[Dfwgolden]

Authority- NEVER- it’s a crap brand that made my friends dog puke blood.
Pure balance-also a crap brand that makes my dogs have the runs
4Health- as stated above has not shown to be of any gain to us.
Rachel Ray- ALL contains poultry

I’m looking for dog food that is lower in price but that doesn’t mean I’m
About to feed him crap.
I’m insanely picky about my dogs well being so pardon me if I come off rude.

I’m not feeding my dog ANYTHING you can buy in walmart.

As of now the vet have us a list of what she thinks he has allergies to-
Chicken
Turkey
Duck
(Any type of poultry)
Corn
Soy
Oatmeal
Wheat
(Any type of “filler” grain”
Milk
White rice
Brown rice
Raspberries

And my options just plumited.

I’ve looked at Pennical grain free salmon,if anyone has any experiance with it I would love to know.

[Susan]

Hi Dfwgolden, Ive just started the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal.. as my boy has IBD & we think that the chicken was causing his tummy problems & the hive like lumps on his head & body, so I’ve started the Simple Duck & Oatmeal cause it has the lowest fat %.. Im not happy about the low Protein but Patch seems to do better when the protein is under 24%.. Im pretty sure that the Simple Duck & Oatmeal does not have chicken fat, as I made sure that there was no chicken in the Duck & Oatmeal, I just went on the Wellness Simple site to double check & there’s no chicken fat, it has natural duck flavours, I even looked at the Lamb & Oatmeal & there’s no chicken fat either, the best way to know if ur dog is intolarent to chicken is to start a elimination diet…when you start with say lamb or Rabbit for 1 month,then slowley add some chicken & see if he has his diarrhea again, he’s had alot of things done in the last 3-4weeks so its very hard to say what did cause his diarrhea, I know antibiotics can cause diarrhea, Ive written down what antibiotics causes Patch to have diarrhea & make sure next time Patch is not put on them..
I read that Victor is a budget friendly & has 5 stars also 4 health sold at Tractor Supply, Pure Balance grainfree Rachel Ray sold at Walmart, Earth Farms sold at Petco & Eagle Pack & Authority sold at Petsmart are suppost to be budget friendly aswell…also keep up with the probiotics, my boy has been on dog probiotics now for 10 months..especially when trying a new foods..

[Barbara]

Hi Jenn,
I have 3 dogs and my border collie mix (13.5 yrs) has always been fussy (he is very healthy and energetic and has stayed the same weight since I adopted him at 4 yrs). My lab and husky sheppard mix will eat whatever I give them anytime! I have always added canned food or fresh meat as a topper and my border collie usually will come around within 15 to 20 minutes because he realizes I will pick it up and he will have to wait until later (as InkedMarie suggested). I never have to wait if I top it with meat scraps or fresh cooked veggies….(also cottage cheese and soft cooked eggs a few times a week). All my dogs get 1/3 canned and 2/3 kibble at both meals because I think that canned is a lot better than just kibble and of fairly high opinion after raw or cooked natural meat. I did get Kirkland’s cuts in gravy at Costco because it is a 5 star canned at such a reasonable price now replaced by ND Turkey and pea stew also 5 stars. If you don’t have a Costco membership I think members of this site have also recommended Pure Balance canned also 5 stars, I think you can get it at Walmart about $1 to $1.25 a can… Good luck with your stubborn dog!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Zach-
Have you tried a stew type of canned? They are easy to mix really well into the dry food. Remember that you only have to worry about the 20% or less for toppers if it is not a balanced topper, such as sardines. Most canned is balanced as long as it doesn’t say for supplemental feeding only. I’ve been using the Kirkland Cuts which has been replaced by Natures Domain canned foods. Also Pure Balance, Merrick and Whole Earth Farms have budget friendly canned stew style foods that I like. Maybe mixing it really well into the kibble will help. Good luck. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could talk sometimes?

[crazy4cats]

Anita-
I’m going back to your how much to feed the cats question. There is a formula on the catinfo site that helps. I determined my cats (4) are fed between 110 to 150 calories each. My big male who is about 15lbs. gets the most. I figure that the average canned food is about 30 cals per ounce. My average dry food is about 390 cals per cup. They each get about 3.5 to 4 oz of canned per day. The extra calories needed are made up with kibble that I measure with a table spoon so I don’t over feed. My cats are indoor only so they are more apt to get chubby. I don’t mix the dry and canned together in case they don’t like one of them they will eat the other. I had to mix together for a while with my shelter kitty to get him to eat canned as he was a crunchy addict. Lol! I don’t have the formula written down in my notes, sorry!

Akari-
I like the By Nature canned food. It stays soft which makes it easy to mix. I use it now and then in addition to Pure Balance and the Kirkland canned. Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi Tara, my Patch also has IBD, & he’s on the Vet Prescription Diet Eukanuba Intestinal & a good Probiotic this was the only kibble that stable his diarrhea, cause the fiber is only 1.75% Iams makes a low residue kibble but its different to the Eukanuba it has By-products & the fiber is higher, Ive had Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal since August 2013 to rest & heal his bowel, the vet said 1 year just the Eukanuba Intestinal nothing else, but last December I started trying another kibble which gave Patch real bad diarrhea I think it was the fat% or the potatos so back to the Intestinal then I tried the Holistic Select senior kibble Chicken Meal & rice I got the senior cause the fat % was only 10% & fiber 3.50% protein is 26%…but Patch also get Stomach acid reflux so now Im trying the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal kibble as we just got it in at our Pat Barn he’s still on his Intestinal…. The Wellness Simple Limited ingredient has Lamb & oatmeal, Salmon & Potato grainfree Turkey & Potato… he’s the Wellness site http://www.wellnesspetfood.com all their products will come up, but few people on this site use Pure Balance or Racheal Ray Grainfree from Walmart..or there’s “4 Health” from Tractor Supply but make sure you look at the Fat % & Fiber % my boy has trouble with his Small Intestine so he needs less fiber if ur girl is having trouble with his large intestine she’ll need more fiber but having stomach Bacteria Id say its her small bowel like Patch… Patch had the H-pylori Virus last year & had to take Metronidazole to clear his bacteria up.. the Eukanuba has FOS thats suppost to help with stomach Bacteria also a give a good probiotic… even if you use a prescription kibble just until her bowel heals then like Im doing slowly try to introduce another kibble thats not a vet prescription diet, but when things go bad again u know u can fall back on his vet diet…

[Akari_32]

So I just took all the Pure Balance 95% back to the store. I showed the lady a picture of the huge black spot in the food and she was like “Ewwwwwwww!!!”

