Dog Food

Puppylove

Puppylove

Well-Known Member
Can I ask what kind and brand of food you each feed your dogs?

What's good?

What's bad?

I'm interested in hearing (more like reading ;)) everyone's opinion on dog food...
 
I feed my dogs a rotation diet. They get something different every meal.

Dry:
Acana,
Orijen,
Blue Wilderness,
First Mate,
Merrick 5 Star Entrees,
Go,
Now,
Addiction,
Fromm,
Horizon Legacy,
Horizon Amicus,

I used to feed these, but have completely stopped feeding any product made by Diamond
Natural Balance,
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul,
Canidae,
Taste Of The Wild

Canned:
Blue's Stew,
Merrick 5 Star Entrees
Merrick Before Grain,
Addiction,
Tripette,
Fromm

Dehydrated Raw:
Addiction,
Canisource,
The Honest Kitchen
K9 Natural

I also feed raw chicken (backs, legs, thighs, wings, necks) fish (whole), beef (ribs and Oxtails), and any freezer burnt meat I happen to come across, to Mouse and Boo. Oliver cannot tolerate raw meat.

I supplement my dogs with Kelp, Salmon Oil, a joint supplement, Primrose Oil, Petchup,

And then they'll get lots of other things like Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Sardines, Parsley, Rosemary, scrambled eggs with the shell, and anything else I feel like feeding them.

Dogs are scavengers, they have been scavenging off humans for more than 40 000 years, they have never, until the last few decades, ate the same thing day after day. No wonder so many dogs have sensitive tummies. Oliver used to, until I started feeding him this way, and now, he can eat anything (except raw meat) without getting sick.

I always changed my dogs food regularly. even as a kid I managed to convince my Mom to buy something different now and then. and we have never switched foods slowly, as Benji would just pick out all the new food, and leave the old stuff on the floor. So I just kept with that tradition until recently. I decided to do a real rotation diet, probably a year ago. and an very happy with the results :)
 
I feed Missy and Chase Ol'Roy kibbles chunks and chews. It's not a good dog food and I would never recommend it to anyone, but it's what my mom can afford.
The first ingredint is ground yellow corn:cautious: We are looking for a better but affordable food. We're also have to switch cause Missy has basically stopped eating.:( The first ingredint in a dog food should be meat
http://www.ardenvaleboxers.com/health main.htm here's a website that talks about some of the bad ingredints in purina dog chow but it's also in my dog food.:( It makes me want to puke reading it yuck, I really need to change dog food.
Even though both my dogs have always eaten Ol'Roy they are both perfectly healthy dogs, Chase just turned 16 he weighs 60pds most large breed dogs don't leave this long. Missy is 6 and is also a perfectly healthy dog. So no my dogs health is not suffering because of their dog food.
 
The link posted here: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/:oops:

used to be great link,
but, i am not sure that "dogfoodanalysis" guy is still alive,:( no reviews updated since 2005 to 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...if there ARE any recent updates?? to that site in past 5 years??? i can't find them. Things in dog foods can change often, so an older, out of date site might not be your best bet.

Below are some great dog food sites, which ARE up to date.
THIS ONE is wonderful, http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/

^and on dogfoodadvisor, if you post a question under the dog food you are researching, several others jump in to discuss the dog food. Sometimes, even the site admin there will pop in to answer your question, and occasionally, the dog food manufacturer jumps in too.
From "Dog Food Advisor" site,
here is a great link on "Best Dog Foods":
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/
and be sure to look over the DogFoodAdvisors "articles library" articles, too.



This chart, i love, cuz it rates BOTH
the nutritional value AND indicates the PRICE:
http://www.petfoodratings.net/dogtable.html
(it's no fun to pick out a dog food, think, "this one is awesome!" and then realize you can NOT afford it...:oops: )



This next list also indicates price, however, i'd still further investigate any dog food you choose off of THIS list, as i think this site IS "editable" by anyone, (?) and i also disagree with some of the nutritional "star" ratings assigned here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmNw5KB82-n_dGtyOEpVVXhPQ2tfeU1FUGdEdjVnTkE&hl=en#gid=0
but, it's a good to use to get started if price is a major factor for you, like it is for me.
 
Puppylove,
unfortunately, many many vets are NOT good resources to ask what to feed a dog. Not all, but many vets, either do not know, or do not care.
In USA, anyway, many many vets will advise you to feed your dog
Purina,
Eukanuba,
Hill's Science Diet,
Alpo,
Iams,
Pedigree,
KibblesNBits,
and the like.
all of which are horrible (and often way overpriced!!) dog foods.

