What do you feed your dog? [Archive]

camberne

06-27-2005, 05:05 PM

Scout was eating Purina Beneful which he loved, but he was just so skinny. Then we tried the prescription food, D/T for Canines, and then the vet recommended ProPlan High Performance since it is the highest calorie food out there. However, Scout HATES it and I think he might be a little allergic to it (he rubs himself back and forth on the corner of the sofa after eating). When these two monster bags of food are gone, we're going back to Purina Beneful.

jo&sean

06-27-2005, 05:11 PM

We feed our dogs Canidae and our cats Solid Gold.

EmilyZA

06-27-2005, 05:11 PM

I feed my 97-lb. chocolate Lab (Vinny) Beneful, it's by Purina. I buy the one that is supposed to promote a healthy weight (he's a chubster.)

Belm

06-27-2005, 06:16 PM

We feed our 65 pounds dogs - Nutro Natural Large Breed Weight Managmenthttp://www.nutroproducts.com/img/ncdog/nclargeweight.jpg

In the past 4 months, they have each had 2 different surgeries and we have had to keep their exercise to a bare minimum as they recover - so we switched to this type for now.

Once they are back to their regular routine we will go to Nutra Natural Large Breed Food.

Kellie

06-27-2005, 06:37 PM

California Natural

kemaji

06-27-2005, 07:28 PM

We feed our dog Natural Balance and he loves it. His coat is healthy and his poops are compact.

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/

ETA: He's just over 50 lbs.

Scooter

06-27-2005, 10:50 PM

Canidae (http://www.canidae.com/)

I did a lot of research to find a really good food for her. We've been very happy with the choice, she's loved it and her coat is incredibly glossy.

Regardless of what you put your pet on, you may want to do more research on Iams. They have been notorious for doing animal experiments (on dogs and cats) and having labs with terrible, cruel conditions. There's been a huge boycott of the company for years. Just thought you might like to know that, if you haven't already heard about it.

southhavenjen

06-28-2005, 03:32 AM

Our large dog gets Premium Edge food. (http://premiumedgepetfood.com/). It was recommended by the staff at the pet supply store as a less-expensive alternative to the name-brand "high-end" dog foods - like IAMS, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc. Our dog does so well on it. His black coat is soooo glossy! Everyone asks what we feed him as he looks so healthy.

After seeing how well Riley does on their food, I tried to switch our cats to Premium Edge cat food but they are finicky. They wouldn't eat it. :rolleyes:

boilermaker

06-28-2005, 05:19 AM

We feed our dog Science Diet. We have tried a few others but he seems to do the best on this.

aligirl

06-28-2005, 05:42 AM

We feed our 90 lb yellow lab Science Diet for large breeds. She's been on Science Diet (canned, then large breed puppies, now large breed adults) since she was weaned from her mom and seems to love it.

tigger8402

06-28-2005, 09:04 AM

I used to feed TAZ purina but since we moved in with my grandma and the dogs there have a protein source problem they all eat natural choice large bread fornula since it doens't have corn.

gayle

06-28-2005, 09:26 AM

Iams lamb and rice formula.

I have used this particular food for over 20 years and my dogs have always been really healthy with beautiful coats, so I haven't seen any reason to change.

Zelda Von Yitz

06-28-2005, 12:42 PM

I have a 50 pound foxhound mix.

He gets a cup and a quarter of Natural Balance in the morning and evening.

I supplement each serving with a tablespoon each of plain nonfat yogurt, a tablespoon of boiled chicken liver, cottage cheese and canned pumpkin.

A pinch of Metamucil is sprinkled on top.

He hardly sheds anymore. A whole egg twice a week helps, too.

steviem

06-28-2005, 03:28 PM

We feed our pooches Canidae. I found out about it on the WC and am so happy to have made the switch. My dogs love it and their coats are nice and shiney :p

jesvet

06-28-2005, 04:03 PM

As an aside-

Iams contracted out some of their research to private facilities, who then proceeded to do some bad things. They were appropriately horrified and terminated that right away, and are more involved in monitoring the facilities. So I wouldn't refuse to use Iams/Eukanuba based on that.

A lot of food companies don't do any research at all, which is fine for the most part but they often lack the quality assurance of the big companies; in addition their nutrient profiles are based on the research conducted by those big companies. It's a personal priority choice for you as a consumer. For those who would like the quality assurance of a large diet and a guarantee the animals researched are treated well, check out Royal Canin. They are based in Europe (France, actually) and the animals are really, really treated well (no cages, no euthanasia). Animal rights activists are very active there.

gayle

06-28-2005, 05:39 PM

I will look into Royal Canin Jes. I have just been so used to using the Iams lamb and rice, that I am stuck in a doggie food rut.

jesvet

06-28-2005, 08:14 PM

If you like it, I'd stick with it. If it ain't broke...

Rico'sAlice

06-29-2005, 08:13 AM

I have three dogs 55-65 lbs. All three are fed a home prepared raw diet (sometimes called BARF- Bones and Raw Food). Mostly raw chicken frames, turkey necks, beef knuckle bones, sometime lamb. Normally a whole fish once a week. They also get ground veggies mixed with green tripe or organs, topped with salmon oil and I add extra garlic during tick/flea/mosquito seasons. They all look stunning, have no odors (body or breathe), tiny hard poops, etc.

irish74

06-29-2005, 12:28 PM

We feed our 50lb lab mix Nutro Natural Choice Lamb & Rice. Though he is 50lbs he will only eat the small bite version for some reason even though it is supposed to be the same as the regular except for the size of the kibbles. Believe me he has no problem eating bigger things, he's just weird. ;)

KeliAnn

06-29-2005, 03:41 PM

We feed our dog Natural Balance and he loves it. His coat is healthy and his poops are compact.

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/

ETA: He's just over 50 lbs.

Kemaji - where do you get this? Any grocery store? Pet store? Online?

