# I really need to vent :/



## BaileysMum (Nov 2, 2011)

/sigh

Okay so I feel like, my parents think I'm crazy... I was talking about getting a dehydrator to make my own treats and my mom went off the deep end... saying stuff like "Why would you buy a dehydrator for a dog this big to make your own treats when you can go to petsmart and buy them.. blah blah blah". I even showed her the information on the recalls and she kept going on and on about how it was stupid. I feel like I'm up against a brick wall here, I just want what is best for Bailey and don't want her to get sick and it seems like my mom is on the page of "they are animals not humans, why make them human food" :foxes15::foxes15: She even thinks I'm crazy for spending as much as I do on ZP. If it were up to her Bailey would be on Medical or Nutromax. NOT happening. I guess what I'm getting at is.. what treats can I give Bailey that are safe, without getting a dehydrator for jerkies?


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Denise, I feel your pain my love, hang in there!
You can get bully sticks and dehydrated liver or salmon treats.
You don't need to give treats often, you already feed a really great
food that is as tasty as a treat. ZP has treats too, you can try those.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Oh I know exactly how you feel. My parents are in the same mindset of "it's just a dog" and their two dogs are overweight with long nails and they stink and have greasy coats and shed like crazy and they are fed beneful or purina one. My mom thought she was doing a great UPGRADE by buying purina one last time instead of beneful. OMG.  

I have talked to them and they just don't understand. Nor do they want to understand. They even say mean things like "did your dog eat prime rib tonight and you have hot dogs?" lol. 

They just don't get it. I have quit trying to change them. People have to be open minded or they just won't get it. 

So for healthy treats.... you can boil chicken breast and give tiny pea sized pieces for treats. Just keep little chunks in a baggy in the freeze and pull out when you need a treat. You can do the same with beef, turkey, etc. Fresh pet makes a food in a tube in the fridge section of grocery stores and also pet stores. That's a good treat. Just pinch off a little piece. Most dogs really like it. Most pet stores have dehydrated liver treats. Those are good. Just give a tiny bit though. I've even heard of some people using cheerios for treats if you aren't opposed to grains.


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## BaileysMum (Nov 2, 2011)

~LS~ said:


> Denise, I feel your pain my love, hang in there!
> You can get bully sticks and dehydrated liver or salmon treats.
> You don't need to give treats often, you already feed a really great
> food that is as tasty as a treat. ZP has treats too, you can try those.


Yeah, I have dehydrated chicken treats that she loves. Don't really trust the brand though, so once they are gone, I'll be getting something I trust. She does love her food though! That is one thing I am standing my ground on. I do NOT want to feed her kibble. It just bugs me is all. She is MY dog why can't i buy what I want for her!! The other thing, my mom feeds the cat the temptation treats crap and I find her feeding them to Bailey. Drives me insane cause I don't want her to have them!! They don't seem that good to me


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## Wawies (Jan 23, 2012)

Parents are like that, my mom thinks im crazy also for treating them like they are human, she says i treat my dogs better then i treat them(probably so) , but our pooches cant do things like an adult can. They cant feed themselves, they need us, they cant talk and ask for things. We all want whats best for our baby's , they love us and we love them, so why not give them the best? When we have children(human ones) we always want the best for them, our doggies r like our children so why not spoil them? Ur not crazy everyone in this forum will agree that we all want the best for our babys. Ive been thinking about making treats myself also, specially like u said so many recalls, so much fake crap and bad things go into store bought treats. I used 2 be so un-educated on what went into the "so called treats from the stores" , now i do research on everything i feed them. If i research a product and see bad reviews on it i wont buy that crap. Dehydrated treats are used by many here, we cook for ourselves and family so why not do it for our pooches.


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## BaileysMum (Nov 2, 2011)

Brodysmom said:


> Oh I know exactly how you feel. My parents are in the same mindset of "it's just a dog" and their two dogs are overweight with long nails and they stink and have greasy coats and shed like crazy and they are fed beneful or purina one. My mom thought she was doing a great UPGRADE by buying purina one last time instead of beneful. OMG.
> 
> I have talked to them and they just don't understand. Nor do they want to understand. They even say mean things like "did your dog eat prime rib tonight and you have hot dogs?" lol.
> 
> ...



