[Jeffrey G. P]

Can someone tell me what they think the best dog food is for a Jack? He is 3 yrs old (tomorrow) and started him on Blue Buffalo, but Vet thought it was to rich for his tummy as he always had loose stools. Vet put him on Hills Prescription ID, has been on it a year and stools are much better. Time for a change.. I give him dry and wet together. Any suggestions? Thanks…

[Anonymous]

Any kibble with chicken (salmonella), or any jerky/treats (China) are suspect, no matter what the brand, imo.

Nutrisca salmon and chickpea dry food is the food that my small breed that has allergies and a sensitive stomach likes. Her specialist/dermatologist agrees it is the right food for her, limited ingredients.

I like Wysong, but she had some GI upset with it, however, my senior small breed does best on Wysong senior.

[Anonymous]

I might start with that amount…. twice a day. If she starts getting fat, decrease the amount a little. When you speak to the vet, ask him if those amounts sound right.

I have to say, regarding the food, sometimes it depends on the dog. When I was a kid we had a shepherd mix, he got 1 can of Calo a day (comparable to Purina), not much to pick from back then, he lived to be 18 years old!

PS: Check chewy.com, their prices look good.
If I remember correctly, 1 pound of dry food = about 2 cups, so you can do the math.
A 15 pound bag will usually last me a month for 2-3 small dogs

• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Anonymous.

[Anonymous]

I can only go by my experience, I have changed dog foods and the only adverse reaction I observed was a loose stool or two.
But, the recommendation is that you go 1/2 and 1/2 with the old and new food for a few days, mix them together.
The thing about higher quality food is that they don’t need as much of it, my 9 pound poodle mix has 1/4 cup of Nutrisca salmon and chickpea dry twice a day with about a tablespoon of cooked chicken or lean meat added.
Maybe a bite of kibble or meat as a snack once or twice a day.
I get the boneless chicken breast and sandwich steak in the reduced price section of my local market. After you cook it up, you can freeze daily servings in small freezer bags.
I find this to be cost effective. I am leery of all kibble, I try to keep the kibble just as a base, 20%-30% of the diet.

[Anonymous]

I like Nutrisca, salmon and chickpea, dry food as a base (the kibble is small), combined with homemade. See reviews at chewy.com http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

I only use kibble as about 30% of their diet, I buy boneless chicken breast, sandwich steak (from the reduced price section at my local market), cut it up, cook it a little and use it as a topper.

[Akari_32]

She won’t eat her food if it’s all dry. Hurts her mouth too much, I’d assume. She doesn’t mind a few crunchy pieces, so I figure it’s better than nothing with some of them still being hard. I do still have some mint flavored Denta Sticks that I had planned on donating. Maybe I could give her one of those every couple days, as well?

I did ask about the chewable Denamarin, but they apparently don’t have that.

The vet has been fine with doing the dental all along, it’s mom now that keeps going back and forth. After the blood work came came, he did say he wanted to do the Denamarin and Baytril for a while first, and then do the dental, but he’s never said he’s not wanted to do it (the other antibiotics, previously, were given on my request to at least help fend off some of the infection in her mouth some while I got more information, and then later, while I got mom on board). Mom’s the one keeping us from getting it done at this point. The dental is coming from her pocket, because I paid for the blood work. She’s doesn’t want anything to happen to Ginger while she’s under anesthesia, which I understand, but I do feel like it she would be ok at this point. Ginger’s almost completely different now, so much more spunkier, and actually wanting to do things. At this point, because it is moms dog, and money, all I can do it just bug her about it. Ginger’s do for a check up here in less than a week, and I have heart worm tests for the others to get done, so I’ll talk to the vet then and see what he says.

I have tried giving coconut oil before, but it upsets her stomach so bad that I don’t think it’d be wise to go down that road again LOL

[linda b]

I live in Nova Scotia and one of the grocery stores I shop at is Sobeys. I was looking for some health dry dog food that wasn’t as expensive as some are. I quickly looked at a brand called Harringtons and on the bag it said Natural Wholesome Nutrition on it and it showed a British Flag on it. I looked it up on the net and I didn’t see a bad review on it, at least where I looked. can anyone tell me if that brand of dog food is alright. also, can a brand of dog food , that is good , be left off the advisor’s list? just wondering.