Thanks!

Hello Kitty

06-29-2005, 03:50 PM

Another BARF-er here (waves to Alice!)

We all couldn't be happier with how it's going.

mimieliza

06-29-2005, 04:40 PM

Miles, my 51 lb. Australian Shepherd, eats Purina One Growth and Development. I mix it with a little bit of Nutro Ultra Puppy canned food. He's 13.5 months old. He's extremely picky. He was on Nutro Natural Choice Puppy dry, but he never ate it very well. We then switched him to Nutro Ultra Puppy dry, which he like okay, but it was quite expensive and not available in town - we had to drive an hour and a half to Petsmart to get it. He's doing quite well with the Purina One - his coat has gotten fuller and shinier and he's doing less loose poops. We went with Purina One for a few reasons - he likes it, it's available in town, and our friend who is a vet feeds her dogs Purina One. :)

I'm thinking I will keep him on the Growth and Development formula until he's 18 months old, then switch to the adult dog food.

karlatta

06-30-2005, 07:44 PM

My dogs both eat Eukanuba. The 25-pound Border Collie eats the Lamb and Rice formula. The 75-pound English Shepherd eats the Weight Management one. (When we got her, she was overweight, so we're helping her out with that.) We get tons of comments on how soft and silky their coats are.

sfaugustbride - My big dog will also only eat the small bites version of dog food. I have no idea why - she's a giant!

julietchicago

06-30-2005, 08:39 PM

Thanks everyone for their replies. I know Iams has somewhat of a bad rap, but sometimes animal activists will find something bad about every company. Of course I care how the animals are treated when tested, but it's hard to know what to believe?! :confused:

I am going to do some more research based on some of the recommendations.

Thanks again~!

LittleFredPunkinHead

07-01-2005, 07:10 AM

We feed our 80-lb German/Australian Shepherd mix Science Diet for large breeds. He likes it, and is doing well on it.
(As an aside, we feed our two cats Science Diet for hairball control, and their coats have never been softer or shinier.)

mjfish

07-01-2005, 08:23 AM

I think I'm the queen of changing foods. :D I have learned a lot about canine nutrition in the past year, and I have been on the hunt ever since to find something that works for both of my dogs.

There are premium brands, and then there are what is called super premium brands. The best you can buy at PetSmart is Nutro ULTRA (premium), unless your store carries BLUE. At PetCo, the best they have is Natural Balance (super premium). Science Diet, for the money you pay for it and the ingredients it contains, I would not even consider a premium brand. Just because your vet sells it does not mean it's a good food! From the Whole Dog Journal, here are some super premiums I can think of (I have tried, well my dogs have tried ;) many of these):

Kibbles:
Artemis
Canidae
Innova
Natural Balance
Nature's Variety
California Natural
Timberwolf Organics
Wellness
Owen & Mandeville
Merrick
Solid Gold
Flint River Ranch
Fromm's
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul

Raw:
Steve's
Aunt Jeni's
Nature's Variety
BARF is do-it-youself
(can't think of others right now)

Things to look for: Specific meat meal (ex Chicken Meal, Lamb Meal) or the whole meat (chicken, lamb) AS THE FIRST INGREDIENT -- meal is preferable because it's the meat without the water weight. You want whole grains, brown rice is preferable to white, corn is OK but can be an alergen. Wheat can be an alergen too. Probiotics, whole fruits, and vegetables are good.

Things to avoid: Non-descript meat/protein source (ex Poultry meal -- what constitutes poultry? Chicken/Turkey/Duck/Pidgeon?) Any kind of by-product, and especially a non-descript by-product (ex chicken by-product or poultry by-product). Avoid formulas that contain BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin as they can cause cancer.

Many people do not feed puppy/dog food at all, just a super premium that states it is formulated for All Life Stages. Large breeds do not need large breed foods, just a super premium food--you want the correct calcium to phosphorus ratio for proper growth. Do a search on 'natural dog food' or 'holistic dog food' and you will find many good foods for both dogs and cats! HTH!

jessied1025

07-01-2005, 08:34 AM

We feed our 50lb yellow lab Solid Gold. She has a sensitive stomach and this doesn't seem to bother her.

icedwhite

07-01-2005, 09:04 AM

we feed our english bulldog CANIDAE. he's about 55 lbs.

Scooter

07-03-2005, 10:04 AM

jesvet wrote:
Iams contracted out some of their research to private facilities, who then proceeded to do some bad things. They were appropriately horrified and terminated that right away, and are more involved in monitoring the facilities. So I wouldn't refuse to use Iams/Eukanuba based on that.I'm not sure where you got that information, but Iams has continued to contract research that uses animals. I looked it up and found at least one current study on rabbits that Iams is funding thruogh the end of this year. Animals shelters are continuing the boycott, as well.

mjfish, excellent post, what a great list of premium foods. Because grocery stores and places like Petco/Petsmart don't carry premium brands, people are often left to chose from the lower quality ones and aren't always aware there's much better stuff out there.

The only thing I'd add is that corn shouldn't really be part of it at all, because it's not only an allergen but also fatty. And look at the 1st 3 or 4 ingredients of Purina: "Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal." And Science Diet: "Ground Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal." :eek: ETA: Iams: "Chicken, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken By-Product Meal." And Eukanuba: "Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal."

If any of you are wondering whether you should switch dog foods, check the list of ingredients. If it's got corn or byproducts, you may want to look into some of these other brands.

julietchicago

07-04-2005, 10:27 AM

Thanks so much mjfish for the post, helped a bunch !

sportyj

08-16-2005, 07:50 PM

OMG I had no idea there were so many dog foods, grocery foods, vet foods, premium foods, etc. Its overwhelming. So I thought i would ask you all what you feed and if ya like it!

PS - I think I am going to start my puppy on Innova.

