[Bobby dog]

Alright, then it sounds like you just need to find a tasty food for him. At Petsmart take a look at Nutro Ultra, Nutro Natural Choice, Simply Nourish, Wellness, Castor & Pollux, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and Nulo.

Here is a download that provides a menu for adding fresh grocery store foods to your dog’s diet. I follow this meal plan using the fresh foods as toppers for several meals rather than feeding it as a single meal:
http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DN330EBK

If you reconsider adding a canned topper to your dog’s meals, reduce the amount of kibble so you don’t over feed. Here are some canned and tub foods available at Petsmart: Blue Buffalo, Castor & Pollux, Freshpet, Innova, Nature’s Recipe, Nature’s Variety Instinct, Nature’s Variety Prairie, Nulo, Nutro, Simply Nourish, and Wellness.

Also consider diet rotation. Find at least three different kibbles your dog likes and does well on. Providing variety may help keep his interest in his food. I change kibble brands after each small bag and also switch to a different protein and carb. Here’s some info about diet rotation:
/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

[Robert B]

Sorry, I forgot to mention his food. I purchase his food at Petsmart, Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula, natural chicken and brown rice.
When I smell it, it has no smell to it, no armor……so I don’t blame Louie for not eating that, I wouldn’t….LOL.

Robert

[Dori]

Please read review on Blue Buffalo and google complaints about Blue Buffalo. Maybe your do is trying to tell you something. As to any suggestions for a dry food I’m sorry that I can’t be of any help there. I feel commercial raw foods to my three toy dogs as well as organic fruits and veggies. I know that quite a few posters seem to like Victor’s Grain Free, Nature’s Logic, Annaemaet (?), Brothers Complete, Nature’s Variety Instinct, Acana, Orijen. Those are just a few that I have read dry food feeders compliment. I’m sure there are others but I don’t know. What you can also do is switch to a dry food (for economic reasons I would suppose) and use a canned or freeze dried food as a topper. Your dog would get better nutrients than merely feeding a dry food. There are many other things that you could add to a dry food to make it more palatable and nutritious.

I hope this bumps up your question and kibble feeders will see and respond. 🙂

[Robert B]

Hi, I have a serious problem with my pet not eating. He is an 11 pound silky terrier, name Louie and he is my best hairy friend I have in my life. He said alone my side when I was sick….unconditional love. But, he is a very, very picky eater. I feed him the best……Blue Buffalo dry food mix with hot chicken or some other flavor meet. It’s driving me crazy that I have to heat up some meat and mix it with his dry food. I have been doing it for 6 years now and I’m starting to get all stress out.
I know it’s my fault and I take all the blame. I was looking at some other dry dog companies that sell small kibbles with FLAVOR. But the problem that I’m finding the dog food isn’t really that good for him, they have by-products and other ingredients that’s not good. I really need help on this one and I do appreciate all the help I can get.
My main goal is to get him of the wet mix food and put him on just dry food, that
has flavor, small kibbles and great dog food.

Again, thank you for your help and will check back for your replies.

Bobbart

[Nancy B]

Samantha S.
See http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/blue_buffalo.html?page=2
for the posted 866 major dangers about feeding dogs Blue Buffalo.

[Dori]

Samantha S. Please read through a number of the reviews on Blue Buffalo and also google Blue Buffalo and it will become apparent why Blue Buffalo is not on the Editor’s Choice of preferred foods. There have been a lot of gastrointestinal issues with BB. It’s been happening for a while now to a number of dogs as reported by their owners. From what I’ve read, BB is denying any issues with their food and that no one has called them to complain. What that means to me and others is that they are refusing to take responsibility for any changes they may have made with their food.

[SAMANTHA S]

Am curious as to why Blue Buffalo line of products is not on your list, so I will nominate it to be so. Thank you.