If i could afford to feed my dog anything, no matter what the price,
i'd feed my dog raw meat:
http://www.rawlearning.com/
 
SouthernGirl, a low budget dog food that is big step up from Ol Roy(0.50 cents per pound)
is Kirklands, (0.60 cents per pound) sold at Sams or Costco, i think.
http://www.petfoodratings.net/dogs.html#kirk
or
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/kirkland-signature-dog-food/
but i understand about not being able to afford a dog what you'd LIKE to feed a dog. and your mom IS feeding a LOT of lucky dogs, and many of them are BIG dogs, too.


I can't feed my dog the stuff i want to, either,
and Puppylove,
i feed my dog "ChickenSoupForThe Dog Lovers Soul"
"Chicken soup" dog food, is only about a dollar a pound.
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/chicken-soup-dog-lovers-soul-dry/
It's made in USA,
it lists four (4) meats on top of list, and two are already in 'meal' form:D
(hard to beat)
has probiotics,
has no corn (filler, is undigestible to dogs)
no soy (could be allergen)
no wheat (common allergen)
no byproducts (gross non meat parts of animals, like hooves and beaks)
no cellulose (cardboard)
no animal digest (this can be anything from dead dogs who were euthanized, to actual poop)
no brewer's rice (that is like peanut shells)
no synthetic vitamin k
no proven carcinogens and toxic preservatives
and i can afford it, and my dog is thriving nicely on it.

I add meat scraps (rinsed of all spices) on top of each bowl. Whatever we eat, dog gets some,
beef, fish, chicken, pork, eggs, venison, lamb, goat, poultry, whatever.



BUT, i am becoming increasingly interested in doing like Sara does, and rotating to try to find other quality, similarly priced dog foods to swap out now and then. I am looking over the following dog foods to rotate around with the ChickenSoup,
as possibly within my price range:
Merrick classics,
Fromm
Canidae ALS
Premium Edge
Nutrisource
 
We just put Holly on Orijen Puppy
(she is small and gets less than a cup per day so it isn't very expensive) in addition to other random stuff that she gets for treats and an edible chew or kong in the evening. She will also eat anything that gets dropped that you can't get off her quick enough (including a raw brussel sprout and the cabbage that's meant for the chickens).
 
Pawtential Unleashed said:
Alot of people use this site as a basis for food reviews -
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

We mostly feed our dogs [many of which are grain intolerant]:
Natural Balance Duck & Potato - 4 stars
Natural Choice Salmon and Sweet Potato - not reviewed

Ariel feeds her guys Taste of the Wild Prairie - 6 stars but recently affected by a recall in the same plant.
Click to expand...


Natural Balance and Taste of the Wild Prairie are not available in Australia :(
 
sara said:
I feed my dogs a rotation diet. They get something different every meal.

Dry:
Acana,
Orijen,
Blue Wilderness,
First Mate,
Merrick 5 Star Entrees,
Go,
Now,
Addiction,
Fromm,
Horizon Legacy,
Horizon Amicus,

I used to feed these, but have completely stopped feeding any product made by Diamond
Natural Balance,
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul,
Canidae,
Taste Of The Wild

Canned:
Blue's Stew,
Merrick 5 Star Entrees
Merrick Before Grain,
Addiction,
Tripette,
Fromm

Dehydrated Raw:
Addiction,
Canisource,
The Honest Kitchen
K9 Natural
Click to expand...


Sara; Other than "Canidae" none of the other brands are available in Australia. Canidae has a mixed reputation over here and although I was tempted to try it the negative comments prevented me from taking the leap..
 
tigerlily46514 said:
Puppylove,
unfortunately, many many vets are NOT good resources to ask what to feed a dog. Not all, but many vets, either do not know, or do not care.
In USA, anyway, many many vets will advise you to feed your dog
Purina,
Eukanuba,
Hill's Science Diet,
Alpo,
Iams,
Pedigree,
KibblesNBits,
and the like.
all of which are horrible (and often way overpriced!!) dog foods.

If i could afford to feed my dog anything, no matter what the price,
i'd feed my dog raw meat:
http://www.rawlearning.com/
Click to expand...

You have just named the most popular dog foods in Australia... I would love to feed mine raw meals but sometimes the price is just too much... I used to feed Artemis but it's no longer available from my supplier..
 
648117 said:
We just put Holly on Orijen Puppy
(she is small and gets less than a cup per day so it isn't very expensive) in addition to other random stuff that she gets for treats and an edible chew or kong in the evening. She will also eat anything that gets dropped that you can't get off her quick enough (including a raw brussel sprout and the cabbage that's meant for the chickens).
Click to expand...