[email protected]

[Jane C]

I can only tell you of my experience with The Honest Kitchen food I am presently feeding my 8 year old J.R. She has always had a itch problem. One flea can set her wild with chewing and licking so have to watch this closely. Even then she never seemed as comfortable as our other two dogs. I was feeding all three Nature’s Logic. She is an easy keeper so never could feed even the recommended amount because she would gain weight (don’t want a fat dog). She always seemed hungry and sometimes would eat her poop, which I hated. Several weeks ago she began periodically throwing up what looked like her dinner and breakfast after eating breakfast. Did complete vet check and x-ray showed a possible ulcer. Stopped dry food and bought THK food that I add my own raw meat, rotating lean beef and turkey with a little sardine. Feeding the low end of the recommended amount. She has never thrown up again, satisfied and not hungry, stopped eating her poop and not itchy. I couldn’t be happier with these results so feel confident to recommend this food. Plan on another x-ray soon and hoping she is clear.

[Jane C]

Dog food recommended and sold in vet clinics contains corn and is not a high quality food. If you are wondering why it is sold in most every clinic it is because the clinic is rewarded by the manufacturer (kick backs). I have been dealing with a similar problem with an 8 yr. old J.R. She has a serious flea allergy, so that is the first thing to address. Even one flea sets her scratching and chewing. I will only use a topical flea treatment when absolutely necessary, otherwise flea comb daily. She is a rough coat so about March I clip her down a bit to help the flea problem. We live in the South and fleas can be awful. My best results have been to feed The Honest Kitchen food that I add my own raw meat. This ensures a balanced diet. On your size dog this could be pricy but it will be worth it in the long run. If you are using steroids please stop as they do so much harm. Start on the low end of the recommended amount and adjust. Then if you begin to see the results start adding back some dry food. I recommend Nature’s Logic as no ingredients sourced from China, all NATURAL ingredients and great company. Ck. out their website. I have 2 other dogs that are doing great on it. Hope this helps. soldiermom1

[misjea]

Have been researching dog foods because I am about to make a change. My goldendoodle is 8 years old and has been on Royal Canin chicken based dry food for entire life (Vet recommended). He has always had itchy skin so considering possible allergy. Had settled on Wellness Core Ocean Formula, but realize he is actually a senior now. Any recommendations?

[aquariangt]

Are you talking about this?

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/hills-science-diet-dog-food-adult-dry/

[Jennifer H]

What about using a roational diet with your dog so she doesn’t get bored? Finding 3 or so foods that work well with her and rotating every week or two so she stays interested. You could also look at using wet food toppers (cutting back some of the dry so she doesn’t put on weight) so there’s always something different and enticing her to eat. Just a spoonful or two mixed with the dry does the trick for a lot of dogs, and you can usually stretch the can about a week. I think I saw Farm & Fleet had several nice varieties of canned food, and Walmart also has their Pure Balance line and the Rachael Ray tubs.

[aquariangt]

Blue Buffalo is a bit of a slippery slope around here.

I’ll lead off by saying that the reviews are written in such a way that it is as unbiased as possible, following the same formula for every food. Ingredient Panel, Guaranteed Analysis which Dr Mike and team convert to dry matter to equally rate all foods. That’s all.

On paper, several Blue Buffalo formulas look quite nice.

All of that being said, it is up to the consumer to do the research from there. The forums and the review comments section are great to find out what you need to know. Blue Buffalo has been found to not be so honest about their ingredients, and the ingredient panel isn’t always what’s in the bag. Many, many dogs have had issues that they shouldnt, and people try to figure out why. They also don’t care to disclose information like who manufactures their food (its almost never themselves)

I avoid them like the plague. Taste of the Wild is manufactured by Diamond, a company of just as ill repute as Blue. The ratings are just the start of what you need to look for, and neither of those brands-while rated highly-will ever go near my dogs.

[olivia m]

We’re new and don’t know where this should be posted, but here goes. We went to Editor’s Choice after joining to change our pet food from Purina1 and Little Ceaser (sp?) and from this site we linked to Whole Earth Farms and ordered a case of Chicken & Turkey Recipe (it got 5 stars). And we ordered both wet and dry. In all we spent about $65.00. Of the 12 cans, we now have 10 (9 sealed/1 open). The other half cans we threw out. They won’t touch the stuff no matter how we dressed it up. Plain, mixed with the dry, green beans (their favorite), grated cheese. Nothing. The won’t touch this stuff and this isn’t an inexpensive brand. Can anyone advise us about what to do?

