Dog Food not available!

[Mattsahib]

You may not believe this, but where I live, Kashmir, India, we don't have commercial dog food! I have been getting beef and liver then mixing it with rice. Also sometimes adding canned tuna fish. Will this be a balanced diet for my (9 week old) Shepherd pup? What can I do to supplement it? By the way, I give her cooked bones, big beef bones to chew on.

Thanks

Matt

[oakville]

bones are bad for a dog believe it or not also why is there no food ??

[Mattsahib]

If you are asking why is there no commercial dog food, it is because Kashmir is 95% Muslim and Muslims feel dogs are unclean. So i am in the minority having a dog. There is only oneor two small animal vets here. So, as a result there is no pet stores or dog supplies.

Now about the bones. Bad for Dogs? I read somewhere that if you give your dog soft food, it is good to give them bones to chew on to keep their teeth clean. This is not a splintery type bone. It is huge!

I hope I can get some other thoughts on this. I don't have much choice. Do I cook some veggies for her? If so what is a good idea. I know this is stretching it for most folks in the West feel "human" food is bad for a dog. Well, we have no choice.

Thanks
Matt

[Dax]

Home cooking is good for a dog if you know the right recipes. Check on the internet for dog food recipes. There are some on a rottweiler breeders web site.

I had a shepard with a stomach disorder who ate nothing but cooked eggs and rice for a month & still gained weight.

Or you might want to get your vet to order in with his vet supplies for you.

If you can't find the any recipes let me know. I'll forward you some.

[Mattsahib]

Thanks for the info. I have made a surch on the net for dog food recipes and what I found was a can of worm! WOW! I had no idea there was such a debate going on about raw food diets. The BARF ( Bone And Raw Food) thing is huge. I found an interesting site Put-Grub.com . But I am not sure what to do about all this. I can see the good and the bad. I guess I will try it and see how she takes to it.

Do you think the need for calcium and other vitimins could be why she eats dirt and cow ****?

Matt

[ March 22, 2004, 08:02 AM: Message edited by: Matt ]

[sharon]

hi matt....try www.doggieconnection.com theyve got alot of recipes that mite interest you. Its great that you love dogs given that not much like them there. Here in the Philippines, we do have dog food but not the good ones that are abundant in the States. Thank goodness though what we do have is eukanuba...so thats ok with me. anyways, try out the recipes and tell me about since i have yet to experiment myself [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Dax]

In an ideal situation, you would be able to go into your pet store - pick out the best quality food you could afford and go from there. But, your situation isn't ideal. Your dog will thrive on your love and food. They might not live as long or may develop other health concerns but even table straps will keep them alive. I used to make my own dog food using a combination of meat and vegtables. My dogs loved potatoe peals in "BEEF SOUP". Unless your dog develops health conditions identified by your vet - don't worry about supplements. As for bones, I found that my shepard loved them and it saved quite a few trees and furniture. It's a matter of balance. Fish is also good protein for the dog but they tend to get stinky breath. Cardinal rule - NO SPICES - NO SALT. Humans like our food spicy & salty but it's not good for us either.

[Dax]

Forgot to add - Dirt & cow **** . Puppies will taste everything and the hunter in them will try to mask thier own scents with prey's **** .

I doubt it's for calcium but there might be a salt issue for the dirt.

[lou3]

A pure meat diet is BAD for dogs, they need a balanced OMNIVOUROUS diet. I would suggest lots of chicken, mince, fish, rice, eggs, broccoli, maize, beans, cabbage etc, - will dig out some notes for you tomorrow when i have a bit more time. Also talking to your vet might be a good idea.
Lou

[Mattsahib]

Thanks everyone for the good insight. Wonder of wonders! I found a Vet for dogs and Cats yesterday. He says he is the only one in the city (of one million!). He checked Lady out and gave her her shots and all is well. But here is more good news, he says he can order "Pedigree" dog food! It will be in in a week. So it looks like a brighter future for this dog and her owners!

Thanks

Matt