Question about feeding..

Hi, im a pretty new APBT owner...I currently feed my 16 week old pup Eukanuba dry and wet food (for medium size breed) 3x a day...i have heard from some pit owners that its better to feed the pup steak than wet food, at least 3-4 times a week...is there any truth to this, and is red meat actually good for pits once in a while? (cooked, of course).

 

Steak would be nice to feed the dogs, yet pretty costly. Feeding raw meat is better than any kibble out there, economically, chicken is the cheapest. Never feed pork tho...

You say you are feeding 3xs a day?? How much as that seems a tad excessive in my opinion, but the pup is young so thats good that you are keeping good weight on him.
BB

 

i used to feed her 2 big meals a day, but vet said 3x better for disgestion, so i feed her 3 smaller meals a day...so you saying they will eat RAW meat or chicken, no need to cook it? Ive given her some skirt steaks which arent that expensive...im also wondering if its good to give meat now when shes still kinda young, or wait until shes a bit older and can be worked out more....thanks for the 411!!

 

Raw meat is the best for them, when you cook it, you are killing alot of the nutrients contained within the meat and in the marrow of the bones. We start our pups on chicken at a young age. The BARF diet brings a dogs diet back to what nature intended for them...
BB

 

No expert but when i called a vet hospital because my female had lost so much weight from having her puppies and stuff they told me raw meat is not good with dogs, they have pretty much the same insides as us and are prone to sickness from raw meat esp chicken, so i dont know why you guys would keep feeding these dogs raw meat would you want to eat raw chicken i dont know just a couple of different vets dont seam thats its healthy if there is any proof anywhere that its safe i would be more then happy to give my dog some raw meat she could problaby use a little bit but her weight and shape came right back after she quit feeding the pups, so if anyone has a link to a web sight or so would be greatly appriecated thanks in advance

 

My vet told me the opposite, my dog lost a lot of weight after she dropped her litter, and the vet said to give her chicken and rice . It worked pretty good for me.

 

Lets do some home work go here http://www.game-dog.com/forums/article.php?a=4 hope this helps

 

Remember, alot of vets sell dog food out of there office, therefore they are prone to try a sales pitch. Dogs are carnivores, meaning they are meat eaters, if they were out in the wild, they would eat a diet similiar to the BARF diet, which is why the BARF diet is better than kibble as its restoring the dog to a diet it was intended on eating. There are alot of links on the net about the BARF diet, but my experience with it is first hand as I've been feeding this diet for awhile, although I had taken a break from it, we are going back to it now and already see a change in our dogs coat and appearance, and its a change for the better...
BB

 

the only reservations i have about feeding raw is salmonella and ecoli and stuff thats in raw meat....im sure if i was to find "Sushi" quality meat it would be expensive...what i usually do is fry the steak slightly (unseasoned of course) until its cooked enough to kill any bacteria...but i appreciate the feedback, will def. look into the BARF diet....as for brands, what do you experienced owners prefer as far as brand....im assuming eukanuba is ok, since its premium stuff, but ive heard that some pit owners prefer the no frills brand...thanks again guys!

 

Thanks as well i was told chicken and rices as well but they told me to cook the chicken and stuff that gave my dogs the runs so i go them off of it but what does the barf diet consist of then would like to give it a try on a couple of my dogs, my husky could probably use it as well as my female pit they both just had litters recently my female pit is up to her weight now i am just walking her and getting her some excercise to get her back into shape, but my female husky just wont gain any weight so that might help out with her

 

I feed my dog a raw diet only. She's been on it for about 8 months now and she couldn't be any healthier than what she is. I believe in a natural approach to life for a dog. Everyone is soo quick to say that raw meat is bad for dogs. Well when you think about it, how many dogs do you see in the wild going to their den and pouring out DRY dog food. LOL!! That would be funny to see, but not likely! My dog acts better and does a whole lot better on a raw diet than with dry dog food. Here is a picture of what she looks like. perfect health. Hey BBK what do you feed to keep your dog's skin irritations down? My dog has all that white on her and i know her skin is sensitive, but i was wondering if there was something I could feed to kinda help her out a bit. Anyways just check out the forums on nutrition and you'll learn a lot about a RAW diet and you'll never go back to dry.

