What do you think cats and dogs ate before commercial food products?

[Lilyhoney]

Commercial pet food has only been around for about 60 years. So what did the pets eat before then?

We feed our dog the B.A.R.F. diet. bones and raw food. We feel it is good for her.

[Felix Mala]

1. People had to process so much of their food, there was always

a neck bone, hoof, tail or snout to toss the dog. Cats were expected to work for their meals and got paid in vermin.

[Lilyhoney]

2. Yes, Thank you.

:applause:

[Coastie for Truth]

3. I'm in my 60's

and grew up with a Springer-Lab mix, in the era of "Neighborhood Independent Butcher Shops" - and there were always "scraps" for the dogs and cats..

Our neighbors had cats - and they got fish heads from the fish store - which the cats devoured.

[Felix Mala]

4. GIven the choice, most cats and dogs I've owned would prefer

fresh refuse to canned food.

[Coastie for Truth]

9. My grandma used to feed the dog

cinnamon toast with apple butter - broken up in a bowl of milk. (But that was in addition to butcher shop scraps). And my grand pa used to give the dog an apple at bed time.

[Lilyhoney]

11. My dog loves apples.

She knows the seeds are'nt good for her, so she does'nt eat them. It is always fun to see what they want to eat. Our friends came over last week and broght a whole crate of fruits and veggies from the farm. As soon as it was set down, the dog helped herself to a plum. A little while later she got a cucumber that she shared with their dog.

[Coastie for Truth]

12. We had a doxie that used to go berserk over apples

if they had been partially eaten - she finished them immediately. Otherwise she played with them before eating them.

She also liked onions and garlic. (Salty onion-garlic sticks were a favorite - much preferred over dog biscuits and raw hides).

[Arugula Latte]

18. Now that would be some super-strength dog breath!

.

[Lilyhoney]

20. We thought that this natural diet

would keep the dog breath away. But it is not. Sometimes I give her breath mints.

[Lilyhoney]

19. Yup, she eats garlic too.

And sometimes she lets apples and other fruits ferment in the sun before she eats them.

[Felix Mala]

14. HaHa... my GRANDPA used to eat that... we thought he was

so strange, but I guess Milk Toast was a real treat for him when he was a kid.

Everybody knows dog's have big sweet tooths.

[Lilyhoney]

8. We have a Pointer/Lab mix.

She is 2 and 1/2. You should see her eat a chicken leg. She also likes to feed herself. She eats roots, bugs, and fruit from the yard.
She enjoys eating, and eats several times a day. I wish more people would feed their pets a more natural diet.

[Shell Beau]

27. I thought chicken bones were bad for dogs since

they splinter and break off so easily.

[flvegan]

30. Chicken bones are VERY dangerous to give to a dog

They can easily perforate many areas of the dogs digestive system.

[UncleSepp]

31. I thought they were OK if they had not been cooked?

Or are they just as fragile raw?

[Shell Beau]

33. I didn't think of it like that.

But dogs have powerful jaws so I don't know if it makes a difference or not. I will look it up.

[Lilyhoney]

53. I am dog sitting today.

This dog Pablo is a 1 yr old Staff terrier/mix and will not eat the raw meat and bones I give to him, but he really likes the veggies and friut.

It is as if he does'nt know how to chew the bones or he thinks it is wrong. But here's my dog chomping away and swallowing it down.

[flvegan]

34. I don't know if they're equally as fragile, as raw bones tend to bend

but I've read veterinary reports that do say there's danger involved in it. Additionally, raw chicken begs salmonella poisoning, both for the dog and his/her people. I've heard the argument about dogs not being vulnerable due to bacteria, etc, etc, but I don't think (think, don't know) it's been proven.

[Shell Beau]

32. That is what I thought.

I learned that the hard way. When I was younger, I, not knowingly, gave my dog a chicken bone and my dad got upset with me. So, I went and stuck my hand in my dog's mouth to get it back and he bit down on my hand while he was trying to chew the bone. (He didn't do it out of aggression I know. He was a wonderfully sweet Golden Retriever). Anyway, I still have the scar to remind me.

[candy]

5. Table food,leftovers,meat scraps from the butcher.

[Felix Mala]

15. There weren't any butchers near where my grandparents grew up...

Their food ran around the barnyard - chickens, pigs, cows, calves, lambs... If you wanted to eat well you didn't get too attached to your animals.

[Lilyhoney]

21. Since we feed our dog alot of chicken

I am curious how she will act when she actually meets a live chicken.
I gave her rabbit one time and she did'nt eat it, she just carried it around like it was a wounded animal.

[Felix Mala]

22. Killing chickens is a VERY bad habit for dogs to get into...

It's very hard to break them of it once they've tried it a couple of times.

[Lilyhoney]

25. So chicken is the "starter " animal.

What is the progression after that so I can keep my eyes open for signs of abuse. Is it squirrell, cat, other dog, child? Or are there new designer animals I am not hip to? Please help me to be an aware dog owner. :silly:

[Felix Mala]

35. You'll be aware when the owner of the chickens starts blasting your

dog with a shotgun... They'll be the first to tell you that you can't break a dog once they get the taste for it -- i.e. might as well shoot the dog now.

Some friends of mine who moved to the country with their St. Bernard tried everything, including tying a dead chicken around its neck to rot for two weeks. It didn't work.

