[Celine W]

Hello, I am the owner of two Bernese Mountain dogs (3 years and 11 month). I RAW fed them exclusively. As money is tight right now I might have to switch to half RAW and half dry food. As much as I don’t like the idea, I try to figure out what might be the best choice of dry food out there for a large Breed dog (one is 95 lbs. and the puppy is 11 month old). I really want to buy a high quality dry food (4 to 5 stars). I am still confused that there are so many opinions about the low protein and big dogs. Can anybody give me some recommendations – I am overwhelmed. THANK YOU…

[Randy P]

What is the best ACTIVE (20% fat-30% Protien) Dry food that you have found. I have hunting dogs and want to feed the 20/30 ratio?

[Pluto.the.St.Bernard]

Hi, all this information is so helpful, but just a tad overwhelming for me (so many opinions). I am curious about your opinion on a few things, I have a male st. benard pupp just about 20wks, been feeding him Natures Variety Instinct Dry($$$), and honestly looking to switch to something with less of a price tag, but without loosing quality as I want him in the best shape inside/out. His weight is good, looking/feeling healthy. I noticed the other saint owner was inquiring about Wellness Core Puppy, I am also curious about this brand of food –>> “Orijen product line includes six dry dog foods, five claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages and one (Senior) for adult maintenance”. Noticed it wasn’t on your list of approved large/giant breed foods, would you recommend (I’ve read pretty good things)? One last question what toppings would you suggest if not homemade food recipe ?
Hope none of this confuses you, thanks.

[Michael H]

Hi everyone!

We have 2 dogs:

Bernie, 9y M allergic-to-life Basset Hound
Zuli, 3y F Lab Mix

and our cat:
Sophie, 8y F Mackeral Tabby, borderline diabetic

Due to both Bernie and Sophie’s above issues, it seems like my best option at this point would be to try raw feeding. The dogs both enjoy the occasional chicken wing or turkey neck, but I have not yet tried feeding it as a whole diet. The cat, who was originally an outdoor stray who did hunt for her sustenance, does accept things like turkey and pepperoni, but for most of her life has been on dry food…which is probably why she had the October diagnosis for diabetes. She is near impossible to catch (the yearly vet visit can take us anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to capture her-we’ve blocked off hiding spaces as we find them over the years, though once she actually broke INTO the wall to hide) and has a lack of scruff, and at this point I’m really fearing the ability to be able to administer insulin consistently. So, it seems that a diet change may be my only help with this. For Bernie, I can control what goes into the food, and avoid his allergens altogether.

I work from home, so cooking and preparing isn’t a big deal. I handle raw meat for my own consumption so that doesn’t bother me, and I’m very versed in the realm of preventing cross contamination.

My access to pastured/organic items is limited to either very far drives or possible home delivery (have to order a LOT at a time to make the shipping be affordable). For the delivery [ReelRaw] they do have a lot of variety, which is nice, but seems the most expensive option that I’ve come across ($300/mo for all pets, around 50lb of items, still cheaper than whole foods). I do have a butcher shop somewhat nearby, but the only organs they carry or process is beef heart, and the variety of RMB’s I can get aren’t much, as well as they do not carry any pastured/organic meats.

Upon my research, I’m finding a lot of conflicting information. It seems that on one side everyone is pro supplements to add to the meals, which I’m hesitant to do so, as I’m of the perspective to not take any synthetic or multivitamins myself since I feel I’m literally peeing the money away, and rather get what I need from whole foods. I know dogs cant digest fruit/veg well, as anytime I’ve given a piece I find it the next day pretty much intact in their waste. We do own a masticating juicer, so that is an option. I’ve come across some freeze dried foods (Big Dog Natural) that say they ferment the veg to make them bioavailable, which is interesting, though I’m unsure if it’s still too high-carb for Bernie. It could all be a bunch of hogwash as well. I do agree with adding omega 3/sardines at meal time, as I feel that the fats are too delicate for any processing procedure.

Then there’s all the premixes available with vitamins, minerals, kale, sweet potatoes, etc. (Urban Wolf, THK, SSLL Dinner Mix). It’s hard to find a premix without one of Bernie’s proposed allergens in it, and to be honest I’d rather keep the carb count for him down as much as possible, as Bassets are already yeast factories, and Sophie needs as little carb as possible-I don’t think I’ve come across mixes for cats anyways. What dog eats kale in the wild anyways? I have a hard time getting it down myself…lol.

On the other side, I’ve come across a few companies that don’t use added vitamins/minerals (Answers, ReelRaw), stating it’s complete/balanced as is, or with Answers, their own products they (conveniently) suggest to add, which is goat’s milk yogurt, or buy their combination product with veg, clay, cultured things, etc. Bernie is borderline allergic to cow dairy, so I’m unsure if he can even have that anyways. I’ve tried kefir with him before, but the yeast didn’t get any better, and would occasionally have putrid gas as well.

Bernie is currently on Orijen, which he does seem more energetic and less itchy, however the gas has been atrocious, and even though he’s not been really red and itchy on it, still is having a yeast issue (underarms, ears, back of legs). This is a dog that sleeps 14 hours a day on those areas, so not much air is circulating. The gas has gotten better by feeding him less of it, but it can still clear a room. I think it’s due to the lentils/chickpeas-while he’s not allergic to them, doesn’t mean he can digest them well.

So to end my novella for how, I’ll boil it down to some questions:

-Do you feel that the supplements are needed if I use the cheaper conventional meat from the butcher? Or would possibly they be getting enough if I splurge for the pastured meats/organs/rmb? It’s doubtful I can afford both the pastured and supplements.