[Andi G]

I too am having a hard time deciding on what foods to try next for my giant dog (a mastiff/lab mix) who also happens to be picky eater. It’s so not fair, the neighbor’s dog comes over from time to time and eats up my dog’s rejected food like it’s the best thing ever (HAHA). Affording quality dog food in such large quantities is definitely a challenge that I didn’t think would be quite so challenging when we first got him. 🙂
I’d love to buy him the best of the best no matter the cost, but that’s not possible 🙁
I’ve been giving him Cosequin DS (double-strength) Plus tablets that I find on Amazon for $19 for 60 tablets or $35 for 132 tablets. I give him 2 a day in his food. It seems to make a difference in his stiffness. I ran out of them for a few weeks and couldn’t afford to get more and I can tell he is moving slower and looking like an old man trying to get up from laying down. He’s 6 yrs old.
I used to feed him Purina Pro Plan dry food until the day I became informed on DFA and so now I’m trying to find something I can afford and still be in the 4 or 5 star range. I’ve been giving him Authority Grain-Free dry food and canned food for a few months. He likes the canned food okay but he will leave the dry food in his bowl all day and then give up and eat it eventually when he finds out I’m not giving him anything else. I want so bad to give him food that he enjoys and looks forward to eating but switching around foods is stressful (on him and me) and expensive 🙁
I gave him Blue Buffalo Life Protection Chicken and Brown Rice dry food this past month. He seems to like that a little bit better but still not “loving” it. I’m looking around to try different canned foods to supplement but gosh, they are expensive! Authority is often on sale for $1 a can. Everything else is close to $2 a can or more.
Just now I was checking out Whole Earth Farms canned food on Chewy.com. They are rated 5 stars on DFA and are $1.69 per can on chewy. They look tasty but I’m sure that’s just good marketing! ha I might try it though. If he won’t eat it, it looks good enough that I could make a meal out of it. HAHA just kidding

[D M]

I would be interested in having your opinion on Taste Of The Wild & the Blue Buffalo line.

Member

[Nancy B]

And I recently found this on a Consumer Complaint list re: Blue Buffalo:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/blue_buffalo.html?page=2

[Kristin C]

Ron-sounds like Blue Buffalo works for you. I thought it worked for me too. I fed my older dog Blue Puppy and then Blue Wilderness over the course of 4 years. I thought it was a premium food, and maybe it was at one point. When we got a new puppy Dec 2013 I naturally transitioned her to Blue Puppy and the shit literally started flying, and the barf. And for several weeks I tried everything I could think of to get her used to the food but it stumped me, never had an issue with my older dog. As I read more about kibble in general it horrified me and I tried the new pup on raw. Voila, no more diarrhea and barfing. So I transitioned my older dog to raw and not only did she lose weight taking her off the Blue Wilderness, but her coat got better and she doesn’t even smell like a dog anymore:) In fact, I feel terrible that I fed my older dog only kibble for as long as I did.

So my point is, maybe you have a dog with a great constitution and it works for you, but The Editor’s Choice is just that, it is The Editor’s Choice and there’s specific criteria he looks at. I signed up for a membership so I could keep track of how the kibble I feed a couple times per week ranks on a regular basis, and to see when any new raw foods make the list. If the kibble I use comes off the list I will most likely look at making a change. The information I have found on the forums, and the answers the other members provide, have been invaluable to me for keeping my fur babies healthy.

[DogFoodie]

You do realize that Blue Buffalo has officially admitted that they used chicken by-product as alleged by Purina, as opposed to chicken, as stated on their product labels.

http://bluebuffalo.com/about-us/whats-new-at-blue/wilbur-ellis-texas-plant/

Surprising Statement from Blue Buffalo Pet Food

You should read the links that Dr. Mike and Sandy provided on how the process of selecting Editor’s Choice products works.

Blue Buffalo obviously lacks the integrity and transparency that Dr. Mike demands when selecting brands for his Editor’s Choice list.

It seems that you’re upset that Blue Buffalo isn’t on the EC list because you wanted to validate your choice as opposed to being open-minded to considering other options. I’d never feed my dogs one single food from one single manufacturer no matter how much I liked it in the first place, but I’d never feed Blue Buffalo.

[Ryan Y]

Blue wilderness is good on paper, but there are problems. Them being sued by purina could turn out to be a huge problem.

Also, for the price of the food, you are better off buying a different food. Like Merrick.

I’ve fed blue wilderness plenty of times, but there are some fishy things going on at Blue Buffalo.

[Kristin C]

One of my dog’s ate her poo for the first 4 years. She was on Blue Buffalo (puppy, then wilderness). We switched her to a raw diet last year, along with the occasional Orijen kibble and she no longer eats it. From what I’ve read the flavors in kibble don’t digest and so poop tastes just like kibble to some dogs. Unless your clients are willing to change diet then picking it up right away is about your only option.

