Welcome to my diet page!! This page reflects my diet
which I feed to my dogs and I wish to tell you the reasons as to why I
have chosen this method.
Over the years, I have fed commercial diets with
fair success. I think I have fed almost every food under the sun!!! Though
the foods claimed to be balanced, there seemed to be always something missing.
It
took me all these years to finally realize what that was!! It is the natural
nutrients that the dogs need.
Counterparts of the domestic canine hunted prey for
food. Usually these animals were herbivores such as deer, rabbits, etc.
The first part of the prey that these canines ate was the intestines and
the organs, leaving the muscle meat for a later meal. The intestines of
these animals contained vegetables and grains that were partially digested,
containing the natural nutrients and enzymes to sustain life. The meat
of the prey also contains natural nutrients for correct balance.
In today's commercial foods, there are grains and
meats, (origin on the most part of the meat is not really know to the consumer)
and in most foods the protein source is grain! Dogs cannot live on this
as they are meat eaters. The digestibility of the meat proteins and vegetable proteins
in commercial food is questionable to me. How can anything have
food value when it is processed at extreme heat? Nutrients cannot survive
high heat, therefore, the goodness whatever the amount is gone.
Adding vitamins and enzymes after
the fact proves that this is true. Also, the addition of preservatives
is a great factor. BHA and BHT are proven carcinogens and ethoxyquin is
a preservative used in rubber factories!! Why would we want to feed this
to our dogs??!!
Also, what puzzles me is the addition
of Vitamin E or C as a preservative. Vitamin E loses its effectiveness
when exposed to light and Vitamin C as well. Also, they lose their effectiveness
from exposure to air. So, that leaves me to believe that those foods claiming to
be naturally preserved actually do indeed have other preservatives. These
may not be on the label because by law, if the company that produces the
end product does not add anything, they do not have to list them. But what
about the ingredients that arrive to their doorstep? What do they contain?
Why do commercial foods last of the shelf? These things have scared me!!
I do not wish to feed my dogs any questionable food. I would much rather
prepare their food so that I have some sort of control of what goes into
them.
I began to consider natural diets after
one of my dogs became crippled up with arthritis at the age of 6. He cried
in pain when you even slightly touched his head. I considered euthanasia,
but, after much research, decided to try a more "natural" diet along with
some herbs. I had read about toxins and what was in commercial food, and
thought that I would lose my skepticism and try this. Low and behold, he
almost fully recovered within a record time!! He always had a deficit in
his movement but he had another 2 years of comfortable life!! He ran around
with the other dogs and played, something he did not do for a long time!!
This episode changed my way of thinking forever.
Time went by and I supplemented their
diets with grains and veggies, and always fed raw beef, but with the commercial
food I had incidences of HOD and other occurrences that disturbed me. One
day I decided that I would make my own food. I thought it would be a real
chore to do it but it really was quite simple and once the routine was
down, it was second nature.
Then I found the answer I was seeking!!
PHD and Volhard's Pet Foods. The foods are clinically tested on various
breeds, environments, on all life stages with fantastic results...something
most natural homemade type diets cannot say. The diet is made of human
grade natural grains, herbs, and chelated vitamins and minerals needed
for health. I add beef (government inspected from a local butcher), fruit, veggies,
and homemade yogurt. The whole process to feed my dogs takes approximately
5 minutes to mix and serve!! No hassles, no worries. That is it!!
I used to be concerned with feeding my young dogs
too high protein. With this food I am finding that my puppies are eating
a MINIMUM of 30% protein with no problem with HOD or other nutritionally
triggered growth disorders. Also, the possibility of bloat and stomach
torsion is virtually non existent. The food is so digestible that it doesn't
have a chance to ferment in the stomach!!
The coats of the dogs are shiny,
their eyes are bright, their stools are good, dark and small and the dogs
are vibrant and full of energy....they never looked this good in the past!!
If I have a dog with special needs as reduced protein, I can manipulate
the diet to suit that individual. The extra little bit of work is well
worth the effort.
The amount the dogs eat has reduced
as well, obviously because they are getting the needed nutrition from a
much smaller amount of food. Hmmmmmmmmm wonder why!! They get home made
biscuits and twice a week they get raw knuckle bones.
Try it sometime and you will see!!
Your dogs will thank you and the difference in them is incredible. Addition of
raw, living foods to the dog's diet will make them healthier and happier!!