade foods, and I don't add preservatives or colours or flavours (none of these are necessary).

Fifthly, dogs have always been fed on raw foods EXCEPT in the last 40-50 years. Why? Because there wasn't such a thing as processed dog foods until the multinational giants realised there was a lot of $$$ to be made from pet owners.

Sixth, because I don't want my dogs to be sick, to need their teeth cleaned under GA by the vet, to be more susceptible to cancers, to have constant digestive upsets, or to smell bad from their mouth, coat, and rear end. Raw foods avoid all of these!

Seventh, a raw diet can be customised to suit the individual needs of every dog you have in your family and can be changed to suit their changing needs. Some processed foods claim to do this but can't in any meaningful and beneficial way.

O-ren, I avoid biscuits. They're processed foods that are not necessary for the dog's wellbeing. If you wish to feed them, then IMO they're virtually all the same in that they're all made of pet quality ingredients and full of things a dog doesn't need. You could make biscuits instead if you are intent on feeding them. Simply google home made dog biscuits recipes and you'll find plenty of suggestions!

Sorry to go O/T but the raw question had to be answered.

[O-Ren]

thanks all

for ur input

im off to google dog bikkie ingredients, see wot i find.

reason i was feeding her barf with bikkies was cos i have family members saying "but wont she miss out on the vitamins and minerals that dog food has?" which got me worried. but nowadays i keep the dog biscuits handy cos sometimes i forget to thaw a tub of mince for theire dinner, so at least i can have something yummy to go with their egg, chicken necks, heart peices etc

[KitKat]

I was barfing...but it didn't suit my GSD so i have gone back to Royal Canin with great results

Basically with dry foods the details are...

Super Premium foods - Royal Canin, Eukaneuba, Eagle Pack, Nutrience, Hills Science Diet, ProPlan, Advance..i think that's most of them that are easily available.

Premium Foods - Iams

Good foods - Bonnie, Super Coat, Optimum, Performance

The high energy supercoat just has more fat and protien then the normal one, so that a high energy dog has more to use before losing condition etc.

Raw/Barf diets are great if they suit your dog, unfortunately it didn't suit my dog as well as RC did, he still gets bones, chicken/turkey wings, necks etc etc, lamb, pork, beef pieces and bones etc etc,and vegies on occasion but it's not his complete diet.

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

Just to recap on dried dog foods, this is from a chart given to me by Nutro, and is comparisons based on tests conducted by an independent lab:

Science Diet Maintenance: Ground Corn, Poultry By Products; Animal Fat (preserved with BHA, propyl Gallate & Citric Acid), Vegetable Oil and Soybean Meal, Iodized salt.

Eukanuba Maintenance Adult: Chicken By Product Meal, Ground Corn, Ground Grain Sorghum, Fish Meal and Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid). Chicken digest salt

ProPlan Lamb Meal and Rice: Poultry By Product meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Wheat, beef tallow (preserved with mixed Tocop[herols), Ground yellow Corn and Lamb. Dried Animal Digest Salt

NUTRO: Lamb meal, Ground Rice, Rice Bran, Sunflower Oil, Rice Gluten, Dried Egg Product, No Salt, No Soy, No Ground Corn, No internal organs. No Chemical preservatives

The above information may be of help when deciding whether or not to use a dried dog food.

[cactus]

Great thread O-ren ;)

Some of you guys have inspired me to put my new pooch on a BARF diet- I was just thinking today that she is like some (non-fur) kids I know that act ADD when they have an intolerance to gluten, preservatives and other additives. OMG I dare not hope for too much...

Did you know that its not uncommon for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder to have aggression problems when they have gluten in their diet? I dont know if it affects non ASD kids in the same way, but probably!

[Hazz]

I have had brilliant results since switching to the Barf diet overall - the dogs coat & teeth are gleaming, they're much happier and content with their food and completely clean out their bowls AND the food actually smells much better going in and coming out ;)

[T_Mac]

Hmmm I am a little confused about this BARF diet, I think I might have it right but just incase I don't.

My puppy gets no canned food and is fed raw chicken wings, necks and gets raw red meat as well.

I was making up a raw chicken mince dinner with Rice, eggs, pumpkin and vegies through it but he must be the fussiest fog I have come across as he wont eat it.

I have gone through Science Diet Puppy, Super Coat Puppy and Optimum Puppy before I found that the only one he will eat is Royal Canin.

I am also going to start him on some sardines in oil.

Any other suggestions would be great.

T

Edited December 17, 2005 by T_Mac

[Coolibah Coolies]

I have not bought a bag of dog biscuits for months.I cant speak highly enough of the change in my dogs in every way they are on total raw and what a difference coats are shiny and soft poos are wonderful, and I am sure that their behavior is calmer with out all the carbs firing them up. It has been very difficult to source the ammount I need, but have now a supplier from Dubbo who deliveres every week so I am set I use frames necks and meat offcuts and at a good price. My old girl does not scratch any more either. ;)

Ruth

[Mystiqview]

I have mine now on Eagle Pack. Found it great.

I have also in the past, fed Supercoat, Optimum (before when it was called Principle) and various cheaper ones.

In addition to dry, they get meat trimmings from butcher, bones and veges. They also get the occassional, sardines/tuna/mackeral in natural oil.

As far as vitamins/minerals, go, most have been added into the commercial dog foods. Some are better than others of course, but much is personal preferance

[budgie]

Hi O-ren,

My friend has a Border Collie who is 6months. The breeder she bought from recommended Super Coat as it's what she feeds all her dogs, which are show dogs. So far she hasn't had a problem with it and her girl looks beautiful. Lovely coat and she's thriving.

[O-Ren]

I have not bought a bag of dog biscuits for months.I cant speak highly enough of the change in my dogs in every way they are on total raw and what a difference coats are shiny and soft poos are wonderful, and I am sure that their behavior is calmer with out all the carbs firing them up. It has been very difficult to source the ammount I need, but have now a supplier from Dubbo who deliveres every week so I am set I use frames necks and meat offcuts and at a good price. My old girl does not scratch any more either.

Ruth

thanks Ruth, i also have noticed a decrease in her hyperactivities, she stil loves to play and will do so until she is buggered but does not have to the hyper attititude since goin on barf (at first i was worried tho cos i thort she was lackin in her usual hyper energy was a bad thing) but she stil has the energy but is much better at obeying me when i say "enough" or "no"

her itchin is slowly gettin better too, ive purchased some anisceptic "bitterent" from the vet for her self inflicted abrasions to recover her coat- seh itches even tho she is flea-less but the untouched coat is shinier then ever, plus i also got some Oil stuff to add to her diet, for her coat does anyone else use this kinda thing? it has vitamins and oils in it for coats

can i add i have found that with BARF she is finishing her meals, wolfing down the mince and chicken necks and lappin up the egg, much more enthusastic about dinner then before

so if i was to cut out bikkies altogether, she would not be disadvantaged Ruth??? (becos i know that if i did- she wouldnt miss them she only eats them cos i tell her too, otherwise she leaves them in the bowl id prob just use them as treats when training until they were gone ???? ;)

thanks