[Lisa]

I know many people here are concerned about what they feed their dogs and genuinely want them to eat a healthy diet. Many are not ready for raw or don't have the space or time etc to make the switch. Many can't afford the high end kibbles and therefore chose to feed something cheaper. I just thought it would be a good topic to discuss what some of us kibble feeders add to our dogs diet that is economical but also good for them. I don't generally supplement puppies, because I hand feed them, but once they get older I do add a few things to their kibble diet.

I think one of the most economical foods we can feed that is also high in protein, vitamins, minerals etc is EGGS. We get them from a local farmer for about 2 bucks a dozen. My 3 dogs go through about 3 dozen a month. (they each get one egg approx 3X per week). Eggs are a wonderful food source for both dogs and people so I feed them a lot.

I also like to feed canned fish like mackerel, sardines, pink salmon etc but I have noticed the prices of these products have gone up the past few years. I used to buy the mackerel for about a dollar a can but I now see it for close to 2 bucks so I haven't been buying it too much. I look for sales and pick up canned fish when the price is right. This may be something I will have to look for when shopping in the US. Can any of you Americans tell me how much canned fish generally sells for? I am in the US a lot and could easily buy it there to save me money if it is cheaper.

Meat scraps...I never throw away leftover meat. My dogs get all the leftovers along with the skin, fat etc. I also try to save the fat from cooking like from bacon, hamburger, etc. Lard is also a cheap way to add fat to a dogs diet and fat is good for dogs.

Cottage cheese and plain yogurt..again I look for sales and try to buy the varieties with the higher milk fat %.

leftover cooked veggies and over ripe fruit like bananas and apples.

So what do the rest of you supplement a kibble diet with and how much does it cost you? Hopefully we can all get some good ideas from this. I know diet is a hot topic around here!

 

[jaquandt]

I'm a new bulldog owner and had no idea that I should feed anything other than dry dogfood! I really am a rookie! I did hear about how mixing vanilla yogurt with the dry food is good for their coats and I have tried that several times. Betty loves it. So.... I need to feed more??? Help me!! My baby is about 6 months old and is approximately 38 pounds right now. I have been feeding her twice a day... once about 6:00 a.m. (1 1/2 cups) and again about 5:30 pm (another 1 1/2 cups). She gets treats throughout the day. This isn't enough...?

 

[Lisa]

I would go with plain yogurt rather than vanilla. Dogs don't need that sugar. I don't think a little bit of yogurt is going to do much for their coats though, but it is healthy for them as long as they aren't lactose intolerant which some dogs are.

PS you don't HAVE to feed anything more than her kibble. Most are fairly nutritionally complete...especially the higher end ones. But, some people here really like to make sure their dogs get lots of good stuff, and some simply like to treat their dogs once in a while. Honestly, I think a dogs health lies mostly in it's genetics, but thought this would be a good topic to discuss. Don't feel that you need to feed all these things, its really up to you. Some people actually think its "bad" to feed dogs "human food" which is a big crock. Most foods we have in our kitchens, is healthier than even the best kibbles.

 

[jaquandt]

So on days that I feed her other things that you suggest... such as yogurt, eggs, meat scraps, skin, etc. Do I continue on those days to also feed her the dry food. Or do I cut back on that?

 

[maryellen]

i supplement with all you use lisa except for veggies. once in a while they get a baby carrot but otherwise i dont use veggies.
canned fish has gone up here too, i buy cans occasionally but not that often

 

[Lisa]

So on days that I feed her other things that you suggest... such as yogurt, eggs, meat scraps, skin, etc. Do I continue on those days to also feed her the dry food. Or do I cut back on that?

Definitely cut back on the amount of kibble you feed if you add anything to their meal otherwise she will get fat in a hurry. For example..my 2 female AB's eat approx 2.5 cups per day of kibble if they get nothing else (1 1/4 cups-twice per day)...if I add an egg or can of sardines or whatever to their meal, I cut that portion down to 1 cup.

Also, be careful because with some dogs they will start picking around their kibble and leaving that in favor of the other stuff (mine don't have this problem but some do)..if you notice this happening, stop giving her the extras until she starts eating the kibble again. Remember, feeding healthy people food is fine but not if it leads to manipulation on her part to get what she prefers.

 

[MybabyDuke]

GREAT thread.. I too am a rookie.. All we have ever fed Duke is kibble he gets DVP duck and potatoe. we had him tested and his allergies are not food. I would love to supplement his diet. I had just read that adding yogurt is good and have no idea where to even begin? we feed 1/2 cup dry and 1/2 cup wet would I cut back on something if I begin to add some of these suggestions? I also read to crack an egg over their food WITH the shell?? is this true??

 

[bodazafa]

Why are you feeding Duke the wet food? If you are going to start mixing in egg and yogurt ditch the wet food and just feed the egg/yog with the kibble.

 

[Lisa]

Karen, have you considered eliminating the canned food and supplementing with some of these other foods instead? Canned foods are mostly water, and for the amount of $$ you spend on it could add much more nutritionally by adding some of the things suggested here.

Many people will crack a raw egg over their dogs kibble but myself did not have any luck feeding raw eggs. Back yard cleanup the next day was super nasty so I just cook them to avoid any potential problems.

 

[MybabyDuke]

we started the wet DVP when we were doing food trials because Duke would inhale his kibble.. the duck and potatoe mixed in helped slow him down ( thought that the DVP had a good nutrition level vs. other canned foods? )but I am def going to try your suggestion.. thank you !

