[Sassy L]

Well you convinced me to make the trip to Tractor Supply. I got to big Fosters in this week and am out of dry food. I was going to try it but will make the trip.
I usually get 4health Salmon and Potato and 35 lb bag is 36.99. Sign up for email and stock up when 5.00 off . you can’t beat the quality for the price. You can buy online with I think 50.00 total free shipping. Better then anything I saw mentioned her though I did scan after puke, blood, diarrhea… I have fostered dogs for 30 Plus years and I get the salmon or whitefish bc if your getting aggression or skin issues it is the liver meridian that needs calming and these are both cooling flavors.

[Patricia A]

This was an eye opener of the standards to meet AAFCO requirements.
No Proof!

Until recently, I was under a false impression – and no pet food company representative hastened to correct it! I thought if a food had a “nutrient values” claim on its label, its maker would have to submit proof that the food inside the can or bag actually contains nutrients in the required amounts. I guess I assumed the products would be tested by third party laboratories and the results would be filed with state feed control officials.

I was wrong.

The actual requirement is this: A company representative must sign and have notarized an affidavit that states, “This product meets the nutrient levels established in the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for (growth/reproduction, maintenance, or all life stages).” And then they have to keep a copy of that affidavit.

That’s it. Seriously.

No lab test results or analysis of the nutrients confirming that the statement is true are required.

And the affidavit doesn’t even get filed with the state! It just has to be kept “on file” in the company’s own files!

No kidding: The company has to, in effect, pinky swear that their products meet the required nutrient levels. And consumers have to just trust that the products do.

Editorial: I don’t think that’s right. I don’t think that’s sufficient.

Why This Matters

This matters because most dogs get most (if not all) of their nutrients from commercial food. They are a captive audience, literally. They are not free to select their own foods, they can’t follow their instincts to drive them to ingredients that contain any nutrients they may be lacking. What’s more, many owners are warned by their veterinarians and other pet professionals against feeding any table scraps or “human food” to dogs. And pet food companies encourage owners to feed their products and only their products, and to use extreme caution when switching products, lest the dog explode (or something) from diarrhea (or something).

Put another way: If most dogs eat a single type of food and nothing but that food, shouldn’t their owners be able to verify that the food truly contains every nutrient their dogs need?

Raising the Bar

I’ve long believed that, for the reasons above, consumers ought to be able to ask for and readily receive a complete nutrient analysis of their dogs’ food – to make sure that the diet contains adequate (and not excessive) amounts of the nutrients that experts agree dogs need – and that was before I knew that it was possible that products that are labelled as “complete and balanced” might not be.

Last year, we surveyed the dog food companies whose products met our selection criteria and asked this question: “Do you make a complete nutrient analysis for each of your products available to consumers? If so, are the analyses available only upon request, or is this information on your website?” As it turned out, very few of the companies had nutrient analyses readily available, and some of the ones that said they had them available were not able (or perhaps not willing) to produce them.

So, this year, we sent the pet food companies whose products have been on our “approved canned dog food” list an email that said, “There will be one significant change in how we will select and present the ‘approved’ foods on our list. This year, we are asking each company to provide us with a fairly recent (within the past year) ‘typical analysis’ for each of the canned dogs foods that they offer, and we will be comparing the values with the AAFCO nutrient profiles for dogs. If we do not receive the analyses, the foods will not appear on our ‘approved foods’ list this year.”

The Results

A few companies promptly sent us what we asked for, and these companies now constitute our gold-star picks – our top-rated producers of canned foods. See the “2016 Canned Dog Food Review” for a list of these companies.

In contrast, there were other companies we didn’t hear back from. We are more than willing to give them the benefit of the doubt; maybe they didn’t receive our email? Maybe our phone message got lost? If they respond in the next few months, we will update their information here.

We heard from a few companies that said they would be happy to get this information to us, but they needed more time. So, for them, too, we’re going to reserve space in the next few issues to update their information.

Quite a few companies sent us something that’s close to what we asked for; quite a few sent us nutrient analyses of their products that were generated by computer software. Different companies use different programs to generate these analyses, but they all work in a similar fashion: The programs are loaded with nutrient values for every dog food ingredient you can dream of, and then a formula for a given dog food is entered – so many pounds of this, so many ounces of that, etc. – and the software calculates the amount of nutrients that will be in the resulting food.

Literally every company has these software-driven analyses – projections, really – of their formulas, because that’s how pet food is formulated today. The concern is, how do these projections pan out when compared to actual laboratory analysis of the nutrients?

We put this question to a number of pet food experts – including formulators and pet food company owners – and the answer was, it depends on a lot of things, including:

How closely the food manufacturer hews to the recipe for the food;
What software is used to analyze the recipe;
Whether or not the software takes into account chemical reactions between ingredients that take place when the food is mixed or cooked – reactions that might cause certain nutrient values to test at different levels than the software would predict; and
Whether the pet food company routinely tests their raw ingredients in a laboratory and enters updated nutrient values for those ingredients into the software.
All of these are reasons why computer-generated analyses might return very different values than a laboratory test of the actual dog food.

So, even though these computer-generated analyses are not exactly what we asked for, we’re going to give the companies that sent them to us the benefit of the doubt, too. For now, they still appear on the list of our “approved canned dog foods” that starting on page 8. If they, too, send us actual laboratory test results for their products, we’ll upgrade their status to our gold-star list in upcoming issues.

But we’re also giving all the companies a heads-up: Only the pet food makers that provide lab analyses of their products will appear on our list of “approved dry dog foods” in the February issue.

[Christie B]

My American Bulldog mix has a history of occasional stomach upset that causes excessive drooling that I have to use Pepcid to treat. I thought it was pretty random, usually occurring 1-2 times a month. But I’ve noticed that it tends to happen as we get towards the end of a large bag of dry food (my vet had suggested rotating every 1-2 bags). Rotation helped a lot, as did avoiding chicken.

It seems that issues starts once we’re a few weeks into a bag of food. Picking up stools yesterday, I noticed that they were pretty soft and one had mucus inside. Both dogs have been going to town on eating grass, but that’s pretty normal for them (and I don’t use any chemicals on my lawn or garden). Could it have something to do with sticking with the same formula for too long? I’ve been rotating every 2 bags, but maybe I should rotate every bag instead…

My vet also suggested Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula .
Do any of the ingredients look suspect?

