Pedigree Dog Food (Dry)

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Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Pedigree Dry Dog Food receives the Advisor’s lowest rating of one star.

The Pedigree product line includes eight dry dog foods.

However, since we’re unable to locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these dog foods on the Pedigree website, it’s impossible for us to report specific life stage recommendations for these recipes.

The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.

  • Pedigree Adult Nutrition for Dogs
  • Pedigree Healthy Joints Food for Dogs
  • Pedigree Wholesome Nutrition for Dogs
  • Pedigree Healthy Weight Food for Dogs
  • Pedigree Small Breed Nutrition for Dogs
  • Pedigree Large Breed Nutrition for Dogs
  • Pedigree Healthy Longevity Food for Dogs
  • Pedigree Puppy Complete Nutrition for Puppies

Pedigree Large Breed Nutrition Dry Dog Food was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.

Pedigree Large Breed Nutrition

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 25% | Fat = 11% | Carbs = 56%

Ingredients: Ground whole corn, chicken by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine) corn gluten meal, animal fat (preserved with BHA and citric acid), meat and bone meal (natural source of calcium), brewers rice, ground whole wheat, dried plain beet pulp, natural flavor, salt, potassium chloride, vegetable oil (source of linoleic acid), vitamins (dl-alpha tocopherol acetate [source of vitamin E], l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate [source of vitamin C, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate [vitamin B1], biotin, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement [vitamin B2], vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement), choline chloride, minerals (zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, potassium iodide), added FD&C colors (red 40, yellow 5, blue 2)

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.5%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis22%10%NA
Dry Matter Basis25%11%56%
Calorie Weighted Basis23%26%51%

The first ingredient in this dog food is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

For this reason, we do not consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.

The second item is chicken by-product meal, a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from what’s left of a slaughtered chicken after all the prime cuts have been removed.

In a nutshell, chicken by-products are those unsavory leftovers usually considered “unfit for human consumption”.

In addition to organs (the nourishing part), this stuff can contain almost anything — feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs — anything except quality skeletal muscle (real meat).

On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

In any case, although this item contains all the amino acids a dog needs, we consider chicken by-products an inexpensive, lower quality ingredient.

The third ingredient is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate washed out of it.

Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins lower in many of the essential amino acids dogs need for life.

This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

The fourth ingredient is animal fat. Animal fat is a generic by-product of rendering, the same high-temperature process used to make meat meals.

Since there’s no mention of a specific animal, this item could come from almost anywhere: roadkill, spoiled supermarket meat, dead, diseased or dying cattle — even euthanized livestock.

For this reason, we do not consider generic animal fat a quality ingredient.

The fifth ingredient is meat and bone meal, a dry “rendered product from mammal tissues, including bone, exclusive of blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents”.1

Meat and bone meal can have a lower digestibility than most other meat meals.

Scientists believe this decreased absorption may be due to the ingredient’s higher ash and lower essential amino acid content.2

What’s worse, this particular item is anonymous. It doesn’t even specify the source animal.

Even though meat and bone meals are still considered protein-rich meat concentrates, we do not consider a generic ingredient like this a quality item.

The sixth ingredient is brewers rice. Brewers rice is a cereal grain by-product consisting of the small fragments left over after milling whole rice. Aside from the caloric energy it contains, this item is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

By the way, contrary to popular belief, brewers rice has nothing to do with the process of brewing beer.

The seventh ingredient is ground whole wheat. Wheat is another cereal grain and subject to the same issues as corn (previously discussed).

The eighth ingredient is beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With three notable exceptions

First, vegetable oil, a generic oil of unknown origin. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in any oil is nutritionally critical and can vary significantly (depending on the source).

Without knowing more, it’s impossible to judge the quality of an item so vaguely described. However, compared to a named animal fat, a generic vegetable oil cannot be considered a quality ingredient.

Next, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.

And lastly, this food also contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Pedigree Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Pedigree looks to be a below-average dry dog food.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 25%, a fat level of 11% and estimated carbohydrates of about 56%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 27% and a mean fat level of 12%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 53% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 44%.

Near-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the corn gluten meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Pedigree Dry Dog Food is a plant-based kibble using a moderate amount of chicken by-product and meat-and-bone meals as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand one star.

Not recommended.

Special Alert

Rice ingredients can sometimes contain arsenic. Until the US FDA establishes safe upper levels for arsenic content, pet owners may wish to limit the total amount of rice fed in a dog's daily diet.

A Final Word

The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.

Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.

Each review is offered in good faith and has been designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food.

However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyze each product, please read our article, "The Problem with Dog Food Reviews".

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt, consult a qualified veterinary professional for help.

In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews or ratings.

To learn how we support the cost of operating this website, please visit our public Disclosure and Disclaimer page.

Have an opinion about this dog food? Or maybe the review itself? Please know we welcome your comments.

