Dog food vs home cooked?

Question

What's the deal with vets and others who claim it's unhealthy for dogs to eat people food?
I've always allowed my dogs to have table scraps---minus bad stuff like bones, chocolate,onions, grapes or raisins.
Ever since the whole poisoned dogfood thing I refuse to let my two dogs have any type of dogfood including treats and chews.
I cook for them instead, chicken, beef, vegtables and I make homemade dog treats for them like liver chewies---they are now HEALTHIER THAN EVER! Thier coat is brighter thier eyes are clearer and they are happier, I will never feed dogfood to another of my dogs ever, present or future!
I think vets just have thier fingers in the dog food companies and care more about the money in thier pockets than the health of dogs.

lunamoon: Luscious Chicken Liver Chewies 1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup regular flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chicken stock ( can use juice from boiling the livers)
2tsp garlic powder
1 cup chopped chicken livers, cooked

Combine flour and cornmeal. In a separate bowl add egg with oil, add broth and garlic, mix well. Dough will be firm. Put dough on lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Roll out to 1/2" thick and cut into shapes. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake 15 mins. or until firm. Store in the refrigerator or freeze for future snacks.

I hope your dog enjoys and I hope he feels better soon....my sympathies go out for you and your dog.

Answer 1

dogs are better with simple natural foods just like you are --

there are tablescraps you shouldn't be eating yourself -- and aren't good for your dog either. i think that is part of the problem. don't feed your dog cake and bacon and biscuits and gravy.

i think its a lot better to cook for your pet than a bag of food -- its kind of obvious isn't it? we have this really dumb concept of better living through chemicals -- and its killing us and are pets as well.

Answer 2

Well, in general, tables scraps aren't good for dogs because what most people give there dogs is junk.
Now, if you are taking the time to make sure your dog has a balanced diet, that isn't table scraps, it's a home diet and isn't bad at all.
Vet's educations are not focused on diets. I think some vets are just wanting to make a buck and others just don't know how junky most foods are.

Answer 3

My grandmother's schnauzer ate whatever my grandparents were having for dinner. Heck, I used to feed him M&Ms. (I didn't know chocolate was bad for dogs when I was 9.) That dog was born in 1975 and lived until 1989. He was a bit overweight in his final years, but not fat. The only dog food he ever ate were Milk Bones. He lived a full long life with never any reason to go to the vet except for his shots.

My other grandma had a german shepard. That dog ate dog food, but oatmeal, eggs, meatloaf, hamburger, and cheese as well. She too lived a long life. 1977-1989..12 years for a Shepard is pretty good. She went downhill quick after my grandma died and even after being hit by a car when she was 8 she bounced back well. The hip displacia didn't set in until she was in her last year.

All of my dogs ate a steady supply of both dog food and people food. The beagles used to get meat, but usually we kept them on dog food. The schanuzers ate anything...except olives. While my dog now and my mom's dog mostly eat Beneful, they get plenty of table scraps and cheese. They have no medical issues and never had anything seriously wrong with them either.

Answer 4

I do not agree with the statement out vets. Vets, on the whole, are very caring individuals and want the best for animals. I use commercial premium dog food and supplement with a "Dog Stew" twice a week. My dogs are happy and healthy. I believe many vets recommend commercial food because there are many things that people eat that are unhealthy/deadly for your dog. As long as you are knowledgeable about the things that can hurt your dog, then I think it is great that you feed it home cooked food.

Answer 5

I cook for my dogs, too, using Dr. Pitcairn's book. And not all vets promote the dog food companies - my vet clinic actually makes up and sells the Health Powder that's included in Dr. Pitcairn's book and recommend to any of their clients willing to listen that natural food is much healthier for any dog.

And my dogs, like yours, are not only thriving on their new diet, come meal time, they act like they've died and gone to heaven!

Answer 6

I feed only raw but it does have to be a varied diet with bone content also. I don't know this brand, but do know lots of people that feed prepackaged frozen raw. I feed some of that plus some organic that I get from a farm. You do need all sources of meat and offal etc to get the balance. One thing that I have learned but seems to be quite commonplace here is never give kibble and raw, as the two require totally different ph levels and therefore the stomach find it hard to digest both.

Answer 7

dog food home cooked

Answer 8

while i agree with your not giving your dog anyhting harmful to it. i also think th atth evets are jsut concerned about how you cook the food not in the food itself as long as you dont use any presevatives and use all natural organic supplies ot make the food an treats then yes they will be healthy because if you look at hte ingredients on the bag of dog food you get at the store its just the same thing with added pres. and addi. and it can have damaging effects to your dogs health i actually own a dog treat business online and i make mine all natural with organic ingredients and my pit bull and boston love them and so do all my neighbors dogs. so as long as they are made helathy they will help maintian your dogs health

Answer 9

I do believe that a BALANCED homemade diet is healthier than commercial dog food.

But PLEASE do some nutritional research so that you are not creating nutritional deficiencies in your dog. There are LOTS of good websites and lists on home cooking for your dog.

You might wish to start here
http://www.dogaware.com/

Answer 10

I think that vets in general are thinking about people who just feed their dog table scraps instead of dogfood. Table scraps as you know are not a good thing to feed your dog. Too many bad things in there like onions, grapes, etc. I think the way you give your dog "human" food is fine.

My vet, by the way, recommended Purina One as opposed to the expensive stuff he sells. We have two large dogs and he said we'd have to get a 2nd mortgage to feed our 2 dogs the stuff he sells.

Keep loving your puppies!!!!