What do you feed your dog? And when?

[jimindenver]

Doc, I agree some bones are not good for dogs but come on, they are dogs after all.

 

[DrJean]

hehehe yes the website has a bigger list. I'm not a vet.

You'd be surprised at the number of dogs who die because of a bone in the airway.

Grapes will destroy kidneys over time...nothing immediate... sad... don't do it (they aren't even good for us!)

mmmm chicken broth!

 

[MrNoodly]

Doc, I agree some bones are not good for dogs but come on, they are dogs after all.

The problem is cooked bones. They might splinter and puncture their digestive tract. Raw bones are great, though. Raw bones with some meat still on them are even better -- the original dog food.

 

[DrJean]

Hmmm no, no raw bones for my doggie either..I've seen them crack and splinter too.

OH as for when he eats... well he's back to 3x a day... and snacks. He prefers his big meal at night so I can't feed him too early in am as he's still full from nighttime... and then afternoon... and like I said, snacks! He's probably the only dog my vet has that needs to GAIN weight! I'm about to go back to puppy food for him... to help fatten him up?

AND Nutrish just asked to use my photo of him with their bag of food, on their website No fee.

 

[MrNoodly]

...i often share with my dogs.

Dogs live in packs. Humans are the alphas of their pack. The pack shares food. Dogs want to eat what you're eating. When we don't let them, they feel excluded. Since not many humans want to eat what we normally consider dog food, we should let dogs eat some of what we eat.

 

[MrNoodly]

Hmmm no, no raw bones for my doggie either..I've seen them crack and splinter too.

It's a wonder prehistoric bone-eating wolves ever survived long enough for humans to domesticate them and turn them into pampered surrogate children. All the wild canids should have gone extinct long ago.

 

[TrainChaser]

The only raw bones that can be dangerous that I know of are weight-bearing ones.  For instance, you can feed all parts of a chicken EXCEPT the legs.

Most well-advertised pet food is cheap-to-manufacture crap with a high markup -- why would you want to feed your dog chicken feed?  

Purina Dog Chow:  
Whole grain corn =  DOGS DON'T NATURALLY EAT CORN
meat and bone meal =   MEAT= euthanized animals (w/the killer toxin still in it), roadkill, DDD (Dead, Diseased, Dying animals)
corn gluten meal =   DOGS DON'T NATURALLY EAT CORN
animal fat, ANIMAL =  euthanized animals (w/the killer toxin still in it), roadkill, DDD (Dead, Diseased, Dying animals)
soybean meal = DOGS DON'T NATURALLY EAT BEANS, also genetically modified (GMO)
chicken by-product meal = 'by-products can be organs (the only nourishing part), feet, beaks, etc.
egg and chicken flavor = just the flavor, not the food
whole grain wheat = DOGS DON'T NATURALLY EAT WHEAT
animal digest = a slurry produced by chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis made from unspecified parts of unspecified animals, and it isn't known to have any food value.

NO WONDER your dog wants what you're eating!

If I had to feed my pets something like this, I would find them a better home.

 

[cyndi]

Back on topic, people

This isn't a technical discussion about dog food.

It was a simple question.

What and when does your dog eat?
any off topic replies will be deleted

 

[DrJean]

My dog loves cheese too! (Don't all of them???)

 

[TrainChaser]

I don't understand the WHEN part of the question.

If they get carsick, you don't feed them before traveling. Some like to eat twice a day. Some only feel the need to eat once a day. Unless there's something else added to the equation, you feed just like when you're home.

 

[Headache]

I transitioned my dog(and cat) from raw to high quality canned for travel convenience. I spent a couple of weeks comparing labels and cross referencing what I though was acceptable to what could be purchased from Amazon. The dog gets fed in the morning and evening.

 

[Kerrsa]

The when part of the question was because he currently free feeds like a cat. I dump his measured food for the day  in the bowl in the morning and he eats when he is hungry, usually finishing the bowl before bedtime or only having a little leftover. I can't imagine that the free feeding would be possible if vandwelling because of limited places to put the bowl.

I appreciate the suggestions on how to find his food while traveling. I'd rather keep him on his current high-rating food than switch but I was worried about the logistics of tracking it down.

 

[Almost There]

I free fed both of my dogs (had each separately, not two at the same time) while on the road and never had a problem.

No, neither would eat while the vehicle was under way but neither seemed offended or upset about my driving schedule.

I will tell you though, that both of them loved to eat just about the time I was laying my head down for the night.... In a small space such as a van, it was most annoying - just about dozed off, only to be awoken by the sound of crunch, crunch, crunck...dammit dog can't you eat BEFORE bedtime....  

The dog bowl mostly rested under the edge of the passenger seat, sometimes because I put it there and sometimes because that's where it slid too while driving...  

They adjust - or they'll let you know you're doing it wrong!

 

[TrainChaser]

I had forgotten that free feeding existed! All the animals I've had except one cat, had voracious appetites. They would eat an entire day's food all at once, and then vomit.

 

[DrJean]

I had a black labrador for my first service doggie... and he could free feed. But that is not the case for most labs! They and other breeds will eat and eat and eat and get very fat because they eat all the time and beg for more.

I have soft "bowls" that I usually use like for trips to Disney... and they don't slide around and I could stuff it by him on his seat... but I would think that unless it's a stomach issue then a light snack when you stop for fuel or other would suffice.

Really I think dogs are adjustable (as opposed to cats???) and can adapt to new eating patterns fairly quickly. Remember, in the wild they go 3 days without food and then gorge. At least my vets all say it's normal

Part of my experimenting with his food choices is for just that reason: what if while travelling I can't find what he likes? This way I do have some back ups that I know he will eat if he has to.