Salmon, barley, ground rice, canola meal, oatmeal, fish meal (source of glucosamine), animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, brewers dried yeast, salmon meal (source of glucosamine), natural flavor, sunflower oil, chicory root inulin, salt, fish oil, Vitamin E supplement, niacin (Vitamin B-3), Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate (Vitamin B-5), pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), folic acid (Vitamin B-9), Vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Vitamin D-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement (Vitamin B-2), menadione sodium bisulfite complex (Vitamin K), biotin (Vitamin B-7), potassium chloride, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (Vitamin C), and choline chloride

[Christie B]

There’s this one Blue Buffalo rep that stalks around my local Petsmart. I went there the other day to pick up food for my dogs and my mother’s dogs. Her dogs eat BB Lamb dry food and wet food. He gave me coupons for both. But then he noticed that I had Merrick dry and wet food in the cart and started bashing it, going on and on about the superiority of BB.

Now, I’m not particularly a fan of either food. My vet dislikes BB, and attributes some of my 1 dog’s weight gain years back to when I fed him BB large breed food. I think that their commercials are just about as misleading as the big corporate brands’ commercials are.

I’m not even the biggest fan of Merrick and I know a lot of people on this site aren’t. But it seems like they are the only brand that both my picky eaters will eat and I have far less episodes of digestive discomfort/excessive drooling from my 1 dog. The food works for them, so I wind up buying the food.

But I hate to be talked down to by a person whose only interest is his company’s profits.

I wound up telling him that his food made my dog fat…and he had no comeback. lol.

[malinda r]

I have a dog that has had frequent issues with recurring diarrhea, vomiting, mucus stools, etc. I would just say after that long bout of diarrhea a lot of foods will be irritating right now, even the foods that normally she might do really well on. I can’t tell exactly from your post if you did the ground meat or how long, but it is good to do the ground meat diet 2-3 days and then slowly introduce some other foods.
After feeding my dog ground turkey a couple of days his diarrhea disappears and his bowels are much smaller and less frequent. When I then start to add other foods, it is easy to see if they are agreeable or not if he has reaction, like loose bowel or rumbling/gurgling stomach.

I have had great results for my sensitive dog with Stella&Chewys, health extension cans of wet, Carna4 dry. I also order cooked food from Evermore. If you have to feed a dry due to work/schedule, check out Carna4, it is pretty incredible. I first start feeding it a few months ago, changing nothing else in my dogs diet. As he has transitioned to it fully, his BM is so much smaller and compact, which from what I read is considered healthy.

Try to be as preventative as possible. If I notice a loose bowel or lots of trips outside I immediately start feeding ground meat, before the dog gets to a stage of vomiting with the diarrhea. It seems like at a certain point a vet trip is unavoidable, so I try to not let him get to that stage. My dog had several vet trips with antibiotics the first year to second year I had him, and the antibiotics are not helpful long term. Since I have starting watching more closely and acting quickly he has done so well. I think he has vomited1-2 times in the past 3 years, which is amazing considering how frequent it was the first year I had him.

My dog also has a reaction to his heartworm med, which is monthly for him, something for you to think about. You might record when he gets different meds for what and see if there is any physical effects for the couple of days following.

[joanne l]

Hi Pinky, I am glad that your dog seems to be doing okay on the Instinct lamb food. As far as the ground meat I would get 85% lean ground beef, boil it and drain it, that way you are draining the fat out. You will probably find it will work. If it does and her system seems to be getting better, start adding dog food a little at a time. I don’t know if you are considering dry food, but if you do try the Natures Instinct lamb limited ingredient. Hopefully it will work out. Do this before you spend any more money on the vet. If this doesn’t work than go back to the vet. But I am almost certain that this will work. Let me know how you make out.
Sometimes Pinkly, if it is a food intolerance or allergy only you can find out, the vet won’t know because you are the one who feeds the dog and being observant can help a lot. Other than that blood work can determine and allergy but I don’t think it can find a food intolerance. Food intolerance is trail and error. Well I feel you are getting some where, you know chicken is a problem, one step in the right direction.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Pinky, did you noticed this started with the Ultra chicken formula? When you started the meds did you still give the dry food? Don’t give any dry food until you see a solid stool. Give the homemade I mentioned. When you see a solid stool for a few days than give the new dry slowly, which ever one you choose. The system needs a rest from dry food for a few days. Mucus sometimes means a food intolerance or an irritation. I would stay away from the Ultra chicken formula you were using. I feel bad for you and the dog, I am trying my best to give you the best advice I know. I hope your dog gets better. Please let me know how it turns out.

[joanne l]

First off I am well over 18 years old, and I am a medical Assistant. What gave you the idea that I tried so many foods?? I research a lot of them but did not try. Second all I ask of you and others. is have you tried Nutrisource and does anyone have experience with the food. Third I know every dog is different, but I still like to hear what others are saying and than I will make up my own mind. Forth, my dog does not have issues like you are saying, he is a GSD. Fifth, you think I am 18 years old, and yet you don’t understand certain questions. Yes I have changed diets once in a great while. I had said I rotate can food, but I guess it some how was misunderstood for dry food. I won’t bother asking any more questions. However, I will try to help others if I can.
Oh and one more thing, my dog is a chow hound , meaning he likes to eat. When he doesn’t like a food it is for a reason, not that he is sick. I know my dog better than you. So how can you give advice to see a specialist? Thank you for not responding.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by joanne l.

[Jerrie S]

95Yes
Mine is allergic to everything
I actually had an allergy test done to try and figure out what was going on

He is allergic to beef chicken vesison salmon and peas and corn wheat milk

I have only been able to find one dry and one wet food
The Earthborn Holistic dry Alaskan pollack formula and the wet food K95 with Turkey it is also Earthborn Holistic
Neither of these have peas or an of the other stuff mine is allergic to.
I have to make his treats try finding a treat without wheat I just make little balls of his wet food and keep in the fridge.

