Who's right, who's wrong?

Question

As I read all the questions and answers for dog, cats, birds, etc. I'm curious as to how people know what's right. I mean other then trial and error with your pet.

So many people are giving opposite advice. Veterinarians are contridicting each other. Breeders and trainers all have their own theories about what is right and wrong.

The dog food question is what made me really ponder this. Everyone says what they think is best, and most opinions differ. Isn't it just individual to the animal? I know some foods are proven to be better then others, but even as you research the internet to find what the essential nutrients are for a particular animal, you never find the same answer. Regardless of the source.

So who's to say that even your most trusted source, your vet, is right?

It's a little scary isn't it?

Answer 1

There have been tremendous studies done on foods and on canine nutrition over the course of many years. It is a well proven fact that foods that contain meat sources as opposed to a lot of grains is much healthier for dogs. Foods that contain corn, wheat & soy are responsible for a lot of skin issues and allergies that occur in dogs.They also don't provide much by way of digestability and nutrition. The same goes for beet pulp plus it also adds unnecassry sugar to the diet. It takes up to 3 times more of a grain laiden food for a dog to obtain the proper protein and nutrition as it does a food taht contains meat.
Vets are great sources of medical info but they aren't usually the best sources of the right foods to feed.They tend to recommend foods that they are familiar with..the ones that are advertised the most.Thankfully that is beginning to change as more and more vets are becoming more aware of the "good" foods and are beginning ot recommend these more.
Vets don't make profits from selling certain foods, nor are their offices funded by food companies, nor do they get kick backs or any other such nonsence as goes around and around. Also their nutrition classes in school aren't put on by dog food companies. Vets onlt receive a general nutrition course which covers hogs to dogs, cats to rats..it is not species specific.. so unless they do go on to take species specific nutrition classes they only have the very bare basics. The food companies do hold seminars but they are optional and many vet students chose not to attend.
When a vet choses to sell foods in their practice they just like a pet store must buy it wholesale and then sell it for a retail price.

In feeding it only takes some common sense..dogs are not goats they are not designed to eat grains or to process them..they are primarily meat eaters, their teeth and jaws are designed for meat, for ripping & tearing, their digestive tract is designed to digest and process meats and very very little grains. Dogs don't go into corn fields to eat corn, nor do they go into wheat or soy fields to ingest those things either. Dogs left to their own devices will help themselves to tomatoes off the vine, some berries and apples but that's pretty much it.

There are studies upon studies involving canine nutrition and they all pretty much say the same. I myself have studied canine nutrition for years with my speciality being in the feeding of Giant breeds.I have also been involved in the vet field for over 30 years. I'm fortunate to be able to see many of the "reaL" studies first hand and to be able to sift out a lot of hype and false info taht is out there.

One thing to keep in mind you should always feed your dog a quality food taht contains meat as at least the first 2 ingredients, no corn, wheat, soy, beet pulp, by products, dyes, chemical preservatives, however not every quality food is right for every dog, sometimes experimenting needs to happen in order to find the right one. Also it should be remembered if you have a giant breed dog you need to keep protein levels at no higher then 24% especially in dogs 18 months and younger and large breed dogs shouldn't have a protein level over 26% especially as puppies.

Answer 2

Well i know what you mean. You can never be too careful with pets.they are like children.I see why you asked this question. I can relate. You should look on the bag of food, see what is in it, and then research on the Internet what dogs need to have. I know the Internet is not always right, but double check. First go on the computer then ask your vet. If you both come up with the same ingredients or nutrients, you should take the proved theory and try it out. If it doesn't work, you make - my points.
i am only a kid but know a lot about about pets and the world. I hope you will take this advice and not under estimate the fact that i am a kid. Good luck!

Answer 3

While in vet school, the students go through a few nutrition seminars. These seminars are typically funded by one dog food company or another. Thus, the company will push that their food is the best. Much of the equipment in vet schools and even offices are funding in part or in whole by the food companies in order to get their foot in the door.

Look at it this way: You can ask your doctor about a healthy diet, and he can give you an overview. But you go to a nutritionalist for specifics, menus, the break down and analysis of each piece of food. Same as you go to an allergist is you have bad food allergies that impede what your doctor and nutritionalist told you. :)

Everyone has an opinion. Just as we can live 60 years on a poor diet, a dog can live to be 12-15 on a poor diet as well. It doesn't mean that they lived the best they could though. Every case is different.

Answer 4

Well, for dog food I don't have a specific brand. There's a vitamin number on the back of a bag or box of dogfood somewhere, and all I know is, the higher the number the better. No, it doesn't matter about the breed, just how good the food is for them. Some brands that are sold a lot are only sold because the dogs will eat a lot of it. But, that doesn't matter. What does matter is how good it is for them. I know someone who has a pitbull that used puppy chow and doggy chow as it grew up, while my boyfriend and I used a different brand that had better nutritional values. Guess whos dog lived longest? Well, ours are still living. =)

Answer 5

Here's the thing. My dog gets sick on "Gooey Giblets" brand of food. However, your dog's coat got soft and smooth on it. The manufacturers have conducted humane studies that say that it can increase coat luster and condition and decrease health issues. Just because my dog had an issue with it doesn't make it bad.

