Okay, I know that I am going to get  hate mail from today's show.   Please note before you plan to flame me that this is my opinion only and you need to take what I say about the subject with a grain of salt and make your own decision based on your own situation.  I am not a vet, just a pet owner who loves my dog and tries to do the best I can for him.  I am also avoiding mentioning any name brands during the broadcast.  However, here is a link showing where your dog food brand ranks and how to calculate your dog food if it's not on the list:  Dog Food Ratings
 
First of all, you are not a horrible person for feeding a grocery store brand food!  People have fed their dogs Grocery store Dog Food for years resulting in happy and healthy dogs.  It depends on your dog.

Often times people will join a dog forum and start off by saying they feed their dog a brand you can buy in the grocery store.  And then everyone else jumps on them and tells them to buy this or that because that's not good food!  It's overwhelming. Answers range from only feed raw and organic prepared meals to just get Dog Chow. 

There are so many variables when it comes to feeding and there's no one right answer for every dog.  Each dog has it own set of medical issues, allergies, etc.  So there's no blanket answer.   However, there are some things to keep in mind when feeding.

1.  What is your budget?  How much can you spend on dog food?  Price per pound?
2.  How much time do you have to prepare the food?  How often to feed?
3.  Any food allergies?  Grain, wheat, dairy? Fumes and keeping the teeth clean.
4.  Puppy diet or adult?  Amount of protein to feed?  Liver function issues?  Thyroid issues?
5.  Convenience.
6.  Set feeding times, free feed?
7.  Food recall – Chinese gluten  Check this site to see if your food is on the recall list:  Pet Food Recalls

Okay, for the most part I think people feed dry dog food also known as kibble.  You open up a bag, scoop some dry stuff out and put it in a dish. End of story.  Not very romantic.  LOL What's in your kibble?  What does the dog food rating mean?  Well not much really, but peace of mind and the knowledge of the quality of the food.  Of course you want the best for you dog. 

The rule of thumb is, the higher quality food – less filler, less grain and by-products, the less poop you have to clean up, the less food you have feed, and little to no gas.  However, if your dog has an allergy to an ingredient in a premium dog food such as dairy or wheat, then you are going to get the gas and the loose stool.  So you really do have to watch and read the ingredients on the package. 

What is a premium quality dog food?  In my opinion, it's something made with human grade products.  First ingredient should be lamb or chicken or some other protein.  I avoid wheat and diary products in my dog's kibble.  My current dog doesn't have these allergies but I did have a German Shepherd who was allergic, so I just stay away from those things anyway.  I think less is more when it comes to ingredients.  So Lamb and Rice with veggies works for me.  I like to add some wet food to the morning feed.  I buy the same brand wet as I do dry and put in about 2 tablespoons into the dry dog food and give it a good stir.

Human food? Scraps?  Sure.  But no more than 10 of your dog's diet should be human food and remember, watch the salt, onions, or anything else that can be harmful to your dog.  Many things we eat are toxic to dogs.  Now, mind you, your dog has to eat a lot of it to get sick.  One little taste isn't going to kill your dog, but try to avoid it anyway.  Don't want them to develop a taste for it!  I try to always put the scraps in the dog dish and not feed the dog leftovers from the table.  This will only encourage future begging. And if the dog comes to me while eating and begs, I send him away to lie down somewhere else.  If he's a good boy, he'll get his scraps in his dish.  If not, the scraps go in the trash.

If you have time and love to spend hours in the kitchen, you can make your own dog food.  Remember, do not give your dog cooked bones.  Cooked bones will splinter and cause digestive issues and in the severe case can kill your dog!  So if you want to give your dog a bone, give him or her a raw one.  Raw bones are great for cleaning teeth.  A raw chicken neck or back will get those fangs pearly white!  Well almost anyway.  Always supervise your dog when chewing.  Never give your dog a chew unless you can watch them.

Cooking is a little more complicated and I recommend you read up on the subject. Same for the BARF diet – bones and raw food.  You need to make sure you give your pet the right amount of protein and nutrients in a diet that you make up.  I'll put up a list of books and articles you can read on this subject.  Those who take the time to prepare an all raw diet swear by it.  They say the dog is in great health, healthy coat, excellent dental  health, little poop, almost no gas.  You will hear a lot of positive and a lot of negative about the BARF diet.  Many vets will grimace if you bring up this subject saying how dangerous it is to you and your dog.  You need to do the research and decide for yourself.  Remember, wolves don't cook their meat over a campfire.  But domestic dogs have been genetically altered so you can't say really either way what is the best.

Here are some links to recommended reading:  

Top 50 BARF Questions
The BARF Diet
Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats
Real Food for Dogs: Vet Approved Recipes
The Whole Pet Diet
Raw Dog Food
Better Food for Dogs
Good Food Cookbook for Dogs
Dog Health & Nutrition for Dummies

Treats?  Yeah, this is controversial too.  Some say yes to rawhide while others say it's a big no no.  You hear the horror stories from vets having to do emergency surgery on a dog that swallowed a chunk of rawhide.  It doesn't digest easily and can cause blockage.  Again, you must watch your dog when it is chewing.  Many times I have grabbed a large piece of rawhide away from the dog before she could swallow it whole.  I usually trade it for a really yummy cookie.  But generally, I do not give rawhide to my dogs.  Pigs ears?  I have heard good and bad about those too!  Mostly bad.  If you do feed these, make sure you wash your hands really good after you handle them.  And again watch your dog chew them as these hard little pieces can get stuck in the throat of an enthusiastic chewer.

Greenies for the teeth?  Some say yes others say no.  What to believe?  I think these things are a bit pricey and there are many other products out there that achieve the same result.  Again, I'll put up a list of the things I recommend for chewing and teeth cleaning.  As I have mentioned before a raw chicken neck works wonders!

Here are a few items I like to give my whippet:

Nutri-Dent Dental Chews
N-Bone Chicken Flavor/Mint Breath Freshening
N-Bone Chicken Flavor
N-Bone Pearly Whites 

I bought a great book a while ago that I use to make my own dog treats.  I control the quality of the ingredients.  My dog loves the cookies I make.  I get complaints sometimes that I make more goodies for the dog than for the family!  And it's true!  I'll pup up a link to books on how to make your own dog treats.  It's a lot of fun too.

The Ultimate Dog Treat Cookbook
Three Dog Bakery Cookbook

Have more questions about feeding your whippet?  Then go to www.whippettalk.com and ask the members what they feed and why!