Hi!
A couple of things here:
1) Carbs are okay for your dog if they are complex carbs. Lots of dog foods use simple carbs and these feed issues like Candida. It’s possible that your dog actually has Candida, as opposed to a food allergy (my guess, based on the paw licking & ear issue). To check symptoms, go to Nzymes.com or DERMagic.com
2) If you feed your dogs at regular times each day – as opposed to letting them eat at their leisure, it’ll be easier to control their weight.
3) I fed Victor for a short time & it smells like dog food – i.e. it smells like processed & burned hair, feathers, and beaks. I tried Victor because they hadn’t had a recall & they’re kind of a local company. I MUCH prefer VeRUS. I currently feed their Advanced Opticoat formula because my golden has Candida (she did the paw licking, ear rubbing thing) & I’m trying to finally give Candida the boot. Opticoat is made with a wild-caught, cold-water fish called menhaden which is high the right kinds of Omegas. The added benefit of this food is that IT DOESN’T STINK! It smells like fresh fish – even at the bottom of the bag. I’ve fed other VeRUS formulas and none of them smell like dog food. There is either no discernible scent OR it smells like fresh ingredients. If you are still looking to switch foods or even just to try one out, contact VeRUs & they’ll send you free samples. It’s worth contacting them just to get an idea of what dog food really SHOULD smell like!
4) Kibble size – victor IS small – about the size of a pea. My golden had trouble picking it up. VeRUS is a little less than the diameter of a dime & about 2x as thick. She has no trouble with this kibble.
BTW VeRUS also has a weight management formula. It is Lamb-based.