 

I don't have a problem with skin sensitive dogs, so I can't really help ya there. As far as the BARF diet, it consists of what its name means...Bones and Raw Food. We do 5 days per week of raw meats only, as meat digest differently than other foods, day 6 we do a slop of say rice or pasta and veggies and some tuna. Day 7 we fast. The whole concept of the BARF diet is to bring them closer to nature. In the wild, after a big kill animals might not eat for a couple days, which is what cleans out there system, now I'm not gonna starve my dogs, but we do fast 1 day to cleanse the body of any toxins yada yada yada...

BB

 

The best dry dog foods available are Timberwolf Organics, Natures Variety Prairie, Wellness, Canidae,and if your dog is prone to allergies Solid Gold.

These foods are a little more expensive but the upside is the dog requires less food to maintain optimum condition. They are meat based foods with no corn or soy products in them.

I have been feeding my dog the Canidae Lifestages kibble and have seen a marked improvement in the health of his skin and coat. I will be switching to the Natures Variety as soon as my vet gets some in, because it is supposed to be even better than the Canidae.

Check it out, it is worth the extra cost.

Pit Stop

 

What is the BARF diet? Where can I get some info?

 

BARF is basically an all natural food diet in which you feed your animal un-processed meats and some vegetables as an alternative to commercial foods.

It is said to be the absolute healthiest diet for your dog, but IMO requires quite a bit of research and dilligence to be done properly.

I personally do not have the time or resources to do this but I know people who do and swear by it.

There is a tremendous amount of information to be found on another forum that is dedicated primarily to rescue efforts around the country, toward fighting BSL, and promoting responsible ownership of pit bulls. The site is www.pitbullforum.com

Pit Stop

 

Im not doubting results, but then again how many dogs in the wild get immunizations, monthly heartworm pills, etc....i think that worrying about the freshness of meat for those who dont live on a farm and kill their own chicken is legitimate, ditto beef...the question is not replicating the wild...the overall rule of the wild is survival of the fittest, so a dog that cant fight off infection dies, the ones w. the strongest immune systems, etc survive...how many puppies in the wild survive as opposed to today when they are cared for by man(the ones that are)? Today by providing some modern medical attention your pet can prosper even if its not the most "fit" of dogs, so i dont really think the reasoning applies to that extent..

 

“I currently feed my 16 week old pup Eukanuba dry and wet food (for medium size breed) 3x a day
Feeding a puppy 3x a day is good practice to be in, they will absorb more nutrients in smaller meals than one large meal. Eukanuba is a decent food at best, over-priced for the ingredients that are in it.<O:p</O:p

“i have heard from some pit owners that its better to feed the pup steak than wet food, at least 3-4 times a week”
If you are referring to canned food as “wet”. Than yes it would be better too feed a meat instead of canned food (80% water).<O:p</O:p

“is there any truth to this, and is red meat actually good for pits once in a while? (cooked, of course).”
Yes and no. A dog and a wolf (.3% homology difference) are entirely different, much like a human and a chimpanzee (1.4% homology difference) so comparing the two should not be done. <O:p</O:p

There has never been a scientific study (in-depth) done on the benefits of feeding a BARF diet compared to a kibble based diet. Most that feed a BARF diet notice an improvement in the skin and coat condition early on, this is probably due too the increase in fat. Most people that feed a BARF diet do so in a haphazard way, they know absolutely nothing about canine nutrition and end up doing more harm than good. The only true Barf diet would consist of whole ground animals, not a few necks and backs thrown in a bowel. The same could also be said for kibble-based foods.<O:p</O:p

I looked into feeding a BARF diet about 4 years ago and it was more to feed BARF than a quality kibble (when you take into account the vitamins and supplements one has to add to the meal). That and also it is not very feasible to feed BARF if you have a yard full of dogs. Also have never understood the whole concept of fasting a dog every week or two.

 

thanks for actually answering my quesitons...i checked the natures variety site and it looks like they offer everything nec. for barf diet.......for what seems to be a steep price.

 

To supplement the kibble I feed my dogs, i give them a can of tuna, salmon or mackeral. especially any of my nursing females. Fish is high ion Protein and has essential omega 3 fatty acids which is extremely good for a dogs skin and coat. I have delt with many vets across the country and most suggest the brand of food they sell or use for their own dog(s). An old timer told me to braise the meat lightly on both sides and serve. If cost is an issue visit your local buthcer or meat processor and ask for a bag of meat scraps, usually only a couple of dollars.