What goes for us, goes for Corgis

[Michael Romanos]

Could this be similar for Corgis and other dog breeds?

I think so, and my favourite vet, Dr Dave, largely supports my contentions.

New factual evidence shows that inherited cancers, heart disease and diabetes are only a small proportion of cancers etc that people suffer from. These terrible diseases are largely the result of the environment and what we eat.

OVERWEIGHT iS NOW CONSIDERED VERY SIGNIFICANT.

Emphasis of food should be on fruit, veggies and whole grain and much less on RED meat, dairy products (milk, cheese etc) and fats.

The message for us Corgi owners is to ensure our Corgis are NOT OVERWEIGHT and to look at making the bulk of the meals we give our Corgis contains more of cooked chicken, cooked fish, grains, veggies and fruit. Pretty easy for me to accomplish because it is the kind of diet my Corgi is on at present.

Also interestingly - shortness in a human is regarded as a benefit ie less risk of contracting several types of cancer. Tall dogs too have greater health risk factors than do most of the small breeds including of course, Corgis.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by Michael Romanos

Could this be similar for Corgis and other dog breeds?

I think so, and my favourite vet, Dr Dave, largely supports my contentions.

New factual evidence shows that inherited cancers, heart disease and diabetes are only a small proportion of cancers etc that people suffer from. These terrible diseases are largely the result of the environment and what we eat.

OVERWEIGHT iS NOW CONSIDERED VERY SIGNIFICANT.

Emphasis of food should be on fruit, veggies and whole grain and much less on RED meat, dairy products (milk, cheese etc) and fats.

The message for us Corgi owners is to ensure our Corgis are NOT OVERWEIGHT and to look at making the bulk of the meals we give our Corgis contains more of cooked chicken, cooked fish, grains, veggies and fruit. Pretty easy for me to accomplish because it is the kind of diet my Corgi is on at present.

Also interestingly - shortness in a human is regarded as a benefit ie less risk of contracting several types of cancer. Tall dogs too have greater health risk factors than do most of the small breeds including of course, Corgis.

I agree that people need to be more vigilant in keeping their dogs (corgis and any other dog) in good weight. The last 4 dogs I've taken into foster care have been over weight. Anywhere from 32 lbs for the female to 38 and 47 lbs. for the males. WAY too much weight for a corgi to be carrying.

Of course these dogs go on diets immediately when they arrive here. My experience has been once the weight is off they are more active and happier dogs.

Yes, being overweight carrys health risks for dogs as it does for people. And it is up to YOU as the owner to keep your dogs in good weight.

If your dog is overweight cut their daily ration of food. Give low calorie treats or at the very least give smaller treats. A dog does not need a whole buiscit to be happy. They are just as happy with a piece of that biscuit.

Many kibbles are chicken or turkey based now days so dogs are not even getting as much red meat as they used to. However remember that dogs are more carnivirous than we are and they need the meat. While some dogs can do well on a vegetarian diet (and I had one that ate Nature's Recipe Vegetarian, she was allergic to meat based foods), most do better on a meat based diet.

Also, IMO, it' not just the red meats or certain foods, but the additives in the food. Before or after processing. I think these chemicals add to our health risks.

IMO, you don't need to panic, but be aware of what you are feeding your dog. What's in his kibble and biscuits, and maybe feed him or her a bit less.

Peggy

[Michael Romanos]

Peggy - good points you make. But there is one point that escapes most people. I don't want to go into too much detail because it can go on forever. Simply to say that dogs in the wild state are great meat eaters because they have no or little choice. They take what they can get and they know little or nothing of grains etc, let alone a complete and balanced diet! There is still one group of wild dogs in South America whose main source of food is vegetables and they live perhaps better than do their meat-eating cousins.

[emory32211]

My Sam enjoyed finishing her first year on Pedigree dry puppy food. She has moved on to Pedigree dry weight maintenance and still enjoys her twice a day feedings. So far each feeding is 3/4's of a cup. This also seems to fit well with her Vet visits, healthy teeth, outdoor exercises and duties.

[Michael Romanos]

Some dry food is more fattening than others. That's not to say that a diet that requires less volume for a full meal is any more beneficial - apart of course from the cost ie less food per meal, less expensive. My Taylor gets three quarter of a standard cup of dry food a day but he does always get added supplements that take it up one cup or 1.25 cups. When I move on to Pro Plan next week, he will have to get a little less because half the dry food will be Performance -which is meant to compensate for the strenuous work put in by farm working dogs etc.