I'm up early; getting a head start on the day. Jessie followed me down to the kitchen and had her piece of toast; tiny but she looks forward to her early morning snack. I've been wondering as of late what the really old dogs eat. I mean really old; the ones that make the Guinness World book of records. So I've been surfing around for these old pooch facts. And I found what I thought I would find; no dog food. Before dog food was around; way back when our dogs ate food, real food. I do not like to use the term "people food;" it's just food, food for all.
Walking my girls yesterday morning and see them charge around made me wonder if my feeding them real food will actually extend their life. Jessie is 14 and doesn't look it; Tilley is 13 with Vestibular disease but is doing amazing. So this is what got me to thinking and surfing the net for some other old dog diets. These are a few that I discovered while looking around for old dogs and what they eat.
Bella 29 years old
Uno 22 years old
Old dog secrets
So I'm hoping that my three dogs who eat real food will have the same results as far as longevity. I do know that when Jessie was 6 years old and nearly died that she was left with lingering issues. She was loosing hair; she had not grown her hair back from her surgery and was generally not doing well. This is when I switched completely to real food and she made a complete turn around before our eyes. This is one fact that I can state about eating real food.
Luke has also seen very few seizures (he is epileptic) since the complete change. I went back and forth for years; feeding real and dog food, now with only real food they are doing amazingly well and hopefully will into the far future. It is not science but it is something to ponder about.
Hi~! I'm just reading your blog for the first time...and truly enjoying it. I hope to have time to go through your archives at some point...I know that will be great, too.
ReplyDeletebut for now...I started making my own dog food about six months ago. My old dog, punkN was just not eating enough and didn't like the kibble (ANY kibble) or most of the canned stuff I got. Additionally, my boy, Sprout also has seizures. I was told that dogs don't get epilepsy (by my FORMER vet)...but it sure looked like it to me~! So, I researched and found some great info.
I enjoy making their food. I make it once a week and freeze it in portions. They are super happy with it...AND I'm saving tons of money~! and I KNOW what they are eating...it's not some sort of 'surprise in a can' Ha~!
So many other things about the beasties have changed to...and I do believe it's from the homemade food. Like their coats are very shiny and they even smell better~!
Thank you again...can't wait to read more.
Cheers,
Janet
My dobie girl Rivi is 14 and 2mos. She eats IAMS like it will never appear again. I swear shes never chewed in her life, except her bones. She has some arthritus and cataracts but doing very well.
ReplyDeleteI do feed my Dogs kibble, but a high quality kibble. I also add veggies (green beans) nonfat plain yogurt, fish oil, a joint supplement, and a multi vitamin. They are doing great, so we shall see. My Rott/Golden mix lived until she was 11, not nearly long enough, and did succumb to histiocytic sarcoma, which is an aggressive cancer and from what I understand, more immune related, so I have reevaluated the vaccination protocol on my current dogs. Will it make a difference? Who knows. Some feel histio and other types of cancers are genetic.
ReplyDelete