[Hound Dog Mom]

I would add Tripett (or just plain meat) to the Orijen or Chicken & Burbank Potato. Both are too high in calcium so if you mix them together it won’t solve anything. You could, however, mix in another brand of a lower calcium food 50:50 with one of those formulas and you’d likely be at (or at least close to) an appropriate level. It would probably be easier to just go with a food that is appropriate though – you’ll have plenty of time to feed Orijen and Acana in the future.

[theBCnut]

None of the Acana formulas are appropriate for LBP. Adding Acana to Orijen would make the calcium even higher.

All Life Stages foods are puppy foods. The AAFCO recognizes 2 nutrient profiles, growth and maintanance. If a food meets the requirements for growth, the manufacturer can choose to have it labeled AllLife Stages.

Meat has phosphorus and not much calcium, so when a kibble has a little too much calcium in it, you can add a little meat without messing up the balance too much.

[dogmom]

Hi HDM – do you mean adding the Tripett to the Orijin LBP food? Or would it be better to use half of the Orijin and half of another kibble with less calcium? I was reading the Orijin packaging, and was thinking that while I really like the food for my pup, that I would want to mix it with something….maybe the Acana Chicken & Burbank. I have a friend with GSD pups, and she feeds hers the Acana C&B and thinks it’s great for them. I worry about it because it’s not a puppy food, but it is an all-life-stage food….

Your thoughts on that?

Thanks so much!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Dogmom –

As Patty stated I’m currently in the process of updating the grain-free list and creating a grain-inclusive list. I have already sent inquiries to all companies that have 4 and 5 star puppy foods and am in the process of waiting for the responses to come in. I can tell you, however, none of the Acana formulas are appropriate for large breed puppies. The new Orijen Large Breed Puppy formula is lower in calcium than the previous formula but will not be included on the list – it’s still a tad high. But, to give my honest opinion, if you add 20% or less of an all meat topper or all meat canned food (like Tripett) I think it would be fine.

[theBCnut]

It’s true about the Orijen LBP. I don’t know about the Acana.

HDM is in the process of updating her list, but hasn’t finished yet. And she is also making a grain inclusive list.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by theBCnut.

[dogmom]

I saw the list, but later there was also an update that the Orijin Large Breed was good because the calcium level had been lowered – am just checking to make sure that’s true….and wanted an update on the Acana Chicken and Burbank as well if possible

[labgirl]

hi ! i have my guys on this food and my one lab has allergies and a super sensitive stomach, i switched right onto this stuff, coming off of acana. No issues. I feed my guy and within 20 minutes a beautiful poop!
what a great food . im so happy to hear more people on it and dogs doing great !

[dogmom]

Am getting a new GSD puppy and trying to decide on food…

Breeder has pup on Iams Large Breed Puppy food, and I was planning on moving to Orijin Large Breed Puppy food, but have been advised to go to Acana Chicken and Burbank instead because lower in protein content and is good for all life stages…..

My adult GDSs are all on Acana Ranchlands, but I don’t think that would work for new pup, so am looking for best alternative.

What is your advice? Should I use the Orijin LBP food, the Acana C&B food, or someone else??

Thanks to all!

[spaniel39]

Thank you HDM
I can’t seem to find the large breed puppy thread but definitely want to go grain free for Baby
Sophie. Her poop is now perfect as temporarily I decided to put her on the Spaniels’ diet;
mxiture of wellness ocean core and Nature’s Variety Beef. Also (for the spaniels) use
Acana Ranchlands and Grasslands.
I say temporarily, as the calcium and phosphorous levels are much too high but sure just a few
days won’t hurt
I ordered Canine Caviar Lamb Dinner with Venison (almost grain free) as it came highly recommended
we will see

[pugmomsandy]

Off the top of my head – Brothers Complete Beef and Egg and Turkey and Egg formulas, Acana Singles Lamb and Apple, Acana Singles Duck and Pear. I’m sure there’s more. I’ll have to get back later. What about dehydrated foods? Or do you just want kibble?

