Whippetfood

[jodillanhn]

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Hello, this was in the FAQ but price was never mentioned, is it a lot cheaper & healthier feeding your whippet on homemade meals? And how much are things like tripe etc, is iy really worth the bother? I'm on a tight budget :cheers:

 

[Seraphina]

Hmmmmmm............that is very difficult to answer, as cost of both can vary greatly. Some kibble is cheap (probably not very good) and some 4 or 5 times as much. Freash meat prices can vary a lot from one place to another. I just discovered a place where I get chicken carcasses 5 for $1.00, that is about 2.5kg (=40cents/kilo), while our supermarket has them $2.70 pe kilo!!!

However, with the great kibble safety scare at present in the USA, with apparently 15 000 pet dogs and cats dead, I am just about to stop kibble alltogether.

tainted pet food

melamine in pet food

 

[jodillanhn]

"melamine is ground into a powder and added to animal feed as a filler to keep costs low"

OMG, are you safe feeding your pets anything? If they're willing to do that what else have they been up to? :rant: No matter the cost, think i'll start making pet food. Thing is i'm vegetarian & really felt sick at the fact of having to buy & cook meat.

 

[jezza]

"melamine is ground into a powder and added to animal feed as a filler to keep costs low"
OMG, are you safe feeding your pets anything? If they're willing to do that what else have they been up to? :rant:     No matter the cost, think i'll start making pet food. Thing is i'm vegetarian & really felt sick at the fact of having to buy & cook meat.

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I feed my dogs on Burns Kibble and Nature Diet. Perhaps you could have a look on these websites and see what you think. Both are BUAV approved (so none of their foods are tested on animals) and have no artificial ingredients.

Being vegetarian, you may prefer to feed commercial dog foods but you need to be careful because a lot of them are full of rubbish. I am veggie too but I have no problem handling meat so I also feed some cooked and raw food as well but as my dogs are healthy on ND and Burns I mainly feed these.

At the end of the day though, you have to go with what suits your dog but I think you'd probably be able to find a suitable kibble.

One thing worth mentioning is that Burns is a lot more expensive than some brands of food but it doesn't work out too expensive. I am on a very tight budget too :lol: it says on the website that you don't need to feed as much as the cheaper brands but I would take that with a pinch of salt because both mine eat loads of it!

I have a list of 'better quality' kibbles which are not tested on animals but I haven't got it to hand at the moment. If you want to know others pm me and I'll try and find them.

Naturediet

Burns

Hope some of this helps :luck:

 

[jodillanhn]

"melamine is ground into a powder and added to animal feed as a filler to keep costs low"
OMG, are you safe feeding your pets anything? If they're willing to do that what else have they been up to? :rant:      No matter the cost, think i'll start making pet food. Thing is i'm vegetarian & really felt sick at the fact of having to buy & cook meat.

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I feed my dogs on Burns Kibble and Nature Diet. Perhaps you could have a look on these websites and see what you think. Both are BUAV approved (so none of their foods are tested on animals) and have no artificial ingredients.

Being vegetarian, you may prefer to feed commercial dog foods but you need to be careful because a lot of them are full of rubbish. I am veggie too but I have no problem handling meat so I also feed some cooked and raw food as well but as my dogs are healthy on ND and Burns I mainly feed these.

At the end of the day though, you have to go with what suits your dog but I think you'd probably be able to find a suitable kibble.

One thing worth mentioning is that Burns is a lot more expensive than some brands of food but it doesn't work out too expensive. I am on a very tight budget too :lol: it says on the website that you don't need to feed as much as the cheaper brands but I would take that with a pinch of salt because both mine eat loads of it!

I have a list of 'better quality' kibbles which are not tested on animals but I haven't got it to hand at the moment. If you want to know others pm me and I'll try and find them.

Naturediet

Burns

Hope some of this helps :luck:

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Thanks again Jezza!! The most important thing here is the dog - my first post wasn't meant to sound the way it did, I was just wondering what was the prefered food and if it was also cost effective & healthier making doggie meals yourself. A lot of people don't have the time to do that, but time's something i have loads of! I meant is it really worth the bother making your own dog food when it's just as healthy and cost effective feeding the dog on ready made food? The most important thing is a balanced diet - these tinned dog foods always claim to have the correct amount of protein & vitamins & carbohydrates could a homemade food also provide all of the correct nutients, fats and proteins?

Thanks, and sorry I should have explained myself a little better

:cheers: doris

 

[doris]

:thumbsup:

 

[jezza]

A homemade diet could definately contain all the nutrient your dog needs but it can be difficult to get things in the right quantities. If you go down the route of raw feeding then perhaps a book/raw feeding website would tell you how to achieve the correct proportions.

A lot of people on here who do feed raw say that its a lot cheaper because their butchers give them lots of free/cheap chicken wings, necks, other bones etc. I get meat from the butchers for my OH so I do get big bones occasionally thrown in for free. I give the dogs these to chew on and keep their teeth clean, as kibble isn't very good at doing that!

