[Susan]

Hi Tyler,

I got email of the latest study done in February on popular dog foods that were tested for toxins & contaminates, below are the first 12 brands that got 5 stars for product purity.
American Journey Lamb & Sweet Potatoes got 3 stars….
You will notice white meats Chicken, Turkey & Pork seem to be cleaner meats & kibbles that have fish as main protein seem to be very high in toxins & contaminates, so your best not feeding a dry kibble that’s fish/salmon etc, I go to Aldi’s & buy their tin Sardines & tin Salmon in spring water, add 2 spoons to one of her meals a day…
Aldi’s have a new kibble called “Heart To Tail” Pure Being it has pretty good ingredients, go to the “Review” section up top of page, look up “Shep dog dry food” scroll down & you’ll read peoples post about Aldi’s new brand called Pure Being, DFA hasn’t review the new Pure Being formula’s yet, there’s grain free & grain kibbles, people have put up the ingredient list, fat, protein & fiber %…. I wish I could get Pure Being in our Australian Aldi’s, my dog does really well on kibbles that have sweet potatoes….

5 Star freeze dried raw, dehydrated raw formula’s & dry kibbles.

* “Buckley Liberty” – freeze dried beef, freeze dried Chicken, G/F Lamb dry kibble & Chicken dry kibble formula.

* “Canisource Grand CRU”- ALS Turkey dehydrated raw dry food, Pork & Lamb dehydrated raw dry & red meat dehydrated raw formula.
Iwould stick wit the TOTW Victor Nutro & Diamand

* “I and love and You” – Naked Essential G/F Lamb & Bison dry kibble, Naked Esssentials G/F Chicken & Duck dry.

* “Nutro” Natural Choice, small breed Chicken & lentils recipe, Natural Choice, Chicken & Lentils dry recipe, Lamb & Lentils dry recipe, Nutro Wild Frontier Open Valley dry recipe, Nutro Wild Frontier Rolling Meadows dry recipe.

* “Diamond Natural” Chicken & Rice dry formula & small breed puppy dry formula.

* “Proffessional” – Lamb & Brown Rice dry & Chicken & Pea formula dry.

* “Dog for Dog” Lamb Meal & Brown Rice dry.

* “Purina One”- Smart Blend Chicken & Rice formula, Smart Blend Healthy puppy Dry formula,

* “Fresh Pet” Chicken recipe dry.

* “Canidae” ALS Lamb Meal & Rice Dry formula, Canidae’s “Under the Sun” Adult G/F Lamb dry, UTS adult G/F farmed raised chicken dry, UTS G/F Puppy with Chicken dry.

* “Simply Nourish” Adult Chicken & Brown Rice recipe, Chicken with peas & potatoes G/F recipe dry.

* “Eagle Pack” Large & Giant Breeds Naturally Dry formula & Small Breed Chicken Meal & Pork Meal dry formula

Yesterday I bought a bag of “Wellness Core” G/F Large Breed kibble, I got it 1/2 the price cause it’s due by date was ending of 25th March 2018, the kibble is still good, it’s when you open the bag of kibble & the air/oxygen gets to the oils in the kibble, then the kibbles starts to go rancid, so make sure if you buy large bag of kibble get out enough kibble for daily use for about 1-2 weeks & store in an air tight container & put the rest of the kibble in a dry cool place & make sure kibble bag is air tight, I sticky tape the kibble bag, if it has no seal on it, then I put the bag of kibble into another plastic bag seal, then I store the kibble bag in one of those plastic storage containers & I put it in the coolest part of the house where my air condictioner is so it stays cool…

Shop around for bargans & rotate between different brands, Victor, TOTW, Nutro, Diamond, Eagle Pack & Pure Being, this way your dog will have a healthy stomach & stronger immune system cause she’s eating a variety of ingredients & she isn’t eating the same brand ingredients 24/7 & if the kibble she is eating is high in toxins then she wont be eating it for too long to cause any health problems later on cause your rotating with other brands…….

[Tyler S]

I have done research over the past few months of having our puppy and honestly I am overwhelmed with everyone’s opinion of which dog food is “best.” Our budget doesn’t allow for some of the dog foods I have seen reccomended, but I would put a TOTW price point at the high end of our budget. I like the thought of the diamond naturals price point and food, but maybe that’s not what’s best for our pup. Let me give you the info on our dog and please help us make a decision on what fits our budget and also fills our pups tummy.

We will feed this until switching to adult food unless we are told otherwise. Currently she is on American Journey Lamb and Rice

Brands we have thought about:
Diamond Naturals
Blue Buffalo
TOTW
Nutro
Victor
HiTek

She is a lab hound mix and looks like she will be 70+-10lbs. She was rescued. So far we haven’t noticed adversities to any food she has been given. Let me know if you need more info

[Susan]

Hi Donna,
If you think they’re drinking heaps of water then they probably are drinking too much water, when my boy was eating Taste Of The Wild, Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb he’d drank heaps of water some days then he stopped eating the dry kibble, so he made the dision for me to change dog foods… When your pups grow up & are adults start rotating between a few different brands of kibble with different meat protein, so they aren’t eating the same dry kibble 24/7 & add some fresh whole foods to their diet…..
Have a look at “Canidae” All Life Stages, Large Breed Puppy formula’s, Canidae have 2 large breed puppy formula’s their Turkey & Brown Rice & their Duck, Brown Rice & Lentils large Breed puppy formula..
Here’s Canidae’s site, click on page 5 both formula’s are there, Canidae has heaps better ingredients then the Iams puppy formula…
or look for Large Breed Puppy in “Holistic Select” “4health” “Victor” “Sport Dog Ellite Series”
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[AmCa]

Hi Jordan
Simply nourish certainly seems to be a quality food and I have absolutely no problem feeding it to my dogs. At same time I’m reluctant to say any one food is the “best,” as there are many good foods out there and what works for one dog might not work for another. If this is the one you choose for your dogs I hope they do well on it!
If not, there are always other quality foods to choose from. Victor, Holistic Blend, Go! , and Freshpet rolls are some that I feed regularly that my dogs do well on.

[Lauren]

Hi everyone!

This is my first post here 🙂

I’d like to get your suggestions for a food plan for my new rescue pup. I need help making sure I’m balancing the proteins, fats, and nutrients, and giving a good mix of different main ingredients.

I also would love suggestions for what wet food or toppers I should add for the most beneficial diet.

My puppy is a 14 week old Dachshund, only 4 pounds, likely to get to 10 pounds, 15 max.
His energy level is low medium. He’s pretty laid back, not super high energy puppy.

Currently, I’m planning to generally follow the recommendation on this site for food rotation, which is:
-Mix 1/5 of a small can of a single-species wet food (chicken, lamb, rabbit, etc.) with his kibble.
-As each can runs out, switch to a different wet food from the same brand.
-When each bag of kibble is empty, start with a different kibble from the same brand).
– Twice a year, gradually switch brands, too.