Notes

11/08/2009 Original review
05/20/2010 Review updated
04/07/2012 Last Update

  1. Association of American Feed Control Officials, 2008 Edition
  2. Shirley RB and Parsons CM, Effect of Ash Content on Protein Quality of Meat and Bone Meal, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Poultry Science, 2001 80: 626-632
  • InkedMarie

    So sad. My fox terrier had protein losing enteropathy caused by lymphangectasia. My sheltie had trigeminal neuritis. Both were very hard on me. I didn’t know you guys then but I wish I had, could’ve used the support.
    Btw, I just got this notification this afternoon.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Yeah, I’ve had dogs with bad hips from both parents being OFA excellent. I’ve had dogs with bone cancer twice, and another one with a really weird cancer. I’ve had a dog with kidney failure. I had one get a weird type of liver failure. I quit getting GSDs because I had my heart broken too many times.

  • InkedMarie

    You’re correct about puppies from breeders but when I’ve gotten purebreds from reputable breeders, I feel I’ve one what I can to hopefully get a healthy pup. Ginger was my last, I looked at all the health testing and was impressed. Still, her teeth were weird and she has an underbite. We got a well bred Brittany for a bargain price.
    I have put down four dogs from February 2006 to mid 2011. Too much loss for me and two passed too young.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Thank you Marie,
    I have never bought a puppy that wasn’t from a reputable breeder, but even puppies from reputable breeders can have any number of problems. Over the years, I’ve had them all. I’ve also had a number of dogs that have lived to ripe old ages, of course some of those were my rescues. Unfortunately, for most of my years, the GSD was my favorite breed and they are ridiculously overbred, even the working line imports. I’ve owned over 20 dogs and trained many more, so I have had my share of loss, but I don’t really think any more than someone else who has had as many different dogs.

  • InkedMarie

    Patty, I did not realize how much loss you’ve had. I’m so sorry. You talk above about not being able o test puppies….while that is true, if someone is buying a purebred puppy, it’s so important to buy from a reputable breeder that does the requisite testing for that breed. Jmo of course

  • Pattyvaughn

    You’re very lucky! When I fed Pedigree I lost my GSD at 4 to a type of cancer my vet had not seen in any dog before. I didn’t know anything about how food can contribute to cancer, so I didn’t think anything about it. Then I lost the next dog at 3 due to severe hip displasia, I didn’t know how food affects that either. Then I lost my next one at age 7 from kidney failure, that finally started me looking at dog food. Some dogs seem to do well on whatever you throw at them, others need more. Unfortunately, there is no test you can perform on a new puppy to figure out which you have, so I have decided to feed the best nutrition that I can to promote the best health I can. I don’t let my children eat McDonalds every day either, though undoubtedly they would survive. I want more than that.

  • Huskypride

    Fed my husky pedigree all his life and he lived to be 17 years old. Perfect health.

  • CAROL LOURENCO

    I BOUGHT THIS PET FOOD ‘PEDIREEE LARGE BREED NUTRITION’ DOG FOOD AND MY DOG HAS A HARD TIME EATING IT. HE DOES NOT LIKE IT AT ALL AND TODAY HAS NOT EATEN ANYTHING. MY PET IS A YEAR AND HALF GREAT DANEBULL. i WAS MIXING SCRAP FOODS OR DOG CAN FOOD WITH IT AND HE WOULD EAT IT BUT STARTING HAVING DIARRHEA. I WON’T BUY THIS BRAND EVER AGAIN!

  • Melanie_Samuels

    Thank you for sharing your story. I think a lot of owners will be able to benefit from your experience! :)

  • Shawna

    Yeah, the others are right about protein not causing developmental issues in large breed dogs. Here’s another reliable source that says the same as the one HDM linked to.

    ” Jennifer Larsen DVM, MS
    Resident, Small Animal Clinical Nutrition
    Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital
    School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis

    The same group went on to investigate the individual dietary components and demonstrated that dietary protein level had no effect on the development of osteochondrosis (Nap, et. al, 1991). For some reason, dietary protein level continues to be incriminated by some owners, breeders, and veterinarians, despite the lack of supportive evidence.

    In contrast to protein, excessive calories and inappropriate amounts of calcium have both been shown to negatively influence optimal skeletal development in puppies.” http://www.lgd.org/library/Optimal%20feeding%20of%20large%20breed%20puppies.pdf

    GSDs do have a genetic condition that should play a role in deciding what foods to feed them however. GSDs have a genetic predisposition to being IgA deficient (immunoglobulin A). Dogs that are deficient in IgA tend to be more prone to certain diseases, like allergies. Wheat and corn, as in Pedigree, are two of the foods that are more likely to cause an intolerance and/or allergy. The below is taken from the Merck Vet Manual (I can’t link to it but if you google “Merck Vet Manual IgA deficiency” you can pull it up if interested).

    “IgA deficiencies have been described in Beagles, German Shepherds, and Chinese Shar-Peis… Dogs with IgA deficiency, like their human counterparts, are prone to chronic skin infections, chronic respiratory infections, and possibly allergies…. Like the German Shepherds, affected Shar-Peis have more problems than expected with allergies. Patients with these immunodeficiency syndromes may have a higher than usual incidence of autoimmune diseases and auto-antibodies such as autoimmune hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and systemic lupus erythematosus.”