Good Luck

if you can afford it I couldn’t but had to do it get the allergy test at least you will know for sure I was pretty sure ours was environmental for the most part and that is all they can desensitize them to but at least if you know the food allergy you know what to look for.

it is very hard to find anything without peas if you do please let me know

[Karen G]

My young chiweenie Jake has IBD and has been on Royal Canin hydrolyzed dry and wet food since he was diagnosed. It’s a major struggle getting him to eat this stuff! To me the canned food looks like plastic, and it all stinks. I can’t blame Jake for turning up his nose! I can’t imagine hydrolyzed food only being made by one company. I’m not concerned about whether or not it’s prescription. I’d just like to buy something that Jake doesn’t sniff and walk away from. It’s sad because he used to twirl ’round and ’round when it was time to eat. Now he stays in another room and must be coerced into eating this stuff (by adding pumpkin, sweet potato or banana, and those don’t work all that well either). I’m not familiar with the “Wholehearted” brand . Is that the best alternative?

[joanne l]

I was wondering if someone gives their dog a vegetarian dry food, but puts their own meat of choice in it will it be better? Example you can one night put chicken in there and then another time you can put beef, and another time you can use salmon and so on. That way they get their vitamins and minerals from the dry food and you add meats. Maybe better?? That way the dog get human grade meats. Maybe less allergies??

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by joanne l.

[aimee]

Hi joanne l

It seems to me oat groats is just another word for whole grain oats so yes the bran, germ and endosperm are included. From the USDA nutrient database it appears that the total dietary fiber for oat groats is similar to other whole grains.

Human nutritionists seem to agree that whole grains are more healthful than their refined counterparts. so it surprised me that the nutritionist you talked to seems to be advising against them.

In regards to digestibility I found one comparative study done in dogs and oat groats had high digestibility. on par with other grains commonly used in dog foods. Not sure what exactly you mean by “hard to digest”, I’m guess you mean low total digestibility. Perhaps you can post a link to the study that reported that.

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9fdb/1bb6f38f99956f823489c7980024aebfd216.pdf

from the abstract:

“Most dry dog foods are based on cereals, but very little published information and few comparative studies are available on the nutritive value of various cereals in dogs. To determine the apparent nutrient digestibilities and feed values of five different autoclave-processed and ground cereals: oat groats, barley, wheat, corn and rice, a digestibility trial was carried out on twelve adult huskies ac-cording to a 6 × 4 cyclic changeover design. Total tract organic matter (OM), crude carbohydrate and gross energy (GE) digestibilities were higher in rice than in all the other cereals. Apparent crude protein (CP) and acid hydrolyzed fat digestibilities of rice (80% and 94%, respectively) were as good as for oat groats (81% and 93%). However, oat groats had higher OM, CP and GE digestibilities than barley, wheat and corn. The amount of digestible crude protein (118 g kg-1 DM) was higher in oat groats than in the other cereals. Digestible energy contents (MJ kg-1 DM) of oat groats, rice, corn,wheat and barley were 17.1, 16.0, 15.7, 15.6 and 15.5, respectively. The quantity of excreted wet faeces increased and the percentage of dry matter (DM) in faeces decreased when oat groats, barley,wheat or corn were supplemented to the basal diet, in contrast to rice, which had the opposite effecton wet faeces excretion. Oat groats are good substitutes for rice or other cereals in dry dog foods.”

[Danny S]

Hello, I’ve been searching through dog food reviews to decide on a new brand for my doggy since the one I’m using now is a bit heavy on the wallet for me (Acana Wild Coast which goes for 80$-85$ around here).
Now I came across this company Picart ( https://picartpetcare.com/en/ ) and I have found zero reviews across the internet about any of their food brands, would anyone mind shedding some light on the company quality and why there is no reviews even tho their site claims they’ve been around since 1953?

Many thanks!

[joanne l]

There are reasons why I change DRY foods.
When I was using Purina for 1 year everything was fine, then I bought new bag and he was sooo sick badly. I stopped the food put him on bland diet, he got better than introduce Purina again and bad stool again, so I stopped buying Purina.
I was using wellness dog food everything was fine, than he stopped eating it. Than I used Fromm years back and that was good, but he could not put on weight at all with it. And it was the grain free one. So now I am on Holistic Select. I am sorry, if the dog turns down a food I listen to him. If a company has inconsistent kibble and he gets soft stools I stop. I seen a lot of things over the years with dog food.
Meaning inconsistent kibble/ change in color. Different smell. When I see this I won’t continue to feed it and wait for something to happen. Because the last time I feed kibble that was inconsistent in color and size my dog did not do well with it no more. Yes I can continue to feed kibble like this if I want a sick dog. Today they change recipes like they change underwear. They change manufactures and so on. So call me nuts, but I know what I see. Purina was the only one that I feed that has consistent kibble, however when he got sick off of that bag I was afraid to try it again.

[joanne l]

It is really soft like mushy, hard to pick up on grass. I say I only gave him about 10 kibbles with 1 1/2 cups of his regular dry food. I have not changed foods in a while, he has been eating holistic select dry food since January. I talk about a new foods but haven’t decided yet. This was my first attempt. I have nutrisource in mind if this doesn’t work. I do change wet foods but I know that is not a problem. I been using the same ones for years.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

I think you misunderstood me, he is eating fine. He just don’t really enjoy what dry food I have. He eats treats and can food and he will eat his dry food, but I need to put broth on it. No he is not underweight. I am just trying to find a dry food he enjoys. Thank you for your help and thank you for your concern. The Fromm for some reason is not sitting right with him. I know a few kibbles on new food should not cause a problem, but there is something I guess in there that gave him loose stool. This morning I can him ground beef and rice with his regular dry food. It is funny b/c he did eat his regular dry food, but he wanted the Fromm food. He walked over to the bag and was pawing at it. It is a shame b/c I want to give it to him but not after he had a loose stool from it.

[joanne l]

Well everyone I got Fromm’s new recipe the beef and oats, I gave him just a few kibbles with his regular dry food. He loves it but he had a bad stool. I know it is new but I only gave him a few pieces. There is oat groats in it and whole barley. These grains have the bran still in it. I know bran is a no go for my dog, it is harder to digest than pearled barley and oatmeal. So maybe I will try something else. I wasn’t sure if I should continue with transition with this, if a little bit gave him a bad stool maybe I should forget it. With grains white rice, oatmeal and pearled barley is easier to digest then the “whole grain” dogs digestive track is short and the whole grains take long to digest so my dog seems like he can’t handle it.

