on April 1, 2012
Okay, this really burns me up but I hate people looking at my dog and tell me I don't feed her enough -OR- says she looks great and then ask what I'm feeding her and tell them how much they change their minds and she is suddenly too skinny.
Snow is a 2 year old Pit Bull mix. At a nice trimmed look (like now) she weighs anywhere from 40-44 pounds. When she doesn't have a waist she weighs 47 pounds or more. This past winter because she had to stay outside most of the time I allowed her to gain some weight and I think at one point she actually got to 50 pounds. Once it started to get warmer in about mid January I started to cut from free feeding her every day to feeding 1-2 cups everyday with 1-2 fast days and then took her swimming and playing to help burn the weight and made sure she had plenty of water to drink. In Feburary I cut her food a little more to having a third fast day. So she basically now gets fed 1-3 cups every other day. (I free feed with out measuring so I don't know exactly. I am guessing 3 cups at the most.)
Now I have been doing this feeding routine for about 4 months and according to a lot of people its not healthy for her its terrible to feed a dog this way and I should feed her every day. I tried to explain it gets extremely hot here so When I take her swimming I don't like to feed her. Which is about two times out of that week. I've said she has HD and needs to keep the weight off so slowing down her metabolism is actually beneficial. Nope. All they want to do is go by what the dog food label says. Not that there is anything wrong with that; But you can't just go off and tell someone how to feed their dog. If the owner is as committed to their dogs as I am; then they will take time to learn what really works for their dog.
Just like I have tried feeding snow the grain-free foods. They don't agree with her stomach. I don't see the point in dishing out more money for a brand of dog food she can't even properly eat. I want to change to RAW but again I don't have the money for it. So she does eat Purina Dog Chow. Which I know isn't the best of foods. I have been looking around to see if I can find a brand that will work with Snow's stomach and not break me. She also Gets a handful of supplements for her hips to help with the HD.
I understand that a lot of people are going to yell and tell me that I don't know how to take care of my dog and that I shouldn't own one. But hell I had to rant some place. Some people don't understand that Dogs are spoiled and feeding them everyday can cause problems too. Whats on the label is to insure you run out of dog food at a certain time so you will buy more. Its a nasty system. Another thing I do is I don't use dog bowls when I feed my dogs outside. Especially snow who needs the extra stimulation. I just chuck it in the grass and let her find it. Using that snout is good for her.
I just don't understand why people go about telling others what they should and shouldn't do when the dog is obviously healthy and at a good weight. IF I know what keeps her at a good weight shouldn't that be all that matters? Even my vet says she is very healthy and she goes in to see him at least 2-3 times a year. Actually here come June I am going to take her in for a yearly x-ray of her hips so I can see how the HD is progressing.
D: I can't seem to do anything right in anyone's eyes. All I do is mess up.
This is at 47 pounds when the vet told me to get her to loose some weight:
And now at about 43 pounds:
(Most recent by about 3 days)
So.. What do you think? :pupruns:
Snow is a 2 year old Pit Bull mix. At a nice trimmed look (like now) she weighs anywhere from 40-44 pounds. When she doesn't have a waist she weighs 47 pounds or more. This past winter because she had to stay outside most of the time I allowed her to gain some weight and I think at one point she actually got to 50 pounds. Once it started to get warmer in about mid January I started to cut from free feeding her every day to feeding 1-2 cups everyday with 1-2 fast days and then took her swimming and playing to help burn the weight and made sure she had plenty of water to drink. In Feburary I cut her food a little more to having a third fast day. So she basically now gets fed 1-3 cups every other day. (I free feed with out measuring so I don't know exactly. I am guessing 3 cups at the most.)
Now I have been doing this feeding routine for about 4 months and according to a lot of people its not healthy for her its terrible to feed a dog this way and I should feed her every day. I tried to explain it gets extremely hot here so When I take her swimming I don't like to feed her. Which is about two times out of that week. I've said she has HD and needs to keep the weight off so slowing down her metabolism is actually beneficial. Nope. All they want to do is go by what the dog food label says. Not that there is anything wrong with that; But you can't just go off and tell someone how to feed their dog. If the owner is as committed to their dogs as I am; then they will take time to learn what really works for their dog.
Just like I have tried feeding snow the grain-free foods. They don't agree with her stomach. I don't see the point in dishing out more money for a brand of dog food she can't even properly eat. I want to change to RAW but again I don't have the money for it. So she does eat Purina Dog Chow. Which I know isn't the best of foods. I have been looking around to see if I can find a brand that will work with Snow's stomach and not break me. She also Gets a handful of supplements for her hips to help with the HD.
I understand that a lot of people are going to yell and tell me that I don't know how to take care of my dog and that I shouldn't own one. But hell I had to rant some place. Some people don't understand that Dogs are spoiled and feeding them everyday can cause problems too. Whats on the label is to insure you run out of dog food at a certain time so you will buy more. Its a nasty system. Another thing I do is I don't use dog bowls when I feed my dogs outside. Especially snow who needs the extra stimulation. I just chuck it in the grass and let her find it. Using that snout is good for her.
I just don't understand why people go about telling others what they should and shouldn't do when the dog is obviously healthy and at a good weight. IF I know what keeps her at a good weight shouldn't that be all that matters? Even my vet says she is very healthy and she goes in to see him at least 2-3 times a year. Actually here come June I am going to take her in for a yearly x-ray of her hips so I can see how the HD is progressing.
D: I can't seem to do anything right in anyone's eyes. All I do is mess up.
This is at 47 pounds when the vet told me to get her to loose some weight:
And now at about 43 pounds:
(Most recent by about 3 days)
So.. What do you think? :pupruns:
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she's pretty and doesn't appear to be malnourished to me....if she's healthy i wouldn't worry about what someone else thinks
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April 2, 2012
couple of things I would say... well first, you know me, GO RAW! <img src="http://pitbullsocial.com/file/pic/emoticon/default/smile.png" alt="Smile" title="Smile" title="v_middle" /> if you live near a butcher or heck even walmart if you have to, you will find its not so much more to start her on ... View More
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June 27, 2012
Thanks Amber. Yes I know you are completely raw! LOL I wish the wal mart near me carried meats but it doesn't because its not a super wal mart. When I tried grain free it was BB and I tried it for 2 months and it actually did great for snow. I loved her on it. But Koi could not eat it. I don't under... View More
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June 27, 2012
I agree with Amber, she looks good. Don't be so hard on yourself. If my boys are lacking something in their diet they usually find it outside the house. Domestication will succumb to instinct every time. Animals don't live to eat as we do. They eat to live as we should. I go with Taste of the Wild d... View More
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July 4, 2012