Show off your dog..or other pet..and how well he/she is treated (and fed)!

[aja8888]

The inspiration for this thread comes from a recent post by a member about her dog eating better than she does!

I am a recent widower and have no grandchildren of my own (have three from DW's previous marriage, and all good kids - but I rarely see them anymore).

Shortly after DW passed, our long time pet (Toby, 10 year old Jack Russell), passed due to bladder cancer. Speak about having the family change in short order!

In September of 2023, my DD convinced me into getting another dog as a companion, since I was living alone. I contacted a local rescue organization (Camo Rescue) here in the area and was approved for a young Terrier mix, who is really a nice little guy and very active.


I had a DNA test done on him and he is this:

Terrier

40% Chihuahua
17% Miniature Schnauzer
6% Parson Russell Terrier
2% Toy Fox Terrier
1% Patterdale Terrier

Companion

11%Poodle (Toy and Miniature)
3% Maltese
3% American Eskimo Dog
2% Bichon Frise

Guard

6% American Pit Bull Terrier
3% American Staffordshire Terrier

Hound

6% Beagle

He's almost two, and clearly a "nose to the ground" kind of guy on walks. I think the DNA test missed the part that he is some percentage of a Tornado!

I've been experimenting on his feeding schedule and type of food and have settled on two feedings, one early morning and one evening. The food he seems to like is made by Fromm out of Wisconsin and is kibble for an adult. He is 14 pounds in size, which seems to be a great weight for him.

For treats (no bagged stuff from China), I give him raw carrots and green beans, although I have some small peanut butter flavored "training treats" made in the USA when he does good things.

I'm curious about what people here feed their pets and why? I know local people that make their own dog (and cat) food, and others swear by certain commercial brands. Thoughts?

With respect to treats, I see a mixed bag as far as store bought and homemade. Thoughts?

One lady I know of makes a kind of cookie treat but I don't recall the ingredients.

Posting pictures in this thread is OK as I'd love to see other members' pets.


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[Teacher Terry]

He’s adorable!! I used to feed Fromm but then people I know that have champion show dogs all switched to purina pro plan because of studies showing that they hire PhD nutritionists to ensure that their food is a balanced healthy diet. I definitely stay away from grain free as it’s responsible for heart disease and death in young dogs. For treats the brand I use is called Charlie Bear. I will see if I can figure out how to post a picture of my two Maltese.

 

[aja8888]

He’s adorable!! I used to feed Fromm but then people I know that have champion show dogs all switched to purina pro plan because of studies showing that they hire PhD nutritionists to ensure that their food is a balanced healthy diet. I definitely stay away from grain free as it’s responsible for heart disease and death in young dogs. For treats the brand I use is called Charlie Bear. I will see if I can figure out how to post a picture of my two Maltese.

He came from the Rescue on Purina Pro Plan (chicken, grain free), but he was not liking it so I went to the Fromm which he likes. I'm not convinced that pet food ratings are very reliable as they seem to be all over the place checking various websites that rate them.

I also know a lady in my old neighborhood that made her own dog food using roast turkey and some veggies. She swore by it.

Thanks for the tip on the treats.

 

[Exit 2024]

View attachment 48828

He looks like a lot of fun

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Meet Jinxy. She is my almost 10 year old rescue cat. She is beyond spoiled and rules the house. She has a ton of personality and makes me laugh pretty much every day. Because of her, I cannot close any closet door (she needs full-time access or she claws at the door).

 

[aja8888]

Meet Jinxy. She is my almost 10 year old rescue cat. She is beyond spoiled and rules the house. She has a ton of personality and makes me laugh pretty much every day. Because of her, I cannot close any closet door (she needs full-time access or she claws at the door).

I see she likes Amazon boxes too!

 

[Exit 2024]

I will play too
Our fur babies, both are gifts from me to my better half, one is for 50th and one is for 55th birthdays. 100% Maine Coons.
Both are picky eaters though, main dry food is the same for both, wet food is different.
Older gets for dinner pumpkin pure with some beef or chicken “soup”, youngster eats raw chicken gizzards, some times we give raw beef too.

 

[MarieIG]

I will check back in later.

Busy giving someone her liver with fish oil (EPA/DHA) . . .

 

[Accidental Retiree]

He came from the Rescue on Purina Pro Plan (chicken, grain free), but he was not liking it so I went to the Fromm which he likes. I'm not convinced that pet food ratings are very reliable as they seem to be all over the place checking various websites that rate them.

I also know a lady in my old neighborhood that made her own dog food using roast turkey and some veggies. She swore by it.

Thanks for the tip on the treats.

I feed our 3 beagles Fromm’s, too, the salmon and trout blends; they are allergic to the corn in some foods, and beef and chicken make them itchy.

