Can someone explain to me the mixing of foods?

[MEANDI]

Im sorry for my kindergarten questions its just i never had a dog before so i want to get everything perfect and right. Im reading that people mix foods, and also mix wet and dry food. Can someone explain to me why this is done and any combinations you would like to tell me would greatly help me so i can do the same. I just want Mishka to be top notch healthy, love the food, and have a beautiful coat. Thanks so much everyone for baring with me.

[JazzysMom]

Opinion:

You may want to take some of your questions to the breeder from whom you got the dog. If she is a reputable breeder {whether or not she bred your particular pup}, she is sure to have opinions and experience with feeding.

Feeding, as you will soon learn, is very much a personal choice issue. You will hear from people who feed straight from the bag, who mix dry with canned, who feed only canned, who feed raw, who feed a combo of raw and kibble… the list of possibilities is endless.
And you will see that it is possible, actually probable, that your dog will have a long and healthy life, regardless of what you feed.

I think the key to longevity in dogs has more to do with being an observant owner than any particular feed. If you see your dog's coat is dull and rough, if you see the dog losing or gaining weigh in appropriately, if you see your dog with too little energy, losing hair, dry skin, etc. and then investigate possible causes -- be they food, environmental allergies, medical problem, etc.-- and work to solve those problems, your dog will be around for a very long time.

[foschatt]

I agree and hope you have a quality breeder that can help you with this. There are alot of opinions. We were first time dog owners and only wanted the best for our little boy(as everyone does). We had an advantage as my wife was in an animal care program and we had some quailty breeder/trainers for advise.

From our experience, we felt raw or bravo weren't good for us do to cost and ease of getting or preparing or making sure its a well rounded diet. After reading alot of labels we choose to go with Evo(many others of good quality out there). We had wanted to go more wet because we felt it was less processed. He loved the wet. But we had to adjust his food (wet/dry/mixed) a few times. Mostly because of the poop. Got way to soft then way too hard. We're all dry now and everythings good. We have stayed with evo and have been happy.

I know there are other threads for brand recommendations if you need help. If you switch brands or types do it over a period of time to allow the body to adjust(if you know what I mean):D .

[lvoss]

Here is an article about food rotation that should answer most of your questions.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/how-often-should-i-change-foods.html

I do mix foods because it works the best for me to meet the differing caloric needs of my four dogs.

[tanza]

@MEANDI:

Im sorry for my kindergarten questions its just i never had a dog before so i want to get everything perfect and right. Im reading that people mix foods, and also mix wet and dry food. Can someone explain to me why this is done and any combinations you would like to tell me would greatly help me so i can do the same. I just want Mishka to be top notch healthy, love the food, and have a beautiful coat. Thanks so much everyone for baring with me.

The notes that you talk to your breeder are sound….

As far as mixing Dry and Wet... one reason.. would you like to eat dry dog food only?....

Feeding is pretty personal.... you can find some very heated discussion on this forum... but generally, feed good quality food, I think that lvoss gave you some good suggestions in the other thread you started. And it is good, IMO to mix with a little wet food .... and also I feed mine veggies (raw and steamed), fruits, meat (mostly raw).

[MEANDI]

well here is the thing, i was in MO visiting my girlfriend and i saw a basenji, for sale from a breeder i didnt buy one then, but i came back a month later and bought one from another litter. And i live in WA state so i cant really talk to her. And plus i dont know if i trust the breeder because my dog had a skin infection when i got her. But i loved her when i saw her so thats why i got her.

[tanza]

So there is much you really should/need to do… besides food... of course one, you want to change to a good quality food.. and again... there is no magic formula... just pick a good food (one without corn/lots of grains/and no by products..)....

You really want to go to www.basenjihealth.org and learn about health concerns in our breed and especially Fanconi. I would highly recommend that you do a DNA test for Fanconi.

[TuckerVA]

@MEANDI:

well here is the thing, i was in MO visiting my girlfriend and i saw a basenji, for sale from a breeder i didnt buy one then, but i came back a month later and bought one from another litter. And i live in WA state so i cant really talk to her. And plus i dont know if i trust the breeder because my dog had a skin infection when i got her. But i loved her when i saw her so thats why i got her.

It sounds like your 'breeder' isn't a breeder at all if they are putting litters out every month… Basenji's only go into heat once a year, so that person would have to have a LOT of dogs which sounds more like a BYB (back-yard breeder)... They are NOT to be trusted.

As for food, with Tucker it was simply that he likes it mixed better than plain. If I was eating dog food, I'd prefer a bit of the wet myself.

[JazzysMom]

@TuckerVA:

It sounds like your 'breeder' isn't a breeder at all if they are putting litters out every month… Basenji's only go into heat once a year, so that person would have to have a LOT of dogs which sounds more like a BYB (back-yard breeder)... They are NOT to be trusted.

As for food, with Tucker it was simply that he likes it mixed better than plain. If I was eating dog food, I'd prefer a bit of the wet myself.

Two litters would only require two pregnant bitches, not necessarily "a LOT" of dogs,and we don't even know if this breeder had both bitches at her place or if one litter was from a co-owned litter. We don't know enough about it to make any kind of judgment call on the breeder.

[TuckerVA]

Let me rephrase my post:

It sounds like your 'breeder' may not be a breeder at all if, in fact, they are putting litters out EVERY month… Basenji's only go into heat once a year, so that person may have a lot of dogs. If so, it sounds more like a BYB (back-yard breeder)... They are NOT to be trusted. Do you know if they are a responsible breeder or not?

Mixed food is yummier than regular kibble, in Tucker's opinion.