[Valerie B]

Hi DogFoodAdvisor,

I’m a long-time user of the site, but have recently been experiencing issues with my 9 year old Boston Terrier, and am posting for the first time seeking specific advise.

Murphy developed a perianal tumor and subsequently had to have some big surgery on his little bum. After a couple rounds of chemo to shrink the tumor, 1/3 of his rectum was resected to ensure that the tumor would not grow back, and then we did a few more rounds of chemo. The surgery occurred August 1, 2014, and tests say that they were able to remove ALL of the cancer =) YAY! Now, several months later, Murph is still having some trouble controlling his bowels. He is able to keep most of it in, but if we wait too long to take him out, or, more frequently, when he is relaxed while sleeping, some poop will slip out (he usually wears a diaper, but wearing one too frequently causes the surgery site to become irritated). This was especially an issue with Blue Buffalo as his poop was too soft. I switched him to Nature’s Recipe Senior, and it really helped firm things up and make it easier – we were diaper free for over a month – but then his skin started getting REALLY itchy. Living in Wisconsin currently, I have a humidifier going and I’m using vitamin E and coconut oils on his coat, but I’m pretty sure it’s another food allergy (he developed some bumpy skin).

I’ve noticed that he seems to be most sensitive to gluten. Are there any foods that have rice (for the filler to firm up the poop) but no wheat? Or, do you have any other suggestions? I’m becoming really frustrated even though I know this isn’t his fault. Thank you for your consideration of my story!

Best,
Valerie and Murphy

[Akari_32]

Food for the next 72 days!

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/9ED9755D-F378-42C5-8076-CDC2820623C0_zpsinsoiy6d.jpg

The single 5.5 oz cans on the left are for raw in the morning and and a can at night. The rest of the meals are 3oz cans in the morning and 5.5 oz cans at night. Two funny combinations that’s happened during sorting:

Wellness in the morning, 9Lives at night:

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/63C91AD6-7959-41F4-B1EE-4B00423A09AF_zps90rbtcqp.jpg

And raw in the morning and Friskies Sausesations at night:

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/BBD4B1CC-ADCF-4DAC-8021-A5D1ED5F6BF3_zpsfmr8rsvk.jpg

I can’t decide which is worse LOL Only at my house…. Both of these are the last cans, Btw. I try to spread out the super junk as much as I can, that why I still have these. The rest of his food is good, though! Or at least decent for the most part lol

Halo Impulse, Wellness, Authority Flaked Turkey, some sort of Blue Buffalo Healthy Gourmet, Newmans Own, Sheba, my two selected Friskies Special Diet and Fancy Feast varieties each. Oh, and some Insticnt Pride. I think there may be one more, but I’m not sure… lol

[Charlotte P]

What foods have you all switched to/had success with? My dogs have always been on grain-free, supplemented with pumpkin and goat yoghurt. Right now I have two, both are rescues… Phoebe is about six years old, she came to me four years ago, and her health is fine except for a reaction to yeast supplements which I tried as a flea treatment alternative (They are both on Comfortis now). Leo, also about six, came to me four months ago and has the anal abscess issues, was underweight, and ended up having TWELVE teeth removed – he was already missing five! Over the years, dry and canned foods I have tried include Natural Balance, Spring Naturals, I and Love and You, Wishbone Lake, and of course, home-cooked meals. Has anyone had success with any of these? How about Orijen, Acana, Blue Buffalo, or Taste of the Wild? Do I need to go raw? For the dry, I had the best outcome with Wishbone Lake.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Jerry –

There’s nothing really wrong with the Blue Buffalo Health Bars, they’re definitely a big step up from treats like Milk Bones, but they aren’t exactly “healthy” despite the name. They’re really high in carbs. While they’d certainly be fine for an occasional treat, if it were me I’d search for a more protein rich treat. I like to give my dogs freeze-dried raw “complete” foods (e.g. Stella & Chewy’s, Nature’s Variety Instinct, Primal, etc.) which typically come in small medallions or nuggets, air-dried ZiwiPeak (also a complete food) or “jerky” type treats with a high meat content from reputable companies (e.g. Etta Says, Bixbi, The Real Meat Co., etc.). I wouldn’t give raw carrots as treats, most dogs don’t need the extra carbs in their diets and raw vegetables are digested very poorly by dogs.

