[Mavis]

Ok so I cannot afford the Wellness Super5mix for large breeds because it is about 10 dollars more than the blend for seniors which makes it 60 dollars at my pet store. Any alternatives???

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

[Whitney]

WELCOME!!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Whitney –

Thanks for the tip about Kirkland’s rating change – next time I update the list Kirkland will be removed.

As for the Natural life, with that calorie count it’s too high even with a min level of 1.35%.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Congrats on the new pup! 🙂

All the foods you mentioned are great except I would avoid the Kirkland – it’s manufactured by Diamond (poor quality control/frequent recalls). I’d actually recommend rotating between the foods – the earlier you start a rotational diet and get your pup accustomed to a variety of healthy foods the better! 🙂

Grain-free diets are recommended because grains are not a natural component of a dog’s diet. Kibbles containing grains are often (but not always!) lower in animal-derived protein and carry a higher risk of being contaminated with mycotoxins. Many dogs also seem to have food sensitivities with symptoms that subside once they are switched to a grain-free diet. Grains are also inflammatory, contain anti-nutrients (such as lectins) and many (like corn) are often genetically modified. With this said, not all grain-inclusive kibbles are bad. The thing is, a starch component is necessary in kibble. Ideally a dog’s diet would contain no grains or starches but starch is needed to bind the kibble. Starch can be present in the form or grains, legumes, potatoes, tapioca or some combination of these. The thing is, many of the grain-alternative starches carry many of the same negative attributes as grains. For this reason, when feeding a kibble I believe the most important thing to look for is a high level of animal-derived protein – I prefer foods with over 30% protein with over 80% being animal-derived. Two quality grain-inclusive foods are appropriate for large breed puppies that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend are Dr. Tim’s Kinesis ALS and Annamaet’s Ultra Formula.

[scottNY]

To SadieGirlsMom, I am so sorry to hear Sadie is suffering. She is very lucky to have you, though.

I have a 7-month old pit mix rescue and although he doesn’t have those issues, he is a very picky eater and I have been told that is somewhat typical of pits. I regularly add shredded cheese, green bell peppers or carrots to his food just to get him to pay attention to it. It hasn’t mattered what brand or flavors I have given him – he just seems to be picky. I will say, though, he is more likely to eat after a walk then before. [Make sure you don’t feed her right after strenuous exercise, though!]

There are quite a few other pits at the dog park we go to regularly and we always swap stories. A few things we all seem to agree on are that pits do better with a good, grain-free food. [Since at 7-months my puppy is already at 60 lbs, I just switched to one of HoundDogMom’s 5-start large breed recommended foods.] At the first sign of any stomach issues, we also mix in varying amounts of cooked, plain white rice, depending on how severe the issue. If it is really bad, we just use rice, some shredded, boiled, unseasoned chicken breast and some no-sodium chicken broth added for flavor and smell. I also have been giving my puppy a probiotic daily since he was 2-months old. He also gets a good, canine multivitamin. At the advice of others on this forum I intend to add enzymes and likely green food supplements.

Once you get the right food and the probiotic in her, hopefully the problems will begin to fade. I also found the grain-free food helped the stools and the gas tremendously.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

[lilyh]

Thank you so much for this thread.

We pick up an Field Bred English Setter Puppy next week. The breeder feeds her (and all their dogs) Purina Large Breed Puppy Chow. Think I have finally convinced my husband to switch her off that once the dog settles into our new home (his argument: If it’s good enough for the breeder, why should we switch?). I can just anticipate the resistance when I try to suggest grain-free.

Are there articles about why a grain-free diet is suggested for dogs? Are there any All Stages or Puppy Foods that are not grain-free that people would recommend?

The puppy will be 8 weeks old when we pick her up.

Brands that I am leaning toward are:

Merrick
Fromm
Dr. Tim (not available near me, but can special order)
Wellness
Earthborn
Kirkland Signature

Appreciate feedback and open to other suggestions.

LilyH

[Cyndi]

No problem HDM! 🙂 I did the same thing.

[Whitney]

Hound Dog Mom,
Just wondering if you will have a new list out since the Kirklands has been reduced to 3 1/2 stars? And I have a question on Natural Life, It has Min Calcium 1.35% and the calories are 3456.88….so is that even starting too high to look at. I still am confused about the calcium to calories and believe me, I sat and looked at it for an hour or so the other day. 🙂 I think I want to know if there is a Max Calcium level on food that when we see it we just know that it’s too high. Like say 1.5 % or something like that. I know I am confusing you but it’s the only way I know to ask. Thank you!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Thanks Cyndi! I thought her post said “gsd” now I see that it just says “gd.”

