There are so many neh sayers out there that will argue black and blue that people food are not good for dogs.
I put this theory to the test. I have been feeding my pooch, my happy "little" bouvier a holistic food. Nothing but natural ingredients for this dog. He did very well on it. Then one day I realized oh no I'm outta dog food. I figured, well I'll go to the store after my visit with my mother.
So as any normal child does to their parents, I raided her fridge and freezer. I already knew what was in there, she does the same groceries since I was a kid and not to mention I check out her fridge weekly.
But on this particular day, I went through her freezer and realized my mother had a ton of freezer burnt food. This got my wheels turning. I did some research and found out that there is although its freezer burnt it can still be consumed. Much like an oxidized apple, there's nothing significantly wrong with it, it just looks discolored and has a burnt taste. So with that tid bid of comfort I went home and made Magnus a giant stew.
A mountain of meat out of my mother's freezer combined with potatoes, carrots, apples, asparagus, onion, garlic....needless to say he loved it.
Low and behold....that night...no gas. First time in months we weren't dealing with dog gas.
So he went through the stew and we bought him his dog food. That's right gas was back....so bad....I assumed it was the change in food. All of a sudden he was more hungry, and seemed depressed. So I decided to try him with stew again, no gas, and he was happy and playful again.
While reflecting on this little experiment I really looked at how food affects my mood and energy. I know that when I fall off the wagon I'm miserable with no energy and constantly hungry as well.
So watching my dog go through the same mood swings and energy levels as I do with I don't eat well, was a reminder for me at how crucial nutritious food is.
I fall off the wagon, I'm human. I enjoy all the same as everyone else.....chocolate, ice cream, pizza etc.....but like everyone else the only place that food get me is the couch.
Cost is always a major factor people, myself included. Eating clean is not cheap.
So here are a few tips to help aid the pocket book:
On flyer day, so every Friday I go to Sobeys. Most of their meat is 50% off. Yes it's within a few of expiry, but who in all honesty can say that the meat they buy doesn't go in the freezer for potentially months or weeks at a time.
Price match, the best thing since sliced bread. There are grocery stores that offer less the quality foods, but at very attractive prices. Well most grocery stores, even the "expensive" ones will price match. Bring in the competitors flyers and they will meet the sale price.
Last but not least, coupons. .50 cents here and there may not seem a lot but at the end of the month it really adds up. Think about a trip to the dollar store. The mentality is "it's only a dollar" in the end, its $40.00 later. So coupons work out the same way.
So moral of the story, there are ways around the expense, and just remember the quality of life is worth it.