[bwoz]

I found this article, not sure how old it is or if it's already well known but I thought I'd share. I know every dog is different and so no theory is across the board, but alot of interesting stuff I think
http://www.grccny.org/Feeding a Golden.htm

 

[Penny & Maggie's Mom]

Interesting. Personally, I wouldn't pick either of the two foods she compares, and I wouldn't compromise on carcinogenic preservatives (BHT, BHA, ethoxyquin). There are foods out there that are meat based without them. As for probiotics, I supplement our food. I don't think most foods have enough probiotics to do much nor are they likely to be viable after manufacture. And, Bill-Jac.... really? Not for me.

Here's a good site for food info. http://www.dogfoodproject.com/

 

[bwoz]

I'm with you on that. I thought the concept of some problems being caused by feeding the same ingredients and being grain heavy was pretty interesting though.

 

[artbuc]

Interesting. I read most of it. Many words with few points. I did buy the Wendy Volhard book - used from Amazon for less than $10 incl S&H.

Her major point that only 10-20% of Goldens have food allergies falls into the "who doesn't know that" category. I think what she is missing is that the total allergen load is additive so getting to the right food may help a dog who is primarily suffering from atopy.

Her description of detox is pretty scary. Has anyone actually experienced this? If I started Rocky on a homemade and/or raw diet and he went thru the kind of detox she talks about, I don't think I would have the courage to keep going.

 

[IowaGold]

That's definitely an older article. I used it when I was trying to decide what to feed my first puppy-12 years ago! I think I read somewhere that the author feeds raw now. I *think* she had a series of articles in GR News several years back.

 

[Lucky's mom]

There is a lot of things that I think aren't correct in the article...enough so I don't feel like the writer is credible.

She talks about companies being "sneaky' because they split ingredients like "corn meal', "Corn Glutin' and Corn germ. But those are three very different ingredients designed to do different things. Corn Glutin is not even close to the same thing as Corn Meal....a person who doesn't "get' that shouldn't be critiquing in my opinion.


And lastly this "detox" thing just irritates me to no end. Its not substantiated at all by any research... and I think it can be dangerous and unhealthy for a dog who has an owner searching for a food and believing in "detox". My personal thought is that "detox" is a totally made up concept and passed along as a marketing tool.

I can't help but picture a dog does well on....say Science Diet. The owner changes to raw or premium and doesn't do well. But the dog will never go back to the food it did best on because it supposedly has "toxins". What a sad philosophy. The "do what's best for your dog" doesn't work if someone believes a food has "toxins". At least have some sort of a study...something to substantiate this before its "taught".

 

[artbuc]

Uh-oh. Looks like I wasted $10 on the Wendy Volhard book!

 

[GR_Princess]

Uh-oh. Looks like I wasted $10 on the Wendy Volhard book!

Toss it in the fireplace and use it to keep warm! It's freezing outside.

 

[Penny & Maggie's Mom]

Uh-oh. Looks like I wasted $10 on the Wendy Volhard book!

Personally, I'd read it and make your own determinations. There's rarely a book that I can't learn something from..... even if it's what I don't want to do.

I want a food that my dog does well on in the present , but one that is also good for long term health. The fact that some foods still have carcinogenic preservatives in them (for example) is unbelievable to me. As someone said in one of the other food threads, surviving and thriving (both short and long term) are two different ball games.

 

[Lucky's mom]

Uh-oh. Looks like I wasted $10 on the Wendy Volhard book!

Nah....its nothing personal I hope. Obviously if I bought it...then it would be a waste.

 

[AmbikaGR]

That's definitely an older article. I used it when I was trying to decide what to feed my first puppy-12 years ago! I think I read somewhere that the author feeds raw now. I *think* she had a series of articles in GR News several years back.

You are correct, that is an old article. The author not only switched to feeding a raw diet she started the yahoo group Raw_Fed_Golden over a dozen years ago. That group has been virtually silent for a few years noow although I am still a member and every now and then a post pops up.

 

[artbuc]

BOOK FOR SALE!!! LOL LOL LOL

I just checked-out Wendy Volhard's website. No wonder the author says the Volhard diet is complicated. It has an ingrediants list a mile long containing at least two things Rocky can't eat - eggs and oats. It also contains kelp and alfalfa which I suspect may be issues for Rocky based on Acana Pacifica. Oh well, I'll take the $10 out of Rocky's toy budget... NOT. But seriously, if any of you want the book you can have it for the cost of postage.

Regarding impulse decisions, I decided to get Rocky about 3/4 of a second after I saw him at the rescue. He is a MAJOR project, but I don't know what I would do without him!!

 

[Willow52]

That's definitely an older article. I used it when I was trying to decide what to feed my first puppy-12 years ago! I think I read somewhere that the author feeds raw now. I *think* she had a series of articles in GR News several years back.

Yes, an old article.I was directed to this article way back when we first got Maggie and I was searching for an answer to her chronic ear infection...1995.