[Stefanie F]

Dr Martys NATURE’S BLEND

Any one know of it and have any good or bad thoughts about it?

I have a small dog a bichon weight of around 14/15 pound he is about 8 now.

I have been feeding for morning a tablespoon of fruit yogurt with probiotic powder mixed in. (He was getting 1/2 cup of cheerios but am no longer doing that due to the pesticides in them)

Then at night 1/2 cup of mixed ORIJEN Dry Dog Food, Six Fish, and Acana Meadowlands Dry Dog .

He also gets a lot of table veggies and fruits. He eats what ever I am having for fruit and veggies. So if I have bruss sprouts he gets them that night, If I have salad he will get tomato and cucumber. If I am eating an apple he will have some a well.

He is a good begger.

I have seen the lawsuit info on champion pet foods. I have read about the grain free is bad now. I also know neither ORIJEN or Acana have ever had a recall and it seems like every other brand has. (He eats this out of a a tug-a-jug to slow him down and keep him busy for a half hour)

I am at a total loss of if I am doing good or bad by my dog.

I can not go raw, and I do not have the time to cook for him daily. So I have to have either a freeze dried, kibble, or can I can take with me.

I care for 3 elderly people all in different places and the dog comes with me so I have to have something I can easily toss in a bag and go as I never know where I am going to be.

I did post something a few weeks back and got jumped on about giving him his tablespoon of fruit yogurt because of sugar. I always read fruit was good for dogs and he will not eat plain yogurt. So it seems even when I think I am doing good by him I am not.

So I really need some advice.

• This topic was modified 4 years ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Fix Duplicate Topic Title

[joanne l]

Just do a tablespoon or 2 mixed with dry food. And see how he does. Slow and steady wins the race.

[Joe T]

I have an English Mastiff who is a year and a half old. I’m looking to introduce wet food to her to mix along with the dry. How do I go about this with her getting sick.

[Pinky L]

My vet thinks that my dog may have IBD. She was treated with steroids and antibiotics earlier this year and worked for about one month after tteatment stopped. This time we are trying Purina EN (wet) and Fortiflora. She was previously on dry food. 2 days into treatment and my dogs diarrhea is worst,complete liquid. I will be seeing the vet again tomorrow. Has anyone experience this or have any suggestions? I would really appreciate advice.

[joanne l]

Hlaleycokie, It was the can that did not agree with him. I am talking about trying the dry food.

[Sanne]

You keep bringing this up. I explained to you why you might find bugs in dry food and now you have two more people who have also explained it to you. I don’t get it. Why do you keep bringing it up? Move on and feed something you are comfortable with instead of dwelling on one single brand. It is confusing

[Stefanie F]

Joanna l and PR Lover
Thank you for answering but oatmeal has the same GLYPHOSATE that cheerios has and the Non-GMO are just as high. They use it to dry the oats with so anything with OAT is bad right now even the non-GMO or organic (unless you grow it yourself) Anything with whole grains especially oats has the GLYPHOSATE in it. Cheerios seems to have one of the highest amounts but oatmeal is right behind it.

Crazy4cats
Thank you for answering.
First my dog dose not have a tendency to have pancreatitis. He had it the one time due to the turkey skin and ANY dog will get pancreatitis if they eat turkey skin that is just a fact of life. Turkey skin is deadly and kills dogs. I am lucky I caught him and got him treatment in time. Also Orijen is not a grain free boutique food. It is grain free and a top food. Most dog food are 90% grain and fillers and I learned my lesson well with feeding a cheap grain filled food and lost a dog very young to it who had problem after problem. That is why I chose a good quality grain free food for this dog.

One last thing you need to know about Tuffs they are funded by Colaget who owns Hill Science Diet so they recommend it and say everything else is junk. My cousin went to Vet school there before she switch field and they spend very little time on nutrition.

Oh and if you read more from the FDA they state.
“It’s Not Just Grain-Free Diet-Associated With Dilated Cardiomyopathy”

After addressing the most common misconceptions, Dr. Freeman concludes, “for the vast majority of dogs, we do not yet know what is causing this disease.”

So until they do I am not going to not go with a good grain free diet.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by Stefanie F.

[Sanne]

Okay? When live moths/larvae are in a food, that shows there is a storage problem. You realize live bugs don’t just emerge out of dog food because they were baked into the food? During storage before purchasing, moths are eating their way into the bags and laying eggs. This can occur in any dry food, no brand is immune to it.

Your dog did not do good on it, that’s fine. Move on and feed something else. I don’t see why you are trying to look for other irrelevant problems for a food you don’t want to feed.

[joanne l]

I am not looking at WSAVA approved at all. All I know is that I use what my dog does well on. Purina is not the one. I know they don’t recommend brands. I am just saying look on amazon and you will see how many people said there were worms, bugs and moths in the food. I just don’t know. I mentioned this b/c I wanted to try purina dry food, the savor has rubbery pieces in it I don’t care for. I don’t doubt that a lot of dogs do well on it, but when I seen all the bad reviews I was concerned.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by joanne l.

[christine v]

I really like this write up re; DCM, it’s a bit more balanced thn the scaremongering articles i often see bandies about.

“There has recently been a rising controversy regarding the effect of Taurine on dogs. Unfortunately, some veterinarians and manufacturers are incorrectly applying the concern to all breeds of dogs and using “grain-free” foods as a scapegoat in order to push their own product agenda. The recommendations from these individuals are unfortunately setting us up for much greater problems in the near future.