My parents are the exact same! Although, I did convince her to put her cat on Innova if she was going to kibble feed! She still feeds the other crap once in awhile though. I will boil some chicken breast for treats though that sounds like a good idea!! I think she is allergic to grain cause when I had her on Innova she would scratch non stop, so I don't want to try the cheerios, thanks for all the ideas though! 

Edited to add: What your mom says about prime rib and hot dogs, I would totally do that as well. LOL


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

BaileysMum said:


> My parents are the exact same! Although, I did convince her to put her cat on Innova if she was going to kibble feed! She still feeds the other crap once in awhile though. I will boil some chicken breast for treats though that sounds like a good idea!! I think she is allergic to grain cause when I had her on Innova she would scratch non stop, so I don't want to try the cheerios, thanks for all the ideas though!
> 
> Edited to add: What your mom says about prime rib and hot dogs, I would totally do that as well. LOL


Yeah, you can really cook any meat you want and use it for treats. Just little pea sized pieces for training, etc. Cheaper than store bought and better because you control what is in it. 

My parents definitely don't get it. Last time I was up there, my dad wanted to know what SHAMPOO I used to get Brody so shiny. Duh. It's not the shampoo, it's health from the inside out. :foxes15:


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## BaileysMum (Nov 2, 2011)

Wawies said:


> Parents are like that, my mom thinks im crazy also for treating them like they are human, she says i treat my dogs better then i treat them(probably so) , but our pooches cant do things like an adult can. They cant feed themselves, they need us, they cant talk and ask for things. We all want whats best for our baby's , they love us and we love them, so why not give them the best? When we have children(human ones) we always want the best for them, our doggies r like our children so why not spoil them? Ur not crazy everyone in this forum will agree that we all want the best for our babys. Ive been thinking about making treats myself also, specially like u said so many recalls, so much fake crap and bad things go into store bought treats. I used 2 be so un-educated on what went into the "so called treats from the stores" , now i do research on everything i feed them. If i research a product and see bad reviews on it i wont buy that crap. Dehydrated treats are used by many here, we cook for ourselves and family so why not do it for our pooches.


That is just it! I have no human babies, so Bailey is my baby! I call her my first born . The last dog we had, we got when I was 8 as a family pet. She died 2 years ago of diabetes and I never really did research on what was good for her or not. Now that I have been researching, I blame myself for her getting diabetes . Tracy gave some wonderful treat ideas that I will try. I don't need a dehydrator for them either!


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## BaileysMum (Nov 2, 2011)

Brodysmom said:


> Yeah, you can really cook any meat you want and use it for treats. Just little pea sized pieces for training, etc. Cheaper than store bought and better because you control what is in it.
> 
> My parents definitely don't get it. Last time I was up there, my dad wanted to know what SHAMPOO I used to get Brody so shiny. Duh. It's not the shampoo, it's health from the inside out. :foxes15:


LOL at shampoo making his coat the way it is! Definitely not! I would go all the way to feeding raw, but my parents would probably admit me to a mental hospital, white coat and all, alas... I'm feeding the second best. My mom is always wondering why Bailey is at the right weight and body proportions for her age and the kitten (a week older than Bay) is getting chunky... She doesn't believe me its from the kibble! :foxes15::foxes15::foxes15::foxes15: I almost wish they weren't allowed to sell kibble anymore but that will never happen


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## CHITheresa (Apr 30, 2011)

I have same problem with my husband...


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## BaileysMum (Nov 2, 2011)

CHITheresa said:


> I have same problem with my husband...


