Pet Nutrition

[Zoom-boing]

So I've completely revamped what I feed the cats. Been doing a lot of research lately and realized I was doing them a great disservice by feeding them the canned crap-food from the grocery store.

I'm now feeding them Purrrfect Bistro (used to be called Before Grain) grain-free cat food, Performatrim Ultra grain-free dry (they do not have free access to this, I dole it out), and just started using The Missing Link balanced omega 3&6 supplement and Daily Best by Pet Naturals vitamins. I found the exact same vitamin under a different brand on Amazon for much more product/less money and will switch when the current supply I have runs out.

For the dogs they eat Performatrim Ultra grain free dry in the a.m. In the p.m. they get heaping tblspn of wet (was feeding them purina pro plan but am switching them to the Purrrfct Bistro grain free) mixed w/the dry. Just started them on the Daily Best vitamins (found a better cost/amount on Amazon and will order from there when I run out of current supply) and found The Missing Link omega 3 & 6 for them. Need to pick some up at the pet store to try it out; better deals on Amazon.

All pets get DE daily mixed in w/their food to prevent any worms/internal parasites they may pick up.

What, if any, supplements do you give your pets?

 

[Mr. H.]

When properly fed, pets poop less and it's dryer and not so stinky.

 

[Zoom-boing]

When properly fed, pets poop less and it's dryer and not so stinky.

Oh, this is so true!

When we first got Dio they had been feeding him multi-colored kibble (purina or something?) and his poop was grossss. In hindsight, he was also nervous so that contributed but .... still.

The only time their poops are gross now is when they eat something they shouldn't ... like rabbit or cat poo. Or after Dio goes for a car ride.

 

[DarkLion]

Always fed my dog Innova, best dog food on the market and Vetri-Science supplements. She also the occasional beer too

 

[Claudette]

Always fed my dog Innova, best dog food on the market and Vetri-Science supplements. She also the occasional beer too

Innova is great food and I fed it till Wilderness, grain free, came along.

I was feeding Taste of the Wild but Diamond has had two recalls and I decided I would go to Wilderness. No recalls for Blue Buffaloe.

Wilderness is put out by Blue Buffaloe, another great foot. Wilderness is the grain free and Blue Buffaloe is made with meat and brown rice.

All my dogs love it and I add a teaspoon of wet twice a week. The kids think they got a two pound steak. LOL

Poop is smaller, turns white and disappears in the yard.

Paying more for your dog food is well worth it in my book. In this case more expensive really is BETTER.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Claudette, you are so right ... you absolutely do get what you pay for and some of the stuff they pass off as 'food' is just crap. Since we've switched food and added nutrients, we're noticing that both cats fur is softer and shinier. Finn (youngest) was pretty soft to begin with ... he's pretty new at being a cat after all, but Shadow's fur was dry and rough. It is getting much, much softer and finally just starting to grow in some where he had ripped it out due to fleas. I'm keeping an eye out for the dander they get to hopefully go away too. Oh yeah, another thing I noticed with the cats is that they seem to be shedding less. Sweet!

Finally got some nutrients for the dogs and they also got bathed yesterday. Need to brush out Penny still but Dio is soft, soft. Of course, he seems to have hair more than fur, which seems to be softer to begin with, and bathing always makes them feel better. I'm anticipating that with time their skins and coats will improve.

 

[editec]

So I've completely revamped what I feed the cats. Been doing a lot of research lately and realized I was doing them a great disservice by feeding them the canned crap-food from the grocery store.

I'm now feeding them Purrrfect Bistro (used to be called Before Grain) grain-free cat food, Performatrim Ultra grain-free dry (they do not have free access to this, I dole it out), and just started using The Missing Link balanced omega 3&6 supplement and Daily Best by Pet Naturals vitamins. I found the exact same vitamin under a different brand on Amazon for much more product/less money and will switch when the current supply I have runs out.

For the dogs they eat Performatrim Ultra grain free dry in the a.m. In the p.m. they get heaping tblspn of wet (was feeding them purina pro plan but am switching them to the Purrrfct Bistro grain free) mixed w/the dry. Just started them on the Daily Best vitamins (found a better cost/amount on Amazon and will order from there when I run out of current supply) and found The Missing Link omega 3 & 6 for them. Need to pick some up at the pet store to try it out; better deals on Amazon.

All pets get DE daily mixed in w/their food to prevent any worms/internal parasites they may pick up.

What, if any, supplements do you give your pets?

I feed my dog and cat boiled chicken daily.

My cat for some reason also wants IAMS dog food.

My dog won't touch it or for that matter any canned or dry dog food.

FYI, boiled chicken is CHEAPER than every decent dog or cat food I have found.

It is also, I am informed, far healthier than even the very Best dog or cat food.

Neither of those species eats grain and nearly every dog and cat food has grain in it.