The facts:
• Unlike cats, dogs are able to synthesize taurine in their bodies

• Some dog breeds may suffer from taurine deficiency in relation to certain diseases and may need to have taurine added to their diets

• American Cocker Spaniels and certain giant breed dogs (produce taurine in their bodies at a slower rate) appear to be more prone to taurine deficiency

• There are no symptoms directly related to taurine deficiency, but instead symptoms are usually related to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) which can be caused by taurine deficiency

• Grain-free pet foods are not the cause of taurine deficiency; however, potatoes and some legumes MAY affect taurine absorption if in large enough quantities (this is still unclear and only speculation at this point) and can be found in many “grain-free” as well as “grained” pet foods

Most importantly:
• The proportion of plant to animal protein sources may be a contributing factor (the lower the animal protein and the higher the plant protein, the more likely the food is to create low blood taurine levels)

• Many of the sick dogs from the original study had normal blood taurine levels and many of the dogs with low blood taurine levels did not respond to taurine supplementation

Conclusion:
Studies like this can be very good for the industry and our pets so long as they are interpreted correctly and organizations do not use the findings to further their agenda. Bottomline, grain-free foods are not the villain. It is irresponsible to claim that it is the problem given the actual true facts.

Genetics, disease, and large amounts of low-nutrient dense, high glycemic carbohydrates paired with minimal animal protein appears to be the problem, and would be even more specific than just blaming grain-free foods. There are grain-free foods to avoid, just as there are “grain-in” foods to avoid. Grains are certainly not an important, needed part of a dog or cat’s diet. But neither are carbs like potatoes, or peas which are mostly found in grain-free foods. They are merely replacements for grains like rice, corn, oatmeal, and others. Unfortunately dry kibble dog food (which is the only form of dog food this should even be associated with), MUST have those types of carbs in them to make the kibble hold together. It’s almost like the “glue” to keep it in kibble form.
We KNOW for a fact that corn and wheat do not do dogs any favors when it comes to their health! Rice is normally fine for most dogs but some will suffer from itchiness and other symptoms due to it being a high-starch carb. Obviously it would be best to avoid rice for an “itchy dog”. This is why grain-free foods exist. They would normally have a higher quality source of carbs binding them and without the toxins and allergens found in cheap cereal grains. It comes down to picking the lesser of evils on the carb source and figuring out what works best for your particular dog.
At EarthWise Pet, we have a comprehensive Certified Pet Dietitian program that trains individuals through over 500 hours of pet nutrition courses and material. Our expertise allows us to assess ingredients, manufacturing, and sourcing of all of our recommended foods. Because of this certification and vetting process, we offer a variety of grain-friendly and grain-free diets with low-carbohydrate content, minimal processing and high animal-based protein levels to ensure biologically appropriate, quality nutrition for your pets with sufficient levels of Taurine. If you have concern that your breed may be predisposed to taurine deficiency, ask your EarthWise Pet associate for recommendations and to see what food is right for your furry family member. We guarantee we have one that will fit your pet’s needs and give you confidence in the ingredients, sourcing and manufacturing processes of the food you feed.

I will add that I personally know thousands of dogs. I have not yet known of one to suffer from DCM, but I have known many that have been afflicted with Cancer, Diabetes, Obesity, and general poor health. In almost all cases, the dogs were fed low-quality dry dog food for most of their lives and that would usually consist of foods loaded with grains. Why would we want to go back to those kinds of diets, grains or no grains?!”

https://www.facebook.com/EarthWisePetHarpersPoint/posts/2349799205080076?__tn__=K-R

[joanne l]

Yes I always do, I use natures instinct can, eagle pack and wellness with no trouble. He is a big dog and I only give him 1/4 of a can with his dry. He is quite use to change. Forgot to mention I didn’t like the way it smelled either. IMO just b/c a food is WSAVA approved that doesn’t mean it can’t be spoiled. Don’t you think?

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

I just bought Purina pro plan can food, my dog is used to different kinds of can with his dry. However when he ate the pro plan he was sick for 2 days. I called the vet he said put him on bland diet. I did and he is fine. I bought eagle pack can instead and he is fine. Don’t think I can use Pro plan. Even though it is “waava approved” it is not okay if it gets your dog sick. I looked at some reviews about Purina and a lot of them said there dogs got sick. I posted on another page. This is crazy because I can’t trust certain foods b/c of DCM now I don’t think I can fully trust Purina.

[Ana C]

My dogs have pancreatitis history; therefore, they need low fat dog food. Of 9 best low fat dry food recommended by DFA, 7 are grain free. That leaves 2 brands with very high carbs. They are not from big 4.

[Paula R]

I received several cans of cat food but my cat will not eat it. Can I mix a Tbl spoon of it with my dogs dry food and give it to him (my dog)? It would be twice a day, and he is a Chihuahua mix. Thanks

[Tracie B]

I am feeding him Royal Canin GI food that is prescription- both dry and wet. Is this an okay food for preventing more silica stones.

[Christie B]

I did speak to animal control. I confirmed that his left ear was tipped and they told me 99% of the time that it’s a neutered feral cat. They don’t trap unless it’s for sterilization, not just to check for a microchip since the chance that it’s a pet is pretty slim. And they said that since the cat is bolting immediately upon seeing me, that he’s probably feral.

I guess, if anything, I can leave dry food out instead of wet. I have a deck box I can place it on top of (it prevented the opossum from getting at the food).

[Stefanie F]

I feed a grain free Orijen dry dog food for the past 8 years and give table food bites here and there. (My bichon will go nuts for a cherry tomato, cucumber, brussels sprouts, egg, or cooked spinach. )

For breakfast he has 1/4 of a chobani fruit yogurt with a canine pro biotic powder mixed in. (He will not eat the plain)

Everything was fine until last Thanksgiving when he got into the trash and ate his fill of Turkey skin. He develops pancreatitis and for weeks was on meds and boiled hamburger and white rice. Along with IV’s daily to keep him hydrated.
(No more Turkey on holidays at my house.)

After I got him well and back on his regular food (and that took well over a month transitioning back) he started to have 1 good normal poop in the morning and then a second gelatinous poop in the late afternoon. (he was always a 2 poop a day boy)

Told the vet she suggested adding some cheerios to his breakfast. I did and the problem was fixed.

Now my dilemma I just saw all the news and articles about the oat drying process and how they use RoundUp for it so most oat cereals and breakfast products have high amounts GLYPHOSATE in them and we know that causing cancer. The biggest offender on the list with very high amounts of GLYPHOSATE in it is cheerios.

Needless to say my baby will not be getting them any more with his yogurt.

Dose anyone have a suggestion what I can give him as a cheerio alternative that will be safe, and I do not mind cooking it myself as long as I can make it in bulk and freeze.

