Dog food - switched and seen benefits?

Sending this as a mail, but thought I'd post it for the sake of others!

I used to hate opening dog food cans - I'm a vegetarian, and the stench makes me retch! My dog also began to get fussier and fussier - he just would not eat the stuff, no matter what brand I bought. And he suffered from constipation. One day, I noticed that the car stank of dog ****. When I let the dog out of the back, his entire rear end was caked in dog poo. I mean, thickly caked, squashed in about an inch thick.
I took him home and scubbed him off; great wads of poo fell off of him! It was the most disgusting job I ever did!

After that I changed his diet. We can get frozen chicken mince in our local pet store, so I bought a big packet of that. I put some in a frying pan, cook it for about one minute. Add dry dog food (based on oat and vegetable flakes) and some canned vegetables: carrots or peas. Let it cool and mix together thoroughly. My dog LOVES this food. He eats every single last pea.
I can't say I noticed a change on health - hes always been healthy and bouncy - but his digestion has improved, and best of all, his poo is soft but firm and actually doesn't stink any more. And I enjoy making this food, it actually looks and smells good!

When we got our dog from a rescue centre she'd been badly abused. Half her fur was missing (burnt away apparently by having to sleep in her own urine) had cigarette burns on her, had mange and barely the energy to move (and, we found out a little later, was pregnant too).

A diet of boiled chicken and rice (basmati, although I'm not sure that is an important factor) and tins of oily fish, tuna, mackerel and sardines, in vegetable oil, mashed into rice, transformed her from a pathetic creature that could barely stand to a proud, energetic saluki that could outrun greyhounds.

Dog and cat food

I've never had problems with our dogs and cats because I always make their food. A cook-up once a fortnight and there's a really healthy brown rice, whole oats, wholewheat flour, silverbeet (swiss chard to you Americans I think) pumpkin, carrot, one onion, meat of your choice or fish with egg, olive oil, and herbs meat loaf.

I've been asked for the recipe by many people whose animal was not well or not doing well, including our vets who recommend it for fussy eaters and poor do-ers. Keeps the coat gleaming, the gut small and the bowels regular!

Even the fussiest of cats will eat it with relish if you use chicken, fish, liver or ox kidney.

I should add: I also add coconut oil to his food. I don;t know if you've heard it but coocnut oil is one of the best pick-me-up for ailing animals. Here's a testimonial I found on the net, and I've herad lots of such stories;

We even feed it (coconut oil) to our dogs. (Five. We have five dogs. No cats, no birds, just dogs. Lots of dogs.) My husband and I adopt handicapped, often blind dogs from rescue shelters. Most have been abused and/or abandoned, and they come to us malnourished with dull coats. Of course, you’d never know it to see them today. No one who meets our furry children can believe they were once emaciated-looking with horrible breath and rotting teeth. Besides their excellent diet (click here for more about raising healthy animal companions), I firmly believe coconut oil has contributed to their now thick, lustrous coats. Take my 19-year-old Maltese mix, for example. She was rescued from a dumpster, starving to death. We mixed coconut oil into her food, and she immediately started growing fur on her bare patches. Not to mention…

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Coconut oil works well externally on animals, as well (and on people). It's anti viral and anti bacterial, and I've heard it curing skin problems that medicines and salves have't helped. Check it out!

Hi,

I'm in the UK and was having real problems with my dog when I was feeding a mixture of either dried food or a tinned meat and biscuit diet. A friend recommended I switch him to a fresh meat diet (minced frozen) and he's been much better ever since. I also add boiled veg when I have it. On the dried food he was stressed to the point I was getting really worried about him.

Its a good idea to closely check the ingredients on any dry dog food. We used to feed cheaper brands and then started using a high dollar brand. The dogs slicked off. . .hair glossy, they had high energy, etc. The "fillers" they put in a lot of that stuff has no actual food value.

pdr, please be careful with onions. They can be toxic to dogs and cats.

I took the IAMS challenge and bought a bag of their food. By the end of it, 3 weeks later, my 16-year-old buddy, deaf and partially blind, was perkier, his coat shone, and he was raring to go for walks.

Yes, I've read about the bad things they're supposed to use in IAMS but I researched it and found out none of it was true.

Most dry foods for dogs have a very high content of wheat, which can give your dog dull fur, bad stomach and a severe itch. Some people think their dogs have fleas beacuse of that itch and treat them unnecessarily with poisons like Frontline.

I used to make my own dog food; all kinds of meat, bought scraps from the butchery, rice, veggies, NO onions, and barley. From the vet I bought bottles of dog vitamin extract and put some in after it had cooled. Right before serving I would put some raw egg yolkes in there. NO whites because it can cause diarreah.
My dog always had a shiny fur, and she loved the food I gave her. Three years ago she died of old age. I still can not think about her without tears. She was my very best friend. A Rottweiler, her heart was bigger than her body and she had a wonderful spirit. I wish the day will come when I will be able to put up her picture. I miss seeing her face. Until then she still has her special place in my heart.