At the end of this post I’ve listed all the brands and formulas I’m considering. I’ve laid it all out so it’s easy to compare, and ordered them by highest protein % to lowest.

Here are some questions I have:
— Should I try to rotate foods with different protein and fat percentages AND also with different protein and veg ingredients?
OR
Should I try to determine which protein percentage is best for my pup and stick to that, then focus just on rotating main ingredients and formulas that contain that protein %?
— Do you have suggestions for a good rotation using these foods for a nicely balanced diet?
— Wet food toppers – suggestions to best balance these brands/formulas??
— Do you advise on switching brands more rapidly than 2x a year? What about switching formulas faster than one bag of kibbel at a time?

Thank you everyone!!!

———————-

FULL LIST
Kibbles I considered, with nutritional breakdowns, for easy comparison:

HOLISTIC SELECT
— Holistic Select Small & Mini Breed Puppy Health Anchovy, Sardine & Chicken
PROTEIN 30.0% min / FAT 20.0% min / FIBER 3.4% max
— Holistic Select Adult & Puppy Health Salmon, Anchovy & Sardine Grain-Free
PROTEIN 29.0% min / FAT 14.0% min / FIBER 5.5% max

CANIDAE
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Chicken Meal & Rice
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Rice Bran, Cracked Pearled Barley,
Peas, Chicken Fat, Millet, Flaxseed Meal
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.7% / O3 0.5%
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Multi-Protein (chicken, turkey, lamb and fish)
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Rice Bran,
Peas, Potatoes, Oatmeal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Chicken Fat, Millet, Flaxseed Meal,
Ocean Fish Meal
PROTEIN 24.0% / FAT 14.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.7% / O3 0.5%
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Lamb Meal & Rice
Main ingred: Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Cracked Pearled Barley, Rice Bran, Peas, Millet,
Lamb, Flaxseed Meal
PROTEIN 21.0% / FAT 12.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.55% / O3 0.5%

TASTE OF THE WILD
— Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Grain-Free
Main ingred: Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Egg Product, Pea Protein, Peas,
Potatoes, Canola Oil, Tomato Pomace, Bison, Roasted Venison, Beef, Flaxseed,
Potato Fiber, Ocean Fish Meal, Salmon Oil
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 17.0% / FIBER 5.0% / O6: 3.8% O3: .3%
***Looks like a good option
— Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Puppy Grain-Free
Main ingred: Salmon, Ocean Fish Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas, Pea Protein
PROTEIN 27.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 5.0% max / O6: 2.4% O3: .3%

MERRICK
— Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Texas Beef + Sweet Potato Recipe Small Breed
Main ingred: Deboned Beef, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Potatoes, Natural Flavor,
Potato Protein, Salmon Meal, Pork Fat, Pea Protein, Salmon
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 3.5% / O3 0.35%
— Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe Small Breed
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes,
Peas, Natural Flavor, Chicken Fat, Salmon Meal, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 17.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 4.8% / O3 0.4%
— Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Puppy Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas,
Natural Flavor, Turkey Meal, Chicken Fat, Potato Protein, Deboned Salmon,
Chicken Liver, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 30.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 3.0% / O3 .3%
— Merrick Real Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Puppy Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Beef, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Lamb Meal, Potatoes, Pork Fat,
Pea Protein, Potato Protein, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Deboned Salmon, Flaxseed Oil,
Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 4.5% max O6 2.0% / O3 .3%
— Merrick Grain-Free Puppy Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Sweet Potatoes,
Natural Pork Flavor, Potato Protein, Chicken Fat, Natural Chicken Flavor,
Deboned Salmon, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O6 2.2% / O3 .3% min

ZIGNATURE
— Zignature Zssential Multi-Protein Formula Grain-Free
Main ingred: Turkey, Turkey Meal, Lamb Meal, Chickpeas, Duck Meal, Pea Flour, Peas,
Salmon, Flaxseeds, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal
PROTEIN 32.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 5.5% / O6 4.5% / O3 2.0%
— Zignature Turkey Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Turkey, Turkey Meal, Chickpeas, Peas, Pea Protein, Sunflower Oil, Flaxseed,
PROTEIN 31.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 6.0% / O6 4.0% / O3 1.0%
— Zignature Trout & Salmon Meal Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Trout, Salmon Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal
PROTEIN 30.0% / FAT 14.0% / FIBER 6.0% / O6 1.8% / O3 0.5%
— Zignature Lamb Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Lamb, Lamb Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Sunflower Oil, Pea Protein,
Flaxseed
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 6.5% / O3 0.9% / O6 5.0%
— Zignature Kangaroo Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Kangaroo, Kangaroo Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Sunflower Oil,
Flaxseed, Red Lentils, Green Lentils, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Pea Protein
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 14.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O6 3.0% / O3 0.6%

VICTOR
— Victor Select Nutra Pro Active Dog & Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Beef Meal, Whole Grain Millet, Blood Meal, Chicken Fat,
Menhaden Fish Meal, Pork Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 2.5% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Yukon River Salmon & Sweet Potato Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Sweet Potato, Peas, Canola Oil,
Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed
PROTEIN 33.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.4% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Active Dog & Puppy Formula Grain-Free
Main ingred: Beef Meal, Sweet Potato, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat, Pork Meal,
Menhaden Fish Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dried Egg Product, Flax Seed
PROTEIN 33.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.8% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Professional Formula Dry Dog Food
Beef Meal, Grain Sorghum, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Whole Grain Millet, Pork Meal,
Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.6% / O3 none?
— Victor Select Beef Meal & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Beef Meal, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Whole Grain Millet, Grain Sorghum,
Pork Meal, Chicken Fat, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 23.0% / FAT 11.0% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 2.0% / O3 .4%