Now, my dog eats "Kibbles N Tricks" and isn't ever sick. He poops 4 times a day and they are nice firm stools. But, 1000 other dogs in my city have had allergies to the corn, the chicken, and the preservatives that they use. They conduct animal tests that consist of starving dogs, depriving them of water, and forcing social breeds to live and die like they are in a animal shelter, but with less interaction. Just because I say that Kibble N Tricks is the best, doesn't make it so.

Asking about the "best" brand of dog food is like asking what the "best" anything is. You have to do your own research and figure out what fits your needs and you dog's needs best. To me, the best dog food isn't loaded with fillers, isn't tested on animals cruelly, is human quality, and contains ingredients to help the health of the dog. I listed the brands that I know of that are like that and a few of the brands mentioned that aren't. My opinions are backed up by changes I see in my dog when she's fed good food and problems I see in other dogs who are fed junky foods, and how those dogs change when they are fed higher quality foods. But at some point, you have to decide what's acceptable for you and your dog. Only you can decide what's best for your dog and then choose whether to feed it to them.

As far as vets are concerned, frankly, some of them are great at treating animals but don't know jack about foods. Some keep up on the research and some think that all foods are the same. I listen to the negative things that they say and the reasoning behind it, and will use that to influence my opinions. But, if they think that everything is the same, and I know that to not be true, or if I hear them contradict research that I have personally done, then I let them treat my pet but not recommend food. Some vets know their stuff with food and others simply don't.

Answer 6

It really does come down to trial and error. While most people would recommend an expensive brand of dog food, like Innova, I can tell you from personal experience that it made my puppy very sick - so sick she had to go to the vet. That vet recommended a basic purina dog food diet - and my puppy did great on that! Every vet has a different opinion - and some vets get a commission on selling a certain brand of dog food. You really just have to use your own judgement - not someone else's. I even had vets tell me that I needed to feed my cat, who has LUTD (lower urinary tract disease), that he needed to be fed a highly expensive "prescription" diet (which happened to be food he sold there) for the rest of his life. Well I changed my cat's diet to a Urinary tract health formula of a regular store brand of cat food, and guess what? He has done great on it all these years!

Vets are in it for the money like everyone else. So do your own research and good luck!

Answer 7

yes, I agree. While Answers is fun, and evryone has the right ot voive an opinion, people really should not answer unless it is their area of expertise in the case of a health question - as others may well take that advice and may end up in a bad way! If you answer a question, it is your responsibility.
The vet or GP is always the one to listen to.
I also think it would be nice if people would post the outcomes of their problems more. People who ask 'my cat is doing this ....why' and then go to the vet - it would be nice and possibly very helpful to someone else to know what the vet said.

Answer 8

no one is right, some are just lucky. I have two different vets I use as I have a variety of animals. One vet is only for emergencies when the other vet is not available. Like you said, what works for one, may or may not work for another. This forum is good to receive lots of options which you will have to decipher for yourself. I feel sorry for the people who ask a question and believe the answer has to be right. It is all about faith and trust, which is something I personally have a problem. with.

Answer 9

When it comes to dog food, I disagree...every vet who sells food has an agenda...to make money off the food he/she sells. The food they sell will not harm the pet, but it is probably no better than food considerably cheaper. I have had dogs all my life...none have been deprived of food or nutrion, all grew to standard heights, standard weights, none were starved. And I do not subscribe to the "Higher the price, the better the product" theory at all. With some breeds of dogs, you cannot have a food that has high filler in it (gas can kill a dog quickly...stomach torsion..trust me, I know about this one, sadly). But, dogs have been doing very well for a very long time BEFORE all this high priced food hit the market. We are led to believe that we are cruel if we do NOT buy this stuff and feed our dogs. Translation...we are being cruel to the MAKER of the high priced stuff by not filling their pockets with excess money!
IF a vet sells dog and/or cat food, that is NOT a person to ask about what food to feed your animal. IF a Vet does NOT sell food, I suspect you will hear, "they are all pretty much the same." Watch out for excessive filler in some off-brand foods IF you have a deep chested dog (Poodles, Douschounds, labs, Dobermans, Collies, Shepards, Danes, and others). Pedigree and Purina are probalby as good as any food out there, and they are not price-proud. Good luck In fact, I suppose that if I really wanted to know what food to feed my dog, I would ask a pro dog breeder who does NOT sell food.

Answer 10

I usually answer with what I've tried with my dog, and what's actually worked. I suppose different methods can have similar results. There are different theories on dog training, feeding, breeding, etc. So try out anything that doesn't sound like it will actually harm your dog, and see if it works for you.

And if you can't trust your vet, maybe you need to find a new vet! They're not all the same. Find one you and your dog are comfortable with.

Answer 11

I think you should trust your vet's opinion over any other answers on this yahoo answers for sure! But I also agree with you that maybe your vet isn't right! I know most vets tend to only carry certain products and recommend products that they are familiar with! I believe they do what they can as their first and foremost responsibility is taking care of your pets. And in all reality probably only a small portion of vets concerns are related to what food to eat! I don't think any vet can have equal experience with all pet foods as there are so many out there, so they, just like everyone else, tends to give their opinions about what they are familiar with!