Dog food - Page 8

We add water to our kibble to slow the dogs down eating. Otherwise it is gone in seconds, they are fed twice a day so smaller portions. I would have thought eating that quickly would be worse then adding water? We also add a tablespoon plain non-fat yogurt, apple slice or carrot, fish oil capsule, and glucosimine at night. I will start back with the vitamin C.

If one is feeding a premium dog food it might be best to not add a lot of supplements to upset the balance. Supplements can cause more harm that good and I doubt most health dogs really need them. All you might be getting for your trouble are dogs with expensive urine. On the other hand, few dogs eat the recommended quantity suggested on the dog food bag; it's a slippery slope. When I first got into breeding and showing there were none of the "natural" or premium blends. Everyone fed a Purina product or another brand name that most of us would not touch today. Those dogs lived just as long and seemed to be healthier than our dogs today. I had a lot of dogs over the last 35 years and never lost one to cancer until 2001, my first GSD. I fed my dogs a food blended at a local mill, it contained corn. With only one exception, a 6 yr old bitch that died from renal failure, every single one of my dogs (not GSD's, another large breed working dog) lived to be at least 12 years old, the average being 12 1/2. The oldest was almost 15. Never one with an allergy either and I can't recall ever having to take one to the vet for treatment of any illness. No c-sections, no dead puppies, no AI's either. There must be more to health and longevity in dogs of today than only what they eat. Not trying to diminish the influence of diet, just trying to introduce the possibility that it's not all there is. I'm sure others here have had dogs as long or longer than I have, maybe their experiences have been similar, maybe not. Sometime I wonder of all this premium dog food isn't a marketing tool put forth by the manufacturers. If we don't buy the best for our dogs, we are made to feel guilty of neglect. Maybe there is not as much attention paid to using only healthy dogs for breeding, I don't know.

I only give pregnant girls vitamins......and extra meats and cottage cheese, and yogurt...