My newly inherited female yellow lab (taken from my folks who are severely ill and cannot care for it) eats the same thing every day: Morning - 1 cup of Blue Adult dry food and 1 jumbo pan-fried egg cut up on top Lunch - 1 cup of Blue Adult dry food and 1/2 cup green beans (from can) microwaved for 25 seconds with some juice Dinner - Repeat lunch Now, I didn't introduce this dog to this diet but this dog is 13 years old and 3+ months. She's at a healthy weight but she has some trouble getting around at her age. She also had parvo as a puppy. But, she loves the food she gets. This dog is addicted to eggs and green beans imo. I've owned dogs in the past (Ridgebacks) and was always giving them dry food along with canned food. One lived to 11 years and 6 months...the other to 12 years. Their diet was not good (in retrospect). They were spoiled. Plus, all the treats. Oh man...they got it all. Just curious what diets your dog(s) are on and if anything out of the ordinary.
Interesting topic. I don't have any pets presently, but my last dog ate pretty well compared to most: lots of rice, cooked meats (in addition to "high quality" dry dog food), some bread mixed in... I did my best, but there was just so much I didn't know about nutrition and aging. Essential fatty acids... food allergies and sensitivities... CBD (and even THC)... I would do it all differently today.
I think no matter the diet, the breed of the dog has a bigger play on what ailments they have and how long they live. Diets and good food are essential for a healthy life but IMO wont help a breed that tends to live 12yrs go to an abnormal 16yrs. I mix a bag of decent dry food that has chewy bits with a bag of really high grade dry food that my dogs dont tend to like. I add water and it sogs it up a bit and they finish their bowls thereafter. I also give them table scraps and canned green beans.
Yea...I had that problem with my Ridgebacks. They weren't big fans of Blue dog food or high quality dog food. They also made a mess of it whenever they ate it...like they were kids trying to eat vegetables and spitting them out or something. It was like a war zone after they ate it with bits of it spread over a 2 foot diameter per dog. They loved Purina Beneful, though. Never thought about trying to mix two different ones. I think healthy food helps to an extent but, yea, I'm not totally sold on the idea that it will extend their lives noticeably longer (albeit one cannot completely dismiss it imo). But, I think a dog that is overfed or overeats can shorten its life dramatically...just like a human can. That is a mistake I made with my Ridgebacks. The one got cancer (the first one to kick the bucket) and I think that is the reason.
Decided to add a little to this post. We have a blonde 6 year old female Labradoodle who weighs 75 pounds, is beginning to look like a sheep because it's been too long since we had her groomed, and who spends too much time indoors, especially now. Our well regarded vet in SW Austin recommended this, which she loves and had been fed the last 2 years. This is all she gets. Because her stomach is a bit sensitive (a problem I never had with the Labradoodle of many years ago), I sprinkle some Rx Biotic, a powder you keep in the fridge, on this dry dog food every time I fill her bowl. It's "intestinal micro-flora" to "normalize bowel ecology" and works great. I've had a dog since the 1960's of one kind or another, or they have had me (the best being Labradoodles, one during the '70's and early '80's when no one used the term, and this one), and have always put dry dog food in a bowl that they ate whenever they felt like it. I've never used a "set time" to feed them, and this is the first time I've had a dog with any kind of weight problem, only a couple of lbs more than she should be, which is really our fault. I give her the same amount every day and as I said, she eats when she feels like it. I've always hated canned food and set times to feed a dog.
Princess Abby the Border Collie gets Royal Canin gastro fiber delivered from Chewy for her sensitive tummy -- prescription required for some reason.