-Do you feel premixes are worth it, and would make the conventional meat balanced? (again, may not be able to do both pastured + mixes)

-How important do you feel variety in meats is? If I shop locally, I only really have access to beef, chicken, and pork, which I myself am even tired of, haha. Most any recreational or RMB’s I can find in the area are meant for soups and have very little meat left on them. With delivery I can get many more options, but I pay out the wazoo for it.

-Would maybe just doing the freeze dried route be the best idea? Between the issues above and our cat, I’m also leaning towards this route. I’ve also heard that cats don’t dig cool meat very much, and as its the winter now I don’t want Sophie to lose any weight form refusing food. The 2 dogs will eat anything so I’m not worried there. I know I have to avoid giving Sophie all ground meat due to taurine loss. My wife also would rather rip off her eyebrows than touch raw meat, so if it comes a time when I cannot feed them, I’d have to have an alternative on hand anyways.

Thanks for any input!

[Yonatan L]

Hi Guys,

I used to feed my dog with Earthbornd grain free. However, a lot of friends suggest me to move to Nutra Gold
http://www.nutragold.com/products/dogs/dry_food/turkey_and_sweet_potato/grain-free/

Is there any review that will come in closest future? 🙂 I want to be sure that my husky getting the best food:)

[jcmccallum]

Thank you for the quick responses everyone! The breeder is currently feeding the pups Nature’s Domain Grain Free Turkey Meal and Sweet Potato (3.5 stars). I will do some research on rotational feeding and start to figure out how to best introduce new foods into his diet once he’s settled. From personal experience, how often do you rotate your dry kibble? Anyone have any recommended canned food you and your dogs are particularly fond of?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by jcmccallum.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by jcmccallum.

[jcmccallum]

Hi there! I am both new to the puppy/dog world and new to Dog Food Advisor. I am in the middle of researching the best puppy foods for my future pup (I pick him up December 7th!), and have (probably) settled on feeding him Fromm Gold or Horizon Complete kibble. I am not entirely sure, however, whether I should also be feeding him a wet topper. What are the benefits? Are there any disadvantages? Should I not feed wet food until he’s older?

Jenny

[Kersi B]

Hello everybody!

I am new here and tried to find some informations on my own, but I am lost…

I move from Germany to California this January and take my 6-year-old Chihuahua (3kg or 6,6p weight) with me.
He already has a light cardiac insufficiency, but the doc said that he doesn’t need any medicine yet.
Here in Germany I feed him with wet (in the late afternoon), dry (he has a extra bowl with some in case he is hungry) and own-cooked food (as often as I can instead of wet food). His treats are 100% dry meat only. And I give him Vitamin K1 and homeopathic Crataegus supplements to his food to strengthen his heart.
But none of the brands I am feeding him right now are available in the US.
So could you please help me to find the brands with the highest quality but affordable for a student? Thank you so much! <3 :*

• This topic was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by Kersi B.

[iggymom]

I’ve been researching dog foods for about two weeks now and I just can’t decide on what I think is best for him. He’s 4 months and about 7 pounds, and IG’s typically need a high protein high fat diet but I can’t help but be cautionary of very high protein foods (Orijen?) because he’s so tiny. I’ve been looking at Canine Caviar, Acana, Orijen, the Petcurean Now!/Go! line, etc…. Thoughts?

Please help! 🙂

[Merry G]

I don’t understand how a dog’s BUN numbers can be elevated either by dehydration or a sign of kidney problems. You’d think that they wouldn’t even mention dehydration! He did tell me that she can live with it for quite some time before it worsens but didn’t say how quickly it can progress or what to watch for. She doesn’t really like the KD Science Diet and I found some dog food online that has low protein and I ordered a case hoping she’ll be happy eating it. I don’t mind making my own food for her. I’ve been boiling and crock potting chicken for her for more than a year because she decided regular dog food was beneath her “diva dignity.” I mix it with brown rice sometimes and she gets the broth and carrots too.
I like to squirt a bit of fish oil in her bowl but that dog can sniff it out and then she will not eat it!
I would have no problem cooking her whatever kind of food would be good for her I’m pretty much used to it now.

I read a paper written by a Vet about putting a dog on low protein food in the early stages of renal failure. His name is Kenneth Bovee, DVM, MmedSc, (Dept of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.) It reads kind of dry and technical but I did my best to understand it. It seems that there’s quite a controversy about if a low protein diet actually helps but Vets have been told it works so they’ve been recommending it for a long time.
I’ve read about herbal supplements that can help the kidneys function better, or “cure” renal failure but I don’t believe there’s a cure!

I appreciate all your feedback and I hope that I can help Sage live the rest of her time with us in a painless, quality way. I still marvel at what a dog can add to one’s life and how completely smitten we can become over them! I’ve had 4 boxers in my life and I’ve loved every one of them equally and my life was enriched by their love.

http://www.dogfoodscoop.com/support-files/bovee_protein_renal.pdf

[Susan]

Hi Amber, can you do home cooked or raw as it would be the best as you will know exactly what she is eating & can start an elimination diet.. also with the raw or home made cooked meals you can see what foods are causing these problems with the elimination diet……or if you get a freeze dried or dehydrated diets, get ones that has limited ingredients, so there’s less chance of food intolarances….I found my boy can’t have Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, peas, wheat or boiled rice so far…..has she stopped her sratching on the Back to basic kibble?? if you can, get her off the dry kibble its over processedm its only good for us humans, as it is quick & easy……

[Amber M]

I have a 4 year old lab that has allergies (scratching jaw, itchy body, sore/irritated paws that she chews, licks, and bites) and I have been looking at alternative diets to kibble. From researching and speaking with many dog food companies, I have found that even high quality kibble is not the best option for dogs.