So that leaves us with only the By Nature right now. I’m going to email THK and see if they have a carb percentage on their grain free recipes, and I’m also going to be looking into other canned foods.

When looking at sites like PetFlow and Chewy, what searches should I be using? I was putting in low glycemic, since yeast feeds off sugary and starchy and whatever things, but I don’t really know if thats exactly what I should be looking for, since I know on PetFlow that EVO 95% doesn’t come up under that search.

Also, about what percentage of carbs should I be looking at? I know for the cat I aim for less than 3% for anything that makes up the bulk of his diet, but is that even possible in a dog food thats $2 or less for a 13 oz can?

[Bobby dog]

Hi Anita:
Thanks for the link!

I get the ACV thing. I am bizarre, love the taste. Anyway, I only posted the information because it’s what helped Bobby through his yeasty skin issues. Every dog is different so what worked for us may or may not work for others. 😉 Did you happen to see the ACV foot bath suggestion for itchy paws? I think it is under the WDJ skin condition link.

For organic coco oil you want unrefined rather than refined. I have seen many descriptions on line, virgin, extra virgin, unrefined, cold pressed. These descriptions are referring to the process used to make the oil that keeps the most healthy benefits.

As far as using a canned topper, your pups would benefit most from a GF or 95% canned food. The most budget friendly 5 star 95% is Pure Balance from Wal-Mart ($1.25/can). I will check out my dog food spread sheet to see what I have used in the past for GF or 95% and I am sure other posters will have some suggestions for you too. Some 95% foods are only for supplemental feeding because they don’t have any added vitamins. I don’t think that it is a worry unless you decide to only feed something like this as a topper, then you would want to make sure you feed enough kibble to ensure they get their vitamins. Wal-Mart’s 95% is a balanced food.

I would also like to mention since Bobby’s skin issues have cleared I have been able to feed him GF and grain inclusive kibble, foods with potatoes, veggies, and fruits. I feed a rotational diet, I buy small bags and switch proteins and carbs with each new bag. I haven’t had any issues with yeast since I have been paying attention to the ingredients they contain. You may find you will not have to completely eliminate certain ingredients when they are healthy again; but then again you may find you might have to avoid certain ingredients, you never know. 🙂

You would refer to your kibble and canned feeding directions for the amounts to add to kibble. I add about 4 T of water to the canned food to make a gravy and extra moisture never hurts. Bobby weighs 44 lbs, on pate’ style foods I usually get four feedings and stew styles about 3-4 feedings. Some other posters will probably have some suggestions for using canned as toppers as well. Most importantly you want to observe your dogs body conditions and adjust accordingly.

[Akari_32]

Who else feeds this food? I just opened this can and it’s got this big black spot. Is this normal, or what? It’s not a different texture, and it doesn’t smell bad. And it’s good for like three more years.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/60F6E582-CD8D-480F-9E39-9B8A36A92758_zpssymv6nxr.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/89F21700-EA0F-410B-A7DB-4891DCADBFC5_zpsnjjtwp1t.jpg

[crazy4cats]

Oh BTW, Travis, Nature’s Domain Turkey Stew (Costco), Pure Balance (Walmart) and 4Health (Tractor Supply) are all very budget friendly 5 star canned foods.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Anita:
I will sort through your questions and add some links to the over the counter remedies that I used to completely heal Bobby! Remember, all dogs are different. Bobby had no health issues other than flea dermatitis, flea infestation, bad diet (please remember, anything they eat must be quality ingredients, it really makes a difference), and yeasty skin.

It sounds like you already have been to the Vet and there are no other health issues?

Did the Vet give him a steroid shot for the itching?

I really suggest feeding canned with kibble. Moisture is really important for healthy dogs and especially important for dogs that have some health issues. I always feed kibble with canned or fresh meat lightly cooked, or dehydrated, freeze dried or frozen raw for every meal. If you are going to TSC for DE, check out the 4Health canned dog food. It’s 99 cents/can and DFA rated 4.5 stars. I feed 4Health, Pure Balance from Wal-Mart ($1/can for stews and $1.25/can for 95%), and Earth’s Pride ($8.99/6 pack) from BJ’s as my main canned rotation.

4H DFA review:
/dog-food-reviews/4health-dog-food-canned/

4H TSC link:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&pageSize=&beginIndex=0&searchSource=Q&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&pageView=image&searchType=1002&autoSuggestURL=AutoSuggestView%3FcoreName%3DMC_10001_CatalogEntry_en_US%26serverURL%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252ftsc-prod-lb01.crossview.inc%253a3737%252fsolr%252fMC_10001_CatalogEntry_en_US&searchTerm=4health+wet+dog+food

I was wrong; you can buy 20 lbs of food grade DE for $12.99 at TSC. They carry it in the livestock feed section.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/product__10151_-1_10051_2789

Check out the Activyl site to see what they say about bathing your dog. Most products are waterproof, but you never know. The Vet Tech at my Vet’s office gave me info on it, but I never checked it out after I settled on Sentinel because it already had the flea egg killer in it and I want to use as little chemicals as possible.

For treats, stay away from carbs or anything sugary, it will only feed the yeast. I have never fed them, but posters here recommend The Honest Kitchen Beams. I haven’t fed treats from the pet store recently and find many have carbs and starches so I just make very, very small meatballs for Bobby (I freeze them) using 2 lbs of ground beef, an egg or two, fresh garlic, tumeric, and I add fresh basil, cilantro, or parsley if I have it. I also throw in any veggies I have, but if you decided to make something like this I would leave the veggies out for now. You can also slice meat as thin as you can and place the slices in the oven on the lowest temp and cook until they are like a jerky consistency.