  • LabsRawesome

    Melody, sorry, but you are wrong. There is not one good ingredient in Pedigree. For any dog of any age, size, or breed. Have you looked at the ingredients? Which ingredients in Pedigree, are species appropriate? Corn? By- product meal? Corn gluten meal? Animal fat? BHA? Meat and bone meal? Give me a break. DO SOME RESEARCH……

  • InkedMarie

    I was under the impression that dogs with joint issues need a higher protein

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Hi Melody -

    I own large breed dogs and I can tell you this is not true. Large and giant breed puppies need a reduced calcium food while growing (3.5 g. per 1,000 kcal. or less) as excess calcium intake is linked to developmental orthopedic disorders (hip dysplasia, pano, etc.). They should also be kept lean – this does not mean they have to be fed a low fat food. Weight gain is based on calories consumed, not the amount of fat in the food – they just need their food intake monitored. If the dog is eating a more calorie-dense food (higher fat) they should be fed smaller portions than if they are eating a less calorie-dense (lower fat) food – easy peasy. Once a large or giant breed dog is fully grown, their nutritional needs are no different than a large or medium breed dog – high protein, moderate fat, low carbohydrates. My senior, adult and puppy all eat a homemade raw diet with protein levels around 50% and fat levels around 35%. I monitor my puppy’s calcium intake. My most recent puppy has been on a high protein, moderately high fat, low carbohydrate raw diet with controlled calcium levels since she came home at 8 weeks old and my, now two year old, adult ate high protein dehydrated and canned foods (>30%) until she was 8 months old and then was switched to raw. Both had slow and controlled growth with no abnormalities.

    You might want to check out this article – “Nutritional Risks to Large and Giant Breed Dogs: From Weaning to Geriatric Years” by Susan Lauten PhD:

    http://portais.ufg.br/uploads/66/original_Racas_grandes.pdf

    “Currently, no evidence exists to suggest that high-protein intake contributes tothe development of orthopedic disease in growing large-breed puppies.”

    This is an extremely poor quality food. Not appropriate for a dog of any size.

  • Melody

    Has everyone missed the point ? This is pedigree large breed, due to conditions like panosteitis, joint dysplasia etc large breed dogs especially gsd’s have to be fed food which has lower protein and fats. This is to ensure their bones and joints develop slowly and properly. People should research what their individual breed actually needs before they make judgement. The nutritional analysis of this particular feed is exactly right for a “large breed” dog.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jack.tripper.3950 Jack Tripper

    it is disheartening to know that 1star kibble (pedigree, purina, kibbles n bits, ol roy) holds over 80% of the US marketshare. 2.5star kibble (iams, eukanuba, science diet) probably holds another 10%. that means that less than 10% of the kibble consumed in this country is high quality. i think the cause of the problem is the way regulation works. the first 20 ingredients can be practically anything as long as they throw in a few vitamins and minerals they can say its got “complete nutrition”. it would be like a human consuming sawdust, lard and a centrum and saying its healthy. clearly the fox is guarding the hen house.

  • LabsRawesome

    Hi chels, the grocery store brands have found a way to use mill waste, from the human food chain to make dog food. Instead of throwing it in the trash were it belongs. Why? Because they don’t give a crap about you or your dog, just your $$$.

  • chels

    :( I’ve been feeding my pomeranian dog this pedigree for the past 2 years and just getting her off it now… ugh why would they even make this crap and sell it ????

  • InkedMarie

    Hi Tasha, the first suggestion is to ignore what your vet says about dog food (unless the dog has a serious medical issue; if you want to listen to a vet, find a holistic vet). I’d look here at the 4 and 5 star foods and start there. I’m not worried about the gas, that may be caused by this food. Does your dog have any other issues? Ear infections, overweight, underweight, stuff like that? Is price an issue?

  • Roger Biduk

    Hello Tasha,

    Pedigree is the worst of the worst along with Purina and Ol’ Roy.

    You must avoid all Purina products and buy a grain-free food like Orijen, contains up to 11 meat/fish ingredients, all human-grade, no fillers, etc.
    Pedigree Adult complete contains absolutely NO meat.
    There isn’t one ingredient in Orijen that’s in Pedigree!

    Your lab is going to get very seriously sick on Pedigree and it looks like it’s starting to happen.

    There’s even proven carcinogens in the preservatives Pedigree uses, BHA/BHT and added fd&c colors (red 40, yellow 5, blue 2).

    All of the following ingredients in Pedigree Adult Complete are on our list of Ingredients to Avoid Absolutely Avoid in Pet Foods. http://www.bestcatanddognutrition.com/?cat=12
    Most of all the ingredients are in all of their formulas:

    Ground whole corn, meat and bone meal, corn gluten
    meal, animal fat (preserved with bha/citric acid), soybean meal, ground whole wheat, brewers rice, dried plain beet pulp, salt, vegetable oil (preserved with bha/bht), added fd&c colors (red 40, yellow 5, blue 2).

    You can see the harm what these ingredients are doing to your lab here: http://www.bestcatanddognutrition.com/?cat=13

  • JellyCat

    If you can afford good quality 5 star food from reputable manufacturer – definitely get it. If you are on a budget, others will recommend some cheaper foods.
    If you have Costco – get Kirkland food as it is the same price as Pedigree. It is not made by super reputable manufacturer, but ingredients in it are good.
    Pedigree is not food.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Too true.