I have looked into freeze dried diets, dehydrated diets, raw diets, and spoke with many different companies for each type of diet. I am still very unsure of what to do and would like to get input from people other than the dog food companies.

I have mainly been looking at Sojos, Grandma Lucys, The Honest Kitchen, BarfWorld, Vital Essentials, and Nature’s Variety. I am currently feeding Back to Basics dog food, which is a dry kibble. I am planning on giving a probiotic and fish oil, but cannot decide what to feed. Or if I should just keep her on dry kibble.

[Dee J]

HELP! I adopted my 6 year old Puggle from a family that had her since she was a puppy. They were kind enough to give us a big bag of her dog food – BENEFUL. There’s no way I’d feed a dog Beneful. I fed it to her for a week or two while trying to figure out the best food for her. I have another dog who has food allergies and I feed him Wellness Simple Canned Duck & Oatmeal formula. That keeps his skin from getting red and itchy and keeps his ear infections to a minimum.

I started her on a dry Wellness Simple. She didn’t like it – literally spit it out. So I tried Taste of the Wild. That made her sick – vomiting and diarrhea. Then I tried Natural Balance. We came home to poop in the living room. I let someone talk me into Sprout, the Fleet Farm brand. She was fine for a few weeks and now she has diarrhea again.

I always transition her slowly from one food to another, so I know that’s not the problem. She eats a lot of grass which may be an issue. I’m wondering if too much protein upsets her tummy. The weird thing is, she’s usually fine for a few days (even a few weeks) and then boom – poop everywhere. The only dog food she hasn’t had any issue with is freakin’ Beneful. Any suggestions?

[crazy4cats]

Hi Tiffany-
I am all about budget friendly! The best valued can food, IMO, is Costco’s Natures Domain Turkey and Pea Stew, Walmart’s Pure Balance, and Tractor Supply’s 4health canned. They are mostly all rated 5 stars. I also use eggs and sardines a few times a week as well. The best prices for sardines are at Winco or Walmart. Walmart also sells a brand of canned called Variety that is a little more expensive, but cheaper than most.
If you have Victor dry food in your area, it is more budget friendly than Wellness. Those are lucky dogs you are taking care of. Thank you!

[Kristen K]

Hello, my vet recommended that I feed my dog kibble that is baked rather than extruded, as it is more easily digested, but I don’t see information on whether kibble is baked or extruded in the reviews. Can you recommend your top choices for baked food?

[Barbara]

I was wondering after reading some of the comments about digestive enzymes if it is okay to continue using THK perfect form for any length of time just to keep stomach issues from reoccurring? I am talking like 6 months at 1/2 dosage for 2 of my 3 dogs (one is a lab and the other a Husky mix both about 75+ lbs) they each seem to have a loose stool maybe a few of time a week still. I had been using it full dosage for about a month when I switched them off of Taste of the wild because of diarrhea even when I was switching them slowly…I think part of it was I first went to Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural which was too rich for them. I like Victor the best of the dry dog foods I have tried but want to keep switching the protein. 4 to 5 star Dry is about 2/3 of the their diet plus canned Kirkland’s ND Turkey and pea stew is 1/3. They get good human food toppers a couple of times a week also. I just want to be sure it is okay to continue to have them be on THK perfect form at 1/2 dosage since they both can have sensitive tummies occasionally… Thanks!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Barbara.

[Becky H]

I currently have been feeding both my dogs Lifes Abundance dry dog food. While the food seems to be very nutritious and was recommended to us by the breeder at this time My veterinarian has recommended that I switch to Royal Canine Prescriptive dry formula for my Golden Retreiver’s skin sensitivities and allergies. While I appreciate that it may be a good dog food the cost is very high and I am not convinced it is my only or best option?

Additionally, I will want to change both of my dogs to the same diet for conveience as well as reducing the temptation for my Golden to endulge in the old formula. My second dog is a toy poodle. I look forward to your feedback?

Bsherrup

• This topic was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Becky H.

[Karen E]

My five month old Labrador puppy, Beans, spent a night in ICU this weekend due to extreme diarrhea and vomiting. The ultimate diagnosis is that he has an intolerance to chicken. He has been eating Wellness Large Breed Puppy dry kibble since I got him at eight weeks old, but suddenly he can’t digest it. We will keep him on Prescription I/d for a week, but I need recommendations of another protein dry food to substitute in for next week. My research indicates lamb or venison may be best, but would appreciate advice from others who have been through similar experiences. Thanks! Karen

[InkedMarie]

The best way to get more water is to feed a raw, canned or dehydrated food. If you must feed dry, add some canned to it with water.

[Sandi S]

I work in a large steak house and can get unlimited amounts of cooked beef. Filet mignon, NY strip, rib eye and prime rib. I wash them very well before use. I also get sweet potatoes. I know the cuts of meat all have different percentages of fat and protein and that is my biggest concern. Also what else do I need to add to make a complete daily balanced dog food. If I completely stop feeding dry dog food what is the best way to keep my dogs teeth healthy? She doesn’t get cooked bones, Should I give her raw bones? Also I read that she needs raw chicken and egg shells? occasionally I also give her chicken and salmon that I get at work I’m trying to keep this as simple as possible.I refuse to feed my dog cheap dog food and I really can’t afford the better dog food on the market. It is hard for me to throw it all this meat away! Thanks to anyone who can help 🙂

[Richard N]

I have a 9 year old mix with the body of a wiener dog and face and fur of a spaniel. She has had back surgery gets around great until she goes through a spell and has trouble walking for a while. She thinks she is a hunting dog and lives to chase squirrels and chip monks which are every where here. Looking for a new dry dog food that she will like and is good for her.

