Why aren't these dogs living longer - Page 4

it is heartbreaker to hear of dogs dying at 7,8,or 9 years old. the lord has been good to me so far. my first 2 lived to be 13, Rudiger will be 13 in may i believe it is the foods they eat RAW as often as possible, and the best kibble i can buy. i really like timberwolf (bison), also their living conditions,(they are inside my home in the extreme heat and in the extreme cold) exersise, and vaccinations which STOP after there puppy shots (except rabies)ALL in my eyes play a big role in how long and how healthy your dog will be.

Dogs don't eat grains unless they're eating bagged dog food.... EXCUSE ME?? Are you referring specifically to just YOUR dogs? For thousands of years, dogs have eaten whatever their humans ate, and that INCLUDED grains, vegetables, etc. as well as meat.We had a dog at the riding stable that loved to get into the horse's sweet feed. Mind you, it didn't digest too well, and came out the other end pretty much intact. Riding stable dogs also usually learn to like carrots, and I've seen fights break out over ownership of one, just as if it were a choice bone. In his previous home, my male got a lot of table scraps, and I'm told he was quite fond of pumpkin, squash and carrots. Our previous GSD loved to get the corn cobs once we were done with them, and she'd clean off any bits we'd left for her. She also loved potato skins, and the el cheapo dog treats my husband liked to give her, which were mostly corn and wheat meal. She live to be 14, so I can't say it hurt her health. Primitive societies weren't always successful on their hunts. During lean times, the dogs ate whatever else the humans had, foraged for themselves, or went hungry.

put a bowl of meat down and bowl of corn, which would the dog choose? which would be better used? which offers the dog more nutrition? which is excreted primarily as WASTE?? which do you think is more valuable to the dog? throw a dog in a human waste dump, do they go for rotted meat, bones etc, or do they dig for corn?? if nothing else is available, sure they can survive on it, but is it really better for them? You're also supposed to drink your own urine if you have no water, does that mean its better or as good as clean water??

sunsilver, "EXCUSE ME?? Are you referring specifically to just YOUR dogs"--- are you referring to ME?? if you are then yes i am referring to MY dogs.my dogs also eat carrots broccoli brussel sprouts string beans, and if i let them corn which has absolutely no nutrition at all. feed them CRAP and by no means will you have a healthy dog that will live to 13. and if you ever did i believe it had to be by chance.

You¿re right sunsilver. At all times the dogs ate that, which remaining humans left. Also the dog, which became so old in my childhood (14) ate the remainders of the meal, bones or which remained evenly remaining. There were not dry-food and no meat meals... and there were also no special vitamine or additives. If we talk about the age of the dogs, should we particularly think about it, which they eat and which achievement we demand from them, how much free time them realistically to have and which they may eat - all the same where they are for instance in the forest.... permit we it that they eat carrion or shit? I do not believe. In former times one, dogs said Allesfresser were... today the opinion again differently became - depending upon mode, then it seems... today is it carnivore. The dry-food are made also of any remainders - nobody knows exactly, which remainders are it. The production is complicated with additives of all kinds, taste and smell amplifiers and preservatives. I personally do not believe in the advertisement of the food- manufacturers. I think that this food, which we feed today generally contributes substantially to the age of our dogs.

I really dont believe you can make an animal live longer thru feeding, if anything you could shorten life span by what you feed. I'm sure survival of the fittest is natures tool for keeping all things healthy. Man always thinks he can improve on nature. I've never seen it happen. Long life is in the genes. I agree with Sunsilver and others who realize dogs must be hardy, able to live on whatever food is available. How did anything survive without superstores? I also dont think modern medicine or technology is an answer. I dont believe you can make something what its not. An animal will live long if its born to do so, regardless of what we would like to change. Its in the blood. I know everyone loves they're animals and want to do everything they can to insure good health, but sometimes you must realize nature has other plans. I think more genetic research and different breeding criteria could improve longevity in any species. My two cents, happy new year.

One (1) thing to remember about canine dietary habits is that our dogs are domesticated from their association with humans for thousands of years. Dogs are scavengers first, and hunters second. What would a dog in the wild eat? Carrion, small rodents, reptiles, and amphibians, followed by perhaps a few wild grasses. Regards, Bob-O

harley, no that was not addressed to you, but I was quoting something zdog said. And in addition to those table scraps and cheap dog treats I mentioned, which formed only a small part of her diet, my dog got top-quality kibble. She lived to be 14 years old, not 13, and I did not feed her crap, though my husband tended to give her a little taste of nearly everything that went in HIS mouth. Believe me, we had a few arguments over this, especially when he gave her strawberries, and got diarrhea from them! The point I was trying to make was that before the days of commercial foods, dogs ate whatever their owners ate, and that was NOT just meat.

senta are you talking about german shepherds or mutts. our mutts used to eat table scraps, COOKED bones and whatever else and live forever i just think mutts in my opinion are healthier dogs in general,why?, who knows. maybe no one screwing with inbreeding them ;)) Long life is in the genes and I'ts in the blood, correct 2moons, but you can't honestly say by feeding them better quality nutrition has nothing to do with their over all health. sorry if i offended anyone JMO Dawn

Yes, Bob-O and Sunsilver. No to two moons.... We do not have everything in our hands. And we cannot breed a longer life by breed selection - in addition there are simply too many other criteria, which must fulfill our dogs additionally.