What does my dog need to eat? Not a dog food thread.

[Slubberdegullion]

Please, please, please do not tell me what brand of food you are feeding your dog and how well they are doing on it. I have read so many dog food threads on here and on Labrador Forums I am starting to mutter brand names in my sleep.

I appreciate dog nutrition is a HUGE and contraversial subject but I'd like to understand a bit more about what dogs (and puppies - as I have one) need to eat to be healthy.

I'm very confused about protein percentages, everything I read (and I appreciate almost everybody is trying to sell me something) is warning of the dangers of too much or too little protein, esp for large breed puppies.

Carbs too, and wheat and fruit and veg, and ash, and meat derivatives...

For those in the know can you explain it to me gently, or point me in the right direction of a web site that isn't trying to sell me their dog food

Thank you

If your dog is a labrador, the answer is

1. Poo

1. Tennis balls

1. Poo

1. Anything else

But, ignoring the injunction not to talk about dog food, I really wd say that any quality brand aimed at his size and age group is going to be absolutely fine. I really wouldn'rt stress about it. The angst is bcs the magazine/publishing industry needs to find stuff to write about and the dog food industry wants to multiply choices to increase market share.

lol Eleison. I have yet to encounter poo eating, mind you we are off to collect a load of well rotted horse manure to put on the garden this week....

I think I'm slightly angsty because of the choice. I don't do well in the pasta sauce aisle either. I've given up trying to decide on personal recommendations, and last night I gave up on reading the manufacturers blurb (and yes that also included the BARF website) as they were all telling me their food was the very best and had been anaylsed and scutinised for a long long time by experts.

So this morning I've decided to find out what they actually need to eat first and then go from there, if that makes sense.

And anyway I'd rather ponder about this than the national defecit or why dd1 won't go to the loo at school.

I always top up dog food with leftover human dinner bits cos I can't believe that processed pellets are properly nutricious like real food. But then people come along and say that certain random food items like onion are apparently doggy arsenic, so you can't win.

But dogs apparently live a lot longer on contemporary dog foods than they used to, so I guess it isn't bad, and I think we should feel confident in the quality brands.

It is no fun cosseting a lab's appetite bcs you know they will any remnant of any carbon-based lifeform without a thought. I quite like having a slightly picky dog who appreciates the difference between sheep droppings and spag bol.

(The ohrse manure will go down a treat!)

I take great pleasure in the fact that one of the living beings in my house will eat EVERYTHING I give her with great gusto and joy.

Yes that leftovers thread from a few weeks ago has heightened my confusion. Chocolate I know is out which amuses me greatly as many moons ago my dad was a lecturer at the Royal Vet College and once a term would take our Golden Retriever in so the 1st years could have a stab at giving her tablets which were really smarties. She lived to a ripe old age and didn't keel over after having several tubes of verboten chocolate dropped down her throat a few times a year.

Yes it is FABULOUS having a creature to care for that thinks every outing you arrange is mindblowingly exciting and every meal you give it is delicious. Never 'ug, boring' or 'yuk it's got bits in'

I often secretly promote my dog over my children for that.

Serously, though, I used to have a large-breed dog, and the only time I ever heard a vet make prescriptive remarks re diet was to recommend from puppyhood the addition of joint protective supps - the ones based on mussel lips I think.

OK, that is interesting. Breeder suggested adding cod liver oil tablets to her food, do mussel lips do the same thing.

See, that is another question. I've read somewhere about that fish4dogs brand...and other dog foods do salmon and rice etc. Is fish better than chicken or lamb, and why is pork fine in some foods and other brands say CONTAINS NO PORK.
What's wrong with dogs eating pigs?

sorry mussels have set me off again

my understanding is that working dogs need higher protein levels than pet dogs.

Puppy foods have a different proportion of nutrients - can't remember which but if you compare with adult food you can work it out.

I think any puppy food is probably ok - quantity and how often is the most important bit - make sure you adjust for age and weight as needed. A dry complete food is easiest.

I wouldn't call a lab a large breed.

Most veg should be ok for most dogs - but maybe wait until your pup is over 6 months.

Perhaps it is for Jewish dogs?