  • LabsRawesome

    Well for someone feeding Pedigree, Pure balance has to be an upgrade. She would be going from a 1 star to a 3.5 . I don’t know her financial situation either, but she can always upgrade to something else if the money is available. Unfortunately some people just don’t have the cash to spend 50 to 80 per bag on dog food. Petmart’s Authority grain-free is around $20 for a 15lb bag, and is a 4 star food.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Truth, I was thinking both, the better food and the supplements. Though I’m still HIGHLY suspicious of Pure Balance, I guess that the fact that it’s made by Walmart makes me believe that they have found some way to disguise trash as something OK. I’m definitely not convinced that there is anything in Pure Balance that will help with a dog that is known to produce gas.

  • LabsRawesome

    Try the Pure Balance at Walmart. It is rated 3.5 stars on this site. It
    has way better ingredients than Pedigree. Walmart also has Pure balanced
    canned for $1 a can.

  • LabsRawesome

    Hi Patty, instead of putting the money into probiotics and digestive enzymes, I think it would be a better idea to get the dog on a better food, Pedigree is just horrific.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Try adding probiotics and digestive enzymes, bunny poo has a lot of the good stuff in it, so it should(unfortunately) be helping the problem.

  • LabsRawesome

    Try the Pure Balance at Walmart. It is rated 3.5 stars on this site. It has way better ingredients than Pedigree. Walmart also has Pure balanced canned for $1 a can.

  • Tasha

    My dog is a black Lab. She will be 2 in May. We have been feeding her Pedigree since we rescued her. She has always had gas, but I never put two and two together. My husband and I thought it was just something she ate outside-like rabbit poop. We have a lot of bunnies in our yard. She enjoys eating their poop as much as chasing them. Anyways, we fed her puppy pedigree, then switched to adult pedigree when she was 1. Vet recommendations-she even told us that it is a good brand of dog food. Recently we switched her food to Active pedigree. While her gas has went away some, it is still there. We slowly introduced her back to the adult pedigree to see if that is what causes her gas. And it did get worse. When she gets the gas, she gets shaky and hot, and starts panting. So, we want to switch her dog food again, but we don’t know what to switch it to. Any suggestions? She looks very healthy. Shiny hair, lean, tall, and VERY active, but very gas with belly aches. :(

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Hi kat20086 –

    If you have a “curious mind” you should read “Food Pets Diet For” by Ann Martin. Several grocery store brands of pet food have tested positive for pentobarbital (the euthanasia drug) – so euthanized animals (be it dogs, cats, horses, cattle, etc.) have been and likely are currently used in pet food. Many euthanized dogs and cats from shelters and vet clinics are rendered. It was recently confirmed in Spain that euthanized pets are making their way into pet food. You might find this article interesting: http://truthaboutpetfood2.com/the-worst-horror-of-pet-food-confirmed-in-spain .

  • kat20086

    I would love to know how you know what types of meat maybe in foods such as how in the heck would they get euthenized dogs and cats in there? I am curious where you gather this information just for a curious mind.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Except it would be a very rare human(nonexistent) that ate McDonalds every meal for life.

  • AnthonyMEsparza

    The healthy weight it corn free… Which most natural expensive brands have excluded. Can we get a break down for each type because not each bled has same ingredients. Yes dry dog food under 35 bucks isn’t the best nutrient value however there are small supplements you can give your dog to make up for the food. It’s like humans and McDonald’s.

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  • http://www.thegreedypinstripes.com/ BryanV21

    So would you feed your kid only ice cream if he/she said they wouldn’t eat anything else? Of course you wouldn’t! So why allow a finicky dog to eat this junk food?

    Dogs will not starve themselves. I know it can be hard not seeing your “kids” eat, but if you keep giving in then how will they learn to eat something better?

  • Pattyvaughn

    That’s because it has ingredients that are addictive in it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/elodia.velasquez Elodia Velasquez

    I’ve tried so many times to change from Pedigree dry and canned. It’s the only one my dogs like…

  • dlmack

    if you really love your pet feed her something better than Pedigree, my dog died from a diet of pedigree, and the vet said it was the worst dogfood on the market and that he saw a lot of sick animals that were eating pedigree

  • dlmack

    please, if you love your pets, dont feed your pet any kind of pedigree dog crap

  • guest

    I barley bought  Pedigree Healthy Longevity Food for Dogs, and i wanted to know if it is just for senior dogs? i hope not because my adult dogs like it since it has lamb. They are both chi’s

  • Drvnlfawy

     the scratching and licking all the time is a symptom of  a food allergy. I have a min pin/chiauha that has been doing that. she will also get a rash on her belly.. I have been putting cortizone on that at times. and it helps.. talked to a Lady lastnight that works or owns Good Dog in CDA Idaho. She said to watch out for dog foods that have “By Product” in it as there is NO Quality control on it. They could put anything in it.. including dogs that had been euthenized- pet collars included. Yuk. I checked this site out and checked the rating on some of the food.. it amazed me that some of the BEST advertised foods that are suppose to be good for your pet. IIams , Benniful, and I think Purina. are low rated. Watch out for the BY PRODUCTS>

  • Johnandchristo

    Hi Lanie45,

    Thank you I’m really happy with his health. I had aGSD years ago, he ate pedigree too and looked fine. Christo was on puppy chow but he got bumps and itchy ect. I saw a huge change in everything when I changed him to Brothers. I’m training him to retrieve I’ll post a video plus a before Brothers pic. Kuvasz are really big dogs too I guess you like those kinds huh? I do too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b6qN0vHiss

  • Lanie45

    Christo has such a beautiful & shiney coat of hair. My boyfrien use to raise and train Labs for duck and goose hunting. They are wonderful dogs.