[Mom2Cavs]

Hi, Ron! It is so exciting for you and your new doggie friend to have found each other. As for food recommendations, I would suggest starting with this site and looking at the 4-5 star foods. If you find one (or a few, to rotate with) that you would like to try with your dog then I would see if you can get them locally. Some of us also order foods we can’t get locally from online stores (many have free shipping). I like to buy locally because I like to look at the expiration dates myself before I buy them, but I have bought online, too. Also check out any local feed stores that might be in your area. Tractor Supply has a wonderful, inexpensive house brand, for instance. Also, Costco has some foods people love. Some of the brands I will recommend are (in no particular oder):
Merrick, 4Health grain free, Nature’s Variety, Fromm, Earthborn, Wellness, Holistic Select, Acana, Nutrisource. These are just a few, there are many more. I hope this helps some. I’m sure HDM, InkedMarie, Pattyvaughn, etc. will also have some good suggestions. 🙂

[texasniteowl]

Thanks ladies. I’m starting to mix in the Victor’s Salmon to his normal Fromm’s Duck & Sweet Potato. The Acana/Orijen foods are still on my list to try as is Nature’s Logic at the moment. Also since we’ve done well on the Fromm’s I will likely try one of their grain free’s too.

As for toppers, Wilson pretty regularly gets some yogurt or pumpkin or cottage cheese. Only recently did I buy a small can of tripe and he loved that so I’ll probably pick up some more ;>

[spaniel39]

Hi,
anyone have a suggestion for a new food for my giant breed puppy.
IS on hightly rated artemis fresh mix large breed puppy but stools are very loose
all the time (like pudding/soft serve). Tested for giardia,etc and all is fine plus
was wormed twice for 5 days on Panacur just to be sure.
she may have a chicken allergy so was going to try Solid Gold Wolf cub but seems very
grain heavy. Would be wonderful to find a 4 or 5* food that produces firmer stools.
I know Hounddog lady (think that’s her name) has a list of grain free with lower calcium and
phosphorus, but I’ve been told by so many breeders, vets, etc that although grain free
is best for adults (both my spaniels are on Acana and Wellness core ocean)
Pups should not be deprived of grains first 9 months-1 year.
Would welcome any advice
Thank you
Michael and Samuel the Spaniel and Sophie the Komondor

[spaniel39]

Hi,
anyone have a suggestion for a new food for my giant breed puppy.
IS on hightly rated artemis fresh mix large breed puppy but stools are very loose
all the time (like pudding/soft serve). Tested for giardia,etc and all is fine plus
was wormed twice for 5 days on Panacur just to be sure.
she may have a chicken allergy so was going to try Solid Gold Wolf cub but seems very
grain heavy. Would be wonderful to find a 4 or 5* food that produces firmer stools.
I know Hounddog lady (think that’s her name) has a list of grain free with lower calcium and
phosphorus, but I’ve been told by so many breeders, vets, etc that although grain free
is best for adults (both my spaniels are on Acana and Wellness core ocean)
Pups should not be deprived of grains first 9 months-1 year.
Would welcome any advice
Thank you
Michael and Samuel the Spaniel and Sophie the Komondor!

[Mom2Cavs]

Merrick was one I was thinking of….there’s also Acana Ranchlands and Orijen Regional Red. I’m not sure about the size of those kibbles but I think they’re bigger than Merrick. Earthborn also has Great Plains Feast and the kibble is bigger than Merrick. On their site they might even have a kibble size chart with pics that you can look at. 4Health has a new grain free Beef formula that has fairly large size kibble. They’re made by Ainsworth. One solution to the gulping/swallowing whole would be to buy a “slowdown” bowl. I used to have one for my Shih-Poo, Desi, who inhaled any food he ate. It helped a lot. Also, you could put a rock, or ball in the bowl so the dog has to eat around it. Some people put food on a sheet pan to make the dog eat slower, as well. I hope this helps a little. 🙂

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi there-

I have used the Victor AlS grain free and the Ultra Pro, as well as one of the grain inclusives. By far, I prefer the Ultra pro.I feed it to my high energy/drive Dobermans and its one of the best foods I have found to keep weight on them, as well as the lower fiber content has stopped my one dobergals IBS/Colitis.

The rest of my crew eats a lot of the Champion products, both Orijen and Acana and never a problem for them. Nutrisource is another fav of mine to use in the rotation, as well as Fromm from time to time and several others.

[texasniteowl]

Thanks! I’ll check out Nature’s Logic and Dr. Tim’s.

Sorry you did not hear back from the guy at Victor’s. That would probably turn me off too…but we’ll see how Wilson does with the 5lb bag I picked up.

I did wonder about the lentils and such in the Orijen/Acana. My other pet store, not my feed store, had little 12oz bags of Orijen & Acana so I picked up a bag of Acana Pacifica and Acana Grasslands. I figure if nothing else, I can use the kibble as treats since we are doing clicker training!

I’d consider the Earthborn Primitive but since we had problems with the bison one (Great Plains?) we probably won’t try it.