I take care of 3 elderly parents with a lot of health problems so I have to be able to through in a dish and run a lot of times.

Thank you for reading and any help any one can suggest.

• This topic was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by Stefanie F.

[Stefanie F]

I feed a grain free dry dog food for the past 8 years and give table food bites here and there. (My bichon will go nuts for a cherry tomato, cucumber, brussels sprouts, egg, or cooked spinach. )

For breakfast he has 1/4 of a chobani fruit yogurt with a canine pro biotic powder mixed in. (He will not eat the plain)

Everything was fine until last Thanksgiving when he got into the trash and ate his fill of Turkey skin. He develops pancreatitis and for weeks was on meds and boiled hamburger and white rice.

After I got him back on his regular food he his first poop of the day was normal but the second was poop was gelatinous (mucus covered). Told the vet she adding some cheerios to his breakfast. I did and the problem was fixed.

Now my dilemma I just saw all the news and articles about the oat drying process and how they use RoundUp for it so most oat cereals and breakfast products have high amounts GLYPHOSATE in them and we know that causing cancer The biggest offender on the list with very high amounts of GLYPHOSATE in it is cheerios.

Needless to say my baby will not be getting them any more with his yogurt.

Dose anyone have a suggestion what I can give him as a cheerio alternative that will be safe, and I do not mind cooking it myself as long as I can make it in bulk and freeze.

Thank you for reading and any help.

[Christie B]

I know that like human food, pet food should not be left out for free feeding; Especially in hot weather

My dogs pretty much eat all they’re going to eat within a few minutes. My cat, however, isn’t interested in wet food. He’ll eat a few bites, wander around and sometimes goes back for a nibble. Eventually, he turns his nose up at the food and seeks out my other cat’s dry food.

For the past 4 months or so, a feral cat has wandered around my backyard. I lured him close (he bolts the minute he hears me or the dogs near the back door) by leaving him some food on my deck so I could determine if he has a tipped ear. Then I felt bad for him, because it was winter in the northeast US and I felt leaving him a meal at night was the least I could do to help.

The thing is…I’ve read through forums and sites regarding strays and ferals that the feeders usually go out in the morning and around dusk to feed colonies. It’s like the cats are on schedule, which is the way it should be since they feed the cats and then clean up the mess afterwards. However, my wanderer visits at random hours of the night. Sometimes as early as 11PM and sometimes as late as 4AM and sometimes he returns a few times in between. And sometimes he doesn’t show up at all and I waste a can of food.

Since it’s been relatively cool weather wise, I wasn’t as concerned with the food spoiling. But now that summer may actually make an appearance, I know it’s not safe to leave food out all night. I have only seen this cat during the day twice: once when we jumped over the fence into my yard one morning (and in front of my dog who chased him back over) and another time where my dogs trapped him under my shed (once I called them inside, he took off). But I have a camera in my yard and he hasn’t visited during the day at any other times.

I’m trying to determine if he’s someone’s cat that they let out at night to hunt and wander or if he’s a stray that lives in a colony. I asked people in a FB feral community in my area if anyone knew of a known colony in my town. They won’t tell me because I may be asking for nefarious reasons. But this cat is so random. I don’t mind feeding him if he truly lives outdoors, but I don’t want to bother if he’s some irresponsible person’s pet.

The cat didn’t show the other day and a opossum showed up instead and ate the food. And he came early last night and I didn’t notice and did not return after I set out the food and my camera caught a blue jay eating the food this morning. I don’t want to run the risk of any animal eating food left in hot weather for any length of time. Does anyone have suggestions to get this cat to come earlier if it is a feral?

[pugmomsandy]

PetKind Tripe Dry dog food has 3 poulty free recipes although they do have some legumes.

https://www.petkind.com/tripedry/

/dog-food-reviews/petkind-tripe-dog-food/

[Christie B]

On the topic of “the big 4”, I think it’s important to go beyond the parent company and look at the ingredients on the bag to determine what food you should buy. Some product lines within a company are better than others. I don’t think you can rank Dog Chow the same as Pro Plan or Pedigree the same as Nutro.

Ingredients are important. 3 Chicken Formula Dry Food Ingredients Lists:

GROUND WHOLE GRAIN CORN, POULTRY BY-PRODUCT MEAL (SOURCE OF GLUCOSAMINE AND CHONDROITIN SULFATE), CORN GLUTEN MEAL, ANIMAL FAT (SOURCE OF OMEGA 6 FATTY ACIDS [PRESERVED WITH BHA & CITRIC ACID]), MEAT AND BONE MEAL (SOURCE OF CALCIUM), SOYBEAN MEAL, GROUND WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT, BREWERS RICE, NATURAL FLAVOR, CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL, DRIED PLAIN BEET PULP, SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, CHOLINE CHLORIDE, DRIED PEAS, ZINC SULFATE, DL-METHIONINE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, NIACIN [VITAMIN B3], BIOTIN, DRIED CARROTS, L-TRYPTOPHAN, BHA & CITRIC ACID (A PRESERVATIVE), BLUE 2, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, d-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE [SOURCE OF VITAMIN B5], RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT [VITAMIN B2], RED 40, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE [VITAMIN B6], COPPER SULFATE, SODIUM SELENITE, POTASSIUM IODIDE, VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, FOLIC ACID

Chicken, brewers rice, poultry by-product meal (source of glucosamine), corn gluten meal, whole grain wheat, whole grain corn, oat meal, medium-chain triglyceride vegetable oil, pea fiber, dried egg product, natural flavor, fish oil, barley, fish meal (source of glucosamine), L-Arginine, mono and dicalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, salt, Vitamin E supplement, potassium citrate, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, manganese sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, choline chloride, and sodium selenite

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Pearled Barley, Brown Rice, White Rice, Oatmeal, Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat, Menhaden Fish Meal, Flaxseed, Dried Whole Egg, Cheese, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Calcium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Monocalcium Phosphate, DL-Methionine, L-Tryptophan, Taurine, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Sodium Selenite, Sorbic Acid (Preservative), Vitamins, Minerals, Probiotics.

So the first one is a mess of “poor quality” ingredients and artificial colors. I would give that food a hard pass every day. In fact, I know someone with a Lab who has fed this food for the dog’s entire life. This 10 year old has a lot of joint and mobility issues.