It is not unusual for them to try and lick off the coco oil if they like it. It is a wonderful product and is good to feed and apply to skin irritations due to its antiseptic properties. Just try to supervise your pups so it can soak in, it really will make them more comfortable and the fleas don’t like the oil.

Probiotics is an important step to get their immune systems back on track too! Probiotics has helped my cat tremendously. I use plain Kefir or plain greek yogurt right now for him. He has grown hair in places that I thought would never come back! That is another story. I think you will see a tremendous improvement within a week of using probiotics with their coats and skin.

Everything that I used on Bobby you will find at Wal-Mart, drug stores, health food stores, on-line, or pet stores very easily. I will post tomorrow what I used to help Bobby and hopefully something or several things can help your guys as well.

[theBCnut]

Try giving them probiotics for a while and add about a half teaspoon of canned pure pumpkin to each meal. Diarrhea and getting wormed and more diarrea has upset their system. The probiotics will help get everything balanced again.

BTW, you can freeze the pumpkin into little dollops, so it doesn’t go bad before you use it up.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Dane –

First off, if he’s drinking large amounts of water, urinating frequently and he won’t gain weight you need to get him to the vet to have some diagnostic tests performed. These are potential symptoms of kidney disease or diabetes. A dog that’s fed a raw diet shouldn’t drink much water at all – my two (large) dogs don’t even drink one bowl of water per day between the two of them. I’m not trying to scare you but if something is going on the sooner you catch it the better the prognosis will be.

Second, are you adding anything to the Blue Ridge Beef grinds? Unless they’ve recently come out with a new complete and balanced product that I’m not aware of, I thought they just make meat/organ/bone grinds? Meat/organ/bone “grinds” (as they’re referred to) are not a balanced diet. They’re meant to serve as as the base of a meal and they make things simpler by already having the muscle meat, organ and bone in the correct proportions. Supplements still must be added to make the diet complete. While it’s possible to balance a homemade diet using whole foods only, for simplicity’s sake and to get him on a balanced diet as soon as possible, I’d recommend adding a multivitamin (look for one with <10% DV calcium – one I frequently recommend is Twinlab Daily One Caps). I’d also add 1/2 C. of cooked and pureed vegetables (baby food veggies are fine if you don’t want to cook and puree them yourself) and feed a tin of sardines or salmon once or twice a week OR add a capsule or two of fish oil daily. These additions will provide him with the vitamins and minerals he needs, a little fiber and omega 3 fatty acids.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Susan]

Hi Jerry, With EPI, dogs need a low fat & low fiber diet, the Purina one would have to much fiber for EPI thats why she is pooing so much ..My boy has IBD & Pancreatitis & was put on Eukanuba Intestinal low residue vet prescription this has really helped its 10% fat & 1.75% in fiber & he does just 2 nice firm small poos a day. Ive slowely been adding the “Holistic Select” Senior Chicken Meal & rice its 10%-fat 26%-protein & breaks up very easy, I add water & within 1 mintue the kibble has soften also the Eukanuba Intestinal softens within 1 minutue, thats how you can tell if a kibble is soft or hard the harder kibbles take forever to soften especially if they have potatos…hard kibble are to hard on their Pancreas & cause pain Ive found, can ur girl eat tin wet food cause thats better for Pancreatits a low fiber & low fat… there’s kibble & tin food that a few people on this site reconmend that’s sold at Walmart called Pure Balance or Rachel Ray that are suppost to be better then Purina one & are a good price there’s another one but I cant remember the name for tummy problems, I live Australia so we have different kibbles but we do have the Purina one sold at the supermakets & its high in fillers & the fiber is 5-6% I wouldnt feed that to Patch he’d be pooing & pooing & have his stomach pain..also I give Patch a probiotic to help with his digestion & bowel…

[Bobby dog]

Hi weezerweeks:
I use both the stews and 95% recipes in my rotation. They are canned by Simmons. My dog does well on them and also enjoys eating them. I have fed them for nearly a year and I am very happy with them.

I imagine Wal-Mart associated this brand with Ol’ Roy for marketing purposes, maybe loyal Ol’ Roy customers would consider buying Pure Balance. I have noticed on the 95% canned food they don’t print “Premium Dog Food by Ol’ Roy” on the label. Hope it works out for you!

[weezerweeks]

I know I’m being paranoid but I added this canned food to his rotation of wellness stews and Go Fit today and the fact that I bought it at Walmart and it mentions ole Roy on the can makes me nervous. I only use 5 star canned and this is a 5 star. Has anyone used this and do u like it?

[Robert R]

My toy poodle, Her Royal Highness, Princess Poodle Puppy, Coco Chanel (who’s been to Paris 3 times) loves Orijen 6 Fish and Orijen Puppy. I also feed her Pure Balance canned about 4 times a week and has sardines about once a week. She has lots of energy and looks great. My mini poodle Jefferson eats the same food and is also doing well.

[Mom2Cavs]

I love Victor food. I get mine when I use it from http://www.sportdogfood.com. Please go there and check it out. They do only dry, though. For cans I love Wellness Stews, but others that are good and reasonably priced are Pure Balance (Walmart’s brand), 4Health Stews (Tractor Supply’s brand). I am trying lately to use cans without carrageenan, which is a controversial ingredient these days. I also love Dr. Tim’s and Annamaet’s dry….neither make a canned food. I also love Wellness dry, of course. Other cans I like (price not taken into consideration) are Weruva, Simply Nourish, Mulligan Stew, Instinct and Prairie.

[Honeybeesmom1]

Hey Akari. You’ve decribed my Chi. to a T! I’m 99 percent sure Bentley is allergic to fleas.
Honeybee also has a problem w/ pollen and grass – but his main problem is fleas. I put him on Darwins for months and no change in his hair loss, fleas and itching.

