CORN IN DOG FOOD- GOOD OR BAD ?

[Bobby Vest]

I don't personally know if a dog can digest corn but I had a vet tell me that the dog food companies just used it for a filler. I do know you get a lot more stool if a dog food has corn in it. I also know a hog has a different digestive system than a dog or a person. I used to feed our hogs coal and they ate it like it was candy and they would grin at you after they ate it. I don't think a person or a dog can eat coal.

[DRamey]

I feed Pride orange bag. I can't remember how much corn it has but all dog feed has some corn. My hounds are slick as a whistle and I have fed it for 7 years. I go to the green bag during hot weather and have very little stool to clean up and nergy levels are high, and they dont' stop at every water hole so I know the sodium content is low. There's a discussion: sodium. If there's too much of that, they can't pass a water source.

[Alabama John]

For over 30 years all our dogs got to eat was left over cold grits and left over cornbread. Both are mainly corn with a little hog fat thrown in.
They got wormed once a year. They lived long lives!

Heck, they are just dogs, not humans!

[Bobby Vest]

John when you all called them ol dogs in did you go Suuuuuuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeee pig pig pig? LOL

[bucks better beagles]

GWYoung: You got it right my friend and it seems so simple. Corn is not all bad. A lot depends on the processing. If you have a kennel full of dogs, you would have to have good money to feed dogs a food without corn. Think protein. I have fed PMI for many years and never had a problem. Before it was PMI, it was made by Purina with the same recipe and I fed it then. No problems.

More important is exercise, plenty clean water, and proper care and attention to their health issues.

[Alabama John]

Bobby,

Folks on here forget your dogs help you get three or more feeding out of a bag of dog food than most beaglers! LOL

[wireman252]

I posted this question for input from fellow beaglers and I appreciate all input . Thank you.

The main reason for the question was because I noticed the feed I have used for five years now , seems to be treating my dogs differently. Buddy Boy 24-20. Never had problems until now. More stool, looser and lighter in color. Plus a house dog that scratches like he has fleas but doesn't( maybe allergies to corn). Occasionally will vomit foamy mess with no warning or gagging . A female beagle 6 yrs. old suddenly gets scabs on her ears and fore legs .This is after being laid up the last month because of deer season.

So I did some looking around and found info. on corn in dog food. The statement on the site was that corn is hard on a dog. May cause stool problems and may even cause skin irritations, like scabs or allergies , even after long periods of time.
They continued on corn stating that corn in any form , ground, middlings , and meal forms can have this effect.

Also learned a little about what the AAFCO makes the dog food companies adhere to . Not quite what I thought. For instance if ingredients state meat by-products, this could mean " anything off the floor such as blood , hides , hooves ,entrails ect. " it also stated that some foods have used road kill animals and euthenized cats and dogs. Not sure what to make of it all,but for me the proof is what I see. My dogs are not looking sick or under fed just noticed the stool being the biggest change and the two dogs (one of which is a house pet ) with skin problems.
I'll be trying a different food for sure. Just got to watch the price. I agree with the previous statement that they are dogs not humans. They wont eat better than me, but I will make sure they are in good health.

[Freeman Beagles]

Dog food companies are constantly changing formulas for their dog food. There are a lot of Brands that used to be good but now they are not worth feeding. Enhance dog food has just done this when they were bought out by another company. The formula was changed and the price jumped up. The dog food quality went down. This seems to be the trend these companies are going. We all have to search for the right dog food that will work in the areas where we live. What works for one kennel might not work for another.

[AlabamaSwamper]

Don't matter, never seen a feed that didn't have corn that was affordable.

[bucks better beagles]

Yes, Alabama has it right again. If you feed 6 or more dogs and are on a rather fixed income, you have to be able to afford the dog food plus all the other costs. That is when it is important to make the right choice. Now, if you only have 1 or 2, keep them in house where scraps are available, or can afford whatever you want, then there are many great foods out there. Corn is about the least expensive source of protein out there. It is a staple that feeds the world and sweetens just about everything we eat. In of of itself, it is not bad. There are simply many other things that influence dog food excellence and most of them are not regulated by any agency.

[mybeagles]

Corn is a protein source yes, but if they dont digest but 10% of it, how much protein are they actually getting? If 50% of the protein source is corn, then your digestable protein just went down on a 26/18 bag from 26% to about 15%.

[

b]For over 30 years all our dogs got to eat was left over cold grits and left over cornbread. Both are mainly corn with a little hog fat thrown in.
They got wormed once a year. They lived long lives![/b]

Ive talked to several of those 70 and 80 year old guys that fed corn bred, but those same guys thought it a shame to inbreed a dog. Now we have the inbred vigor and no one can keep them healthy with $30 a bag food.......

Mybeagles

[Bobby Vest]

I'm not really sure about dogs but every thing I eat turns to crap any way.

[Bobby Vest]

My beagles I'm not trying to start a riff but they have been linebreeding them since way before my time and that's been a while.

[LR Patch]

Bobby IMO your 1/2 right ,

My beagles I'm not trying to start a riff but they have been linebreeding them since way before my time and that's been a while.

The smarter one's were

[Bobby Vest]

Randy I agree, if some of the people could see the pedigrees on some of their dogs all the way back to the late 1800's they would be amazed at how tight some of them were bred. But I also know it's not for everyone and so be it.