NATURE’S VARIETY
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Salmon
Main ingred: Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Herring Meal, Peas, Canola Oil, Salmon Meal,
Tapioca, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Montmorillonite Clay,
Carrots, Apples, Cranberries
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 20.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 1.8% / O6 2.7%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Duck
Main ingred: Duck, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Eggs, Canola Oil, Duck Meal,
Tapioca, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Chickpeas, Montmorillonite Clay
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 19.5% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.5% / O6 3.0%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe with Real Lamb
Main ingred: Lamb, Salmon Meal, White Fish Meal (Pacific Whiting, Pacific Sole,
Pacific Rockfish), Peas, Canola Oil, Tapioca, Menhaden Fish Meal, Lamb Meal,
Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Freeze Dried Lamb, Chickpeas, Pumpkinseeds,
Freeze Dried Lamb Liver, Freeze Dried Lamb Spleen, Montmorillonite Clay,
Freeze Dried Lamb Heart, Freeze Dried Lamb Kidney, Carrots, Apples, Cranberries
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 19.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O3 1.5% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Fat,
Salmon Meal, Chicken Eggs
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 20.0% / FIBER 3.0% / O3 0.3% / O6 2.6%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Fat,
Salmon Meal, Chicken Eggs
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 20.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O3 0.35% / O6 3.2%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Small Breed Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chickpeas, Turkey Meal, Tapioca, Herring Meal,
Chicken Fat, Peas, Freeze Dried Chicken, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor,
Freeze Dried Chicken Liver, Coconut Oil, Pumpkinseeds, Montmorillonite Clay,
Freeze Dried Chicken Heart
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.3% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Rabbit
Main ingred: Rabbit, Salmon Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Chickpeas, Canola Oil, Tapioca,
Rabbit Meal, White Fish Meal
PROTEIN 36.5% / FAT 20.5% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 1.5% / O6 3.4%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Small Breed Grain-Free Recipe with Real Duck
Main ingred: Duck, Duck Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Tapioca, Herring Meal, Chicken Eggs,
Chicken Fat, Freeze Dried Duck, Freeze Dried Turkey, Freeze Dried Turkey Liver,
Coconut Oil, Pumpkinseeds
PROTEIN 36.5% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O3 0.4% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Puppy Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Eggs,
Chicken Fat, Menhaden Fish Meal, Tapioca, Freeze Dried Chicken, Lamb Meal,
Dried Tomato Pomace, Freeze Dried Chicken Liver
PROTEIN 34.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.4% / 3.8% min

——–
——–

[Mark G]

Anyone know why Victor Grain Free Active Dog And Puppy is not on the Editor’s choice list for dry puppy food?

[Sara G]

Thank you, that is very helpful. I was looking for a food that I could feed both my dogs, and Victor recommended this one. However, I realize now that they are totally different and therefore likely need different food. My other dog is a highly rambunctious, scrawny boxer (1-1/2 years old; Boxer Beagle is 4 y.o.). He leaps and bounds and never puts on weight and if we aren’t careful, he can be too thin. So I think I better look for two different foods. Thanks so much for your input, really very helpful. Merry Christmas!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Sara-
I have two neutered male labs that tend to be on the chubby side. I also shoot for around 350 calories so I can feed a decent amount of food to satisfy their hunger. I usually feed about 26 percent protein and 12 to 14 percent fat.

Whenever a food is labeled “performance”, it usually means it is for an active or working dog. Victor sells a healthy weight/senior formula that I have fed my dogs. I also always add a little warm water and a topper to their kibble. Canned stews are good to add because they are not usually very high in calories.

Good luck. I hope this helps.

Happy Holidays!

[Sara G]

To HoundMusic: My boxer/beagle mix is overweight (She has the big boxer chest and pretty large stature compared to a beagle but the shorter beagle legs; she is 90#). I noticed above where you said:

Look for a feed that has a relatively low kcal content, so that you can feed this dog more food without giving an excess of calories. Aim for something around 340 kcals per cup or less, with moderate amounts of protein and fat. Be VERY careful with those grain free fad diets, because they often contain an unhealthy excess of protein and other nutrients.

I looked at her food at it is 440 kcal/cup. I’m not sure what moderate protein and fat would be, but hers is 26.68% and 18.62% respectively. She is on Victor Performance. She gets exercise either on walks or running/playing around the yard, but overall, she isn’t overly active. She’s given 3 cups/day.

I’m wondering if you would have any recommendations for her? Or at least any other points I should look for (what would be Moderate protein/fat and any other points in addition to ~340 kcals/cup)?
Thank you!

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by Sara G.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Lynda B-
Go ahead and put your pups back on Purina One if that is what was working for them! I do not believe that a grain free diet is necessarily better for all dogs. I prefer to rotate brands and flavors of kibble for my dogs, but that is not necessary either. It just works for us. Right now I’m rotating through the different Purina One flavors. Currently feeding the Salmon/Tuna formula. My dogs are doing just fine.

Actually have been reading more about grain free food health issues starting to pop up in dogs lately. I’m not so sure that peas, lentils, tapioca starch and potatoes are necessarily better than rice, barley, oatmeal and corn. Peas and sweet potatoes have quite a bit of sugar in them.

I have fed grain free Victor and they have small kibble. You could give it a try if you want to give grain free a try. But, do get a dental exam if her teeth are bugging her. My nine year old cat just had a cleaning and had two teeth removed. He’s eating just fine now.

Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

You’re welcome! I know corn has a bad reputation in many circles, but I don’t have a problem with it in my dogs’ food. I’m not sure if I’d want it to be the first ingredient either, however. It is a great provider of fatty acids, amino acids and fiber. There are different grades of corn and I believe Purina uses Grade 1 or 2. Hopefully, the Purina experts will back me up on this!

If your dog has a healthy tummy, you could try rotating brands now and then. I believe there are some benefits to it, but not necessary. You don’t have to stick to it for life, so no need to sweat over it too much. Haha! Easy for me to say! I’ve fed Victor, WEF, Eagle Pack, Authority and some others. Next, I’m gonna give Purina a try!

Best wishes to you and your pup. Seems like you are a great pet parent.

[anne a]

Hi Lauren, I use Victor Yukon in my rotation for 5 rescues. It is under “Other budget friendly” dog foods.I know a dog sanctuary upstate NY that buys it in bulk (purple bag) & does very well for them also. My dogs do very well on it & love it. I started usind Drs.Foster & Smith canned food as a topper & to hide medications in- it is also 5 star & first few ingredients are meat.fish. I guess it has other ingredients that may keep it from being editors choice budget friendly or no report from the company? Maybe someone else on here will know

[lauren b]

Victor Dog Food didn’t make the cut, but is a more economical 5-star way for me to feed our foster dogs quality food.

[Hugh J]

Victor Hi-Pro Plus. I am working with a Labrador Retriever breeder who swears by this food and has used it exclusively for both new pups and adults for many years. This is a quality breeder who regularly produces champion-level dogs. Your site shows a five star rating for this particular Victor recipe, yet I cannot find any analysis or review to substantiate the claim. Can you please follow through with a full review of this tremendous dog food and if warranted at the end, as it seems it might very well be, add it to your Editor’s Choice list?

Many thanks.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 1 month ago by Hugh J.

[Saireah]

Hi there!

I have two dogs — Riggs (5 year old mastiff/shepard mix — 90 lbs) and Quinn (6 year old vizsla/lab mix — 43 lbs). Quinn has hip dysplasia and gets a Cosequinn pill each morning and both receive a fish oil supplement. I’ve had them on Dr. Tim’s Pursuit for quite some time, which is a 30/20 food. I wanted to give Victor a try, just because it’s a reputable brand and also comes in larger bags (40lb vs. Dr. Tim’s 44lb). If it doesn’t work out well, I’ll probably go back to Dr. Tim’s, but I wanted to see if Victor would help with their shedding a bit.

