[Jonathan S]

I’m in the same boat… I have two border collie pups 34 and 36 pounds. Half their diet is raw food of my own creation, so the kibble goes a long way. I want to be able to feed them a variety to keep them interested and I think I’ve finally found the brand I want to switch to as they have lots of choices for flavor mixes (going with Orijen/Acana). I’ll probably stick with the 15ish pound bags so they can be rotated to different flavors on just about a monthly basis.

I was just curious about if there is a concern over freshness, what is the threshold for that concern. I think I’ll be fine if I keep rotating.

[Kevin W]

Both my dogs loved the duck acana and the pumpkin 🙂 I just hope so much that my baby can finally not suffer so badly. We are using a cortisone stayon 1% lotion for her right now from the vet to offer some relief so hope it kicks in. She wears a doggy shirt all the time to keep her from scratching till she cuts herself so we can avoid yet another staph infection.

I so greatly appreciate all of you for taking the time out of you life to help me and my babies. I will look into the probiotics/supplements as well as shampoos to help keep her safe and comfortable. I’m just glad she is so bullheaded and outgoing so she doesn’t let this keep her down.

How often should I give the pumpkin as well? The people there said a tbs or two with each feeding. Should I give it more often or larger amounts?

[Pitlove]

Great Life pulls Buffalo Kibble

Eh, I mean, that isn’t something that would honestly concern me. But thats just me. They pulled it off the shelf for a rancid smell. Thixton doesn’t state how they handled it at first, which I’m surprised she doesn’t.

I looked on Ace’s website and found mainly Purina, Science Diet, Nutro, Blackwood and the like. Wonder where Kevin lives that they are carrying Orijen/Acana!

[Pitlove]

Kevin– You can do that however, I would look into a probiotic to help the tranistion. If you are shopping at a store that carries Orijen and Acana you are probably shopping at a small pet store similar to where I work. They carry different probiotics. See if any of the store employees are knowledgable with that kind of stuff.

[DogFoodie]

Yes, I would go for the Acana Duck and Pear. That product used to be grain inclusive and isn’t any longer. Just be careful and make sure that you’re buying the new formula with the ingredients you mentioned above.

[Kevin W]

What about this and we can get it local
LIMITED INGREDIENT AND BIOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE™ DOG FOOD
DELIVERED FRESH EACH DAY
ACANA Duck & Bartlett Pear features an unmatched variety of local ingredients that are raised by people we know and trust, passed fit for human consumption, and then delivered to our door fresh each day!

INGREDIENTS
Duck meal, deboned duck*, green lentils, red lentils, duck liver*, pears*, duck fat, green peas, yellow peas, algae, garbanzo beans, pumpkin*, carrots*, freeze-dried
duck liver, kelp, chicory root, ginger root, peppermint leaf, lemon balm, mixed tocopherols (preservative), dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.
*DELIVERED FRESH

[Pitlove]

Hi Jonathan- I agree with your choice to change foods. TotW is rated highly because the ingredient list is not bad, however even Dr. Mike will tell you to look beyond the ingredient list to the company and the manufactuerer to decide if the food is worth feeding. TotW has already had at least one recall under Diamond if not more and I’m sure more will come.

Orijen/Acana and Fromm are excellent choices. I have fed both Orijen and Fromm and my dog did very well on both. Also why not feed all three? Variety is excellent for dogs!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by Pitlove.

[Jonathan S]

I feed Taste of the Wild, but I’m looking to come off it. I worry about it being farmed out to Diamond. I see a lot of high marks for it on ratings, but all the customer reviews seem to be negative… though most of those can be chalked up to people not knowing how to select the right protein source for their dog. Right now my shortlist for changing is Acana/Origen, or Fromme.

[Nancy B]

I agree that THK is excellent food. It’s what brought my 2 old rescues to good health. When the price when up, I had to look elsewhere. Champion Foods Orijen and Acana filled the spot. Same wonderful food, less expensive maybe because it’s from Canada? If you want to rotate food, look at video and try Champion. No vet bills for 12- and 13-yr-olds.

[Mark C]

I just adopted my third dog recently and have been considering changing the food to a More budget friendly one. Right now I feed Acana which seems to be very good food and everybody brags about it rather than complains about it. Unfortunately it’s a bit pricey. Especially considering a 25 pound bag only lasts me about four weeks right now.

So I looked on this forum And found some budget friendly foods that Mike has listed and I find the horizon complete to be something I would consider feeding my dogs and the price is much cheaper.