I’ve put him on THK Thrive for months then Zeal for months, Merrick canned for a few wks, then Nature’s Logic kibble for a few wks, then NL canned for a few wks, home-cooked, Pure Balance canned for a few wks, Wellness canned for wks, 4 health canned…NO change w/ his red skin. And all the while he was on all of that diet change…he still had one thing…fleas.

Every 2 days his belly gets sweaty and smells like an old wet dirty sock. Even 2 days after a bath. I bought Virbac Ecto-soothe for $20 from my vet that kills fleas, ticks and lice.
But I think a bottle of $3 dish soap would do the same.

I flea comb him probably 10 times a day and have a glass of water w/ dish soap in it to throw the fleas in.
I have sheets over my furniture ( to catch flea eggs) that I take off and wash in hot water, dish soap and essential oils every 2 days.

I have hardwood floors that I vacuum and mop everyday. I HATE to put the flea drops on them – so I was doing things naturally which was not working.
I bought Advantage and put on all pets…and 2 wks later fleas are back.

First thing I did this morning…was flea comb him – and he had a flea. I bet that one flea bit him 50 times all night. My life’s mission right now…is to kill every flea I see. lol
I’ve even treated the yard w/ DE.

Yesterday I pulverized some oatmeal in my magic bullet and mixed in some warm water and let that sit on him for a few minutes. Rinsed w/ cool water as that soothes his skin.

He’s only 5 lbs..but keeping fleas off him is as hard as keeping them off an 80 lb dog.
I also flea comb the other 2 dogs just as much. I’m in Louisiana and it’s hot & humid in the 80s and 90s now. And we always have problems w/ fleas here.
Good luck w/ Bentley…I know it’s hard.

[Bobby dog]

Glad you were able to view it! Anyway if you decide to try it, since we were just discussing this, you can order this site to store just in case your store does not keep it stocked! lol Here’s the brand info, Equate: Povidone-Iodine Solution, 10% Topical Microbicide Antiseptic, 8 fl oz.

Hope Bentley enjoyed his Pure Balance I know Bobby does. 🙂

[Akari_32]

Ok, guys! I just got back from the dreaded Walmart lol I went in for Sulfedene Medicated Shampoo, but they didn’t have any. So I got my second choice, VetArmor Itch and Allergy medicated shampoo. It was my second choice because it was more expensive and I couldn’t find much about it. I also went a head and got two cans of Pure Balance 95% Beef and Chicken. I wanted one of each, but the chicken was gone lol I also explained to mom my thoughts about a thyroid issue and the blood tests needed for that, and that he need to get back on his Trifexis, or some other good flea med (because let’s face it Advantix 2 sucks….). I’ll give him a bath tonight and see how this stuff works.

[Akari_32]

Here’s a pic of the Beyer Shampoo and conditioner.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/CA1154BC-DD2C-40EA-9C0B-9A64DAD19FB6_zpsqr72vruz.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/E2293B99-6B82-4F82-B2B5-B90729E10C5E_zpsdm63bdqf.jpg

Sorry about the glare in the second picture. The bathroom has overhead lights lol

As for food, I’ve decided to ditch kibble right now (Pure Balance Salmon lol), and stick with just THK. Right now I have Force open, so I’ll use that. At a half cup a day, dry, the three grain free sample boxes won’t last long. I don’t think I’ll use the grain inclusive one (oatmeal). I’ll use it for the other dogs. They don’t care, they just like to eat :p

I’ll look into those shampoos, and bother mom about getting him a vet appointment.

Forgot to add, I’d like to get him on Pure Balance 95% canned, but in order to do that, I have to sell mom on the idea, and make room by getting rid of the THK taking up space in the cabinet lol

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by Akari_32.

[Bobby dog]

Hey Akari:
Hopefully getting his thyroid checked will give you some answers either way too. I think the shampoos and quality canned foods are a step in the right direction! 🙂

I only use two different medicated shampoos EQyss Mega Tech and Nolvasan; they are medicated shampoos not prescription. I used both for Bobby when he had skin issues. Mega Tech works great, but if the issues are a little more out of hand Nolvasan is one shampoo that always relieved and cleared up both my horses and Bobby’s skin issues. But, I only had complete success with Bobby’s skin and coat issues when I sorted out his diet.

Here’s some info on Nolvasan shampoo:
http://www.vetstreet.com/nolvasan-shampoo

You might even be able to request a sample from EQyss for the Mega Tech shampoo. Here’s EQyss’s website:
http://www.eqyss.com/index.asp

The other products I use for skin conditions or wounds for all my pets (cats included) with great success are Vetericyn and Banixx. These products are wonderful; I can’t say enough about them and would never be without them:
http://vetericyn.com/benefits/canine.php
http://banixx.com/for-dogs

Try to see if your grandma could get some KC&G or ND turkey stew for you (if they have any in stock). They are definitely the most affordable of the 5 star budget canned foods. Here’s a link to Kirkland pet food:
http://www.great-pet-supplies.com/

Next affordable would be Tractor Supply 4Health (.99) or Wal-Mart’s Pure Balance stews ($1.00). I know TSC is 30 mins in the opposite direction you travel, but if you can find time to get there it would probably be worth the benefits for Bentley. After that it is Pure Balance 95% for $1.25. Unfortunately, these budget foods don’t seem to go on sale or have coupons lol. Of course, you can always use some of those Wellness coupons for Bentley too.

I have checked out commercial raws before and found they are all similarly priced with Nature’s Variety being the average price. Some a little lower, some higher. But, since you are a couponer, probably feeding Nature’s Variety intermittently would be feasible.

[Akari_32]

I don’t know if I could do canned or not. “Good” canned food isn’t a popular thing around here. It’s pretty much Wellness or Natures Variety, or Mr. Pretend Good Blue Buffalo, as far as that goes. Everything else is like Pro Plan and Science Diet. Though Walmart does have Pure Balance…. And I can look online, and see of I can find anything.

And about the premixes, I think doing no carbs (or as little as possible) is best. This dog smells like a rag used to clean up milk that was left in the sun for a week @.@ So if I did canned, it’s have to be like the 95% ones.

