[Capone22]

I don't get it. It frustrates me to no end. My in laws have two mutts. Dogs to them are animals that should live outside. A yard and left over table scraps is the good life, in their eyes. Both dogs live outside. They get fed Alpo and table scraps. The one dog drinks pool water 95% of time time instead of his regular water. They aren't walked or played with. They are not fixed, not up to date on vaccines. One has never been to the vet. They get no flea, tic or heart worm preventative. And yet they are perfectly healthy. Live long lives. And I end up with the dogs with allergies and Chronic giardia. Where is the bang head into wall smiley? Anyone else know people/dogs like this?


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[Gharrissc]

One of my SIL's has this same belief and her dogs appear to be healthy, but considering that they are outdoors and have never been put on HW preventative, I am sure they have HW at least. Her and her husband think it's 'silly' to spend extra money on dogs to 'possibly keep them healthy'.

 

[Dainerra]

would they realize if the dogs DID have allergies? Would they realize the subtle signs that the dogs had a health issue?
Are they truly healthy or do they survive nicely?
If the dogs never see a vet, you don't know what problems they might actually have. Dogs will mask all of their symptoms as long as possible

 

[Merciel]

Yep, all my fosters out of Robeson County have been like this. Many are HW+, none have any training whatsoever, and every single one has been wormy and malnourished. But once they're free of their parasites and back up to a healthy weight, they've all been hardy dogs. No allergies or chronic illnesses.

All of those dogs were mixes out of primarily working stock. I suspect that at least part of it is that unhealthy, sickly dogs just don't last long enough to breed out there. The only dogs who are going to survive in the near-total absence of vet care are the ones whose underlying systems are pretty tough -- so their offspring tend to be pretty resilient too.

 

[wdkiser]

I gotta tell ya, I am not one that fawns all over and spoils my dogs. I take them to the vet for regular checkups and give them HW and flea/tick preventatives.

But - they live outside. In the winter, if it is really cold I let them in the garage. I think sometimes people will "over-protect" their dogs and it backfires. Kinda like ruining your immune system by using too many anit-germ washes/sprays/gels... as soon as a bug gets into your system, your system can't handle it. Just my opinion.

 

[MadLab]

My dogs very healthy and I don't bring them to the vet. I do care for them though. I treat any problems with a natural remedy.

I don't agree with chemical medications for dogs.

What have dogs been surviving on for hundreds or thousands of years.

 

[Carriesue]

Well I am not quite like this, my dogs live indoors and are a big part of our lives, I rarely go anywhere without my GSD.

But I do minimum vaccines, my dogs only get their puppy rounds, 3 year rabies and that's it. They are only on flea meds during the peak of the summer for maybe a month or two, no heartworm... Bugs are just not a big issue here, I've never seen a mosquito and haven't been bitten by one since living here. I do get them tested for HW regularly though. They do have good diets though, my small dogs are on raw and Ollie gets a high quality kibble for breakfast and raw for dinner.

None of my dogs have any health issues and going to the vet is very rare. I have a 9 year old terrier mix who has never had a health problem in her life and you'd never know she's almost a senior, acts just the same as she did as a young pup. Now when we were vaccinating regularly and doing flea meds more we lost three pets to cancer back to back to back.

 

[Cschmidt88]

I hate seeing that too, and I can't help but be because as to just how long those dogs might've lived with better care and a better diet.

A lot of my family is the same way, heck some think a chain and dog box is a good life for a dog if they get food and water.

 

[David Taggart]

The mongrels, of course not every but in general, are healthier than the pure bred. Through genetic mutation of different breeds in a mongrel a healthier immune system is created, a new hybrid was designed to live, he has stronger stamina and more even stable temperament. If you ever studied life of stray dogs, the matter reaches further: strays survive many deadly deseases while they are still very young.
But, isn't it the same with people? Look at allergic blisters on a pale face of European lily, and then shift your gaze and look at the happy blooming Black/Chinese/Mexican petunias...

 

[Las Presitas]

Are u talking about people or flowers? In that analogy non whites are mongrels? You did say same with people correct?


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[David Taggart]

You did say same with people correct?

Recently I have watched a documentary about human genetics. The whole human race would run out of possible genetic variations one day and then the process of degeneration will affect not only Europeans but dwellers in any part of our planet.

 

[Las Presitas]

Well according to him I am a healthy mongrel. I guess better than a sickly purebred? I am sure you did not mean to be offensive... Maybe just a little more tact? Plus white (Caucasian) is not the only pureblood race. Yes there are a ton of variations, but u still had the 1st 3 to begin with. U did not just mention race, but nationality too. Nationality is not a race.


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[Jax08]

White is not a purebred race. LOL Seven women (The Seven Eves) walked out of Africa and populated the earth. Europe can be traced back to one. I don't believe there is such a thing as a purebred race.

Any person that is not black is the result of a genetic mutation. The latest theory I read was that as people moved north, they needed less melatonin in their skin to absorb the sun rays (vitamin D).

I would love to see a peer reviewed study stating mutts are healthier than purebreds. If you breed a GSD to a Collie you now have a mutt that genetically could be susceptible to EPI, DM and go blind from Collie Eye.

