new research debunks trad views on nutrition

[Geena]

Dogs who look like 'dogs' rather than ??? tend to be much healthier generally. BUT the canine genome is pretty tight overall, and individual breeds are even more inbred, so genetic issues come up way more often. And selecting for traits not compatible with health, as pushed in faces, bulging eyes, dwarfism, and giantism, all unhelpful.
And difficulties that turn up in middle age, like heart problems, for example, are harder to select against in breeding programs.
And mutts often have the same problems as their parents!
Neutering early is now considered a problem in some breeds, and I'm not totally convinced that the very common issue of obesity/ overweight isn't more of a factor here too.
Years ago Purina did a lifetime study of litters of Labradors, with half of several litters fed differently.
Half were kept thin but NOT malnourished, and the others were closer to full fed.
The thin dogs lived two years longer, and had (as I remember) 90% fewer joint problems over their lifetimes.
Probably this study can still be found online... I read it in a veterinary journal.
Mary

I agree, the same seems to hold true for humans and I would imagine other animals as well. Studies suggest that a calorie restricted diet in humans can lead to better health and a longer life.

https://newscenter.purina.com/LifeSpanStudy

https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/calorie-restriction-and-fasting-diets-what-do-we-know

 

[Canadian Wind]

I don't trust anything from Purina. Their food made my cat sick, and the prescription food I was given was from them. I found this very hypocritical and have since refused to buy anything from them. Same goes for most of the 'big name' feeds.

 

[Folly's place]

This study was not about their diets!

 

[Paz]

Hi

Within the limits of those caveats, its my impression and weakly held opinion (absent much evidence) that the push for early spaying of our pets has contributed to the development of numerous health related maladies, at least.

and the pioneers did it with much physical labor, greatly uncertain outcomes, and frequent subsistence living - the differences are unimaginable to most living in the modern era.

our stupid government wanted to pass a law, according to which all dogs must be neutered before 12 weeks old.

 

[Paz]

Purina started researching dog nutrition and introduced it's first dog food in the 1920's. When I was a teenager in the 1960's nobody used homemade dog food. But, the norm was canned dog food instead of kibble.

In my country, according to my father, dog feed became norm somewhen around the 1990’s

 

[Sally PB]

and I... like Mutts.

Mutts are the best, agreed.

I still have a soft spot in my heart for Dobermans, having had two. Both girls were wonderful companions.

 

[Folly's place]

Dobermans are tricky too: cardiomyopathy and hepatitis.
And our one mutt, years ago, dropped dead of a rare heart condition at about 4 years of age. Not a good day! And I wonder if he had many old relatives?
Our longest lived dog, a GSHPointer, had many old relatives when we visited his breeder. Genetics are a wonderful thing!
Since then we've adopted rescue dogs with no history, an entirely different thing.
Mary

 

[Sally PB]

Dobermans are tricky too: cardiomyopathy and hepatitis.

Our first Dobe died of cancer at age 12. The second, heart disease just shy of 10.

We will probably have rescues/mutts from here on.

Really, someone needs to breed for longevity in dogs.

 

[Folly's place]

Ten and twelve years age pretty good for any large breed dog! Our best, that much missed GSHP, hit 14, in part because of chemo and radiation for his bone cancer. So worth it for him! Second oldest was one of our Chessies, aged 13.
Little dogs tend to live longer, but we haven't had little dogs...
Mary

 

[Perris]

can those of you who want to talk about canines / genetics please start a new thread on it. This one is about nutrition.