[Keith L]

Can someone please help!
I have a mix breed 11/2 year old female dog. She has always been a picky eater, but she no longer eats. There is nothing wrong physically with her as far as I can tell, she still plays and seems happy, but maybe she will eat an ounce or so a day!
I have tried different brands of dry and wet food, expensive and grocery store brands. I have even made my own food, but she will not eat!

I can not sit back and watch a dog starve its self, and please don’t say a dog will not do that… I am watching it happen!

I have tried sitting with her while the food is out, tried putting her in a separate quiet room with her food, tried feeding her in her crate… nothing works!

PLEASE HELP!!!

[cms60]

I used Dog Food Advisor years ago when my sweet Betty was first diagnosed with allergies. Wish your site was active then! I’m going to have to try something new now, so I’m glad to have it! The only allergy Betty has that isn’t listed is peanuts, but they don’t seem to be in any of the foods she can have otherwise since you kindly listed the ingredients.

Here is my problem: She is now a little older and the vet says she has an alarmingly high Calcium Oxalate concentration in her urine. They recommend the prescription dog foods, but the only ones she can have with her allergies are the wet ones, and I’m not a fan of the all wet diet. My dogs have always had great teeth, and I can’t discount the fact that I make them crunch some of their food. I add anything wet immediately before they eat.

Her allergies are: alfalfa, barley, carrots, peas, rice, soy, sunflower, and peanuts. My personal research indicates she could benefit from a diet higher in protein, sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and moisture and contents with decreased urine acidifying potential. The dry food has a greater potential for problem than wet (no moisture). In contrast, there is some evidence that diets higher in fats and lower in protein and potassium are likely to increase urine acidity and cause the Ca Oxalate to precipitate out.

Do you have any suggestions about this since you seem to have thoroughly studied the ingredients? I have been feeding Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream formulation for years. Currently, I am adding a lot of water to it to increase water intake.

Thanks!
Carolyn S.

[Anonymous]

She had a 2 for tyrophagus putrescentiae.
http://purelypetcare.blogspot.com/2012/02/what-are-storage-mites.html
Commonly referred to as the mold mite, tyrophagus putrescentiae is a grain storage mite. Increased moisture and humidity are the perfect environment for storage mites to develop. Colonization of the storage mite generally goes unnoticed until your dog or cat develops symptoms. Such mites are often found in dry kibble dog and cat foods as well as boxed pet treats.

[Phil L]

I have an eight-year old Welsh Terrier that has a history of both pancreatitis and calcium oxalate bladder stones. He’s been on several Science Diet Prescription Dog foods, like W/D Dry and I/D Low Fat Canned, and neither have prevented either the stones or the pancreatitis. Most experts say the food treatment for one condition is diametrically opposed to the food treatment for the other. One post I read suggested mixing Evangers Chicken and Rice Canned with Wellness Core Low Fat Dry. Evangers food is not the Editors’ Choice List, but Wellness Core Reduced Fat is. Does anyone have a suggestion to replace the Evangers, or does anyone have a completely different suggestion for a food or foods that would be okay for both conditions? Thanks in advance!

[Nancy k]

Found this site, spent time researching a 5 star option… Merrick… Our 2 yr old yellow lab has been eating a 2.5-3 star IAMs dry food… We feed 1 cup 2x/day… Tonite gave her 1/4 cup new food and 3/4 old… 20 minutes later she left it in our hallway. Any suggestions? Not a smart idea to go from 3 to 5 star? Too much for her system?

[crazy4cats]

Hey-
Welcome to the club! Pretty much everyone on here is obsessed! I don’t really feel qualified to comment much on protein levels for a dog with a health condition. There are others on this site with some actual education in the field that may be more helpful. Generally speaking, however, a healthy senior dog is recommended to be fed a higher more quality protein level because they start to lose the ability to process it as well. Just like us humans. But as far as feeding the same brands of dry and wet together, it is not necessary. I feed mine all different brands of canned. Mostly Kirkland, 4Health, and Pure Balance Stews. I buy Wellness if I have a coupon! I mostly feed Victor kibble and they don’t make canned food. Welcome to DFA!