[JazzysMom]

@MEANDI:

well here is the thing, i was in MO visiting my girlfriend and i saw a basenji, for sale from a breeder i didnt buy one then, but i came back a month later and bought one from another litter. And i live in WA state so i cant really talk to her. And plus i dont know if i trust the breeder because my dog had a skin infection when i got her. But i loved her when i saw her so thats why i got her.

May I ask where in Washington you are?

[MEANDI]

im in tacoma, wa its 40 min from seattle. Im pretty positive she doesn't have several dogs breeding. I dont know what the problem with having several dogs for breeding would be anyways…if they are doing it the right way, what is the problem. Now i feel like i my dog isn't up to standards with you people

[lvoss]

Most people that have many litters in a single year are not doing it the "right way". Since most basenjis only come into season once a year, that means most litters are born within a very narrow window of time. It is a lot of work to properly raise a litter so it gets the socialization and attention they need to become well adjusted adults. Breeders who have many litters at the same time would be hard pressed to give each pup the individual attention that they need.

I don't think that anyone was trying to imply that your puppy wasn't "up to standards with you people", but were trying to say that your pup's breeder may not be the best source of information.

A responsible breeder, one that is doing it the right way, is a great resource for their puppy people. They keep in touch with them through the life of their dog and provide information on the health of the pup's relatives, on feeding, training, and helping the pup adjust to life in its new home. They are there when you have questions or need help. They will take back their puppies at any age for any reason or no reason at all. Usually, the breeder has already established a relationship with their buyers before the pups go to their home so when questions arise the lines of communication are open.

From your posts, I think people may have gotten the impression that you did not feel comfortable about contacting the breeder. You cited that your pup had a skin infection when you brought her home as one reason you did not trust the breeder. This may be why people may feel your pup's breeder may not be a "responsible breeder".

[MEANDI]

she has papers, i took her to the vet today for a checkup and shots, she is great. Ya the breeder i dont think is a TOP NOTCH breeder she couldnt even spell basenji right…'besenji'

[JazzysMom]

@MEANDI:

im in tacoma, wa its 40 min from seattle. Im pretty positive she doesn't have several dogs breeding. I dont know what the problem with having several dogs for breeding would be anyways…if they are doing it the right way, what is the problem. Now i feel like i my dog isn't up to standards with you people

Oh no no! There is no standard to be "up to" here. We're all just Basenji owners, trying to do the best we can by our dogs.

We do like to know who bred the dogs that come in because so many of our dogs turn out to be related in some way and some people have gotten dogs from the same breeder, sometimes the same litter. It's fun to draw those family lines.

The questions about how responsible the breeders are come out of concern for the health of the pup, as well as how strong you can expect the support to be. There are many potential health issues, such as Fanconi, hip issues, eye issues that a responsible breeder screens for. If your breeder did not do that, then info can be gotten here as to where/how to have those tests done.

It's not a measure of whether your dog is "up to standards", but just getting information so that the members here can be the best possible source of information and support for you.

[lvoss]

A big myth that exists about purebred dogs is that having papers in some way connotes quality. This myth is perpetuated by for profit breeders who use this as a selling point for their dogs since they do not have anything else like health testing to offer.

Having papers doesn't really mean much these days. There are many "new registries" that will send papers to anyone who submits their dogs for registration. These registries started popping up when AKC began their mandated DNA testing for Frequently Used Sires. I have friend who decided to "test" how rigorous the registration process for one of these registries was and submitted her purebred basenji for registration as a JRT and was mailed the papers "certifying" that he was a JRT registered with their registry.

Even AKC papers doesn't say anything about the quality of the health and temperament of the dogs in a breeding program. In order to check if a breeder is doing it right, you really need to check the OFA database and see if they are health testing their dogs and using those results to inform their breeding decisions.

I feel it is really important to get out there and let people know about this myth and strive to educate as many people as I can about what a responsible breeder is and what it means when you are considering adding a dog. So many people don't know and so they can't make an informed decision.

[tanza]

And as a Basenji owner, it is important to know what the possible health concerns are in the breed, being an informed owner is important to the long term health of your pup…

We have DNA test for Fanconi, a horrible affliction to which there is no cure.. we as owners, breeders, basenji lovers are the caretakers of the breed and it is important to educate everyone on the breed and health. We can rid our breed of this horrible affliction... where in the past even responsible breeders were breeding "best guess"... If we don't, who will?

[MEANDI]

when my girlfriend sends me the papers i will let you know the information on the breeder

[CyrusVirus]

Please - no need to worry about standards. Our beloved (yet naughty) Cyrus was a pet store puppy. We have been really lucky that he is healthy and happy despite his bad origins. We are currently in the process of adopting our fourth dog, an 11-year old rescue dachshund, to alleviate our guilt about buying a pet store puppy. We love Cyrus anyway.

As to feeding, we feed all dry. With multiple dogs, it is more practical for us. I recently went to Pet Supplies Plus and looked at the ingredients in all of the dry dog foods. Oscar's ears were getting really dry and losing hair, and I thought it might be a nutrition problem. It turns out that most of the big name brands are primarily fillers like corn meal. After reading the labels and looking at the prices, I switched to the Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul Adult Dog Formula. Everyone is looking shiney since the switch.

[tanza]

@MEANDI:

when my girlfriend sends me the papers i will let you know the information on the breeder

More important is that you get the DNA test done for Fanconi… This is not a test that your Vet can do (other then to draw the blood), Basenjis need to be registered on the CPP site and blood needs to be sent to U of Mo...

You can read about it at www.basenjihealth.org and also read the FAQ's about the DNA Linkage test for Fanconi