Help Needed! Nosy Neighbor

[Taylor]

So recently we met one of our neighbors who has a small jack russel terrier. Our dogs don't get along (Charlotte doesn't like small dogs and this one is very nippy), so usually we just pass quickly or we'll make small talk if one of us is without the dog.

Yesterday he asked me where I buy her dog food and what she eats. So I told him she's on Fromm and where we get it from. He told me his dog is on a "new" diet of strictly raw horse meat. Nothing else. Just canned raw horse meat.

Now this sets off red flags to me, because even if you're going grain free you should still feel veggies and fruits for nutritional requirements right? And horse meat is so lean there's the issue of "rabbit starvation" aka protein poisoning...If anyone here feeds horse meat I'm sure it's part of a balanced raw diet and I'm not criticizing that.

But anyway, I'm not one to tell others what they should/shouldn't do without them asking for advice, so I just let this go and then of course he suggested we try it. No, strongly pushed me into it. I told him I wasn't really interested, I just got Char switched over to Fromm, she loves it, if it's not broke don't fix it, tried to beat around the bush yada yada. He kept insisting this diet is so amazing for his dog, so I told him maybe I'd look into it next time I'm at the store.

So today apparently he ran into my boyfriend on the way out of the building, convinced him to come up to his apartment so he could give us a can to try with Charlotte. At first I thought this was a really generous act, and I felt bad that he probably spent decent money on this food and I'm not going to feed it to my dog. But then when I thought it over, I started to feel angry. I thought I expressed that I wasn't interested in this diet, and I feel like he's pushing his views onto me. Almost being forceful about it? Maybe I'm over reacting.

Now here is my main issue: What do I do?
I read the can and it actually says on it "horse meat is a great supplement to any diet but should not be fed exclusively" I've been googling horse meat diets and nothing good is coming up...
I know I'm not going to feed this to Charlotte, but now I feel an obligation to correct my neighbor before he kills his dog with poor nutrition. Mike (boyfriend) thinks we need to just let it go, lie and tell him we tried the food and Charlotte didn't like it, and that's the end of it. I feel like I need to explain to him the dangers of this ridiculous diet and help him out...suggestions?

 

[LariP]

Honesty is always the best policy. Tell him you read up on it and you don't feel it's in Charlotte's best interest. Give him the can back and if anywhere on the can it says the supplement thing highlight or circle in red.

 

[Taylor]

[MENTION=983]LariP[/MENTION] thanks, I feel the same. It's going to be awkward, but I'd rather be honest. Hopefully I see him soon, it'll be even weirder if its a week or two before I run into him again

 

[Sherry]

my thought, if he's someone you're going to run into often, better off left down softly. Thanks but no thanks. I don't think I'd go into my true feelings or thoughts. Not everyones the same and he could actually take offence to it since he seems to feel so strongly about this "amazing new diet" he found. Good luck and let me know how it went.

 

[2BullyMama]

Honesty is always the best policy. Tell him you read up on it and you don't feel it's in Charlotte's best interest. Give him the can back and if anywhere on the can it says the supplement thing highlight or circle in red.

Perfect... it is what I would do.

 

[Davidh]

Ya I think I'd tell him thanks but no thanks and then point out it is a supplement to there regular diet.

 

[GatorRay]

Ok, I wouldn't feed it, period. One, horse meat? Ok, MAYBE that is a viable option for dogs if it is fresh and raw (still wouldn't do it) but certainly not in a can.

I would actually tell him thank you very much but it doesn't fit into the way you feed your dog. You can nicely say that you noticed it said for supplement only and ask what he adds to his dog's diet (act like you are genuinely curious).

Just FYI, when on a raw diet of meat, organs, fish oil, and bones, fruits and veggies are totally unnecessary

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

 

[kazzy220]

I'm such a coward and avoid any confrontation .. I would probably avoid neighbour at all costs, and IF I happened to bump into him say that my bully had such a huge allergic reaction to horse ...pooping and vomiting etc ... so I couldn't possibly contine giving them it!!!

 

[PeterPanAndWendy]

I would give it back and just mention that you researched it and have a few concerns about the diet. Point out that its not good to switch foods, so you don't want to try it because you like what you're currently on. IF they ask what your concerns are, then let then know what you found out. If they don't ask, don't tell them.

I'm all about non-confrontational honesty. If you want to know my thoughts I'll share, but I will keep them to myself if you don't. Either way good luck!

 

[dozersmama]

OK you have gotten a lot of good advice but I gotta wonder , horses really?!?! First I know we eat cows chickens ect. but horses are viewed as pets in this country like dogs and cats and I don't plan to turn Tyson into a snack any time soon. Second I gotta wonder where they source this. Horses are expensive so are they old /sick or even dead? ( yes I realize all things are dead before you eat(hopefully) them but I mean did they die of other causes then were turned into "food") Are they retired "useless" racers? ( I would think those would be awfully tough) or worse maybe up for adoption then euthanized for meat? Idk the whole thing creeps me out

 

[Taylor]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I wasn't keen on the horse meat (as you could tell) but I wanted some backup info before I said anything.

[MENTION=1906]GatorRay[/MENTION] :thanks for the info, I don't feed raw so I wasn't sure of what the diet consisted of, but I'm pretty sure this canned meat has no organs or bones

We shall see how it goes...

 

[MamaAndi]

We feed raw too and when I read the canned horse meat I was thinking....well, it has to be full of preservatives to keep it fresh right? I would assume so since it's canned. I would say that most raw feeders are all about fresh or frozen meats and you won't see them going the canned route as it doesn't contain bone and I would think that poor little dog probably has constant runny poo.

I would agree with what the other posters have said, best to stay away from that route. Just point out to your neighbor what the can says.

 

[cowsmom]

Ya I think I'd tell him thanks but no thanks and then point out it is a supplement to there regular diet.

this would be my course of action to. i could not be content until i knew if he was just supplementing this or if this was his dogs sole diet. then just let it go and hope he understands that its not for you.

 

[Twice]

I think I would handle it like [MENTION=1906]GatorRay[/MENTION] said. I would go out of my way to see him again only this time I'd start the conversation with something like "I was reading that can and was wondering, since it's a supplement only, what else you were mixing it with".

He may not know it's not really a whole food but he seems like the kind of guy to get offended of you point it out to him. This way you kind of flip the light switch on for him without hurting his feelings or getting into an argument.