[Cheryl H]

Hi Crazy4cats. I just read some of the posts you referred me to regarding food rotations and I now have another question. During Winston’s recent illness my vet stated that since he is 7-1/2 years old, he should eat a diet lower in protein. She also recommended “senior” dog foods, specifically Science diet.9 Before he got sick I had already purchased a bag of Fromms 4 Star Grain Free Lamb and Lentils and fed him a small amount to start a transition process away from the Blue Buffalo. Although I’ve read there is controversy over her assertion regarding lowering protein levels for older dogs, I decided to try Wellness Simple rather than Fromm’s because of the lower protein content and because he is still under her care. I am going to mix Wellness Simple canned with Wellness Simple dry. I am considering a Fromm’s rotation, but the Fromm’s canned that I hoped to try is hard to find locally and I’d like to try a couple of test cans before committing to the rotation. Should the same brand and formula of the dog food be used when feeding a canned/dry mix?

Did I mention I’m obsessed?

[crazy4cats]

Hi Cheryl-
I think that adding canned to dry food is a great idea for every dog and especially important for a dog that has had urinary issues. The extra moisture helps keep the tract “flushed” out.
I add canned food to my dogs’ kibble meals every morning. Yes, you will have to decrease the amount of kibble you feed to compensate for the canned you are adding. I don’t go by the guide lines on the bag. I go by calories. I just figure that most of the kibble I feed is about 400 calories a cup and most of the canned I feed is about 400 calories per can. So when I feed them 1/4 of a can, I decrease their kibble by 1/4 cup. Even though some of the kibble and canned I feed, have different calories, I still use this equation and it seems to work out fine. If your pup starts to gain then feed a little less or visa versa.

For my dogs’ evening meals, I usually add some fresh ingredients such as eggs, sardines or left overs.

If the guidelines on the bag work for you, then… better yet! Wellness is a great brand. I hope it works out for you. Good luck!

[Cheryl H]

Does anyone have a recommendation for how to determine a good ratio of canned to dry food? During one of my dog’s regular exams, three years ago, he had struvite crystals and was put on a Hills prescription diet. Once the tests reflected the crystals were no longer a problem, I switched to a Blue Buffalo dry formula. Since then there have been no struvite problems. However, due to some problems with bad bags(?) of BB and some potential food allergies I am switching him to Wellness Simple Turkey and Potato. I have read that canned food may help prevent urinary problems due to higher water content, however I would like to try a combination of canned and dry food. Wellness provides guidelines for a canned/dry mix, but they’re confusing. We’ve adjusted the recommended daily amounts of the foods we’ve been feeding him to avoid unacceptable weight gain. I assume we’ll need to do that for Wellness as well.

[Mgt Terry D]

I have used Natures Domain for years without any problems in any of my dogs.
Would switch occasionally for variety. Fed both dry and canned and my dogs today do the happy dance when I give them Kirkland dog bones.

I was in touch with Costco and know a few people that work for them…when this rumor came out Costco issued a memo to all stores explaining there was nothing wrong with the food or the manufacturing Diamond plant.
Inspections where made and they where given a high rating ….no issues.
Costco will also take back any product for any reason and reimburse the member on the spot….The person who found mold on the dog bones should have returned them..that could have been caused by moisture on the floor of Costco or in the home .

[Mgt Terry D]

My GSD/Wolfdog is the same way !! Currently feeding Wellness Core Dry I should say trying to feed…I have to add cooked chopped beef with veggies ( green)) for him to eat .
Have tried to add variety with Taste of the Wild Dry and canned Wellness Core Bison/Venison…he walks away
I also have a Rottweiler who eats anything! As puppies I fed twice a day dry only then occasionally added healthy food toppers…or mixed with canned : Taste of the Wild and when they where bored with TOTW I switched to Kirkland Natures Domain canned and dry which my WD loved but found I needed to cook his food and mix it in order for him to eat.
Now they both eat only at the dinner hour about 6 PM I should say my Rottweiler eats and my WD once every three days and it has to have cooked meat included. the WD is underweight ..I am at wits end to.. and looking forward to any suggestions you should receive. Thanks for letting me include my problem with yours

[Sherron H]