My question is — is the Hi-Pro Plus plan the best formula for me to pick? My dogs are fairly active, but I’d consider them a normal active level vs. high-performance. They’re in excellent health and weight. They’ve done great on Dr. Tim’s, so I assume that changing them over to a similar high-protein formula would be all right? Any concerns to go down to a 26% protein formula given that they’re getting a bit older?

Just wanted to get some guidance. 🙂 Thanks!

[Susan]

Hi Randy,
This is excellent what Victor is doing, I wish more pet food companies would do this if they
have nothing to hide……
Victor writes the Meat Protein %, the Plant Protein % & the Grain Protein %….Victor also does the “General Anaylsis” probably got sick of people contacting them wanting to know the max protein %, fat %, fiber, carbs etc.. I don’t know why it’s called General Analysis for it should be called “Guaranteed” Anaylsis, cause the general analysis is recognized by AAFCO, where the Guaranteed Anaylsis isn’t recognized by AAFCO, when I see the words Guaranteed I asume it’s 100% Guaranteed but it isn’t in pet foods… I noticed Victor has NO Chickpeas or Lentils in their pet foods, I’m not into feeding dogs or cats chickpeas or lentils, maybe when they’re further down the ingredient list past 5th ingredient OK but when I see Chickpeas, Lentils as 2nd, 3rd & 4th ingredient that’s not a good thing, Victor is still making their grain free kibbles with Sweet Potatoes, it’s good Victor haven’t taken the cheap & easy route & added chickpeas & lentils to their grain free formula’s which is a good thing..
I use to recommend Victor pet food then so many other pet foods came out like “Sport Dog Food” & they were comparing all their ingredients & Analysis with Victor dog foods & Sport Dog were cheaper in price & Sport Dog uses Freeze Dried ingredients, so I started recommending Sport Dog Elite instead of the Victor, have you seen the “Sport Dog Elite” range?? 30lbs for $58 or their G/F Large Breed 30/14 formula, 50lbs for $75, is that cheap??
https://sportdogfood.com/dog-food/top-brands/sport-dog-food/

[M N]

I will first admit that I have not read this entire thread. I have however read large portions of it, as well as many other articles on this topic.

I currently have a 1.5 year old German Wirehaired Pointer. I have had him on Victor Nutra Pro for about 4 months now (switched from TOTW) and he has been doing very well on it. I currently have no complaints whatsoever (well, I would be even happier if it was a bit cheaper, but I don’t think that counts).

I am getting another puppy shortly. Ideally, I would like to feed both dogs the same food. Any opinions on Nutra Pro for a large breed puppy?

3.5g Ca/kCal, 1.2:1 Ca:P

But, at 38%, protein is considerably higher than other large breed puppy foods…

Protein 38.53 %
Fat 20.81 %
Fiber 3.17 %
Carbohydrates
“Calculated” 22.6 %
Moisture 7.95 %
Ash 8.03 %
Calcium 1.38 %
Phosphorus 1.16 %
Cal/Phos Ratio 1.2 Ratio:1
Magnesium 0.14 %
Potassium 0.624 %
Sodium 0.33 %
Zinc 198 mg/kg
Iron 325 mg/kg
Copper 17 mg/kg
Cobalt 0.2 mg/kg
Iodine 2.2 mg/kg
Manganese 44 mg/kg
Selenium 0.42 mg/kg
Vitamin A 13780 IU/kg
Vitamin D3 1145 IU/kg
Vitamin E 180 IU/kg
Vitamin B12 0.09 mg/kg
Riboflavin 6.8 mg/kg
D-Pantothenic
Acid 22 mg/kg
Niacin 75 mg/kg
Folic Acid 1.27 mg/kg
Pyridoxine B6 4.10 mg/kg
Thiamine 10.15 mg/kg
Biotin B7 0.23 mg/kg
Ascorbic Acid 47 mg/kg
Choline 2100 mg/kg
Taurine 1400 mg/kg
Omega 3 0.45 %
Omega 6 2.6 %
DHA 0.16 %
L-Carnitine 60 mg/kg
Calories On Bag 3909 kcal/kg
Calories per Cup on Bag 475 kcal/cup

https://victorpetfood.com/product-items/nutra-pro/?portfolioCats=164%2C165%2C135%2C134%2C133%2C153%2C159%2C160

[haleycookie]

No problem, I like victor too. Thats a good food for the price for sure. High protein in my opinion would be anything above 32% and low would be anything below 30%. High fat would be around 20% and up and low would be 10% and below. That percent is often seen in weight loss foods. High fiber is typically found in weight loss foods as well as “indoor” foods which is usually used in cat food to help with fur balls and keeping lazy house cats in shape. Fiber just makes dogs poop more usually that’s why it’s good in weight loss foods so that dogs can poop more and loose weight easier. High fiber is gonna be like 8% and up lower will be around 2-4%. And carbs are typically higher in cheaper foods with lots of grains or lots of peas or potatoes as fillers. Carb can be a good source of energy but tend to cause weight gain more easily if not exercised properly. But good luck with victor it’s a good food too. 🙂

[Randy D]

Thanks Haley. I’m looking at the victor foods-the hi-pro which is 30/20 protein to fat, 83% of the protein is from meat; and the grain free active dog and puppy which is 33/16 protein to fat, and 75% is from meat. The victor foods have a much better price point than the merrick. Muenster foods are looking like a possibility, as well.
I get confused by what is actually considered “high” or “low” in terms of fat, protein, carbs and fiber. I see the terms thrown around a lot but no real idea what they are.

[haleycookie]

I really thought this would be easy when I started looking for a pea free, barley free food but wow I could only find a small hand full. It seems some varieties of victor dog food are free of both, sportmix dog food, and some nutro max formulas are free of both as well. Also some canine caviar varieties don’t have either ingredient. And natures logic doesn’t include those ingredients. There’s probably more but you’ll just have to sniff around and do some research.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by haleycookie.

[pitlove]

Hi Tabitha-
Food allergy is rare in dogs and at only 17 weeks old highly unlikely.
Victor Yukon River is highly inappropriate for a large breed puppy. With a Ca/Phos ratio of 1.5:1 and a Ca/Kcal ratio of 4.9g/1000 kcals, the diet is approaching the safe upper limit for the calcium to phosphorus ratio and well exceeds the recommended calcium to calorie ratio. Protein is not an issue. 20 years of research has proven that.

Also you have not described any symptoms so it is hard for us to help.

[Tabitha F]

Hi there! I could really use some advice! My Lily is a 17 week old golden retriever puppy. She is having what we think are food allergy issues, so we were trying to eliminate chicken and grains. She is currently eating Victor Yukon River which is grain free and contains salmon and sweet potatoes. It is an all life stage good. Our dog trainer recommended it, as well as the owner of the. Atrial pet supply store locally. I was fine with it until I read that high protein and calcium can lead to joint issues for large breed dogs! I adore Lily, and I am so afraid I am going to make the wrong decision given that goldens are so prone to joint issues.