AlisonCO

08-16-2005, 08:00 PM

Congrats on your new puppy! We currently feed our two Chicken Soup for the Adult Dog after switching from Canidae. I have fed Innova in the past and it is a great food - you really cannot go wrong with any of the super premium foods! The only thing that can happen with the Innova is your pup can have loose stools because turkey is the main ingredient rather than chicken which most of the other brands use. I have also heard great things about the Wellness super5 puppy food. As I said, you can't go wrong with Canidae, Flint River, Wellness, Innova, California Natural, Chicken Soup etc. I would start with a small bag and if it works than great!

kanga1622

08-17-2005, 06:17 AM

We feed Wellness Simple Food Solutions (Duck version). It is specifically made for dogs with allergies and sensitive stomachs. Keegan pretty much doubled his food intake when we switched to this food because he LOVES this stuff. Now he's finally eating enough so that his ribs aren't so prominent.

http://www.omhpet.com/dogs/simple_food_overview.html

Luckily we have a pet food store about an hour from here that sells almost solely super premium foods so we had lots of choices. They even had sample packages of most of their food so we could let our pup try a few before buying the big bag. All the foods Alison mentioned are great to look into first.

kiddo

08-17-2005, 07:01 AM

We feed out lab puppy Hill's Science Diet for large breed puppies. Our vet recommended it. Our pup loves the stuff.

icedwhite

08-17-2005, 07:16 AM

we feed CANIDAE.

IrishMeg

08-17-2005, 07:28 AM

My dog was a rather picky eater at least when it came to dog food. I've tried every super premium brand out there but it turns out that there is only one brand that his delicate palate can tolerate. :rolleyes:

http://www.merrickpetcare.com/store/images/20271_icon.jpg

We buy different flavors and he eats all of them well. It has real peas, carrots, and apples in it. I add some warm water and it turns into a gravy. He loves its. He actually prefers it with quite a bit of water and eats it like soup.

Vegastrtle

08-17-2005, 07:28 AM

We feed Nutro Natural. I've heard that Nutro Max isn't great, but our trainer approved of the Natural variety.

We put canned of the same brand in her Kongs and freeze them. It keeps her busy :)

paiger

08-17-2005, 08:00 AM

We fee leo Iams. He was on the Adult small bites, but I put him on the weight control b/c I felt like he was gaining weight. We had used one of the higher end brands when we was a puppy, but it had so little fat that it made him constipated.

Jaycee

08-17-2005, 08:10 AM

My dogs get Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/photos/140001-2.jpg
It's a super premium holistic food which is really good for dogs with allergies, as one of mine is allergic to wheat products.

jnshanna

08-17-2005, 08:19 AM

We feed our dog, Natural Balance and have for years now. She's had skin alergies in the past so we tried a lot of different kinds and this one seemed to be the best for us as she no longer itches and flakes as much, if at all.

katmg

08-17-2005, 08:32 AM

We feed our Weimaraner Canidae. My MIL feeds her Viszla the same.

pixiecat

08-17-2005, 08:37 AM

My border collie will eat anything (even salad!) but we feed him Iams Adult Large Chunk.

Boopy

08-17-2005, 08:42 AM

We feed our Golden Retriever Flint River Ranch Puppy & Adult Kibble Dog Food.

jaeger

08-17-2005, 09:17 AM

Innova.

EJM

08-17-2005, 09:49 AM

We have been feeding Canidae, but are slowing switching our dog over to Innova Evo.

steviem

08-17-2005, 10:17 AM

We feed our pups Canidae :p

amew

08-17-2005, 10:56 AM

Right now he is eating Wellness Super Mix 5, but he seems to be getting bored, so I may switch him soon. He started out on Innova puppy and then transitioned to Innova adult. Then he seemed to be eating less readily, so we switched to the Wellness. He loved it for a while, but now he seems less than thrilled with it again. I think he just likes to change things up every once in a while. I am planning on buying Natural Balance next -- he had a sample bag and loved it. He seems to tolerate all food well, and I don't have a strong preference as long as he's on a super premium.

mlfallis

08-17-2005, 11:01 AM

Can I ask what type of puppy you have? This is effect what type of food is best for them. We have an alaskan Malamute which is a large dog and we were told by breaders and the vet to feed Purina Pro Plan for large bread puppies as it had extra stuff to help him gain the weight he needed to and grow properly. Our now 110 lb dog is very happy and the perfect weight.

Nigellas

08-17-2005, 11:24 AM

Sensible Choice.
:)

Chimichanga

08-17-2005, 12:00 PM

Our lab gets Eukenuba (sp?) for large dogs. He's still a puppy, so he gets the puppy food.

My sister feeds her chihuahua's Bilt Jack.

chefker

08-17-2005, 12:08 PM

ProPlan

CityGirl

08-17-2005, 12:21 PM

We started our puppy on Innova. I liked that it was a preminum food, but was still readily available. Unfortunately, Hugo has a a sensitive tummy and started vomiting 3 times a day on that food. We switched to Natural Balance Duck & Potato and never looked back. That being said, Natural Balance has come out with a Venison version that is supposed to be even better for sensitive dogs.

I don't think the brand of food is as important as the ingredients. I was told to look at the first three ingredients and make sure none of them are filler. They should be meat or meat meal. Not corn or soy, etc.

jesvet

08-17-2005, 12:27 PM

Pinnacle. They recently came out with a few allergy blends: trout/sweet potato, duck/potato, and are pretty equivalent to the prescription allergy diets out there.

lml41981

08-17-2005, 02:55 PM

We feed our dogs Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Adult Food.

The other day, though, we forgot we were out of dog food and Petsmart was closed, so DH ran to the grocery store and picked up Purina Dog Chow. The dogs ate it, but they certainly didn't like it.

amew

08-17-2005, 03:09 PM

The other day, though, we forgot we were out of dog food and Petsmart was closed, so DH ran to the grocery store and picked up Purina Dog Chow. The dogs ate it, but they certainly didn't like it.