[DogFoodie]

Yes, ITA with Patty about Nature’s Logic! I’ve been using both the canned and kibble and have had great results with both. The protein is right where you want it; you can check here on their site: http://www.natureslogic.com/products/dp.html. I think it’s surprisingly affordable for a product of its quality. Nature’s Logic has earned my respect ~ they’re a very ethical company.

I’ve heard a lot of people say they had good results with Victor. I had a question about the product and was exchanging emails with someone there. They didn’t answer my question and when I emailed back specifically asking them to identify a particular ingredient, I never heard from them again. I was asking about the specific type of yeast extract that they use ~ thinking it could be MSG. I was disappointed, but crossed it off my list. I probably still would’ve been OK with the ingredients if it was MSG (I feed quite a few different foods so one questionable ingredient for a bags worth of food wasn’t a big issue), but it was the fact that the guy totally blew me off after I asked that got me wondering about them as a company.

Another product that’s budget friendly and that my crew loves is Dr. Tim’s Grain Free Kinesis. Dr. Tim Hunt makes himself very available to answer questions to as well.

I’m fine with Wellness. I’ve used it, but my dogs haven’t loved any of the varieties I’ve tried. I wouldn’t use TOTW, since it’s made by Diamond.

I love Orijen, but the new formula isn’t working for one of my dogs (both really). One gets a lot of gas and abundance of stool and the other gets a bit constipated. I think it’s the chickpeas and lentils that have cause some gastro issues. I was happy to get my hands on a couple bags of the “old” formula, but won’t be able to use the new formulas any longer. My two never cared for Acana and after several weeks developed loose stools (from both Grasslands and Ranchlands). So, I don’t use Acana in my rotation either.

Nutrisca is a great budget friendly food, that I actually have in my dog food stash, but after the Orijen chickpea fiasco, I’m afraid to use it.

Of course I think Nutri Source is great and the Super Performance would meet your criteria although it’s not grain free. Earthborn is great too, Primitive Natural would be your best bet there.

And then there’s Shep…, naw, just kidding.

[texasniteowl]

I want to give another try to grain free for my lab mix, Wilson. Our first try was with one of the Earthborn Holistic foods (bison I think) and it didn’t go all that well. We mixed in slowly and still hadn’t transitioned completely after 3 weeks with still unpredictable poo. So he’s been back on his Fromm’s Duck & Sweet Potato for now.

I know that Orijen and Acana are some of the most touted grain free foods out there…but the price per pound is up there too. They are still on my list of possibles though.

In the meantime, I had the following on my short list (number in parens is the approx dry matter protein):
Victor – Grain Free Yukon River Salmon (36%)
Taste of the Wild – Wetlands or High Prairie formula (36%)
Wellness Core Original (38%)

I’ve heard mostly good things about these and ToTW is very easy to find as is Wellness Core.

However…a feed store relatively near me…25 minutes away…carries the Victor products. And from a price/pound perspective, Victor is right there with ToTW for value. And since it is also a 5 star food I decided to pick up a 5lb bag of the Yukon Salmon formula to try.

The attributes I was looking for includes: grain free, protein between 30-40% (his Fromm’s is 27% so I wanted to go up but not jump over 40% like the Victor GF Ultra Pro), approx. cost less than $600/yr (Wilson is a 65+ lb lab mix…I have a whole spreadsheet to calculate approx. cost for Wilson per year for around 50 different formulas…yes, I’ve gone a little overboard) AND preferably no recalls…at very least no recent recalls (though iirc, ToTW was part of the Diamond recall last year?).

Anyone, if Victor works well for us then great!

If not, what are some other options I should put on my list?

[paige-s]

i will still beg to differ. ive done my research, and i completly dissagree with a lot of the things this Dog food advisor says about his grading.. he has under 5 stars foods: EVO, innova, canidae… those foods arent that great. this man has his opinions and other people have theirs and thats why there are forums available.

canine caviar offers GRAIN FREE options of there foods. its flash cooked for 6 sections at 180 degrees. the maker of the food is on record saying this all . so i will beg to differ

REGARDLESS IF YOU FEEL ITS NOT RAW – ITS STILL A FANTASTIC FOOD !!!!!!! IT HELPS DOGS AND I WOULD GIVE IT 5/5 AND I WOULD ALSO GIVE EVO, INNOVA, CANIDAE AND MANNNNNY OTHER CRAPPY FOODS THAT ARE RATED 5 STARTS A MUCH LOWER RATING.

rating those types of dog foods makes me laugh, most people that walk into my store would NEVER go onto that food because they are SMART enough to know that theyre crap .. theres no way they can compare to a 5 star food like acana or orijen but theyre rated the same…. its bullsh!t

[somebodysme]

You know what gmc, if you look at the ingredients of Acana Grasslands, it really has a lot of “sweets” in it which would severely affect a dog that has yeast issues, if that is the problem. Have you looked at all the fruits and high carb veggies it has in it? I had thought about Acana for my dog and I’m glad I saw this. Now I’m going to go take a more thorough look at our dog food next…gah….dogs just don’t need all those “sweets”!