[Dori]

Hi Courtney. If your dog does wind up having crystals be sure to ask what type. As far as the UTI the other posters have helped. It is important that your dog is walked often and that she drink plenty of water. If you are feeding her kibble then please add water to it and let is absorb the water before feeding her the food. It’s a good way to get more moisture into a dog that doesn’t drink enough water. As the others have suggested, dry food (kibble) is not what she should be eating. Commercial raw foods (if you don’t want to hassle making your own), dehydrated, canned, freeze dried. In that order would be the best way for you to go imo. Normally I would put freeze dried before dehydrated but a lot of freeze dried foods don’t absorb water very well. There are plenty of quality dehydrated foods so your dog will win with the moisture and the quality of the food.

You didn’t mention what food you feed your dog. How many meals a day does she get and hopefully you leave water down for her all the time.

[InkedMarie]

Hi Courtney,
I had a dog with frequent UTI’s and he was diagnosed with struvite crystals. My vet had me give him one 500 mg vitamin C a day but you don’t do this without your vets okay. It is extremely important to get enough liquid into your dog. Dry food is the worst you can feed. Best is a raw diet, canned or dehydrated. If you must feed dry, add canned & water to his food.
Don’t worry about low oxalate foods unless it’s needed. I would not use a prescription food at all. If your vet tells you to, I’d find a holistic vet to go to and get their advice. Keep us posted on how she is.

[Kristin C]

Hey Jan -that’s a tough one. I am scrolling through dry dog food ingredients and can’t come up with one. Have you considered freeze dried? I feed my dogs raw, I make most of it, so cooking and storing may be the best option for you to control the ingredients. Hopefully someone else pipes in with a solution for you.

[Tanya C]

Thank you everyone for your comments. theBCnut I did not get my dogs from a breeder they are all rescues and up till now have been fed commercial prepared dry/wet dog food. I never even heard of Raw Dog Food until Chance came to us. Then I started researching and like I said above it is all so confusing one site contradicting the other etc.. so I appreciate any and all comments. I bought my meat straight from a butcher, it came pre-grounded. I was told that the 10lbs was a mixture of heart,brain which I understood to not be considered organ meats and then kidney, liver and spleen with I know are organ meats. I also know that tongues are included but wasn’t sure what they are considered. If I added lean ground beef to my recipe say 10-15 lbs would that balance it out better. I am making very large batches as I try to make at least a weeks worth at a time. My Danes range in size from 90-160 lbs so I have been feeding them approx 2% of there ideal body weight per day which is about 3.5 lbs if I worked it out properly, I feed them half in the morning and half in the evening. I will not add the extra egg shells next time and do what I normally do, add them to my garden instead. pugmomsandy the chicken I purchased was from my local grocery store and I ground it myself in a hand grinder at home. I believe I should have called them quarter chicken legs they were thighs with legs attached and bones still in. The next batch will be purchased from the butcher chicken backs with bone in pre-ground. I will look into those books as well, I have a tablet and an e-reader so I should be able to get them. Thank you all so much, I really do appreciate the comments !!! I’m so new at this and I find it confusing even though I did research. I’m still trying to figure out what meats are what hence the mistake with too much organ meats. I just want to make up for my past bad food mistakes and do what is best for my fur babies. Thank you !!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Tanya C.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Tanya C.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Tanya C.

[theBCnut]

You can also put dry through a coffee grinder and then add water, but that isn’t really the best solution. At her age, she needs to be eating foods that have plenty of moisture in them. And she may not produce the stomach acid that she once did so you might want to add 1/2 tablespoon of unprocessed apple cider vinegar for every one cup of food.

[theBCnut]

It’s not canned, but rather dehydrated, look into The Honest Kitchen Zeal. Fat is a big issue. Usually when you lower carbs, you raise protein and fat. THK Zeal is the best one I know of with good levels, though in your case, I still might add lean meat to lower the carbs even more. Zeal comes as a dry powder that you add water to. If you add water right before feeding then you have a soupy mixture. If you prepare it a while ahead of time, it is more like a thick paste or pate style food. My dogs love all of THK’s foods.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Kayla-
I always mix something in with my dog’s kibble. I have two golden labs. Both male and about 80 pounds. Every morning they get a few heaping Tbs of canned with their kibble. In the afternoon, they get either eggs, sardines, dehydrated or fresh meat with their dry food. I don’t think that dry kibble is the best to feed regardless of how many stars it gets. However, it is convenient and budget friendly. I do believe that a premium canned food is healthier, but also much more expensive. Especially with two large dogs. And oh yes, four medium cats! Good luck and welcome to DFA!

[Wendy E]

Hi all,
I’m new here, so hello! Lots of good reading here! I have a 5YO Cavalier female named Willow, who was just diagnosed with a grade 3 heart murmur, which seems to have developed very quickly (our regular vet did not hear it just 6 short months ago, but the cardiologist found it this past saturday at a heart clinic). I’m trying to research what the best food and supplements are for this condition. I really prefer feeding her a dry/kibble food. The vet recommended a low-sodium food (have no idea what I should choose – nothing seems to be marketed specifically as low-sodum), and supplementation with CoQ10 and Vit E. My head is swimming with everything I’ve found in just a short amount of time researching. Are these the only supplements you’d recommend? I’ve also read quite a bit about glandular therapy for heart health and am wondering what everyone here thinks about that and what a good supplement for that would be.

