Canine Cuisine

[Rickshaw swami 4,577]

This time of year I warm the chicken hearts in a slower cooker as it's too cold to thaw.

 

 

[comanche 3,345]

On 16/11/2025 at 19:18, THE STIFFMEISTER said:

I didn’t know he was into running dogs mate , I thought heel was class in the firm but his best work is in Dracula 

Big fan of the BARF diet apparently 

[comanche 3,345]

12 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

Not to be too critical but feeding raw and kibble in the same bowl was always a big no no.....completely different digestion times etc.

And the British Isles producing more working dogs than anywhere....wow thats a bold statement couldnt agree there.

What's  wrong with different digestion times?

 

[comanche 3,345]

5 hours ago, Rickshaw swami said:

I appreciate constructive criticism of my diet which is why I posted it.If some one can improve it I'm glad to listen.As far as feeding raw and kibble together the vast majority of Iditarod mushers feed meat with a little kibble.

I don't  get the idea that it's wrong to feed mixer and meat due to                 " different  times" either .

Every item of food is going to have a different  digestion time . Probably even greater  in so called natural  feeding.

I've always though that mix is good because the dog's digestive system  gets used to coping with variety. Come the day  meat is short so a bit more biscuit , an extra egg ,tin of mackerel  or weird  table scraps go onto the mix the gut fauna won't blink an eye .

I'm blessed with what  l can feed my dogs now ,and for very little money.     In the past there have been times when both me and the critters have had to share a tin of baked beans and a bit of toast buttered with lard.

[gnasher16 31,655]

On 20/12/2025 at 01:26, Rickshaw swami said:

I appreciate constructive criticism of my diet which is why I posted it.If some one can improve it I'm glad to listen.As far as feeding raw and kibble together the vast majority of Iditarod mushers feed meat with a little kibble.

I remember the Mushing magazine back years ago it was a great source of learning a lot of the old bulldog conditioners would write articles for it....there was always controversy about feeding raw and kibble together a lot of the mushing crowd felt it was fine as their dogs were only working once per day,plus they was feeding 12 odd dogs at a time so was cheaper and served as a soup it was better for hydration," Gruel " i think they called it.....also during long runs they would offer frozen meat snacks for the high calories which obviously you wouldnt do with bulldogs in keep.....different dogs for different jobs requiring different grub needs i guess.

[gnasher16 31,655]

On 20/12/2025 at 06:42, comanche said:

What's  wrong with different digestion times?

 

Nothing if you are only working a dog once per day but when a dogs digestive tract converts food to energy it uses proteins called enzymes which although are also found in the stomach they are actually released from the dogs pancreas at the very end of the digestion process meaning food digested at different times produces energy at different times and who wants to work a dog hard that hasnt fully completed the digestion process......a dogs stomach doesnt just digest food it also protects from harmful bacteria/organisms by secreting acid from its walls,ideally this acid stays at a ph of around 2 when feeding meat....an enzyme called Pepsin is responsible for breaking down protein into amino acids and Pepsin is only released at a stomach ph of less than 2......kibble fed with meat together raises the ph above 2 hence slower/different digestion times which if you are working a dog several times per day is obviously no good.

[THE STIFFMEISTER 17,917]

20 minutes ago, gnasher16 said:

Nothing if you are only working a dog once per day but when a dogs digestive tract converts food to energy it uses proteins called enzymes which although are also found in the stomach they are actually released from the dogs pancreas at the very end of the digestion process meaning food digested at different times produces energy at different times and who wants to work a dog hard that hasnt fully completed the digestion process......a dogs stomach doesnt just digest food it also protects from harmful bacteria/organisms by secreting acid from its walls,ideally this acid stays at a ph of around 2 when feeding meat....an enzyme called Pepsin is responsible for breaking down protein into amino acids and Pepsin is only released at a stomach ph of less than 2......kibble fed with meat together raises the ph above 2 hence slower/different digestion times which if you are working a dog several times per day is obviously no good.

f***ing he’ll and you Go on about being an “oik from the estate” 

that’s genuinely a very well put informative post . Cheers 

[gnasher16 31,655]