Just over two years ago, I rescued a Chihuahua. At the time, she had been eating Purina
something or other (the one with the freeze-dried chicken in it.) She seemed to tolerate it OK, but I still weaned her to something better without problems. After about
a year and a half when she started shedding profusely, we started looking for something that didn’t cause her to shed. We went through BB, NB, and several others that I can’t remember. All the better quality foods seemed to have a high caloric content. In my quest to find a food that didn’t make her shed, I caused her to gain about six pounds. We are now on a grain free food and she has lost about two pounds. But, I can tell that she’s hungry all the time. I hate this. I feel like the wicked witch of the canine world, and Poppy is just hungry. BTW, we are now on 1/2 Wellness Core grain free weight management(wet) , and 1/2 Nutrish Grain Free (dry) (on the list.)
Sometimes she has tears coming from her eyes, and a clear nasal discharge which I think is due to the weeds in the back yard.
Any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks

[Chris G]

Hello,

I was just wondering what peoples thoughts were of the vets all natural complete mix? http://www.vetsallnatural.com.au/CMsheet.pdf

We were thinking of using it as a substitute for our dogs dry food and mix in with his raw meat (barf). He seems to have gone off and not eat his holistic select dry food.

Thank yoU!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Alan-
The original Kirkland pate canned food that comes in both chicken and lamb is still available in the NW region. But, you are right, the Cuts in Gravy is no longer available. I still have a case of it left, however. I believe all of the Nature’s Domain foods both wet and dry are reviewed on the review side of this site. I’m not sure why the KS Nature’s Domain Stew is not on the budget friendly list. Use the following form if you wish to request a review:

/contact-us/suggest-dog-food-review/

[Dawn R]

My puppy Bella is an 8 month old 9 pound schnoodle that has been suffering from severe diarrhea accompanied by occasional blood & mucus as well as vomiting since November 2014. I have spent thousands of dollars at the vet to eliminate other possibilities such as addisons, parvo, liver shunt etc etc. She had giardia when she was very little and treated with metronidizole. Good news is so far all tests are good (liver enzymes very slightly elevated as is potassium), bad news is we still don’t have a definitive diagnosis, however the vet seems pretty sure it is colitis/IBD/HGE. What the vets are not helping me with is putting her on a diet other than the Hills W/D which she doesnt want to eat. I started her on Merrick dry kibble when I first took her home. When she stopped eating that, I mixed in Merrick wet food. This worked for a month before she had terrible diarrhea. In addition she seem to be allergic to something in the merrick food which caused a chronic cough & eye discharge. Then She went on Natures VAriety for a short while, but would ONLY eat the freeze dried raw bits and not the kibble. So because of this I then I put her on Stella & Chewys freeze dried lamb & duck patties. That also worked for about a month and then she had another bout, this time extremely severe. Through each bout (which seems to happen 1-2 times per month) they put her back on metronidizole again, so I never really get the chance to see if a food is working or not. Vet wanted to try the whole novel protein diet and put her on Hills prescription D/D. Tried it for 2 weeks and she would not touch it and lost 1.5 pounds. At that point I gave up and needed to just get food into her system so I put her back on Merrick but this time tried the grain free duck. One week into it and she started back with diarrhea again and is now back on metronidizole. This time the vet wants me to put her on Hills W/D because of the low fat/high fiber. I already use a probiotic (restore) and give her a tablespoon of pumpkin everyday (which incidentally seems to make the diarrea worse). Took her off all bully sticks (still love the brand BEST bully stick, but never again). No treats either. I have read extensively and there seems to be many different opinions on what to give a dog with GI inflammation of sorts. I have read everything from Canine cavier to Addiction and more. Having had signed up for the editors choice, I am hoping for some good solid recommendations. I do not want to give her Merrick or Hills anymore. Cost is not an issue, but I don’t think puppies this tiny are ok with raw food (just my experience since the worst she ever was when I fed her Stella & Chewys, even though I think its a great product for most). She is going in for spay surgery on May 7th (health permitting) and the vet is saying if I am not able to regulate her with diet in the next month that they want to do an intestinal biopsy which I have a real problem with especially if the intestine is ALREADY inflamed. I have an appointment for her with a holistic vet tomorrow and am really hoping to get some suggestions that I can speak to the holistic vet about. I have read all about pre/pro biotics, digestive enzymes, glucose, fructose, hypoallergenic, L-glutamine and plan to ask the holistic vet which of those she thinks I should try, but I find it troubling that I have not gotten any viable food options from my vet to date. Any advice would be greatly appreciated by Baby Bella & her Mom!

