While looking into providing our Chows with the best possible diets, we stumbled on some really eye-opening information that has everything to do with almost every aspect of every day life world-wide. We've included a couple of links to this info in case people reading this would be interested as well.
All of our adult dogs have a daily mixture of freshly cooked foods with a small amount of kibbles added. We sometimes rotate on the kibble brands but feel for the most part they are only good for crunching. Every day I cook a pot of macaroni or spaghetti with frozen peas and carrots added and make that the staple of their meals...Adding various things like boiled chicken, sausage, hamburger, or scrambled eggs and spices so it doesn't get boring. Actually, this does not cost very much at all and gives us peace of mind knowing that they're getting healthy food...Or at least as much as possible.
There is one problem that most pet owners don't encounter, but breeders are becoming increasingly aware that dry (kibbles) can cause aborted fetus and low litter numbers if there is aflatoxin present in the kibble. Aflatoxin is a fungus that can be present if there has been moisture in the kibble - and that can happen with plastic & unventilated packaging. It can cause a full grown dog to have an upset stomach or even become very sick - depending on how affected the bag of food is. If a female is pregnant, the fungus can have a fatal effect on the embryo/fetus and can cause small litters or aborted full term litters, as well as put the Mom's life at risk in the event of distocia.
Our expectant Moms never eat dry kibble. They get a variance of either hamburger, boiled chicken, macaroni, scrambled eggs, yogurt, cheese, etc. These meals are small and are spread out throughout the day so they never feel hungry but never too full either as their pregnancy progresses. They NEVER eat canned dog food - Some chemicals used in "rendering" facilities can also be toxic to fetus development.
As soon as puppies began eating solids, we give them the same diet as their Mom except we also give them canned Pedigree Puppy so that they will be used to more convenient foods when they finally go to their new homes. We NEVER give puppies dry kibble.
Years ago, corn was very different than it is now. During the mid 1990's, corn (as well as other foods) had been genetically engineered to yield abundance and to resist parasites (that means there are pesticides in the corn itself). Not only are pets eating this, but people are too! Monsanto is a part of almost every aspect of our lives; from our food source on up.
Our trusted dog food companies thought that cutting corners was a good idea by buying their source of protein from other countries. In 2007 there was a nation-wide dog food recall that involved almost every brand and type. Pets nation-wide were getting sick, having birth-defects in puppy litters, and even dying. Brands from the best to the worst were affected, but one of the brands that was NOT on the list of recalls was Pedigree. It is for that reason that I only include Pedigree canned in puppie's diets...Along with regular cooked food.
I feel that the quality of their food has everything to do with their well-being so this is why we do the home cooking. It is actually less expensive than most high-end kibbles and it gives them a variety. It does take a little more time than processed foods, but to me it's more than worth it!
