A Dog's Diet

I need help from you "doggie" people; being a cat person I don't know the answer. I feed two abandoned dogs on the other side of the village twice a week. Usually on Monday they get a chicken carcass (with meat left on and skin) and some potatoes. However, on Thursday it's almost a "veggie" day for them as we basically only eat white meat chicken, turkey, tuna and ham, so the poor souls only get whatever I can put together, along with 1,5 litres of water each time.

The question is this .. what leftovers do dogs eat? Salad, veggies, what?

Thank you on behalf of Magic Dog and Splodge the Wonder Pup.

 

Dogs are scavangers, they will eat anything, I know some pet dogs that love raw carrots. I would never give chicken bones to a dog, but I suspect these dogs are well used to handling them.

You are so kind LoL I am sure they appreciate you!

 

Thanks, Waco. Yes, all cats and dogs eat chicken bones here .. this area (especially Guia just down the road from us) is called Chicken Capital ... it's actually on the welcome signs done by the Council! Obviously cooked ones are softer. I never give them to my cat, hence MD and Splodge getting them as I don't "do" broth either!

It's so sad, Splodge wants to jump in the car and squeaks and squeals and I have to insist he eats!

What's so sad, Waco, it's the Brits who abandon most of them here. Come here, get a dog, things don't work out, go home ... whoops, got a dog (or cat or can fend better for themselves) and there's the quanrantine / Pet Passport laws (mine have always had passports which cost a fortune (but it's worth it if it's for your babes) ... so, let's just dump them. You know it's the Brits because the dogs 1) understand English and 2) Holland, Germany, wherever don't have the barriers. I could just cry sometimes ....

At times I just microwave some potatoes and put some olive oil on them and then top it with bacon rinds and (I hate to say) leftover cat food as I have a pernickity one!

I do what I can, I love all animals.

 

L of L, I feed a fox and whatever else likes to come round, cats, hedgehogs etc.
Rather than use leftovers I buy a bag of the dried dog food, its not that expensive and its a bit more hygenic than meat etc.
Of course they need to be able to get water, but they must be getting that I [presume from somewhere.

 

generally you should not feed cooked bones to dogs..but having said that you have to think well foxes seem to do ok on scavenging. Your dogs are feral and probably only too glad to have anything. As Waco said some dogs, mine included love carrots, I also give mine an apple. The dogs you are feeding will be alot tougher than our pampered pooches. Keep up the good work

 

Thanks for your input, Poppy. These dogs "appeared" at the side of this orchard only 2-3 months ago, obviously when they were abandoned as they certainly weren't there before. I don't think they're feral (I thought that was a term only used with cats ???) but dogs that once had comfy homes. MD is a beautiful blonde mid-large sized Labrador with a scar all the way down one side. Splodge is a short-haired multi-coloured Pointer looking dog with heaps of personality!

Thanks for the support.

 

I think youre doing a wonderful job L OF L. My 2 spaniels eat more or less anything inc veg - potato peelings too! Its so sad to hear this is happening - people make me so cross :( I have an old sprocker with cancer but her quality of life is great - the younger spaniel had pnuemonia last week cos she inhaled a seed or something into her lung and one of my 8 bunnies is poorly and went to the vets today :( Just about to look into re-mortgaging the house........ :rolleyes:

 

Know what you mean, Marge. Fortunately, here the vet's bills are a fraction of there. My Puschka who died in December had heart and lung problems from the moment her brother, Skwij died. She was on four medications a day for 18 months and it only cost us about �£10 a month; a vet exam, when required, about �£20.

Pete, I would buy food but t'other half only tolerates me doing this so I'm afraid it's leftovers ... or secretly cooked buttered potatoes !!!

 

Hi Lady of Leisure, Ferral means any animal that has reverted from domestication to a wild state..think I may have spelt it wrong :rolleyes: think there may be only 1 R :D

 

Hey, Poppy, no insult intended ... I seriously only thought it referred to felines :rolleyes: but you're the expert ... who I'll probably come to from time to time for advice.

As much as I love animals, I couldn't do your job .. I'd be home in tears most of the time :( and I don't need that at this time in my life .. or at any time :D

Keep up the good work, we need you ...

 

Hi LOL!!!!

Yup - dog will eat anything!!!! The thing about the chicken bones is that once they are cooked, they become brittle and splinter. Pasta and rice is another good cheap bulk you could give them. My pooch loves anything human - curry, chilli, roast, carrots by the bucket load and apples....... I'm sure your dogs are much tougher than our pampered mutts, but raw potato can be poisonous to dogs, along with onion and rasins and human chocolate. - Oh - forgot Grapes are poisonous too!!!

Some veggies over here do keep their dogs on a veggie diet - but they just need suppliments like a human does, so veggies will do no harm.

You are doing a marvellous job, and if it were me, I would have taken them in by now....
The only thing I would be concerend about is whether or not they have all their "bits and pieces".... if they do, you may end up feeding a whole family of mutts..... :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

Mine get dry food soaked in bisto gravy. The oil in the gravy inproves the coat and it is well tasty for a dog.

 

......when I said my pooch loves all that food - I didn't mean thats what I feed her - she is on a strict JWB diet - blimey - its bad enough with the fall-out from an Indian Take-away with my boys - goodness knows what would happen if the dog joined in as well!!!! (she's the SBV queen without any help!!! :eek: )

 

Dr John's Working Dog food VAT free and only �£5.99 a sack, bargain!

 

Well, guys, they're not my dogs, I just feed strays twice a week ... I would love to take them in but my garden doesn't allow it, nor my lifestyle. I don't get up at the crack of dawn to walk the critters to do their business elsewhere and, should I go back to England (as I am this October) what do I do with them ??? I find these strays several times a year here and feed them .. on the side of the road, near a store, various places .. and after a few months they disappear. I hate to say possibly shot by Portuguese to get rid of them in front of their properties! But I still blame mostly the Brits for abandoning them ... I'm embarrassed and ashamed and some Portuguese tell me I'm good for doing what I do.

I just want to know, do dogs eat all leftovers as cats have got their noses so up their backsides it's above them !!

Thanks folks, I just don't want to throw any tidbits / leftovers away that MG and Splodge may find appetising ... know what I mean?

[ 03. July 2006, 11:32 PM: Message edited by: Lady of Leisure ]