9 minutes ago, THE STIFFMEISTER said:

f***ing he’ll and you Go on about being an “oik from the estate” 

that’s genuinely a very well put informative post . Cheers 

hahaha i was totally obsessive years ago about conditioning bulldogs and physiology i would ask the top conditioners around the world stuff and read everything i could on the subject, its just stuck over time.......still an oik off the estate i just know a few 4 syllable words now thats all 

[comanche 3,345]

18 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

Nothing if you are only working a dog once per day but when a dogs digestive tract converts food to energy it uses proteins called enzymes which although are also found in the stomach they are actually released from the dogs pancreas at the very end of the digestion process meaning food digested at different times produces energy at different times and who wants to work a dog hard that hasnt fully completed the digestion process......a dogs stomach doesnt just digest food it also protects from harmful bacteria/organisms by secreting acid from its walls,ideally this acid stays at a ph of around 2 when feeding meat....an enzyme called Pepsin is responsible for breaking down protein into amino acids and Pepsin is only released at a stomach ph of less than 2......kibble fed with meat together raises the ph above 2 hence slower/different digestion times which if you are working a dog several times per day is obviously no good.

I can see your point of view  but in your earlier post you said feeding mixed foods was " a complete no no" .    When really it's  more a question of timing .  

[gnasher16 31,655]

On 24/12/2025 at 19:08, comanche said:

I can see your point of view  but in your earlier post you said feeding mixed foods was " a complete no no" .    When really it's  more a question of timing .  

Its not a question of timing when you are working a dog more than once per day.....theres only 24 hours in a day,raw food takes on average 3 - 5 hours to digest,kibble takes an average 9 - 11 hours to digest.

One of the main differences regards digestion times is the starch content....raw food contains very little starch usually 15% or less whereas kibbles are often 50 - 60% starch,even grain free kibbles....starch is what holds kibbles together its a processed filler whereas in raw food its a minor component from natural sources.

Feeding raw and kibble together is fine if its just a pet dog or one not working hard....but a working/sporting dog should be given every chance to show itself at its best physical potential in my opinion,and that isnt with a belly full of food. 

[leegreen 2,319]

Dogs don't have a lot going on in life and that is even if they are going out most days. I feel that their food is the most important thing a dog owner can do for their dogs. Variation is key not only to a healthy dog, but a happy dog.

I feed my dogs on a mainly raw diet and I give varied kibble, just to keep it interesting. They get tripe, trout heads and frames. plenty venison, chicken frames wings and necks, thighs and legs, if I'm flush. 

I also like to spoil my dogs, whenever I can. Things like gravy, cooking juices if I don't use them, things that add variety to their grub. Tonight they had left over brussels, carrots, cauliflower and leftover chicken pie. The later would never of reached their lips, but it had been in the fridge from well before Christmas. I blended it all with hot water and added to decent kibble (well "Time Professional"). Healthy junk food for dogs.

After all that, one of my little black dogs fecked off and found some of 2 buckets of large trout frames I chucked out on Christmas Eve. The little feck, had me worried for her well being and came back smelling of fish 

[leegreen 2,319]

On 24/12/2025 at 00:30, gnasher16 said:

Nothing if you are only working a dog once per day but when a dogs digestive tract converts food to energy it uses proteins called enzymes which although are also found in the stomach they are actually released from the dogs pancreas at the very end of the digestion process meaning food digested at different times produces energy at different times and who wants to work a dog hard that hasn't fully completed the digestion process......a dogs stomach doesn't just digest food it also protects from harmful bacteria/organisms by secreting acid from its walls,ideally this acid stays at a ph of around 2 when feeding meat....an enzyme called Pepsin is responsible for breaking down protein into amino acids and Pepsin is only released at a stomach ph of less than 2......kibble fed with meat together raises the ph above 2 hence slower/different digestion times which if you are working a dog several times per day is obviously no good.

I think most dogs on here are lucky if they are worked once a day, let alone several times and some lucky if once a week. Then there is the wheneven they can be bothered cnuts.

Regarding the pepsin/enzyme thing. Is one of the reasons I feed tripe as often as I can. It's hard to get hold of it at a decent price nowadays. I try to feed as often as I can, at least 2/3 times a week.