[Jerry J]

Any comments on the Blue Buffalo treats known as “Health Bars”?
I also give my 2 mini-schnauzers petite raw carrots as a treat. Thanks.

[Dog_Obsessed]

I also found BB’s website to be useless. I searched “Blue Buffalo Basics Calories” and got a Pet Smart page that said 377 Calories.

[Dog_Obsessed]

The Blue Buffalo Basics Adult has 377 Calories per cup according to Pet Smart’s website. A can of Pedigree Choice Cuts in Gravy has 340 Calories per can. The Wellness CORE Reduced Fat has 360 Calories per cup.

[Kathy J]

My 13 Boston Terrier was diagnosed with pancreatitis which caused her to now be a diabetic.
My vet has her on science diet prescription ID which is very expensive. My other dog 7 yr old bull terrier is healthy and is on blue buffalo lamb and brown rice.
I have seen comments where blue buffalo is too rich and it’s fruit
Ingredients adds to a higher sugar intake for dogs.
I’m concerned my bull terrier will end up like my Boston terrier.
My questions is, any suggestions of a dry food that can help both dogs?

Thank you,
Kathy

[Jessica B]

I have a 10 month old black Labrador. She has been eating blue buffalo Lamb & Oatmeal puppy food (based on high reviews) since she joined our family in May. Although, her stool is soft and runny more times than not. I am now contemplating changing her food to see if it helps! What are your recommendations? What do you feed your large breed puppy?

[Rose T]

I just joined this site. I have a six-year-old parti-color cocker. He has a genetic disorder now in remission where stress occasionally causes him to not make enough red blood cells. Right now he is healthy.

He developed a sensitivity to chicken-based dog food. We had been using weight-management Artemis because our dog had to be on Prednisone for extended periods — and that caused some weight gain, but he was always hungry all the time — and that weight-mgmt. food had too many carbs. So we switched to Blue Buffalo grain-free salmon/potato for sensitive stomachs. He has been doing well on this food since May 2014. His weight has returned to normal. His coat looks great, and his demeanor is bright and energetic. He does produce quite a bit of stool with this food, but the stool has been normal.

However, having joined this site, I see that the recommendation is only 3.5 for this Blue Buffalo food. I don’t want to switch proteins on my dog, so I am thinking of gradually making a switch to the salmon versions of Horizons Legacy or Pulsar — both lines are made by a family-owned Canadian company and this site rates them as 4.5 and 5.

Do you have any other suggestions?

Rose Marie in Des Moines, iowa

[Hater and Molly’s Mom]

Wellness is an excellent food. I have fed it in the past and use their canned stews as toppers. I feel confident feeding it. I have never fed any Blue Buffalo. They just have way too many quality control issues i think.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Hater and Molly's Mom.

[John T]

Something is going on with Blue Buffalo. They have over 852 complaints of sick dogs, just take a look > http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/blue_buffalo.html?page=3
It seem a supplier company was sold, and subpar ingredients such as carrageenan being purchased from China and added to Blue Buffalo food. Please pay attention because this is starting to get big. I was feed my 7 year old Shi Tzu BB treats and had been for years. Over the last 3 months he had continued loose stools, upset stomach and not being himself. The funny thing is after reading all this I removed all BB food and he is back to normal. NO more of this crap, I am making his food!! You just can’t trust any of these dog food companies because they are more concerned about chasing the Benjamin’s!! PLEASE pay attention and get off this poison!!

[John T]

Something is going on with Blue Buffalo. They have over 852 complaints of sick dogs, just take a look > http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/blue_buffalo.html?page=3
It seem a supplier company was sold, and subpar ingredients such as carrageenan being purchased from China and added to Blue Buffalo food. Please pay attention because this is starting to get big. I was feed my 7 year old Shi Tzu BB treats and had been for years. Over the last 3 months he had continued loose stools, upset stomach and not being himself. The funny thing is after reading all this I removed all BB food and he is back to normal. NO more of this crap, I am making his food!! You just can’t trust any of these dog food companies because they are more concerned about chasing the Benjamin’s!! PLEASE pay attention and get off this poison!!