    I got started using pedigree with my Kuvasz. She loved the food and ate it for 14 years. Did great on it. Our other dogs have done really well on it too. But Lady Bird sure isn’t. She is a totally different dog though.

  • Johnandchristo

    Hi Lanie45,

    Beautiful dog. I think blood hounds and mastiffs are great dogs and good looking too. She does look big.
    Please forgive me for saying but I also think pedigree   
    is not the greatest food. what ever you end up feeding her good luck she is beautiful. I’ll post some  pictures of Christo my lab pup. 

  • Lanie45

    They are so cute!! Just want to give them all lovins.lol! Thank you so much for sending me the web links. I will diffinatly check them out.

    When we got Lady, I found her on petfinder.com. My boyfriend was wanting a bloodhound to track deer that had been shot while hunting but didn’t go down right away and I was wanting a mastiff. So I spotted her and we got the best of both worlds. She really is a fantastic dog. Great with our grandkids, wonderful with our small dogs, and has a fantastic nose on her.

    Thanks again for all of your help!

  • Hound Dog Mom

    I have limited variety in my area too – I’m basically in the middle of nowhere. I do a lot of online shopping. wag.com, petflow.com, doggiefood.com, naturalk9supplies.com and k9cuisine.com all have free shipping when you spend so much (usually $50) and they all have a wide variety of quality foods.

    She’s so gorgeous! I can really see the bloodhound in her. Here are my three bloodhounds:

  • Lanie45

    Thank you so much for replying and the info. I live in So. Illinois and it has gotten to where it stays so warm here in the winters that we have to use some kind of flea preventative on our pets. We also have 3 very small dogs if you can imagine that. But Lady is really good with them. Lady has a body of a Mastiff. I will attach another pic. She has grown since this pic was taken. I will have to search in the stores here for a better food. We are rather limited on varity unfortuatly. I may have to order some online.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Oh my goodness, what a cutie! She’s got a face just like a bloodhound but she’s brindle, so neat.

    I would get her off Pedigree asap, if you read the review above you can see it’s a really poor quality food. Some dogs do fine on foods like this, but other more sensitive dogs have issues with things like corn, wheat, BHA, etc. What you decide to switch to will depend on your budget. Here’s a great video on how to pick a dog food: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/karen-becker-choose-dog-food-1/ . Like Patty said, if you can go grain-free that would be a good idea and probiotics are are great addition as well (Mercola has a great 14 strain probiotic supplement). Check out Dr. Mike’s recommended grain-free foods and see which are within your budget. Also the least processed the food is, the better – so for example raw would be ideal, followed by home-cooked, dehydrated, canned and kibble last. If you’re going to feed kibble try topping with raw, healthy cooked leftovers or a high quality canned or dehydrated food.

    Depending on what area you live in you may also want to consider not doing flea and heartworm meds year round. My three bloodhounds are on a raw grain-free diet and have such strong immune systems that they don’t require flea and tick preventatives. I’d look into natural options and if you must give a chemical flea preventative only do it in the flea season. This is an article on heartworm by holistic vet Dr. Becker, it has some info and a chart by state showing which months preventatives are necessary http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/08/03/why-havent-pet-owners-been-told-these-facts-about-heartworm.aspx – if you’re up north enough to discontinue use during the winter months you may want to do that.

    Good luck! :)

  • Lanie45

    I also keep flea med & give her heart worm med year round because I keep her in the house.

  • Lanie45

    I have her on Pedigree Adult Small Bits right now. It is what I have always fed all of my dogs and never had any problem. Lady Bird is a year & a half old weights 120 lbs and still growing. Her main itching is on her neck, legs, feet, top of her back next to her tail. I adopted her just this past May. She didn’t seem to have any itching problems then & they were feeding her Science Diet.

  • Johnandchristo

    Hi Lanie45,

    Could you please post a picture of your dog?

    Sorry about the itching, what does your dog eat?

    My black lab used to itch and had bumps. I changed his food to Brothers and raw (as a topper) he is doing great now. Your dog must be pretty big, hope you figure out the problem.

  • Pattyvaughn

    YES!!!!

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Hi Lanie45 –

    That’s got to be an interesting looking dog! I have three bloodhounds and I love mastiffs, I think they’re so neat.

    As far as the itching it could definitely be the food but it could also be something not food related (flea allergies, dry skin, sensitivity to a chemical in the environment, seasonal allergies, etc.). Are you feeding her this food?

  • Lanie45

    I have a Bloodhound/Mastaff dog that is scratching all of the time. Could it be her dog food?

