[NAGDU] Gas, Dog Food quality, and Long life
Tracy Carcione
carcione at access.net
Wed Sep 28 18:59:57 UTC 2016
Krokus is not adapting to the new food, so we're going back to deer and
bison. When things have settled well, I'll try something else, probably
fish.
I believe strongly that feeding high-quality dogfood helps my dogs live
longer, healthier lives. The dogs I've fed what I consider good food have
lived at least a couple years longer than the ones I fed Purina, but it is a
very small sample of dogs, and could equally be accounted for by genetics
and luck. However...
My current dog Krokus is the first I've had in a long time with noticeable
allergies. His stool improved a lot once I got him off the Purina he was
eating at the school and on to something with no corn, wheat, or soy. His
allergies stopped being a problem once I got him onto a food with no chicken
or grain. For a while, we were going to the vet a lot for ear infections,
but he's been fine for almost a year now.
I give Peter props for doing a lot of food research. Me, I have only so
much time and patience for research, so I do the best I can, usually with
the help of dogfoodadvisor.com. Also, different dogs react to food
differently. The rabbit-based food I picked looked very good on paper, but
didn't work in practice. I tried raw with one dog, because a lot of what
people say about it made sense to me, but my dog couldn't deal with it at
all. So it's hard to know.
Myself, I will not feed anything with corn, wheat, or soy. After that, I
look for food where the first ingredients are meat, preferably of a grade
humans could eat, though it doesn't usually say one way or the other. Then
I look at other ingredients and see if they're good or not for my dog. One
of my dogs couldn't handle dairy, so any food with dairy in it was out.
Krokus can't handle chicken, so that's out for him. That cuts down the list
considerably.
Anyway, the bottom line is feed the best you can afford. I think good food
cuts down on vet bills, but, if you're broke by the end of the month because
of dogfood costs, that's a serious problem.
Tracy
-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Peter Wolf via
NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2016 2:47 AM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Cc: Peter Wolf
Subject: [NAGDU] Gas, Dog Food quality, and Long life
I can't weigh in about rabbit or gas. But this brings up a general food
inquiry. We've done a lot of research. It might be nice to share
generally what we've learned and done for good long healthy lives with dog
food.
Between my wife and me in our lifetimes, we've lost animals earlier than we
might think is really normal for them. Or, not being as healthy as they
perhaps could have been, and also, dying early of things like diabetes -
which just shouldn't be. In that case, it was the vet who suggested that
carbohydrate laden food weakened and ultimately killed her. That was
directed by a vet. But if you look at junky commercial food and treats sold
through vet offices, it puts us back to inquiry.
We've been feeding the girls good balanced organic food, that seems sensible
for their animal type and metabolism. This, in (money) terms, might be the
same we would have spent on medical/health issues in our dogs, possibly for
premature death and high vet bills for managing breaking down dogs, becase
feeding them this way is expensive. But this isn't about money, even if
what we feed them costs a lot. Most importantly, it's that we want them to
live and feel their best, and live the longest healthiest possible lives in
the most wonderful shape they can.
So we've done a big amount of research, to find that only some dog foods are
really clean and organic. And even if so, it's necessary to check the food
labels. Companies come and go, and get bought and sold. Only the brand
label on the front of the package appears the same. For example, we finally
found something that was fantastic food. We used Castor and Pollux
"Organics", which was outstanding and very well balanced food.until we found
out that they got bought by Purina. We switched. And recently, we read an
"Organix" ingredients label. We won't use it again. It's necessary to stay
on top of ingredients.
Another thing is the use of canola oil. Canola is essentially a waste oil,
which would be great for machinery. But go consult Dr. Google and you may
be as convinced as we have been that it doesn't belong in food, for anybody.
Canola (from the "rapeseed" plant) grows in Canada and now elsewhere.
Nonetheless, unless organic it still gets the chemical treatment of other
plants you wouldn't want to eat. At one point the found that the plant
blasts out of the ground like a weed so successfully in Canada, that when
they found that they could press the seeds and get an abundant source of
oil, they had a potential goldmine. And so they had to invent a marketing
strategy. They probably figured out that they wouldn't have much success
with "rape", so they named it "Can-ola".
Canola gets put into dog food, even really premium expensive ones,
cyclically. That's the same reason you'll buy potato chips one month and it
will say "Sunflower oil", and then later the same brand might say
"Sunflower, Canola and/or other oils".whichever supplies and costs less at
that time and I'd understand as "not sunflower". In dog food, for one
couple of months, it might be chicken fat or something else that's ok to
metabolize. Then the next time you buy a big bag of the same flavor, it
might have canola. That's why to stay on top of the labels. Did you guys
know that? It's what we've found out once we got it home.
But this is ok, because it's good to cycle a dog's food. Different meats,
cycled on and off every few months gives dogs' immune systems variety and
adaptation. Corn, soy and wheat aren't things dogs metabolize well, and can
lead to systemic inflamation and allergies, which are a result of it.
That's in a lot of the low grade commercial foods, as is "fish or meat meal"
instead of real meat or fish. I won't gross you out on what can be in
"meal". Unless you want to look up the five or more definitions of
"condemned animal".
So many names that harken "the wild" or such terms are great marketing. But
most dog food products are all made by a few companies. And we got curious
after periodic food recalls of them to begin researching. In the past
couple of years, we've arrived at using dry food from Acana. They are made
by Orijen. Same little company, two products. Orijen is super high
protein. If we buy it, we mix it with Acana, because protein alone isn't
great for kidneys. That's why we like Acana. It's a good mix. We'll spend
a bunch of money on it, but again, we won't be surprised if not stressing
our dogs systems on junky food costs the same or less than tearfully
financing chronic or acute vet bills for broken down dogs in the long term.