[DogFoodie]

Hi Peggy,

Has Tebow had a check-up recently? What does his stool look like?

I’d be concerned about the solid, distended abdomen and labored breathing. I would probably err on the side of caution and get him checked out to rule out any potential health issues. Labored breathing isn’t to be taken lightly.

I’m not a fan of Blue Buffalo, so I’d look for a new food to switch him to anyway. I would choose a different canned food also. Are you by chance amember at Costco? Nature’s Domain Turkey & Pea Stew is $18.99 for 24 cans – great quality product, too. Was he eating higher protein and fewer carbs before, by chance? Yes, I’d also feed him two smaller meals and likely reduce his portion size. Are you making sure he’s not eating the other dog’s food? If you’re wanting a weight loss food for him, a few of my favorites are Go! Senior, Orijen Senior and Wellness Core Reduced Fat.

[Peggy]

And I will say it again – HELP!

My little 4 yr old Jack Russell Terrier, Tebow, is getting fat on Blue Buffalo Basics dry dog food! He’s always been a slim little guy, and very active as only a JRT can be.

However, my lab/shepherd, LadyBug, developed food sensitivites about 4 months ago, and my vet suggested that I switch them to Blue Buffalo Basics. So, ok, I did. Within a week, no more vomiting for Lady, yay! But Tebow is blowing up like a balloon! I’m ready to change his name to Chunky Munky, I swear. His abdomen literally is beginning to look like a balloon, but he is solid. Also, his breathing has become a bit labored, I’m assuming due to the weight gain.

Does anyone have ANY idea what could be causing this? Do I need to change foods again? I can’t afford to have them on 2 different foods.

(BTW, they eat once per day – a cup of BB in each bowl, plus 1 can of Pedigree split between them. Someone told me I should feed them smaller portions twice per day. Is this true?)

• This topic was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Peggy.

[Naturella]

I haven’t heard about this… I may need to research it some, but Dori, do you know when this is supposed to happen?

And I have fed Blue Buffalo Wilderness before with good results on Bruno, and thought (before the Purina lawsuit) that I would feed it again one day if I ever exhaust the huge number of other foods I want to try, but I guess not anymore. Plus, there are so much better, meat-based, cheaper kibbles out there I’d choose over BB anyway. So long, BB, you were good to us while we had you. Sucks it made so many dogs sick though, I guess my friend and I were lucky as our dogs never got sick on Blue. But I wouldn’t feed it after the whole Purina lawsuit thing that apparently proved that BB had used sub-par ingredients in their food and not noting that on the labels, and after Mars buys them out.

[Dori]

Has anyone else heard this latest casualty with the dog food industry. So it’s going to make what I consider a lousy food (so many reviews of dogs getting sick from different bags) to a really bad food. Another one bites the dust. Any thoughts.

[theBCnut]

This is the cream of the cream of companies, not every company that makes 5 star foods will make it. If the brand, Blue Buffalo, doesn’t make the list, then the individual foods they make certainly won’t be listed.

[Regina D]

Why are Blue Buffalo Stews not on this list? They are 5 star rated. My dog loves them.

[Naturella]

I used to mix brands of food with no issue for about 8 months or so, but then I realized that I am reducing variety for my dog rather than increasing it. For example, I had mixed Blue Buffalo Wilderness with Holistic Health Extension (both chicken/turkey based), then I had mixed Dr. Tim’s Kinesis with Nutrisca Chicken and Holistic Health Extension GF (all chicken-based), then I fed some other mix I don’t remember, and then I fed Earthborn Coastal Catch mixed with Victor Yukon Salmon and Holistic Health Extension. The thing is, with my small dog, the mixes were lasting forever, so storing them properly was a mild concern (I would keep the mixes sealed in the bags they came from), but I also wasn’t giving much flavor and variety as Bruno would eat the same mix (which he saw as his one type of food, even if it were 2-3 mixed together – he didn’t taste or know that) for a long time. So I just feed one bag at a time for variety and easier storage of the food.

I do, however, have a friend who also mixes, and she does it kind of for the same reason – she would get a 3-ish star-rated food and mix with a higher-quality kibble. Her dogs have no issues and burn through foods pretty quickly seen as she has 5 of them. She is also pretty good with watching expiration dates and remembering what she’s mixed and storing the leftovers properly. So you COULD technically do it if you need to.