As you say you have a lot of time on your hands then you could look into cooking meals for your dog. There are a few recipes here Jack and Joes

 

[jodillanhn]

burns & natural diet look like the way to go, my current dog is 11 now and just started to get skin problems, he gets fed pedigree chum dry food & sachets of meat. I may actually try burns & natural diet on him to see if that clears up his problem, are there any online retailers you'd recommend for these two?

:cheers:

 

[doris]

I used to get Burns and Naturediet from their home pages but lots of the big pet supermarkets stock them now :thumbsup:

 

[jezza]

I have heard that you can buy naturediet direct from the company at 50p a carton but I get it from Pets @ home (however it has just gone up in price so I may see if can get it cheaper elsewhere). Burns I get straight from the company, not any cheaper but I've never found anywhere that does it for less I think that some of the online pet stores sell them both but I've never used any so can't recommend one.

I think that both of these brands do a senior version so you should be able to change your current dog to this :huggles:

 

[muttz]

:huggles: Hi there, I feed raw tripe, chicken wings and carcasses. My whippets love veggies and pasta and a wholemeal biscuit mixer. My two veterans are now 10 years old and have never suffered skin or teeth problems. They keep their weight stable and this diet seems to suit them. Personally I am not a fan of commercially made kibble or pet foods but each to their own. Feed what suits you and your life style.

I always start my puppies on tripe too and they all love it.

:luck: good luck

 

[jodillanhn]

:huggles: Hi there,  I feed raw tripe, chicken wings and carcasses.  My whippets love veggies and pasta and a wholemeal biscuit mixer.  My two veterans are now 10 years old and have never suffered skin or teeth problems.  They keep their weight stable and this diet seems to suit them.  Personally I am not a fan of commercially made kibble or pet foods but each to their own.  Feed what suits you and your life style.I always start my puppies on tripe too and they all love it.

:luck:   good luck

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I don't know if i'd feel safe feeding a new pup by myself, but i'm really starting to be motivated towards making my own stuff. I read an interesting thing on wiki

"There are many different recommendations on what diet is best for dogs. Some people argue that dogs have thrived off of leftovers and scraps from their human owners for thousands of years and that commercial dog foods (which have only been available for the past century) contain poor-quality meats, additives, and other ingredients dogs should not ingest, or that commercial dog food is not nutritionally sufficient for their dogs."

I don't agree with just feeding a dog scraps obviousley but homemade dog food looks to be the safer solution.

 

[midlanderkeith]

A homemade diet could definately contain all the nutrient your dog needs but it can be difficult to get things in the right quantities. If you go down the route of raw feeding then perhaps a book/raw feeding website would tell you how to achieve the correct proportions.
A lot of people on here who do feed raw say that its a lot cheaper because their butchers give them lots of free/cheap chicken wings, necks, other bones etc. I get meat from the butchers for my OH so I do get big bones occasionally thrown in for free. I give the dogs these to chew on and keep their teeth clean, as kibble isn't very good at doing that!

As you say you have a lot of time on your hands then you could look into cooking meals for your dog. There are a few recipes here Jack and Joes

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Im bloody famished after reading that lot :lol:

keith :cheers:

 

[jodillanhn]

A homemade diet could definately contain all the nutrient your dog needs but it can be difficult to get things in the right quantities. If you go down the route of raw feeding then perhaps a book/raw feeding website would tell you how to achieve the correct proportions.
A lot of people on here who do feed raw say that its a lot cheaper because their butchers give them lots of free/cheap chicken wings, necks, other bones etc. I get meat from the butchers for my OH so I do get big bones occasionally thrown in for free. I give the dogs these to chew on and keep their teeth clean, as kibble isn't very good at doing that!

As you say you have a lot of time on your hands then you could look into cooking meals for your dog. There are a few recipes here Jack and Joes

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the recipies do look really good, and simple too!! :thumbsup:

 

[whippetsrus]

burns & natural diet look like the way to go, my current dog is 11 now and just started to get skin problems, he gets fed pedigree chum dry food & sachets of meat. I may actually try burns & natural diet on him to see if that clears up his problem, are there any online retailers you'd recommend for these two?
:cheers:

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You can purchase Burns food direct from them via their website with free delivery. :thumbsup:

 

[midlanderkeith]

Hello, this was in the FAQ but price was never mentioned, is it a lot cheaper & healthier feeding your whippet on homemade meals? And how much are things like tripe etc, is iy really worth the bother? I'm on a tight budget :cheers:

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just got back from morrisons, tins of sardines in tommy sauce, 19p, pasta, 30p, brown rice i think 50p, tins of dog meat , 38p, mince big tray £1, nowt wrong with that little lot with some veggies, and a good mixer, tripes cheap enough.

keith :cheers:

 

[~JO~]

A homemade diet could definately contain all the nutrient your dog needs but it can be difficult to get things in the right quantities. If you go down the route of raw feeding then perhaps a book/raw feeding website would tell you how to achieve the correct proportions.