On the Victor website, the protein content is listed at 33.9% and the calcium at 1.78%. Do you guys have any suggestions? I hate to switch her food again, because we’ve already tried several, but I don’t want to damage her joints. Thank you SO much in advance!!

[Brianna C]

Hi all! So I am kind of in between foods for my two year old 165lb Great Pyrenees, Albert. He is not overweight, just to clarify. He has a slim waistline and his ribs can be felt with light pressure; he’s just really poofy. I even went to the vet because I was concerned he was getting too fat! I have been feeding him BB wilderness large breed, but after some research I feel that is not the best for him. Can someone recommend a great dog food for a giant breed? I am leaning towards Fromm Gold Large Breed or Victor. Thanks in advance!

[HoundMusic]

“The Sportdog Large Breed has a lower fat than content than the others (14% vs 18%) which leads me to believe it may not alleviate my weight maintenance struggle. 30/20 protein/fat seems to be the “standard” for active sporting dogs. I would prefer a grain free food, but obviously I am not dead set on it, otherwise I wouldn’t consider the Victor.

I am leaning heavily towards the Sportdog Active, assuming I can actually get it in 50lb bags. Which would you recommend and why?”

Full disclosure: I never tried any of those feeds. That being said, I do have a few friends who use the Sport Dog maintenance formula and are very pleased. Their dogs seem to be in excellent condition, with unusually thick coats for this time of year. I have also heard beaglers rave about Black Gold, though I’ve no personal experience with it myself. You might also want to consider Eukanuba Premium Performance 30/20. I mainly used it for bitches in whelp, but when I had a large pack running, that was my mainstay. I have tried several performance feeds over the years, and that exceeded them all in terms of alertness of my hounds, weight maintenance, heat cycle regularity, tolerance of bad weather conditions, coats, stool output, etc. It cost me somewhere around $35 for 30lbs, but that was several years ago.

BTW, I run rabbit dogs and my experience has been to be VERY wary of grain free feeds, because the carbohydrate sources they contain are often high glycemic index, simple, rather than complex, carbs. Hypoglycemia is your worst enemy in the field. Foods that spike the blood sugar, as well as *those that do not raise it high enough* need to be the stuff of your nightmares if you’re planning on seriously hunting with this dog. That means, be wary of low carb AND high glycemic index diets. Potatoes are an iffy ingredient. They should be all right if not the main source of carbs, but I prefer a feed without them after experiencing a hypoglycemic fit in two dogs from Wellness CORE about 10 years ago 🙁

On low carb diets, I saw concentration issues, however, you definitely need to be concerned about excess protein. In summer or warmer months, a dog in training runs the risk of overheating. During hunting season, you also risk overloading the kidneys and liver, hence the importance of moderation and a maintenance diet in the summer. For that, stay somewhere around 21% or under.

Another thing; fat and protein content have surprisingly little to do with weight maintenance – in my experience, the bioavailability, overall digestibility and kcal content contribute more to weight gain and muscle mass than does overloading with protein. I have a young hound in training who just returned from a friend’s rabbit pen and gets exercised every day, built like a truck on a 19% protein feed. He was on Sportmix 27/12 and has already shed fat and gained muscle after three days back on a 19/8 feed.

So don’t worry overmuch about fat/protein not being enough. And good luck in finding a feed!

[pitlove]

Hi M N-

I’ve read a lot of different opinions about what type of diet working breeds need. It seems that a lot of people who hunt their dogs or compete in dog sports will use a performance/sporting food during the season and then go back to a normal maintenance diet during the off season to prevent weight gain and keep them conditioned. You have to feed for the energy expenditure of the dog.

Typically performance foods are going to be a 30/20 formula, but still have a good amount of carbs for quick energy conversion. I believe Victor and SportDog both have performance formulas. I see you are interested in grain free, but I would highly consider a grain inclusive diet as many grains actually have better bioavailability.

As far as feeding for a large breed puppy, he is just shy of the 18 month mark at which he could go on to an adult food and at this point he should be able enough to control is calcium uptake enough that the main focus should be keeping him in condition to hunt him. While a 3 on BCS is not terrible, 4 would be better/ideal. GWP/GSP are lean by nature, but the standard is not that of a Greyhound, Poodle etc.

[M N]

Hello, I have a 16 month old German Wirehaired Pointer. I am currently feeding him free-choice TOTW Wetlands formula. I started him on TOTW High Prairie Puppy at 7 weeks and switched to the adult Wetlands formula at around 9 months as we were struggling to keep weight on him. Currently on the Wetlands formula he will swing between a 3 and 5 on the 9 point scale, depending on how active we are that week. Overall I have been very happy with TOTW.

Lately (since about March-April) I have been hearing a lot about dogs getting sick on TOTW. Naturall,y this concerns me. Also, with summer upon us and the increased training and exercise that comes with it, it has been a little harder to keep weight on him. As summer progresses and we start conditioning for hunting season I suspect it will get even harder. This combines to have me again looking to change foods.

Initially when I was looking at switching I was looking at the Black Gold Salmon and White Potato because it was available locally and looked good on paper. We tried a bag this spring and he seemed to do okay on it, but we never fully transitioned as my local feed store stopped carrying it. I also considered Victor Nutra-Pro, but again there was no local supplier for it. When I mentioned this to the owner of the feed store he told me that if I wanted him to he would order either of them for me on their regular shipments, he just needed 1 week notice and would have it in for me.
I also looked at the Sportdog formulas this spring, but they didn’t ship directly to my area and the cost through Amazon was more than I was willing to pay. Now I see that Amazon has 50lb bags in the Large Breed and Active formulas, both of which are at a price that I find reasonable.

I understand that there are alot of quality foods out there, I am looking at these foods specifically due to quality, availability, and cost (under $1.50 a pound). Another reason I am looking to switch is I have another puppy coming this fall, and I feel TOTW has a higher calcium content than I would like to see for a large breed puppy. The 4 formulas I am looking at seem to be a better all around fit for me, with the exception of the large breed which the kibble may be a bit big for a puppy. The Victor may be higher protein than I want/need, and is not a grain free, but does advertise a higher percentage of protein from meat than Sportdog (90% vs 76%). The Sportdog Large Breed has a lower fat than content than the others (14% vs 18%) which leads me to believe it may not alleviate my weight maintenance struggle. 30/20 protein/fat seems to be the “standard” for active sporting dogs. I would prefer a grain free food, but obviously I am not dead set on it, otherwise I wouldn’t consider the Victor.

I am leaning heavily towards the Sportdog Active, assuming I can actually get it in 50lb bags. Which would you recommend and why?