They also get green beans, pumpkin, carrots, raw zucchini, broccoli, apples—just about anything veggie and apples.

They also insist on Minties or some other greenie type snack after their 6 am and 3 pm meals. I hear and obey.

 

[CardsFan]

Meet Kadi. She is a Corgi mix. We had a DNA test done years ago, so we know she is about 60% to 70% Corgi. She was 41lbs on our last vet trip.

We have had her almost 15.5 years, and the shelter figured she was 1-1.5yo when we got her. So she is an old girl now, but she used to be a ball of energy. Her legs are not as strong as they were and she has some arthritis, but she still wants to go for walks 3-4 times a day.

Her main kibble is Blue Buffalo, but she also gets some eggs or chicken with it, along with small amounts of table scraps (yeah, I know, you're not supposed to give them table scraps, but given she is almost 17 I don't think they hurt her)

Raw carrots and apple slices used to be her favorite treats, but now she has fewer teeth and can't digest the big chunks she swallows, so just cooked carrots now. We do give her commercial treats like Milkbones, as well.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

This is when I wish there was a "Like" button on this forum. These pictures are all adorable.

 

[aja8888]

Meet Kadi. She is a Corgi mix. We had a DNA test done years ago, so we know she is about 60% to 70% Corgi. She was 41lbs on our last vet trip.

We have had her almost 15.5 years, and the shelter figured she was 1-1.5yo when we got her. So she is an old girl now, but she used to be a ball of energy. Her legs are not as strong as they were and she has some arthritis, but she still wants to go for walks 3-4 times a day.

Her main kibble is Blue Buffalo, but she also gets some eggs or chicken with it, along with small amounts of table scraps (yeah, I know, you're not supposed to give them table scraps, but given she is almost 17 I don't think they hurt her)

Raw carrots and apple slices used to be her favorite treats, but now she has fewer teeth and can't digest the big chunks she swallows, so just cooked carrots now. We do give her commercial treats like Milkbones, as well.

A beauty! There is a nurse and her husband living next door to me with two young Corgi's. They love to romp with my little boy!

 

[Teacher Terry]

He came from the Rescue on Purina Pro Plan (chicken, grain free), but he was not liking it so I went to the Fromm which he likes. I'm not convinced that pet food ratings are very reliable as they seem to be all over the place checking various websites that rate them.

I also know a lady in my old neighborhood that made her own dog food using roast turkey and some veggies. She swore by it.

Thanks for the tip on the treats.

I never use pet food ratings to choose their food. In the past I used small companies like Fromm that didn’t have food recalls. Feeding grain free is a death sentence so it’s good you quit feeding it. Vets still aren’t sure if it’s the lack of taurine in grain free or some else that is causing the problem. Some companies have added the taurine to grain free. I feed beef and rice in a combination of wet/dry food.

I was given 2 retired show dogs and know people still showing and they will only feed what I am using which is why I followed suit. One of the reasons they choose it is because of PhD nutritionists designing the food. I have a friend that only feeds raw food but it’s time consuming and you have to be careful not to contaminate the prep area, etc.

 

[MarieIG]

I insta pot a family pack of Costco organic chicken breasts for her every week, and save the broth to add to her breakfast. She has gotten very fussy about her supplements, so I have been sharing my supplements with her and opening some capsules, i.e. glucosamine/ chondroitin / MSM, collagen, taurine, etc. and adding them to her breakfast. I have to basically grind her probiotics into a powder. I have researched some of the ingredients in dog supplements, in particular for joint and heart health, and have attempted to recreate them for her - leaving out ingredients which I don't like such as seed oils and emulsifiers. She gets her liver supplement two to three times a week. She typically gets her fish oil mixed into her liver, and EVOO on days she does not get fish oil.

She also gets organic grass fed beef several times a week, which I cook lightly on very low heat.

Today's dinner is grass fed beef, a minced egg, a little bit of chicken breast, some organic pumpkin with a little broth over top. She had a lot of (organic) vegetables yesterday, so just the pumpkin today. Tomorrow is insta pot day (for her chicken) which she takes very seriously. Tomorrow's vegetables will include organic string beans and carrots.

Her dinner time is in about 20 minutes, and she's currently staring me down and crying pathetically.

 

[aja8888]

I insta pot a family pack of Costco organic chicken breasts for her every week, and save the broth to add to her breakfast. She has gotten very fussy about her supplements, so I have been sharing my supplements with her and opening some capsules, i.e. glucosamine/ chondroitin / MSM, collagen, taurine, etc. and adding them to her breakfast. I have to basically grind her probiotics into a powder. I have researched some of the ingredients in dog supplements, in particular for joint and heart health, and have attempted to recreate them for her - leaving out ingredients which I don't like such as seed oils and emulsifiers. She gets her liver supplement two to three times a week. She typically gets her fish oil mixed into her liver, and EVOO on days she does not get fish oil.

