Quote: Originally posted by nelmo on 03/12/2018
OK, thanks all - I have started doing his teeth (he's a spaniel, he'll eat anything including liver toothpaste ), so I'll see how it goes.
He does only get dry food, apart from what he gets fed by the kids under the table
yes, we do occasionally brush our dog's teeth but, there are two methods that are even better.
1. buy a large meaty raw meat bone but not from a weight-bearing limb as these are too dense. I really like to freeze the bones to slow her down. Lamb spine is very popular with my dog.
2. If you don't fancy brushing or a raw meaty bone get a rope tug toy and smear it in the centre with a bit of dog toothpaste. Get your dog chewing on it hey presto clean teeth.
My dog is now nearly 7 and has perfectly white teeth with minimal tartar build up using these methods.
What a good idea, Madz. I will try the rope tug suggestion with mine.
I find the dry dog food is too small, so my dog just swallows it, doesn't chew on it at all. If anyone can suggest a larger bite dog food, I would be grateful.
At one time dogs had tins of dog food and mixer biscuits which they did have to chew... now it seems even these are preformed and small enough just to swallow without chewing.
They quoted me £300 here in Cheshire to have to my dog sedated and teeth cleaned, which isn't an option. I was told to clean her teeth every day but that was far too much,it made her gums started to bleed and that can't be right. We settled at once or twice a week, but it's an ordeal, so I will try the rope tug!
Our border collie ate tripe. It was in frozen blocks from the pet shop and was the most disgusting stuff ever, can not describe the smell of second night tripe. He loved it, had a dry mixer with it. He was avoided for about an hour after tea time ! He would also eat cow past the fresher the better, my friend knew when we were ahead of her on walks because of the bite marks out of the cow pats.
His breath didn't smell, he had a number of raggy ropes so whether they helped. He also didn't break wind, much to the dismay of OH who would have liked to blame the dog
This is just a thought.
But I wonder if it’s the old ideas of red meat viruses white meat thing.
Red = much stronger smell + their poop smells stronger
White = much less of a smell from this.
What’s in the dry food, do they make it with either a false red or white substance to make it smell ok for the animals.
Listening to the tv animal programmes I remember the Yorkshire Vets mentioning a smelly breath could have an underlying problem
If you really want to know what goes into pet food, have a look at 'Pet Fooled' if you have Netflix, or there is a trailer on YouTube if not.
We're so glad we switched our dogs to a raw food diet many years ago. Apart from the health benefits to the dogs, including no more bad breath, no anal gland problems & no 'smelly dog' smell, there's also a benefit for owners; smaller & fewer poos to pick up with hardly any smell.
I really don't understand why humans are being told to stop eating convenience food, while pet food companies and vets are encouraging exactly the opposite for dogs and cats. All living beings need fresh food & not the overly processed extruded **** that goes into kibble.
Quote: Originally posted by Pterodactyl on 10/12/2018
If you really want to know what goes into pet food, have a look at 'Pet Fooled' if you have Netflix, or there is a trailer on YouTube if not.
We're so glad we switched our dogs to a raw food diet many years ago. Apart from the health benefits to the dogs, including no more bad breath, no anal gland problems & no 'smelly dog' smell, there's also a benefit for owners; smaller & fewer poos to pick up with hardly any smell.
I really don't understand why humans are being told to stop eating convenience food, while pet food companies and vets are encouraging exactly the opposite for dogs and cats. All living beings need fresh food & not the overly processed extruded **** that goes into kibble.
Post last edited on 10/12/2018 11:37:19
If you are feeding raw meat etc; how do you know if your dog is getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals? At least with processed dog food you know that all the vitamins and minerals a dog needs are added if not already in there.
Quote: Originally posted by Pterodactyl on 10/12/2018
If you really want to know what goes into pet food, have a look at 'Pet Fooled' if you have Netflix, or there is a trailer on YouTube if not.
We're so glad we switched our dogs to a raw food diet many years ago. Apart from the health benefits to the dogs, including no more bad breath, no anal gland problems & no 'smelly dog' smell, there's also a benefit for owners; smaller & fewer poos to pick up with hardly any smell.
I really don't understand why humans are being told to stop eating convenience food, while pet food companies and vets are encouraging exactly the opposite for dogs and cats. All living beings need fresh food & not the overly processed extruded **** that goes into kibble.
Post last edited on 10/12/2018 11:37:19
If you are feeding raw meat etc; how do you know if your dog is getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals? At least with processed dog food you know that all the vitamins and minerals a dog needs are added if not already in there.
Our Staffy who’s nearly 7, has been raw fed for nearly 5 years. As well as meat he has a range of vegetables and fruits on a daily basis. Processed dog food is awful. You put crap in and get even more crap out the other end. As every thing our dog eats is natural, no chemicals or preservatives, very little 💩 to deal with. If a raw diet is done properly, then the dog gets everything it needs. But never mix raw food with processed, they are digested differently, so don’t do the dog any good
I genuinely think that raw food, offal etc, is a great thing for your dog, they certainly go for it that’s for sure.
I have two working dogs, Spaniels, and feed them specially prepared working dog food. With the added bits and pieces they need. On a shoot day a working Gundog can cover over 150 miles, that takes some believing if you don’t work dogs, but it is a fact.
They are real machines, so need to get the right fuel in them. The reason I use “specialist” working dog food is so I know exactly what is going into them, and can easily adjust their intake depending on days spent in the field, times of year etc. I have never had, or will ever have a dog that is overweight.
They do get some raw food occasionally, when a friend turned up on shoot days with bags of it!
But, I firmly believe raw food is a great thing for dogs. Foxhounds are fed raw food, fallen stock, and they are real endurance machines, an amazing animal. I did make a big mistake a few years ago by giving them some Venison from a beast I had shot.......The eye of a needle comes to mind! 😳
If I could ensure the correct balance of protein, vitamins and carbs etc, I would definitely feed raw food. I guest it is a convenience thing for me.
It's pretty easy to balance raw food with a bit of research...or there are plenty of pre-made raws out there. A friend of mine is a gundog breeder and competitor and her dogs have always been raw fed. There is a Facebook page called Sport Dog Nutrition which has plenty of good advice.
I and my family eat fresh food, my dogs are members of that family and I wouldn't feed them anything less.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Dogs bad breath
), so I'll see how it goes.