My question is has anybody fed this to their dogs and what did they think about it? And also two of my dogs are smaller breeds one is small terrier the other is a border collie so he’s kind of medium and then I have a large round who’s about 70 pounds.

I was considering feeding them the complete lifestage because the ingredients are pretty similar my big I could use the glucosamine but I think I can accomplish giving them that with a supplement. I would just be interested in any kind of feedback from people who may offend this food to their dogs.

[Nancy B]

Rescue dogs did well on THK, but so expensive and then price went up. Look at Champion Foods Acana and Orijen, both 5 stars. Nice video. Shows where ingredients come from. I add Tbsp Wysong canned to the kibble. 12- and 13-year-old dogs have no health problems so no vet bills. I order from Chewy online.

[Ysabella J]

We have fed a variety of high quality canned food, kibble, and premade raw to our Golden Retriever for her entire life. I’ve recently done research and am just trying to get some more opinions/options. So, in your opinion what is the best canned food out there? Personally, I think Orijen/Acana are top notch when it comes to dry, Stella & Chewy’s or Primal for raw, but haven’t found a personal favorite for canned food.

Which also brings me to.. Does anyone know a high quality canned food that uses chemical free packaging? I wish the brands I listed above had canned foods as well.. Lol. Thanks in advance you guys!

[Mike D]

Farmina needs to make the list. It’s really the best out there. Also, for budget foods I nominate Acana Chicken & Burbank. It’s a better value than everyone on the list.

[Pitlove]

Hi Ann-

I second Marie’s recommendations for foods and would like to add Fromm, Nature’s Variety (which has all life stages formulas), Orijen and/or Acana (made by same company).

I have heard natural foods do help reduce shedding a bit, but with the breed you’ve chosen I doubt you will see a lot of difference. He/She will still need regular brushing to prevent matting and keeping up with the removal of the undercoat, especially if you live somewhere like I do (the south) where the summers are crazy hot.

[Ana L]

I’d been considering home cooking (JFFD) for most of last year but wasn’t on the same page with my husband. When he finally agreed we had adopted our second dog, and after doing the math, it was no longer feasible for us. I had researched quite a bit and came up with Acana for both of our babes.

Our new boy from last July just got diagnosed and had surgery for bladder stones last Monday. The vet sent him home with Hills s/d wet food. The ingredients are awful, but we don’t want to risk him developing stones again. We’re planning on feeding him this wet food until we get the stone analysis back. I called JFFD today to see if they had a stone recipe and was told it’d be a custom diet consult at $195 and roughly $110/month for the formulation for me to cook at home. That seemed outrageous… but after research I saw UC Davis offers nutritional consults too ($295)… only they don’t have an ongoing charge or formulation they sell you. They just give you the recipe after a consult with your vet.

We want Gunner to have the best nutrition possible, we’re currently paying $78 every other month for Acana, and we’ll need to re-evaluate home-cooking and find an affordable qualified consult.

[Pitlove]

Hi merleGDgirl-

WellnessCORE puppy is a great choice for a giant breed dog, however I would caution you that they made a recent change to their formulas and it now has green tea extract in it which has been linked to liver toxicity in dogs. As for Orijen and Acana, they are both excellent brands and I would highly recommend them after your pup has reached 8-10 months of age as they both unfortuntely do not make a food with the correct calcium and phosphorus levels that giant breed dogs (especially danes) need for proper bone growth and development. My boyfriends brother has had their great dane on Precise Holistic Complete and he is in excellent condition with no skeletal dieases what so ever. They make a large/giant breed puppy formula. However, you would need to order it online.

WellnessCORE isnt going anywhere in terms of the company. My Petco still carries it and will continue to. It might simply just be PetSmart that does not want to do business with their distributer anymore or something like that.

Does your PetSmart carry Nature’s Variety? They make 2 formulas (The Turkey Limited Ingrident Diet and the Rabbit Meal) that both have correct calcium/phosphorus levels.

Also, here is a list of other foods with those same correct levels, the first half of the list is grain inclusive, the second half is grain free

https://docs.google.com/a/selu.edu/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit

GL with your new baby! Post some pics!

[merleGDgirl]

Wellness all the way! (I feed Wellness Core but the entire brand is great) I’d stay away from blue buffalo period, their manufacturer Diamond Foods is awful and gets recalled more often than not.

Also Orijen / Acana are amazing but have to be ordered online because I think they are made in Canada. Merrick is good, EVO is good but overall Orijen/Acana and wellness are my top pick for nutritional value, ingredient sourcing and manufacturing.