[shadowfire76]

Just got a new puppy with what we believe to be a pitbull mix a couple days ago. Someone dropped him on a friend of mine and she was going to take him to the shelter but I brought him home with me instead. The vet said he’s about 10weeks old and he already weighs about 20 lbs. The vet said based upon his body frame and the size of his paws that he is likely to be a large dog pushing close to 100 lbs when he gets fully grown. So I am looking for a quality puppy food to feed him. I have been feeding him 4Health Performance Adult food (which I feed my other dog) while I researched what kind of puppy food would be best suited for him. I know it doesn’t have all that he needs but figure it is definitely a higher quality than standard Purina Puppy Chow. A lot of the top dog foods aren’t available in my area but I know that I can get Wellness, Merrick, Taste of the Wild, and Blue Buffalo locally. I see that Wellness puppy is on your list but is that the standard Wellness puppy or the large breed formula? Any advice is greatly appreciated. 🙂

[Cyndi]

HDM, I just read your response to Julie and you said German Shephards, but she said her dog is a Great Dane, just to let you know. Not sure if your response to her would be any different… I thought I read “GSD” as well, when I first read her post and then further down, she said Dane.

Julie, I hope you get things figured out with your pup. Sounds really frustrating! 🙁

[julez4you]

Thanks for the quick response HDMom! I haven’t heard of that or had Bentley tested, but I certainly will. If he does have it- are there any good treatments for it?

Also, any thoughts on whether or not I need to be concerned with trying to add in the herbal supplement that has herbs that are known calcium sources? I’d sure hate to find out I’m improving one thing and potentially breaking another 🙁

Thanks!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Julie –

I’m so sorry to hear about what you and Bentley and going through. You must be so frustrated. 🙁

Have you had Bentley tested for an IgA deficiency? German Shepherds are one of the breeds predisposed to IgA deficiencies. IgA or Immunoglobulin A is one class of immunoglobulin proteins known as antibodies. The purpose of IgA antibodies, specifically, involves the skin, respiratory passages, the digestive tract and exposed parts of the reproductive system or urinary system. Some common symptoms are skin infections, urinary tract infections, pustules, nasal discharge and diarrhea. Dogs with IgA deficiencies are prone to developing allergies and immune-mediated dysfunctions. I would encourage you to have your vet do a blood test for this.

[julez4you]

Help! My 4 month old GD pup is off to a bit of a rocky health start and I need some advice. When I brought him home from the breeder he had just finished his 1course of antibiotic from a case of puppy acne. He was being fed Purina- so my 1st objective was to get him switched over to a better food- but given my experience with Danes and their sometimes sensitive tummies- I played it safe and switched him to GO! which has acceptable calcium levels but is not very high in protein.

About 1 week after he came home he had a horrible episode of blood in his stool- so vet put him on Metronidazole and bland diet while tests came back. Turns out he had worms (dont recall which one but it was long and white when it came out in stool- so she treated him with dewormer.)

During this this time I was also trying to transition him to a higher protein food slowly and tried adding in HK Love or high meat cans. Both ended up producing loose stools even in small quantities, so I decided to try and do a slow switch to a higher protein kibble such as Canine Caviar. After 2days of adding in only a little bit of the new kibble (1/4 of overall quantity) it was like a water hose. At first I thought maybe it was just something in the formula- so I tried NV LID Turkey (again- only tiny amount) and he had nonstop diarrhea that brought us back to the vet and once again, back on Metronidazole and bland diet.

At this point I’m petrified to try anything new in his diet. He’s currently on straight GO! Duck formula and daily probiotic and enzymes. I eventually want to switch him to raw- but with my older dog 100% raw fed, the expense of having a growing Dane pup on raw too is a bit much.

2 weeks ago, he also broke out with a bad skin infection around his genitals- red, pussy, scabby bumps which I’m sure are the end result of his multiple immune suppressant treatments- and fearful at the thought of yet another antibiotic treatment, I’m trying to treat with medicated shampoo at the moment.

I also want to help boost his immune and digestive health more and have a great organic canine wellness blend from a local herbalist, but since I noticed that one of its benefits is joint/ mobility and it has horsetail and oat straw in it- now I’m wondering if I need to be concerned about added calcium this my be contributing? Any thoughts on whether or not I should continue giving it to him?