I’ve been looking around at home made and raw sites. Kind of hard on my phone, but I’m getting ideas 🙂 I’ll look into that site, as well.

Does anyone have any links to good prices supplements?

[Bobby dog]

Hi michele b:
The brands Mom2Cavs recommended are very budget friendly. I feed most of those foods regularly. I have a strict budget for pet food also so I understand your issue. I buy most of my food on sale or with coupons.

Tractor Supply Co.’s 4Health and Wal-Mart’s Pure Balance both make kibble and canned foods that are affordable; my dog loves and does well on both brands. I have not fed any Pure Balance kibbles, but they are well rated here. I use Wal-Mart’s Pure Balance stews ($1/can), Pure Balance 95% canned ($1.25/can), and all recipes of 4Health canned (99 cents/can) weekly. I also feed 4Health grain free Turkey or Beef kibbles in my rotation.

I also feed Rachael Ray zero grain kibbles and wet food tubs which are rated well. Wal-Mart and some grocery stores carry RR. A lot of times there are coupons on her website. There is a $4.00 off coupon posted now for any size Zero Grain kibble and one for B2G1 free of the wet foods. I believe you can print each coupon up to two times. You can also sign up for her pet food e-mail promotions.

Here’s a link to Rachael Ray’s site:
http://nutrish.rachaelray.com/switchto

Here’s a link to Pure Balance products:
http://www.walmart.com/cp/Pure-Balance-Natural-Dog-Food/1097490

And here’s a link to 4Health products:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/content_landing-page_4health

Victor is probably one of the most affordable brands of the DFA 4 and 5 star rated foods. Victor’s grain inclusive kibbles are very budget friendly. If you are able to order Victor on line, the website Mom2Cavs posted in her reply is great to order from. If you can find a Victor dealer in your area it would be much cheaper than buying on-line. Here is a link to Victor’s website, check out the “find a dealer” option to see if there is a store near you:
http://www.midamericapetfood.com/victordogfood/index.html

Other places to find affordable pet food are large animal feed stores, lawn and garden supply stores, and hardware stores. These stores are also likely to have frequent buyer programs you can sign up for. If you buy any pet food from a pet store check to see if they have any frequent buyer programs or e-mail promotions you can sign up for as well. Good luck!

[Mom2Cavs]

If you have a Tractor Supply in your area, they have their brand of food called 4Health. It is very reasonably priced. Look on their website to see what they have. Also, Wal Mart has their brand called Pure Balance that is not bad. I’m sure others will help out on here.
Oh, yeah….one more I like for people on a strict budget is Whole Earth Farms, however you would have to buy a large bag….which would be fine if you stored it properly. Victor dog food is great, too! I have to order my Victor online through http://www.sportdogfood.com, so if you can do that check them out, too. Good luck to you!

[Naturella]

Bobby dog,

Thanks so much for the great info! I really have learned a lot from this thread and from the catinfo webswte. I have actually been on catinfo.org and if I had a cat I would only feed that sucker raw/good canned. But for a shelter and my friends, I thought that just some “exotic American and still decent foods” would be a good change. I plan to bring kibble for the dogs and none for the cats unless I find a great deal on sale or something. All grain-free is what I will try to get. And then promote this site and catinfo.org to them. Just hope they find someone to translate for them on the go, lol. If all else fails I may just grab some Pure Balance from Walmart and Rachael Ray Nutrish Zero Grain but I will go on a deal hunt tomorrow!

I also got some great deals on small chew toys on clearance for $.99 at PetSmart (got 4 for the shelter + 2 for Bruno) and tennis balls for chasing (got 3). Plus the 14-so-far souffles and I want to get at least 6 more. And the dog kibble. My checked bag will be full! LoL.

And I will miss my men as well! But we got this! Should be back in no time! 🙂

[crazy4cats]

My favorite are:
Victor grain free kibble
Nature’s Logic kibble
Kirkland Cuts in Gravy canned
Pure Balance canned
Northwest Naturals raw nuggets

[Susan]

Some people just dont want to listen, too SUBBORN….Is there anyway you could buy a bag of the Pure Balance or another good cheap kibble & show him when she gets better after eating the new kibble or what is the difference in price of a bag Peteful & offer to pay the diference & get the better food when on special….. I feel so sorry for alot of animals when they have stupid owners. I see it all the time at the dog park, there will be the healthy looking dogs with shinny coats, looking so healthy, then you’ll see a poor dog walking past, dull coat, itchy skin & scratching, I sometimes ask the owners what do you feed ur boy, if they mention Purina Pedigree or Peteful, I tell then about better foods at Pet Barn & how when you buy 10 you get the 11th one free, sometimes the owners do listen & will buy a premium feed, they are just un-educted on animal foods & dont understand, Beneful is on special at the moment at Coles.. I saw a lady looking at it the other day, I was going to tell her put it back & get the Opitmum instead u’ll save on vet bills in the end, but I couldn’t be bothered, the only reason I know about crap food is after rescuing my Patch & the health problems we had, it breaks my heart, watching him suffer now, I aksed the vet why is he so ill, he said he would of had a bad diet, poor boy…there’s lots more out there suffering. the only way is to educate & tell people about Beneful & other crap foods (Pedigree, Purina) open a Face book page called “crap dog foods what not to feed ur dog”….

[Shasta220]

I’ve only skimmed through the posts, so I’m sorry if I’m butting in lol!

Our lab used to be on Dog Chow as well. She always suffered mildly from otitis (skin and ear infections). It eventually got so far out of hand. The poor girl was covered in gross raw patches. We put a sweater on her and a cone, but that was just preventing her from scratching, and not helping her feel better. Took her to the vet and they gave us tons of medications (they were really very little help. They just said “well, she has an allergy to food, environment, or fleas. It’s your job to find out which one, not mine!”)

