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Comment by Kaitlyn & Chase on May 15, 2012 at 3:38pm

Spoke with Dr. Lindsay (Chase's DR) today about feeding homemade food. She said she thinks it is a GREAT idea and that it would be ideal for almost any pet. However, she did not have any suggested recipies because she does not have very many pet parents that have been interested in the idea. They don't have the time, don't want to deal with it ect. She encourgaged me to feed Chase a homemade diet and told me that when I find recipies to email them to her, and she would look them over.
She could then give me feedback and share the recipies with other pet parents that may be interested. :)
If you have any resources that you get your recipies from or if you have your own recipies I would appriciate hearing about them. I am going to begin my search for finding Chase a good homemade food recipie. Also, I need to read up more on Corgi specific nutrition! Wish me luck!
I hope to hear some of your recipies!!!

Comment by Mike and Vicki Baylus on May 11, 2012 at 4:29pm

We started our three corgis about a month or so ago on home made food. To say it isn't a little nerve wracking, then I'd be telling fibs. This is what led up to our decision:

1. Yolie our oldest developed struvite bladder stones and had to be opened up to have them removed.

2. Our vet put her on Hill's Science Diet C/D formula and said she'd have to eat it for the rest of her life.

3. Everything I researched said that that particular food isn't meant to be eaten forever and can do harm, and suggested changing vets if that's what they prescribed.

4. Researching further I gathered that processed pet food, while technically nutritionally sound vitamin and mineral-wise, is very hard on the digestive and urinary tracts (like our Yolie) and can continue to cause problems.

5. We don't eat processed food in our house (frozen, canned and otherwise processed), so why should our dogs eat basically "Meat-Cereal"? It's not real food - imo.

6. Our middle Corgi, Leela was developing a pronounced limp in two legs after exercise or sleeping. Xrays revealed nothing obvious.

7. The woman that held puppy training classes also runs a Dog Health Food Store and is a good source of information. She made a good point in class once. "Why is it that dog food companies tell you to 'ease' your pet into a new brand or flavor of food? It is because we've shut our pet's digestive systems down from eating actual food, and a wide variety of different meats and veg. They've been conditioned to eat processed kibble, and not much else".

8. We feedour dogs home-cooked food, plus a probiotic, plus a supplement made by Missing Link, plus ground egg shells for calcium (you can also buy bone meal for this). I'm not ready to post recipes because I'm still learning and gathering information, and don't want to give advice or recommendations until I'm near 100% confident.

9. Since going to real food and the supplements, all three dogs have much softer and shinier coats, and shed less. Leela's limping has just about disappeared. After a long walk (3 miles) there's just a trace, but it goes away by the next day.

10. I haven't really researched raw diets yet. I know a lot of people swear by it. My niece uses BARF because it's the only food her King Charles Spaniel could keep down, so it needs to be looked at.

Hope this helps, and I'd be interested in any information you folks can offer. Oh, so far there were two short bouts of diarreah, but one was from the puppy who eats everything and anything, and the other just lasted a day, so I don't think it was necessarily the food.

Thanks and good luck with your decision! It's an easy one to make, but harder to implement (and yes, it's not nearly as convenient as kibble!)  :)

Comment by Melissa and Franklin! on May 11, 2012 at 1:01am

Ludi, I'll send you a private message as I don't want this discussion to become a debate on raw vs cooked as I know people have VERY strong feelings about both. But I'd love to let you know why I feel the way I do, and its purely from what I personally have seen and read. As I've said, many people have many different opinions on the topic though

Comment by Ludi on May 10, 2012 at 7:03pm

Melissa, I am curious to know more about your stance on raw diet for dogs. I feed Ace raw dinners, and all his treats for training are made with real meat, by me. I am somewhat of a fanatic in this regard as I detest feeding him anything processed. What makes you against a raw diet?

Comment by Kaitlyn & Chase on May 10, 2012 at 5:02pm

I would love to talk to a nutiritionist! Especially if they are familiar with Corgis.
I have been told that Chase looks like a Cardigan. I remember seeing his parents and his mom is definately a Pem and his dad has all Pem features, except for the ears.
They are pure bred, I spoke with the breeder, they have all their papers. Maybe their is a Cardi in the woodshed somewhere down the line!

Comment by Jane on May 10, 2012 at 4:54pm

I'd discuss it with your vet and possibly a canine nutritionist too if you can find one. Like Melissa said it's not as easy as just throwing down some chicken and veggies, you need to rotate things to make sure they are getting all the necessary nutrients.

 

Also, I hope you don't mind me asking this - but did you see Chase's parents? He just looks sooo much like a docked cardigan to me!

Comment by Kaitlyn & Chase on May 10, 2012 at 4:53pm

Yes, Chase is allergic to wheat so he will have to have a wheat free diet, as well as his Corgi specific needs. I will talk be speaking with the vet and I'm hoping that she can help me out. I would love to find some books, articles or maybe even speak to someone who would be familiar with their nutritional needs.
I agree with you on the raw meat topic..I have had a few people who I've mentioned this to say "well remember, he is an animal, animals eat raw meat"
Not my animals. I am not interested in feeding him raw meat. I myself wouldn't eat raw meat, and I wouldn't have Chase eat it either. There is a reason people stopped eating raw meat a long time ago. Not to sound close-minded or rude. But that is also my opinion.

Thank you for the advice!!!

Comment by Melissa and Franklin! on May 10, 2012 at 3:23pm

Talk to your vet, they can give you recipes that are safe and balanced. You can't just feed  chicken and rice and add veggies and call it safe. Science Diet also offers homemade diet recipes that are safe and balanced as well on their website and veterinary teaching institues can put together a diet plan specifically for your dog. My vet I used to work for had 2 great books on cooking for your pet so your vet should be able to provide you with some good safe recipes. Remember too though that human food is recalled all the time so know your source of your human food as well. I know there is a lot of arguments for and against raw, being in the vet profession and only seeing the bad results of raw I am of course against, so I'd stick with home cooked vs raw if that was the choice. Just a personal opinion and everyone has their own on this topic.

Comment by Kaitlyn & Chase on May 10, 2012 at 2:36pm

I will be consulting his vet this Tuesday. It is important to me to get her input. I would like to avoid feeding him straight raw food, I don't think I could stomach the sight. Though I know some people swear by it.
I would ask the breeder as well, but as it turns out, he was not a very responsible breeder. I will not be buying pups from him again. Chase is in good condition and healthy but I discovered that the breeder was only in it for the money and not for the general well being of the breed. His dogs didn't even have names... Yeah.

Comment by rae on May 10, 2012 at 2:05pm

Part of me thinks raw food or homemade food might be a good idea, but I worry about upsetting delicate digestive systems.

We had to do a bland diet (rice, chix, etc.) for about a week for one of our cats and she hated it, so much that we worried she wasn't eating at all.  And I know there's a balance of cooked vs. actual raw, etc. and what's good for pets and what nutrients they require.

I'd start with consulting the vet and maybe asking your breeder for advice, too? Also, for dogs and cats, you can't just immediately switch, so it does have to be a gradual change.

But yeah, all the recall stuff is super scary and worrisome.  We keep an eye out on the cat side, but once we get a pup, it's going to be double the worry,  I think.

Here are some resources I've used while trying to figure it all out:

http://www.barfworld.com/

http://rawfeddogs.net/

http://leerburg.com/diet.htm?set=1

There are in some pet stores, "raw" or "fresh" foods, more meat-like and such, or even frozen pet food? but it seems kind of novelty now? And I'm not sure exactly how well its regulated and such.