Daily Mail link: Is the food you're feeding your pet killing it & making vets rich?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-feeding-pet-k... -

Very sad
Unusual I would think for a vet not to advise re providing fresh water with dry food

I've read about this before - with the kidney problems stuff.

All I can say about this is I had a cat that lived to 17 yrs fed wholly on dried cat food.

I had another cat that I couldn't give dried food to because he would not drink enough. And he 'wolfed' down the dried food and would frequently bring it all up again.

I think most pet owners are sensible enough to gauge their pet's feeding habits and arrive at a sensible feeding regime that suits them.

I am ever mindful of the fact that I live where hundreds of stray and street dogs and cats roam. They are all 'healthy' barring road accidents. We've had one cat here since before I arrived - it lives on what people chuck down for it (sometimes that's stuff as stupid as fried chips) and what it can forage in dustbins. I heard from a neighbour who managed to take it to be speyed some years ago that it was here for at least 5yrs before I arrived. This would make this cat over 11 yrs old (at least) and it is perfectly healthy - also very friendly and sociable. In fact it is one of my little dog's 'mates'.

When I told our vet I had stopped home cooking for the dogs and put them on dried he said always soak the food never serve it to them dry. Which is what I am doing so hopefully that will be OK.

Well said!
It's odd isn't it because, so far, the dogs I've had have lived to 19,20 and 19 years ....all fed on dried food and none of if soaked! The first and last had a small spoon full of wet food mixed in and the middle one, who lived the longest, often had it completely dry scattered round the garden. One was PTS after a couple of heart attacks, the next PTS after a number of fits, and the last PTS after loosing control of his back legs. I know that's only three dogs but, like most people on here, I know a lot of people with dogs and almost all of them are fed on dried food and those who have died have never died of kidney failure....just normal very old age ailments. Obviously they all had water available at all times.

My old cat, nor my last dog or Bella now would not TOUCH kibble if it was soaked in anything - water, tasty gravy - anything. In fact just about the only things Bella will not eat (just sniff it and walk off) are wet kibble and any wet dog food (and I've tried them all - even the poncy 'gourmet' ones) she loves her kibble and her dry treats and she loves her tiny frozen raw chicken wings (most of the time but occasionally turns her nose up at those).

But hey - I am old enough to remember when headlines said COFFEE would kill you (now they say it's good for you in moderation). Ditto butter, ditto wine and ditto just about everything. Live long enough and you learn to take all the 'latest advice' with a small pinch of salt. Some of the people dishing out this wonderful 'advice' are not as old as some of the clothes and shoes in my wardrobe!

Haha...very true! I really like and trust our vet. He has never tried to push a brand of food on us, mind you I've never had a vet who did do this and I have been with four different practises over the years and house moves. He suggested we try Tonks on a single protein fish and no cereal diet, suggested a couple, but recommended that we didn't buy any through the surgery as it would be cheaper on line. ....or suggested we make it ourselves. When I asked him about RAW he said he had nothing against it particularly, or for it at that matter, but wouldn't advise it with very young children due to the possibility of transfer of salmonella etc.

We like him so much that we moved with him when he changed practise.....and a vet nurse moved with him to....great really as she was our favourite vet nurse too!

Well, apart from advice about what to feed when poor tiny Bella didn't look as if she was going to make it - in all the 30 odd years I've had dogs and cats and all sorts in my menagerie - I've never had any vet tell me or advise me WHAT to feed any of my animals.

Funny isn't it! So many people on forums claim that vets give the hard sell for certain food and then line their pockets with the profits. Come to think of it I think that is the stances have seen from a lot of RAW feeders. I never understand whytheydont change vets if they feel that is vets priority!

Just been pottering around on other forums and found this statement...
"vets are trained to recommend the food they sell at their practice

dogs didnt originate years ago by eating a dry biscuit , its not natural

my personal opinion is i dont agree with feeding kibble , dogs are carnivores , so therefore should be feed meat , eating a dry biscuit is not natural and also very boring for them

no vets agree with feeding raw , as i dont think they have enough information on the benefits of it

i have fed raw to both my dogs for 3 year with no problems , they both have great teeth and lovely coats and are in good health , they get fed kibble when they go to the dog sitters and come back stinking , greasy coats and dog breathe!
no thanks!"

That's the sort of evangelical and kibble slamming attitude I found a lot when I was looking at RAW.
No diet has to be boring, you can be invented at how you feed it! My two have it scattered in the garden, in kongs or buster cubes, for training and sometimes in bowls. Remus often has a ball in his bowl too so it take him longer to eat it.
'No vets agree with feeding RAW" wonder if they have interviewed every vet ever!

'Dogs are carnivores' eerrrr last time I looked I thought they were omnivores!...and since when did kibble stop containing meat?! You can get good and bad dog food just like you can get good and bad RAW feeders!
As the for the last bit....like I said previously I have had dogs on kibble for up to 2 years and they have done amazingly, fantastic coats, perfect teeth (infact my parents GSD cross had such amazing teeth the vet said they were thatif a youngster....and that was when he was 14 and had never had a bone in his life!) mine have started to get a bit dog breathy in their very very old age...like 18 plus?...think that's allowed really! Tonks' breath is perfect and she's always been fed on kibble. A high quality kibble.