  • Doglover

    Please do better for you pet

  • sandy

    Nutrisource Super Performance and the Grain Free Lamb Meal have the most calories according to their website.  I’m feeding the Puppy and the GF Lamb and the stools are better on the GF Lamb.

  • http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

    Ha-ha!  Oh you mean Tigger!  He got adopted too soon! I needed 6 months with him at least!!

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Sadly they don’t. They got me up at 5 a.m. wanting their a.m. walk and breakfast. No sleeping in on a Sunday for me. :(

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    Awww… : )

    I must be thinking of another that you have / had that looked as though the poor little guy swallowed a watermelon. This little girl carries her weight well. ; )

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    I just looked at their website – looks like Performance is 491 calories per cup, 30 percent protein, 20 percent fat. A 40 lb bag has 156 cups.

    The small breed puppy is 32 percent protein, 21 percent fat and 513 calories per cup. A 35 pound bag has 127 cups.

    Yay!, Now, where’s Leslie! LOL

  • http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

    She lost 3 lbs the first month and I hadn’t weighed her before she left.  She was 63 to start.

  • Melissaandcrew

     HDM-

    The Nutrisource performance is great : ) I have used it for a few months now for incoming thin rescues and they have all,. so far gained appropriate amounts of weight. Its 500 plus calories per cup(I think its 591-would have to check the website for the new cal info)

    A 30 lb bag of Nutrisource contains roughly 140-145 cups of food-so lasting 5 weeks, he is eating 3-4 cups per day(averaged out since he is free fed) .

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    I see your crew has no respect for the time change either.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    Thanks, HDM! That’s great advice! I completely overlooked their Performance formula: http://www.nutrisourcedogfood.com/nutrisource/products/performance. The kibble in this formula should probably be a better size for Leslie’s dog also.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Something else I just thought of to add – in addition to puppy formulas another good option to consider is “performance” formulas, if the company offers them. Nutrisource does, same protein and fat as the small/medium breed puppy in this case but slightly more kcal per cup. I believe my mom does the performanece formulas for Nutrisource and Eagle Pack and puppy for Whole Earth Farms and Healthwise. It’s at least a good idea to compare the puppy and performance formulas, sometimes they’re the same but in some instances the performance formulas are better.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Hi Betsy –

    Good question. No there isn’t. She actually should give the puppy formula (imo). Growth is the same thing as all life stages.” I actually recommend going with a puppy formula for any age when feeding one of the brands that actually makes “puppy”, “adult”, “senior.” The puppy formulas are almost always higher in fat and protein – which all dogs can benefit from. Most of the extremely high quality foods (Orijen, Acana, Instinct, etc.) are labeled for all life stages and all the formulas are all high protein, but for the other brands I generally recommend going with puppy. My mom is on a budget for her dog and feeds a rotation of some 4 star cost friendly foods (Whole Earth Farms, Eagle Pack, Nutri Source, Healthwise, etc.) – per my recommendation she always gets the puppy formulas for these brands even though she has an adult. These foods are lower in fat and protein than the 5 star foods anyways so going with the “puppy” version gives some more protein and fat and the puppy formulas often cost the same as the adult formulas.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    Oh, wow. Sorry to hear all that – that must’ve been really stressful. Wasn’t she the one who was really overweight? How was her weight after a couple of months with you?

  • http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

    No :(   She did not get along with my 8 yr old pug, had to pull her off of him every week, bit him couple times, almost got his eye the last time, and she didn’t like some of the fosters that I have that are recuperating from heartworm treatment. She was very sweet on her own and with some of the other pugs, even wrassled with some of them and would take a nap with some of them but was just too unpredictable.  I was too apprehensive to leave her alone with the pugs when we were all at work and didn’t want her crated all the time.  She’s with a bulldog breeder right now and she’s looking for the right home for her.  She also works at one of our rescue clinics.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    Wait, the bulldog isn’t there any longer?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    Just be proud of yourself for recognizing the need to make a change and taking the time to research your options.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    A lot of people really like Taste of the Wild, but it’s made by Diamond, who has become far too well know for its many recent recalls. Diamond also makes 4Health (the TSC version of TotW) And Kirkland (the Costco version). I don’t believe Nutrisource has had any recalls. One more thing to complicate the situation, right? : )

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    I think one reason that kibble is generally fairly small is that when it’s larger it supposedly can increase the risk of bloat.

  • Leslie

    Thank You :)  

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    Dang, that is tiny. I wasn’t even thinking about that and was just looking at the percentages. He could probably get a hold of it more easily if she added some warm chicken stock to it. He might also be more interested… enough to eat it all. Would it be a better idea not to free feed this guy?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    Transition him slowly, Leslie. Don’t dump the Pedigree just yet. You’ll need it to ease him into the new food that you choose. You’ll want to mix the two 25/75 new to old and keep him on that until he’s stable… Then do 50/50, etc. Nutrisource seems to be very well tolerated, so hopefully the transition will be brief.

    While you’re out tomorrow, pick up some plain, canned pumpkin. You’ll probably also find Fruitables: http://fruitablespetfood.com/fruitables_food_supplement.html, at the pet food store. Both are great for transitioning to a different food or for occasional bouts of loose stool.

