Wheat or Rice, which is better?

[akkyy21]

Well, through out the first year, I fed my dog with beef (tripe only), royal canin and wheat with fruits and vegetables. It worked wonders. Now, after one year, I thought of cutting out on royal canin and increasing beef(tripe again). But, my dog seems to have lost the bulk that he used to have during his first year.

I have heard of so many people raising their dogs without market food. Where am I going wrong? Should I stop wheat and try rice instead?

[Weinberge]

In MY opinion, market (industrial) food is one ARTIFICIAL food based some time by artificial elements and vitamines.
NATURAL things are more benefic for any organism alive, for equilibrum , for stomach .
I know dog who not know to eat flesh from one bone.

I think one proportion by 50 to 75% market food in combination with 50-25 % natural food (all posible fruits, flesh,cheese, vegetables,etc), all put togehter , are more BENEFIC for dobermanns because dobermanns are not COSMONAUTS .

All are free to use what they liked but remember , and ARTIFICIAL fooding mode transform ours dobermanns in one ARTIFICIAL and SENSIBLE , WITHOUT INSTINCTS organism .

[Snowblind]

I don´t believe that dogs need fruit and vegetable or wheat and rice. I believe in feeding raw food, BARF- raw meat with bones, skin, intestines, sub-products and all that is in an animal in the raw form they are in an animal. Feeding just lean meat can be very bad for the dog. There needs to be a balance between the phosphorus and calcium- lean meat has too much of the first and bones too much of the latter. Unfortunately I don´t have the time and opportunity to feed my dogs like that but there are alot of people out there that do (from the smallest breeds like italian greyhounds to giants like st. bernards) and with great success. Perhaps you whould like to try that out?

[akkyy21]

Thanks for the inputs snowlind, but I seriously doubt the quality of beef that we get here, so giving a BARF diet, though may be safe, I find it risky.

One more Question here though, since you said you used to feed your dogs with bones. Is it possible for a dog to gulp down a bone and tear his internals due to it?

I bring big bones sometimes and give it to him just to chew upon. He loves doing it

[Snowblind]

As it is possible for a dog to choke on a kibble he has inhaled, it is ofcourse possible. I have given my dogs bones with meat on them- pig thighs for example. She doesn´t eat some pieces of the bone so these parts I just throw in the trash. I have also given her whole chickens and can´t say I have had problems. Pig head and feet are GREAT when the dog starts to collect some plaque on his teeth but those need some additional meat or something- too much bone will make a dog constipated Whole feet get eaten, from the head usually only parts of jaw with teeth are left.

[akkyy21]

Damn! I must say this whole thing of giving your dog bones with meat sounds too tempting, at least for my dog .

I have never fed any such thing, what do you suggest to start off with? So that it would be easy on my naive-on-eating raw food dog and me.

[BasKal]

Raw meat and bones are better. A small quantity of vegetables and fruits worked with a blender, is OK.
If you feel that he needs carbohydrates feed also 20% of his diet, potatoes - boiled or grilled whole.
No grain is good for the dog.
The 70% at least of his diet must be raw meat and bone.

[akkyy21]

Thanks Baskal.

I have started giving him the tripe raw now. I used to give it to him cooked before. I have bought the bull's throat bones this time. Two of them. They are pretty soft, have kept them in the freezer. Will try giving it to him and watch how he eats it

[Weinberge]

How much breeders remaning and NOT understand ideea dobermanns are NOT LEGUMINOUS ILL COSMONAUTS and they need and NATURAL food ?

[akkyy21]