I knew as soon as we ran out of those meds, then she’d be back in itchville. So I found DFA and then got her on a food without corn, wheat, or soy. In all her 12 years, I have never seen her NOT shake her head constantly and rub the ears after I clean them out. She stopped stinking, her fur grew back, she never scratched again, and now her ears are soft and she lets us pet them! Before, her ears were waxy and gross, and if we even touched them, it’d send her into an itching spree…

She also gets a raw egg, fish oil, and coconut oil daily (she gets a bit under 1tbsp, she’s 70lb. She was getting a bit over a tbsp, but then she refused to eat the oil. I dropped it for a few days, then offered her less, and she ate it all). I’m trying a grain free food with her right now, just to see if it’ll help with her dandruff. It’s very mild dandruff, so if the GF doesn’t help, I’m not worried at all.

So that’s my success story of a very similar situation 🙂

she’s pretty rotational with the kibbles. Let’s see, she’s successfully been on Dog Lovers Gold, Pure Balance GF, Diamond Naturals, Wenaewe, Paramount GF, and one or two others, can’t remember off the top. Right now she’s on the pure balance GF – I’ll probably move to NutriSource GF when this bag is empty. I tried her on NutriSource grain-inclusive…I don’t know if it was coincidence or what, but she broke out horribly (I might try it again in the future, as she’s been on worse foods without a problem)

[Susan]

I just read ur later post, you’ll need to get rid of his fleas buy a flea product either Comfortis this is tablet that Ive heard is really good for fleas, giving monthly but make sure its given with food & you know his correct weight or I use Frontline that you put on the back of their neck but I dont have a flea problem only when we go for walks at the park & fleas jump onto Patches legs…also the Dog chow is problably full of grap not good for a itchy dog, will make him itch more..Ive read on this site that a few people buy Pure Balance or Rachel Ray sold at Walmart these kibble are better then the real cheap kibbles also 4Health sold at tractor supply.. maybe someone else knows of a good cheaper kibble that they use….Im in Australia & we dont have alot of ur good cheaper kibbles over here.. Good-luck

[GizmoMom]

Is this a balanced meal? If not, what would you add?

3 lbs – ground bison (boiled and drained, makes about 12 cups)
15 oz. – canned pureed pumpkin
1 cup – cooked quinoa
1/2 cup – See Spot Live Longer mix

I plan to rotate the meat every week.

I put the recipe on nutrition analyzer, but have no idea how to add the See Spot mix on the recipe, since their guaranteed analysis shown on their website is based on the food mixed with ground beef.

Recipe analyzer
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/recipe/3101496/2

[Danni D]

Ugh…if you can get your dog off of the Pedigree.
It’s just not good for them.
I can vouch for Pure Balance, I rotate that in my Rottie’s diet, he also gets raw, freshpet and canned. I change his kibble every bag though. But he has done well on it.
Here is a controversial one to some but I have had great luck and health- Diamond Naturals not the plain cheaper Diamond. I fed my last rot this food for 15 years along with Raw and he did fine- it is also in my current rotation. It is not a bad food but Diamond has had a history of recalls. Many other Pet food makers have had recalls. Many are skiddish about Diamond because of this but it’s not a bad food. They make many other brands as well.
You can get Diamond Naturals of all kinds for great prices at Menards.
I wish I could tell you about 4health but living where I live we don’t have many feed stores. I do want to try it though as well as Eagle Pack.
Victor is a great food for my Rot, he likes it. My Pom got sick on it but he has a sensitive belly- kibble doesn’t sit well.
I bought Authority once and found maggots so ugh…not one I would feed but I know many do.

Hey Betsy- if you don’t mind little hijack- where do you get raw meaty bones? Butcher?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by Danni D.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Ally –

With the possible exception of prescription kibble formulas designed to support dental health, a kibble claiming to fight tarter is really a marketing gimick. Imagine if your dentist told you that if you ate croutons daily you’d have nice teeth and could quit brushing and flossing – if my dentist did that I’d tell him he’s nuts! There are many dental products on the market such as gels, sprays, some specially designed dental chews and raw meaty bones that may aid in supporting dental health to a certain degree. However, the only way to achieve optimal dental health is if you brush your dog’s teeth regularly. Many dog owners don’t realize the importance of oral health or realize that dogs require that their teeth are brushed regularly (just like humans!). The good news is it’s never too late to start!

Here’s a good article to get you started:

http://www.animalwellnessmagazine.com/articles/brush-his-pearly-whites/

If your dog is having issues with Pedigree you may also want to check out some other foods. Some foods I know of that many people seem to like that are comparable in price to Pedigree are 4Health (sold at Tractor Supply), Pure Balance (sold at Walmart), Rachel Ray (sold at Walmart and most grocery stores), Whole Earth Farms (sold at Petco and many pet specialty stores), Eagle Pack (sold at many pet specialty stores), Authority (sold at Petsmart) and Victor (sold at many feed stores).

[Susan]

I just read & found the premium & cheaper kibbles they are sold at Wal-Mart, one was called Pure Balance, which is on special at the moment & works out cheaper then pedigree kibble & is more healthy, Pure Balance got 4 stars on the reviews, where pedigree dry only got 1 star rating, I hope this helps you & helps ur girls bowel problems, just make sure you buy a low fat % & see if the bleeding stops..

[Shasta220]

It’s a pet board on a makeup site lol, so I hang out there since not too many people know much, and I feel like even I can answer most of the health/behavior questions, haha! (Plus it’s fun to post pet pics)

I feel so awful that I actually fed Hills to Cassy one time. My parents could only afford a 3 star food (Nutra Nuggets lamb & rice) at the time, and I had enough money to buy one of the three dogs a more quality food. I decided to buy for Cassy (even though she’s the only dog that I didn’t bring home lol!) since she’s the old lady. I started with NutriSource and that made her flare up horribly, so I moved to Dog Lovers Gold, which she improved on. The vet asked what food I fed her, and I said DLG – he said “only food I recommend is Hills. I do not recommend DLG.” I had never been on DFA or any similar sites, so I obviously didn’t realize that most vets don’t truly recommend the best.