 

[Claudette]

So I've completely revamped what I feed the cats. Been doing a lot of research lately and realized I was doing them a great disservice by feeding them the canned crap-food from the grocery store.

I'm now feeding them Purrrfect Bistro (used to be called Before Grain) grain-free cat food, Performatrim Ultra grain-free dry (they do not have free access to this, I dole it out), and just started using The Missing Link balanced omega 3&6 supplement and Daily Best by Pet Naturals vitamins. I found the exact same vitamin under a different brand on Amazon for much more product/less money and will switch when the current supply I have runs out.

For the dogs they eat Performatrim Ultra grain free dry in the a.m. In the p.m. they get heaping tblspn of wet (was feeding them purina pro plan but am switching them to the Purrrfct Bistro grain free) mixed w/the dry. Just started them on the Daily Best vitamins (found a better cost/amount on Amazon and will order from there when I run out of current supply) and found The Missing Link omega 3 & 6 for them. Need to pick some up at the pet store to try it out; better deals on Amazon.

All pets get DE daily mixed in w/their food to prevent any worms/internal parasites they may pick up.

What, if any, supplements do you give your pets?

I feed my dog and cat boiled chicken daily.

My cat for some reason also wants IAMS dog food.

My dog won't touch it or for that matter any canned or dry dog food.

FYI, boiled chicken is CHEAPER than every decent dog or cat food I have found.

It is also, I am informed, far healthier than even the very Best dog or cat food.

Neither of those species eats grain and nearly every dog and cat food has grain in it.

Your right there. If you can the BARF diet is best for any dog. Thats RAW not cooked meat and veggies. Give your dog raw chicken and either raw or canned veggies. I feed mine raw liver, chicken and pork neck bones all the time.

If you want a horror show just look up commercial dog food on the internet.

IAMS isn't that good. The commercials just make it look good. Always read the label. Just look at whats in it.

 

[martybegan]

Our retriver mix got dry food and table scraps every night, oreo and chocolate chip cookies as a treat, and basically anything we felt like throwing towards him (he didnt like lettuce unless it was slathered in BBQ sauce) and we had to put him down finally at 22 years old.

I can understand more scientific food regimens for purebreeds, as they do seem to be more sensitive to food than mutts, but some dogs have iron stomachs, just like people do.

 

[longknife]

I did some research on feeding my Chihuahua and learned the original breed ate human table scraps.

Most pets need a balanced diet, mixtures of meats AND grains. Ever watch your dog chewing on bits of grass when you let it grow to long? They are adding to their diet what processed food fails to give them.

 

[Zoom-boing]

I did some research on feeding my Chihuahua and learned the original breed ate human table scraps.

Most pets need a balanced diet, mixtures of meats AND grains. Ever watch your dog chewing on bits of grass when you let it grow to long? They are adding to their diet what processed food fails to give them.

My dogs eat grass when their stomach is upset .... usually because they've found some rabbit or cat poo and ate it!

Lassie always ate whatever the family was having for dinner.

 

[PixieStix]

A veterinarian, once told me that fish flavored food is bad for cats. It will mess up their urinary tract and cause crystals in their urine. It is especially bad for male kitties.

I feed my cats grass too for stomach issues. They crave grass. And a pinch of salt in thier food once in a while is also recommended by my vet, for urinary tract health

I rarely feed my cats soft food. Milk is also bad for cats, they cannot digest it. You will see that in the litter box. Ick

 

[Zoom-boing]

A veterinarian, once told me that fish flavored food is bad for cats. It will mess up their urinary tract and cause crystals in their urine. It is especially bad for male kitties.

I feed my cats grass too for stomach issues. They crave grass. And a pinch of salt in thier food once in a while is also recommended by my vet, for urinary tract health

I rarely feed my cats soft food. Milk is also bad for cats, they cannot digest it. You will see that in the litter box. Ick

Pixie ... do you feed them mostly dry food? I've been doing a lot of reading about cat nutrition and feeding and good quality canned food is recommended over dry food (even if the dry food is good quality) as the main source of food. Cats need water in their diets and should get the bulk of it from their food; dry food doesn't do this.

Ewww, milk +cats = diarrhea!

Here's a good site I found. Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

 

[PixieStix]

A veterinarian, once told me that fish flavored food is bad for cats. It will mess up their urinary tract and cause crystals in their urine. It is especially bad for male kitties.

I feed my cats grass too for stomach issues. They crave grass. And a pinch of salt in thier food once in a while is also recommended by my vet, for urinary tract health

I rarely feed my cats soft food. Milk is also bad for cats, they cannot digest it. You will see that in the litter box. Ick

Pixie ... do you feed them mostly dry food? I've been doing a lot of reading about cat nutrition and feeding and good quality canned food is recommended over dry food (even if the dry food is good quality) as the main source of food. Cats need water in their diets and should get the bulk of it from their food; dry food doesn't do this.