[merleGDgirl]

I have an 8 week old baby mantle merle GD. Originally we were going to get a baby girl but didn’t pay for pick of the litter and it turns out there ended up being only one girl 🙁 (Irrelevant, I just get excited talking about danes lol)

ANYWHO, I live in south texas and there is only one PETSMART that is near my house the petco is at least an two hours away. I bought a couple 26lb bags today and they had a “Reduced To Clear” sticker. I bought the last two bags on the shelf. I am concerned that they wont be stocking wellness core anymore. The puppy formula wasn’t the only one that had the reduced to clear sticker and well quite frankly CORE is the only food I’m interested in at the moment that doesn’t have to be ordered online.

I know there are great products out there that are grain free and premium but whatever I’m partial to wellness (and acana/orijen but that has to be ordered and our USPS/FEDEX/ MAIL system here really sucks horribly.)

I asked at the petsmart personnel and they told me that usually reduced to clear means they wont be carrying it anymore, the size of the bags are being changed by the manufacturer or that it is being redesigned/branded by the company…

I guess my question is what has been your experience with petsmart and reduced to clear items and has anyone else heard anything about wellness core in general being discountinued or anything?

Wellness is awesome. Since they dropped diamond (or at least I think they did because of the 2012 fiasco) They are at the top of my list next to Orijen and Acana (Although they are above wellness, I cant order basically anything that comes in the mail)

Thank you for any insight.

<3

[InkedMarie]

I’ve read that NutriSource is good for dogs with sensitive tummies.
As far as availability, I doubt most of us in the US know all the foods available in Canada. I know that Acana & Orijen are made by Champion foods in Canada.

[DogFoodie]

All of Champion’s products, both Acana and Orijen, are included on the list, Leland.

/reports/champion-petfoods/

[Pitlove]

Any reason for the change from Orijen/Acana? Both are very good quality foods. Did she do well on those foods?

A lot of people who work at big box stores don’t have a lot of knowledge of dog nutrition and only go based off what others recommend or brands they have heard to be good quality and that can range from a variety of foods based on opinion. There are some people who DO have a grasp on dog nutrition but they are few and far between.

Personally, I’d consult with a holisitic vet if I were in your shoes. It seems like a lot more is going on with your dog than what meets the eye, especially with the strange symptoms you’re describing. If your regular vet is just sending you home with pills and not asking questions, its time for a new vet. It’d be like you going to a therapist, telling them you have anxiety and you walking out with a presciption and them having asked no questions to find the root cause. I’m sure you wouldn’t go back to that therapist. I know I wouldn’t.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[brooke r]

Also, she was on Orijen Six Fish and Acana Wild Prairie when we first got her, made the switches cold turkey(never been a problem for my mal), and she’s never gotten diarrhea in the couple weeks after switching, so her stomach doesn’t seem overly sensitive really, just like something else is going on? She already eats out of a slow bowl since she inhales food otherwise.

[Kelly S]

We recently rescued a small mixed-breed dog and I have been looking at Dog Food Advisor when considering food options for her. We are looking at Pet Value brand Performatrin – Ultra Grain Free (dry), which rates a 5 star on this website. The bag claims about 37% protein and the rating here claims 41%. I was in a pet store today and the owner felt that 20-30% is a better protein number for your average household dog. This means that I am back to the drawing board on food options. We have also tried a food that isn’t on this site – Performatrin Limited – Ultra Limited Potato and Turkey formula. It is less ingredients and less protein. I am at a crossroads. At this pet store, the recommended brands were: Pet Kind, Spring Naturals, Nutri-Source, Orijen, Acana and First Mate. I am on here doing further research. Any insight is appreciated. Is there a FB group for this?

[Naturella]

I see. Like I said in another post, the ones I would wholeheartedly recommend are:

Earthborn Holistic GF
Victor GF
Dr. Tim’s GF & GI
Wysong (Nurture and Epigen are their “best” lines, but they have a lot of other good formulas)
Annamaet GF
Nulo
Farmina GF (even though I have not used it yet)
As well as the Canadian foods Orijen, Acana, NOW! Fresh and GO!

You can even email the above companies or send them a message on social media and ask for samples! I have gotten samples from Victor, Dr. Tim’s, Wysong, Annamaet, and Nulo sent me coupon books. 😉

As for Dogswell, 2 friends have fed it with no issues, and Bruno is currently on the Dogswell LiveFree Salmon one and is doing just fine, and I have fed Nutrisca Chicken & Chickpea (made by Dogswell) in the past and he did just fine on it too. I also fed Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy with no issues but I know other people have had issues with the brand (don’t know which line of food, or all of them). A friend, my roommate, and an aunt have all fed Blue (the aunt still feeds it) with no issues. Questionable companies – sure. But from my experience, and that of others around me, we have personally had no immediate issues with them.