[gmcbogger38]

I apologize. I forgot to mention it will not be the chicken formula. I will rotate between the Regional Red and Six Fish and she is currently eating the ACANA Grasslands and that contains no chicken. I also do not give any chicken treats. I have already soaked her paws in a water/hydrogen peroxide/white vinegar soak that I heard in a video from Dr. Becker. Her ears are worse than her paws, but I am keeping them clean almost every day. The only ear cleaner I have, though, is the convenient ear pads that Walmart sells. I think I am just going to end up buying some higher quality ear cleaner soon.

[equinelove93]

So for the past nine years my brother owned a lab x collie. He was on a very poor diet (grocery store brand kibble) then my brother decided he didn’t want the dog, so I decided to adopt him. Yesterday I took him to the vet for his shots and the vet said he was underweight. This is because he wasn’t being fed enough by my brother.

Now I have the task of helping him put on weight. His current weight is 43.5 lbs. ribs, spine and hips can be seen and felt. I switched his food over to holistic blend. (We tried acana, Orijen and blue buffalo but he would constantly have diarreah. But he’s tolerating the holistic blend very well.

The food feeding guidelines for his weight is 1 1/3 cup daily. The Kcal is 390 per cup. My dog is very active and gets a lot of excercise daily.

How much should I feed him to gain weight?

[LolaPalooza]

Thanks for your replies! I’ve gone through the article suggested and I think for now, my strategy will be to start mixing half and half with Acana, with the addition of some apple cider vinegar and a bit of coconut oil with the goal of very slowly taking her off the food. I’ll have to add a bit of water to her food to make sure she keeps up her water intake.

I can’t remember exactly the type of crystals my vet said, but I’m going to get her retested at the end of summer after my food experiment. Unfortunately, the foods I have found that would be suitable are not available in my area.

[Angie]

Hello,

I am looking for advice for my friend’s dog. He has a one and a half year old male German Sheppard name Ranger. Ranger was on Acana Large Puppy Breed when he was younger then moved on Acana Large Breed Adult. My friend noticed Rangers breath was really bad so when he went in for his yearly exam so the vet did a urine test. They found that Ranger has Triple phosphates and 10-50 HPF.

I am not sure what that means but they moved him to Canadia dog food with cranberry juice in his water. He has been on Canidae dog food for the past 10 days and there is no improvement on his breath. He went in to get a B12 test and he was advised to wait 30 days to do a test for Phosphate levels.

Any advice on supplements, food or course of action would be really appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

• This topic was modified 12 years, 9 months ago by Angie.

[gmcbogger38]

Here is my story: I currently feed ACANA and I rotate between the different varieties and all 3 of my dogs have done wonderfully on it. But after a rare bout with fleas my Saint Bernard has terrible yeasty skin with a horrid smell and my American Bulldog is starting to show signs of what I believe to be yeast issues, too. I have no idea if the fleas caused this or if it is just a coincidence, but I want to fix it soon. From my research I know raw is the way to go for the issues my dogs are facing and just plain better for them period. I am a full time college student with one more year of school, so feeding a homemade raw diet is not possible right now, but that is my goal one day. Anyway, I was thinking of feeding 50/50 raw and kibble. I wanted to feed Tucker’s Frozen Raw in the a.m. and kibble in the p.m.. I will probably switch my dogs to Orijen kibble because I know that white potato and sweet potato will feed yeast and Orijen does not contain those ingredients while ACANA does. I also will be feeding raw meaty bones once in a while. If I feed the 50/50 split will it still be beneficial to add a supplement like Nupro Silver? The people who owned my Saint before I got her did not feed her correctly as a growing pup (39 pounds underweight when I got her at 2 years old and was fed Iams), so since she has hip issues supplementing with glucosamine is something I really want to do and I figured the other natural ingredients in Nupro Silver wouldn’t hurt. If there are other supplements out there that are better please let me know. Just from my research the Nupro will be cheaper for me to give than the NuVet supplements I am giving currently. I also know that feeding duck feet is a natural source of glucosamine and I will be giving her some of those every now and then. I am just wondering if this plan sounds like a good idea or if it is stupid. I really don’t know a whole lot about raw, but I want to learn more. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[theBCnut]

Sounds like there is something in Acana that your dog does not tolerate.

