[franklin polk]

I have a pitbull\rottweiler he is 5mo. His coat is not shinning the way I think it should.

[labman]

What are you feeding him? I think I have seen more garbage on the net about kooky diets than anything else. Most dogs will thrive on most commercial chows. There isn't any diet all dogs will thrive on. At the worst, some dogs might look better with a table spoon of ordinary liquid cooking oil a day added to some of the cheaper chows.

You should be feeding a puppy chow now. Switching to an adult chow for the
Larger breeds at 4- 6 months, slows growth and helps develop sturdier
Joints.

Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest.
You should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them. Each dog is
Different. Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog
Must have its food adjusted to its individual needs. Here is a good illustrated guide, http://www.puppychow.com/products/po...condition.aspx

The dry dog foods are actually better for the dogs. It helps keep the teeth
Clean, and exercises the jaws and teeth. If you feed a complete dog chow, you
Shouldn't need to give the dog anything else. Various people foods may only
Add more calories without providing proper nourishment. Look at how many of
Us are too fat too. If you don't want to pay name brand prices look for
Certification of passing the AAFCO tests. Make any changes in diet slowly
Over about a week.

The premium, concentrated foods give you the assurance of a brand name. They
Produce a smaller, firmer stool that is easier to clean up. It is easier to
Maintain weight on a finicky eater. The lower cost foods may actually have
Lower fat and be better for your dog. Many dogs would enjoy eating the larger
Portions you have to feed.

A beautiful, shiny coat can mean a dog that has excess fat in its diet rather than a healthy dog.

Keeping baths to a minimum can help too. A good daily brushing with a soft bristled brush will keep odor away while allowing the dog's natural oil to keep its coat in top condition.

[doggie_poopie]

Labeling

The National Research Council (NRC) of the Academy of Sciences set the nutritional standards for pet food that were used by the pet food industry until the late 1980s. The NRC standards, which still exist and are being revised as of 2001, were based on purified diets, and required feeding trials for pet foods claimed to be "complete" and "balanced." The pet food industry found the feeding trials too restrictive and expensive, so AAFCO designed an alternate procedure for claiming the nutritional adequacy of pet food, by testing the food for compliance with "Nutrient Profiles." AAFCO also created "expert committees" for canine and feline nutrition, which developed separate canine and feline standards. While feeding trials can still be done, a standard chemical analysis may be also be used to determine if a food meets the profiles.

Chemical analysis, however, does not address the palatability, digestibility, or biological availability of nutrients in pet food. Thus it is unreliable for determining whether a food will provide an animal with sufficient nutrients.

To compensate for the limitations of chemical analysis, AAFCO added a "safety factor," which was to exceed the minimum amount of nutrients required to meet the complete and balanced requirements.

The digestibility and availability of nutrients is not listed on pet food labels.

Truth In Labeling Need Not Apply


I find it truly amazing what AAFCO (Assoc. of American Feed Control Officials) considers truthful labeling of animal foods. From their website, the stated goal of AAFCO is “... to provide a mechanism for developing and implementing uniform and equitable laws, regulations, standards and enforcement policies for regulating the manufacture, distribution and sale of animal feeds; resulting in safe, effective, and useful feeds.”

I take issue with certain terms in the above statement. Especially “safe”. I truly believe few animal feeds are “safe”.

Let's say that I decide to make my own dog food. I follow AAFCO’s testing protocols and then put a statement on the label reading “My food is made following AAFCO guidelines and must pass stringent
Testing." Sounds great! At least until we take a close look at the test guidelines. "The Testing Protocols For Providing An Unqualified Representation of Nutritional Adequacy For A Dog Or Cat Food" are
spelled out in the book, Official Publication, 1994, AAFCO, Inc.

For adult maintenance dog food to pass the AAFCO test:

* 8 dogs older than 1 yr. must start the test
* At start all dogs must be normal weight & health
* A blood test is to be taken from each dog at the start and finish of the test
* For 6 months, the dogs used must only eat the food being tested
* The dogs finishing the test must not lose more than 15% of their body weight
* During the test, none of the dogs used are to die or be removed because of nutritional causes
* 6 of the 8 dogs starting must finish the test.

That's all there is to it. No tests about other side effects from malnutrition or toxins. And two of my starting dogs can die. But my food is safe!

Companies that are proud of using non-rendered USDA human-grade meat are not allowed to say so on the label. If a company uses pre-stabilized fat they don’t have to list the stabilizer (usually ethoxyquin - a dangerous toxin not allowed in human food) on the label. Terms such as "meat", "meat meal" and "by-product meal" don’t tell us that this is usually from rendered meats from 4D animals (Dead, Dying, Diseased & Decayed). Or that only 50% of what goes into a rendering pot labeled “chicken” has
To be chicken. The rest can be anything from road kill to your beloved pet that was euthanized.

Many processed dog and horse feeds are no more than a way to sell agri-waste. So what can we do? Read labels and research company websites for those who use human-grade ingredients. Buy whole grains instead of highly processed foods for our horses. Consider feeding your dogs and cats fresh, raw meat, bones and vegetables. And last - but never least - demand that our state officials require better truth on animal food labels.