[Naturella]

Chris, my local pet boutique type stores sell trial sizes of Orijen and Acana for $3.99 per baggie and each one is .75 lbs. So you can buy a couple of these to try them out first.

As for mixing, I used to mix foods before. I have mixed up to 3 brands together in the past. Now I rotate with each small bag, but on occasion feed a meal or 2 per week of a different brand and flavor from samples for diversity. So you can do it either way. I have a friend who still mixes 2 brands and flavors at a time, and feeds that, then changes both brands and flavors, but still mixes them. So you can do either way… The only caveat to that is that if for any reason, now or down the road Sparky gets sick (loose stool, vomiting, etc.) you wouldn’t know which food caused it, unless you feed him more of each individually, or you’d have to toss the whole mix. Sometimes it is just a particular bag or batch that doesn’t work, so I would, for example, feed him Merrick for a month, then Orijen or something else for 2 weeks or however long a small bag lasts, then Merrick or something similar and affordable. And here are some good and affordable brands:
Earthborn Holistic GF, Victor GF, Dr. Tim’s both GF and grain-inclusive, Annamaet GF, and, in some areas, NutriSource GF (although it is pretty pricy here in the Atlanta, GA area). So if cost is a concern, you can try those foods instead of or in addition to Merrick and Orijen – they are pretty good.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by Naturella.

[Naturella]

Chris (and pitlove), although I would agree that Orijen is one of the best dry foods out there (personal opinion), it is also not for everyone. It may be too rich for some dogs, so it is good to always just get a small bag, or a few trial sizes at first (for small dogs, but I think for a beagle a small bag will do), and use that for a couple of weeks first to make sure it would work for your dog.

I have fed trial sizes of the more prominent Canadian companies and my Bruno enjoys their products. I would definitely feed Orijen, Acana, GO and NOW! Fresh in rotations, if I continue to feed kibble in the future. Also, NVI Instinct and a few other kibbles. I would try to transition to raw sometime next year though.

But yeah, just keep in mind that even the “best” does not always work for everyone, and what is the best for your dog is what works well for him/her and keeps them happy and healthy.

[Pitlove]

Chris- Nice change on the dog food! A lot of us here wont feed BB products due to the company being pretty shady.

I personally have no problem with Merrick, though some on here are not fans of the company for how they have handled recalls in the past. Most people feel that while recalls are often times just a happening of life, its how the company handles the recall that will decide whether they use their products again.
Merrick is one of three brands at work (petco) that i recommend to people that we carry. the other two being Nature’s Variety, and Wellness CORE, so I think you made a good choice. Depending on what your budget is, look at Orijen too or Acana both made by Champion Pet Foods in Canada. The company has a sparkling reputation. The food is expensive but worth every penny IMO.

[Pitlove]

Thanks for the update bigthree. thats great to hear! Orijen is an amazing food. My dog is a big fan and so am I. They have a few different formulas you can try. The Puppy, Adult and Senior are pretty much all very similar with chicken being the main protein source, however the Regional Red, Six Fish and Tundra have a lot more exotic proteins in them. I havent tried Champions other line Acana yet, however I plan to.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Hi Joseph-

I’ve heard good things about Earthborn and I believe that some on this site use it in their rotational diets. Its also rated 5 stars on this site. Not sure what your budget is but I personally love the 2 brands that Champion Pet Foods makes, Orijen and Acana. Very high quality, regional sourced meats etc in Canada, made in Canada as well which has high quality control standards. They also use human grade ingredients. Big plus for me!

Let us know where you shop and what you have avaiable to you and if you would consider shopping online and we might be able to help you out better with a variety of suggestions and not just one!

[Stefanie K]

My dog is a 10.5 year old male chihuahua-mix, about 12lbs.

I’m considering adding a supplement to his diet. Our vet briefly mentioned we could add glucosamine to his diet, but I didn’t follow up on it.

Let me tell you more about my dog: I adopted him and his brother when he was 3. He was pretty fat, but over the years he’s gotten nice and trim. He was very active, we a lot walk every day (but not in winter!), and up until last summer he would come jogging and hiking with me. He always ate kibble, but usually the better quality “holistic”/”grain-free” kind. He was eating Acana the past couple of years. And then, just as I had switched to a “senior” formula, we found a bladder stone 🙁 Since his surgery a few months ago, he’s been on a vet prescription diet (Urinary S/O).