[luvmymixedbreeds]

I recently switched by 8 year old fawn coloured pug/bichon cross to Acana Lamb and Apple kibble. Coincidentally, he now has very wet eyes with reddish-brown tear staining. The fur between the pads of his feet has also turned reddish in colour and the skin of his under-belly appears pink-ish/ red.

Due to a history of dermatitis, I had been feeding him a lamb and rice kibble formula made by a local pet food store. It’s a very small boutique-like brand, so I have no way to confirm the quality of the product through a source such as DogFoodAdvisor. Although I have many other options, I thought Acana would be a good replacement as I can purchase it at this local store.

Has any one every experienced something like this due to a change in food? Is this purely coincidental and not food related? It seems too coincidental.

[Boxermom]

Thanks pugmomsandy!
I thought that would be the answer… 🙁
It does seem like they mark! So weird. Maybe I could make him not poop if I start a little jogging when I see he wants to go… But then again I can’t run more than a minute or so haha.
Sadly feeding raw, while seems to be the best option, is not possible for me (time & money). As to the freeze dried, we do have Orijen dog food here, but I don’t think the freeze dried arrived yet. Even so, I can only imagine it would be very pricey… Acana is also expensive here, I guess it costs more than in the US because of the long shipping. As to Vital Essentials, we don’t have it my country…

However, if you say that when feeding raw their poop are always firm, then maybe I do have a chance to find some other food that will have that effect on him. It’s a long shot, I know, but I just REALLY want to find a solution so I could be spontaneous and take him out whenever I want…

One thing I don’t understand, is this- if we know that soft stool means the food is not digesting well, does this mean that if I take him out often I damage the digesting of the food? Plus I always thought quality food meaning they eat less= have less poop, so how come he can still poop so often?? I would expect he won’t be able to, even if he wants to! 🙂

Thanks

[Boxermom]

Hey all,
I wonder if someone could advice-
I feed my dog 5 star dog food (Acana). I’m happy with it and I see a lot of improvement in his coat and stool since he eats it.
When he poops 3 times a day, his stool is usually nice and firm. However, if he gets the chance to poop more often, it’s very soft and sometimes running. For example on the weekend we let him out to the yard in the morning (say 8 AM) and the stool is firm. If we take him on a walk at 2 PM, his stool would be firm, but if we take him on a walk at 10 AM (2 hours from the first time), then it’s soft/ running. He doesn’t have to poop at 10 AM, because usually he holds for 9 hours, but since we’re on a walk he always have to go!
Same thing if lets say at 2 PM sometimes it’s too hot for a walk, so I let him out in the yard and he goes there, but then if I want to take him on a walk at 5 PM, then I know his stool will be soft/ running. I hate to be limited like that, trying to calculate the hours from his last poop, just so it wouldn’t be soft! And of course it’s very embarrassing I can’t pick up after him…

So I guess my question is- should I change his food? Can other food change this situation, or this is just the way it has to be if I don’t take him out on the same hours every day, or if I take him out very often?

Thank you!

[pugmomsandy]

Could she do a half/half diet of the c/d and Acana Wild Prairie? Two of my dogs have struvites, but no UTI’s or stones, not symptomatic. They still eat a normal diet (well, normal for them) and I give them cranberry/d-mannose and vinegar and up their moisture intake. They were just seen at the vet in May.

[LolaPalooza]

Good afternoon all!

This website is a huge source of information!!! Kudos to all who contribute!

I am currently researching a suitable replacement for Hill’s® Prescription Diet c/d® Canine Urinary Tract Health dry dog food. I have a 4.5 year old beagle who is on it due to her tendency to develop crystals in her urine. I tried switching her to the same product my other dogs are eating, Acana Wild Prairie, but she developed issues within a couple months. So far, I’ve learnt that a low phosphorus and low sodium is the main differences and I’m having a problem finding something suitable. The best I have found is the Kirkland’s Senior with a phos level of 0.7 (c/d is 0.59) but no sodium info.

Does anyone have any other recommendations? I hate the ingredients in c/d and I want her to get onto better food than this stuff!

Thanks for your help!!

