bloss344 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 No offence intended, but I care very deeply about dogs and the sort of rubbish this woman is spouting really gets to me. I second this. Dog feeding is not rocket science but there's been a lot of research done on the requirements of dogs since this book was written. What concerns me more than anything is the fact that these are growing puppies not adult healthy dogs who's health can be more forgiving on a diet that is not supplying all required. The diet described sounds like it is shortchanging their needs. I don't know what sort of amount of calcium the Farrels has but adding extra calcium can throw out any balance that is there and make the calcium/phosphorus more unavailable to the pups. If the Farrells kibble is not a specific puppy kibble then these pups are not getting enough calcium. Adding half a teaspoon of dolomite per week is not going to cut it. Calcium needs to be balanced with phosphorus, this has probably been done in the kibble for adult dogs. With the copper pipe, yes it may work, but how can you know if your pup is getting enough or too much? A diet such as Tom Lonsdale's or the BARF diet would supply liver which is a very high source of copper, iron and zinc. A commercial food would have copper included in the correct amount but I'm sure even the dogs eating those diets still get worms. Best thing before making any decision on how to feed your dogs is to research, research, research. We certainly don't agree on one method of feeding on this forum but it all comes down to what is best for the dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arby Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 The other prolematic thing in her writings concerns Vit C. She fails to mention that it is possible to overdose dogs on Vit C, and poison them. Certainly, it would need to be a big dose, or far too much over a period, but they cannot excrete all the excess. very true indeed for dogs and humans alike. I'm not a big fan of supplementing vit C as too high doses can be responsible for liver damage. Also as with any vitamins the ones readily available in food are better as they are more easily abosorbed then pharmaceutically made ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahaze Posted January 4, 2007 Author Share Posted January 4, 2007 Dog feeding is not rocket science but there's been a lot of research done on the requirements of dogs since this book was written. (As an aside, it was written in 1990, revised in 97, again in 2003, and reprinted in 2006. Someone must think its worth having.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkyTansy Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I have been following this thread and my opinion does not really vary a lot from what has been said, however being fairly unfamiliar with BARF, I was wondering if anyone could tell me a good place to get Billinghursts books? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahaze Posted January 4, 2007 Author Share Posted January 4, 2007 (edited) I was wondering if anyone could tell me a good place to get Billinghursts books? If you prefer purchasing online, it looks like you can buy them straight from the horses mouth, to mix metaphors : http://www.drianbillinghurst.com/order_aus.html Edited January 4, 2007 by ahaze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toohey Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I got mine from GREENPET Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamuzz Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Don't bother giving them rice, a dog's GI tract isn't designed to process carbohydrates efficiently and all you'll end up with is more poo. When we have a dog with an upset tummy, our vet often recommends feeding them a bland diet of rice and chicken for 3 or 4 days. Is this not a good idea then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahaze Posted January 4, 2007 Author Share Posted January 4, 2007 I got mine from GREENPET Thanks for that link Toohey- looks like a lot of good stuff there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toohey Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I got mine from GREENPET Thanks for that link Toohey- looks like a lot of good stuff there! I love Greenpet. Their nutritional supplement is excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I use the Greenpet nutritional supplement and the joint formula. I have seen Billinghursts books in a few Dymocks book stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arby Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Don't bother giving them rice, a dog's GI tract isn't designed to process carbohydrates efficiently and all you'll end up with is more poo. When we have a dog with an upset tummy, our vet often recommends feeding them a bland diet of rice and chicken for 3 or 4 days. Is this not a good idea then? rice basically is to bulk up the food. It helps pass things throught the digestive system. When a dog is on the mend from an upset stomach (also works for humans!!!) the rice helps to actually expend the stomach without upsetting the whole system. So if your dog hasnt eaten in a few days chances are to stomach is cramped and rice just helps to resolve the problem quicker. Also i find that when mixed with rich foods like liver, roo, it makes the stools alot better and not runny!!! Basically helps to absorb any excess stuff going through the system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahaze Posted January 4, 2007 Author Share Posted January 4, 2007 Re: the Greenpet nutritional supplement: "This is a natural food supplement recommended for all dogs and cats. It contains a blend of highly nutritious foods & supplements to help maintain optimum health. Contains vitamins, minerals, enzymes, trace elements and fatty acids. 