The second one has the dreaded by-product label (at least it’s poultry and not ‘meat’ ) and lots of grains. Fish meal can be found a ways down the list for a boost of glucosamine.

The third has chicken and chicken meal as the first two ingredients, a plus for sure… and then Barley, rice, more rice and oatmeal follow…not ideal.

Are any of these GREAT food choices?

Every single time I go to the pet store, I wander the aisles reading ingredients lists. All I see are legumes and potatoes. Are they causing DCM? There’s no concrete evidence one way or the other yet. Was the my dog doing fine on Chicken and Rice for the first few years of his life before I found this website and gasped at the low rating his food received? Absolutely. Did I switch the grain free after reading through these forums? Sure did. Has he done ok with switch, all these years later? Nope. He’s developed allergies and sensitivities. But is it because of grain free formulas? I haven’t found concrete evidence proving that x and y caused the issues.

It’s a learning process to find what works best for your dog. Some can’t have grains, some can. My vet suggests feeding him boiled chicken and white rice when he’s not feeling well. Is my vet stupid or just telling me what he knows from his 30+ years of experience might help my dog. Has he called grain free food evil? No, but he cautions against it only because the inclusion of legumes and potatoes are ‘relatively’ new to animal nutrition and there isn’t enough research and studies done to prove that they are safe in the long term.

He told me that he’s always given his dogs Pro Plan but have never pushed me to purchase any of the big 4 brands. In fact, he said the best thing I can do is read the ingredients list myself. And to transition food properly. And if my dog has issues after eating 1-2 bags of a food, to look at the current ingredients and find a food that’s different.

[Christie B]

Cliffs notes version because I’m not re-writing the paragraphs long post that disappeared earlier.

I have 2 cats. 4 years ago, my male cat developed a urinary blockage (because I didn’t recognize his behavior/symptoms of a UTI in time to prevent it). Lab results did not show any crystals in his urine. The vet suggested that some litter may have caused a physical blockage but told me to feed wet food to prevent crystals from forming just in case.

Neither cat likes wet food. I’ve tried all kinds: pate, cuts in gravy, soup/broth, shredded in every protein offered. I’ve tried expensive foods and cheap foods. 95% of the time, my cat eats a few bites and then goes for my other cat’s dry food. My other cat won’t touch wet food at all. If I mix it in with the dry, she refuses to eat. If I use it as a topper, she eats around it.

Sometimes, I’ll open a can of food and feed it and he’ll seem to like it. However, if I attempt to feed him the same food for the next meal, he’ll refuse to eat it. I’ve tried feeding the same food for a week, no interest. I try to mix it up, no interest.

I’ve literally wasted hundreds of dollars over the past 4 years on food.

He’s had no other urinary issues since the blockage. I doubt it has anything to do with the wet food because he barely eats any of it. I recently bought a sampling of Petco’s brand Whole Hearted cans. He seemed to like it, so I went back and literally bought 24 cans (variety). He already lost interest.

I’m tired of wasting money on food that he won’t eat.

Any suggestions?

[joanne l]

Mars Petcare

A factory at North Sioux City, South Dakota, USA, was originally purchased by Mars in 2007 and worked under the Mars Petcare brand. This was then re-branded to Royal Canin in 2011, where it manufactures both wet and dry pet food.

I copied this on line. https://www.cookinglight.com/news/iams-pedigree-mars-dog-food-recall
Yes, Mars makes Royal Canine!!

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Sorry to hear about your dog. Please don’t blame yourself! As far as diet goes, you can certainly feed raw, but it is not balanced. Give your dog a good grain in dry food along with the other things you give. I don’t know much about Stella’s maybe someone else that knows more can help you there. Try Purina Pro Plan, Wellness products, maybe merrick grain in formulas. Choose ones that been around a long time with nutritional experts on staff. I know it is a lot to take in, but the FDA is warning against grain free and exotics meats, which is kangaroo, duck, venison, bison. Just listen to the FDA until they find out what is going on. Example I do feed grain in dry food along with rare steak, or cooked chicken, tuna and rice. I do use can once in awhile when I am lazy.

[Ruby H]

Hi everyone, this is my first post here so hope I’m doing this right. I just found out about BEG/grain free foods being linked to dogs developing Dilated Cardiomyopathy. As far as I see the issue is thought to come from legume heavy diets, preventing pets from absorbing taurine? Please correct me if I’m wrong, I’ve taken in so much information within the past few days.

Is raw food still ok for dogs to eat since most do not contain legumes? I had previously fed Stella and Chewy’s raw food, then started to incorporate Weruva dry food to cut down on costs, but I now realized that chickpeas are the third ingredient so I’ve been mixing in more raw and transitioning out the Weruva. Also one of my dogs just passed away from what the vet said was pneumonia caused by bronchitis, but they also saw that his heart was enlarged when they did x-rays. I don’t know if this food contributed to that or not but I feel awful that something I fed him could’ve hurt him.

Any suggestions or advice?

[anonymous]

A new formula from FROMM. YAY!
I spoke to a representative at Fromm and was told they have a veterinarian and a person with a PHD in nutrition on staff.
You can call their 1-800 number to ask for yourself.
https://frommfamily.com/products/dog/four-star/dry/highlander-beef-oats-n-barley-recipe

Highlander Beef, Oats, ‘n Barley Recipe Dog · Four-Star · Dry
Info

A Scottish-inspired entrée specially prepared with beef, whole oats, whole barley, and an assortment of fruits and vegetables
Ingredients
Beef, Beef Broth, Lamb Meal, Haddock, Whole Oats, Dried Egg Product, Whole Barley, Oat Groats, Potatoes, Pearled Barley, Pumpkin, Dried Tomato Pomace, Chicken Fat, Beef Liver, Sweet Potatoes, Salmon Oil, Chicken, Cheese, Chicken Liver, Flaxseed, Celery, Carrots, Apples, Broccoli, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins, Chicory Root Extract, Salt, Minerals, Sorbic Acid (Preservative), Cranberries, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Taurine, Blueberries, Sodium Selenite, Probiotics.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein 27% MIN
Crude Fat 16% MIN
Crude Fiber 5.5% MAX
Moisture 10% MAX
Caloric Content
3,696kcal/kg
1,680 kcal/lb
388 kcal/cup
Kibble
Size Comparison
Available Sizes
5 lb, 15 lb, 30 lb.
Fromm Four-Star Nutritionals® Highlander Beef, Oats, ‘n Barley™ Recipe Food for Dogs is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages, including growth of large size dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).