• This topic was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Dawn R.
• This topic was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Dawn R.
• This topic was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Dawn R.

[Lori]

cdubau, Fromm’s also has a new kibble http://frommfamily.com/products/gold/dog/dry/#gold-coast-weight-management

It looks to be similar in protein, fat, etc. but whitefish and salmon meal first 2 ingredients.

Here’s some info on calculating carbs from Dr. Mike:

How to Estimate the Carbohydrate
Content of Any Dog Food

So, if knowing the carb content is important to you — and it should be — here’s a quick and easy way to estimate the amount of carbohydrates in any dog food — yourself.

Basically, all foods contain the same four major nutrients — known as macronutrients:

Proteins
Fats
Carbohydrates
Moisture (water)

In addition, all foods also contain ash — the non-combustible mineral residue remaining after burning away all the protein, fat and carbs.

Ash content can vary — but typically measures about five to eight percent for most dog foods1 .

So, for consistency, we routinely use 8 percent as a benchmark for this important variable (ash) throughout this site.

Making the Calculation

When making this calculation, it’s important to keep in mind the following scientific principle:

Protein + fat + ash + carbohydrate + water must always equal 100 percent of the total pre-cooking weight of any dog food.

So, you can use simple math to reveal the missing amount on any other variable — which in this case of a pet food would be the carbohydrates.

Simply start with 100 percent and subtract the percentage for each of the known macronurients.

By the way, you can ignore the fiber content because fiber is a type of carbohydrate and would be automatically included in your carbohydrate calculation.

Here’s an Example

Say a particular dog food contains 26% protein, 14% fat and 10% water. How much carbohydrate should we expect to find in that product?

To estimate the amount of carbohydrate present in this example, simply start with a total of 100 percent. Then subtract the protein, fat and moisture percentages.

And of course, don’t forget to allow for an ash content of about 8 percent, too.

So, your math would look like this:

Carbohydrates = 100% – 26% – 14% – 10% – 8% = 42%

In other words, if you subtract all the “known” nutrients, you’d be left with the missing variable — carbohydrates — which in our example would be about 42 percent.

[Thomas K]

I am wondering what would be the most reasonably priced Large Breed Puppy food that is of good quality?

While i’d like to say that price doesn’t matter, the reality is whether its for our own well being or that of our pets, unless you are just one of the fortunate few to have a fat checkbook, price does matter.

any recommendations for good food with more recent reviews would be nice. My breeder recommends Iams Large Breed. this food will be for a Lab puppy.

Thanks!

• This topic was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Thomas K.
• This topic was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Thomas K.

[Nate D]

I’ve been researching dog food again and I still come back to the Fromm Whitefish and Potato recipe that their nutritionist even recommended. The ingredients are well balanced imo and their target ph levels are lower then most foods. The whitefish one does have some grain, but some are acidifying, plus it has cranberries and blueberries. http://frommfamily.com/products/four-star/dog/dry/#whitefish-and-potato I’ve always been high on Fromm.
I think I’m going to stick with it. I just need to check the ph levels correctly and at the right times and go from there.

[Sandra F]

Hi, I would like to nominate Canadae Grain Free Dry Dog Food. I feed this to my two Brittany Spaniels. It was rated 5 star on another list on this site but not on Editor’s choice. Why was it not on Editor’s Choice and listed as 5 star on the other list.

[Kathleen C]

Several months ago when I joined the Advisor group we were told the carb amounts for all Wellness dog foods straight from Wellness itself. The carbs they listed for the Core Reduced Fat was As Fed: 34.19%, Dry Matter: 37.16%. So the 42% is not correct as least as far as Wellness says. I’ve had Jack on this for months without very much lose at all and have been looking to change. So far I’ve not found anything with higher protein, lower fat and low carbs. More exercise would be good, but he’s just not that active a dog even at the dog park. Like cdubau I would like some other choices as well.

[Annette L]

I am getting a new female boxer puppy who is 2 1/2 months old. She is currently on NutriSource dry and wet combination. Is there a better dog food for her?

[Marlyne P]

Kirkland Signature Dry Food

[zcRiley]

CANIDAE® GRAIN FREE PURE SKY® DRY FORMULA DOG FOOD (Duck)
or
Wellness “Simple Limited Ingredient Diet” in Grain Free (Turkey & Potato Formula).