We ran into a similar situation (out of food with pet store closed) and bought a few packages of some sort of single serving food in gravy at the grocery. Unfortunately, my dog LOVED it. We now give him one of his "special dinners" every now and then as a treat (hey, we all get to eat junk food for dinner occassionally, right?), but he has to eat his Wellness the rest of the time.

camberne

08-17-2005, 03:28 PM

We first were feeding Scout Purina Beneful, but then the vet told us to start feeding him ProPlan High Performance or Total Performance (can't remember, but it is the high-calorie food) because he has such a high metabolism. So, I bought two HUGE bags and he ended up being allergic to it. Poor thing nearly scratched his fur off! So, we went back to Beneful, but he didn't seem to want to eat it. Tried Purina One and he didn't like that either. At PetSmart the other day, I picked up some Authority with Chicken (because Scout LOVES chicken) and he loves it.

http://www.petsmart.com/media/ps/images/products/detail/standard/i/in40/in401193_115d3.jpg

jnshanna

08-17-2005, 04:10 PM

Yep, I heard the same thing about the first 2 ingredients, CityGirl. :) When we were trying to find a good food for Sophie, I was always checking out the ingredients. ;)

guinevere

08-17-2005, 07:16 PM

We feed our lab Pro Plan (weight management).

ManteoChik

08-20-2005, 06:04 AM

When we got our lab puppy from the breeder they suggested that we keep her on Flint River Ranch and we would have to order it. We did that for a few months but she never really seemed to like it. She would never eat her food unless she was *really* hungry. It was like it was a last resort. At first we thought that she just wasn't a hungry puppy (yeah right).

We went to visit a friend who also has a lab and they use Science Diet, as suggested by their vet. We gave some to Duchess and she ate it right up. Now we continue to give her Science Diet Puppy food for large breed dogs and she loves it.

I would always suggest that you use a high quality dog food. Please stay away from Kibble or anything else that you can buy at the grocery store. That is probably one of the worst things you could feed your dog.

TMat13

08-20-2005, 07:44 PM

We also have labs and we feed Exclusive High Performance. DH trains them for hunting and runs them in field trials and hunt tests so we definitely need something high powered :D

nuhmah

08-20-2005, 09:59 PM

I feed my Boxer puppy Nutro Natural for puppies - I also give her some food on the side like cooked hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken, and I also give her peanut butter in her kong, as well as small pieces of cheese.

la_bride_2004

08-29-2005, 06:30 PM

We feed our little guy Lotus in the chicken flavor, with half a teaspoon of canned Canidae mixed in. He also likes Wellness, Innova, Flint, Nutro Ultra etc. I switch around every few months per the "Whole Dog Journal" guidelines.

Hello Kitty

08-29-2005, 07:09 PM

We got the puppy and she was on Solid Gold, but refused to eat it. We switched to do BARF and did that for quite awhile, but the prep work was killing us. So we've been rotating: Beneful (I know, I know, it's her junk food), ProPlan Large Breed Puppy, and Nutro Natural Choice LBP.

I can't believe how much MORE she's been pooping & how much worse it smells. While on BARF, she never smelled like 'dog' but lately has been. :( She also eats quite a bit more than she did in the past. So, I'm going to go to a feed store and get some small bags of Canidae, Innova, and Solid Gold (if they have it) to switch her back up to some other food.

I wanted to point out this site:
http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=comp-wiz
It was really informative to compare different food brands to see what ingredients they have in them. What I find interesting is for just a few more dollars you can switch from Petsmart type foods to a super-premium which has much better nutrition, IMO.

sportyj

09-01-2005, 09:51 AM

Caboose has been on Innova Puppy now for over a week and she LOVES it I am very happy with this food! Thanks for everyones input!

magdesilver

12-17-2006, 08:47 PM

We have 2 labs. One is on Eukenuba lamb and rice maintenance. The other is on California Naturals lamb and rice. He has allergies and this is the only food that doesn't have an allergen in it. We would put both dogs on it, but the CN is much more $$ and our other dog is doing great on Eukenuba, so we keep them on seperate foods.

Hello Kitty

12-18-2006, 05:40 AM

So, I'm going to go to a feed store and get some small bags of Canidae, Innova, and Solid Gold (if they have it) to switch her back up to some other food.

Funny that this got stickied. Absolutely no more Beneful for our dog anymore. I rotate between a couple of different SP brands - Canidae, Merrick, Wellness, Chicken Soup... as long as I'm comfortable with the ingredient list, it goes in the rotation.

We do raw meat/bones fairly often, but her primary source of nutrition is the dry food. It's a happy medium for us.

jesvet

12-20-2006, 08:55 AM

Funny? Funny like a clown?! :D

It comes up often enough I figured it would be a good master discussion for dog nutrition.

Hello Kitty

12-20-2006, 09:30 AM

No, no, not funny on the sticky :D I'm glad that it's stickied.

Sticky-ing bumped it up, and I was amused at my own previous response as there is quite a difference between what we're feeding now. Guess my use of the phrase 'funny this got stickied' didn't convey that very well.

jesvet

12-20-2006, 02:36 PM

It's amazing what a difference food makes. I use dry for convenience; right now it's Pinnacle, but that alone has made a huge difference in my allergic Golden.

meganth

12-20-2006, 02:48 PM

Our trainer is huge into diet education and talked us into changing to Blue. I'm so happy we made the switch. I've even switched the cats to Blue!

I also tried including some moist Blue (which is pretty much just ground meat!) to his diet but Manny has a super sensitive stomach. We might try again when he's full grown.

Oakley

12-22-2006, 10:29 AM

Our two older dogs are on Purina Beneful (hey- the package looked good ;)) but they will be switching over to Science Diet. When we got our new puppy, my husband did a TON of research and we started her on Innova. TMI, but she had the most horrible poops- very smooshy, if you know what I mean!