[Shell Beau]

45. Like a rabbit for your dog to eat? I am confused!

[Lilyhoney]

47. Yes, for her to eat.

I bought a frozen shelby rabbit at the grocery. Tried to feed it to har and she just paced and carried it around.

A year later we got a real live rabbit for a pet. The dog was very good to her and would not hurt her. The rabbit seemed to play with the dog too. Until it ran away to live with the rabbit on the next block.

[Shell Beau]

49. I didn't know you could buy rabbit at the grocery!

At least at any where I live!

[Lilyhoney]

50. It is a Gelson's grocery store.

They have the best stuff there.

[Shell Beau]

52. That is interesting!

[peacebuzzard]

6. That was when home cooking was more popular.

Just like when I'm in Brazil, and the cost of Pedigree is 3 times what we pay here, you go to market! Bulk meat, rice and veggies works out to be cheaper to cook for the pooches. It's time consuming, but cheaper....Plus you can get real bones instead of the processed, sterilized and packaged version that costs 100x more. Every pay day I shell out 13 bucks for sterilized smoked bones for my dogs. But here in fast paced modernity, I just go to Target or the supermarket on sale rack and voila' canine fast food!

[Lilyhoney]

10. I love to see the little blood stains in her fur around her mouth

from chewing on a nice fresh, bloody bone. It makes her look like a happy dog.

[leftofthedial]

7. each other

scraps (which we don't really have anymore)

leftovers

[trackfan]

13. I've often tried to make this point to people

who insist the dog will DIE if I don't feed him proper, corporate dog food.

[Lilyhoney]

23. Our vet is rite on the end of my block.

I like the one woman who is very supportive of my dietary choices for my dog. She actually got excited and thanked me for my choice. Then one day we had the other lady vet who scolded me and asked me "do you want to give your dog salmonella?" I asked that it be put in my chart that I am not to be scheduled with her any more due to our differences. I felt insulted. I researched this raw diet for a year before making a decision. And I firmly stand by it.

[MissB]

24. I'm wondering if the BARF diet

would help alleviate allergies in dogs. Allergies caused by shitty corporate-made dog food.

Wugh.

[Lilyhoney]

26. Some say it will.

Alot of human allergies are due to food allergies. Dogs have food allergies too. Dogs can develope food allergies form eating the same thing all the time.

[WeRQ4U]

16. True, but you still can't give it processed human food either

I know giving bones, meat, etc. is ok. But you can't give you dogs potato chips, pizza, candy and stuff like that. They don't eat that stuff.

I give my dogs eggs a lot as well as the best bones around.

[Lilyhoney]

17. We don't feed her potato chips and french fries and stuff like that.

We don't eat that crap. She actually gets organic meats and veggies, just like we do.

[WeRQ4U]

36. That's fine then.

Also, I wasn't accusing you of eating "crap" and feeding it to your dog. I was simply stating the limits of the "people food is good for animals" argument.

[Lilyhoney]

43. Absolutely. I agree.

We don't give her bread either.

[ProfessorGAC]

28. Mine Does!

My dog will eat anything i eat, and he's healthy, happy, and isn't fat. It's not the "what", it's the "how much". They're omnivores and will eat anything edible (and probably some things that aren't!).

You just can't let a dog eat all he or she wants. They'd blow up as big as a house!
The Professor

[WeRQ4U]

37. I wish my parents would adhere to this.

Their poor dog is so huge and it's because of the amount they feed him. And no matter how many times I tell my parents that they should reduce his intake and up his exercise, they won't do it. They feel bad about it now since he's used to the excess. It makes me really mad.

[ProfessorGAC]

39. Well, You're 100% Right

We watch our doggie's weight. He's on a low fat dog food so that his table scraps don't turn him into a blimp. He's a big boned dog and is in at 103#, but he's got no hanging stomach or jowls. The vet says he's just right. So, something's working.

Keep on your parents. They can cut the dog's intake back. Dog's are very adaptable. The doggie will get used to a little less.
The Professor

[WeRQ4U]

40. I say somethign every time I see them... I will continue to.

NOthing says "Stop feeding your dog from the table" like a 60 pound Cocker Spaniel.

[ProfessorGAC]

41. Eeeeeep!

A cocker. Them's li'l doggies! Geez, mine is a male yellow lab. Lots of labs over 100. I saw one on the Great Outdoor Games doing the dock jumping thing. That thing was a lean as an olympic sprinter and weighed 94#. But, a 60# cocker?!?!? Yeah, you're doing the right thing. That thing's gonna have heart trouble or diabetes.
The Professor

[WeRQ4U]

42. I told them that.

My mother's a pharmacist. I actually said that if she doesn't cut his weight, she'll have to his insulin at the same time she buys mine.

[Lilyhoney]

44. Have his thyroid checked.

We have a friend who's dog was round. We joked about it alot. Then we found out the dog had a thyroid problem, with the medication the dog is much healthier. They thought the problem was the neighbors feeding the dog. But it was the thyroid.

[flvegan]

29. They ate horse meat.

The horses that died every day were butchered, and much of the meat sold to folks with the means with which to afford it.

Before that, table scraps and whatever they could find in the alleys and common areas.

[WeRQ4U]

38. Some farmers in this area hunt strictly for this

A friend of mine used to shoot deer on his farm land, process them, and use them as dog food.

[MrSandman]

46. I don't want to think of what the dogs ate...nt

[JVS]

48. babies!

[Lilyhoney]

51. No, that's a Dingo.