My puppy, Gretel, is 7 months old...but Orijen is not sold in Australia :(
 
tigerlily46514 said:
SouthernGirl, a low budget dog food that is big step up from Ol Roy(0.50 cents per pound)
is Kirklands, (0.60 cents per pound) sold at Sams or Costco, i think.
http://www.petfoodratings.net/dogs.html#kirk
or
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/kirkland-signature-dog-food/
but i understand about not being able to afford a dog what you'd LIKE to feed a dog. and your mom IS feeding a LOT of lucky dogs, and many of them are BIG dogs, too.


I can't feed my dog the stuff i want to, either,
and Puppylove,
i feed my dog "ChickenSoupForThe Dog Lovers Soul"
"Chicken soup" dog food, is only about a dollar a pound.
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/chicken-soup-dog-lovers-soul-dry/
It's made in USA,
it lists four (4) meats on top of list, and two are already in 'meal' form:D
(hard to beat)
has probiotics,
has no corn (filler, is undigestible to dogs)
no soy (could be allergen)
no wheat (common allergen)
no byproducts (gross non meat parts of animals, like hooves and beaks)
no cellulose (cardboard)
no animal digest (this can be anything from dead dogs who were euthanized, to actual poop)
no brewer's rice (that is like peanut shells)
no synthetic vitamin k
no proven carcinogens and toxic preservatives
and i can afford it, and my dog is thriving nicely on it.

I add meat scraps (rinsed of all spices) on top of each bowl. Whatever we eat, dog gets some,
beef, fish, chicken, pork, eggs, venison, lamb, goat, poultry, whatever.



BUT, i am becoming increasingly interested in doing like Sara does, and rotating to try to find other quality, similarly priced dog foods to swap out now and then. I am looking over the following dog foods to rotate around with the ChickenSoup,
as possibly within my price range:
Merrick classics,
Fromm
Canidae ALS
Premium Edge
Nutrisource
Click to expand...



I was under the impression that the term "meal" as in the first ingredient on the list is "Lamb Meal" was not a good thing...

I thought the term "meal" referred to meat mixed with other things such as offel, bone etc

I'm currently trialling a new dry food. Australian Made and Owned. Which means it doesn't have to under go radiation when imported. It smells and looks divine BUT I'm considering not serving it any more because the first ingredient is "Lamb Meal"

Have I assumed the wrong thing about this term all this time??
 
Meal is actually very good, as it is the already dried form of meat. When meat is named fresh, it's actually mostly water, so when put into a dry food, there is alot less meat than actually first thought. Meal, as long as it's a named meat (lamb meal, turkey meal, chicken meal, etc) not generic (eg. meat meal) and as long as it's not a by product meal (eg. chicken by product meal) is a very good ingredient.
 
tigerlily46514 said:
BUT, i am becoming increasingly interested in doing like Sara does, and rotating to try to find other quality, similarly priced dog foods to swap out now and then. I am looking over the following dog foods to rotate around with the ChickenSoup,
as possibly within my price range:
Merrick classics,
Fromm
Canidae ALS
Premium Edge
Nutrisource
Click to expand...


funny you say that. I've been meaning to do the exact same thing simply because Evie gets so bored with her one flavour dog food day in, day out. Although we too often add to her dry food, whether it be meat & veg scraps from dinner or natural yoghurt. Oh how she loves yoghurt.
 
Puppylove said:
This is what I'm feeding at the moment... It's on a trial basis at present... My three dogs seem to really enjoy it but I'm still undecided.

http://www.pawsforlife.com.au/dog-food/Black-Hawk
Click to expand...

Actually, I would feed this to my dogs, but add meat. there is alot of grain in it, so if you add a little meat to it, you are good to go. They dont have the guaranteed analysis on their website though, which makes it hard to be completely sure about the food.
 
Yeah, Puppylove, i agree with Sara too!
that dog "BlackHawk" food looks okay, but, i'd add some meat to it just to be sure, since it has so many grains in it. Sara is right, "meal" IS a good thing,
Meal-------- it is just dehydrated meat. (Sara's warnings are so true, too, about "meat meal" or "byproduct meal"---neither of those is good)



Ingredients are listed by WEIGHT.
Real meat is 80% water, so if the list says "Chicken, rice,..etc"
once that chicken is dehydrated, it is now very light...so that chicken is probably not anywhere NEAR the top of the list anymore, and now, "rice" would now be top #1 ingredient, and chicken (now in meal form) is probably wayyyyyyyyyyy down the list.

I'm not sure dogs needs "tomato meal" or "dandelions" and my dog gets itchy off of cannola oil,(only took me about a year to notice that...:rolleyes: i'd been adding a lil dab of cannola oil to his food:oops:every now and then, my poor dog eh?)
but those ingredients are probably not in significant amounts. Overall, BlackHawk looks like a good dog food.

Once you get to the first listed fat in the ingredient list,
most ingredients listed AFTER the fat, are usually not in significant amounts, too.
 
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