Our vet recommended Science Diet b/c (her words) they are the brand that has done the most research and the smaller brands just can't afford to research as much as them. Not sure how true that is, whatever, but since switching, our pup has has awesome poops! I know you all know how important that is! :D

The vet also said that the less tasty foods are ok- it just makes your dog not want to pig out as much and get fat. LOL!

kari

12-22-2006, 10:44 AM

I feed my 60 lb. German Shorthair Pointers Flint River Ranch, Natural Balance, green beans and pumpkin.

meganth

12-22-2006, 12:10 PM

The vet also said that the less tasty foods are ok- it just makes your dog not want to pig out as much and get fat. LOL!

In the words of our trainer: "Dogs will eat rocks and their own shit. If it's a food that they won't eat, it's probably full of stuff they shouldn't be eating."

Made a lot of sense...

Lucy Van Pelt

12-22-2006, 05:09 PM

Lucy gets Blue dry food mixed with pumpkin.

I would *never* feed my pet Science Diet.

Kellie

12-23-2006, 04:28 AM

I would *never* feed my pet Science Diet.

Agreed.

We feed our lab (and our cats too!) California Natural.

Sue

12-23-2006, 04:57 AM

2 dogs get Nature's Variety (http://www.naturesvariety.com/), one with some Merrick's (http://www.merrickpetcare.com/) canned mixed in - the Brauts-n-Tots (http://www.merrickpetcare.com/store/detail.php?c=15&s=21671) one has whole sausages in it! The other eats Timberwolf (http://www.timberwolforganics.com/) Dakota Bison.

I also agree about Science Diet AND Iams, Eukanuba, Alpo etc. Here is a link (http://www.feedmypet.com/dog-food-comparison.html) that compares the first few ingredients of popular foods and one (http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=comp-wiz) to compare all the ingredients.

lovebugs2003

01-02-2007, 11:01 AM

We feed our pup (7.5 months) Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy, with some Nutro wet food on the side at times. He has never had a problem eating.

He also gets Peanut Butter in his kong, biscuits (tartar control) and bones from the butcher. We have been really good on him not getting table scraps.
I also give him carrots, apples and cheese.

JamBray

01-11-2007, 11:24 AM

She gets the Innova EVO Reduced Fat dry, and just loves it.

raz91

01-14-2007, 09:07 PM

we're on WolfKing for the pup and Felidae for the cat. Felidae is pretty high quality for the price, although if money werent an issue I would probably go with Innova Evo. The pup (7mos, 55lbs, rotty-shep) just started on Wolfking. it seems good so far -- high quality ingredients and he liked this flavor the best out of all the sample packs tried.

Anna

01-15-2007, 09:44 AM

Our dogs get Wellness Chicken Super5Mix. They came to us from their foster home on it, and we've continued it.

TerpsFan

01-17-2007, 08:41 AM

Our dog gets Eagle Pack Original Formula (blue bag). Came recommended by the vet. No problems here!

amberfiddles

01-24-2007, 06:52 AM

does anyone use natural balance venison & rice for their dog(s)?
our vet has recommended it for our golden who has allergies, but she's a picky eater....

mjfish

01-24-2007, 02:59 PM

Hi all! I was wondering if this thread was still around, and I just found it as a sticky! Cool! :)

My list of foods that I've fed has increased so now it's shorter if I say what super-premiums I haven't tried. :rolleyes: My GSDx is so stinking picky she doesn't like much, and the Rott will eat anything, but gets "loose" poops on a lot of the foods. Currently, they are on Sensible Choice Natural Blend (by Royal Canin). Thinking of trying Timberwolf Organics next.

Here is a really good website that ranks super-premium foods: Dog Food Analysis (http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/) As with everything on the internet, take this with a grain of salt, but it's really good for the most part. It even gave me a few more brands to check out -- woohoo! :p

SK -- how are you????

tupelogirl

01-25-2007, 07:17 AM

We feed our Wheaten pup Canidae. She was eating Innova puppy until about 6 months old when we switched from feeding her puppy food 3x a day to an all life stages food 2x a day.

For people looking to switch their dog's food or not sure if their dogs are eating a good food, just look at the ingredients. Things like by-products and corn are not the best things to be one of the first few ingredients. Corn is just a filler and offers no nutritional value so if your dog is eating a whole lot of corn, he's also pooping a whole lot more than he probably needs to. :rolleyes:

mjfish

01-25-2007, 08:58 AM

That is not exactly true about corn. Corn is actually a source of protein, and if included as whole corn, is not a bad thing to have. However, you want to make sure that it is whole, it is not in the first 3 ingredients, and that the meat source of the kibble is in meal form. That way, when they say that the protein % is 24%, then you know that the protein is mostly coming from the meat and not from the corn. Obviously, meat protein is better than grain protein.

The cheap brands use corn as the primary source of protein, plus they use the cheaper, "leftover" parts of the corn, and practice ingredient splitting on top of that (using corn "parts" multiple times in the ingredients list).

Since corn is a common alergen, it is commonly recommended to avoid it. I wouldn't avoid a super-premium food that uses whole corn, farther down on the list, as long as I knew that my dog was not alergic. I'm guessing that most of us have not had alergy tests done on our dogs to know that for sure...I know I haven't. But I guess I'm not much of a risk taker, so I avoid formulas with corn.

t3h_wookiee

01-25-2007, 12:06 PM

We feed Canidae Chicken and Rice formula to our Corgis and they love it. They're thriving on it, they poop less, their coats are super shiny, and Nani doesn't have any allergy problems now. :) I'm very happy with it.

katiadarling

01-25-2007, 01:06 PM

To add to what mjfish said... While corn might be a source of protein, it isn't very easy to digest. This is true in dogs, humans, and other animals (without going into too much detail, I usually get some wicked stomach issues a day after I eat things with corn!) I know when I had rats and was making their food from scratch, it was on the list of things to avoid. While it might be "ok" further down on the ingredient list, I'm not a big fan of feeding it to my dogs.

kemaji

02-02-2007, 08:32 AM

We recently switched to Innova brand. We've been switching it up between regular Innova and Innova EVO because Dakota does better with a bit of variety in his diet.