Though he’s made a great recovery, a couple weeks ago he injured his paw, and while the vet did not find anything serious, he suggested adding glucosamine to his diet. I’m scared of taking him hiking until I can be sure he’s not in any pain.

Issue number 2 is the shedding. This dog takes shedding to a whole new level. Its not caused by any health problems according to the vet, he just sheds. I’m wondering if omega-3 might help?

So- I’m looking for any recommendations for a supplement that might combine glucosamine and “joint-stuff” with omega-3 “fur-stuff”. And of course, it has to not interfere with his prescription diet which he needs to continue, so no food changes, just an additive. Does such a thing exist? Or will it have to be two separate products? Or maybe a product that has a lot of good things including glucosamine and omega-3?

[Naturella]

I also love feeding a variety of foods to my terrier mix Bruno. Since my husband and I have adopted him in 2013, he’s had, in no particular order of dry foods: Nutro Natural Choice Small Breed Puppy, Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy, Nutrisca Chicken & Chickpea, Dr. Tim’s Kinesis GF, Holistic Health Extension Original, Blue Allergix, and Lamb & Brown Rice, Earthborn Holisitic Coastal Catch, Primitive Naturals, and Great Plains Feast, Back to Basics Open Range, Wysong Nurture with Quail, Nulo Medal Series Lamb & Lentils, Castor & Pollux Ultramix Duck, Victor Salmon, and samples of Fromm, Victor, NutriSource, TOTW, Wysong, Orijen, Acana, Nature’s Variety Instinct (the Rabbit formula he was supposed to eat but it made him very sick, but other samples he did great with), Hi-Tek, Nature’s Logic, and many other foods I can’t recall ATM. Lined up we have Wellness CORE Ocean and Original, more Earthborn, Canidae Pure SEA, Castor & Pollux Organix GF, and right now he just got on Dogswell LiveFree Salmon.

For toppers we used The Honest Kitchen Embark, Force, Keen, and Love, and Big Dog Naturals Green Tripe (air-dried). I have used various canned foods too, like Weruva, Green Cow by Solid Gold, and Green Tripe from Petkind, and also some more dehydrated/air-dried like Sojo’s. Now I use some small Merrick dog cans and some cat food pouches and cans for some of the toppers along with coconut oil, yoghurt, raw egg, canned sardines, and a RMB for his Sunday dinner. I also almost always add extra water to the food when served with a topper so he eats “soup” most of the time. Sometimes I just give him plain kibble as part of a training routine or from a puzzle toy to stimulate his brain. He likes it just the same!

He gets regular treats (Fromm, Canidae, Yummy Chummies, and Think! Alligator and Crawfish Jerky, and also kibble as treats (a different brand and flavor of the main food he is on at the moment), He also has a few natural chews like cow and lamb ears, beef tracheas, bully sticks, pig snouts, fish skins, antlers, hooves, etc.

Sorry for the rant, lol, but yeah, rotations are awesome, and Bruno loves the daily variety, and I love how he looks and feels (shiny and soft). I used to take 10 days or so to transition from one food to the next at first, then about 7 days, then 3, then 0. Now he switches so quickly because he eats a constant variety of foods and treats.

And LM, I guess you can see the replies of a person, but it will be hard to follow an Editor’s Choice topic reply by reply from individual authors. And some topics are EC exclusive.

[Anonymous]

Hello
I am soon to be a weimaraner owner. Like every owner I with for my puppy to eat very best I plan to cook dog food when I can, but i need also dry food from time to time. Reviews on this site are very helpful but there is not many european brands. For reviewed food my choice is Acana Large breed. But there is few more brands for which I wish to hear opinion from experts. I listed links only to puppy food.

