Interesting Ted talk video

[Sam I Am]

 

[Min D]

He's the guy I spoke about who owns "Planet Paws" and has a Facebook page with lots of info.

[Hillscreek]

He sounds a concerned person but really it is the same old, same old for dogs as it is for us. Eat more healthy and run around more. Actually eat less of anything and run around a LOT more.

In our heads we know it but ......................... so hard................

[Autumn & Lola]

Hubby and I had a similar conversation about Lola's breakfast - which she only eats about 1/2 the time. It's frustrating because we don't know which days she'll decide to eat it and which days she won't, so food gets wasted. This morning I gave her a really nice breakfast with chicken and peas and she didn't touch it. I said, 'She's smarter than we are. We eat breakfast every morning. We don't give it a thought. It's breakfast time - we eat breakfast. She only eats when she's hungry!'

[Sam I Am]

As most of you know I home cook for Rosie. Especially because Scotties have a far higher rate of bladder cancer. Research at per the  following University https://www.vet.purdue.edu/pcop/files/docs/CanineUrinaryBladderCancer.pdf  feeding green and yellow veggies reduces their chances of getting this terrible cancer.  Rosie has never refused her bison/veggie meals and touch wood is the picture of health. Although when we got her she did  start to refuse her kibble, had diarrhea, and upset belly

Never any guarentees in this life, but I maintain,  how can fresh, wholesome food not be anything but good for dog and owner. And yes I should follow my own advise ...but darn that cheese, bread and cookies! 

http://www.stca.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=585:bladder-cancer-study-final-report-what-every-scottie-owner-needs-to-know&catid=330:bladder-cancer&Itemid=100

so although the studies above were focused on Scotties, I think it should be a heads up for so many other breeds. If you feed a good kibble, try introducing fresh veggies. I purée them, add a bit of fruit. Most dogs love that.

Edited June 11, 2016 by Terrier lover

[Autumn & Lola]

Lola loves carrots, green beans and peas. She also loves tomatoes, but I don't give her too many of those. The only fruit I've ever given her is peeled apple (although I suspect she has eaten some of the raspberries we grow). What fruits do you give Rosie?

[Sam I Am]

No grapes obviously, but cantaloupe , pears, bananas, all kinds of berries( black berries, blue berries etc). She goes nuts over the crunchy white parts in Romaine lettuce. Loves cauliflower, broccoli . Loves part of a boiled egg, well in a nut shell she seems to enjoy every thing we give her. 

[Hillscreek]

Give fruits and veggies? Here's the opposite approach.

http://primalpooch.com/the-great-debate-do-dogs-need-fruits-and-vegetables/

My vet belongs to the Colorado study that the video references. Info on Goldens coming to the practice is contributed to the research with owners permission. I was very shocked when a Golden I owned died from cancer at only six years old.

I wrote along long rant here about the fact that it's my impression it is a lot more than just diet that is the cause of so much sickness in dogs and people. Fortunately I deleted it as outside the scope of this thread or even this forum. We just have do our research and figure what's best for us and our buddies in the places we live with the resources available to us and our pocket books.

 

 

[Sam I Am]

Absolutely . One must do what one is comfortable with, financially and with the research they believe in. For me it's home cooking. I know for sure there is nothing bad in the products I give her. I don't feel that level of comfort with processed dog food. One thing one must not take from this is guilt. You do what you feel is right for your animal. I must say given all the nays and yeahs on what to feed our animals, one can go bonkers.

Edited June 11, 2016 by Terrier lover

[Idaho Cairns]

The problem is that, so far as I know, there has never been a long term academic study of dog nutrition from a reputable school of animal science.  Most vet schools are heavily endowed with major dog food producers which may be the reason for the dearth of such studies.
It is not hard to be confused, we think "we know" what is best for our dogs based on what we read or the groups we are involved in but do we really....?  Until and unless we have that long term and unbiased information we may never know. 
A couple of years ago Consumer Reports reported that a survey of vets nationwide indicated that their advice to concerned dog owners was either to brands of food they carried at their clinics but that, in all reality, any major brand of food was "probably" just fine for the average dog/consumer.
Unless things have change drastically in the last few years, we don't really know what is best for our dogs because the science to determine that simply does not exist.  We are left with our own meager experience or the equally meager experience of other dog owners.

