Introducing Merlin, questions, and advice!

[vneerland]

"Best food" discussions are everywhere. But no, store bought food is not automatically evil or bad. Some people will not be able to afford some of the premium foods listed above. And honestly, there is often a huge disconnect between price and performance too. I feed kibble, to a very healthy pack of dogs, with above average longevity. At this point in time, I feed a locally milled food called "Victor" and I totally LOVE and recommend it. Maybe I shouldn't, because it is not horribly expensive? Can food still be good if you don't have to sell your firstborn to be able to afford it?
Moral of story. That pup will have enough loving care, even with purina, to recover from his birth defect. I personally have no doubt.

[Choochi]

I never said you have to go out and buy the most expensive food, you get what you can afford of course, but Purina is pure crap you can't argue that. Not because of it's price but because of the ingredients. It's mostly made of corn and some animal by-products (beaks, hoofs, nothing of real dietary value). If any thing, Purina is a complete ripp off for it's price considering you're paying for processed garbage.

Here's a more detailed break down:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food ... 40&cat=all

and BTW that's a great site to check up on any food you're considering for your dog. The more you read it the more you start to understand what to look for and what to avoid on pet food labels and more importantly why.

[kchristy]

Thank you for the advice on food I will definately look into it. There is a live stock and nurtrition mill near me that sells kibble that I have thought about shifting to, alot of farmers that have cattledogs around here recommend it. Once again, its a little bit more expensive. Have no doubt though, that I would get him the best food I could if it was actually better, not just a brand that says organic and charges a fortune. Considering I have no idea what he was fed before he came to me, anything would probably be better, since he had no shine, no energy, no weight, and his stool was pure liquid. For long term use though, I will definately see if I can find something more nutrient rich.

His legs are almost completely better, one would not be able to look at him and tell, just from watching him play, that he even had a problem to begin with. He is jumping off of the porch and running and jumping over fallen trees in a wooded area near my house. It's amazing when Im outside running and playing with him, he sounds like a herd of cows coming up behind me! When we first got him he could only slowly walk a few feet and then lay down, so happy he is better.

Judith, thanks for the vote of confidence I have learned alot from you and the other forum users about the DS breed. I hope to be the best owner I can be for Merlin and have fallen in love with the breed. I find myself looking up pictures and videos of them on the internet just to look at them. Amazing dogs Now, not only do I have an amazing DS, I have a friend that will always be loyal to me. I recently had to do some job training in Oklahoma city and the instructor loved to show Great Danes. We of course started talking about dogs, which led me to the subject of DS. He knew the breed and said that he had only see 1 before in person, being that they aren't AKC, but he said that he had seen it in TX. Anyway, point of the story I found myself wondering if the dog that he saw was somehow related to one of your dogs. Anyway, thanks again to you and all the other members for all the advice, I look forward to learning so much more about them, through Merlin and the forum

[kchristy]

and BTW that's a great site to check up on any food you're considering for your dog. The more you read it the more you start to understand what to look for and what to avoid on pet food labels and more importantly why.

Very interesting site, kinda depressing. Its not like Purina is the cheapest brand out there and yet its still not that nutritious.

[Sugars Mom]

Something else to keep in mind; the more expensive quality foods usually require feeding less, so it helps balance out the cost as well as the added benefit of picking up less poop

[Dutchringgirl]

Something else to keep in mind; the more expensive quality foods usually require feeding less, so it helps balance out the cost as well as the added benefit of picking up less poop

Excellent point thrown in, when I had my horses, I switched to a great grain, a lot of people wouldnt switch because it was a lot more expensive per bag but I fed a lot less and the horses looked alot better.

[vneerland]

I never said you have to go out and buy the most expensive food, you get what you can afford of course, but Purina is pure crap you can't argue that. Not because of it's price but because of the ingredients. It's mostly made of corn and some animal by-products (beaks, hoofs, nothing of real dietary value). If any thing, Purina is a complete ripp off for it's price considering you're paying for processed garbage.

I do not feed purina. But there are levels of quality in Purina foods too. Kibbels and bits (or whatever it is called) is not equal to 'pro plan' or even 'one'. I do not want to start one of the emotional discussions that usually ensue when one starts to talk about the best food. I think a lot of it comes down to personal belief or preference. To hear some say it, the only way to go is barf. (fresh food) I have seen no proof of that whatsoever. I am not saying that you said that (barf) but I think that there is no one size fits all. If your dog is healthy, if you cannot afford or justify feeding some of the often extremely overpriced dry food, then I am sure there are levels of purina that will work just fine. I feel that even the lowest level of purina would be an improvement over what Merlin had had access to. Better foods are better, yes. But grocery store brands are not all pure evil either.

