Question
sophia
i have been cooking for my 3 year old standard poodle since
the chinese pet food scare. she seems to be doing really
well. i cook her organic food usually brown rice as a
base, some protein, chicken thighs with the skin and some
of the broth and fat or some other protein, venison, lean
pork or ground round. sometimes salmon fillets sans the
skin. i add in some cooked vegetables, a couple
commercial dog cookies and a whole pet tab vitamin pill.
she eats a small bowl (1/2 cup) of commercial dry food in
the morning. i hate to admit...she loves purina's beneful.
recently i picked up a book on dog nutrition and the author
suggested that she needs some kind of oil such as canola or
safflower and bone meal as well as a lots of vitamins. more
vitamins than are in the pet tabs.
she weighs between 47 and 50 pounds - varies according to
the season. heavier in the winter when she can't run in the
fields on my farm so much.
so what do you think? am i giving her a good mix? how can
i feed my girl sophie the best possible diet for her?
thanks,
s.
AnswerI have hesitated to answer your question because I am afraid what I see as best for your dog will upset you. I think that book is dangerously wrong. Excesses of some vitamins can actually be toxic. A lot of careful studies have gone into how much of each vitamin dogs need. Most commercial chows contain all the vitamins dogs need. You can dig up how much. I think there may be a link to the AAFCO requirements at http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/articles2.html#nutrition I know there is an analysis of the need for supplements. Even if you follow the books recommendations, you would need to take each vitamin add up how much of it is in each thing you feed, the brown rice, chicken thighs, pork, etc. the Beneful, the vitamin tabs, etc. Of course likely you can be sure what all in in the rice, chicken, etc. This is one of the problems of home made diets. While dogs' requirements are easily found in the AAFCO tables, knowing what is in the components you are feeding is tough to find out. This makes homemade diets difficult to get right. The AVMA opposes them, see http://www.avma.org/press/releases/070404_homemade_diets.asp
I would cut out everything except the Beneful. The truth is, in all the recall mess, none, not one of the major brand dry kibble was recalled. Most of the negative things you read about common dog chows are not true. yes there is some truth in the use of unappetizing ingredients, but just because they turn our stomachs, doesn't mean they don't provide excellent nutrition.
Suppose you knew a breeder that bred hundreds of dogs a year, mostly Labs, Shepherds, and Goldens. They provided all the medical care for most of them the first year. At the end of it, they did a complete physical including hip X-rays on all of them. They then spent $35,000 training them before giving them away. They have a large data base of breeding records. Dogs with any physical or temperamental problems are unfit for the program and are a waste. Their well equipped clinic and vet staff are available for serious problems as long as the dog is working. When the dog is no longer able to work, it is replaced at again the $35,000 plus a large emotional upheaval for the person depending on the dog. They have experimented with different diets and exchanged data with other such breeders. Don't you think that what ever they are feeding is healthy and safe? What kinds of controlled studies do you have backing your choice of diet? How objective are the sources of your information? Is your dog's health, their top priority?
I have been raising puppies since 1991 for a large dog guide school that does exactly that. What do they feed? They instruct us to feed Pro Plan chicken and rice puppy chow until 4 months and then switch to adult Pro Plan chicken and rice. I know enough of the people with the trained dogs to know they continue the Pro Plan. The group I meet with monthly for training includes people that have raised puppies for 6 different service dog schools. Some of them are feeding other premium commercial chows including Iams and Eukanuba. Any dog owner wanting a healthy, long lived dog can make this regimen work, leaving more time to spend on the dog. It is also relatively economical.
Beneful is made by Purina, the same as Pro Plan. They contain different ingredients, but they are formulated to give the same nutrition while filling different marketing niches. Other companies use scare tactics to sell more expensive chows, or ingredients for home made diets.
Save yourself some time and money, and feed the Beneful to guarantee your dog is getting the nutrition it need. Throw that book away. Do not apologize for feeding Beneful.
Yes, dogs need unsaturated fats in their diet. No, they don't have to come from safflower or canola oil.
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