 

[Sam I Am]

Just as frustrating to be human and listen what to eat...paleo, vegetarian, vegan...the list goes on and on. 

[Idaho Cairns]

Not to belabor the matter but I found the above referenced Consumer Reports opinion on shopping for dog food.  As you can see, if you read the article, that there really aren't any "legal" definitions that dog food companies use to tout their product--there are no standards. 
I don't post this to discourage you from trying to find the best nutrition YOU Think is good for your pet, you should but you need to understand that if the premier consumer reporting agency can't publish a "standard" for this line of products, we as dog owners aren't likely to have much luck determining whether one brand or type of food is better than the other.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/march-2009/money/pet-food/overview/pet-food-ov.htm

 

[Hillscreek]

Agree withIdaho. There is no way to know. Even if say, you narrowed kibble down to having more of some kind of meat, chicken, fish and fewer cereals and other fillers I ask myself how do we know the meat chicken or whatever was healthy when killed? We don't." Human grade"? I don't even want to go there.......When you go to Dog Food Advisor for guidance for example their recommendations are based on what the dog food maker says is in their food whether canned, kibble, or raw. Not on independent studies.

If dog eats the food, seems healthy and it's not too expensive then that's good enough for me. I have learned that because it costs more it is not necessarily better or worse than food at a different price. I know dogs doing fine on 'poor cheap food' and others not so great on fancier stuff.

As I mentioned above, my Golden died of cancer aged six eating "good food". Others years ago lived to a ripe old age before kibble and it's many varieties came along. Ate a kind of crushed up dog biscuit mix with table scraps added. Dogs are scavengers after all.

All the discussion really comes down to is whether you believe what one brand says versus what another says. Then it is trial and error according to your dog's health needs. There's no one magic solution. Even if there were scientific studies available it would come down to the same thing. Just as it is for people.

 

[Sam I Am]

Well Rosie, my DH and I will try to stay healthy by eating fresh, whole foods, staying away as much as possible from anything processed, be it kibble or pre packaged foods. My Scottish Gran lived to 102, ate real butter, cream and didn't have any prepackaged food in her house. In the end none of us will get out of here alive, but sticking around, hopefully as long as possible. And Granny no doubt would have toasted that with a wee drop of her favorite Scotch. 

[hheldorfer]

1 hour ago, Terrier lover said:

Well Rosie, my DH and I will try to stay healthy by eating fresh, whole foods, staying away as much as possible from anything processed, be it kibble or pre packaged foods. My Scottish Gran lived to 102, ate real butter, cream and didn't have any prepackaged food in her house. In the end none of us will get out of here alive, but sticking around, hopefully as long as possible. And Granny no doubt would have toasted that with a wee drop of her favorite Scotch. 

IMO, it was the Scotch that allowed her to stick around 'til 102.  That's what I'm going with, anyway . . . 

[Hillscreek]

Single malt - no ice - preferably that gorgeous smokey Laphroaig  from Islay in the Western Isles off Scotland. The home of cairns and of Angus Og champion and savior of the Isles and follower of Robert the Bruce

*You can delete this Brad if necessary but couldn't resist as my SIL and family are Highland Scots and so is my dog Angus - well his inheritance is.

 

[sanford]

5 hours ago, hheldorfer said:

IMO, it was the Scotch that allowed her to stick around 'til 102.  That's what I'm going with, anyway . . . 

And my dear old Auntie Elizabeth, who lived to a ripe old age, wouldn't start the day without her "wake-up whiskey!"?

[Malcolm's Dad]

On Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 5:35 PM, Hillscreek said:

 

I wrote along long rant here about the fact that it's my impression it is a lot more than just diet that is the cause of so much sickness in dogs and people. Fortunately I deleted it as outside the scope of this thread or even this forum.

 

Darn I would have liked to read that rant lol.

[tlwtheq]

I'm glad my post spawned so much wonderful give and take.  Why I love this forum.

[Sam I Am]

I wonder how many of us present and former Cairn owners have Scottish ancestors ? 

Edited June 14, 2016 by Terrier lover