100% Australian made. Suitable for VEGETARIAN dogs also. Good nutrition is essential for disease prevention. Contains—Flax meal, rice bran, dolomite, kelp, spirulina, green barley powder, nettle, alfalfa, garlic, rosehips & blackstrap molasses." Vegetarian dogs?! Poor things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arby Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Vegetarian dogs?! Poor things indeed believe it or not there are vegetarian dogs out there. I wonder what their lifespan would be like??? My dogs cant live without their meat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Vegetarian dogs?! Poor things Well that's something we agree on anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahaze Posted January 4, 2007 Author Share Posted January 4, 2007 Well that's something we agree on anyway Miranda, I'm curious- I would guess that people who feed their pets a vegetarian diet do so because of their own beliefs. You mentioned you're vegetarian, yet you feed your animals meat. Is that because you are vegetarian for health, rather than moral or other reasons? If that's too personal a question just say so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arby Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Well that's something we agree on anyway Miranda, I'm curious- I would guess that people who feed their pets a vegetarian diet do so because of their own beliefs. You mentioned you're vegetarian, yet you feed your animals meat. Is that because you are vegetarian for health, rather than moral or other reasons? If that's too personal a question just say so warning could be opening a BIG can of worms if certain people on DOL see this!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahaze Posted January 4, 2007 Author Share Posted January 4, 2007 warning could be opening a BIG can of worms if certain people on DOL see this!!! Gah! I should've known as much! Sorry! I take it back!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougie Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 i doubt any dog would choose to be a vegetarian...... man didn't fight his way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian either....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 (edited) Dougie: man didn't fight his way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian either....... Um, Dougie humans AREN'T at the top of the food chain... there are a quite a few species prepared to prey on us. Edited January 4, 2007 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Well that's something we agree on anyway Miranda, I'm curious- I would guess that people who feed their pets a vegetarian diet do so because of their own beliefs. You mentioned you're vegetarian, yet you feed your animals meat. Is that because you are vegetarian for health, rather than moral or other reasons? If that's too personal a question just say so No not too personal at all :D In 1990 I moved to country NSW and we had a lovely 5 acre property surrounded by farmland. Of course we got to know all the local farmers and although they were all very nice, decent people I was absolutely horrified by some of the farming practices. Our nearest neighbours lived a couple kms away and had an intensive piggery and the property adjacent to ours had sheep and cattle. Now I am a great lover of all animals, I prefer animals to most humans and after having witnessed mulesing (which made me feel physically ill), dehorning and some of the practices in the piggery I started to question why on earth I was eating meat and contributing to the suffering of these creatures. I stopped eating beef and pork almost immediately and after studying vegetarianism and veganism and its impact on health I stopped eating chicken and fish soon after. I was a vegan for a short while, but it didn't suit my metabolism, I'm a pretty active person who goes to gym and jogs etc. and I found myself lacking energy and dropping way too much weight (I'm very slim) so I added cheese to my diet and I also have the occasional organic free range egg. However I eat mainly vegetables, fruits, grains, sprouts and legumes, I also eat tofu and tempeh and drink soy milk. However I would never inflict a vegetarian diet on my dogs, they're just not designed to deal with large amounts of carbohydrate and even though I guess you could call them omnivores they definitely have a carnivore's GI tract. I want the best for my dogs so I feed them mainly meat and proteins from animal sources, they get a little bit of kibble (1 cup a day), but I keep it to a minimum and I try to feed the best available. If I could feed them a meatless diet I would, but it wouldn't be in my dogs best interests and I really don't see why I should force my beliefs on them. Now before you all jump in this post is in answer to ahaze's enquiry, I know all about mulesing and why it's practised and I'm not criticising farmers or trying to tell others what they should eat, neither am I a member of PETA or the Animal Rights Movement. Just thought I'd get in first Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now