[Jordan V]

Hello,
My Great Dane has been eating Outlaw Dog Food for 3 years now. Before we started him on the Premium Gold 26/18 we were feeding Blue Buffalo. Like clockwork we had to go to the Vet every 3mos for infections in his ears. $120 each time. After changing to Outlaw we have never been back for any allergy type symptoms, just routine visits. Saves me money and my dog loves it!!!

[Akari_32]

Here’s my Black Friday haul!

From left to right:

2x 35 lb Tidy Cat Litter Pails ($7.99 each)
24x Wellness Divine Dou’s (4x @ $1.59 each, 12x @ $1.34 each, 8x @ $1.30 each– 12 not pictured)
3x Nature’s Variety Instinct Pride ($1.15 each– not on sale, used as filler)
6x Halo Impulse Cat Food ($1.99 each)
1x Hill’s Science Diet Soft and Chewy Dog Training Treats (Free for getting to PetSmart at ungodly hours this morning)
48x Friskies Special Diet ($0.39 cents each)
1x Hill’s Ideal Balance Cat Treats (Free with the Hill’s dog treats)
2x Wellness CORE Puppy Food 4lb ($14.99– not on sale)
2x Nature’s Recipe Whitefish and Potato Dog Food 4.5 lb ($9.99 each)

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/A729F6D9-874C-433A-A016-17B9FAB54F23_zps7y7blsco.jpg

Not Pictured:

1x PetMate Jumbo Litter Box
3x Zukes Dog Treats ($2.74 each)
3x Wellness CORE Cat Food 2lb ($8.99 each)
1x Natural Balance Ultra Cat Food Can ($1.69)
1X Blue Buffalo Naturally Fresh Cat Litter ($4.25)

All for a grand total of $58.38! The Wellness dry cat food, Natural Balance can, Blue Buffalo Litter, and 3 cans of Friskies were all donated to the local shelter. I should also note that I got the Duo’s at three different stores lol

The coupons I used:

3x $10 off $25 purchase (three separate orders)
1x $4 off $20 purchase
5x B2G2 Wellness Divine Dou’s
6x $1 off any Halo product
5x $7 off any Wellness dry dog or cat food
2x $5 off Nature’s Recipe dog food
7x $5 off any natural or specialized dog or cat food
4x $1 off any Wellness can (used on the Duo’s)
$2 off any Blue Buffalo Naturally Fresh cat litter

I did so many transactions and shopped at three different stores that I don’t even want to lay everything out for you guys– sorry lol But I left with $100 this morning that my uncle gave me and I didn’t even spend it all!

I took a couple pictures of my stash after I tunred the spare room into the stash-room for all the dry food and random pet stuff :p The bests parts are:

78 lb of dog food
190 lb of cat litter
5 bottles of dog shampoos
3 bags of cat treats
5 bags of dog treats
150 cans of cat food
28 cans of dog food

*edit* sorry, the computer decided it didn’t want to live any more. Thankfully it still lets me edit on my phone lol Here’s the pics!

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/DF3_zps26cc4d6b.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/DF4_zps23ec278d.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/DF5_zpsae3aa912.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/DF6_zps05853349.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/DF_zpsc7a61da8.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/DF2_zps226c4e0b.jpg

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Akari_32.

[Akari_32]

The thing with Blue Buffalo (Diamond manufactured aside) is that it tends to cause vitamin overdoses in most dogs. Some dogs are fine with it, but a lot have problems. That and crystals, which are painful, especially in males.

As far as potatoes goes, it’s hard to find a grain free food that doesn’t use potatoes. It’s either white or sweet potatoes, peas, or legumes. Legumes are said to be harder for dogs to digest (how true that is, I can’t say). Most dogs are ok with potatoes, and most are ok with peas and legumes. Just likes with everything else, there will be dogs that have issues with certain things. The problem with the amount of carbs in kibble is that kibble needs a binder, and that’s pretty much what carbs are for. Some are better than others (corn vs sweet potatoes, for example) and not all carb sources are appropriate for every dog. And if you think about it, there’s really not very many grain-free carb sources out there. Potatoes are the cheapest, and neither potaoes or peas (or legumes) are bad options unless your dog can’t have them. I actually had to take one of my dogs completely off carbs because the yeast that naturally lives on dogs bodies would get so out of control that the poor guy would turn bright red and be so, so itchy. He’s still bothered by the grass, but he’s considerablely better since switching to all raw.