I’m firmly in the high-quality camp ... so much so, that I now get annoyed it’s called high-quality dog food. Really it is Normal Dog Food versus Crap, Horrible Food. The effects of crap food vs normal food is worse for Cats, imo. What I tell ppl is if I can tell a huge difference in the quality of a dog or cat’s poop, then something is seriously wrong with that shlt food. Go find some Perfect Poop food. Also, I’ve had two dogs and 1 cat who ate much less of the Real Food, so the price difference was close to the same when measured cost per month. This doesn’t count extra vet bills for crap food, especially male cats. Green beans really do work for weight control. I can attest to that, for sure. That’s probably why her diet includes it. btw: is salt in those canned beans? I started getting tired of dealing with the cans, so switched to cheap frozen green beans. From my experience, my dog ate either just the same, and frozen is easier to find salt-free. I’m kinda laughing at your parents’ microwaving step. Sounds like anthropomorphizing what a dog wants. I bet you can skip that step. Hell, I fed mine thawed right out of frig. And when I forgot to thaw, she ate the frozen too...not as fast, though.
My Wife’s boerboel ended up taking a 20 pound fully cooked brisket off the counter and ate it at like midnight last night. I took it off the pit and let it settle. Was pretty tired and fell back asleep. I guess my wife left him out and he jumped the gate and took off with it. Oddest part is that he appears to have given some of it to my golden retriever.
I have 2 dogs...one is 7 (80 lb Labradoodle), and the other is 6 (some 15 lb mixed breed) I don’t have a set time when I feed them...could be in the morning, the afternoon, or midnight...it’s usually in the afternoon tho I feed the big one 3 cups and the little 1 cup of Natural Balance LID dog food mixed with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, a piece of HEB brand black forest ham, and a carrot...I didn’t have any carrots this week, so I’ve been sprinkling some parmesan cheese in there instead they get a dental treat every day as well on Sundays they’ll usually get half the regular amount of dry food plus a raw turkey neck that they’ll eat in the backyard once a week I’ll give them a bully stick to chew on as well I also give them table scraps here and there both healthy, and have good coats
Labradoodles are the best I absolutely hated dogs before I got my girl 7 years ago...back in the day, I never imagined I would ever actually own a dog, let alone 2...that’s how much I hated them Labradoodles or some kind of poodle mix will probably be the type of breed I stick with moving forward
Yea...there is some sodium in there. I might try frozen green beans. I wonder if it would be cheaper? As far as the microwaving, the green beans are stored in the refrigerator so I guess it is just to warm them up a little. But, yea, I don't think it matters. It's done more as part of a ritual imo whereby I get the dog amped up to eat where I do a little robot dance and get her to bark as she knows what's coming. It's kind of funny. She likes to bark it up during the microwave part. My Mom has had a few yellow labs and she always ended up in this ritual where they bark during the microwave part. Then, my Dad would be like "Be quiet, dog! Damn!". lol
My fur babies get whatever they want! Yes they do. Yes they do. Yes they do! Aw come here. Come here. Oh lick my mouth. Oh you love kisses! You love kisses. You just ate poop? That’s ok. That’s ok! My babies can do no wrong. No they can’t! You licked your brother’s butt? That’s ok! Give me sugar. Give me some sugar! Sit. Sit. Oh, ok, you get a treat anyway. Let’s take a nap. That’s ok, she will sleep on the couch like she does every night anyway. She doesn’t give me lovins like you do! No she doesn’t. No she doesn’t! That’s my good fur baby! He’s a goody wooby boy isn’t he! Get the ball! dammit. Get the ball! Oh you ran right past it. That’s ok! Good boy! Oh good boy. You get steak. You sure do! Those kids ignore me but you don’t! No you don’t. Here’s some candy. Don’t tell anyone! Shh! Ok good dog. That’s a goooood doggie! My good fur baby. Have some more steak! Dogs are carnivores and need it more anyway. Good dog!
Chinese of course. Fair is fair. Seriously though, I feed him the wellness cans (beef, turkey, chicken, duck) but I mix in some other special diet foods from Royal Canin. One is a liver diet and the other is a renal diet. My dog is 12 and has had a couple of bladder surgeries to remove stones. We also give him a dental treat each day. Whenever we have steak or chicken I slip some into his food, he loves that. Unlike most dogs, he is quite picky what he'll eat.
One of two had a serious case of pancreatitis so we have to feed both Royal Canin Gastro-intestinal dry and wet food. Have to buy from the vet. Cheaper to feed me than the darn dogs.