Also- if you have any tips on diet or skin problems- I’m all ears. I’m trying to do the best for him but seems that for every good intended actin I try to take- I just end up causing him more problems. 🙁

And at 4 months he still hasn’t had his 3rd distemper or rabbies vac because he’s had something chronically going on since.

Please help! Julie and Bentley

[scottNY]

That is absolutely the truth. I should have specified I was referring to high-quality grain-free, for example only those that get 4 or 5 stars from DFA. I just switched from TOTW, which is 4-star, to Instinct Grain-Free Rabbit Meal Dry Dog Food based on what I read here. Since my puppy will be at least 75-80 lbs before he is done growing, I followed HDM’s advice from her spreadsheet for large-breed dogs.

[DogFoodie]

HDM’s list is really meant for large breed puppies, for whom you need to control the Calcium.

The great thing is, you’ve have lots more options now that your pups are older. : )

A couple of brands I’d suggest you also check into would be NutriSource and Earthborn Holistics. They both go just outside of your price range though. I use and like them both, a lot. A brand I’ve never used, but continue to hear great things about and it’s know to be a very budget friendly food is Victor. Oh, and actually, there’s also Rachael Ray Zero Grain Nutrish that you can pick up at Wal-Mart that’s also a good budget friendly choice along with Wal-Mart’s new Ol’ Roy Pure Balance products.

[scottNY]

Hi Hopp,

Did you see Hound Dog Mom’s list of top large-breed dog foods? That is what I would give your lab and I am sure it would be good for your pointer, too. Here is the link:

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

[jamie_aa]

Can anyone tell me what the calcium levels are in the stella’s raw dog food and what ones are appropriate please? Both of my computers are not letting me look up the calcium levels and i just found out that a local store carries this food. yay!

[scottNY]

Hi all and thanks for all the info. I am a little overwhelmed, but hopefully my “summary” question will help others.

I am the proud parent of a 7 month, 60 lb pit mix puppy who came from a rescue. After following this thread, I have just switched his food from TOTW grain-free puppy to the 5-star Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit. Thanks, HDM, for the Recommended Large Breed Puppy Foods spreadsheet. It was a wonderful tool!

Now here is where I am confused. I am trying to not go overboard on supplements [limited income] but want to make sure my puppy grows in to a very happy and healthy dog. Now that he is eating five star food, what else does he need? He already takes the Vetri-Science Laboratories Chicken Canine Plus Supplement for Pets, which he loves. He will also be taking the Vetri-Science Glyco-Flex for joints since when he plays and jumps very rough, he sometimes limps a little for a few hours – better safe than sorry. I want to make sure his joints have what they need as he grows.

Also, since following this thread [or a similar one here] I ordered the Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic, which amazon.com will deliver today and he will begin it today. So here are my questions, although comments on what I wrote previously are more than welcome, too!

1. With the Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic, does he get one capsule daily? Open and sprinkled on food or closed?

2. How important is coconut oil? If I give it to him, how often and how much per day?

3. My puppy now eats the recommended grain-free Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit, along with occasional pieces of allowed fruits and vegetables twice daily.
A. Does he need an enzyme?
B. I see several people commenting on the Swanson enzyme for humans. I certainly like the cost and I know it is a quality product. Should I get him that, too?
C. If so, again, how much and how often? Is it fine to take out of the capsule if he won’t swallow the capsule?

Thanks in advance HDM and others. I am trying to find that elusive middle ground and I appreciate all your help!

[mrmurphy]

Hi Hound Dog Mom
Many thanks to you and the other knowledgeable folks. I have a 5 3/4 month Bernese Mountain Dog that we got from rescue. He was from a puppymill in NE Oregon and rescued at about 3 1/2 months quite emaciated and full of worms etc. His initial weight was 30#. He was 37 # when we got him 5 1/2 weeks ago and is today 54#. He feels good at this weight but I don’t want to see him gain too much faster.

From a lot of reading I am about to break with the recommendations of the rescue coordinator of the Berner club as well as the advice given by Berner websites on puppy food. They all recommend strongly to limit protein. He was on Canidae lamb and rice all stages with 21% protein. I think the arguments in favor of higher protein make sense and am about to switch him to Great Life Dr E’s grain and potate free Duck formula with 27% protein. Holding my breath a bit as I certainly don’t want to cause him ortho problems by doing so but test it out we will. I do appreciate your info on calcium risks. Do I understand that by 9 mos I don’t have to worry about calcium levels anymore in foods?

