Anyone have experience with the specialized dog foods

[AndyS]

that advertise as all natural and need refrigeration?

I'm hoping to find a new companion after losing Niki.


Anything I can do to make my next companion more healthy and happy will be worth considering. It's only money, I can't take it with me and there's nobody who deserves it after I'm gone.

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Not sure if Freshpet fits your criteria

But we feed the below to Uncle Ruckus - but in a 'tube' for dinner. They have bit size and tubes you can cut to your preference.
https://freshpet.com/dog/freshpet-select/tender-chicken-small-dog-food/


We feed him Royal Canin Maltese for Breakfast.

[AndyS]

2. Yes, this is what I'm asking about.

I'm wondering if dried soy meal is the best solution for my next companion. After the whole melamine debacle a few years ago when it came out that 80% of all petfood, premium to bargain brand, came from the same source in China I began to re-think what I'm feeding to my nearest friend.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Gotcha!

Just avoid an entirely grain free food.

We used to feed Uncle Ruckus Canine Caviar brand (when he was a puppy) and Ziwipeak.

We switched to his current food at our Vets insistence - having skin and tearing issues and he's not genetically pre-disposed to have a high level of tears . . . we know his parents and grandparents. Snowy white show dogs.

For chewys - we give him the large size of these:
https://shop.earthanimal.com/products/no-hide-beef-stix

When he was a puppy we gave the ones in the link. Now we buy two large ones and they last our Maltese about a month.

Depends on the breed - but I'm a big fan of veterinarian guidance and his dad's parents. They gave us a lot of good insight after the 'oopsy daisy' litter - after they ALLOWED us to let him move in and take over our home.

By the way - Ruckus Makes the rules and is quite appropriately named. It was Spanky, then we got stuck on the Brooklyn Bridge for an hour, and had to change his chip paperwork.

[wyn borkins]

3. Royal Canin Gastrointestinal

I have tried to feed the 'natural' foods purchased from a local pet store; however, it's (the frozen dog food) difficult to matriculate, so I switched to (vet recommended) Royal Canin Gastrointestinal (canned version). This canned dog food has been just fine for our use over many years. It does not smell bad, it keeps well on the shelf or in the refrigerator, and best of all, the dog likes it and it produces 'decent-results'. Best of luck with your new addition.

[JustAnotherGen]

6. We used the weight control

Kibble for 4 months - then switched to the breed specific.

I feel like he likes it, we can afford it, and I want him healthy.

[AndyS]

9. Thank you for the input. I plan to 'do it right' from the git-go this time.

All my 'pets' have lived long and healthy lives. I want to add as much to that as I can. I had an Irish setter that was legendary in my Vet's circle, lived to 17 years. She used to give lectures at symposiums about Beauregard.

[markie]

4. if you have the time and inclination...

make your own... I made all of my puppy's food from the time he came to me... very happy and healthy indeed! I always knew what he was eating... you can make a large amount and refrigerate or freeze...

meat, including organ meats (chicken, beef, turkey, etc...) and eggs, fish
vegetables (green beans, peas, carrots, etc...)
supplements (fish oil, nutritional yeast, chlorella, etc...) and/or a bottled supplement at pet store
if using grain, use it sparingly, a little brown rice, oats or barley

[AndyS]

10. I've thought about this. Chicken quarters are .39/pound and easy to process.

any recipe sources?

[markie]

17. lots online...

just google homemade dog food... ideas.... find a mixture you like and just make up lots to freeze


1-2 pounds cooked protein source (dark chicken (including liver and gizzards), turkey, lamb, pork, beef, eggs, fish)
4 cups of cooked vegetables and carbohydrates (green beans, carrots, sweet potato, barley, peas, brown rice, broccoli...)
couple Tablespoons fish oil
supplements... few Tablespoons...nutritional yeast, chlorella or spirulina, bonemeal,

I used to find a nice piece of meat with a proper size bone and that was always an extra treat for him... the bone marrow in beef bones is especially yummy

I also made treats (especially for training) made from canned salmon, almond flour, eggs, and a little nutritional yeast and chlorella....

edit to note that I twice baked the salmon treats so they were quite crunchy and I could cut them into small pieces

[irisblue]

16. I did this for my dogs. Also dig stool would dry up & be near odorless

Sunday afternoon, every 2 weeks for 10 yrs.. I blanched, chopped & froze the veggie mash, cut the chicken necks into dice sized bits, ground the occasional beef heart.

For my 2 dogs with epilepsy, I firmly believe that this food mix extended their lives. The medicine they took to control their seizures could be liver toxic, if there were less chemicals in their bodies from dog kibble, their meds could work better.


About the yard cleanup, their stool was compact, greyish white(b/c of the chicken necks) dried up in an hr in summer heat and was near odorless.

[SheltieLover]

7. Honest Kitchens dehydrated - it's human grade & dogs love it

Easier to carry home & store because it is dehydrated. Many pet stores have samples.

I used this for my beloved Sheltie princess who was a seizure dog.

[AndyS]

11. Dry food certainly has an appeal and the mass marketed brand nourished

a lot of my live in companions over the years. Knowing I'm serving a healthy diet free of melamine is a must. Thanks for the suggestion.

[SheltieLover]

13. YW! 👍

Nothing was as important to me as her health.

I believe it is free range meat & non franken food ingredients.

While raw is natural, there are some pretty awful diseases running around in the wild, including covid19, at least in the deer population in some northern state.

My holistic vet advised against raw for these reasons.

What is great is to give dog raw, fresh veggies. They are only born with 25% of the enzymes they need, which is why when they rake prey, they go straight for the gut.

[Bev54]

8. Fresh is the best you can feed

but you need to be sure you have the supplements needed along with it. Dogs are carnivores and stay away from corn in food, used as fillers. Some dogs have allergies that will show by them itching and licking and ear infections, so you may have to do the elimination but often that is caused by corn.

If you have a specialty pet shop that sells fresh and other high end food, they will likely have all the information you need to know to keep your dog healthy.

[AndyS]

12. Thanks for the input. I live in the hinterlands of N Texas deep in the

heart of Trump country. Not much in the way of pet specialty outlets within 30 miles. Nearest AAHA rated vet is 22 miles but for twice a year visits that's not a hardship. The best emergency care in N TX is about 30 miles.

[msdogi]

14. Dog soup

I started making this for my parvo great dane puppy as she was getting healthy, been making it ever since. Usually about 6 chicken thighs, brown skin side down for a few minutes, turn over and cover with water by a couple inches. Cover pan, cook on low for a couple hours, then remove thighs to cool. Shred meat and skin, be sure to pick out all bones and add back to pot. Grate washed yam, one large, add to pot. I usually add half cup of barley or brown rice. I also add some fish oil and powdered bone broth with turmeric. I freeze this, keeps in fridge for 3-4 days. Optional is some chopped chicken liver or heart.

[AndyS]

15. Heck, I might eat that myself!

Chicken quarters are cheap at .39/pound in 10 lb bags but I understand that pure protein isn't enough so thanks for the recipe. It will make a great treat even if not a full time diet.

[milestogo]

18. I just started cooking for mine.

This website allows you to put together recipes and add their supplements for a nutritional diet.

https://shop.balance.it/collections/all

So far I've made one recipe with ground beef and another with chicken - he ate every bite.

[AndyS]

19. Thank you for the link!