    Oh, and don’t blame yourself for listening to your vet’s advice. You had every reason to presume s/he knew what was best. : )

    I’d probably start him on some probiotics (I just started mine on Mercola) and some digestive enzymes. Someone else would be more qualified to recommend a brand for that than I would.

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do. : )

  • http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

    I actually had a bulldog here for 2 months and even with her underbite she ate my kibble with canned food just fine and didn’t make a mess!

  • http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

    I’ve also fed Wellness in the past and it is a larger triangular (not flat) shape.

  • Leslie

    The large bread Nuti Source was also small but not too small he managed to eat it ~ I do wish they made the bites larger so he would not make such a mess LOL the Science diet was large but made him sick…UGH no win…YET 
    I will find the right food for my boy 

  • Leslie

    Thanks to you all for your comments this has really helped me decide on his food, I was so upset about his weight loss and vomiting I was willing to boil burger for him everyday to fatten him up and keep his diet bland it’s not the cost that concerns me with the food it is his stomach and weight :(
     I love him so much and just want a healthy dog, The vet keeps telling me he is healthy just under weight but after taking him of Nutri Source and giving him Science Diet I do see a big difference in his coat 

    I have made the decision to look for either nutri source with grain (Lamb) or something in the same line, 
    Dukes teacher had suggested Taste of Wild
     I may check into that, I’m upset with myself for giving him 1 star Pedigree “( 

  • http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

    The Nutrisource Small/Med Breed Puppy kibble is soooo tiny I don’t think a lab could pick it up!!  Puppy kibble on the left, GF Lamb on the right.

  • Leslie

    I can’t believe you just asked me this, I was explaining to my Husband just before I read this when Duke was on Nutri Source Grain Free
    Dukes coat was so shinny, nice & soft but Duke lost so much weight while on it 
    We listened to the vet and change to Science Diet (Advance Fitness) 
     
    I feel now we should have checked for Nurti  Source with grain… 

    Duke is 65 pound yellow lab 2 1/2 year old

    Dukes father was tall and big but not fat  .. I would say at least 80 to 85 pounds. his mother was average size for a female lab

    Duke is also tall but his bones show and it sickens me, we leave his food out so it’s hard to say how much he eats per day but a 30 pound bag of nutri source  
    would last about 4 to 5 weeks 

    We have decided to go to the pet store tomorrow and try Nutri Source with Grain now that I have read all the comments on Pedigree I can not feed him that daily, I would give him a can as a treat now and then because he loves the can Pedigree but the dry is out as of tomorrow
     I am very concerned now 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    Hey HDM, is there a reason why she couldn’t / shouldn’t give her adult dog a puppy / growth formula if it’s underweight? The Nutrisource small/medium breed puppy formula is 32 percent protein and 21 percent fat as compared to 26 percent protein and 16 percent fat in the regular adult formula.

  • http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

    I replied to myself instead of you so check the thread!

  • http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

    Also a probiotic/digestive enzyme supplement for optimal digestion would help (with the gas too).

  • http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

    Instinct has an LID lamb and Nutrisca comes in lamb.  I also just remembered you can add coconut oil 1 tsp per 20 lb per day for added calories if you like the Nutrisca GF Lamb.  There are other brands that have close to 500 calories per cup as well.  My first thought is EVO and Timberwolf Platinum but don’t quote me on that.

    http://www.timberwolforganics.com/platinum-canine-formulas/lamb-and-apples-platinum-formula-50-lbs.html

    http://www.naturesvariety.com/Instinct/dog/kibble/LIDlamb

    I don’t think EVO comes in lamb.

    http://nutrisca.dogswell.com/lamb.html

  • LuvMyMutt

    Leslie – If your dog doesn’t do well on a grain free diet, that’s just your dog and that’s fine.  Costco has very affordable 4 star rated foods – Kirkland Signature Lamb and rice is about 70 cents a pound.  I’ve also used Fromms Gold (4 star), which in the 30 pound bag is just over a $1 a pound. Good luck!

  • Leslie

    Does it come in Lamb? I was told because of his allergies to stay with Lamb base food 

  • http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

    Nature’s Variety Instinct and Dogswell Nutrisca and Pinnacle Peak Protein are higher in fat. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    This might sound like when you call the help desk and the first thing they say is, “Is it plugged in?” But, I have to ask, how much were you feeding him when you were using the Nutrisource? What breed is he, weight, age, activity level? Could you “see” his ribs when he was eating the Nutrisource? Is it possibly just his genetic make-up to be lean?

    I know you tried the grain free Nutrisource, did you think about trying the grain inclusive formula for a while and then transitioning to the grain free?

