. When a puppy is weaned he's given commercial dog food. They quickly learn that's what they have to eat to survive. That's what survival food taste like. They don't know what real food tastes like. They are programmed to eat what they're fed. Consider the excitement when they smell table food.It's real food.Dog owners are too lazy to consider a dog's taste of food. They buy commercial sales that their food "tastes like real beef". "Contain real chicken".. Real chicken includes heads, eye balls feet etc. Do you think they're dumping in landfill tons of chicken parts??? We're not to think about it.Just read the label..Read the human label about how great the food is for your pet.. What happens to be the heads, guts,etc. ? It's real chicken. Our Rotti that has passed on because of a breathing problem wouldn't come to the kitchen to eat. She wouldn't even look at Blue Buff Turkey but would wait in the kitchen and bark when I took too long to make her home cooked meal. I cooked for "my little brother" aka 15yo Pit Bull but thought our new rescue Pit would eat commercial. When I smelled it with added chicken and broth and it smelled the same going in as it would coming out, I'm now cooking. I just couldn't feed her dog food. .. Our new rescue 85# Pit checks her bowl a couple times not to miss flakes of oats etc. Commercial food is a scam .Would you eat it ?? Does it even smell,taste like food ?? Is it even human editable?? Our pets don't know the difference. They eat only to survive. Gullible people buy their products..Read the labels."taste like filet magnon" ??..Think about it... We, and our dogs are being scammed, big time....... Been there, done that.....Jerry .

Jerry, to a point I agree with you. The advertising promotes things that are palatable to people on the one hand while dismissing ingredients that might be objectionable to a person's sensibilities. That isn't necessarily what a dog or cat needs for a complete and nutritious diet.What I don't agree with is that you can easily cook and or prepare a meal that is nutritionally complete for your dog or cat. Their needs are NOT the same as people. Most reputable larger pet food manufacturers utilize veterinary nutritionists and routinely test their diets on a multitude of breeds and species.For all of you, in your travels if you ever have a chance, take a tour of the Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Missouri (just outside St. Louis). It's an interesting tour and shows the research behind a major animal food manufacturer.I have less faith in the boutique pet food manufacturers. There are so many now and it's difficult to know if they really have done the work to provide a nutritionally complete diet.Bottom line for me, it's way easier to provide a nutritionally complete diet staying with a major brand of dog or cat food than preparing one yourself. Another "rule" for me is there is no one food that is best for every animal. What may be great for one may not be best for another.Doug, DVM

my dogs haven't been that selective/fussy. in addition to licking his bowl he licks his butt.bumpy

Dogs cook their own food? :E:):)

My Dog will eat socks, rags and whatever fits his fancy.He is not that particular. AS a puppy he ate and swallowed socks routinely.If he can survive socks and underwear! he can make it on anything remotely called food.With that in mind I have no problem giving him commercial food, although I may occasionally doctor it up a bit with table foods as a treat! Cooking a meal for the dog is a bit over the top for me!

That's the point of advertising in general-to get you to buy the product. There are very few people, if any, who do not fall for some sort of gimmick over the course of their lives. I'm not sure why this came as a shock to you or the fact dogs will eat people food over pet food.

Dog food scam | Good Sam Community

28 Replies

RoyF
Explorer
Dec 23, 2020
Here is what our Veterinarian told us about dog food: there are a few that are complete, balanced diets. He recommends Purina Pro Plan.

He says that the cheaper brands are mostly junk food. He has seen dogs suffering from malnutrition when they get nothing but Old Roy. Here is an example of how they do it. The nutrition from corn is all in the pulp; the skin itself has almost no nutritional value. A food manufacturer can squeeze out the pulp to make corn syrup. The remaining skin goes into the cheap dog food, which is allowed to list "corn" as an ingredient.

As for comparing dogs to wolves, they are not the same. Wolves are complete carnivores. Dogs, by living with humans, have developed the ability to digest vegetables. (Got that from a NOVA tv show.)
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Dec 23, 2020
Dino gets VICTOR Senior with Selenium Yeast, Mineral Complexes, Prebiotics, Probiotics, Glucosamine & Chondroitin

Some warm water----in go the VICTOR nuggets, add in some chunks of boiled chicken breast meat and spoon full of pumpkin

And I get a bologna sandwich
valhalla360
Navigator
Dec 23, 2020
Advertising is for the people doing the buying. So until your dog gets a credit card, they will advertise to what sounds good to the owner.

Of course, thinking of offal as horrible to eat is a modern western concept...and really a fairly recent one at that. If your great grandpa is still kicking around, there's a good chance he will wax nostalgic about kidney pie, chitlins or similar innards based foods.

We had two of our nieces in Thailand last December. I brought back several dishes to the table to share. They devoured one of the dishes that I thought was mostly for me...only after they finished did I tell them it was stewed pig intestines. For minute they were horrified thinking it was pork flavored noodles and then they shrugged and decided it was fine.

Go watch a wildlife film some time...what's the first thing a pack of wolves go after, the soft inner bits. That isn't a mistake. It's what is good for them and they are genetically programed to prefer it.

PS: You do realize, Oats are not a normal food for a dogs. The are moderately omnivorous (though preferring a carnivore diet) in no natural situation would they be eating cooked oats.
Crowe
Explorer
Dec 23, 2020
That's the point of advertising in general-to get you to buy the product. There are very few people, if any, who do not fall for some sort of gimmick over the course of their lives. I'm not sure why this came as a shock to you or the fact dogs will eat people food over pet food.
Lantley
Nomad
Dec 23, 2020
My Dog will eat socks, rags and whatever fits his fancy.
He is not that particular. AS a puppy he ate and swallowed socks routinely.
If he can survive socks and underwear! he can make it on anything remotely called food.
With that in mind I have no problem giving him commercial food, although I may occasionally doctor it up a bit with table foods as a treat!
Cooking a meal for the dog is a bit over the top for me!
NRALIFR
Explorer
Dec 23, 2020
Dogs cook their own food? :E

:):)
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Dec 23, 2020
my dogs haven't been that selective/fussy. in addition to licking his bowl he licks his butt.
bumpy
dturm
Moderator
Dec 23, 2020
Jerry, to a point I agree with you. The advertising promotes things that are palatable to people on the one hand while dismissing ingredients that might be objectionable to a person's sensibilities. That isn't necessarily what a dog or cat needs for a complete and nutritious diet.

What I don't agree with is that you can easily cook and or prepare a meal that is nutritionally complete for your dog or cat. Their needs are NOT the same as people.

Most reputable larger pet food manufacturers utilize veterinary nutritionists and routinely test their diets on a multitude of breeds and species.

For all of you, in your travels if you ever have a chance, take a tour of the Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Missouri (just outside St. Louis). It's an interesting tour and shows the research behind a major animal food manufacturer.

I have less faith in the boutique pet food manufacturers. There are so many now and it's difficult to know if they really have done the work to provide a nutritionally complete diet.

Bottom line for me, it's way easier to provide a nutritionally complete diet staying with a major brand of dog or cat food than preparing one yourself. Another "rule" for me is there is no one food that is best for every animal. What may be great for one may not be best for another.

Doug, DVM

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Dog food scam

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