What does your dog's diet look like?

Just how necessary are joint supps, especially as, at least in kibble, they are not in therapeutic doses

I have not ever seen a kibble that contained sufficient quantities of joint supplements to do anything. I have seen so many horses, dogs, and myself go from aching and crippled to sound after a few weeks of joint supplements that I consider them essential. I also consider a source of omega-3 fatty acids to be an essential addition to the diet.

mudpuppy

Just how necessary are joint supps, especially as, at least in kibble, they are not in therapeutic doses

I have not ever seen a kibble that contained sufficient quantities of joint supplements to do anything. I have seen so many horses, dogs, and myself go from aching and crippled to sound after a few weeks of joint supplements that I consider them essential. I also consider a source of omega-3 fatty acids to be an essential addition to the diet.

The only reason I give joint supps is that Prancer injured her CCL last year and as a miniature poodle is prone to luxating patellas.   My Michelle didn't get joint supps until she was 10 years old and they did help, so I'm sold even without a multitude of studies.

Mine all eat California Natural, either Lamb and Rice or Herring and Potato.  They don't really have a topper/supplement routine, but pretty much everyday they get training treats (cooked meat, cheese, or Natural Balance food roll) and some table scraps/licking our plates.  Sometimes I'll give them a glop of yogurt or peanut butter, a marrow bone, whatever.

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Some are on a prey model diet only. So they get raw meaty bones and prey animals. They will eat basically anything beef, venison, chicken, rabbit, goat, ect, ect.

A couple on are kibble/raw alternating throughout the week.

Some are on kibble and get animals once in awhile and no kibble on those days.

They really seem to do good on Purevita, they like Fromm and I am very happy with the results. I also like Innova and Evo although they are a bit more costly. Wellness is pretty good although the poops are bigger and a bit softer, not real soft or loose just not so firm. They also eat more of it I think, it is better for less active dogs. Merrick is ok for them but a little more gas, I'm out of that right now. I'm not sure what else, I think there is a bit of Wellness Core.

For cheaper foods Nutrisource Super Performance works ok, while I have reservations about Diamond products the naturals can work in a pinch and they have an extreme athlete formula, Precise also has an Endurance Formula and a lesser Competition Formula. Then their Foundation is just like a regular food.

For treats we have some very big doggie bones I think they are diamond too my in laws got them, we also have wellness pure rewards jerky, pro pac jerky and peanut butter treats, cooked liver or chicken.

Thats about it I think.
 

 Jessie gets a home cooked diet; she's allergic to chicken, salmon, pork, brewers yeast, white and sweet potatoes, all proven with an elimination diet. I also suspect she's allergic to flaxseed. Her diet consists of regular and extra lean ground turkey, canned mackeral, eggs, unenriched white rice, carrots, green beans, apples, blueberries, and Brazil nuts. It's carefully balanced according to NRC 2006 requirements and includes several supplements to fill in the nutritional gaps left by her diet. It doesn't look as cool as Spicy Bulldog's pics but it looks better than canned food.

 Brazil nuts! LOL That's great! I'm sure they're a source of some good nutrient. It just struck me funny....

 

My girls' diets look like ground meat and veggies, with table scraps and random tidbits. They also get a Nordic Naturals 3-6-9 Junior a day, human probiotics, and Dogzymes. Emma is epileptic, and has scary food allergies. Ena eats according to Emma's needs. They like to share food, so I just don't risk feeding Ena things that Emma can't eat.

Currently, Brinxx the 4 year old, 55#, mutt, Shooter the 2year old, 9#, dachshund, & Schatzi the 2 year old, 15#, dachshund are prey modeled.  We rotate what they eat weekly or so.  Their diets consist of duck, goose, rabbit, goat, lamb, calves, deer, pheasant, & trout when it is available.  They are doing extremely well on it.

Bevo the 5 year old, 70#, Doberman Pinscher, is eating Fromm Surf & Turf, & some homecooked for now.  He is on prednisone for an autoimmune issue, so I'm not comfortable feeding him raw right now.  As soon as possible, he will be back to prey modeling. 

Chyna the almost 11 year old, 50#, Boxer, eats Wellness Senior formula.  She does well on it.

When we travel, my raw dogs eat The Honest Kitchen Force, or Embark.  They like it, & it is much easier to travel with than raw foods are.

For treats, we use Wellness treats, along with dehydrated beef heart, & dehydrated liver pieces.