They need to just let us be so we can have healthy and happy pups


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## pastel (Jan 12, 2012)

To be honest, I get the feeling I care more about my dog's food than mind sometimes 
That said, I think especially the older generations aren't as open minded and internet savvy so they don't bother to do the research themselves, and all they see is us "wasting" money while they're being "brainwashed" by commercials who tell them beneful is a "great" pet food, and it's a quarter of a price of ZP or other foods such as those.


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## BaileysMum (Nov 2, 2011)

pastel said:


> To be honest, I get the feeling I care more about my dog's food than mind sometimes
> That said, I think especially the older generations aren't as open minded and internet savvy so they don't bother to do the research themselves, and all they see is us "wasting" money while they're being "brainwashed" by commercials who tell them beneful is a "great" pet food, and it's a quarter of a price of ZP or other foods such as those.


That is totally correct. I do care more about Baileys food than mine. I want her to live longer than my last dog did and I know that will only happen with good nutrition and diet


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

If you do feed Bailey bits of boiled chicken, really follow what Tracy said and don't give more than pea size. My Lulu weighed 5lbs 10ozs the first of January when I changed her to a homemade diet of boiled chicken, brown rice, carrots, and green beans, and apples. I stopped it because she started itching really bad so I knew she must be alergic to either the chicken or brown rice, but she put on so much weight that I could really tell when I picked her up but I never weighed her. I switched her to Merrick canned food (she just would not eat a raw food diet-I tried) and I thought she lost alot of weight judging by holding her. I had her weighed today and she weighed 6lbs 1 oz--still big to me. Moral to the story--tiny bits of chicken or it will put on weight.


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## Wawies (Jan 23, 2012)

U kno, i understand how u blame urself, i say this with tears in my eyes cause i blame myself for losing my peanut and my freeda, but its not our faults, we do what we can and god decides when its time to go. But we still blame ourselves, there is always the "what if i knew, or what if i cuold of done more, or did i do enough"? trust me im still blaming myself although deep inside i know there was nothing more i could of done...U are ur babys momma, u know whats best for ur chi. and its not ur fault that ur pooch died from diabetes.  never blame urself, "ill try 2 take my own advice", im haing a crying spell cause im opening up, but venting is good. if u ever feel like venting 2 me feel free. Hugs**By the way the lil cooked chicken bites sounds like a delish treat, i need 2 try it 2.



BaileysMum said:


> That is just it! I have no human babies, so Bailey is my baby! I call her my first born . The last dog we had, we got when I was 8 as a family pet. She died 2 years ago of diabetes and I never really did research on what was good for her or not. Now that I have been researching, I blame myself for her getting diabetes . Tracy gave some wonderful treat ideas that I will try. I don't need a dehydrator for them either!


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Laura & Denise, group hug please! 
I can relate, I always find a way to blame myself for not doing enough, when it
comes to any death, be it human or animal. Feel like I should have done more,
truth is, life happens...


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## BaileysMum (Nov 2, 2011)

Wawies said:


> U kno, i understand how u blame urself, i say this with tears in my eyes cause i blame myself for losing my peanut and my freeda, but its not our faults, we do what we can and god decides when its time to go. But we still blame ourselves, there is always the "what if i knew, or what if i cuold of done more, or did i do enough"? trust me im still blaming myself although deep inside i know there was nothing more i could of done...U are ur babys momma, u know whats best for ur chi. and its not ur fault that ur pooch died from diabetes.  never blame urself, "ill try 2 take my own advice", im haing a crying spell cause im opening up, but venting is good. if u ever feel like venting 2 me feel free. Hugs**By the way the lil cooked chicken bites sounds like a delish treat, i need 2 try it 2.


I know deep down there was nothing else that I could do, but I just always think what if I fed her better.. Would she still be alive?? She was only 12, she could definitely still be alive right now. I still miss her so much, Bailey definitely eases that though and I love her . I just want to make sure I learn from my mistakes and give her the best nutrition and life possible so that she does live longer than 12.



~LS~ said:


> Laura & Denise, group hug please!
> I can relate, I always find a way to blame myself for not doing enough, when it
> comes to any death, be it human or animal. Feel like I should have done more,
> truth is, life happens...