$45/40lb – https://victorpetfood.com/product-items/nutra-pro/?portfolioCats=133%2C135%2C134%2C153%2C159%2C160%2C162

$35/30lb – http://blackgolddogfood.com/natural_grain_free_salmon_dog_food.htm

$72/50lb – https://www.sportdogfood.com/elite-grain-free-active-dog-puppy-30-18/

$67/50lb – https://www.sportdogfood.com/elite-grain-free-large-breed-30-14/

[Bobby dog]

There are some regular posters that are happy feeding Victor. If you make the decision to adopt and decide to switch foods I would wait for at least two weeks while she gets settled in. Too many changes can wreak havoc on our furries.

I think you have to use Photo bucket to post a pic? Not positive as I can’t remember if I ever posted a pic before. I thought there was a forum topic on it, but I can’t find one using the search engine.

I only have one dog and he is fine; I had one dog prior to him too. He is my shadow he goes everywhere with me. Of course as summer starts I can’t take him to all the places I used to if I have to leave him in my truck. I don’t do hardcore hiking, but we get a decent workout!! Dog parks, daily walks, and a back yard to run around in sounds like a perfect mix to me.

[John I]

My totally anecdotal experience.
For, 3 Bouviers des Flandres(2 male, 1 female).
Catelyn(70lb), she’ll be 3 this November.
Butkus(130lb..high weight, 100lb current weight), he’s 13 and will be 14 next March 2018.
Harley(90lb), lived to be 11years, had bone/joint birth defects. His back went out and he couldn’t stand or control his bowels @ the end.

I fed Harley and Butkus Blue Buffalo for 11 years. I had no health concerns and no soft stools. Catie has had soft stools as long as I’ve had her. I’ve had her checked by the vet several times, nothing has been diagnosed.
VET Recommended: 1TBsp Metamucil plain, this worked a little.

FOODS I’VE FED:
ToTW High Plains puppy: I fed this as recommended by the breeder.
BB Salmon/Sweet potato: Switched to this to match Harley and Butkus lifetime meals.
Victor Hero: Switched after some BB recalls. I was looking for U.S. made, reliable company. Butkus had no issues, and the food has glucosamine. Catie still had soft stools.

LOCAL Recommendations: From locally owned Pet food dealers were Probiotics, using goat milk or green tripe.

CURRENT DIET:
Tripett Beef: pure green tripe a very stinky suplement. I feed once every 2-3 weeks(Catey only).
Orijen Regional Red(US): Very high ratings, controlled ingredient sources, U.S. made in KY. Pricey @ $95/25lb bag. Butkus 1.5 cups morning and night, Catie 2.25cups morning 1.5cups night.

Both dogs have firm stools.

[RukatheBlackfish]

I searched but I couldn’t find any real topics discussing it.

I know how much you feed varies from dog to dog greatly. I’m just curious if anyone noticed this or any opinions.
My dog is 75lbs, and usually falls into a 60-80lbs range on the feeding guide. And with most foods it falls in a 3-4 cup range. It’s not that I truly follow it I’m more curious why this one food is so vastly different from others.
Taste of the Wild Pine Forest has a 60-80lbs range with a 4 – 5 cup range.
Compared to just another variety:
Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain Canine 60-80lbs range is 3¼ – 3¾ cup range.
Different brands for example-
Victor Ocean Fish 80lbs range is 3¾ cups
Go! Sensitive LID 70-90lb range is 2 1/2 – 3 cups/ 3 – 3 1/2 cups

Does this mean you would have to feed more Pine Forest to match that of the others?

[Mike E]

I’ll keep an eye on him. I’ve been watching every meal like a hawk and I noticed the pattern (remember I’ve only noticed this a couple times over months of watching him eat). He’ll start to wolf food whole, then it’s like something “catches” and he tries huffing as he chews trying to swallow. The second he gets any water, any moisture on the food it vanishes. if I add in a little broth or water or wet food, or coconut oil to the mix it’s a non issue. He won’t have the issue to begin with.

I’ll of course let the vet know if it gets worse or his next checkup, that’s for sure, but right now I’m leaning towards tiny 26 lb dog and pieces of kibble that meant for a bigger dog. switching to small bites seems to have helped the last few days. before he would have to break down and chew almost every bite (sometimes he tries to swallow whole but he almost always ends up chewing about 1/4 way through the meal as he realizes “oops, too big”), now he eats at a steadier pace with the smaller food

as for sudden change. I didn’t always WATCH him when he ate (many times he’s in the bedroom eating his food while his sister is outside in the living room eating where we are …she’s a piggy and will eat her food, his food, the bowl, and has no compunction stealing his dinner while this little guy looks on mournfully), but for the first year and a third of his existence he ate a much smaller bited kibble. we switched foods when we lost our distributor for Victor Premimu (which has really small kibble in general) and went with he sportmix since Tractor Supply started carrying it and we live a few miles away from one. So it’s an issue that cropped up ONCE WE SWITCHED FOODS.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by Mike E.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by Mike E.

[Mike E]

I have a quick question. My half whippet/terrier mix has always been a slow and picky eater (unlike his boxer/shepherd sister who can inhale 2 cups of food in 30 seconds flat). I’ve been feeding them both Sportmix Wholesomes the last 8 or 9 months and I noticed that three times in the last 2 months (once about a month and a half ago, twice this week) my whippet/terrier starts eating his food and then part way through the meal starts wheezing/rasping at every bite. It’s like right after a bit he really tries to get it down and you can see him swallowing a couple times to get the food down like it’s stuck in the throat. The first time it happened I got super worried, but I figured out really quickly that if I pour a little water or chicken stock in his food that it suddenly clears up. Like instantly. he drinks a little broth and the wet food just goes down like butter. No more hacking/wheezing trying to get it down.

my SUSPICION is that the sportmix wholesomes kibble is just a bit big for him and a whole dry piece gets lodged in there sometimes making a temporary obstruction during his meal. The Sportmix wholesomes isn’t super big for a 27 lb dog, but it’s more like medium size kibble …bigger than the smaller bites of Victor or the like… Am I right that the kibble is probably getting stuck in his throat (this only happens once in a while, 3 times in 2 months being fed twice a day) and it always instantly goes away if the kibble has moisture or broth added to it.

I was thinking of switching him alone over to a small bites formula, or making his food into a soupy mix with water or broth but wanted to make sure there wasn’t something super obvious I was missing.

• This topic was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by Mike E.

[InkedMarie]

I have a dog who, on kibble, has frequent large, soft stool. I was advised to look at a good with fiber of 3.5% or less. Some I found are:

* Victor Grainfree Ultra Pro
* Victor Nutra Pro
* Dr. Tim’s Pursuit
* Dr. Tim’s Kinesis
* Dr. Tim’s Momentum
* Dr. Tim’s Glacier
* Dr. Tim’s Fusion
* Earthborn Primitive Natural
* SportDog Food Limited Ingredient Grainfree Beef meal

[Danielle B]

I had the same issue with my English Bulldog puppy. I went through several dog foods and landed on Victor. The stools have become solid however he does still have the gas issue.