Cibau – Recomended by breader
(http://www.farmina.com/?q=en/node/100)

Brit – Recomended by breader and vet
(http://www.brit-petfood.com/products/dogs3/premium8/dry7/junior-l1111/)

Sams field – My choice because it contains 65% of meat and 30% cheaper than Acana
(http://www.samsfield.com/junior-large)

Looks promising and affordable:
Nutrivet – 80% meat grain free (http://www.new-instinct.com/dog-food/nutrivet/instinct/growth-nutrients)

Optima nova – 65% of meat (http://www.optimanova.eu/en/products/view/puppy-large-chicken-rice)

mac’s soft – 65% meat herman only (http://www.macs-tiernahrung.de/Macs-Soft/Huenchen/MACs_Soft_Puppy/MACs-Soft-Puppy-Huhn-15kg)

Simpsons – 80% of meat (http://www.simpsonspremium.com/puppy-dog-food?product_id=95)

Lower quality brands :
Meradog – (http://www.meradog.com/en/products/high-premium-puppy/sort-overview/junior2.html)

Josera – (http://www.josera-dog.com/premium/junior/)

[Steven K]

I have a boxer rottweiller mix and he’s around 4 years old. He has had off and on allergies throughout the years and the vet has always told me just to give him some benadryl. The allergies seem to be consistent now and the benadryl doesn’t help so i’m thinking it might be in his food. I feed him purina one doge food, My other dog who is a 9 year old yellow lab doesn’t seem to have any problem with the food. I am looking into the Acana dry food, any other ideas are very much appreciated!

Symptoms: excessive itching on body and ears
– scratching of nose
– licking lips
– runny eyes

[Tonia N]

I think there is some confusion. Thanks for your direction, but I was hoping to find something along the lines of ‘budget’ foods that would last longer and be comparable to Acana. I live in Ontario, Canada and I understand we have different foods offered here. I will look at the area you suggested, but it was not what I was asking. Thanks.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Tonia N.

[Linda G]

Dori – I was mostly cooking chicken and adding rice and/or vegetables. Had 2 dogs – One was sick for about 2 yrs (old age 17 yrs old), and was worried about her eating and started cooking for her. Now my other dog won’t eat anything else, but cooked foods. I was worried that she may not be getting all the nutrients needed, so started looking at raw foods. Started with Nature’s Variety…had kibble with freeze dried chicken in it. One dog wouldn’t touch it…..the other ate the freeze dried chicken and left the rest. Then tried Bravo….neither dog touched it. Moved to Primal Freeze-Dried Formula (Duck) and it’s a hit and miss. Just got some small packs of Acana – Lamb and Okanagan Apple and Orijen – Six Fish. Trying to find that right combo that they would enjoy eating.

[Tonia N]

I live in Ontario, Canada.

I have an English Mastiff/Rottweiler puppy, who is now 6 months old. An upsetting situation has happened and I am having to switch his food from Acana Ranchlands to something that is more affordable.

I am very upset to have to do this, because he’s doing so well on this food, but a large bag will last 2 weeks and now funds are not allowing that. I need another food idea that is similar to Acana Ranchlands, Grain-free and will allow for less food intake (if that is possible).

When we brought him home they had him on Puppy Chow which gave him an UTI, and I quickly switched him to the Costco (Kirkland, in red bag) Grain-Free Brand. Which was better and he improved without any medications. Then he was getting sick and throwing up, wimpering in the night. I then found out that a lot of other dogs experienced this as well. Which is why we went to Acana.

I can’t afford this food on my income now. So I would love to have ideas on other budget dog foods that will be comparable to Acana. I am even open to hearing other who actually make their own foods for their LARGE puppies.

Thanks for any information you can give me.

[Lisa O]

Hi. Just wondering if anyone has figured out which brands of good dry dog food have the best price tag? I use Acana, but wondering if there are comparible foods at a better price? Thanks

[L T]

Check your local (not chain) pet stores, they may stock this or get it in for you routinely. Champion has a free bag program after 10 bags your 11th is free. Doesn’t have to be the same kind, but the free will be the smallest size you have on the card. My local one in Virginia deals directly with Champion and manufacturers of other high quality food, in other words they don’t sell food you can find in the chains. Also, as I said before the feeding guide for Declan at 87lbs is 3 1/2 c daily. I feed him roughly 2 1/4 c daily and he has maintained that weight for over 1 1/2 yrs. He goes to doggy day care (play time) 3x week and is considered pretty active. My local pet store rep and I talked about the amount and he recommended factoring in other food/treats and underfeeding the kibble. Declan does not seem hungry, but as a typical Lab he will never turn down the opportunity for a morsel. Good luck. I have tried the 6 fish and it worked out fine (you definitely know it’s fish in the bag), but since Declan doesn’t have any allergies I went back to Regional Red (Orijen) or Ranchlands (Acana). Keep us posted!