I would suggest switching through all different brands, and protein and carb sources regularly. Keeps life interesting for the dog, and keeps them from building up intollerances to certain ingredients in dog food, while also giving them a variety of vitamin and mineral levels, which helps prevent overdoses and deficiencies. Also lets you take advantage of sales 😉

[Akari_32]

I routinely use puppy foods for my 11, 12, and 14 year old dogs. All that stuff in puppy food is great for them. It’s lower in carbs and higher in protein, which is what senior dogs need. Don’t worry too much about labeling, and go for any food that says its for puppies, all life stages, and adults.

For such a small dog, you may even look into a pre-mix for raw. I have an 8 lb jack russell mix on See Spot Live Longer and a variety of protein sources, and it only costs about $20 a month to feed him.

If you don’t want to go that route, I’m a big fan of Wellness. Their non-small breed formulas have kibbles that your little guy probably can’t chew, but they do have several Small and Toy Breed foods out, and they are releasing more. They come in grain-inclusive and grain free varieties, and they also always $5 off any size bag coupons on their website. Just click the “Check Your Bag” button, and follow the promts.

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/index.aspx

I also use Nutro Natural Choice LID Lamb and Rice (in the dark green bag), and their Small Breed line looks fantastic as well, but the prices and lack of coupons drive me away (those are in pink bags). Nutro Ultra looks like a great food.

Be careful when selecting foods while trying to stay away from Diamond. They make Blue Buffalo, Taste of the Wild, Canidae, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul, Precise, Premium Edge, and many more. And While I used to love Innova and Evo, I can personally no longer recommend them. They are now owned by Mars– the candy company. Since the buy-out of Natura (P&G, then Mars) the protein levels have dropped and more carbs have been added. Mars also owns others brands of pet foods. If they make your candy bars, should they *really* be making pet food?

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101566238#.

Good luck with your little guy! I think I speak for all of us when I say “PICS!!!!” 😉

[Marta J]

Hi All, New to the forum and I’m so glad I found it. We are getting a Westie Puppy in a few weeks and I’d like to transition him to a better quality dog food. The breeder we are getting the puppy from is feeding him a lower quality food (I can’t remember the exact name but it’s one of the big box companies). I’ve read enough to know that I won’t be feeding him Blue Buffalo (seeing some negative reviews).
Any opinions on Orijen or Now Fresh brands?
I’ve read that there are some positive reviews for Wellness core small breed.
I’d like to stick with grain free & price isn’t an issue. I’m in Canada and I’m sure I have access to same brands as the US.
Thank you 🙂

[arwyru24]

I worry about artificial vitamin supplements from China in the food. I worry about issues like Blue Buffalo was having wth not actually knowing what the people making the food were actually putting in it. Then I have to contend with what my cats will actually eat. And one is immuno compromised so raw isn’t an option and I don’t feel comfortable making my own food nor does that work well for my life style. I worry about over vaccinating and about under vaccinating. I just try to use my best judgment and do the best I can for my animals. It just complicates things when companies knowingly compromise our pets health and lives for the sake of profit maximization and you have to research everything you pick up off a shelf to feed your pet because it could potentially kill them very suddenly which is the worst because you have no time to fix it or slowly but surely over a little time.

[arwyru24]

It’s always really bothered me that it would even possibly be worth it to ship chickens halfway across the world and then sent back. It’s crazy and super shady. I also do not buy anything jerky regardless of the brand. Before I was better educated I bought my last dog jerky treats ..blue buffalo brand and also happy hips. He lived to be 15 when he died and I don’t think he suffered any ill effects but it’s hard to say He got epithelial lymphoma at about 14 and the tumor was removed but who can really say what causes some of the cancers. It really hurt his quality of life in his final year. He didn’t tolerate chemo well and developed pancreatitis as a result and it was just a hard last year. I don’t make my own food or feed raw but I try to do all that I can to feed healthy foods and not take undue risks but I am always questioning myself. I have a vet I trust implicitly now but unfortunately didn’t find him until the dog was 13 and cat was 15. He would have saved both of those animals a lot of pain and suffering. The dog had two surgeries to remove crystals the second time he was 12 and was blocked completely. The other vets just had him on c/d dry his whole life. This was the first vet to tell us water is very important and took him off the rx food and had us feed high quality canned with lots of water added in. They don’t push science diet there they give a list of brands they suggest which are all good choices (taste of the wild is the only one I can think of that’s debatable) It’s such a shame that it’s so hard to know who and what to trust to take good care of our pets. I agree with BC nut completely. … this shouldn’t be so hard.