May27JnJ

02-05-2007, 06:49 AM

Crappy old Pedigree here! We're switching very soon.

Foley42

02-19-2007, 07:14 PM

For the ones that use weight management dog food: do you think it has helped reduce your dog's weight? Have you seen a difference?

May27JnJ

02-20-2007, 05:36 AM

For the ones that use weight management dog food: do you think it has helped reduce your dog's weight? Have you seen a difference?

No joke! I have one fatty pataty daddy! (That's what I call him) I'm looking forward to seeing some answers!

beakersmom

03-01-2007, 07:20 AM

By blue do you mean blue buffalo? That's what we give our two pups...they do very well on it. If I'm not mistaken, it's a premium food, right? I'm only asking because I buy it at one of the petsomething stores.

jesvet

03-01-2007, 03:01 PM

For the ones that use weight management dog food: do you think it has helped reduce your dog's weight? Have you seen a difference?

It is meant more for maintaining weight in dogs prone to being overweight. It will work if you cut down the amount, just like any food, but because it is less nutrient dense they can eat more so are less likely to beg.

I used the precription (very low calorie) weight loss diet for my Golden, and it worked well. Whatever you do, use a measuring cup! My dogs are HUGE but only eat 2 cups of food each a day.

Katy

03-01-2007, 03:57 PM

I feed Griff Nutro Max for small dogs (little kibble). Sometimes I'll switch it up a bit and go with the Natural Choice by Nutro

maxandmolly

03-01-2007, 04:21 PM

My Beagle/Foxhound (we think?) mix-~50lbs., and our Golden/Chow mix-~65lbs. get (don't hit me, ok?) Purina Beneful, as did Bear, our Rott/Chow mix-~90lbs. for years now. Bear lived to 13 & 1/2, Rusty is almost 12, and my fat Beagle is about 5 now.
They are both perfectly healthy, have never been sick a day in their lives, have lovely coats, and lovely poops.

t3h_wookiee

03-01-2007, 07:39 PM

The key is to cut back a little bit of food. Our Corgis only get 1 cup of food (Canidae) a day to maintain their current weight. They got 1/4 C less while we were getting their weight under control.

DianeCourt

03-05-2007, 07:04 AM

Our 7 year old lab is prone to stomach issues, and Iams Lamb & Rice formula is the only food that "agrees" with him. We give him a mix of the kibble and their canned food in that formula. The stuff reeks, but he loves it. :rolleyes:

steviem

03-12-2007, 08:44 PM

Rico'sAlice

03-13-2007, 02:21 AM

We feed our boys Canidae dry food (All Stages). If we have leftover veggies and/or meat from dinner, I will add that to their dry food but in this case, I will give them less dry. (I also add plain yogurt or cottage cheese if I am trying to get rid of it.)

It's so funny how things change over time. Years ago, I doubt anyone would care what people fed their pets. Growing up, my parents feed our dogs and cats grocery store brand food. Our pets lived long lives (17 yrs for our dogs and cats!) But now, my mom only gives her dogs natural foods (chicken, eggs, veggies, rice, etc.) She would freak at the idea of giving grocery store food. It's so funny how things change ;)

Of course if you go back just a bit more (pre-WWII and especially pre-Depression depending on city vs. country), you'll find most dogs eating natural foods b/c they were getting healthy, whole-foods leftovers from people's tables, bones, scrap animal parts from the butcher, etc. While there were some processed pet foods available in the 19th century, packaged dog food wasn't really common until the 1950's.

ktsb

03-13-2007, 01:24 PM

I didn't read through the whole thread but tried a couple of searches so sorry if this has been discussed before.

I'm new at owning a dog (Golden Retriever 17 mos old) so maybe this is simply a dog thing I wasn't "prepared" for. Ever since we switched our dog from puppy food (Nutra Max Natural) to adult dog food I've noticed she gets really bad gas ALL THE TIME.

We've used a couple different foods, (because DH forgets which one to buy each time :rolleyes: ) Beneful and I believe a Costco Generic Kirkland premium mix, and it seems like she's really gassy on both brands.

Is there a dog food that would help with this? Are they the same brands that mention "reduced elimination?"

I'm getting "gassed" every night and it's almost unbearable. When I was PG I had to get up and leave the room.

mjfish

03-13-2007, 02:06 PM

Check out my post here (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showpost.php?p=18811&postcount=32) (from page 4 of this thread). Kirkland is better than Beneful, but there are lots of really good choice out there! :)

jenji

03-13-2007, 04:04 PM

We used to feed our lab Purina Dog Chow Large breed and our border collie mutt science diet oral care. now they both get regular purina dog chow and are both doing well on it.
I'm big on Science Diet myself, but with two dogs eating so much, the cost started to be a deciding factor

SingleWhiteFemale

03-14-2007, 01:20 AM

ktsb, I was having the same problem with my Saint. Not pleasant at all! The issue that was explained to me was that the food contained corn (and I believe something else). Change to a super premium food. I pretty much never have this problem anymore. I currently feed Avo Active care without issue.

mjfish

03-14-2007, 06:35 AM

jenji -- Science Diet is crap, especially for the price. Dog Chow is worse...you can do a lot better for your pets. See the link in my previous post.

Susan

03-19-2007, 11:22 AM

With the pet food recall that has just occurred, I'm trying to find a new brand of food for my 3 year old Golden Retriever, Sadie. She has been on Nutro Ultra adult dry food and the canned version, which I give her only with her dinner. The canned food was one of the products listed on the recall list. Obviously, I have stopped giving her that...but it makes me question the quality of the food, and I am interested in trying a super premium brand. Sadie tends to have skin problems (itchiness, redness, etc) and gets ear infections somewhat frequently. I am thinking this could be partly due to her food.

