healthy foods

[Judy7469]

I have a 7 year old English Bulldog named "Buddy"  He appears to be in good health and is not overweight.
I have been feeding him Pedegree dry food, bacon type snacks, hard cookies, boiled chicken or steak  scraps all his life.  He has a high level of energy, only when he knows he will be going for a ride in the car.
Is this a healthy diet?  What are his protein requirements?
Are the snacks harmful?
I sure would appreciate some advice.              Thanks a lot.

[Misfits4Me]

Hi Judy....Wow!  You didn't waste any time did you? I'm glad your both on the right track......Did your search enlighten you?  Boy, it does me!!
Again, I'm excited for you both & your welcome for the help.....Karla

[Judy7469]

I found the healthy dog foods you recommended and some healthy snacks too.
Thanks again for putting me and "Buddy" on the right track.

Judy

[seeana]

Hi thanks for that I also make my own dog bics but use wholemeal flour .I will have to try the oatmeal .I also put in little bits of meat and liver and a few finely chopped bacon bits plus peanut butter my dogs love them.
Oh just a tip if your dog nis hard to give tablets to just wrap them in some peanutb spread its so sticky that they cant spit it out and I always stick a bit on thier top lip so they are more worried about getting that off than anything else.
Sorry to butt in I sound like a bit of a know all ....um....maybe I am but Im lovable with it lol.   Seeana.

[ginger899]

I have started baking for dogs! Biscuits and treats. I will tell you a few recipes. They are VERY easy to do, and you know your dog is getting something good and simple and wholesome.

CARROT CRUNCH
Fine oatmeal, add a grated up carrot and a teaspoon sunflower oil & mix with your hand. Add tiny amounts of water to make a 'dough' so it will roll out about 1/2" thick. Then cut into small squares (or you could use a bone-shaped cookie-cutter!) and bake very slowly, but not on a high heat until crunchy and golden. Takes about 1/2 hour in a low oven.
APPLE CRUNCH (same thing, but with a grated-up apple instead)
CHEESY CRUNCH (same ingredients, but add some grated cheese)

Much much better than commercially-bought dog treats. (no nasty ingredients in these)My dog loves these. A thing about oatmeal is it has good longlasting carbohydrate which is good for energy levels.

[Judy7469]

Karla,

Thank you so very much for your advice.  I will do the research today.

Judy

[Misfits4Me]

Hi Judy & welcome.......Now that your Bullie is at a Senior age, you need to think about better nutrition for him.....It's never too late!   Pedigree food is a "Terrible" junk food. Full of all kinds of things that a dog has no need for and cannot process....It's really a Joke! Not your fault of course.......
Good food cannot be purchased at a chain discount center or a grogery store! Check out Dogfoodanalysis (Dot) com and type in Pedigree in the search....It will explain to you why you shouldn't feed it! I believe it's rated 1 star which is the lowest grade.....Then move over and check out their 4-5-6 star rated foods and go with one of them......The Bacon type snacks are full of toxins, too.

Yes, you can give snacks but they need to have No By-products, No Dyes, No Glutens, etc.  How bout baby carrots or sliced apples till you finds healthier treats....

The steak and chicken extras are fine as long as they have NO seasonings and are NOT fried........

Protein requirements are different for all dogs & all ages........There are thousands of articles on the Net relating to Canine nutrition & what's really in some commercial pet foods....You won't have to search long to change your mind about nutrition for your friend....Good luck and thank you for questioning his diet.....Good for you!     Karla