[L T]

Sheryl,

I would ask them about pesticides if you are worried. Given the caliber of food, not outsourced and human grade, I suspect they are pretty careful on all their ingredients. As I said, I feed Declan the Orijen Regional Red or Acana Ranchlands dry dog food. I have not used the freeze dried, but may give it a try at some point. To date, I have been very pleased with the food. Lisa

[jella]

Dear LT, I finally found the list with ingredients. Thank you for your help. I did receive an email back from Orijen an Acana telling me that all their products including the treats contain alfalfa. Fiber for the dogs. What do you think about the alfalfa being in it? With so many pesticides, etc. in grains I am not sure. I didn’t realize that dogs needed extra fiber or that much. Still undecided about this one because of the alfalfa.

[G C]

Have you checked ACANA Pacifica Regional Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food? It does not have the ingredients you’re trying to avoid. I had a golden with diet and skin issues. After switching to Origin and Arcana her problems resolved and her coat became thicker and longer.

[jella]

Dear LT,
I just checked the Acana and it had white potatoes. So that is out. But it looked like Orijen Tundra didn’t have any of his bad foods but aren’t you scared of alfalfa? That is for horses and grown in fields with high pesticides. I might consider this one if I have to do so but years ago started getting a little arthritis so they tested me for gluten intolerance and I tested positive. Doctor said then that human and our pets should not have foods with gluten in them. Causes constant inflammation and visits to the doctor. I think Alfalfa has gluten. My vet asked me to strictly abide by her rules for 3 months with only what he is allowed to eat. She found out he also had environment allergies to oak trees, Bahia grass, and palm trees. She wants to avoid allergy shots so she wants to see for three months how he does with the food test. So far so good. Hardly any thick eye discharge in the mornings when he first wakes up. No scratching, itching or red spots so far.

But it seems they just pick one of the company brands to write about and I need to check all the offered ones everything on their label. Do you know how to do this?

[L T]

They make freeze dried also. The Tundra is new and it didn’t seem to have anything on his allergy list. I feed Origin Regional Red or Acana Ranchlands. They don’t need nearly as much I generally feed Declan 1c am and pm. He is 87lbs and has maintained that weight. In deciding his serving size I took into account his snack routine. I hope Big Hoss finds some new food!

[jella]

Not yet. I somehow missed reading about those dog foods. I will go look up Orijen Tundra or Acana. Thank you I was hoping someone would respond. Big Hoss thanks you.! He likes to snack a little during the day so I need something for him between breakfast and dinner.

[L T]

Have you looked at Orijen Tundra. I feed my lab Orijen or Acana both by the same company with no complaints.

[Ryan K]

Thanks everyone!

I will look into the choices. I wish she would go for Orijen but every time I have tried her on it she turns her nose to it. Same with the Acana formulations I have given her in the past. She hates anything with fish in it. That has always been an issue for her despite my wanting to get those extra Omega-3’s in her system for her coat and skin.

The Pork and Sweet Potato might work. I wish there were more LID options for senior dogs with potato sensitivities. I always assumed she had a chicken allergy but I might try a chicken formula to test that theory out. 🙂

[Pitlove]

All dogs no matter what breed in order to maintain proper weight and dietary needs as long as they are healthy with no known medical conditions usually do best on a food that is high in protein, moderate in fat, and low in carbs.

I’m sure if you gave us more info as to your situation (e.g income, how much access you have to pet stores, do they have a wide selection, do you prefer to order online) we could help you out a lot better.

Yes, typically canines do better with a grain free food, however, like most people on this site who are regulars will tell you, just because it’s grain free does not mean it’s species appropriate for a dog. A lot of companies that have gotten on the “grain free” bandwagon have replaced the corn, soy, wheat and rice in their foods, with high carbs like potatoes into order to bind the food together. So you need to pay close attention that the protein is not less than the carbs and the fat % is not too high either. Also, you need to pay attention to where the protein source is coming from. For example, a food that has 30% protein but you don’t see a whole meat or meat meal listed as the first second and third ingredients. That means they are using plant based proteins, which are not species appropriate protein sources as dogs are carnivores.

A few brands that meet these needs that are not avaliable at a commercial pet store like Petco would be Orijen, Acana, Wysong. Some brands that commercial stores do carry are Merrick, Nature’s Variety and Wellness CORE.

These are just ones I can think off the top of my head and that are apart of my dogs rotation. Most of us also use a canned wet food for the added moisture content and many people on here do raw homemade meals too. However if you think about going that route please do your research on how to create a balanced raw diet for a dog before just slapping together some chicken and veggies and calling that a meal.

edit: here’s the direct link to the google.doc aquariangt was talking about
https://docs.google.com/a/selu.edu/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit
these are foods that have the proper calcium levels for large breed puppies

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Pitlove.