I bought her two bags total. I’m rather surprised to this day how well she did on it, considering it’s only 2.5 stars. She definitely did better on DLG though lol…..I went to DFA on the second bag of Hills (after I finally read the ingredients, and didn’t really understand why “corn gluten” was one of the top ingredients if it’s supposed to be an “amazing” food). Eeeeesh I wanted to hit my head on the desk so hard after spending as much on a lousy food as I’d been spending on the 4 star ones. Grrrrrrr!

But now Cassy is on Pure Balance GF (I’m just testing to see if grains have anything to do w her dandruff) and is a happy healthy old lady.

[Bobby dog]

Hey Akari:
FYI, I know you were looking for an ingredient list and someone just posted this link for Pure Balance info:

http://www.walmart.com/cp/Pure-Balance/1097490?povid=cat202072-env999999-module012814-PUREBALANCEitembadge

[Shasta220]

My Cassy is on Diamond Naturals currently. She’s gone through horrible allergies before, and is itch-free now that I’ve finally been able to get rid of corn/wheat/soy.

She still has really bad dandruff – no itching, just flakes. It’s sometimes off and on, too. I’ve given her coconut and fish oil (sardine/anchovy), but it didn’t really seem to help.

So I finally found some GF food (Pure Balance salmon) for about $1/lb, and I’m trying it to see if she is possibly slightly reactive to all grains (or maybe chicken, for that matter. Doubt the chicken tho as she’s been on lamb formula w same results).

My question is how long would it take (estimated) for her flaky skin to go away if it /is/ a grain allergy?

[dogluver95828]

I wanted to tell everyone that my pitt was having a horrible rash in his crotch and unerarm areas. bad, he scratched till it was raw. I spent 2 years searching on the internet and found the problem! I kept treating it as an external problem and it was an internal problem. he had a yeast inblance in his intestines. So i tried 2 tsp lemon juice once a day and it was gone in a week and has stayed gone. the info i read said to use lemon juice or unfiltered apple cider vinegar. If you pit has a rash that wont go away then try this, what have you got to loose? oh yes, and puree lemons dont work, tried that, rash came back. has to be lemon juice. I am so happy i am not having to wash his crotch area everyday. It wss so bad i cried cuz i felt so bad for him and i didnt know what to do. i searched and searched on the internet for about 2 years and it paid off. Tried all diff foods too, didnt work. so if your dog has a bumpy red rash on his crotch and under the armpits too, that is the sign of an internal yeast infection or inbalance. Wow, we are so very happy now. About twice it started to flare up again and i just washed it and was gone the next day! Such and easy solution too!

[crazy4cats]

Hi-
You might want to try the Pure Balance beef and/or chicken veges and rice. They are only $1 at Walmart. They stay soft after refrigerating. They both mix very well with the kibble. They smell and look delicious. Same with the Kirkland cuts in gravy, but you have to buy a whole case and have a Costco membership. I use and highly recommend both brands. Good luck!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi katj813 –

It’s great that you’re adding wet food to your dog’s dry food. Wet food is actually much healthier than dry food – especially if you go with a good quality product. The reasons for this is that wet food more closely resembles a dog’s natural diet – high in moisture, higher in protein and less processed. Providing high quality (unprocessed) protein is especially important for seniors (such as your boy) because as dogs age they become less efficient at breaking down dietary protein yet their body’s need for the amino acids that protein requires doesn’t diminish.

Some reasonably priced and highly rated canned options you may want to consider are 4Health (sold at Tractor Supply), Kirkland Cuts in Gravy (sold at Costco), Pure Balance (sold at Walmart), Natural Life (sold at Walmart and some grocery stores), Whole Earth Farms (sold at Petco, specialty retailers and many online retailers) and By Nature 95% Meat (sold at specialty retailers and online retailers). All of these options are, to the best of my knowledge, around the same price or cheaper than Nutro’s canned food.

Some other options would be using a dehydrated food as a topper. Dehydrated foods, when re-hydrated, are similar in consistency to canned food and when re-hydrated tend to be cheaper on a cup per cup basis.

You could also consider adding healthy human food toppers such as leftover lean meats, tinned sardines or salmon (great source of omega 3’s), cage free eggs (raw or cooked – also a great source of omega 3’s), plan yogurt (probiotics) or kefit (probiotics). Just be sure that if you use unbalanced extras like these that they account for less than a quarter of the meal or else you could risk throwing off the nutritional balance of his food.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[crazy4cats]

BobbyDog-
My hyper kitty does not, thankfully have dry skin. Her main issue is occasional vomiting. Which gets a little old cleaning up. But the meds have definitely helped. Also Nutro Max is another canned food I use for cats that is on the budget friendly list. It usually runs about $1 for the 6 oz can. I wish I could find as great of a deal on cat food as the Pure Balance or Cuts in Gravy dog food though.

[Bobby dog]

C4c:
Purina loves to put fish in everything. But at least there is the Pro Plan Finesse chic, One Turkey & Fancy Feast Turkey varieties to give a whirl with the coupons (every little bit helps). I feed something with fish once or twice a week because the cats go on hunger strikes if I don’t; they are such brats.
Last Sunday I started giving my older kitty with hyperthyroidism kefir daily to see if that will help with his dry skin. He had a round of antibiotics about a month ago when he lost his tooth. He developed a small infection but had no other problems with the loss of his tooth and his bloodwork came back excellent. I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but I swear the dry spots don’t look as irritated. IDK…
If I had to do it all over again my cats would never had eaten any dry food, fish, corn, wheat, or soy. They would also eat pumpkin puree’ and coconut oil without any issues. Oh well, now I know better. I am going to give Chicken Soup a try for my kitties since you and Jakes mom have had success with it. They are getting tired of Wellness and Merrick. I am going to see if I can find out where Natural Balance and TOTW is canned too.

Akari:
I wish Petsmart was closer to me! ugh It just isn’t worth the gas even with the coupon because I just stocked up, oh well. They also irritate me because they don’t sell canned food over the Internet.
I think you will be fine trying some dry food. You know what to look for as far as his litter habits are concerned. I think the dry with the fish ingredient will be fine also. I feed dry too just not as much as they would like to eat. I actually bought three small bags of the Wellness kitten that has fish meal in it for $3.24 each that were on the clearance rack to mix in with their regular food. I couldn’t pass up that bargain! lol
See what happens when you give up on a cat!! Next thing you know they start doing what you wanted them to do; I’ll write it again, they are such brats. 🙂

[Akari_32]

Pure Balance is cheap too, if you don’t mind Walmart.

