What food can I give my dog?

I’m back beating the drum again!

FOOD!

DOG FOOD!

We know that so much of the food that is pushed on us by giant manufacturing concerns is undermining human health. The British Government is now clamping down on what may be advertised on tv at times when children will be watching.

So no more burgers, chips, battered food, skeatos, meatos, freakos, chocolate, ice cream, biscuits, and so on, will be appearing on our screens shortly.

This is good news for the nation’s health!

But who is looking after our pets’ health?

Not the big manufacturers, for sure. Of course, they say that their stuff is the best - but they would, wouldn’t they.

When it comes to the health of our dogs, it’s up to us to work it out.

I’m doing my best to make you aware of the hazards and traps that are set for us. Here are some of the posts I’ve written to guide you:

Is raw feeding safe for my dog? Let’s get to the Bare Bones

How much should I feed my dog?

Beware the deadly mince pie! Christmas hazards for dogs

Keep your dog and your Christmas food safe!

What are the most effective dog treats?

“My dog doesn’t like food”

Dog feeding frenzy!

I'm not spending good money on a DOG!

What are the most effective dog treats?

And I’m revisiting this subject now because it’s coming up to the festive season - when there is unsuitable food all over the place - and you may be given dangerous toys or chews for your dog by well-meaning people who don’t know what we know.

First of all, Christmas food on the forbidden list

🦴 Cooked poultry and ham bones

🦴 Chocolate

🦴 Avocado

🦴 Grapes

🦴 Raisins

🦴 Bread/pizza dough

🦴 Christmas Cake

🦴 Mince Pies

🦴 Alcohol

🦴 too much of anything

Even a small amount of any of these things could have you spending an anxious Christmas with your dog in intensive care. And he may not survive.

So what CAN I give him?

Lacy is nearly 15 and has a full set of white gnashers

When it comes to foods, check out the articles listed above to help you make your choice.

I choose to feed a varied raw diet for my four dogs. It works out ridiculously cheaply if you put a bit of effort into sourcing, and my dogs all live to a great old age with all their teeth white and intact. (I don’t clean their teeth, the bones do.)

But there are plenty of good quality foods available if you don’t want to go down the raw route. I recommend you check out www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk This is a British site run by a Canine Nutritionist. BUT most of these foods are international, and there’s even a recipe generator there which will assess any food you key in. So, just copy down the list of ingredients on your bag of food and see how they rate it. You want to aim for 85%.

I can also heartily recommend to UK readers the foods, treats and chews you can get here:

Skippers Use this code for 30% off your order!

Butternutbox Use this code for a completely free supply of meals for your dog! (It’ll last days or weeks, depending on the size of your dog)

And to find out more about what’s really in all those prettily-packaged foods and chews you see on the groaning shelves of your local supermarket or pet store, check out the Resources below.

But be prepared to have a few frights!

Don’t berate yourself for having given your dog these things in the past. The past is gone. Just be sure you know how to avoid them in the future!

And if you’re starting out afresh with a new puppy - check out this book which gives you the lowdown on when, how, and what to feed

RESOURCES:

🐶 Skippers: Use this code for 30% off your order!

🐶 Butternutbox: use this code for a completely free supply of food for your dog! (It’ll last days or weeks, depending on the size of your dog)

🐶 All about dog food Check out that food before you buy it!

🐶 Rawhide Chews for Dogs

🐶 Ingredients to Avoid in Dog Treats | Harmful & Unsafe Ingredients

🐶 Finding the Right Rawhide Chew For Your Dog

🐶 Becker, Karen. “Dogs Love These but They Can Crack Teeth and Become a Choking Hazard.” Healthy Pets, :, 10 June 2018

🐶 Burke, Anna. Are Rawhide Chews Dangerous for Dogs? American Kennel Club, 21 May 2020,
de Godoy, Maria R C et al. “In vitro disappearance characteristics of selected categories of commercially available dog treats.” Journal of Nutritional Science vol. 3 e47. 10 Oct. 2014, doi:10.1017/jns.2014.40, In vitro disappearance characteristics of selected categories of commercially available dog treats

🐶 Home Cooking Options for Dogs, Dodds, Jean. “Bones.” Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog, Tumblr, 31 Mar. 2015.

