Ben as usual is the oddball. He's on prey model, all animal sourced nutrients now. He looks better at 12 years old than he did at eight. I supplement with fish oil and E, but that's all I do now apart from the meat/bones/offal. Once a week he gets canned fish, but I'm backing off that much even now.
I'm switching Maggie over to the same. She is 14 1/2 and starting to show some age for the first time ever - loss of vision in one eye, wanting to sleep apart from everyone, and slightly slower reflexes. She eats, like 1/2 percent of her body weight so adding her in to Ben's regime will not break the budget. And she can eat chicken, hallelujah! I like with Ben, the results I've gotten with using beef heart for a primary muscle meat, and fresh raw liver every day to ensure high levels of B12, and I think Maggie will benefit greatly as well. We'll see! She's always gotten more fish than everyone, as a percentage of her diet.
Zhi and Lynn eat Core Ocean topped with stew one day and a rmb the next. They get a fish oil supplement on kibble days.
Cord, Gus, Bet, and Ted are all on Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete and raw meaty bones. I use stew to top the kibble and add variety. They get their fish oil with the stew. Gus was on the Core, but when we switched over to running sheep in three pastures, and I retired Cord, he started dropping weight by the handful. So I switched him to the Extreme and now we are happy and muscley again. Cord gets some kind of vegetable oil each day - corn, sesame, coconut, or sunflower - and a poached egg. Ted gets double fish oil to help him with training - new brain synapses need DHA! They all get a poached egg about once a week, and a few ounces of canned fish some other day of the week.
The livestock guardian dogs get Extreme and fish oil. Lu (11 year Pyrenees/Maremma) gets a hip joint supplement for a touch of arthritis she has. Min gets the hip supplement, Extreme, a can of Pedigree puppy, corn and fish oil both, a poached egg, vitamin e, and a colostrum supplement. She gets her meals split into two feedings so that she will eat more.
Coltrane the Aussie rescue is getting Extreme topped with stew, a RMB a couple times a week, a poached egg two or three times a week, corn and fish oil both, and vit e.
We had a squeeker of a budget last month and I had to go to Diamond's Hi Energy product instead of the Extreme and it was amazing the difference in the dogs that were on it (except the two LGDs who I've had for years, who thrive on anything it seems). I hated the sticky, nasty poop in the yard, and their coats looked duller and felt crunchy.
I had no problem paying double for my bags of Naturals Extreme yesterday!
Becca Shouse: Irena Farm, Semora, NC
Cord, Ted, Gus, Zhi, Maggie, Lynn, Lu, Min and Tully
Waiting: Bubo & Ben
"We didn't have a phone, and we couldn't call you!" Helen, AIDS orphan. Don't let them die of ignorance - WorldHelp.net
"I-Dog Biggest Loser" Official Cheerleader/Mascot
Start 09/15/08: 186.4 lbs Current 175.6 lbs