why do people obsess over what others feed to their dogs?

Question

well I feed my dog Innova because that's my personal choice. But I have nothing against people who feed their dog Purina or Science Diet. I mean who cares what people feed their pets as long as they are feeding them? I have watched Animal Cops on animal planet and some of the dogs on that show make me cry because their owners starved them. I just think it's bizarre that people freak out over what others feed their pets.

on one question someone simply asked what people fed their dogs and some said Purina or Science Diet. Those people all got like 10 thumbs downs and all they did was answer the question. And there is nothing wrong with giving your *opinion* on a food. But when people start accusing others of being "bad owners" because they feed the "wrong" food then that is going too far.

Answer 1

I have nothing against those people, but are we not allowed to educate them?

Usually, they think that Science Diet is the best food out there, obviously, it's not. If we don't tell them this, who will?

Also, poor diet can lead to loads of health problems and shorten life span.

Answer 2

You're right it is going too far and I cry when I see that show too. It hurts my heart to see the things people do to pets for no reason except they can or they are too ignorant to know better.What makes me evan more upset is the small fines these people get for the pain and suffering they've inflicted on these dogs and cats.
But to answer your question about food alot of people have realized that feeding the best food possible is the first line of defense in keeping your dog healthy.I don't care how much the food costs if I'm spending less at the vet. But I wonder if some of these people don't see themselves as having a higher status because they can afford a good quality food.
Rest assured. I've fed Purina,Beneful,Kibbles and Bits,Old Roy,Nutro,Authority,Royal Canin,Eukanuba,Iams Science Diet and several other brands and the best food is the one your dog will eat.
I have a picky eater and one with suspected food allergies and trust me finding food they will both eat that will will benefit them both was tough.I finally found a dealer who sells canidae and while it's expensive I don't have to give fish oil to my dogs anymore.They both eat it and I don't have to get creative and mix other foods in with it to tempt them to eat so I'm actually saving money.
If the food is'nt doing what you think it should and by this I mean your dog does'nt have a shiny coat or it's poor quality,he's overweight or under weight and the eyes are'nt bright and he's gassy or itchy or seems sluggish then you need to switch foods. And with all that's going on with the pet foods lately before you switch check the recall lists.

Answer 3

This question is bizarre to me but maybe I tend to care too much for other people and their pets well being. I could not sit by and do nothing while I watched my coworker buy science diet for their westie they had just adopted. The vet recommended it, right? Well he is in love with that little dog and I made the same mistake? Should I just let him learn the same lesson? Why would I do that when in doing so I might be shortening the life span of his new little dog?
I feel the same way about the people on here to some extent. If they come on here and dont know about the better foods, I feel an obligation to tell them. Then I wash my hands of it because at least I am getting the info out there. I wont harrass them about it but mentioning it just seems the ethical thing to do.
Why would you knowingly let someone think that crap food is the best thing for their pet if YOU know that it could be shortening their life span?
Also, define freak out.

Answer 4

1. I don't obsess on what others feed their dogs. But if someone asks, I'll share with them what I know and what my opinion is.

2. Unless your dog runs free on a farm, that pet is dependent on the human owner for their nutrition. It's much like a baby or toddler being dependent on the parent for good nutrition. We have an obligation as responsible pet owners to do right by our pets.

3. Yeah, there are some horrendous situations for dogs out there in the world. But just because a terrible breeder or abusive owner starves dogs doesn't justify therefore ignoring what other dogs eat. Change what you can. If you can report someone who abuses their dog (so that abuse stops), good for you. If you can adopt a rescue and provide that loving dog with someone who returns that love as well, that's really great. And if you (or anyone) can improve the quality of life for a dog (by making sure they aren't bored, or get good exercise, or aren't obese or don't get lousy food) then that's great to. It's not about only helping starving dogs so everything else is off-limits. Just because some dogs starve doesn't mean that dogs who are fed mediocre food (that in some cases will shorten their lives by years) should be accepted.

4. Finally, if you look at some of the commercial food options, it's hard to be tolerant. Pedigree includes some preservatives that have tested positively as carcinogens. Most commercial foods include rendered animal parts. Part of the difference between "chicken" and "chicken byproducts" is that the latter can include ground up chicken beaks, or other parts that are not regarded as fit for human consumption and have no demonstrated nutritional value. It is legal for commercial pet manufacturers to include meat from diseased animals. Euthanized cats and dogs are also used as meat in some commercial pet foods. Most commercial dog foods contain high amounts of ingredients that sound good to humans (wheat, soy, corn) that have almost no nutritional value to dogs and in some cases are almost entirely undigestable. If you doubt what I've written above, you can read this webpage for more confirmation: www.allourpets.com/htmls/petfood.shtml

I try to do the best job I can for my dog. If someone has advice to me on how to do a better job, I consider it. I any opportunity I stumble across to improve a dog's life, I act. Under that standard, it's highly appropriate to offer advice about how to improve what a dog eats.

Answer 5

Some people believe that their dogs are "better" on different types of food. I liken it to feeding my dog prime rib vs. Hamburger Helper. Either way he's getting fed, which is the important part, but some foods have better nutritional value than others. That said I would never freak out about what someone else is feeding their dog as long as it's dog food.

Answer 6

Who freaks out? They ask what to feed their dogs and we tell them what they should feed. They say that the dog has constant loose stool, and it is fed Purina, well CHANGE THE FOOD. Many problems (gassiness, allergies, etc.) can be fixed by a diet change. I'll tell you that before I came on YA, I went by an EX-vet's advice and was feeding Science Diet... I had no idea what any of the ingredients even met. I'm GLAD the people here told me what to feed my dogs!

Answer 7

I have an example. I don't know what Innova is, but I feed my dog an expensive pet store brand. When I decided that I was spending to much on the food, I switched to some average grocery store type of food. My dog's breath became unbearable... and she was only around 5 months old. 5 month old pups should have nice smelling breath. Some people see their pets like children. I give my dog a few carrots and sometimes broccoli because it is good for their eyes, coat and teeth. You don't want t lethargic dog running around. Pets need to be healthy!

Answer 8

Some of the foods cause the health problems that people are asking about.

The cure for some problems is changing food.

Some of the food is actually harmful. You may remember, not too long ago, there was a huge pet food recall. I can't remember the final death toll, last I heard it was 75 dogs.

75 dogs DEAD! because of bad food. Food we assumed was safe. It's inexcuseable.

That's why I let people know.

I do have to say though, the people who feed the various RAW diets are a bunch of lunatics. I get hate mail from these people! I AGREE that some foods are bad, and these people STILL have nothing nice to say.
CRAZY!

Answer 9

Same reason people freak out about what other people eat. I feed mine science diet and he loves it, is very healthy and active. Why switch when it works? My brother in law feeds his labs purina and is lab is now 17 years old and that's far behind expected.

Answer 10

i used to feed my dog science diet and i changed him to canidae because i heard it was great well no matter all the good stuff i heard and how i tried to follow the feeding insctructions my dog did not do good on the food. i am waiting for him to finish his canidae food so i can take him back on science diet. with canidae he lost like 5-6 lbs and before he was in the perfect weight (we were told this by our vet) and now he looks skinny and malnourished. i guess some foods are good to some dogs and not others