I found this website when searching for glandulars. http://www.pethealthandnutritioncenter.com/natural-heart-cardiovascular-remedy-treatment-dogs-cats-pets.html wondering about the Heart Tonic product and the Daily Multi Complete (which has glandulars in it). Anyone have experience with this supplier or these products?

I’m also wondering (and these might be ultra-basic knowledge to most, but I can’t find anything that will tell me): If I do a Fish Oil like this one http://www.pethealthandnutritioncenter.com/nordic-naturals-fish-oil-supplement-for-pets.html do I also still supplement with Vit E and CoQ10?

I hate researching this stuff because there always seems to be such conflicting information out there. Any help anyone could give me would be SO appreciated! TIA!

Wendy
mom to Willow

[Dori]

Kristin C. As others have posted, the food is air dryer which would be a dehydrated food. It’s different than any dehydrated food. When rehydrated, as others have said, it looks and smells like ground meat. Also as cindy q. said, you do need to add water, but I also don’t add as much as they say. This is basically a personal decision as to how much water to add. Depends on how your dog likes his food. Some like real mush and don’t want to have to chew anything at all, lol, and others like a more substantial chunky food. As I’ve mentioned before I food rotational so the GA and analysis don’t really make a difference to me and my dogs. I rotate with every meal.

Cindy q. The trick with THK is to either not add as much water as stated on the box (I never do) or make up a batch that will last two or three days and put in the fridge. At meal time scoop out as much as you need for the meal. If your dog doesn’t like cold food then just leave it out on the counter until room temperature. I do it both ways but overnight works best. Also Cindy q. before spending money on actual size bags or boxes of the foods you’re trying out ask for samples at your local small pet stores, they always have samples or email or call manufacturer of food. They’ll pretty much always send you out samples for either a very nominal fee or others just have you pay for the shipping which is also a small fee. You’re going to go through way to much money buying the actual boxes or bags of the food. Also, if you rotate your foods you should try to buy the smallest size so that the individual foods won’t go bad. I realize the small bags/boxes will cost you a little more but you’ll be sure to be able to rotate and not have the bottom of bags or boxes go bad before you get to the end. That’s important with rotating foods that are not frozen and kept in freezer. Also BDN is less expensive than Sojo’s. I don’t particularly care for Sojo’s so I don’t feed it. The only foods I presently feed other than commercial raw foods are THK, BDN and in a pinch if I won’t be home or dogs left with someone else who refuses to feed raw (jeesh) I use Nature’s Logic dry. Excellent as kibbles go. They also have a good canned food but the canned foods all contain something or other that my allergy/intolerant maltipoo, Katie, cannot tolerate. It’s the only kibble they do well on and that I don’t feel awful feeding them.

[InkedMarie]

I can’t help with the leakage but I wanted to comment on the crystals. A previous dog had recurrent crystals. My vet said special food wasn’t necessary. It’s very important to get enough fluid into your dog. Dry food is the worst; wet food is best: raw, dehydrated, canned. If you must feed dry, please add canned & water to it. Aldo make sure he has ample opportunity to urinate. My vet also told me to give my dog one vitamin C tablet but don’t do that without talking to your vet.

[Mom2Cavs]

I’m sure others will post, but you most likely won’t see Blue Buffalo listed on the editor’s choice selections. Even though, ingredient wise they rate high on the list they have a few problems. They use lots of co packers, have been reported to allegedly make some animals sick. These are just a few of the reasons I’m aware of. Imho, I’d choose Wellness Small Breed over Blue Buffalo hands down. I feed it in my rotation. They manufacture they’re own food now, or outsource very little of their dry. They claim to use non-GMO ingredients. They don’t contain the lifesource bits…..even though years ago when I fed it for a short time my dogs ate them, I like the fact that Wellness doesn’t have them. Wellness also sends out coupons every month and I like their newsletter. Each of us must do what we think is best for our pets and I just am not comfortable with Blue Buffalo anymore.

[Nancy M]

I have very recently acquired from my daughter, an 8 month old mini Aussie, who is currently about 20+ lbs. She has been on Diamond puppy formula, dry, since 8 weeks of age. Not being a Diamond fan, and not willing or able to go with the RAW, I am looking for suggestions as to a more healthy and favorable dog food for her. I have always used the premium brands with my previous dogs, hoping to offer much better nutrition than the run of the mill, grocery store brands, but there have become so many choices, I have no idea where to start to switch this girl over. Being an energy, performance type of breed, opposed to my more calm, laid back lifestyle, I do not wish to feed a formula that will create more energy. Truthfully, I’m not sure she will be happy with or acceptable, of a more sedentary life with me, but rather than allow her to be given off to a stranger, I am just trying to give it my best and see if it can work. I’m not sure this is going to do her justice, but time will tell.

In the meantime, I want something substantially better for her than Diamond. Suggestions, please. My first inclination would be TOTW, but depending on what her system may accept and thrive on, I could be on a trial and error rollercoaster. I thought all of this was behind me for a good while, until I lost my beloved Sheltie a couple weeks ago and now trying to give this pup a new home. Now it starts all over again. Whoopy!

Looking for input soon, so I can try to get started. Thanks much to all!

Nancy

[Ivan L]

Hi
I’m very new on this dog food subject.
I have three dogs and I’m lost of what is the best way to feed them.
I have a 10 years old cocker spaniel and 2 shih tzu that are 4 years old.