Stay away from Hills anything.

[q m]

No…no raw pork. I was feeding my dog Eagle Pack, and the vet told us that was NOT good because it contains pork.

Also, i see a lot of the chewables are of pork (rawhides, ears, etc). What is the consensus on these pork items? So far, I’ve stuck with beef chewables, from what the Vet said about pork.
My dog has been eating the Iams adult dry food for the last 2 years with no known issues…only rated a 3 of 5 here.
Thanks
QM

[Cheryl H]

I’m confused. My dog,Winston, is recovering from an illness that I thought might have resulted from a “bad bag” of Blue Basics. His blood work indicated an elevated level of calcium. We’re waiting for results of additional tests. In the meantime, Winston is eating prescription food– Hills I/D GI formula. I had decided to transition Winston to Fromm grain free lamb & lentil dry food, based on positive posts and reviews of Fromm products. Yesterday my vet said I should switch to a lower protein adult formula and specifically recommended Science Diet. Winston is a 7-1/2 year old Llasa Apso mix. Any suggestions for a good quality food with an appropriate protein level?

[AJ A]

Thanks for all your opinions and experiences, I am glad I received replies.
I won’t ever go back to kibble EVER.
And I don’t run to the Vet all the time. I am organic myself since 15 yrs and haven’t seen a doctor since. Not even once!
I use common sense and needed to see if my case was only happening to my pup. As I can see it is definitely the water in the meat. Thats why they dont need to drink as much water as they do with kibble. Today I controlled a little the water intake and he pees less often, but still bigger spots than before and specially after feeding the chicken. He is doing just fine and has top energy, his coat started shining and it is growing faster than it was 1 month ago.
Before I switched to raw I did a deep education to be prepared, asking raw feeding breeders all over from Australia to Germany, checked everything online and started to understand that raw diet should not contain veggies neither grains like the BARF diet.. Wolves dont get a complete balanced diet everyday, neither do we and certainly they wont be searching for carrots, spinach and grains in their habitat. They receive the fermented enzymes from the digested food of their prey’s tripe, thats the good stuff, thats what they will eat first, thats where lots of balanced nutrients are.
When starting a raw diet with puppies (especially small breed) you best start with chicken, because low fat and easier digested than ground beef. Because I tried both, beef (grass fed 95%lean) and chicken. He regurgitated the whole ground beef everytime he ate it. He never did with the chicken. The wing helps cleaning his teeth and he gets supplements from the core of the bone and calcium.1 egg a week for breakfast. I give bone meal since he does not yet get enough bones in his food yet. Once he is used to the chicken and wings/necks I will start to join some liver and heart and green tripe little by little to not upset his digestion. Than we will do the same with duck, lamb and rabbit including organ and muscle meat as well. Of course a meaty bone everyday or 3 times a week.
Once established his likes than we can start feeding 1 day chicken, next duck and so on. I forgot the fish. Some fresh fish once a week is important as well.
I think probiotics , enzymes and clay are a must have in the kitchen. So is ionic silver and therapeutic grade essential oils like geranium, peppermint, frankincense and lemon. When they get lose stool some clay with enzymes/probiotics and diarrhea is cleared.
I use ionic silver to disinfect drinking water, once in a while internal against parasites and to clear my Shih Tzu’s eyes (14yrs). He suffers dry eyes and since he is on raw diet as well since 2 weeks his dry eye symptoms are already totally gone!! Yeahhhh! Now I hope to see changes in his coat like color and softness. His constant fear should disappear as well and his appetite should get better and better. I really hope to gain some more years of his company. I love him so much and hope we can gain back as much health as he has lost due to those bad kibble diet. He lost some of his hair on his back and I truly hope the high protein intake will fix most of his problems.
I stopped using vaccines on my Shih Tzu since 10yrs, neither I believe in spaying/neuter dogs. My pup received vaccines from her Vet, he won’t ever receive any other vaccines in his life. I dont believe it does any good, not for pets and neither for humans. Build up a healthy immune system and eat organic food and you will be fine!!! Same for dogs. THEY ARE DOGS NOT HUMANS!!! THEY DESERVE TO EAT HOW NATURE DESIGNED THEM TO.

