Few things have inspired the kind of wide-ranging, never-ending, enthusiastic debate like what we should feed our dogs.  It’s exhausting trying to keep up with it all and make the “right” decision.

In a nutshell, these are the points we tend to stick with:  

• sweet potatoes are okay, but not white potatoes as they have a higher chemical load which poses a cancer risk;
• we avoid corn, wheat and soy but are okay with brown rice;
• food should have a minimum 20% protein content — higher is better;
• about three times a week we sprinkle frozen raw lamb mince on top of the dry food for added protein;
• about three times a week we add a cooked egg to the dry food for added protein;
• if we have any cooked veg (carrots, peas, beetroot, squash…) we add it to the dogs’ food, but no cruciferous veg;
• make sure to be familiar with the list of foods dogs should never get, including apple seeds, grapes, raisins, chocolate, tomatoes and onions;
• and we use two dry foods — one that is fish-based and one that is chicken-based — for protein variety.

Please make sure that any commercially produced treats you give your dog are simply dried meat.  Another thing that many consider important regarding a dog’s health is how much medication and pesticides dogs get. We have our dogs vaccinated at 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year, and then not for another seven years. We do not automatically give our dogs flea and heartworm medication, despite the fact that our dogs spend a tremendous amount of time outdoors. We’ve never had any problems. Most vets will swear by the necessity of these things, but there are an awful lot of people now – naturopathic vets, for instance – who caution against pumping our pets full of pesticides and unnecessary medications. Skin issues are most frequently tied to diet and/or reactions to heat, moisture, and/or chemicals.

NEVER give Scotties bones or rawhide – it’s bad for their system, and the Scottie’s jaws are simply too powerful and chew up too much too fast of these types of “treats.”

The idea that dogs should only eat dog food is misleading, and largely propagated to keep unhealthy people from giving their dogs unhealthy food. Fruits and veggies are key to a dog’s health, and they make excellent treats that won’t cause weight problems. Our dogs come running to the kitchen as soon as they hear the carrot peeler working! 

Dogs fed by their owners live, on average, nearly two years longer than dogs whose food stays down all the time. It’s also valuable from a training standpoint if your dog sees you dispensing its food.