[pugmomsandy]

You can run the kibble through a coffee grinder or soak in water for several minutes till soft. Castor and Pollux Grain Free-Poultry Free, Wellness Core Ocean, Merrick Grain Free Pork and Sweet Potato, Avoderm Revolving Menu Trout, Wellness Simple Salmon, Pinnacle GF Salmon, The Honest Kitchen Zeal, Addiction dehyrated formulas, Acana Regionals Pacifica, Orijen 6 Fish or Regional Red (has egg), Smack Caribbean Salmon, 4Health Whitefish and Potato, Back to Basics Grain Free Whitefish and Potato and Lamb and Potato, Back to Basics Pork (high protein),

[Boxermom]

I guess you should stay alert and notice if there’s any change for the worst in Natural Balance dog food. I hope everything will be OK :/
I really hope Champion petfood (which make Acana) won’t be sold like that…

[petsforpeace]

Woodrow is an amazing 55 lb. 2-3 year old Cattle dog/ shar pei/lab mix rescue. He has issues with a few triggers that send him across the threshold. Woodrow and I are being coached by a positive trainer/behavior specialist. He has plenty of exercise throughout everyday. The trainer has suggested a low protein diet could possibly could help him. He is currently getting Acana Regionals grain free in the morning and Vital Essentials or Primal Raw in the evening. I mix the proteins with both the kibble and the raw. He has been on this diet for 1 1/2 years. She has also instructed the use of only kibble, no raw. Has anyone had any experience with this? And….what the heck would I feed him? Thank you.

[theBCnut]

Was that listed as a minimum, a maximum, or actual? Because if it is a minimum, then the actual can be much higher. I’m not trying to say that there is a problem because Acana is a good brand made by a good company, so I don’t expect there to be any issue. But unfortunately, I do take issue with our labeling laws.

[Boxermom]

He is actually still a puppy, but I see now that the sodium in his food (Acana puppy large) is 0.3%, and in the adult it’s 0.36%, so all good 🙂
Thank you very much for the info

[paige-s]

I believe, correct me if im wrong, Acana dog food uses free range, antibiotic free, cruelty free meats for their foods. i know the Duck is raised on a duck farm in Aurora, Ontario. Its #1 dog food in Canada. If you call this company they will tell you exactly what farm each of their animals come from, because they are that honest.

[ramroxy]

Thank you all for your input. I am going to try the Acana dry kibble, and see how she does with that.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi brianb22 –

It’s great that you’re considering switching to a rotational diet – providing a wide variety of quality species-appropriate foods is the best thing we can do for our pets.

I currently feed a homemade raw diet with different proteins, different supplements and different fruits/vegetables at each meal. When I was feeding kibble, however, I switched to a new brand with a new protein source at the end of every bag (about every 3 weeks for my 110 lb. male bloodhound) – all the while adding a different canned food toppers daily. When you first begin a rotation diet you may find that it will be necessary to slowly transition between brands (because your dogs are used to eating the same thing daily), but once you do it for awhile and your dogs’ guts strengthen you should be able to switch brands with no transition.

Any of the 4 or 5 star foods would be good options to use in your rotation – which foods you choose will really depend on your budget. I used dry foods that were grain-free and had at least 30% protein, some of my favorites were: Orijen, Nature’s Variety Instinct and Acana. I picked canned foods that were grain-free, some of my favorites were: Nature’s Logic, Tripett, ZiwiPeak and Addiction.

I’d also recommend adding some fresh foods to your dogs’ meals occasionally. Some healthy fresh foods: plain yogurt or kefir (high in quality animal-based protein and probiotics for a healthy gut), tinned sardines or mackerel (high in protein and omega 3’s), eggs (high in quality protein and omega 3’s), lean leftover meat (high in quality protein) and steamed low glycemic veggies (high in antioxidants).

Good luck!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 10 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi ramroxy –

If the allergy issues didn’t start until you moved and she was eating the same food prior, I’d be more inclined to assume the allergies are environmental and not food related.

Have you done or considered doing a food elimination trial? It’d kind of a tedious thing to do but it would be the only accurate way to determine what ingredients (if any) are causing the symptoms. It involves feeding a novel protein and starch to your dog for a period of time and gradually adding in new ingredients, monitoring the reaction to each, to determine what ingredients (if any) cause a reaction.

As far as limited ingredient foods go, try to find a food that features a single novel protein and is free of common allergens such as corn, wheat, soy and dairy. Acana singles are good and I wouldn’t be concerned about the avocado in Avoderm – the fruit and oil (which is what is used in dog food) is not toxic, it’s the bark, skin, pit and leaves that are toxic. Some other good hypoallergenic foods are: Nature’s Variety Limited Ingredient Diet, The Honest Kitchen, Grandma Lucy’s, Addiction, California Natural Grain-Free, Artemis SOS and Artemis Osupure.

