freak on a leash wrote:Wow, thats a great looking pit you've got there. I'm happy to see a dog in such great condition as yours without shelling out the big bucks for these foods that cost an arm and a leg. It seems as if your not shelling out the big bucks, your dog is automatically un-fit. For those of you who are able to afford/willing to shell those big bucks, thats good. I'm not knockin you for that. But all this, "Oh, this and that is bad", "Thats just filler", "They sell those in the grocery store"... I'm sorry, but who gives a fizzle! I don't have that much money, does that not qualify me to own a happy, healthy dog like I do now? The key to having a healthy dog, goes for the same as being healthy yourself. Get out there and flipping [i]EXCERCISE[/]. So a Human can sit on his/her ass all day and eat celery sticks, and fruits all day.. That still wouldn't make him/her any healthier than a person who excercises everyday, but eats McDonalds for lunch.
Feeding a dog low quality food is not the same thing as a person who only eats McDonald's for lunch. It is the same thing as a person who eats McDonald's for every meal.
Exercise is only PART of the equation. You can't put complete garbage in (Purina, Kibbles 'n' Bits, Ol' Roy) and expect to get a 100% fit dog out of it, no matter how much exercise it gets. FUEL is crucial.
If you had one person who ate a balanced, healthy diet and another with an equivalent metabolism and build who ate McDonald's every day for every meal, and both were training for a marathon using the exact same training regimen, who do you think would place ahead of whom? It matters what we put into our bodies. You can't eat complete crap day in and day out and expect exercise to keep you healthy.
A person can also have good muscle tone, exercise daily and still be at risk for heart disease and high cholesterol because of their diet. Outward appearance is also only part of the equation.
No one is trying to make you feel like a terrible owner for not feeding your dog a premium food. Find a food that works for you and your dog, give the dog the best you can with what you can afford, and don't worry about it from that point on. If your dog is happy and healthy, you're doing something right. There is absolutely no reason to be defensive about it if you're doing the best you can.
HAG found a food that works for her and her dogs, and I applaud her for that. The food she feeds is better than Purina, Kibbles 'n' Bits and Ol' Roy. It is not a grocery store brand.
I don't have much money either, but I am happy to spend some of what I do have on a premium kibble. I am happy with the results I've seen. My dog has always had sufficient exercise and been in good health, and since the food switch, her energy levels and overall physical shape have improved a great deal. That's all the proof I need.
Not all dog foods are created equal, and that is why it is important to analyze ingredients and identify which were included only as bulk. Some people make canine nutrition a high priority in their lives, and make a point of researching ingredients. They are the ones who "give a fizzle." Just because it is of high importance to them does not make you a bad owner for not feeling the same way.
No one's judging you, so there's no need to be defensive. Just feed the best food you can for your budget and leave it at that.