Ewww, milk +cats = diarrhea!

Here's a good site I found. Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

I feed my cats mostly dry food, plenty of water is always on paw. I give them a treat of soft food about once a month. My cats are very healthy. They do drink a lot of water. I do not buy into the idea, that cats need to get the bulk of their water from their food. It is nonsensical to me. Their eyes are bright and they seem to be very happy, and they are not at all fat. I used to feed one of my cats soft food and he ended up having diabetic issues and was not very energetic. I feel guilty over that. That was a long time ago.

 

[Katzndogz]

My cat, my little man, had chronic urinary disease causing crystals in his uriniary tract. He ate Prescription CD for 20 years. No crystals.

I fed my dog IAMS as a puppy and she got seizures. I fed her grocery store dog food for years until she got Girardia. She was put on Prescription ID. Her fur also fell out. Now she's on Wellness Senior Care and is doing just fine. Her fur is even growing back. The cost is a backbreaker and it's a pain to have to go to the pet store all the time for her food.

 

[PixieStix]

My cat, my little man, had chronic urinary disease causing crystals in his uriniary tract. He ate Prescription CD for 20 years. No crystals.

I fed my dog IAMS as a puppy and she got seizures. I fed her grocery store dog food for years until she got Girardia. She was put on Prescription ID. Her fur also fell out. Now she's on Wellness Senior Care and is doing just fine. Her fur is even growing back. The cost is a backbreaker and it's a pain to have to go to the pet store all the time for her food.

What is prescription CD/ And prescription ID?

 

[longknife]

My Pixie absolutely hates canned dog food.

She also laps up milk at every chance and I have not seen ONE single case of diarrhea!

I DO NOT feed her seafood or pork.

She loves whole wheat bread and tortillas - flour or corn.

However, she wouldn't eat ANYTHING while we were in Mexico - except for a few pieces of apple my wife gave her.

 

[PixieStix]

My Pixie absolutely hates canned dog food.

She also laps up milk at every chance and I have not seen ONE single case of diarrhea!

I DO NOT feed her seafood or pork.

She loves whole wheat bread and tortillas - flour or corn.

However, she wouldn't eat ANYTHING while we were in Mexico - except for a few pieces of apple my wife gave her.

You have a dog name Pixie. Nice. I have a cat named Pixie

I give my dog beneful sometimes, he loves it. But he mostly eats dry food.

 

[DarkLion]

Always fed my dog Innova, best dog food on the market and Vetri-Science supplements. She also the occasional beer too

Innova is great food and I fed it till Wilderness, grain free, came along.

I was feeding Taste of the Wild but Diamond has had two recalls and I decided I would go to Wilderness. No recalls for Blue Buffaloe.

Wilderness is put out by Blue Buffaloe, another great foot. Wilderness is the grain free and Blue Buffaloe is made with meat and brown rice.

All my dogs love it and I add a teaspoon of wet twice a week. The kids think they got a two pound steak. LOL

Poop is smaller, turns white and disappears in the yard.

Paying more for your dog food is well worth it in my book. In this case more expensive really is BETTER.

Interesting. I have not heard of that one. Then again I've been out of the loop for about 5 years now. I still put my faith in Innova, my dog's coat and overall health was superb when she was on it.

But I would definitely agree that expensive is usually better in this case. But even still, you have to learn to read ingredients. You want to avoid products with ground yellow corn and/or corn gluten meal, beef tallow, animal digest (really bad), brewer's rice (a cheap and unhealthy alternative for brown rice), Phosphoric Acid (implies poor quality fats are used)....basically anything from Purina lol. Some of these things are unavoidable, but at the very least try to buy products that do not have these ingredients listed near the top

It hurts and outrages me that some of the stuff on the market is even made. These pets have no choice in what they are fed, they have to eat what they are given and to provide some of this crap to an animal is just this side of criminal.

 

[Zoom-boing]

[MENTION=43349]DarkLion[/MENTION], excellent post!

I read ingredients on our food ... it took me awhile to figure out to do that for the animals. For a long time there simply weren't any pet stores near us so whatever the super market sold is what we had to work with.

I've also noticed that even though the cheap brand and the expensive brand both have 6oz of food in the can, the cheap brand is half liquid/filler, while the expensive brand is not, it's more solid, more 'food'. The store that sells the most variety of the cat food I buy (Purrrfect Bistro - used to be called Before Grain) is about 10-15 minutes from me so when I go I just buy like 30 cans of food, so it lasts me several weeks.

I've been giving the animals The Missing Link (omega 3&6) and vitamins now for about 4-6 weeks. Our old cat (who pulled his fur out from a reaction to Frontline) is finally getting less bald, fur is growing in nicely and his fur is finally soft again. All the scabs under his chin are gone and he is much less itchy. Not just from the fleas being gone ... he was always itchy. I think it was the food. Can't believe it took me so long to figure this out.