Then there's raw. We give them a little raw morning and night. It might be
Primal nuggets, but more lately we've given them chicken or other
meats/organs. Just a little is great, like one or two tablespoons worth.
In one day, "dog breath" was cured, and their breath has been sweet ever
since. And their teeth and gums began looking better over a longer term of
it. We think it's about the natural enzymes in raw food.
On cycles: We'll do chicken when it's in the dry food chicken cycle.
That's a couple of big bags worth. Then we'll get them off chicken when we
switch to another flavor, etc. We'll buy packages of organic boneless
chicken breast for example.
For possible concerns about chicken bacteria from processing plants, here's
what I do for preparing a bunch at once: I'd be content just to rinse well
and freeze raw chicken, but my wife likes to be sure it's clean. Not a big
deal really, so I'll clean the sink, cut open a bunch of packages in it,
rinse all well, and then ziplock and throw in the freezer. Quick follow up
scrub of sink again, wash hands, and we're back in business. Bacteria
attacks are rare. But my wife is more concerned. So to prepare a few days
worth, I'll just throw a frying pan with a quarter to half an inch of water
on the stove, bring up to a quick boil, and drop two breasts in, either
defrosted or frozen solid. It's only the surface that would carry bacteria.
Hot water, or the steam from it in a covered pan kills everything in
seconds. Turn over with a fork, leave a few moments, and out they go. A
few minutes of cooling, and . Seared clean raw chicken.just like the high
dollar tuna item in a restaurant! The girls go NUTS!
I hope this contributes to your pups' well being. It really seems to show
in our girls health.
-Peter
On Sep 26, 2016, at 5:00 AM, nagdu-request at nfbnet.org wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Gas attack! (Tracy Carcione)
> 2. More distractable when the seasons change (Tracy Carcione)
> 3. Re: More distractable when the seasons change (Tami Jarvis)
> 4. Re: Gas attack! (Raven Tolliver)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2016 10:20:42 -0400
> From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
> Users'" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: [NAGDU] Gas attack!
> Message-ID: <00ac01d21737$ff758e20$fe60aa60$@access.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> I've been trying Krokus on a new food, Nature's Variety Instinct
> Rabbit. It doesn't seem to be agreeing with him; he has gas that could
clear the room.
> For some reason, it seems to get worse as the day goes on-OK in the
> morning, deadly in the evening. I'm thinking of giving up the rabbit
experiment.
>
> I'm wondering if it's a temporary thing that will pass as he adapts to
> the new food, or if rabbit is just not the thing for him. My feeble
> old brain can't recall previous experiences of this nature. Anyone have
any thoughts?
>
>
>
> If you hear on the news that a building near the UN was evacuated
> because of fears of poison gas, that will be us.
>
> Tracy
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2016 10:50:21 -0400
> From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
> Users'" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: [NAGDU] More distractable when the seasons change
> Message-ID: <00b901d2173c$24074ae0$6c15e0a0$@access.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Rachel commented that her new dog seems more distractable these last
> couple weeks, and she's taking steps to get her back on track. Krokus
> is more distractable now, too. In my experience, something about the
> change in seasons makes dogs more sniffy, or so it seems to me,
> especially Spring and Fall. Maybe it's that it's getting cool, after
> being hot, or vice versa in Spring, and it peps them up.
>
> Tracy
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2016 08:54:10 -0700
> From: Tami Jarvis <tami at poodlemutt.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] More distractable when the seasons change
> Message-ID: <1e19e1a6-c496-bd33-f7ce-8119cc2fb570 at poodlemutt.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
>
> Tracy,
>
> I notice that, too. Definitely, the cooler weather of fall is a real
> pepper upper, and who knows what scents are hiding in all those leaves?
> A good rain really brings out the aromas, requiring further
> investigation. Then in spring when the snow melts away, it lets out
> all sorts of new odors that have been hiding under there. That
> definitely calls for a sniff fest! Some of the things that start to
> thaw out beside the sidewalk are things I do *not* want to pull out of
> my dog's mouth, but I seem to need to at least once a year. Ewww!
> Convincing the dog to pass those things by is not easy, either.
>
> The funny thing is that I know this is going to happen, but it still
> takes me by surprise. Hey! What's wrong with my dog? Oh, right. It's
> just the season. /lol/ We work on it, and things get back to normal.
> Until next time.
>
> Tami
>
> On 09/25/2016 07:50 AM, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU wrote:
>> Rachel commented that her new dog seems more distractable these last
>> couple weeks, and she's taking steps to get her back on track.
>> Krokus is more distractable now, too. In my experience, something
>> about the change in seasons makes dogs more sniffy, or so it seems to
>> me, especially Spring and Fall. Maybe it's that it's getting cool,
>> after being hot, or vice versa in Spring, and it peps them up.
>>
>> Tracy
>>
>>
>>
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>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2016 19:12:18 -0400
> From: Raven Tolliver <ravend729 at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Gas attack!
> Message-ID:
> <CACQ+kov3z7Gk0-33CFOT+kGaR+RGtWOx61R8t4=krj6BYO8W9Q at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> I'm not sure if you've fed him this brand of food, but it could either
> be the rabbit protein or some other ingredient in that formula that's
> causing tummy upset.
> There's too many options to make him tough it out, and suffer the
> smelly results.
> Next food.
> --
> Raven
> Founder of 1AM Editing & Research
> www.1am-editing.com
>
> You are valuable because of your potential, not because of what you
> have or what you do.
>
> Naturally-reared guide dogs
> https://groups.google.com/d/forum/nrguidedogs
>
>
>
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