And certain races, just like certain breeds of dogs, are genetically predisposed to certain diseases. Colin cancer, the genetic form, can be traced by to a pilgrim in the 1500s. That's a white guy. Blacks, and I believe some of Middle Eastern decent, are predisposed to Sickle Cell.

And none of this is taking genetic mutation into account. IMO, that whole theory is junk.

 

[Jax08]

Back on the dog subject...

I think longevity has a lot factors. Banshee was fed crap purina the first 10 years of her life. She's been fed RAW since then and is not 13 years and 8 months. Boxers rarely live past 10. To many genetic issues in their breed. So, is it the food and care? Is it luck? Is it genetics? She's had mast cell cancer, CRF and now vestibular disease possibly a brain tumor. But she's still kicking and happy.

My Collie lived to be 14 1/2. We let him go because he was in such pain from his hips. But he was perfectly healthy except for that. He lived outside, was off wandering the fields and woods all day. Brought in nasty dead things, drank water from streams and puddles. Minimal vaccinations, Dad's dog food. Never sick a day in his life.

Personally, I think for the most part that animals are healthy. I think the internet has made the world a very small place and people having issues search for answers so hook up with other people having issues making it seem like there are a lot of sick dogs in the world....whether they are irises or petunias. Personally, I'm partial to lilacs and zinnias.

 

[Freestep]

I'm not convinced that mixed-breeds are healthier than purebreds. I see a lot of dogs, every day, and the mixed-breeds seem to suffer from allergies, skin issues, joint issues, digestive issues, bad teeth, chronic ear infections, etc. just as purebreds do. I wouldn't say they are less healthy than purebreds, generally, but they don't appear to be *more* healthy.

 

[selzer]

I think it is possible that dogs that are not subjected to spay/neuter, and constant application of flea/tick preventatives -- poison, heartworm preventative -- more poison, can actually be healthier overall. Of course in regions where heartworm is rampant that could make a difference.

But my folks too would only take a dog to the vet if there was a problem, and after puppy shots, and rabies every 3 years, that was it on vet visits. Their dogs generally lived 14 - 15 years, with very few problems, and they were fed the purina/alpo food. Most of those dogs were outside 90+% of the time.

Maybe our dogs are not getting vital nutrients from being outside. Maybe we are poisoning our dogs with all the things we do to prevent this or that.

I used to apply flea preventative on my dogs, but now, I figure if and when I see a flea or any evidence of fleas, I will treat the lot. But I am not going to treat them to prevent it -- that is putting poison in the blood stream, and expecting it to continue to work for 30 or more days until you apply it again.

 

[LifeofRiley]

Yep, all my fosters out of Robeson County have been like this. Many are HW+, none have any training whatsoever, and every single one has been wormy and malnourished. But once they're free of their parasites and back up to a healthy weight, they've all been hardy dogs. No allergies or chronic illnesses.

All of those dogs were mixes out of primarily working stock. I suspect that at least part of it is that unhealthy, sickly dogs just don't last long enough to breed out there. The only dogs who are going to survive in the near-total absence of vet care are the ones whose underlying systems are pretty tough -- so their offspring tend to be pretty resilient too.

:thumbup: Without knowing more about the background of the dogs in question, this is the most likely explanation.

 

[boomer11]

i dont pump my dogs full of medication just like i dont take a bunch of useless medication. i've never had a flu shot and i havent been sick in literally 6 years. theres no reason to suppress your immune system unless you really need to. dogs that are left outside just let their immune system take care of everything. they dont need medicine from the vet for coccidia or some simple illness. less medication and the immune system fighting through stuff equals a long living dog. i wouldnt give my dog any kind of medication unless i feel their life is in danger.

 

[selzer]

Of course, maybe being subjected to a LOT of veterinary care, may impede the dog's natural system of being able to manage ordinary illness, etc.

It is funny, but the dog I raised on Dad's dog food (cheap junk) was able to eat any kibble and poo was excellent. The dogs raised on premium kibbles have a harder time with changes in dog food. What's up with that? Did the nasty kibble give her a rock solid digestive system?

I don't know. I do think that dogs seemed to live longer back in the days when going to the vet was a rare occurance. And yes we did play with those dogs daily, so we would notice if their were signs of alergies or illnesses.

 

[Freestep]

Their dogs generally lived 14 - 15 years, with very few problems, and they were fed the purina/alpo food.

I have heard people say this so often, about dogs and cats fed crappy food and living to an obscenely old age, I am beginning to think there is something to it.

I wonder if the cheap, low-protein, low-fat, high-carbohydrate foods actually do something to prolong lifespan, by limiting the dog's growth and metabolism? I once read a study with monkeys, where they fed one group normally and underfed the other group by 20-25%. Turns out that being underfed caused the monkeys in that group to live significantly longer than the monkeys in the normally-fed group. The thinking is that because being starved slows the metabolism, the cells don't grow, divide, and die as quickly. The whole process slows down and so everything takes longer, including dying.

It's also possible that there are contaminants in the meat used for dog food these days. They're always coming up with new and improved drugs and feed additives for commercial livestock, so who knows if that could be having an effect on our pets? If the meat supply is contaminated with something, then feeding a cheapo food with less meat might actually have a benefit in terms of lifespan.

Or, maybe dogs were just healthier back then, and could do well even on a poor diet.