Should I use dry food or wet food?
Should I mix them?
What food do you recommend taking in consideration one is a senior dog all of them are small breeds?

Thank you for the advises

[Karen G]

I’m needing help finding a good large breed puppy food. I have my pup on a dry kibble that is highly recommended but because the ingredient list isn’t percise, I can’t tell if the ratios are the best for my large breed pup (the kibble is for puppys but not specific to large breeds and it only lists “min” and “max” amounts so it’s hard to tell how much of each ingredient is in it). My vet is recommending Hills Science Diet large breed puppy because you can tell with more detail what the ingredient ratios are and it is formulated specifically for large breeds, I’m considering this food right now. Does anyone in this forum have personal experience with a dry large breed puppy kibble that he/she would be willing to share? Thanks in advance for your help!

[Patricia G]

My one year old Lab can clear a room with her gas. I’ve had her on the Iams Low Residue food as recommended by our vet, and it helped alot. I started introducing raw venison and Dog Lovers Gold (which is what our other dogs eat) and the gas is coming back. Any advice on best food for a gassy dog? Should I go grain free? All raw or natural? My vet said she could be on the Low Residue long term, but it’s pricey. She is a very high energy, active young dog and loves to eat, so I’m not worried about her being picky. I just want to find a solution for her and us!

[Michael L]

Hi Again,

So I think it was a little too early to call that success.

Based on this link /reports/editors-choice/
I decided to try Annamaet Grain Free Manitok however after two days my dog just stopped eating it. I mean he won’t even sniff it. At first I thought it was still his allergies but once I gave him some of his old food (Orijen puppy large) he finished that in 2 seconds.

I found this link:
/best-dog-foods/hypoallergenic-dog-foods/
That talks about Suggested Hypoallergenic Dog Foods
And more specifically I decided to try ACANA Duck & Bartlett Pear Singles Formula Dry

This food has limited ingredients and I figured it would be a good place to start as it’s based on duck and not chicken like the orijen one.

My dog loves it, I mean he chases me when I go get it, which he has never done before (very picky eater).

However I’m not sure about the dosage and/or if it’s suitable for large breed puppies. My golden retriever is 9 months old and weighs about 83lb.
The label says that there’s 1.3% calcium which I think should be okay (as per my understanding as long as it’s less than 3.5% it’s all good). Can someone confirm that?
http://www.acana.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ACA-SINGLES-WEB-PDF-2014-DUCK.pdf?20c636

Can someone confirm that?

Thanks in advance.

[vfs]

Hello everyone,

I have a wonderful rescue dog, his name is Lenny. He is 4 years old, 20lb, white coat, just adorable. Ive been feeding a mix of Science Diet dry and wet food for quite a while now. He eats twice a day and poops 3 to 4 times a day (normal poop). I mentioned to the Vet and he told me that its normal…I started searching about Science Diet and Ive been seeing some really bad reviews so Im ready to get him a better food. He poops so many times, so it does say what type of quality Science Diet might be but by my vets recommendation, I was continuing feeding him Science Diet. Any recommendation for a good quality dry and wet food for Lenny? Thanks a bunch.

[Nicolette G]

My 6yr old Shiba 2 months ago had surgery. He had a full bladder of Struvite Crystals. The month before he had his first UTI. He had always been a heathly dog. Of course the vet wants to put him on Royal Can os. I have for yrs had him on the best foods. Dry and some times can. Im very confused what I should be doing with him to many mixed messages. Im so lost. He also doesnt drink alot having problems with that as well and he needs to drink and pee more. I want to try and find a food that dry and can or even other stuff to put on or in the food that will help prevent this from happening again to him, with out going to a low quality food. any help out there???

[Bobby dog]

Hi Erin:
I have a bag of Natures Recipe chic, sp, & pumpkin in my pantry. The fat is 12% minimum and protein is 27% minimum so you would have to contact the company to see what the maximums are.

Below are links to lists of low fat dog foods. These brands/recipes are not necessarily for dogs with pancreatitis. One list pertains to low fat & low sodium foods. I know you are not looking for low sodium foods, but they might be a starting place to find brands to look into further.

/best-dog-foods/suggested-low-fat-dog-food/

/forums/topic/dry-dog-food-with-low-salt-and-low-fat/

[Sandra R]

I have a two months old french bulldog and I’m feeding her for now Acana for puppies. For now she is doing Ok, but I would like to know about your opinion about rotation diet and how to do it
And if i can give her a raw diet or should I wait until she is an adult? What is the best dry food for French bulldog puppies?
Thank you so much for your help.

[Bobby dog]

Hey everybody! I have been really busy this past week so I have only been popping in here and there.

I have tried some new foods, canned and dry, and will stop back to give some reviews.

C4c: Love the story it brought tears to my eyes too. I get emotional reading or hearing about rescues. 😉

Sharon: I have never tried Go! so I will be interested in what the food is like.

Also, funny you just posted and reminded me of your sensitive kitty. I was just checking out a website I used to visit quite a bit last year. I don’t know if you ever visited it, but they have a good cat food list that I have used in the past. The list is not that long and I know you have fed some of them. Anyway, you might find the description of each food helpful if you are interested in trying something new for your sensitive kitty. Here’s a link to the food list:
http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2010/12/the-7-best-natural-commercial-cat-foods-so-far/comment-page-2/

We have had a few weeks of fairly cool weather and only a few days mixed in with high humidity so Bobby was out and about a little more than usual. However, the heat and humidity is coming back which will turn him into a house dog again. lol

Bobby hasn’t marked anymore territory in the garden, but the sweet potatoes are doing really well. Maybe Bobby has the magic touch?