[Karen J]

Trixie, the dog that had crystal in her urine and having a puddle in the house occasionally is now taking d-monnase & vit c using cream cheese as a delivery vehicle – nothing else hides it.

no grain, she was eating Blue Buffalo Basics, grain free, small breed “lamb& potato with Stella & Chewy chicken dinner patties crushed -sprinkled on top.

stopped eating kibble and stella just started a few days ago. Poops though. She gets Good Lovin Lamb & Kiwi blend freeze dried treats, grain free treats, Natural balance dental chews and bully sticks, so she’s not getting that much of it. Occasionally a pure bites chicken breast treat freeze dried.

She’s active and healthy and as far as I can tell pees and poops outside on the patio thru the dog door and when we go on walks.

last few days won’t eat the kibble and stella & chewy mixture at all.

What gives – do I change her food again?

don’t know if she still has the crystals, supposedly no infection or stones prevailed.

[Jennifer H]

Thanks, Dori. Our vet recommended something with potatoes, so now that concerns me a little. My dogs used to be on the Natural Balance LID duck and potato and didn’t seem to like it too much. I will definitely look into the natures variety instinct. The nc it, I didn’t know that about Blue Buffalo, so thanks for that info as well.
I am beginning to wonder if in fact Kaia has IBD. She intakes food and water, and it comes right back up not 30 seconds later. The vet her an injection of dexamethozone, and it helped for a couple of days. Now were back to small amounts of spit up, not full fledged vomiting. I am calling the vet today. My thought is the valve leading to her stomach.
Thanks everyone!

[theBCnut]

Blue Buffalo has had some quality control issues lately that they have not really responded to, so I don’t really trust them. Look at Canine Caviar and Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diets.

[Jennifer H]

Our dog is currently being watched and treated for inflammatory bowel syndrome. We have her on a probiotic and OTC omeprazole. She suggested we put Kaia on a hypoallergenic food. I asked about if there was a commercial hypoallergenic food, and she told me to try something that was limited ingredients, with duck or fish as the protein. I found Blue Buffalo Basics LID grain free duck and potato. What are your thoughts on this food? Do you have any suggestions on something that might be better? I know there are prescription foods that are hypoallergenic but those are somewhat hard to come by.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Michael –

While Pinnacle appears to be a good food based on its review, I’ve never used it. You should read through the thread following its review so you can read experiences from those that have actually used it. You should do the same for Blue Buffalo. You don’t need to be an Editor’s Choice subscriber to do so. Just search for the product you’re interested in in the search bar, the reviews should pop up.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Michael C]

I’m not an editors choice member so I can’t see it. Why do you all not like blue buffalo ? Is it a bad dog food?

[Michael C]

And I’m not an editors choice member so I can’t see the blue buffalo ratings link or the puppy dog food link either .

[DogFoodie]

I second the Nut’s recommendations and her opinion of Blue Buffalo.

By the way, the list you mentioned has been revised. Here’s the most recent one:https://docs.google.com/viewer?srcid=0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk&pid=explorer&efh=false&a=v

I looked at that list and there are several Pinnacle foods on it.

HDM hasn’t been updating the list because she’s been really busy with some other things, plus there’s a list of recommended foods for LBP’s in the Editor’s Choice section now. Have you looked at that list?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Michael –

The reviews for Pinnacle products can be found here .

To see others’ opinions of Blue Buffalo you may wish to read through the user comments that follow the product reviews.

If you’re looking for budget friendly options here is our list of recommended budget friendly foods.

If you’re looking for a puppy food, here is our list of recommended puppy foods (it includes a list of foods appropriate for large and giant breeds).

Hope that helps.