[Dog_Obsessed]

So some of you may remember that Lily was having some anal gland/allergy issues a few months back. (More info here: /forums/topic/anal-glandfood-allergy-issues-tmi-warning/)

Anyway, we decided to put her on Acana Pork and Butternut Squash as her elimination diet. The infection came back a few weeks into the diet, so she was on Metronidazole for another 20 days.

We also got her tested for environmental allergies, and she does have some pollen allergies, (mostly 2/6) so we have been wiping off her paws when she comes inside. She also sometimes eats grass, despite our best intentions to not allow it, so that could be contributing. The vets are still convinced that food allergies are playing a part here though. Once off the Metronidazole, she still seemed to be doing okay, and wasn’t scooting any more.

We decided to introduce beef, (she hasn’t had much beef) so we have been feeding her THK Love for the past 2 weeks. Yesterday morning she started scooting again. She had also had some times of scratching her ear, though it wasn’t really an ongoing thing. Today we took her to the vet, and they said the infection had come back, and that she also had a minor ear infection. They proscribed more Metronidazole, and also drops for her ears. The vet suggested Cultural, a probiotic, and also trying the elimination diet again. She was suggesting prescription diets (this is a different vet from last time,) but I said I didn’t really want to do that except as a last resort. I asked her about an anal gland supplement such as Glandex, and she said she hadn’t heard of it but that we could send her the ingredients. I looked at it and it has beef in it, so maybe not. I’m really not thrilled with all the antibiotics, and I would like to look into other options. At this point our options are:

1. Try the probiotic and see if it helps.
2. Try another novel protein diet.
3. Try an anal gland supplement. (Ideas?)
4. Try a prescription diet.
5. Regular expression of the anal glands.
6. Managing environmental allergies. (shots or meds.)
7. The vet mentioned surgery to remove the anal glands as the absolute last resort.

Ideas anyone? We have also been giving her pumpkin with her food, with seems to help with digestion, but not really with the anal gland issues. Thanks!

[aquariangt]

Novel protein would be a protein that is more rare. Something he is unlikely to have been exposed to. An example would be Zignature’s Kangaroo diet. LID means limited ingredient, just the essentials so it helps narrow down where the intolerances are coming from. Allergy tests don’t really tell too much, they give false negatives and false positives. The best way to figure out intolerances is trial and error. Since you know he can handle fish, i’d find a fish LID and keep very close tabs on ingredient panels, keep a list of what things aren’t working. Natural Balance, Nature’s Variety, Zignature, Acana, Fromm all have diets that may work. Buy small bags so you aren’t out all the cash, but it will take some time and money to get it pinned down. I don’t love Natural Balance, but it can help with this type of issue as they have a lot of options in the limited line. I’d use some digestive aids in the process as well- The Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form is a good one.

I am in agreement that dogs are technically omnivorous, but I also find it more in the scavenging nature of canines, as they do what they need to to survive, but definitely have a carnivorous bias. Dogs need meat. That’s how they thrive. Don’t cut out all options of animal protein until you’ve exhausted them.

[Jennifer Y]

I have a 2 year old golden retriever. Since she was 8 weeks old, she’s been eating Orijen or Acana dog food (mainly Orijen). For the past year she was on a rotation between Six Fish and Regional Red.

For as long as I can remember, she’s always been a very itchy pup (mainly her neck and her bum/tail, but she itches all over). She’s never itched to the point where hair loss or rashes have been a problem. She also used to have eye infections every couple weeks, until I correlated her eye infections with her Regional Red rotations. Her only real “symptoms” have been eye infections, hot spots every so often, soft stool (firm to begin with, but ends as soft) and itchiness. She’s been on Orijen Six Fish for the past 6 months. I suspected she had a food intolerance to beef and chicken, which was why I decided to order a Nutriscan kit to see if there were any other ingredients she was intolerant to.

These were her results: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5_-KpxSZJvmdXhzQUxGSFVFNkk&authuser=0

I received the results today, which really took me by surprise. She has a reaction to every single ingredient they tested for. All 24. I’ve read many positive reviews online about how the Nutriscan test has helped many different dogs, and it seems to be relatively accurate.

I’m currently at a loss for words and not really sure where to go from here. If the test is in fact accurate, I’m not quite sure what I can feed her as I’m unable to find ANY food that does not contain any of the ingredients tested. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking your time to read my post!

• This topic was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Jennifer Y.
• This topic was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Jennifer Y.