Originally Posted by hatt
The first ingredient in most dog food is corn. Also something that has never appeared in a wild canine diet and is only on dog food because it's very cheap.
Here in Oz, it's usually wheat...same logic (if you call it that).
Our local vet was Dr. Ian Billinghurst...
https://www.amazon.com.au/Give-Your...&hvtargid=pla-453576399090&psc=1
He started his search for canine diets when he had a number of cusomers ask for advice on breeds that lived 8-10 years, for lifestyle choiices, wanting to not be burdened after the kids moved out for example...some crazy logic, but what people were after.
He went through his records, and found that some dogs, regardless of breed lived long and healthy lives, then just passed away, and some were chronically ill and died early.
Not breed specific.
Then reviewing those customers that would talk at length, the dogs that ate meat, bones, and table scraps were the healthiest, and those that ate processed foods, especially dry foods were the more chronically ill, and not long lived.
And it's not expensive...chicken wings, chicken frames, lamb shanks (there weren't expensive in the day), and pork hocks etc....raw. And yes, a combination of vegetables, some cooked (like frozen three veg mix), some blended to resemble the stomach contents of animals (wild canines will eat stomach contents), and offal a couple of times per month...hearts, liver, brains, kidneys.
The animals thrive... my husky/samoyed, unfortunately outlived her marbles, but was healthy all the way. The elkhound not so much but I couldn't stop neighbours feeding her junk (she was popular, and our back lane was a thoroughfare to the local primary school).