He was ornery the other night though; he managed to eat two dinners. He apparently was hanging around the kitchen while I was outside doing yard work looking very hungry and pitiful. I went inside to get a drink of water and was told “don’t worry about your poor dog, since you were so busy and forgot about him, I fed him.” lol

[milly w]

I’m always suggest the best way to help with pet dental problem is to feed them best dry cat food. You can sometimes do some recipe research and make healthy dry food for cats at home. It not only save money, but keep your cats healthy!

[Liz S]

Sue66b

I am new to this site and I didn’t know anyone responded to my post. To be honest, I don’t even know how I stumbled upon it, and saw the replies! I looked around and found all I had to do was click on my profile, lol. Also, I am not sure I am replying correctly…like directly to your reply or this just goes as another reply. I think I did it right but I am not sure. 🙂

I LOVE Wellness. I give it to my cats & my ferrets. I tried the dog version ( same thing…chicken one.. ( chihuahua and IG several months ago). but they turned their noses up to it. I also think my chihuahua doesn’t do well with chicken. I am not sure what Wellness has…I’m gonna head over to the Petco and PetSmart site right now and see what kinds they have. I’d like to do lamb, venison etc ( anything besides chicken ) and I would love to go grain free. Chihuahua is getting Whole Earth grain free now. And Natures Variety Grain Free wet food at night. The IG eats it as well but my chi is having a hard time eating the large pieces. Ah. Poor girl. Last year it took a longggg time finding the right food for our cat as well. Once we found the Wellness Chicken- it was a miracle. Life saver! Phew.

I love that Petco allows you to return a bag as long as its about half eaten. Not sure what PetSmarts policy is.

Might be silly to even ask, since you aren’t here and we’re confused ourselves lol…but do you think I could try one of the Wellness ( grain free ) first? I know grain free is best.

When I think about it though, if I go grain free dry food, I’d need to go grain free for her nightly wet food because what’s the point? Right? I’m just not sure if it’s chicken or the grains that my chi has the real problem with. Not worried about the IG, he does pretty well with everything.

As for the bugg pup I will also look into the Wellness online right now, too.

My 4th ferret that passed in June had insulinoma, adrenal disease etc etc. It’s horrible seeing any of them in ANY type of discomfort.

Geesh I’m sorry I’m so all over the place! My head is spinning!
Thanks for your reply!!!!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Liz S.

[cajungurl]

We got our puppy at 4 weeks due to mom’s milk drying up. Layla was being fed Pedigree canned puppy food. I knew I didn’t want to keep her on that so started researching about better dog foods. Started her on 4- health Grain Free. But was told at her 9 week appt that she should be on a large breed puppy food because of calcium levels….. more research…. found this site and found Blue wilderness large breed puppy with a 5 star rating. After purchasing, I decided to scroll through a couple of the threads and noticed that this brand is also considered too high in calcium for my large breed puppy….. so in wanting to do what is best for my puppy I decided to research homemade dog foods(made my brain hurt!!!) I think it would be best for me to start with a pre-mix first!

My question, what would be the best pre-mix for a large breed puppy that would have the right amount of calcium?

[matt n]

I suggest looking through the thread the others are suggesting. That’s what I’ve had to do with the absence of response to my own questions.

I might be wrong but these are the conclusions I’ve drawn for what to feed my puppy (poodle/GR mix).

A raw food diet is probably the “best”…if you have unlimited funds. For myself, I tried to find a balance of affordability, healthiness, and convenience. As a result I’ve narrowed it down to these dry foods…

Annamaet Grain-Free Aqualuk
Annamaet Grain-Free Salcha Poulet
Dr. Tim’s Kinesis
Dr. Tim’s Kinesis Grain-Free
Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch
Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast
Nature’s Variety Instinct
Victor Select
Wellness CORE Grain-Free Puppy

I’ll eventually try all of these and see which my puppy does best on. If that’s too much trial and error for you, I’d go with Dr. Tim’s Kinesis.

As far as I can tell, grain free vs grain inclusive usually only matters if your pup has issues with grains or if you’re into the “fads.”

But once again this is just my observations from perusing the forums.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by matt n.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Tindaisy:
I love some classic Tom and Jerry! Those must be pretty persuasive cats to turn you into a cat lover and wishing for more strays. I’ll say it again, lucky kitties. You and C4c have something in common, the love of cats by a few strays stopping by your homes.

If you have a Tractor Supply Store local their brand 4Health is a very budget friendly food with decent ingredients; 46 cents/5.5 oz or 99 cents/13.2 oz, co-packed by Simmons. Only one of my cats will eat 4Health, wish they all would, what are you going to do. I have ordered from Chewy.com a few times, excellent prices and service. Many posters on DFA recommend them as well. Here are some other sites to check out; sign up for e-mail/newsletters from these sites so you can receive info on sales and free shipping offers:
http://www.amazon.com/pet-supplies-dog-cat-food-bed-toy/b?ie=UTF8&node=2619533011
http://www.petco.com/
http://www.petflow.com/
http://www.petfooddirect.com/
http://www.petsmart.com/
http://www.wag.com/

I have my Vet to thank for the journey to learn more about pet nutrition. About a year ago she sent out her monthly newsletter discussing common health issues that could have been avoided by proper nutrition and feeding species appropriate foods. She invited anyone who was interested to stop by for a list of pet food she compiled for cats and dogs. I thought to myself what I was feeding had to be fine since they were name brands that are advertised often, but I’ll stop by and see what she has to say. After I read the information she compiled I was off to the races to research more about pet nutrition. I talked further about nutrition with my Vet, read some books, magazine articles, and visited many sites. The criteria I follow regarding pet nutrition constantly changes and grows the more I learn. I like catinfo.org and DFA because of the simplicity they use to present information to their readers.