Yes I agree life happens, BUT she was 12, and I truly believe had she been given the right nutrition, she would still be with us today  Sad but true


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## pastel (Jan 12, 2012)

BaileysMum said:


> Yes I agree life happens, BUT she was 12, and I truly believe had she been given the right nutrition, she would still be with us today  Sad but true


You really can't blame yourself, some dogs live up to 15+ on terrible diets and no one knows how, while some dogs just don't. Kind of like people I guess. Health conscious people sometimes die early, while a chain smoker sometimes lives past 100 years old.


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## Mel's chi's (Jun 2, 2011)

Another homemade treat idea is to get hotdogs ( nitrate free if you can find them, and the all meat--no extra junk kind). Cut them in half longways then cut into small pieces. They will look like 1/2 moons. Put them in the oven or microwave until crisp. Makes a great training treat/small treat and healthy


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## BaileysMum (Nov 2, 2011)

pastel said:


> You really can't blame yourself, some dogs live up to 15+ on terrible diets and no one knows how, while some dogs just don't. Kind of like people I guess. Health conscious people sometimes die early, while a chain smoker sometimes lives past 100 years old.


Yeah you have a point there. I just wish my parents would let me do what I want with my dog. I let them be with their cat!! Heck if I had it my way kitty would be on ZP too but I'm not allowed to "feed her that expensive money wasting junk"


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## pastel (Jan 12, 2012)

BaileysMum said:


> Yeah you have a point there. I just wish my parents would let me do what I want with my dog. I let them be with their cat!! Heck if I had it my way kitty would be on ZP too but I'm not allowed to "feed her that expensive money wasting junk"


Alas, the kitty always gets shifted LoL


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## pastel (Jan 12, 2012)

Mel's chi's said:


> Another homemade treat idea is to get hotdogs ( nitrate free if you can find them, and the all meat--no extra junk kind). Cut them in half longways then cut into small pieces. They will look like 1/2 moons. Put them in the oven or microwave until crisp. Makes a great training treat/small treat and healthy


wow, i'm gonna try that!


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## Barneys_Mom99 (Nov 27, 2011)

The dehydrator isn't necessary to make cool treats, but if you want one, could you buy it yourself? They can have their opinions, but so can you.


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## DKT113 (Nov 26, 2011)

You can "blame" your parents so's, etc. for not allowing you a dehydrator, but if you have a grocer / meat market access to veggies and a small amount of cash on hand for things not grown / person to shop for you if you are unable you really can't blame them above for not being able to supply healthy treats for your dog~ dehydrated or not. A dehydrator isn't necessary. Dehydrators really just came about recently and folks have dehydrated things for years, literally thousands of them, before you could walk into WalMart / Tesco and purchase a unit. If you take a quick second and google you will be amazed at what you can find out about doing so without a dehydrator.


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## BaileysMum (Nov 2, 2011)

Barneys_Mom99 said:


> The dehydrator isn't necessary to make cool treats, but if you want one, could you buy it yourself? They can have their opinions, but so can you.


Yeah I definatley have my own money so that isn't the issue! I won't buy one, I'll just give her pea size amounts of what Tracy suggested


DKT113 said:


> You can "blame" your parents so's, etc. for not allowing you a dehydrator, but if you have a grocer / meat market access to veggies and a small amount of cash on hand for things not grown / person to shop for you if you are unable you really can't blame them above for not being able to supply healthy treats for your dog~ dehydrated or not. A dehydrator isn't necessary. Dehydrators really just came about recently and folks have dehydrated things for years, literally thousands of them, before you could walk into WalMart / Tesco and purchase a unit. If you take a quick second and google you will be amazed at what you can find out about doing so without a dehydrator.


Yep, I already made her a bunch of treats in the oven and on the stove this morning, while watching my parents roll their eyes


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## pastel (Jan 12, 2012)

BaileysMum said:


> Yep, I already made her a bunch of treats in the oven and on the stove this morning, while watching my parents roll their eyes


haha awesome!


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