Ever thought of couponing? I get foods like Wellness for about $1.75 a pound (or less! Best I’ve done on Wellness is $2 for every 4 pound bag). I recently paid $30 for 30 pound of Pet Botanics, 20 pounds of cat litter, several cans of cat food, and a bag of cat treats. It would have costed about $150 with out coupons (which I’d never pay LOL). And thats not even the best I’ve done!

[Carl L]

So much to learn, crazy4cats, about our guy. And not just about food. We adopted him in November, and he came with “issues”. 🙂

Canadian Walmart does not seem to carry Pure Balance. So, so far, only Kirkland Cuts In Gravy at around $1 can.

As you say, good thing about Labs is they are not finicky eaters. My wife has Arrow chewing kale stems, for goodness sake. As long as we don’t discover allergies or GI problems, we should have a wide open field.

I think when we feel more confident, we will try to transition to homemade food. That will be the next research project. Ha.

Great people here.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Carl-
I think 100% canned would be fine if you could afford it, but just not the exact same canned everyday, every meal forever! The difference between the chicken and beef varieties of the Kirkland is very small. I think I paid $1.69 per can for the WEF and $1.00 per can for the Pure Balance that can be found at Walmart. If you do decide to go with kibble, adding canned, dehydrated, eggs and/or sardines is a great way to add moisture and more protein. If your lab is anything like mine, they will eat just about anything! Good luck. 🙂

[crazy4cats]

Hi Carl-
Welcome to the forum! I have two 2 1/2 year old lab mix dogs that are about 80 pounds each. I love, love, love Kirkland cuts in Gravy! It is a great value. And I don’t only say that because I work at Costco. LOL! I have learned from “hanging out” on this site for about a year now that it is best to feed a variety of food. I wish I had a bigger budget so I could get a little more variety in their diet, but I do the best that I can. So, whether you decide to go with kibble or canned, it is best to feed a variety of kibble or canned or a combination of both. There is an article about diet rotation on the review side of this site in the FAQ tab. Now, that being said, I will tell you that I have chosen to go with a combination of the two. I feed about 75% to 25% kibble to canned. Currently I am feeding Victor grain free kibble with either Kirkland cuts in gravy canned, Pure Balance canned, or whole earth farms canned. In the evening a couple times a week, I add eggs or sardines to their kibble instead of canned. These are all considered budget 5 star foods. Don’t be afraid to try something and change it up if it doesn’t work. Good luck!

[Bobby dog]

It’s always an individual choice as to what brand to feed, but I always like to pass on info I feel is nice to know as a consumer.

5.5 oz is 49 cents and they have the large can 12 or 13 oz??? for $1.00. Here’s some of the ingredients for Chic & Beef is: chic, chic broth, liver, beef, dried egg product, brewer’s rice, dried potatoes, barley, guar gum, flaxseed meal, carrots, cranberries, blueberries, apples dried chicory root, dried kelp, parsley, carrageenan, minerals are chelated as well. I have used all flavors and the cats liked them. But as with all the food I buy for them, they get tired of it so I do have to rotate or mix it in with the better canned food I buy for them.

I forgot to mention, but the 4Health canned dog food is excellent as well. It is 99 cents/can for 13.2 oz. Bobby loves all flavors. Come to think of it, I am not sure Bobby has met a meal he didn’t like! lol The lamb & salmon are pate styles and the others are a stew style with huge chunks of meat. They are canned by Simmons.

I mainly buy Pure Balance stews $1 and PB 95% $1.25, all 4Health varieties 13.2/99 cents or 22 oz/$1.59, and Earth’s Pride from BJ’s 8.99/6 pack for Bobby’s canned food. Anything else is from the 50% off rack or on sale. lol I scored 6 cans of Weruva dog food for $1.30 each last week that I was pretty happy with.

[Akari_32]

It’s here!!! I have about 60 pounds of food to go through yet before I can try the dogs on this (provided the expiration date is that far off. I should check that…. lol), but I’m super excited 😀 The bag isn’t as big as I thought it would be, though LOL I was imagining like one of those beastly bags of like Ol’ Roy or something. Nope! It’s not any bigger than a 30 pound bag of food (but it sure does weigh more!!) lol

The dogs are both eating lamb right now, so they’ll be getting a good rotation going lol Well, technically Haley is still on chicken (Wellness CORE), but she’s got just enough left that I can add in the Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Lamb and Rice under it, and then she’ll be on lamb. They’re basically just going back and forth between chicken and lamb right now, though I did nab 15 pounds of salmon Pet Botanics last weekend. I do have plans to try them on either the bison Pure Balance, or the bison (or maybe fish??) Nutrisource next. I guess it just depends on how much money I have in the dog food fund when their food gets low. I just spent it all ($30) on 30 pounds of Pet Botanics dog food, 50 pounds of cat liter, and a few cans of cat food and a bag of cat treats (let me just say, the Blue Buffalo cat treats: kitty crack! LOL). Not bad, though! Woulda cost me close to $150 other wise, so I’d say I did good lol Wasn’t expecting to spend my dog food fund so soon (just replaced it after all that cat food I bought!), but the dogs gotta eat and I got a SUPER awesome deal on that Pet Botanics, and I hate having less than two months worth of food put away.

[Akari_32]

I already do get the food and she pays. And the likely good of her having time to pick food up between estimates and permits is very slim. There’s no help needed in that department. You all are the ones that feel there is. That’s not my problem. My problem was wanting to know how Pet Botanics compared to Pure Balance. What’s available is what’s available. If he can only eat one food, then so be it. Thousands of dogs do it. Moms going to do what it is she’s going to do, and she’s not going to change it till she has to (ie, I move out). Case closed.