🐶 “The benefits, though, are tooth cleaning, fresher breath, physical exertion, and mental stimulation for the dog.”
 
Hooda, S et al. “In vitro digestibility of expanded pork skin and rawhide chews, and digestion and metabolic characteristics of expanded pork skin chews in healthy adult dogs.” Journal of Animal Science vol. 90,12 (2012): 4355-61. doi:10.2527/jas.2012-5333,  


🐶 Pell, Sheila. The Dangers of Rawhide Dog Chew Toys. The Bark, 18 Feb. 2020, https://thebark.com/content/dangers-rawhide-dog-chew-toys

🐶 United Pet Group Voluntary Recalls Multiple Brands of Rawhide Chew Products for Dogs Due to Possible Chemical Contamination. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 8 Feb. 2018.

For some dogs, love is not enough

There is a fashion in dogs - well there are a few fashions, but let’s stick to this one for now - that because you have a big heart, and go all gooey inside at the thought, you can pluck a dog off the streets of some foreign land, park it in your living room, and everything will be FINE.

Just seeing that written down shows how nonsensical this may be!

If you adopted a really, really difficult child, one who’d been abused, abandoned, kicked, starved, injured . . . and all the rest, would you expect this child to settle immediately into your family, enjoy school, and never give any problems of any kind?

Of course not!

You’d know that you’d need specialist training, help from professionals. That this child may wring your heart out and leave you desperate.

You would not expect him to fit seamlessly into what we may consider a civilised, well-regulated, life.

What’s sauce for the child is sauce for the dog!

So your damaged street-dog, captured, uprooted from somewhere he knows (albeit possibly a very unpleasant place), transported by strangers thousands of miles in the back of a lorry, is likely to be a bundle of nerves when he arrives in your country.

Add to this that many of the people doing this rehoming have zero training in how to manage damaged dogs, and may resort to yet more brutality and chastisement . . .

When the dog you want to help actually arrives with you, he’s a mess.

All is not lost

This is not to say that things can’t be turned round. I work with many students who’ve found themselves - all unwittingly - in just this situation.

Their generosity has resulted in them taking an unsuitable animal into their home.

And I’m happy to say that in all the cases I’ve worked with, we’ve managed to make huge progress!

While the dog may never be what others may expect of a dog - lollopy, easy-going, loves everyone, enjoys everything - the owner learns so much that makes the whole enterprise rewarding for both human and dog.

It’s all about connection, and the relationship of mutual trust they build.

And, if you take the trouble to learn what these people did, then you too can have a great outcome, with many years of companionship ahead of you!

“He has certainly blossomed from the abused boy he was when he was first fostered! What you taught us about walking on leash, meeting other dogs etc. made a lot of sense and following your advice has worked wonders for our walks - we both now enjoy them and he is a lot less nervous. Once again many thanks - you have been a brilliant help and a breath of fresh air!” ML  

“.. when I got him he was scared of everything. Thank you so much for your support which has enabled me to train a 4 year old rescue sprocker the way life should be - fun and running free.” CF

“Your training is great and makes a lot of sense. Thanks again, what you’re doing is great, you can feel so isolated with these issues and you are providing a much-needed lifeline for people.  Every time I read these lessons I get a renewed sense of calm and my resolve is strengthened. This support is helping me to really focus on helping my little rescue dog. Thank you Beverley, you are amazing.” EO

“This is a radical change in attitude, thanks to you, and has led to an improved relationship.” AH

Want to get some of what they got?

You can start with this free Growly Dog ecourse, enjoy our free Masterclass for anxious dogs

 

And check out this boxset of the whole Growly Dog series of books!