# What's in your dog's food?



## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

Here's an interesting description of the meat in your dog's food:

What You Need to Know About the Protein in Your Pet?s Food

Yuck!

And if you think about all of the pet food recalls (always because of the meat) and the suffering of the animals that are raised for food ...

So here's an alternative: There are two brands of vegan dog food (perhaps more, but two I know about):

v-dog, available from www.v-dog.com
Natural Balance vegetarian formula, available at most pet stores or at Doggiefood.com - Dog, Cat, & Pet Food, Treats, Food & Supplies - Free Shipping

My dogs get vegan kibble plus 1/4 pound of meat, fish or eggs per day. I buy my meat and eggs from local farmers who use sustainable, humane methods of raising their animals. It costs a bit more to get non-factory-farmed meat, but if you get the cheaper cuts, it is not bad. Beef heart and poultry heart and gizzards are big hits around here. Liver is good too, but I limit that to once a week. If you want convenience at a good price, try canned wild salmon. If you eat chicken yourself, boil the leftovers (bones, skin, etc.) for your dogs -- they love chicken stock on top of their kibble.


----------



## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

Well... the way I look at it, dogs were the city garbage disposals in the tens of thousands of years that they came to exist. They ate meat scraps, bones, vegetable scraps, .... and poop (mine STILL happily eat poop of all kinds given the chance!). I don't have a problem with my dogs food having meat by products or chicken by products in them as long as they are healthy and doing well. Raw feeders go to great lengths to find sources of "by products like liver, kidney, etc. 

I judge good health in my dogs not only by skin, coat, overall health, but also by annual bloodwork. My dogs live a long time and are typically only seen for minimal vaccines. 

Vegan is NOT what dogs are meant to eat. I cannot put human ideals on a creature meant to eat at least some meat. I see you are adding meat to their food, which is good, but then you run the risk of throwing calcium/phosphorus and other minerals out of balance and doing harm to your dog in the long run. 

Now please don't get upset, I'm not intending to step on anyones toes or hurt anyones feelings, but this is how I see it, after 20+ years of keeping dogs. It also helps that I am a midwest farm girl, and I see food animals as food animals. <shrugs>


----------



## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Why not a high quality kibble like Fromm or Acana that includes meat and does not have a history of recalls? And still add in the healthy hummy extras as well.


----------



## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I grew up in a family that meat was raised or hunted...........so it was no big deal to feed the 'leftovers' from butchering to our dogs.(and of course dinner table scraps) In fact canned dog food was only used if meat scraps were not available ( my dad would freeze the scraps to use as needed, we had a humogous upright freezer!) My Dad also purchased his beef & pork locally and always requested the scraps be packaged too! He never wasted anything, the was the way things were done in the 'old days' LOL!


P.S. I personally only object if the food label does not 'name' the protein source. The word 'by-products' on a label is a no-no to me!


----------



## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

CharismaticMillie said:


> Why not a high quality kibble like Fromm or Acana that includes meat and does not have a history of recalls? And still add in the healthy hummy extras as well.


I don't do that because I don't trust any kibble that contains commercially raised meat for the reasons described in the article (and for other reasons). My dogs have been on vegan kibble for years and they are doing well. One of my friends switched to V-dog and she swears that her poodle's coat is fuller and shinier since she made the switch. But I do understand that many PF'ers (and others) are strongly opposed to feeding dogs vegan dog food. We each have to do what we believe is best. Thanks for your comment.


----------