[T E]

I just have 2 questions. I have a now 2yr old Bully, I am making sure I am getting him the right foods without going to the poor house. He is 105pds, 20 pounds heavier than was expected him to be might I add. I am looking for the right food for his diet. I have tried many kinds and to be honest he EATS any and EVERYTHING. If the food reviews do not have an actual star or number by it how do you know if its a 4* or 5* product. I was actually told to look at Natures Domain Salmon but there is no star by it. I want to make sure his protein intake and nutrients and everything is great for him. Ive used Victors, and also taste of the wild. I was looking into Bully Max but again, I am wanting to stay in a certain price range for a 40pd bag. My older Lab/German shep mix has been eating Kirklands Mature dog for years and seems fine. She is not as active as the Bully so I want to make sure he is taken care of. Can you guys assist me with suggestions?

• This topic was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by T E.

[Susan]

Hi Gae G your dogs probably can’t handle the higher protein or all the freezed dried ingredients, I knew straight away after reading Sport Dogs ingredients list my IBD boy wouldn’t be able to eat the Sport Dog food formula’s…..
I’m pretty sure Sport Dog Food is a copy cat version of “Victor” pet foods cause when you scroll down the bottom of certain formulas Sport Dog food is compared to the same Victor formula’s….
Just keep emailing the owners of Sport Dog & attach a copy of the money back Guarantee Sports dog gives & read does it guarantee diarrhea?? probably not…send the same email every day for 1 month till you get your refund, I ALWAYS tell the kibble companies or Pet Store, I say “my boy is doing very sloppy big poos & he wont eat the kibble now”….Most money back guarantee on kibble is normally for palatability not health problems as I’ve been told when I’ve taken back kibbles to a Pet Store or online pet store’s but they still give me a refund….So in your email say, “I’ve done what you have told me to do BUT my dog will not eat the kibble now they smell it & walk away”…… Good Luck..

[Susan]

Hi, have a look at “Sport Dog Elite” it has similar ingredients to Victor formulas but cheaper in price, Sport Dog Food even compares Victor’s formulas on the formula’s page. https://www.sportdogfood.com/dog-food/top-brands/sport-dog-food/
When you do find a few brands that work & your dog does real well start rotating between a few different brands & proteins, this way your dog isn’t eating the same brand…

[Susan W]

May I suggest Verus? They have never had a recall (in almost 30 years), and they have a variety of formulas, including a grain-free. I’ve tried Victor with my dogs and wasn’t at all impressed. With Verus, you can try it before you buy it because they send you free samples. One thing I really like about this food is that it doesn’t smell like dog food – i.e. it doesn’t smell like burned feathers or dried out yucky stuff. It either doesn’t have a discernible scent or, with the fish-based formulas, it smells like fresh fish. I was really disappointed to find that Victor smells just like Pedigree or Purina or any of the other regular dog foods.

[M N]

A couple others I am considering:

http://victorpetfood.com/products/dog/victor-grain-free/ultra-pro/

http://victorpetfood.com/products/dog/victor-grain-free/hero-canine/

[M N]

Good Morning,

I have a 12 month old German Wirehaired Pointer that I am considering switching foods. He is doing well on the food he is on now, I am just exploring other options to see if I can reduce my food bill, without sacrificing quality/health. I want/need a food with around 30% protein and 20% fat, or else he loses weight. I had him on a 28/17 puppy food until about 4 months ago, when I noticed he was getting a little thin. I switched to a 32/18 within the same brand and his conditioning returned in a matter of weeks.

I have narrowed it down to 3 foods which I am considering. Any feedback/advise would be appreciated.

http://victorpetfood.com/products/dog/victor-select/nutra-pro/

http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/dog-formulas/wetlands-canine-formula-with-roasted-fowl/

http://www.blackgolddogfood.com/natural_grain_free_salmon_dog_food.htm

[Susan W]

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.

[crazy4cats]

Here is a link to some suggested weight loss foods on the review side of this site:

/best-dog-foods/weight-loss-dog-foods/

On the list, I have fed the Victor senior/healthy weight formula with good results. Also, Whole Earth Farms has a Pork, Beef and Lamb formula that is poultry free. It is also low in fat and calories. My dogs do exceptionally well on this food. Hope this helps!

[Christie]

My 8 year old American Bulldog/Pit mix is 115 pounds and my 2 year old Catahoula Leopard Dog Mix is about 45 pounds. My vet thinks their healthy weight should be around 90 and 35 pounds, respectively. To address the weight issue, I slowly transitioned both dogs to Natural Balance Fat Dogs, because it had much lower calorie counts than other reduced fat/weight loss foods. My big guy has had some issues in the past with food allergies and I noticed that within a few weeks of eating the new food, he was having issues with his ears and licking his paws. I looked up the food on this site and saw that the carb percentage was very high and my vet had said in the past that high carb foods can cause allergy induced ear infections.
I tried transitioning to Wellness Core Reduced Fat with the same results. I don’t know if he has a poultry allergy or just a chicken allergy but both of those foods list chicken and turkey as main ingredients. And I have yet to find a quality dry food weight loss formula that uses a different protein source (and yes I do know that chicken and turkey are the leanest animal protein choices)

Does anyone have a suggestion? I was going to just try transitioning to a quality food (maybe the beef based Victor hero) and just limiting the amount of food that they consume. Both dogs prefer smaller sized kibble and I heard Victor is pretty small.

[Jane E]

I think dryness can be seasonal and linked to the colder dryer air. That being said it is not always the protein either,meaning salmon does not always offer a higher fat content (which would affect the skin). Larger breeds can do well on adult formulas too…this allows for slower growth. There are many brands which a great,Pure Vita,Canine Caviar,Fromm and I have even heard good things about Victor or Costco’s brand of dog food. Adding some fish oil to the existing food may be a way to go too

[Susan]