[joanne l]

I do use pro plan large bread beef and rice too, he loves it I give him a can a day. I was feeding Fromm, they have a beef dry food one but it’s grain free. Well I checked Petco and whole heartily, which is their brand , they have a beef and rice. But the only thing is they use a lot of peas. This is ridiculous, now I have noticed that these companies that are trying to make grain in foods , they are not taking out the peas!!! How cleaver as if we were dumb. I think they are keeping peas in their foods to keep the protein higher at a cheaper cost. I would love to tell these companies off.
So if anyone notices grain in foods, look for peas in it. I hope they get rid of these PEAS, also I hope they read our posts.

[joanne l]

Hi I am sorry to hear about your dog, mine too does that. You are right it has something to do with his diet. My dog had a eye infection and the vet gave him antibiotics. When I stopped the med’s it returned. I knew I had to find the cause. So I switched his food and in a couple of days the eye infection went away and did not return. There is a dry food called Holistic Select, you can get it on chewy. It has a lot of probiotics in it, this food is designed for that. Read the reviews on chewy they have lamb, chicken, fish, duck, turkey flavors. I been through a lot with my other dog as well, and sometimes the vets don’t know all the exacted causes. I am not saying don’t ask a vet, but you feed the dog and observe what the outcome is. In my situation with his eyes I observed and thank God I found the cure. Just try this food and do it gradually, mixing with his old food for a 10 to 12 day period. example: if you feed 3 cups a day, than in a container mix 2 1/2 cups old and 1/2 cup new do that for 2 days. If stools are good than continue by mixing more of the new and less of the old, in 1/2 cups. example: 2 cups old and 1 cup new you get the idea. Hope it works, let me know. Believe me diet has a lot to do with it!! I think it is better to start on diet before you go to the vet a load up on meds. Certainly if diet correction does not work than go to a vet. Hope the best for you.
I forgot to mention, is he still having problems even with Crave? Well anyway if you use Holistic Select you will not need to buy probiotics. This is loaded with it. Sorry for all the edits but I knew a friend that his dog had skin problems and the vet gave him meds after meds, and finally the vet said lets change his diet and bingo his skin cleared. The owner was relieved b/c the dog was on meds for 2 years. which was not good.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Thanks, I have another good question. I been looking for a beef dey dog food that doesn’t have chicken or lamb. Bascially just beef as a protein. I am having a hard time finding something. My dog loves beef he itches less on it. Lamb is good which he get now, and I want to give pro plan beef and rice a try but it is the savor which has lose soft pieces in it and my dog hates them. So if anyone knows a dry food that is just beef let me know. Thanks.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by joanne l.

[Amber F]

So we have adopted my recently passed dear father’s dog.
Druck is a Rhodesian ridgeback mix.
He has been licking his paws quite a bit and his ears are often red (but no scratching).
So I’m guessing it’s possibly yeast, food sensitivities or both?

I have bought some colloidal silver topical for his paws and that seems to have helped at least some.
My dad was feeding him Purina One lamb and rice as well as Alpo canned, and he had these issues then as well.

We are currently feeding him Crave Chicken dry food, and yes it’s a “grain free” food, which I know is, controversial.

Should I invest in some probiotics?
If that would be helpful I’m willing to pay more for a food that has the appropriate amount already in it.

I am more than willing to buy something else as long as it’s in the price ball park of the crave which is $43 for 22#.
I’d really like to spend no more than $2.30 a pound or $50 for a 22# bag.

Any suggestions?

Thank you!

• This topic was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by Amber F.

[Amber F]

So we have adopted my recently passed dear father’s dog.
Druck is a Rhodesian ridgeback mix.
He has been licking his paws quite a bit and his ears are often red (but no scratching).
So I’m guessing it’s possibly yeast, food sensitivities or both?

I have bought some colloidal silver topical for his paws and that seems to have helped at least some.
My dad was feeding him Purina One lamb and rice as well as Alpo canned, and he had these issues then as well.

We are currently feeding him Crave Chicken dry food, and yes it’s a “grain free” food, which I know is, controversial.

Should I invest in some probiotics?
If that would be helpful I’m willing to pay more for a food that has the appropriate amount already in it.

I am more than willing to buy something else as long as it’s in the price ball park of the crave which is $43 for 22#.
I’d really like to spend no more than $2.30 a pound or $50 for a 22# bag.

Any suggestions?

Thank you!

[Sanne]

Hi Joanne, I do not feed Purina as much as I feed Roycal Canin, but I do have excellent results with it! I dabbled in the “high end” grain free stuff for a while and cannot say I was ever pleased with it. Dry skin, huge loose stools, gas. I have nothing to complain about with RC or Purina (when I feed Purina it is typically Pro Plan). One of my dogs is dark and used to be coated in flakes back when she was on Orijen. Have not had that problem return since switching over a year ago.

Both RC and PP are the most popular foods in my country, with just regular people and breeders and working dogs. They have a LONG history of good health and longevity. The way I see it, breeders and people who need their dogs for work would not continue to use these foods if they did not have generations of long living healthy dogs on these food. They would not continue to use them for years if their dogs were regularly dropping dead early from cancer and other diseases. The results of millions is what made me open my eyes, majority of people here feed these foods and their dogs are incredibly healthy.

[joanne l]

I wanted some feed about Purina, I know it is a good food. I am just surprised that everyone I know that uses Purina dog chow or other Purina dry food, their dogs are doing great! I mean nice shinny coats great weight and muscle tone. Compared to some of the “high end” foods, dogs look great on Purina. And not to mention some of the people I ask that feed it say good things about it and their dogs live long. I was feeding it for a while and I will go back to it. I usually feed a couple different brands in rotation. I wanted to hear if anyone else feeds it and has great results. From what I hear Purina knows about dog nutrition hands down. Ingredients might not be appealing to some, but from what I hear it works.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by joanne l.