So, any recommendations? And how can I find a pet store that sells the super premium brands? I tried to do a search in my area, but didn't come up with much.

Thanks! :)

jesvet

03-19-2007, 11:36 AM

Susan, pick a food or three and look on their website- they may have a list of sellers. That is how I found a teeny feed store close by that carries a bunch of great names. There are also online retailers, many of whom offer good shipping rates.

FWIW ear infections are one of the leading manifestations of food allergy.

I'd look into Wellness allergy formula, Eagle Pack, or Innova evo. A lot of them have fruits and vegetables as the carbohydrate source instead of grains, and those seem to be better for food allergies in general although the protein source can be a big issue too. Go for something with a novel protein like duck, venison, etc.

Susan

03-19-2007, 12:33 PM

Thank you so much for the information, jesvet! I will definitely look into the brands that you listed. I would love to think that some of Sadie's allergy symptoms could be cleared up by changing her food. :)

Katy

03-19-2007, 12:40 PM

I think once Griff finishes up this last bag of food (I tend to buy in 20 pound bags so I have to shop less and there's a FULL bag now), I'm going to switch him. He's currently on the Nutro line (depending on which is on sale) and has been since he was a pup. But I think I'm ready to step it up. Luckily, we have two good independent pet shops that sell the higher end stuff and we have three different feed stores in walking distance that sell even higher end stuff.

Sue

03-19-2007, 12:56 PM

I feed 2 of my dogs Nature's Variety (http://naturesvariety.com/) and 1 eats Timberwolf Organics (http://www.timberwolforganics.com/). My senior guy also gets some canned food from Merrick (http://www.merrickpetcare.com/) - some of the varieties have whole sausages and whole chicken wings :)

Petfooddirect.com (http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/default.asp?) ships virtually every brand of food and you can find online coupons for 20% off pretty regularly - coupon link (http://www.couponb.com/Pet-Food-Direct.htm). Some companies, like Merrick, offer free shipping when you purchase from their website.

Susan

03-19-2007, 01:00 PM

mjfish

03-19-2007, 01:01 PM

I just happened to buy a bag of the Nutro Ultra last week just to throw something different in for a couple of weeks...wouldn't 'ya know this recall happened. While it is only for soft food, I still don't think I want to feed the kibble...

At any rate, here's some super-premiums, many of which have canned food if you feed it:

Kibbles:
Artemis
Canidae
Innova
Natural Balance
Nature's Variety
California Natural
Timberwolf Organics
Wellness
Owen & Mandeville
Merrick
Solid Gold
Flint River Ranch
Fromm's
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul

Raw:
Steve's
Aunt Jeni's
Nature's Variety
(I know there's quite a few others here, but can't think of them)

jesvet

03-19-2007, 01:18 PM

By searching online, I found a small pet store near me that carries Eagle Pack and Innova for sure, and probably some of the other brands you all have mentioned. I'm so happy that it won't be hard to find the super premium brands!

ETA - OMG, what a cute dog, Sue!!

That's wonderful! A lot of these small stores are popping up as people are becoming more interested in higher quality foods. It's amazing what a difference it can make. I am astounded by the number of clients I have who shell out hundreds of dollars for prescription ear meds but won't listen to me when I tell them to change the food! It works!

Sue

03-19-2007, 01:20 PM

Susan

03-19-2007, 01:56 PM

Thanks mjfish for the list of super premium brands, that's very helpful!

Jesvet - I really do hope a better food can help Sadie. I wouldn't say her allergies are awful, but she does seem to scratch a good amount. And I feel so bad for her when she gets ear infections. So, I'm hopeful about a new food!

Sue, your little girl is just adorable, I love the picture!

SingleWhiteFemale

03-20-2007, 10:41 AM

I'm looking at switching food for my dog. He's on Avo ActiveCare, but he's been throwing up stomach acid more and more (2 times a month, sometimes 3 times a month). He's in good health otherwise, so this is the first option. Since he is so big and I want to prevent any hip/joint problems, I'm looking for something along those lines. I have 2 options that look good (Innova EVO Red Meat and Innova Large Breed Senior). I'm wondering which is better as a source of glucosamine/chondroitin--beef cartiledge as the 10th ingredient, or glucosamine/chondroitin as the 21st and 22nd ingredients? Also, one has 26% protein/10% fat/330 calories, while the other 42% protein/22% fat/487 calories. His current food is 25% protein/15% fat/380 calories... Should I go with the higher protein food? I'm not too worried about his weight--he stays within a 7 pound weight range (which isn't bad at 135 pounds!), and he's pretty active for his breed. At one time, I was told the rescue had problems getting him to put on weight but since he's lived here, he's stayed within the above range.

I was told by the food store owners to possibly look into switching the protein source. I was given several fish samples--Bernie isn't having any of that!

mjfish

03-20-2007, 12:46 PM

SWF -- honestly, I don't think Senior feeds are necessary, just like Puppy feeds are not necessary. I would go with the EVO RM if you expect his activity level to stay the same, although you may need to cut back a little given the higher Kcals w/EVO. I think the Senior is too low in fat. And if you really want glucosamine/chondroitin, buy a supplement as you will be guaranteed the amount you are giving (as opposed to it being somewhere in the ingredient list) and giving more of it to make a difference.

Jenyfer9

03-20-2007, 12:52 PM

SWF: I also have a dog who is very prone to throwing up stomach acid (man is that stuff nasty!), and our vet suggested 2 things: Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and feeding three meals a day instead of only 2. We saw an immediate improvement once we did those two things, and now she very rarely throws up (she was doing it almost every other day and is now MAYBE 1x a month if I forget to feed the dogs until late). We feed our dogs a full breakfast and then 1/2 of their dinner serving mid-afternoon (like 3ish) then the other 1/2 before we take them out the final time at night.