To Hound Music,
I forget to add in my post above, Maggie was also feed tables scraps, what ever they ate for dinner Maggie ate as well…
I just thought anyone that was interested in Maggie’s story would watch the full video interview by Rodney Habib on Planet Paws & got the story straight from Maggie’s dads mouth….
Maggie loved her Good O’s they were only given as a treat maybe twice a week, the Good O’s weren’t talked or advertised again, people like twisted the truth & Maggie’s dad didn’t want the Good O company receiving free advertisement for a poor quality moist treat/kibble that was not Maggie’s proper diet, she just liked her Good O’s treats, if she was given a better quality natural treats she’d probably would have loved those treats instead of the Good O’s…
Maggie was not feed any kibble of any kind….after Maggie’s story hit the media, a picture of (must be the picture your talking about) Maggie chewing a red/orange coloured round moist kibble, the Good O company started to say Maggie ate their food & lived to ripe old age of 30, that story was quickly dismissed & made clear to Australian viewers, Maggie did NOT eat any kibbles & was only given a couple of Good O’s maybe twice a week as a treat….
No supplements were given either, this is a farm in the out back of rural Victoria Australia, there’d be no pet shops for miles, to buy a dog supplement would be a miracle, you’d be lucky to find human vitamins in the local shops & we only have a few Australian dog supplements & most are sold online, we are talking about a old farmer & his dog, living a quiet stress free life, smelling fresh air, country living, Maggie’s slept on the back veranda in the Summer & in the barn with the farm cats in the winter…..the only healthy supplement that came Maggie’s way was her dinner & 1 cup of fresh cows milk straight from the cows utter that she drank every morning at 6am & the baby cows placentas when born & baby calves that was born dead…
A lot of Australian dogs are feed a supermarket kibble as the base or a grain free kibble with either fresh kangaroo mince or table scraps left over from dinner are added with the kibble or they are feed what ever is shot & killed on their property is feed to their working dogs, our Pet Shops have rolls of fresh Roo’s mince & rolls of fresh Chicken Mince, sold very cheap around $1 a roll & we also have pre-made raw diets as well, it’s cheaper to feed a raw diet then a premium grain free kibble in Australia…
Hound Music did you watch the video where Maggie’s dad was interviewed by Rodney Habib?? he would of mentioned if Maggie was given any supplements, he’s a very honest farmer & didn’t gain anything from Maggie’s story, he just enjoyed taking about his old girl Maggie……

[Gregory W]

He was 8 weeks when I got him. The breeder fed him blue buffalo and had no issues. He was eating with 8 other pups, and they have no issues that I know about. That same food did not work for him here after about 2 weeks, that coincided with a trip to Petco (I thought it would be good to socialize him a bit while getting him some food and toys).

Besides some hunger aggression, he’s a very well behaved dog. Endlessly friendly and an incredible companion. From what I’ve read here and chewy, I am going to ask the vet about Fromm and Victor dog foods. If it’ll help, I would feed him boiled chicken and rice. Really, anything that helps him out.

[Susan H]

I have been looking at Victor Grain Free and SportDogFood Elite. Any feedback on these brands? Note: I’m not happy to see that Victor uses peas as their second ingredient, but my CBR loved the samples we tried. Currently feed Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Venison Limited Ingredient and have healthy dogs.

Suggest you reverse your comment section to put the most recent first. 🙂

[SummerRainAussies]

Hi Susan,

Are you a rep for Verus? I am just curious. I see on MANY posts you are always promoting Verus foods.

I have looked into Verus a couple times and its very low in protein and very high in carbs. They use way to much “pea like” ingredients for my liking. Not a food I would personally feed my dogs but if it works for you than great!

I think Victors has some great foods but the company is not the best. They aren’t transparent like you said. They ditch questions they don’t want to answer and a lot of the replys you get are not a real person.

[Susan W]

Hi Meghan –
Try to keep in mind that foods that have salmon are usually using farm-raised fish, which don’t have the same nutritional value as wild-caught fish. If you contact Verus pet foods – a company that’s never had a recall! – they’ll send you free samples!
I tried Victor last summer in hopes of supporting a semi-local business. Their food smelled like all the other commercial dog foods I’d tried. To put it simply, Verus has spoiled me. their food smells fresh – not like ground up, burned hair & bones or not like old tuna. They have 2 formulas that utilize fish as the #1 ingredient. The fish is something called menhaden. I did research and found that menhaden is a small fish that breeds like fleas (so they’ll never be over-fished). They are a cold-water, wild-caught fish that is high in Omega-3. If you do a google search for verus pet foods, you’ll find a lot more info on their food on their website. Contact them & they’ll contact you back – by a human! – and send you samples! It’s definitely worth a try since it won’t cost you anything but a few minutes of your time.

[Jimmy R]

I am sorry that you are going through that :(. I don’t know why they made changes that were so drastic. I did a lot of research for my puppy and originally was going to give him Orijen but returned it after reading all the horror stories. Then I tried Redford and Taste of the Wild and he did not like either. I ended up going with Victor which I read about through dog advisor. In the future should he stop liking this food or if I chose to rotate (you’re more than welcome to give me your opinion on that) I think I will try holistic select salmon and anchovy which is one a friend recommended. I hope this helped.

[Jeannine M]

I just contacted Victor and this was their reply, although it doesn’t say max %.

Greetings Jeannie,
Thanks for your growing interest in Victor Super Premium Pet Foods.

FORMULA
CALCIUM
PHOS

GF Yukon
1.2%
0.9%
GF chicken
1.6%
1.1%
GF Ultra Pro
1.8%
1.2%
GF Hero
1.6%
1.1%
GF Active dog
1.6%
1.1%
GF Lamb
1.9%
1.2%
Ocean fish
1.2%
0.9%
Lamb meal
1.2%
0.9%
Chicken meal
1.1%
0.8%
Beef Meal
1.5%
0.9%
Senior
1.3%
0.9%
Nutra Pro
1.3%
1.3%
Hi-Pro
1.4%
1.0%
Performance
1.4%
1.0%
Professional
1.4%
1.0%
High Energy
1.4%
1.0%
Multi Pro
1.3%
0.8%

Best Regards,
The Victor Support Team
1-888-428-7544

Untitled-1 copy

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Victor® is manufactured in our own modern Texas based facility.
Several formulas rated 4 and 5 Star by dogfoodadvisor.com and exceed AAFCO Nutritional Guidelines.
All Victor® dry dog food formulas are:
Free from Corn, Wheat, Soy, or Gluten!
Enhanced with Zinpro Performance Minerals, which are the most bio-available complex trace minerals on the market.
Infused with SEL-PLEX organic selenium to improve cellular health by fighting free radicals.
Enriched with multiple Probiotics for building a healthier immune system with improved gut health.

From: Victor Pet Food [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2017 5:13 PM
To: Victor Pet Food <[email protected]>
Subject: Contact Us – New Contact Us Request

Contact Us

Topic
Product Question

Question or Comments
I am looking for a Large breed puppy food and was wondering if your active dog and puppy or any of your all life stages have the correct ratio of calcium to phosphorous ratio recommended for large breed puppies? I believe the recommendations are-
1.2 to 1.8% calcium
1.0 to 1.6% phosphorus
Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio 1:1 to 1.8:114
However, for some higher calorie foods, the above guidelines may not apply.
Thank you,
Jeannine Moore
Page: http://victorpetfood.com/contact-us/
Unique ID: #1335
Date: January 21, 2017
Time: 5:12 pm