Why strays that hang around garbage dumps don't have skin problems?

Why strays that hang around garbage dumps don't have skin problems? Spend the next few weeks observing any stray dogs hanging around garbage dumps...why no skin problem. Also observe especially the wild dogs on Discovery Channel 12, or even on Channel 10 and 11...."man" all these wild dogs can be covered in mud...where got "bathe"...any skin problems? Remember seeing all those Australian dingos documentaries...wah lau their coat so beautiful and shiny....the Australian outback can be very dry and especially harsh for live animals...I remember watching in amusement how these dingos survived by catching rats...rats good to eat meh?...better then your dog food?********************************************* all those dogs described as above only got skin problem if they are injured through eg.....fights and accidents like falling into a rocky ditch...but mind you they can recover real fast..................WHY...why...why...think...th ink...think!!! I will leave this thread open for all all dog owners to put down why you think all those dogs who are supposedly at the lower rung of the animal kingdom can maintain healthy skin while your supposedly beloved, pampered and well taken care pets are always going to the vet for skin problem treatment. Please help keep thread going by contributing your reasons and hopefully we all can understand how to keep our pet heathy and skin problem- free!!!

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cause the dogs in their natural environment know what they are lacking in their body and know where to find the substance which is lacking in their body to consume to compensate it. dogs in captivity rely on their owners to feed them, not having a chance to find what the lack in their diet. they can't tell their owners what they need so in the end, show symptoms of what is lacking in their diet which the owner provides.

Natural sunlight and excercise also contribute to healthy dogs.


Just my 2 cents ~

Cannot lah, if dogs know nutrition and can select food for their nourishment they are more intelligent that human liao! I have my doubt on this theory.
Also hard to swallow is the opinion that poop eating dog is not getting the nutrients he needs.

I think the hint is in Kitsilano's post. It's more to do with the added chemicals - preservatives, colouring in commercially pack food.

Now ponder on all the reported benefits of a BARF diet.

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of course, but their basic instincts are to work for them to know what they can eat and what they cannot in order for them to stay healthy and fit, considering in the wild, the sick and weak will be picked off by the predators or even their own kind. if you notice, sometimes sick wild dogs actually munches on grass and some herbs, this shows that their basic instincts of knowing what will make them feel better is at work.

This is what I think lah....

The dogs we have are pampered by us. Humans domesticated the dog and they get pampered with loads of attention and pet products which are good for our dogs but too much can be bad.

If comparing our domestic pampered doggies to the wild dogs in Africa and Australia to the stray dogs in the city... well, it's different. Our domestic house dogs are pampered by us with dogfood, pet shampoo, etc and sometimes the chemicals in them can do more harm. Cheap dogfood can make dogs sick, pet shampoos strip the important protective oils in their skin if bath to often. These can lead to some skin problems in dogs.

If strays, they actually have skin problems, only some aren't visible to the naked eye because the stray dogs' inmune system is higher and tougher than our house dogs. A stray dog usually you won't see it suffer skin problems but if a house dog is put out to stray, they will get the problems much quicker than stray dogs. Why? Coz the immune system of our house dogs isn't strong enough. Imagine, our dogs bath in soap and water but the stray dogs bath in rain water, drain water, sludge water... nobody knows what they bath in but by close observation, strays love to sometimes sleep and roll on sand. This conditions their coat.

Wild dogs... they never get skin problems coz they do not bath like our dogs. Wild dogs bath in mud and dust, just like elephants, pigs and horses. Mud keeps the heat out, is a natural insect repellent and keeps away dry skin. Dust conditions the natural oils in the fur to keep it shinny. Their immune system is also high for they take in the whole animals that they eat. The wild dogs eat up the fur, bones, and organs to gain the nutrients they need. They also take in herbs and grass if they feel sick. The bacteria that the dogs get from eating the wild and raw meat boost the immune system in many ways.

I more inclined to believe the added chemicals - preservatives, colouring in commercially pack food is the root of all these evil skin conditions. Food by themselves unadulterated can't be that bad. The early domesticated dogs only feed on table scraps which is very much what they find in the garbage bins. It is already known that we humans too are bombarded by all the chemicals in our food and is detrimental to our health.

I also think hybrid vigor in the Mongrel contributes to a stronger dog. The concept of hybrid vigor assumes that a crossbred animal will be healthier than a purebred.

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if you say that purebreds are supposedly weaker than mongrels, then what of wolves and foxes ? aren't dogs domesticated from such animals ? chemicals in dog food now adds to the dogs having a weaker immune system of course, but you wont normally see wild dogs sourcing for plant protein. they only take in pure animal protein from their hunts.

why not suggest a diet which will help rid of these evil skin problems in domesticated dogs ?

No I didn't say "purebreds are supposedly weaker" BUT "crossbred animal will be healthier than a purebred" and I am quoting from genetic studies. There is a difference there. Of course the serious breeder who should have a certain understanding of genetics would be carrying out selective breeding. Among the steps undertaken would be crossbreeding. To the uninformed inbreeding is a NO NO but a knowledegeable breeder may inbreed certain stocks occasionally, but that's another subject.

Yes I've suggested BARF. I basically believe food that is fresh, natural and uncontaminated and unadulterated are best.

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