 

[majestikmoose]

raw eggs have never been a problem here, with any dog i've fed them too.
shoot, growing up, my grandpas pit bull got 6 raw eggs everyother day.
now, imo, thats going overboard, but you get the idea.

sometimes i give the shell, depending on the dog. soem will eat them, some won't. some try eating them, but can't figure out to really crunch them, and end up passing some pretty large pieves of shell, which makes me nervous.
if you do feed the shell, crush it in your hand as much as you can, and kind of mix it in with the rest of the food.

some of the things i feed, and fed with kibble, or raw food.

eggs
yogurt
cottage cheese
canned salmon, some tuna, mackrel, sardines
bacon grease/grease from hamburger meat
lard
coconut oil
fish oil
vit E


i do feed scraps too, either raw meat scraps from our food, or even cooked scraps to an extent(i make sure its not heavily spiced/salty), but not a lot of those.

occasionally, i'll make a dog stuff smoothie-veggies, yogurt, some fruit bits, some freah herbs if i have any,etc and blend it all up, plop it in a dish, and there you go. i have thrown some scraps into that to be blended as well, the dogs will eat anything, and don't care, lol.

in the past, i have supplemented with dog Vit C, powdered kelp and alfalfa, and a few other supplements. i didn't give it every day, just when i remembered i had the stuff.

 

[bodazafa]

we started the wet DVP when we were doing food trials because Duke would inhale his kibble.. the duck and potatoe mixed in helped slow him down ( thought that the DVP had a good nutrition level vs. other canned foods? )but I am def going to try your suggestion.. thank you !

Compared to other wet foods DVP is better - but it is still wet food and in general wet food is never a good idea. If the problem is inhaling food, there are other ways to slow him down like placing a rock in the middle of the bowl or getting one of those toys that drops the kibble out so that will be a game for him. I would definately replace the wet food with plan yog or eggs.

 

[MybabyDuke]

Compared to other wet foods DVP is better - but it is still wet food and in general wet food is never a good idea. If the problem is inhaling food, there are other ways to slow him down like placing a rock in the middle of the bowl or getting one of those toys that drops the kibble out so that will be a game for him. I would definately replace the wet food with plan yog or eggs.

ok so would you suggest mixing in a little yogurt with what I am giving at first?? or just replace the wet ( 1/2 cup with plain yogurt)?? also not to be really goofy.. I just go get plain non flavored yogurt correct? not greek yougurt or anything like that ?

 

[racoffin5]

I feed Innova Evo kibble. I usually dont supplement anything. When I do I usually just give him a small amount of plain yogurt and from time to time i'll give him a regular cooked egg. I've tired feeding apples, but he wont eat them. He likes baby carrots but will usually just chew them into small bits and not really eat them.

Thanks for the info, i was wondering the same thing about feeding the eggs raw or cooked.

 

[Lisa]

I personally don't think canned food made by a reputable company like DVP is going to "harm" any dog and have bought it occassionally as a "treat" for my dogs. I just don't think its very good value for your money. Just take a look at the moisture content. It is very high. The protein and fat levels on the other hand are extremely low.

 

[Lisa]

For yogurt..I like to buy the Astro "Balkan style" because it is 6% milk fat and higher in calories than most other plain yogurts I have seen..imo the more fat and calories for your money the better...you can feed less that way!

 

[bodazafa]

I personally don't think canned food made by a reputable company like DVP is going to "harm" any dog and have bought it occassionally as a "treat" for my dogs. I just don't think its very good value for your money. Just take a look at the moisture content. It is very high. The protein and fat levels on the other hand are extremely low.

I agree it won't harm them - I had to give Mags the canned DVP when she was sick and couldn't handle kibble but feeding wet food also contributes to dental issues if there isn't enough kibble mixed in. I usually give the dogs plain yogurt (we buy the large tub of it) and do that in a seperate bowl from their kibble - that way they get the benefits of the hard kibble for teeth health and still get the yogurt, eggs whatever it may be.

 

[majestikmoose]

for sure, no.
canned food itsn't the devil, its just not a lot of bang for your buck.

when i was working in pet retail, i managed to get cases of canned wellness, merrik and DVP for free by exchanging my free bag of nutro dogfood for them.
i fed the canned on a pretty regular basis, with kibble, i liked it for summer, because it added some moisture to the food, without my dogs drinking water till they puked, which they would do.
i liked it for winter, because it added a little bit of weight pretty fast for the cold.

but over all, its just not wallet savey.

 

[jaquandt]

Bacon grease? Hamburger grease? Just take the grease and mix it into their kibble?? I know I'm a rookie, but that just doesn't seem healthy to me... why is it so good for them? It doesn't upset their stomachs?? Help me understand!!

 

[majestikmoose]

Bacon grease? Hamburger grease? Just take the grease and mix it into their kibble?? I know I'm a rookie, but that just doesn't seem healthy to me... why is it so good for them? It doesn't upset their stomachs?? Help me understand!!

haha, its not "healthy", which is why its a treat. maybe once a week, or less.
it can be good for their skin/coat though, because its oil. it makes their fur sleek and shiney.

and yes, when i mixed it with kibble, i just poured it over straight from the pan(while the food was cooking, i went and got a bowl of kibble ready). i let it sit on the counter to cool for a few minutes, and thats it.