[CaroleBoaz]

Around here, feed stores are a good place to get some decent dog food. Also, if you have a Costco nearby, I heard the Kirkland brand dog food they sell is pretty good and priced low.

[kchristy]

Thanks, Ill look into it

[Schlussdibusti]

Here some pics from the "Schlussdibusti Cuisine':

2011_11210001.JPG

2011_11210002.JPG

I bought a 12 lbs turkey and cooked it with garlic, italian herbs and rock salt. Took it out to take the meat off the bones, and cooked in the mean time in the broth carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, green beans, lentils and rice. Those are pretty much the same ingredients as in a premium dog food, just in a home cooked version but MUCH cheaper.

And yep, the boys eat from Pyrex glass bowls. But they eat in the house, not on a concrete floor in a kennel. There it would probably smashed to pieces. My labs are/were violent eaters and the bowls are now a decade old and nothing chipped off or cracked. My lab Jerry got some skin rashes way back when he ate out of a plastic bowl and we had no problems since we used the glass bowls.

[Marjolein]

ehm, that is your for right? What does the dog eat?

[Choochi]

That looks good! I would eat that! In fact that probably looks better then my dinner on some nights!

[Marjolein]

ehm, that is your for right? What does the dog eat?

for= food my fingers were faster than the pc

[Schlussdibusti]

I admit, I ate a small bowl too

This is how I imagine the time before commercial dog food. Three generations of people living under one roof, sitting down for a home cooked meal, not MC Donald or Pizza Hut, and the dogs get what's left over. And nobody worried about calcium/phosporus ratios and such.

I remember the movie "Snow Dogs". with Cuba Gooding, dentist from Miami, "inheriting" a team of huskies. Bringing a huge bag of dog food and the mushers saying: you can't feed that, those are athletes! And then they were cooking some "gruel" for the dogs. I know, it's the movies but probably some truth to it. A dog that lays on the couch all day and goes for a little stroll around the block will do probably fine with commercial stuff. But a working dog, burning some serious kals, needs something more solid. Just my opinion.

[Choochi]

This is how I imagine the time before commercial dog food. Three generations of people living under one roof, sitting down for a home cooked meal, not MC Donald or Pizza Hut, and the dogs get what's left over. And nobody worried about calcium/phosporus ratios and such.

When I was a kid we would go visit my aunt who lived in a rural part of Poland, they kept dogs out in dog houses as watch dogs for the property. There was a bucket in the corner of the kitchen. Through out the day we threw in scraps of food from cooking, unfinished meals, and at the end of the day my aunt would maybe add some bread, milk, or soup to it, and take the bucket full of this slop to the dogs.

[Schlussdibusti]

And the dogs were healthy with shiny coats, right?

[GSDNanny]

Many years ago, I worked a very short time for a dog food company and learned through their class about commercial dog food and how it is broken down. All major brands have 2-3 levels of classification to include premium and grocery (cheapest). Say out of a 40 lb bag of grocery level food, at say $18/bag, you would get about $3 worth of quality. Now if you buy premium the ratio goes up, quality vs filler (ie corn). It costs more at checkout counter, but in the long run, you use less to satisfy the dogs nutritional needs. Actually in the long run, it costs you less. The more premium the food too, usually there is less that passes through

I do feed raw three days a week and that is only because I have a hunting club that processes their venison and gives me the carcasses which are usually very meaty. In fact by the end of the season, they usually only take the back strap and leave the rest for me. I process 80-90 deer per season. Yeh, looks pretty gruesome at my place on Tues evenings when I pickup the load. Lizzy Borden, eat your heart out!

But doesnt get much more pure than free range venison. I feed it all. Some folks say stay away from load-bearing bones such as legs but I dont. I do throw away the next morning what has not been eaten, before the bones dry out. Been feeding this way 9+ years.

We are also catered by drug reps, etc at the medical office I work for. Whatever left over veggies are taken and fed to my dogs as well.

So all in all, my dog food bill isnt high and my dogs eat very healthy.

[Schlussdibusti]

Sounds great! Marco wants to go on a trip to Louisiana

[GSDNanny]

Ya'll are welcome anytime! We have an open door policy with the only criteria that you love dogs.

[GSDNanny]

Oh my, just looked at my previous post here and sorry that it is so graphic with the 'smilies'.