Originally Posted By: lutzyIts funny how many people care more about what their dogs are eating then themselves....How healthy do we eat...come-on?
I'd like to respond to you.
First, you're right in that some dogs do better on some kibbles than others.
But I disagree with you that we should settle for whatever appears to work just because our dogs like it well enough. Also, keep in mind that dogs often have firm stools on grain-filled kibbles because all that filler forms bulk. That doesn't mean it's "healthier" for them.
Yes, my dogs probably do eat better than my Dh and me on a meal to meal basis. They don't grab a power bar and call it a meal as they're running out the door to a last-minute meeting. And I won't touch brussels sprouts with a 10 foot pole for my own consumption, but I feed them to my dogs with great regularity (and a smidge of guilt!).
But overall, my Dh and I eat healthy balanced meals. Plus, I expect that, based on our elder family members' experiences, I'll likely live well into my 80s. GSDs live to be about 12-15 years old on average. So each of my dog's meals are 4x more important in the whole scheme of things. In addition, I eat, on average, 3 meals a day, my dog, two meals. So his meals even MORE important.
Also, I eat a wide variety of foods. The average American dog eats the same food day in/day out. So it is vitally important that the food she eats is of the highest quality if she is to live a long healthy life. If I were to only eat a one type of meal for the rest of my life, I could have simply Slim-Fast shakes. They are,
according to the manufacturer , balanced and nutritious. They're also loaded with a lot of stuff I don't need (and probably lacking in stuff I do). Or maybe I could upgrade to Ensure, which doctors give to patients on limited diets. At least I have independent physicians as objective sources of information telling me that Ensure is a safe and healthy source of nutrition.
Or, I could have the diet that my own dogs have: a rotation of meat, vegetables, eggs and dairy. It's not the great variety of all my favorites including Mexican food, pizza, Chinese take-out, Italian food, and all the wonderful recipes that I've inherited from my mom, my friends, and that I've discovered in cookbooks, on the internet, or from tinkering in the kitchen, but yes, my dogs eat a balanced, nutritious, interesting diet. And if I had to, I could exist on it (although I'd prefer that the raw meat were cooked).
I believe that we owe it to our dogs to find them the very best food that we can afford and that works within our lifestyle. Does that mean each of us has to cook for our dogs or feed them a raw diet? Of course not.
But to just dismiss canine nutrition because most people don't eat healthy diets? Well, my response is, get out of the middle of the grocery store, where all the processed food is, and into the produce section. Buy the best meat you can afford, and if it's not a great cut of meat, make a great stew with a lot of vegetables. Visit your farmers' market. Get to know your local butcher and learn about healthier cuts of meat. Go to the fish market and eat fish.
Stop eating fast food. Stop eating out entirely, which will save you money to buy quality ingredients. Google "low fat recipes." Record the Food Channel and learn how to cook. Don't have regular cable? (I don't.) Check out PBS, which has cooking shows. Rachel Ray and Martha Stewart are on regular broadcast TV, so they'll teach you to cook healthy meals too. Watch those instead of reality TV. Let the kids learn how to cook as well. What a great gift to them! Start eating better yourself and taking better care of yourself.
Then do your dog the same favor. Read the ingredients in her kibble. Research. Learn what REALLY is best for your dog. As you say, you're not buying a "cheap" kibble, in terms of cost. You might as well get a healthy food for your money.
You'll both live a longer, healthier, happier life.