I am also thinking of adding in some raw food. Do you have recommendations for a good starting point and how to mix and match eg 1/3 raw and 2/3 kibble.
Lastly do you have a recommendation for a specific probiotic?

Would appreciate your thought on these matters.
Thanks so much
MrMurphy

[TmMura13]

Shadow is my 10 month old German Shepherd mix with diarrhea, demodex mites, demodectic mange, is extremely picky, needs to put on weight, might have a food allergy (possibly needs to stay from birds), is very high energy and has a low immune system. Please keep in mind that I live in Florida and I’m surrounded my national pet store retailers. There are very few small speciality pet store retailers around. Also I would prefer not to order online unless it’s truly necessary.

Shadow – Hill’s® Science Diet® Puppy Large Breed / Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance® L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets® Sweet Potato & Venison / Nutro Natural Choice Limited Ingredient Diet Lamb & Whole Brown Rice Formula Large Breed Puppy Food / Wilderness™ Chicken Recipe for Puppies

We feed him what ever he will eat at the time. This also may include canned food, treats mixed in and even sometimes table scraps.

[TmMura13]

Shadow is my 10 month old German Shepherd mix with diarrhea, demodex mites, demodectic mange, is extremely picky, needs to put on weight, might have a food allergy (possibly needs to stay from birds), is very high energy and has a low immune system. Please keep in mind that I live in Florida and I’m surrounded my national pet store retailers. There are very few small speciality pet store retailers around. Also I would prefer not to order online unless it’s truly necessary.
Shadow – Hill’s® Science Diet® Puppy Large Breed / Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance® L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets® Sweet Potato & Venison / Nutro Natural Choice Limited Ingredient Diet Lamb & Whole Brown Rice Formula Large Breed Puppy Food / Wilderness™ Chicken Recipe for Puppies
We feed him what ever he will eat at the time. This also may include canned food, treats mixed in and even sometimes table scraps.

[theBCnut]

They are right on the border between medium and large so to be safe I would feed them as a large breed puppy, especially since the are prone to every joint disorder out there. Have you seen the large and giant breed puppy nutrition thread?

[stormy]

Is a golden retriever considered a large breed dog?

[hopp]

hello group:
I am new to this forum and this is my first post. I have two dogs a female english lab who weighs in at 95 lbs. and a male pointer who weighs in at 50 lbs. Neither is fat (yes even the lab). Both dogs are 3 years old. I have had them on Iams proactive health large breed for the past two years, lately they haven’t been eating with the same gusto. I’m thinking a switch of dog food may be needed. Neither dog is unhealthy. Coats are good, no itching, and stools are solid. Also very little gas/farting from the dogs. I currently buy my food at Costco and I get a 50 lb bag for about $36 thus costing me about 72 cents a pound. I would like to get a better quality food and am wondering what you guys think. I would like to stay around $1 or $1.25 per pound. Here are the foods I am thinking about in no particular order.

1. Natures Domain- 40 lb bag is $36 making total cost about $.90 per pound
2. Diamond Premium Adult 50 lb bag is $40 or $.80 per pound
3. Diamond Naturals 60 large breed 40 lb bag is $40 $1 per pound
4. Kirkland Signature 40 lb bag is $30 $.75 per pound

So what do you guys think? Did I miss any other foods that I should be considering. I know all these foods are made by Diamond. Yes I know about the Diamond dog food recall. Yes I will make sure the foods I buy will not fit into the recall.

[CharlieNYC]

Hello everyone,

I’m a total newbie here and I hope to learn as much as I can. With little planning and even less preparation, we just got a 4-month old Standard Poodle puppy 2 days ago. He’s really gentle with our kids and has a peaceful disposition with everyone so we’re feeling very lucky. He weighs about 20-25 pounds, has an Apricot-color coat and seems to be in great health (we’re taking him to the vet tomorrow.)

The person we got him from recommended Purina One Healthy Blend Large Puppy Formula in red bags. After a little digging, I realized that it isn’t a highly rated food at all. I was hoping to get your recommendations for the top couple of foods for our new puppy. Some friends have recommended freeze-dried beef or chicken patties, and some swear by dry foods to help the teeth and gums. At this point, we’re little confused so we would appreciate any help you can give us.

Thanks in advance!