[ramroxy]

I have a Shar Pei / German Shepherd mix and she has allergy problems, itchy eyes with severe eye booger issues. My vet has her on Allegra and some medicated eye drops and has suggested that I put her on hypoallergenic food. Through just reading on the internet I found some that I thought would be good choices. She eats Wellness now and the eye issues did not start until we moved, she had been eating Wellness for at least a year before that. The hypoallergenic foods I had been looking at were Avoderm and Acana, mainly. My concern with Avoderm is the avocado with seems to be a controversial ingredient. Acana is a little more expensive than the food she eats now, but if it would be better for her then I will switch. I have also had a local rescue suggest Taste of the Wild but I haven’t read anything that says this is a true hypoallergenic food, but it does score well for nutrition and her dog with severe allergies eats Taste of the Wild and it seems to help him. So, with all that said, I’m just wondering what others would suggest as the best food for a dog with these issues?

[Vigilent]

My 8 year old Doberman has been eating Purina Pro Pla salmon for sensitive stomachs and her dry skin, typical in Dobes, has gotten better, however, I am considering a better quality food for her. She seems to have an allergy that could be related to the food. I’m considering the Acana brand, however, she still needs an ingredient to deal with her dry skin. Anyone out there with experience with this? Thank you!

[InkedMarie]

I dream of winning the lottery so I can open a dog food store. I’ve thought about what foods I’d bring in. I’d choose companies that haven’t had a recall. I’d have Fromm, Earthborn, Dr Tim’s for starters. They’re good foods, good price point. I’d have Annamaet as well. I’d probably have Acana and Orijen because some think higher price automatically means better foods. I’d have some dehydrated as well. I’m an Honest Kitchen fan so I’d have that as well as Grandma Lucy’s. I’d have Primal pre made raw, probably Stella and Cheweys. Canned too.
Educated staff is of utmost importance.

[Boxermom]

Hello,
I started my dog on Acana puppy large breed (5 stars rated, 55% meat) and I’m very pleased with it. However, a dog trainer I know, recently told me that because we feed smaller amount in rich quality dog foods, while this amount is enough for the physical needs of the dog, it doesn’t fill the dog’s belly, so the dog doesn’t feel full. And I can not add more food to the daily amount, because then the dog will gain weight.
What do you think about it? I want to feed my dog quality food, but I don’t want him to be hungry all the time… I now feed him 150g less then in his former food ( it’s 400g per day, and he’s 25 kg, but in the adult food it’s less then that). Is there anyway of knowing if a dog is really hungry?
I’d be happy to hear any thought or opinions from anyone!
Thank you.

[OwnerPug]

Hi,
I’ve a puppy Pug and recently I knew that food I was giving is just 1 star (when I tough it was great).

I’ve been noticing that “Coco” bites the wall constantly, or eventually eat ground. I told it to the doctor and he said me “It’s a nutritional fail”.

He recommends to me, “Equiliíbrio” or “Naturalis” by Total (a company from Brasil) ’cause it was complete and balanced.
What can you tell me about it?

//– Here’s the main page
http://www.totalalimentos.com.br/
//– Here’s the “Equilibrio” section:
http://www.equilibriototalalimentos.com.br/
//– Here’s the “Naturalis” section:
http://www.naturalistotal.com.br/pagina-inicial

PD: I’m from Colombia, and here there’s no way to get Acana or Taste of the Wild.
The best you get here is Royal Canin, ProPlan or Eukanuba. But the prices are very high, (A package of 7.5Kg or 33 pounds; cost around 130 USdollars.)

Some food expert can review the pages and help me giving a rate comparing with ProPlan or Eukanuba. Thanks!

(I hope my syntax and grammar is right)

[Hound Dog Mom]

Acana Light and Fit would be a good alternative. It’s rated 5 stars, is 60% animal
ingredients, 35% protein, 10% fat and 8.5% fiber. Or you could just try feeding him what your other dogs are eating and adding a digestive supplement (which has probiotics and enzymes) and some supplemental fiber (psyllium, flax, pumpkin or if you’re feeding a grain-inclusive food, you could add bran).

[Hound Dog Mom]

The Honest Kitchen’s Zeal would be another great food for a pancreatitis prone dog – 35.5% protein, 8.5% fat. and 5.8% fiber. As would Acana’s Light & Fit – 35% protein, 10% fat and 8.5% fiber.

[Mountain Man]

Hi, all! Greetings from Virginia. We are proud parents to a wonderful little Vizsla male, “Mountie,” who is a fantastic and sharp guy even in his infancy of 10.5 weeks old! This post marks our first official question, and we thank you in advance for your advice and opinions. Q: Which of the kibbles listed below would you recommend highest for our Vizsla puppy?

