i noticed on the feeding board we should not feed hide chews or pigs ears to our dogs. whats the problem with them. thanks

Some people dont like the idea of pigs ears due to antibiotics administered to the pig via its ear, some believe rawhide chews include dog skin and all agree that dogs should never be left along with a chew in case of choking, bits getting stuck and some breeds have a tendency to bloat. The thread gives suggestions for chews.

I think also because pieces tend to be swallowed and they dont get properly digested :(

my two staffy's love raw hide chews, what is the best alternative to these?

A Bone maybe?? Should keep them quiet for quite a while. I must admit I havent given my Staffy any rawhide because of digestion problems I have read about .

The problem with the hide chews is that dogs can break pieces off which they then swallow. These pieces then absorb moisture in the stomach and can swell too large for the dog to pass. I've heard of dogs where the blockage thus caused has needed an operation to clear.

Regards, John

How would they administer antibiotics via their ear?????????

By injection, Taffo.
:)

First I've heard of it most antibiotics administered to pigs are incorporated in the feed, or injected intramuscular, but I could be wrong.

rawhide chews- some say they can cause a knot in the digestive track, so an opperation is needed. Other things to look out for are:
any type of chocolate, it is poisinous.
Apples- contain pectin ( a sugar) which is difficult for dogs to digest.
Onions- poisinous to dogs
Beet pulp (very high sugar content)
Wheat, Oats, Rye, Corn, Barley and any glutens
And finaly turkey should be avoided.

(the above are peoples opinions. they may not be fully true, i only gave the info out, but it doesnt mean i believe all of it. well done for being considerate)

Apples are certainly not bad for dogs. pectin is a gelling agent not a sugar; all fruits contain fructose which is fine in small quantities for dogs as do carrots etc. If you have a dog prone to yeast infections it is wise not to feed sugars which will feed these.

Onions are not actually poisonous in themselves but interfere with metabolism.

I am very interested in why it is thought that turkey should be avoided? I regularly feed turkey to my dogs; the more the merrier as it is supposed to be a "calming" food. They have at least 2 drumsticks each a week!

Beet pulp should not have a very high sugar content as this is what is left from taking the sugar out!

If you feed any commercial dog food at all it will contain grain of one sort or another. This is one of the reasons I do not feed commercial dog food.

hi thome.
i didnt say it it totally ture. you would have understood this if you would have read the whole of my reply. it was justsome info i round on the internet, i put it together, and printed it out. people have different views, and that ifo i gave was from other resources.
Things that some peeps say are good are:

a raw meat diet
banannas
cheese
raisins
mango meat
vegetables.

Again, i do not know if this is true or not, i am just putting it forward. thankyou.

Well raisins are defininitely out! A hungarian vizsla recently died after eating 500g of them! And raw meat without bones is definitely not to be recommended as this would not contain enough calcium.

I have also heard raisins are not good ( as well as grapes) but I have fed my Staffy turkey in the past . Does anyone else have info on not feeding turkey ???

Most of the pet food manufacturers (of both tinned, frozen and dry) do a a turkey variety!
:)

Raisins, grapes and sultanas are all suspect Americans call sultanas gold raisins, so they don't tend to get listed seperatly - just so nobody is mislead ;-)). Turkey skin is thought to cause pancreatitis.........

Thanks Digger - i know I originaly fed turkey ( minus skin) as it is similar to chicken .

the alternative to hide chews that i use are the nylabone products my,my 5 month old akita loves them and they are virtually indestructible!!!!

Those of us who have been raw feeding for years (including raw turkey with skin) have no information that this causes pancreatitis. Could you point me to the source of this information please.

Many thanks

Take your pick -a search on google for 'turkey pancreatitis dog' bought up many references including this one http://www.petplace.com/articles/artShow.asp?artID=4406

Oh the good old COOKED roast turkey which has been basted in lots of fat; well raw feeders would not feed this anyhow and lamb is much fattier than turkey.

Many raw feeders might not feed it (but have you ever looked to see how much fat comes OUT of a turkey when cooked, even without added basting fat??) but plenty of 'ordinary' pet owners may well feed it.........PS - I've never seen an uncooked roast turkey...

Very good :) neither have I (LOL).

I think that's why most raw feeders take great care to ring the changes and feed from a wide variety of protein sources. In some cases one may purposely up the fat eg in cold weather, work requirements etc. It is a bit like feeding us all really isn't it; some dogs (and people) only have to look at something fatty and get plump/ill on it whilst others thrive! (Go figure)!

You are quite right to point out the fat matter though especially to those who give titbits to their dogs as well as their meals and wonder why the overstuffed sofa lying by their feet can hardly walk!

Hi Saffy,

It's not a good idea to put information out that you are not sure is true or not, unless you are asking for verification.

If you have checked your local pet store lately you might notice that turkey is the protein used in some very well known complete dry foods. Turkey is not bad for dogs.

Glutens are not bad for dogs, unless they are intolerant to gluten. Most dogs have no problems digesting wheat or oats or rye or corn or barley. Some do, but most do not. Maize - which is corn - is also a major ingredient in many dry dogs foods.

Regards,

Stacey

Actually stacey, someone else said the same thing to me about not giving the info out,but if you read at the bottom of the post- (the first one i sent) you will find that i put that itr was peoples info from the internet. at the end of the day, its up to the owner to do what they think is best for their dog. there could be alot of argument about food, but i never once said to tak emy advice. you see, i printed it all off, and when someone asked for info like tha,t i thought i would type it up.

you see, you have your own opinion, thats fine. so dont follow the things i say, if you dont believe it.

Cereals are used in many commercially availalble dog foods, but how do you know the dog actually digests or is able to extract nutrients from them? Ever fed a dog sweetcorn? What do you see the next day???.......... A dog fed one of these diets may appear 'healthy' - but how much 'healthier' could it be if fed a diet without the cereals (which dogs were never 'designed' to digest........)