[Mark M]

Buddy is 8 years old and has always had allergies. He is a Lab/Pit mix we rescued from the pound 2 days before he was to be “put down” when he was 12 weeks old. With our Vet, we have tried Apoquel, and Hydroxyzine, both expensive and minimal help. We feed him Blue Buffalo Healthy Weight Adult dry. He weighs 90 pounds. Can anyone help with dry food and biscuit advise? Home cooked is not an option.

[losul]

Aimee, I tried a search on “protein dehydrating” and “protein dehydrating in dogs” all I came up with was an article or two pertaining to humans and high consumption of protein.

It’s interesting though that I found this article, that said this;

“Other potential factors behind polydipsia and polyuria are low protein diets,”

http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/urinary/c_multi_polydipsia_polyuria

K-Rae, I couldn’t come up with much info on the ingredients in carnivora.ca from their website, not sure, but I get the feeling from reading on it that they are against any carbs in the food? Regardless, I would be trying a different raw diet, and don’t be afraid to to use a good balanced one that does include some moderate carbs, they might do much better on it. It could be that your dogs are still drinking in excess as part of a learned/ingrained behavior from dry food days. I agree with the others though that this polyuria should be reason for concern, and should be investigated further. Seeking vet care/tests would be best, but you could at least do a phone consultation with a vet that knows raw feeding, and then go from there.

AJ, you CANNOT feed your 12 week old puppy nothing but chicken breast and wings, if that’s what you are saying. He will DEFINITELY have malnutrition disorders if you do so, and I would strongly suggest getting him back on a complete and balanced diet.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know much about raw diets. But, I am wondering if some of the dry food/kibble (even good quality) have a high sodium content. A decrease in sodium might lead to an increase in urination, I think.

[Anonymous]

Nutrisca had a recall recently, salmonella. None of the dry fish foods were involved, it had something to do with the chicken.

This didn’t bother me and I will continue to buy their product, but I thought I should mention it.

[Anonymous]

Have you considered a homemade diet http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

I have never tried Acana, can she have a little bit of plain homemade chicken broth poured on the dry? I have heard good things about Acana, but some of these foods are expensive. I can’t get beyond the price tag.

[aquariangt]

Hi Susan,

As stated to you already in this thread, the Duck and Potato is already covered in this review:

/dog-food-reviews/4health-grain-free-dog-food-dry/

Being that it has no note saying it is a different star rating than the overall coverage of the review, it has the same star rating as the whitefish and potato

[Susan C]

PLEASE EVALUATE THESE 2 TRACTOR SUPPLY, DRY, GRAIN FREE 4HEALTH FOODS:
1. CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES, DRY, GF – MADE BY DIAMOND, BUT IT ALSO HAS PROBIOTICS, GLUCOSOMINE & CHONDROITIN. SO IT IS NOT LIKE THE WHITEFISH ONE AT ALL. AND

2. THE TS, DRY, GRAIN FREE DUCK AND POTATO, BY AINSWORTH. HAS LOT OF VEGS AND FRUITS, BUT NO PROBIOTICS. AGAIN, NOT LIKE THE WHITEFISH ONE AT ALL.

I WOULD LOVE IT IF YOU WOULD SPECIFICALLY EVALUATE THESE 2 PLEASE.

Susan C. in VA

[James K]

Hi,

I’ve been feeding my 17 weeks old Maltipoo puppy Wellness Core Puppy since he’s 8 weeks. He’s 6 lbs now and full of energy (too much sometimes). He used to gobble down the food within a few minutes, but lately he has been less enthusiastic about his food. I was wondering should I switch to dry food with less protein? Wellness Core is at no less than 36% protein. Any other recommendations for small breeds?

Thanks in advance.

James

[Flowers]

So I wonder how can Acana be so good if dogs are having such hard dry stools on it?
Would fibre be grain, rice or oats? I know a lot of dog foods have these and I wondered why or if they are just there to bulk a food out? I like the pumpkin cube idea I don’t know if we can get canned pumpkin in the uk but I could cook one and purée it then freeze into ice cubes would that be the way? Also do you defrost the ice cube first?

[theBCnut]

My old Jack Russell has to have fiber added to her food when she is fed a high protein food. Her stools are dry and hard otherwise. She does really great on Acana, as long as I add some pumpkin to it. I just get a can and freeze it into ice cubes and drop a pumpkin ice cube into her meal. She loves it and it works great.