Holistic foods

[gottalovethatdobe]

My dobermans are currently on Wellness Fish and sweet potatoes. it is made for sensitive stomachs... however holistic foods contain no fillers no additives (chemical additive) or anything harmful to the dogs health. 

there are many brands out there:

Canidae
Innova
Innova EVO
Wellness
Merrick
Solid Gold
Diamond
and i will do research and get more names as for those of you feeding petsmarts food would need to know so you can get your dog on an all natural diet

[K9 Obedience]

I try to feed my dogs as naturally as possible. Would you forgive my incompetant mind and explain to me what, "hostilic" foods are? Is this any different to feeding the dogs on raw meat, bones and veggies?

dog lover 

[Big Dog]

A guess in this context - no artificial ingredients?

Those are not all organic brands in the list so that can't be what she intended. Most are exellent premium foods though.

[K9 Obedience]

Yes I did think that maybe "holistic" would mean organic, or even maybe growing wild. I am still trying to find out more on the net as I am interested in any other ways to feed dogs, apart from commercial dog foods.
dog lover 

[K9 Obedience]

  I have been reading about the benefits of adding herbs to your dogs food and garlic. Garlic is as beneficial to the dog as it is to us, having a really healthy effect on the body. It protects the heart, aids the digestive system, and boosts the immune system. Not only this, garlic also acts as a natural flea reppellent. (the little critters hate the smell and taste of it) My Doberman suffers with dreadful wind, so I was a bit reluctant to add the smell of garlic to his already poisoness gas. I have given it a try and have found that actually his wind problem has not been as bad. The general advice is to give a quarter of a clove for a tiny dog, half for a medium one, one clove for a large dog and two for giant breeds. So as not to overdose, give garlic daily for a week and then have a week off. I have also started grating raw carrot, and other veggies into his food, depending on what is in the cupboard. Has anyone else used herbs in their dog's diet?? I would be interested to know more.

dog lover. 

[Big Dog]

I gave Ansel garlic without any effect - good or bad. He loved the small baby carrots which I gave as treats and during trick training. He'd crunch away on them with gusto.

Never tried other herbs though. When the next dog comes into my life, I will try a more basic (natural, not packaged) style of feeding.

[Big Dog]

As most of you folks know we are offering Holistic Blend Dog Food and other natural, raw, and organic premium foods in our pet supply shop.

Shop and save while helping us out: Pet Supply

Ships only to the USA I'm sorry to say.

[K9 Obedience]

That is a shame as you people, across the water, have such a wide range of choice in hostilic and organic foods. Here the choice is extremely limited and very expensive especially when you are a multiple dog family.

dog lover.

[Big Dog]

I know - and it is frustrating on several levels - from the self-serving business standpoint, it limits the sales opportunities - and from the standpoint of my personal philosphy, this limits the availability of better quality food, often (but not always) produced more "ethically" than mass marketed commercial "chows."

I've looked for other suppliers but I can't find anyone who can offer the full range of our US virtual store to overseas locations.

The only solution is if someone really wants a specific product is to order it for shipment to a US address of a friend or family member. Then have them ship it onward to you.

I buy organic food for myself whenever it is available and support ethical firms like Ruff Wear and Patagonia and the like. I always fed Ansel premium food. Maybe that's why he lived 15 years?

There are a few big brands in our selection of dog food but you'll not find any Purina Puppy Chow or Kal Can.

I'll keep looking. The link to our affiliate in the store that does ship throughout the UK and Europe does have a few premium brands along with some very commercial brands:

Bakers Complete    
Beta    
Burgess Supa Dog    
Burns    
Butchers    
Chudleys    
Eukanuba    
Gilpa/Dr John    
Hills    
Iams    
James Wellbeloved    
Nutrience    
Pedigree    
Purina Pro Plan    
Royal Canin    
Wafcol

Several of the above I've not heard of before. Yes, I see Purina in the list.

[K9 Obedience]

Thanks Big Dog. I did not expect you to go to so much trouble so I was pleasantly surprised. I do recognise some of the names on the list and like you I am looking around to find suppliers. Thanks again.

dog lover.

[Schnauzer]

A couple of earlier posts mention adding Garlic. I would just like to mention that although this is fine in small quantities, members of the onion family (including garlic) can be toxic in large doses. More informationon this and other poisons (e.g. chocolate) is provided at:

http://www.dog-food-corner.com/toxic-dog-food.htm

In small quantities, I also find that garlic is useful as a natural flea repellant. Not 100% effective, but helps.

[Big Dog]

Hi Schnauzer,

Welcome to the pack. Thanks for adding to this thread and that link.

When I see links like that from a first time poster it usually means some self-promo.

I'm very happy to see (and for all others reading this thread), that link goes to the site of a Dr. Doug Stewart. He does not claim to be a Vet or a dog nutrition expert, just a very intelligent fellow who shares all our love of dogs.

There are no affiliate or sales links to any dog food on the site and zero advertising. While I always say get your own trusted Vet's advice, this looks like a great resource from a ethically motivated and smart fellow.

Again, thanks for adding that resource and your voice!