She also gets organic grass fed beef several times a week, which I cook lightly on very low heat.

Today's dinner is grass fed beef, a minced egg, a little bit of chicken breast, some organic pumpkin with a little broth over top. She had a lot of (organic) vegetables yesterday, so just the pumpkin today. Tomorrow is insta pot day (for her chicken) which she takes very seriously. Tomorrow's vegetables will include organic string beans and carrots.

Her dinner time is in about 20 minutes, and she's currently staring me down and crying pathetically.

That dog is blessed to have you take care of her.

 

[Gotadimple]

This one is Ellie - she's 10 going on 11 and part Bichon and part Miniature Poodle. She came with a 'diva' attitude already in place. And I continue to help her un-diva. Overall she's a good girl.

She gets Nutro Natural Choice Chicken & Barley kibble for senior dogs. She likes it better than anything else I've tried. For treats there are baby carrots, sliced cucumber, or bell pepper, along with Costco Chicken Strips. When I think of it I go into a local pet food store (not the big national chains) and they carry several different types of treat. She likes baked cod skin, and baked lamb lung.

 

[Toast]

The photos of older pets are wonderful! Our first rescue lived to be 18. She was such a sweetheart. She’s been gone for almost 15 years. We still miss her.

Our adorable boy in this picture is 10 years old. He owns/rules the house, and we’re just grateful he allows us to live with him. He eats Blue Buffalo and organic fresh and frozen vegetables and fruits.

He still has “puppy energy” and is a source of enormous joy! When he’s sleepy, he is the best snuggler.

 

[rk911]

Meet Maggie-The-Wonder-Beagle

We've had nothing but cats starting early in our marriage. Cats are EZ. They're happy as long as there's food in the dish, water in the other and a clean litter box. We were both working plus my wife loves cats.

When I retired I resolved to get a dog. I had dogs...beagles...growing up so I gravitated to beagles. Maggie was a rescue...neither Donna or myself had the inclination to deal with a puppy, somewhere between 4 and 6 (we called her 5) and we were to be her 4th home in 1 year!. Apart from that the rescue kennel had no information on her background or history.

10-years later we love Maggie and made the right decision to give her a home. She was with us as we criss-crossed the country in our motor home and follows me around the house like a shadow. She's slowing down and has high BP and a touch of arthritis but she's our baby.

 

[MarieIG]

This is when I wish there was a "Like" button on this forum. These pictures are all adorable.

I agree - each and every pup is adorable in his/her own right!

 

[aja8888]

Rich, nice Beagle!

My little guy has 6% Beagle in him (post #1) and even though he does not resemble a Beagle anywhere in him, he walks with his nose to the ground at all times! He also has 7 blends of Terrier to go along with that!

 

[rk911]

I feed our 3 beagles Fromm’s, too, the salmon and trout blends; they are allergic to the corn in some foods, and beef and chicken make them itchy.

They also get green beans, pumpkin, carrots, raw zucchini, broccoli, apples—just about anything veggie and apples.

They also insist on Minties or some other greenie type snack after their 6 am and 3 pm meals. I hear and obey.

Beagles are da best!

 

[grasshopper]

Something different meet Earth and Daisy in the rear. 75 and 45 lbs. Earth is 9 and a rescue, Daisy an old girl at 40+ and also a rescue. Both breeds from Africa, they love it here in AZ.

 

[aja8888]

Something different meet Earth and Daisy in the rear. 75 and 45 lbs. Earth is 9 and a rescue, Daisy an old girl at 40+ and also a rescue. Both breeds from Africa, they love it here in AZ.

View attachment 48842

Neat!

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I don't have photos of our rescue dog family member friend Teddy. But I will offer this, if you die and can't take care of your dog we will take them.

 

[calmloki]

Our current little girl. She showed up at the door again and again, scrawny; her ribs felt like fishbones below her heavy coat. I sternly enjoined the gal not to feed her, but day after day.... I gave her a tiny bit of food just to keep her from dying on the doorstep, and day after day she returned.. Month or so went by and I confessed to the gal, and it turned out we had both been giving her, you know, just a dab of food.
Few months later we ran her in to the vet and found she was chipped. Contacted the owner and ransomed the cat and took her north. She's been going back and forth to Oregon for six years now. We have our routines - I get up in the morning, she leads me to her self-feeder, does a shoulder roll on the way and gets a belly pet. I then stir her food with my fingertip and she crowds my hand out of the way so she can eat - 'cause she's starvin! She is fond of some sort of treat that only the gal gives her, but also ate about a 2 1/2" long grasshopper the other evening, though she left the hind legs. Don't think food is much more than fuel to her. Turkish Angora with heterochromia.