I really can't see why people are so obsessed that the dog has to have the exact right quantities of each nutrient... does everyone do this when they feed themselves or their children?

Yes research is good and as long as you are feeding good quality protein and your dog gets a good quality varied fresh diet covering the main nutrient groups I don't think you can go far wrong :thumbsup:

But don't get obsessed, this idea of having each meal perfectly balanced is dog-food company hype - so that you feel that unless you are feeding a dried 'complete' (which most people add extras too so they don't feel so bad about feeding their dog a bland food - which in turn completely imbalnces the food.... :wacko: :wacko: ) your dog will have an imbalanced diet.

Dogs decades ago (before complete foods were thought of) didn't suffer from huge problem of stomach sensitivites and allergies that they do now...now what is that telling you?

Right, rant over

 

[Lolcoe]

Up until a couple of months ago we used to make up our dogs dinners using either tripe/mince or chicken, veggies and pasta and bulk it up with some Wafcol. I must admit the dogs really wolfed it down but after really thinking about it, good quality commercial dried complete foods have been scientifically prepared so that all the right amount of nutrients needed are in it already!(and only a fraction of the time to prepare meaning longer walking time!)

We spoke to someone asking what he fed his dogs on as they looked good and he said he used Dr John Gold. We tried it and it seems to suit our non racers and even Diamond (fussy eater) has a cupfull dry which helps to clean her teeth.

As said before people shouldnt be made to feel that they are letting their pets down by buying commercial foods as there are a lot of good quality ranges out there, just read the ingredients and analysis on the back and be sure that you get the best for your dogs needs.

Previously we used ProPlan Puppy for both Diamond and Rebel but with a bit of research Chudleys Puppy looks as good but at a fraction of the price and Diamond is really enjoying it and looks good on it so i will use it for the pups.

OH is dipping his theiving hands into the Chudleys as well for our Greyhound pup Ronnie, who is now filling out nicely.

 

[midlanderkeith]

Up until a couple of months ago we used to make up our dogs dinners using either tripe/mince or chicken, veggies and pasta and bulk it up with some Wafcol. I must admit the dogs really wolfed it down but after really thinking about it, good quality commercial dried complete foods have been scientifically prepared so that all the right amount of nutrients needed are in it already!(and only a fraction of the time to prepare meaning longer walking time!)We spoke to someone asking what he fed his dogs on as they looked good and he said he used Dr John Gold. We tried it and it seems to suit our non racers and even Diamond (fussy eater) has a cupfull dry which helps to clean her teeth.

As said before people shouldnt be made to feel that they are letting their pets down by buying commercial foods as there are a lot of good quality ranges out there, just read the ingredients and analysis on the back and be sure that you get the best for your dogs needs.

Previously we used ProPlan Puppy for both Diamond and Rebel but with a bit of research Chudleys Puppy looks as good but at a fraction of the price and Diamond is really enjoying it and looks good on it so i will use it for the pups.

OH is dipping his theiving hands into the Chudleys as well for our Greyhound pup Ronnie, who is now filling out nicely.

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Think maybe we all worry a tad to much as what do we feed our dogs, but as for complete, ive managed to get mine of the stuff, i was never happy bunging a load of kibble in front of her, she wasnt happy with it neither, the look on her face spoke volumes to me, so now i make ALL of the foods up for both my dogs, i enjoy doing so, but more to the point, my dogs love it, and ive seen a difference in my whippys coat, on complete foods and ive tried most of em, on grooming, just you try brushing their coats backards, and see the scurf, not now with mine, her coat is as shiny as hell, i can even comb my hair in the sheen :lol:

:cheers:

keith

 

[jezza]

A homemade diet could definately contain all the nutrient your dog needs but it can be difficult to get things in the right quantities. If you go down the route of raw feeding then perhaps a book/raw feeding website would tell you how to achieve the correct proportions.

I really can't see why people are so obsessed that the dog has to have the exact right quantities of each nutrient... does everyone do this when they feed themselves or their children?

Yes research is good and as long as you are feeding good quality protein and your dog gets a good quality varied fresh diet covering the main nutrient groups I don't think you can go far wrong :thumbsup:

But don't get obsessed, this idea of having each meal perfectly balanced is dog-food company hype - so that you feel that unless you are feeding a dried 'complete' (which most people add extras too so they don't feel so bad about feeding their dog a bland food - which in turn completely imbalnces the food.... :wacko: :wacko: ) your dog will have an imbalanced diet.

Dogs decades ago (before complete foods were thought of) didn't suffer from huge problem of stomach sensitivites and allergies that they do now...now what is that telling you?

Right, rant over

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I was only saying :lol: I do agree with you though, I give my dogs all sorts of other things as well as the complete food but I do try and balance the food groups. I was just meaning as a rough guide you should try and feed the recommended proportions, and some people find it easier to get this info from a book. Thats all I meant by that statement :thumbsup:

I was only recommending the foods I did because the OP says she would prefer not to have to handle meat, being a veggie.