[TmMura13]

Shadow is my 10 month old German Shepherd mix with diarrhea, demodex mites, demodectic mange, is extremely picky, needs to put on weight, might have a food allergy (possibly needs to stay from birds), is very high energy and has a low immune system. Please keep in mind that I live in Florida and I’m surrounded my national pet store retailers. There are very few small speciality pet store retailers around. Also I would prefer not to order online unless it’s truly necessary.

Shadow – Hill’s® Science Diet® Puppy Large Breed / Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance® L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets® Sweet Potato & Venison / Nutro Natural Choice Limited Ingredient Diet Lamb & Whole Brown Rice Formula Large Breed Puppy Food / Wilderness™ Chicken Recipe for Puppies

We feed him what ever he will eat at the time. This also may include canned food, treats mixed in and even sometimes table scraps.

[apriliamille]

due to this:

/disclaimer-and-disclosure/

i try and buy from petflow

[Hound Dog Mom]

I’d just go with whichever is cheaper, I’ve had only good experiences with both Chewy and Petflow.

[cdubau]

Thanks HDM!

So I decided on Dr Tim’s Kinesis for the new puppy. Any advice over who to buy from chewy or petflow?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Great article Ehubbman – thanks for posting! 🙂

[Hound Dog Mom]

The max should really be the max if that’s what they tell you. I base calculations on the average or typical value if I can get it, if not I base calculations on the max.

[apriliamille]

Hello,
im posting this here as i dont want to clog up the large breed nutrition where i have been posting and reading.
my dobe pup is 8 months september 5
im looking at two foods. one is called ALS and the other isnt. but the guarenteed analysis doesnt seem that far off (unless im looking at it wrong and splitting hairs and what i think are small amounts really isnt) so what is or isnt in the food to get the categorization
im looking at these two formula
dr tim kinesis als
Kinesis
dr tim pursuit
Pursuit

thanks
hope what im asking makes sense

[TmMura13]

Ginger – Hill’s Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution

Gidget – Hill’s® Science Diet® Mature Adult Active Longevity Small Bites / Hill’s® Ideal Balance™
Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Mature Adult

Angel – Hill’s® Science Diet® Mature Adult Large Breed / Royal Canin GOLDEN RETRIEVER 25
(skin allergy dermatitis)

Shadow – Hill’s® Science Diet® Puppy Large Breed / Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance® L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets® Sweet Potato & Venison / Nutro Natural Choice Limited Ingredient Diet Lamb & Whole Brown Rice Formula Large Breed Puppy Food / Wilderness™ Chicken Recipe for Puppies (What ever he will eat in) He is a very picky eater

[InkedMarie]

Carla,
A opulent of us have had trouble with doggie food.com but we have alo used Petflow.com, wag.com and chewy.com with great success

[EHubbman]

Found a great article I thought some people here could find useful – it’s all about transitioning and starting a rotational feeding plan. 🙂

https://www.tumblr.com/drjeandoddspethealthresource/53858347318/pet-food-transitioning

[cdubau]

Thank you so much to you and Hound Dog Mom. I had the concept at first and then I read the articles in the first page and got confused!!

So I understand the min is usually below then curve but what if the company publishes a “max” amount as well? Is it safe to assume the max is really the max?

[apriliamille]

this is hound dog moms calculation just saying so it dont look like im stealing credit
saved one of her posts on her calculations into a notepad doc on my computer

To calculate grams of calcium per 1,000 kcal. do the following:
1) Calculate grams of calcium per kilogram – Multiply the actual percent calcium by 1,000 grams (it’s very important that you obtain the actual level of calcium from the company, don’t use the minimum stated on the bag as foods often contain much more than the stated minimum).
2) Divide grams of calcium per kilogram by calories per kilogram (calories per kilogram can generally be found on the product packaging or website).
3) Multiply the grams of calcium per calorie (obtained in step 2) by 1,000 calories.

For example, if a food states that the actual level of calcium is 1.2% and there are 3,500 calories per kilogram: 1,000 grams X 0.012 = 12 grams of calcium per kilogram. 12 grams of calcium per kilogram/3,500 calories per kilogram = 0.00343 grams of calcium per calorie. 0.00343 grams of calcium per calorie X 1,000 calories = 3.43 grams of calcium per 1,000 calories.

I evaluated the Taste of the Wild Formulas when I created the list and none had appropriate calcium levels for large or giant breed growth.

[cdubau]

Inked Marie–physically yes I can order online but I am pretty against it right now due to fraud issues I have had in the past couple years. Thanks though. I have definitely looked at the online websites that one can order from.