  • Leslie

    I can honestly say we are totally confused at this point, we tried Nutri Source grain free for 6 to 7 months, first Chicken then Lamb because of his allergies he lost 7 pounds from the food, so the vet said the Food is great but does not have enough fat in the food for him.
     we then changed to Science Diet (Advance Fitness) for 1 month, he vomited after 20 min almost every time he ate, when I gave him a can of (can) wet Pedigree he would be fine. We just switch him to pedigree a week ago he is no longer vomiting but has gas :( UGH We also mix his food at the very end and switch slowly never pull one and give a new one right away, I am now concerned I’m not giving him the vitamins he needs and after I sat and thought about it a one star does concern me :( I love him like one of our kids I just want him to gain a little weight and not be sick from his food, I do not mind spending $49.00 for a 30 pound bag if it makes him happy and healthy. so far that has not been the case, although the Nuti Source made is coat shine and so soft Duke needs more fat he is skin and bones (Very Upsetting to us as dog parents)  

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Leslie –

    Which “expensive” brands did you try? Do you realize that if you have been feeding low quality foods like Pedigree for a long time and you suddenly switch to a high quality brand vomiting and diarrhea are normal? You should switch gradually and supplement with a digestive supplement and plain pumpkin during the transition. Also, you may need to try a “stepping stone” 3 or 4 star food before going straight to 5 star.

    Also the not keeping weight on when eating high quality foods and the high quality foods being too low in fat doesn’t make sense. Pedigree is EXTREMELY low in fat compared to most high quality foods – I would never feed my dogs anything with only 10% fat. My dogs eat raw foods with between 30% and 40% fat. Most 5 star kibbles are around 20% fat (double the fat in Pedigree). Most high quality foods also have much more calories per cup than low quality foods. Pedigree only has 335 kcal. per cup. Most 5 star foods have well over 400 kcal. per cup with most coming close to 500 kcal. per cup! My dogs eat 2,500 kcal. per day if I was feeding Pedigree they’d each need 7 1/2 C. per day!

    I’m glad to hear your dog is doing well, but just because a dog eats a brand of food and lives 16 years doesn’t magically make the food good..

  • Leslie

    I put my 2 1/2 year old lab on Pedigree wet and dry dog food after trying 3 different expensive brands over the past year, they either made him sick (vomit) or lose weight 
    Expensive Brands Either:
    1) did not agree with him and made him vomit 20 minutes after eating
    2) there was not enough fat in the food to keep his weight normal

    I had a Golden Retriever on Pedigree lived 16 years, I feel the bottom line is your Dog will let you know what makes him happy & healthy 

  • Pat0429

    hi i was reading your comments Bloody Diarrhea my 3 doggies died i feed them pedigree dry dog food from walmart they stopped eatting  had bloody diarrhea  throwing up do you think it was pedigree

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Yeah, I don’t think it is very popular. Their website it happydogfood.com. Last year I ordered a sample of their grain-free premix to check it out. It’s basically just diced dehydrated veggies with zinc, iron, copper, manganese, salt and vitamin e added – no calcium. It bothers me that they say all you need to do is add ground meat and it’s complete and balanced…the dog needs calcium! They do also sell a vitamin and mineral supplement, there is calcium in this. They don’t state how many milligrams, just that it’s 4% calcium. So I guess it’s possible the supplement could balance the meal however they advertise the supplement as being “optional.”

  • Melissaandcrew

     I can’t imagine that Happy Dog is that popular. I could only find two refs to it earlier today-the link you listed, and an article on WDJ(which btw, goes over quite a few of the premixes)

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Teresa -

    Happy dog doesn’t contain adequate calcium levels. So if you intend on using it as a pre-mix you’d need to add 90% raw meat and 10% bone or 800 mg. calcium per 1 lb. meat (cooked or raw). I prefer to make my homemade food from scratch but occasionally do use a premix – I’ve had the best luck with Urban Wolf.

    Here’s some info on different pre-mixes:

    http://dogaware.com/diet/dogfoodmixes.html#

  • Melissaandcrew

    Teresa-

    Even though you intend on using natural chicken, you should still rotate meat/protein sources for variety and to ensure the dog gets every thing it needs.

  • http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

    Haven’t heard of Happy Dog, but if you’re still shopping around, there is also Dr Harvey’s, The Honest Kitchen, Sojos, Grandma Lucy’s, Urban Wolf, Primal and Bravo where you can customize your meats or veggies.

  • Teresa sigurdson

    After all the research I have been doing and loosing a beloved pet way to early I have decided to make my own dog food from the natural chicken I feed my family.  I heard about Happy Dog from a rescue and was wondering if you had any opinions. You have to supply the meat but it contains what looks like many high quality foods to ensure nutient value. I am curious to know what you think.

  • InkedMarie

    Thanks, Toxed and Shawna!

  • Shawna

    Hi Marie :)

    The Mercola product can be found at the following link — http://probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics-for-pets.html

    Another one I like (a human product that can be used for dogs) is made by Garden of Life and is called Primal Defense.  The probiotics used in Primal Defense include “soil based organisms”.  It can be found at Whole Foods and most health food stores..  As well as online of course.

  • Toxed2loss

    Hi Marie,
    I use the Mercola one as well. It’s supposed to contain more different strains than any other but I haven’t checked recently to see if anyone else improved theirs.

  • InkedMarie

    I hope @ShawnaW:disqus  pipes in…she uses a Mercola one that will be my next choice. I use Digest All Plus but like what I read about the mercola one

  • Mswm80

    what do you suggest for a probiotic?