I try to always buy more 'premium' choice as if u check the protein they are usually highest and don't worry about it too much. I always give a mixture of dry and wet as i've read its more interesting for the dog to have different textures (seems obv really, i cant imagine eating bowl of only dry dog food!!yuk)
Have read some of the stuff on the net about pet food being full of crap questionable ingredients but with DS, DP, self, dog and 2 cats to feed really don't have time!!
We also often give her small 'toppings' of leftover meat/fish on her meal and she's always v happy about this

mm I want to understand the protein thing (I'm a why? why? why? person ). I've just done a compare and contrast on the skinners website, of their working dog range vs standard range (BIG difference is working dog food is VAT free). Most of the proteins %s are hovering around 20%, with a couple of the working dog ones a bit higher.

Protein is a builder right, so yes I can see how you would need it to maintain muscle bulk and strength, but it's rubbish at producung energy (well it is in the human body) So why do dogs need lots of protein? If you are feeding your dog an ALL raw diet then that's a VERY high % of protein (I may be talking bollocks ) so how does that work then?

maybe the energy is coming from the fat?

hmmmm

Yuno.

Dare I ask Slubber (with absolutely no criticism at all to follow) what you feed her now? I'm giving Phoebe Hill's Science Plan, along with a very little bit of canned food (Ped Chum I think) mixed in at each meal. She also has left over bits of pasta, fish, chcken, veg etc from kids' dinner in the evening.

Having said that, she is partial to horse poo, cat food and toast crusts (thanks to my disobedient children!)

Although kosher dog food probably does exist

Shit have just read OP properly. Disregard message at 12.24.04

I'm feeding here the puppy food the breeder weaned her on. It's from a local farm supplies store so is not a well known brand. I've looked at the %'s of things on the side and they are pretty much much of a muchness compared with other puppy brands.

Thing that set me off was the trainer said to steer clear of meat derivatives (ears and tails and eyeballs) so I went and had a look onthe packet and it contains meat AND chicken (how is chicken not meat ) AND fish derivatives

so that sent me off on one

and then I got to thinking well dogs were natural scavengers so would eat a bit of anything they could get their paws on so why does that matter anyway.

More whys

How is that % measured - % of weight? or of calories? Is it higher than the protein levels advised for humans? If so then puzzling. Didn't know that working dogfood is VAT free - I wonder if the makers jiggle around so that they not we get the financial benefit of that. Thniking of moving to working dog formula to avoid the VAT now, but then wd have to go on longer walks.

Btw, like the much-greater anxiety about choc now, I'm sure everyone is a bit too anxious about puppy exercise levels. I'm thinking that so long as the walks are pottering and sniffing rather than sprinting and gallumphing, 15 mins seems v short and not much opportunity for socialising +fun.

yes oxo you TOLD me your dog food

norty norty

doggie eats -

fatty, protein stuff like beef/tripe/lamb with biscuit/potato/pasta to provide a bit of roughage (i noticed potatoe on the list of prohibited leftovers, but i have also heard doggy experts recomend it as a mixer with a calming effect...)

whislt dicky tummied -
fish/ tripe - high protein and very mild + yoghurt

give fish too much and they lose weight though - they need fat as well as protein.

tripe contains lots of smelly fatty stff so i think my dog does best on it.

is that what you were looking for? didn't mention brands, so vague enough?

I think this addresses some of your protein questions.

Old dogs can find protein rich foods hard to digest.

also I think high protein can make adult dogs hyper and more aggressive.

Thanks Edgar - yes lovely and vague and yet helpful

throckenholt - thanks for your link. Interesting that not all proteins are equal, and that dogs do use protein for energy.

I guess as carnivores they have a protein based metabolism. However, they have lived for most of their evolution with humans (arguably) so I guess they are more omnivorous than wild canines (eg wolves).

Most mutts will eat what they can get and do reasonably well on it - more highly bred breeds may have more delicate stomachs. Labs are generally tough dogs with a reputation for eating whatever they can get their teeth on.

Oh, I haven't got time to read the whole thread - lunch hour over 5 minutes ago - so apologies if I'm x-posting! But we have a 'working dog' breed (that doesn't work IYSWIM, but he still needs lots of energy) and get really good food from our local agricultural supplies place - they have a good variety and can probably advise you, and you don't have to be a farmer! The added bonus is that special 'working dog' food is VAT free, so a massive sack costs £8.99, which lasts about 3 months (he's only wee!). I know you don't want to know about brands etc, but we use Dr John's, which is free of colourings, additives etc.

And PMSL at Eleison, we used to have labs, and they are disgusting creatures aren?t they? No other breed I?ve owned or known has ever eaten or rolled in as mush crap as they did.

Sorry, back to work ?.

I wonder how much exercise you need to give a pet 'working dog' before they are up to the activity levels of a working dog?