Apriliamille- I still have to call the place with Victor to see what specific ones they have. It’s a very small store so I’m not sure they will have the two on her list nor the price? Driving an hour for natures variety is not really ideal and is a last option before ordering online. I have never wanted to even try Royal Canin for some reason. Innova is completely removed from petsmart here! Not even a spot on the shelf left for it.

MOST importantly I am still waiting for some one to explain to me how I need to be doing the calculations so I can use what I find locally.

[InkedMarie]

Hi Carla,
I can’t comment on large breed pups & their needs but can you order food online? If yes, you can order most any food you’d like!

[apriliamille]

cdubau
in my opinion
nature’s variety is on the hound dog mom’s 2nd .doc list. dont lose sleep over the royal canin, i fell for that one. our boxer was on the boxer formula for 2 years and our dobe pup on maxi puppy for 2 months and will never look back at it. there is soo much better for less price. innova gives me the heeby jeebies, it seams every time i go to petsmart to weigh my dogs or get new toys that section of the aisle is yanked with recall signs posted (i think 3 times this year alone)
two victor grain formulas are on the .doc list as well
Victor Select Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Formula
Victor Select Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Recipe

[Whitney]

I meant the grain free 4health is not made by Diamond like the regular. Sorry, I mis-spoke. What about Rachel Ray’s Grain Free? It has 1.1 calcium and 26 protein.

[cdubau]

Hello everyone! My name is Carla and I’m the mom of three pups. Emma and Kelsey are my older girls. They are both about 7 and my new pup, Bode, is about 4 months now. We have had him about three weeks now. On our first vet visit the doc explained how too much calcium was a bad thing for large breeds and while I had looked to this site 5/6 years ago I decided to check it out again! Anywho we don’t really know what breed Bode is but he looks like possibly a Dobi, Black and Tan hound or rotti mix. Basically he will be big and he’s Black and Tan lol.

I have read the literature provided and done hours of research as to what brands are available with prices in my area. I dont feel I have many affordable options. I’m left with a couple questions probably due to confusion. We have fed our dogs Nutro in past since it was what we could afford but recently switched our older dogs to taste of the wild. Looking at the information of their website it lists their Nutro MAX large breed puppy as having a Min 1.00 and a Max of 1.5 for Calcium and caloric energy is 3580kcal/kg and 347 kcal/cup. **which number am I supposed to compare the calcium to when doing my own research? And the phosphorus should be half of that or double that? I don’t want to feed him nutro it’s just a brand I am familiar with.

My petsmart is fairly small. It only stocks Blue (and petsmarts Simply Nourish brand), Caster and Pollux, and Wellness as higher end brands. It also carries Royal Canin. There are a couple local pet stores that carry Taste of the Wild, Premiun Edge, Chicken Soup FTDLS, Holistic, Innova, Victor and Blackgold–in very limited selections. Driving an hour away adds Halo, Natures Variety, Nutricsource and By Nature (only ocean fish). Some of those brands are really out of my price range such as Halo, Wellness and Royal Canin. Also Newmans Own. I’m very leery of buying online to several fraud issues I’ve had in the last couple years causing me to change entire account numbers.

I want to feel my new pup the best that I can afford but times are tight.

Thank you in advance for any help.

Carla.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 9 months ago by cdubau. Reason: Adding

[theBCnut]

Owned by Tractor Supply, made by Diamond.

[Whitney]

I didn’t think that 4Health was Diamond…And I am looking into ordering online. Thank you all for your responses.

[theBCnut]

The grain inclusive is made by Diamond, the grain free is not.

[apriliamille]

is 4health from diamond?

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm343084.htm
yes this document says cats but i wonder if the dog food is made from diamond as well
that might help narrow in on the nutritional info

• This reply was modified 12 years, 9 months ago by apriliamille.

[sharfie]

Whitney-Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance comes either with chicken, lamb, rabbit, or goat as the freeze dried
protein source. The pre mix requires you to add your own protein.

[InkedMarie]

Whitney, I just checked all the Grandma Lucy’s foods…all start with a meat protein except the pre mixes which aren’t supposed to have meat. You have to add meat to it.

[InkedMarie]

Whitney: why not order food online? Most places have great prices with free shipping. If you want a list of online places, let us know.

Thanks, Betsy. Hopefully someone can pipe in, I’m pretty clueless with this stuff.