I tend to be a bit over-analytical (dear wife would call it “OCD”), and have researched in-depth (via manufacturer websites and here @ dogfoodadvisor) puppy-appropriate kibble, in hopes of transitioning Mountie ASAP from his initial staple of Purina Puppy Chow (which we consider to be a lower-quality feed) to a much-better kibble. Narrowed it down to these, and really value your advice:

1. Taste of the Wild High Prairie (Roasted Venison & Bison) Puppy Formula (by TOTW, contract-manufactured by Diamond; USA) (~$52 / 30lb = $1.72/lb). Pros: Good “bang for buck,” well-rounded GF kibble, tasty. Cons: Surprisingly-low DHA for puppy blend, manufactured by Diamond (which has had an inexcusable number of recalls).

2. As ACANA Puppy & Junior (by Champion Petfoods; Canada) is not avail. in the USA, consider alternatives from the “all stages” lineup: ACANA Wild Prairie Grain Free (~$67 / 28.6lb = $2.34/lb); ACANA Grasslands Grain Free or ACANA Pacifica Grain Free (~$80 / 28.6lb = $2.80/lb). Pros: Appears to offer great alternative to uber-rich Orijen (albeit, adult formulas only). Cons: Puppy formula not available in USA, uncertainty re: appropriate calcium levels of these “all stage” formulas, lacking in Yucca extract (which does wonders to curtail feces odor).

3. Orijen Puppy (by Champion Petfoods; Canada) (~$75 / 28.6lb = $2.62/lb). Pros: A+ quality kibble. Cons: Many testimonials of young puppies getting diarrhea from rich formula, lacking in Yucca extract (which does wonders to curtail feces odor).

4. As Earthborn Holistic Puppy Vantage (by Midwestern Pet Foods; USA) (~$47 / 28lb = $1.68/lb) isn’t GF, consider alternatives from the “all stages” lineup: Earthborn Holistic Select Grain Free Coastal Catch* / Great Plains Feast / Primitive Natural. Pros: Very, very good “bang for buck,” well-rounded GF kibble, made by Midwestern Pets (nearly as reputable as Champion). Cons: Uncertainty re: appropriate calcium levels of these “all stage” formulas, limited first-hand reviews available.

5. Maybe: GO! FIT + FREE Grain Free (Chicken, Turkey & Trout) Puppy (by Petcurean; Canada) (~$67 / 25lb = $2.68/lb). Pros: Excellent Canadian kibble (appears on par with Orijin and Acana) by Petcurean (nearly as reputable as Champion). Cons: Very pricey, given very limited first-hand reviews available.

6. Maybe: Annamaet Manitok or Aqualuk (by Annamaet Petfoods; USA) (~$84 / 30lb = $2.80/lb). Pros: Well-rounded GF kibble (and Mountie likes the taste). Cons: Uber-pricey, given limited first-hand reviews available, no puppy formulation, uncertainty re: appropriate calcium and DHA levels (unlisted) of these “all stage” formulas.

We would be indebted for as many opinions as possible re: which of the above you all would recommend transitioning Mountie to.

Thanks so much!!!

Corey & Michelle
Powhatan, Virginia

[NectarMom]

Wow I thought I was the only one with a dog with such horrible symptoms as this. My chihuahua is like a walking epi pen I have to keep injectable steroids and injectable Benadryl on hand in case she gets stung by or bit by an insect. Shes highly allergic to them. I could loose her in. Matter of 2 seconds if I don’t inject her. We were using Acana and she had bad gas and bloat ( she has intestinal food allergies too) I don’t know what ingredient she is allergic to but I know for certain chicken does not agree with her. She also got bad acid reflux on it and so did my other 3 dogs. From what I gather they could not handle the high protein. We switched to Brothers Allergy kibble and the Allergy symptoms eased up but did not totally go away but improved a lot but the acid reflux stayed. ( For a kibble I would still recommend this food) I am still feeding it until I run out and we are now feeding Darwin’s Raw which in only 2 weeks doing a half Darwin’s half kibble a day plus probiotics and enzymes the results for all 4 dogs is amazing. Acid reflux is gone and no gas and stools are always firm. No licking feet and they all seem to have more energy. My oldest just got her teeth cleaned yesterday and my vet made the comment about her fur and asked what I was bathing her in because she had the softest fur. I told him its not the shampoo it is what I am feeding her “Raw”

Seriously, I am not one to push food on anyone with they’re pets but I swear by Raw now and only wish I would have started mine out when they were puppies on it. But if you just cannot feed Raw then I recommend Brothers Allergy or at least a limited ingredient kibble and possibly grain free. Good luck to you. This is one of the best sites and the people on here are very knowledgable and wise.