KathleenMichaela

03-29-2007, 08:51 PM

We rotate two different kibbles, Royal Canin Boxer 26 Formula and Chicken Soup, and supplement with Aunt Jeni's prepared raw. We're really pleased with both and Diezel just loves dinner time!

Susan

03-30-2007, 11:21 AM

After this whole pet food recall debacle, I went out at lunch today and bought a new super premium food for my Golden Retriever. She is still eating the dry Nutro food, and I don't feel completely safe with that anymore, unfortunately.

Jesvet - since you originally recommended some super premium foods to me (thank you!) I wanted to get your opinion on what the pet store worker recommended I try. I mentioned the Wellness, Eagle Pack, and Innova - all of which they had and he said was very good. But, he also highly recommended Canidae (the All Life Stages formula), so I ended up going with that. He said it's their top seller, and a little cheaper than the others (actually costs about the same as the Nutro I used to get). Do you think this is a good brand?

Anyone else use Canidae?

Hello Kitty

03-30-2007, 11:29 AM

Not Jesvet, but yes, we use Canidae and like it a lot. I think it's cheaper because it's a little less flashy, and you also won't see blueberries or tomatoes as ingredients - it does provide well balanced, quality nutrition though. Chicken Soup also has really great ingredients for the price.

Susan

03-30-2007, 11:39 AM

Thanks Seb's Kitty! I certainly wanted anyone's feedback, I just mentioned Jesvet specifically since she recommended a few foods to me. That's great that you like Canidae, it does seem to be a good food for the price. Thanks for your feedback! :)

keska

03-30-2007, 11:39 AM

I feed my IG Innovo EVO. I recently tried to switch him to Wellness Fish & Sweet Potato b/c he still has some type of allergies but he wouldn't eat it. I may try Timberwolf Organics or Flint River Ranch as I've heard good things about them.

ManteoChik

03-30-2007, 02:22 PM

I've posted in here before, but thought I would update. When we first got our lab as a puppy the breeder suggested we use Flint River Ranch (which is what she used). Duchess didn't like it and wouldn't eat it. We then switched her to Science Diet and she never really liked that either - but she would tolerate it.

Since moving home to NC we've had her on Hill's Prescription Diet which can only be gotten at our vets office. Its really pricey but SO worth it, Duchess really likes it and will eat it at every meal now.

t3h_wookiee

03-30-2007, 05:28 PM

Susan, we really like Canidae also. :)

jesvet

03-30-2007, 06:54 PM

Susan- I don't have personal experience with the brand, but I know lots of people who use it and no one has complained yet. :D

SingleWhiteFemale

03-30-2007, 06:55 PM

Jenyfer9, thanks for the rec! I got a sample bag... and of course he wouldn't eat it! I actually had several different samples all in little piles across the floor for him to try :o He turned his nose up at everything at first, then I coaxed him to eat a couple pieces out of my hand. Didn't work. He went and took a nap, came back to his buffet, and passed on all but one. He LOVES the Innova EVO Red Meat Dry! Of course, it's the most expensive option I gave him... yep, he's my dog! So, we've been mixing it in with his Active Care to slowly transition him over. No puke yet, but I wouldn't be suprised to see some before we are completely over to the EVO Red. There seems to be a nice change that seems to be coming from the food... his breath doesn't smell as awful as if used to! I am amazed that there is a huge, marked difference in such a short time.

jonesygrl

04-02-2007, 10:13 AM

our dog was on canidae before we realized he was still itchy and allergic to something in it (possibly the chicken). he loved it and his coat was really shiny.
he's now on the Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance, Duck & Potato for allergy relief. i *think* it's helping and his coat is even shinier that it was with canidae. the only problem is his gas - phew! we thought it was bad before.....but woah :)

Susan

04-02-2007, 02:51 PM

Thanks Jess and jesvet for the comments on Canidae! So far Sadie seems to like it...I've been weaning her off the Nutro and she's eating mostly the Canidae now. Jonesygrl, I'll have to see how Sadie's allergies do on the Canidae - I'm hoping it will help them, but we'll see! LOL on your dog's gas problem, that's too funny (well, maybe not too funny to you, ha ha). Thanks again for everyone's help!

kam

04-05-2007, 12:52 PM

We just switched to Wellness for both our dogs and cats. We are using the Wellness Indoor Cat formula (the cats used Hills Prescription Diet c/d for the urinary tract, but after the whole Hills situation I don't feel comfortable keeping them on it). We put the dogs on Wellness Weight Control which is good for both our dogs (even though Piper is naturally lean, we have to control her weight due to her post-surgery legs); they used Nutro before. Anyhow, they've taken really well to the change; in fact, while mixing foods to get them used to the new food, they are spitting out and/or eating around the old food to get to the new food!

kari

04-09-2007, 01:15 PM

I am now cooking for my dogs. Supplementing with Flint River Ranch, but thinking of switching to Eagle Pack.

jesvet

04-09-2007, 04:00 PM

kari, I've heard lots of good things about Eagle Pack. I've used it a few times with my animals and I've been happy with it.

Chile

04-10-2007, 10:48 AM

*****

kari

04-10-2007, 12:20 PM

kari, I've heard lots of good things about Eagle Pack. I've used it a few times with my animals and I've been happy with it.

Yea, my mom suggested it to me. I think the Salmon and Sardines.

mjfish

04-13-2007, 11:21 AM

Trying Fromm's Gold now...the GSDx has actually eaten it 4 meals in a row, so maybe I'm on to something here! :) The Rott will eat anything, but have to be careful he doesn't get the runs. I've noticed that foods that have plant-based oils instead of chicken fat for the Omegas he gets loose stool (which makes sense as plant-based oils are harder for them to digest/utilize). This formula has chicken fat, so we'll see.