Questions about diet

[Demo Dick]

I currently feed Connor twice a day, one at 6:30 AM and once around 5:00 PM. He is currently 55 pounds. Both of his meals look like this:

1/4 cup Royal Canin Sensible Choice Lamb/Rice
1/4 cup 90% lean ground beef (raw)
1 raw egg (every other day, both feedings)
1 teaspoon cold-pressed flax seed oil
3 teaspoons raw oats (only on working or high activity days)
1 capsule Jarro-Dophilus+FOS (a probiotic enzyme)
3 25 mg capules benadryl equivalent (for allergies)

Anyone have any ideas on what else to add? I much prefer human grade natural ingredients to shelf-stabilized ones, and tend to lean more towards food sources that a dog would find in the wild (i.e. no cheeses and limited grains). I was thinking maybe something to help with connective tissue maintenance and joint health like MSM or chondroitin, or possibly fish. What does everyone think?

Demo Dick

[kendall]

You're adding flax seed oil, enzymes, and raw oats and you want to know what else to add? Demo, I think your dog's meals are already more balanced than mine.
If you do feed fish, just be aware of mercury levels. I read that sardines are a very good source of Omega 3 fatty acids.
Also, I think garlic is a good addition to any diet.

[moto1320]

I think that MSM is wonderful. It helped my cat with her authritic hips, and me with skin allergies. It's naturally is sea water, when I lived in Florida or still visit, my skin allergies go away just from showering in water with a high MSM content. Conners diet sounds pretty damn good though. He looks great so I guesss it's working. Oh yeah, If you add MSM get the kind with Ester-C in it. I used the capsul so I didn't have to mix it. That type of C is necessary for the sulpher compound to assimilate into the body. I had the two together described to me by a nutritionist as the equivelent of bricks and mortar for cell developement.

[barbponys]

Just my opinion here, I wouldn't mix dry and raw. They digest differently and they don't utililze them well when mixed. The Royal Canin has a lot of grain in it, why add oats?? Everything else sounds great, bet he's a happy boy.

I supplemented one of my dogs with glucosamine, chondroitin and msm for a fused spine, it did wonders. Glucosamine and chondroitin work synergistically, you can get them combined. I used human grade from a health store.

Pat

[Demo Dick]

I'm going to add the MSM-Ester-C as recommended. I will try garlic, but if he ends up smelling like the stuff, I'll end that real quick.

I don't really believe the stuff about mixing raw and dry. People have eaten raw fish and cooked rice for centuries...I'm not sure how absorption would be hindered.

I only add oats on working days, so I'm not concerned about graining him to death. He's leaned out significantly over the past two weeks, so I've increased his dry food to 3/4c at both feedings and have incorporated Solid Gold Wolf King into the mix fo added variety.

Thanks for everyone's responses.

Demo Dick

[chewalotopus]

I agree with Pat about mixing of the kibble and the raw. They digest using different enzymes from what I understand...and they digest at dramatically different rates. Not good to mix the two. And I don't think that one should be comparing a human's digestive system to a dog's in this regard, but do what you will

I'm concerned about your mixing of the dry kibble - two different brands of food with different (?) protein sources at the same time for a dog that needs 150mg daily of benadryl might aggravate his allergies more...just a thought.

My sister, certified vet tech and perfectionist extraordinaire told me that one should not give garlic supplements to dogs, contrary to popular beleif. She says that since garlic is a close relative to the onion, which is toxic to dogs as we all know, it's not good for them.

I personally wouldn't give oats on a daily - or even weekly basis - either, but that's up to you. It's just a bulky filler that your dog doesn't really need with a complete dog food.

Not bashing your feeding style - just giving my opinion!

[barbponys]

I full on agree with you about mixing formulas, brands......whatever. Quadrupling the grain and mixing the protein sources, never been something I agreed with or have done with my dogs.

I have used garlic for a long time and my understanding is, it takes a lot to be toxic. I don't know many dogs that would ingest the amounts needed in one sitting...........or even 3 or 4.

Pat

[Demo Dick]

I appreciate everyone's input. I add the oats specifially to aid in glycogen replenishment on his working days, and have noticed significantly faster recovery from workouts as a result.

In a few months when budget allows, I may on remove him from commercial food altogether and put him on an all natural raw diet. As for what I'm doing now, I will post some before and after pics. I don't plan on changing anything major, because whatever I'm doing, it is working. Thanks everyone.

Demo Dick