Mine are on a homecooked breakfast of grains, potatoes, sweet potatoes, herbs, fruits and veggies, and raw beef heart and pork kidney, plus cooked fish of various kinds. Dinner is raw meaty bones. All is balanced with custom blends of minerals and other nutrients. Ron, there's not enough nutrient in the cartilage to be therapeutic. However, it's my strong belief that preventative care is effected with a diet of fresh meaty bones and meat with the connective tissue intact. The collagen in cartilage doesn't just provide building blocks for joint health. It's also needed for skin and hair development and replenishment, and organ repair. In fact, every single part of the body uses some of this vital structure, from the cell walls on up to the ligaments that hold the skeleton together, to the skin that covers everything. Therapeutic levels are provided through concentrates. And yes, you are correct in thinking that therapeutic levels of around 500 mg per 20 kg of dog, of glucosamine (just for instance), are not even vaguely approached in kibble of any kind, no matter how pricey. On cost, the fact that I "cut in" carbs makes our diets quite reasonable. I just switched my working LGDs (125 pound very active dogs) from a kibble that was $40 for 40 pounds - not bad for the quality (Diamond Extreme Athlete: no corn, soy, wheat, nameless meat parts). We've gone to a high-power formula that compares to the slightly over 32/25 dry matter basis - oatmeal, rice, egg, pork, chicken, and beef heart based - and it's surprising how little it takes. I'll be getting the help of Sabine Contreras at Better Dog Care ( http://betterdogcare.com ) to help bump up the fat more, but other than that I'm happy with the results.

My 2 bichon girls and minpin boy currently are eatibg PetGuard Lifespan dry kibble and the petguard canned 'senior' formula. They get a dollop of yogurt on the kibble in the morning and a dollop of canned in the evening meal. I used to add a selection of our leftovers to their bowls at supper time but they have gotten sensitive tummies and have had a couple cases of pancreatitis, so leaving well enough alone with kibble/canned/yogurt. THey'll be switching to TOTW Pacific in a couple weeks and I'm excited to see how they do on that. I'm currently looking for a fish/potato (grain free) canned to accompany it. Haven't found a thing just yet.

The adult boys get TOTW, the duck/turkey formula: Legend gets a bit of Ginger's NB Venison and Sweet Potato canned on top for meds. He also gets a lot of toppers of whatever we had for dinner, assuming it's dog appropriate.

Ginger eats the NB Venison and Sweet Potato canned, mixed with water.  Most homecooked things are out for her because of her megaesophagus. Until we get a blender or food processor anyway.

Jules gets TOTW. No toppers, but he does get raw foods when I have them on hand.

Aesop doesn't do well on strictly grain free, so eats a half and half mix of the TOTW with Solid Gold WolfCub.  He only likes a mix..not one or the other.  He does well on this mix.  He doesn't get a lot of toppers since he has a sensitive stomach.

And the little squirt eats WolfCub, as well as getting his Kong filled with the NB canned. This diet has cleared up the mushy poos he had at the vets when they were feeding him their kennel foods (either IAMS low residue or Science Diet puppy..both ick)

 Everyone except Ginger (because of her jaw) and Grimm (not giving raw yet as I want his digestive system to fully recover) also gets raw bones once in awhile. Ribs, turkey necks, etc.  They also get RMBs to keep them entertained.

 And everyone gets training treats throughout the day

jennie_c_d

 Brazil nuts! LOL That's great! I'm sure they're a source of some good nutrient. It just struck me funny....

 

  They're a source of selenium; she gets 3 and a half kernels a week, finely grated. Sabine designed the diet and she believes in using as many fresh food sources as possible.

My dog gets Orijen Fresh Fish twice per day with some Missing Link Plus added on top. 

Kibble (Flint River Ranch) and missing link, that's it!  I never rotate or switch it just screws up my Swissies digestive tract really bad.

I noticed that some people added in their cat's diet, so I thought I'd do the same.

Luna is an older cat (about 10-11 years old), so I try my best to keep extra weight off her and keep carbohydrates out of her diet as much as possible.

In the morning, she gets a couple teaspoons of canned food with a few kibbles mixed in. For dinner, she gets either chicken necks, chicken wings or beef liver/heart.

For canned food she gets Before Grain 100% Quail, Natural Balance Duck & Pea or Natural Balance Veniosn & Pea. For kibble she gets Before Grain Chicken. Treats are limited to Wellness Pure Delights Beef Jerky or bits of cooked meat or fish.

Wellness Core for both in two meals. Fish oil and vitamin E added once a day. Occasional toppers include green beans, Evangers' 100% meat, organic apple sauce. Whatever is left over from what I stuff their Kongs with; I count their Kongs as part of their diet since they get them several times a week.