Catinfo.org is probably the most popular cat site for the regulars on this thread, but there are several others that are very helpful with current information on feline nutrition and care as well. Here’s another site: http://www.littlebigcat.com/
Both of these sites are run by Vets and I am sure others will chime in with their favorite websites as well. Here’s some links to check out regarding cat nutrition:
http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/why-dry-food-is-bad-for-cats-and-dogs/

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

On this thread we all share are trials and tribulations about getting our cats to transition to quality foods and other stuff too. Most of mine will eat a premium brand canned food a few times a week and I have a couple that will eat some commercial raw once a week, but most of mine are addicted to kitty crack. Most of my cats are 15+ and I am not going to push a drastic diet change on them at their age. They are now eating mostly canned food with a little GF kibble on the side. I can always hope for more, but I am happy to have transitioned them this far with no issues.

Fish is a concern for all of us farmed or wild caught. Although the quality of fish that is included in pet food might be questionable the same could be said about the quality of meat. So I focus on minimizing exposure to fish and try my best to get quality food in them when they will eat it. My cats’ revolt if they do not get fish a few times a week so I mix in sardines packed in water with their canned food. Sardines typically do not have as much mercury or contaminates that other fish may have. If it were up to me I would not feed fish at all.
From Dr. Pierson:
“I do not feed fish to cats for the following reasons:
• high allergy potential (manifested as skin allergies or inflammatory bowel disease, and possibly asthma)
• toxin/mercury contamination
• PBDEs (fire retardant chemicals) – PBDEs are potent thyroid disruptors
• often high in phosphorus and magnesium
• highly addictive – the cat will not eat anything else”

Thanks for sharing tips on transitioning food. The crazy thing is I thought I would have the most problem with changing their kibble. They always ate canned food with no problem so I thought that would be the easiest. The opposite occurred with mine. I rotate between several kibbles with no transition. It was the Friskies they were addicted to. lol I can’t tell you the money I have spent on quality food only to have them sniff and walk away. I have one cat that pretty much will eat anything and if all else fails Bobby dog is more than willing to clean the cats’ plates. All is good though, they are happy and healthy fur babies.

Akari started this thread and another one about coupons and sales we all share with each other if you are interested. Here’s a link to the coupon thread:
/forums/topic/coupons/page/11/

Stop back and let us know how your guys are doing!

[crazy4cats]

Tindaisy-
I love the fact that you also love cats now! LOL! No, fish is not very good for cats, believe it or not. I too first learned to love cats when a stray mamma cat showed up on my doorstep with her two kittens! I didn’t know a thing. Of course, I put out a bowl of milk and tuna! That’s what they do on TV, right? I’ve learned the hard way that it really isn’t the best thing. My senior 15 year old cat has hyperthyroidism most likely due to the fact that I fed nothing but canned Fancy Feast seafood variety for years along with kibble. I had one die of hyperthyroidism a few years back. It’s best to feed mainly chicken, turkey, duck and rabbit to cats. I am going to see if I can find the Nutrisource canned food you are feeding. I think our local feed store will probably carry it as they have their dry food.

Thanks for taking care of the strays. Cats really are a beautiful animal.

[Bobby dog]

Barbar O:
Taurine is required in any dry or wet cat food that is AAFCO approved.

I limit the amount and variety of fish I eat for health reasons and I do my best not to feed my cats fish like tuna or salmon due to the contaminates found in the types of fish used in most cat food.

I absolutely agree, no one should change the care they give their animals “because of some article or someone says to do so.” It’s important to keep up with current research and to evaluate techniques, studies, and other pet owners experiences, but most important the results they achieve good or bad. I also like to work with my Vet when it comes to the care of my pets.

Good luck with your protocol and all the wonderful animals you have in your care.

[Barbara O]

Bobby dog,

I understand about feeding Purina…better than letting them starve but it’s still junk…My cats will eat any type of canned food…which I know isn’t always the best…Cats are carnivores…more so than even dogs…they need more protein and of course, they have to have taurine or they will die…i.e. the reason I feed dry food…I know with my Fennecs I fed a raw diet…ordered 10,000 mealworms a month…and fed pinkies…bought them frozen…Fed raw veggies and fruits…they would not eat dry food…They lived two to three years longer than most Fennecs in captivity. Was told my two outlived the ones most people knew about..Of course, I studied the animal for 6 months…on a daily basis…talking to breeders and owners all over the world..then I purchased my first one…continued to talk to people in England and Japan about fennecs and foxes.

Regarding cats…I will continue to feed both canned and raw tuna…as well as other fis I purchase…my cats are never overweight, never sick and live a very long time…so I’m doing something right…they are never allowed outside so I have plants inside they can nibble on…All my animals are spayed or neutered. Since my animals are well, have had no health problems, I will continue following the protocol I am using…They do get Primal, canned food, dry food, and raw food when I’m cooking dinner in the evening…They have the run of the house…except for our bedroom…this is because of my asthma…PS I also do not believe in vaccinations every year…this actually weakens their systems…I think whatever the animal is…when you find something that works, and the animal is content…you don’t need to be changing things just because some article or someone says to do so…It’s different if the animal is sickly…then I would be willing to try whatever would work.