[M N]

Good Morning,

I have a 12 month old German Wirehaired Pointer that I am considering switching foods. He is doing well on the food he is on now, I am just exploring other options to see if I can reduce my food bill, without sacrificing quality/health. I want/need a food with around 30% protein and 20% fat, or else he loses weight. I had him on a 28/17 puppy food until about 4 months ago, when I noticed he was getting a little thin. I switched to a 32/18 within the same brand and his conditioning returned in a matter of weeks.

I have narrowed it down to 3 foods which I am considering. Any feedback/advise would be appreciated.

http://victorpetfood.com/products/dog/victor-select/nutra-pro/

http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/dog-formulas/wetlands-canine-formula-with-roasted-fowl/

http://www.blackgolddogfood.com/natural_grain_free_salmon_dog_food.htm

[M N]

A couple others I am considering:

http://victorpetfood.com/products/dog/victor-grain-free/ultra-pro/

http://victorpetfood.com/products/dog/victor-grain-free/hero-canine/

[Susan W]

May I suggest Verus? They have never had a recall (in almost 30 years), and they have a variety of formulas, including a grain-free. I’ve tried Victor with my dogs and wasn’t at all impressed. With Verus, you can try it before you buy it because they send you free samples. One thing I really like about this food is that it doesn’t smell like dog food – i.e. it doesn’t smell like burned feathers or dried out yucky stuff. It either doesn’t have a discernible scent or, with the fish-based formulas, it smells like fresh fish. I was really disappointed to find that Victor smells just like Pedigree or Purina or any of the other regular dog foods.

[Susan]

Hi, have a look at “Sport Dog Elite” it has similar ingredients to Victor formulas but cheaper in price, Sport Dog Food even compares Victor’s formulas on the formula’s page. https://www.sportdogfood.com/dog-food/top-brands/sport-dog-food/
When you do find a few brands that work & your dog does real well start rotating between a few different brands & proteins, this way your dog isn’t eating the same brand…

[M N]

I appreciate the input. Unfortunately Verus is not available locally, and I don’t see any high protein/sporting dog formulas.

I took a quick peek at Sport Dog, I like what I see, I will be digging deeper.

I am actually in the process of building a spread sheet that compares nutrition, digestibility, cost, etc… Its been pretty enlightening as I dig into these brands…. The Black Gold is pretty interesting, especially with their claimed 31.5% Carbs and 96% digestibility. Victor is saying 85% digestibility for Nutra-Pro, and 90% for Hero…

[Susan W]

I understand on the Verus availability. I use auto-ship from PetFlow.

[InkedMarie]

Ole I haven’t used it, I hear great things about Victor.

[InkedMarie]

While I haven’t used it, I hear great things about Victor.

[pugmomsandy]

Nutrisource Grain Free has a couple formulas with a higher protein/fat content (31/20).

Nutrisource GF Chicken and Pea, Lamb Meal and Peas, and High Plains Select.

[M N]

I peaked at the Nutrisource formulas. IMO there is not a significant enough difference between them and the TOTW I am feeding now to justify the 30% price increase.

However, I dug pretty deep into the Sportdog Elite formulas, as well as the Black Gold Salmon formula. KCal/KG, protein/fat ratios, carbs, and cost to feed are all very close to the TOTW that I have been feeding (within $12 a month from the cheapest to the most expensive). However, they do have calcium and phosphorous levels that I feel are more appropriate for a young, “large breed” dog. The Omega ratio also looks better, and they have lower ash content (which is expected due to the higher calcium/phosphorous levels in the TOTW).

I would have to order the Sportdog, and I get a pretty substantial discount on Black Gold and TOTW locally which makes the Black Gold about $150 a year cheaper for me to feed. Black Gold also claims the highest digestibility (96% VS TOTW 87%, and “high” from Sportdog). Smaller puppy piles are always a nice bonus…

I think unless I can find some substantial reason not to, I am going to try the Black Gold, and consider a rotation with Sportdog…

[Louise D]

Hi MN,
I’m not a fan of the Black Gold. Even though it claims high digestibility it is full of harsh grains. Think about what happens when you eat corn 🙂 We use Nature’s Select Pet Food. We feed half of it compared to foods like Black Gold. Our dogs are doing great and their coats are amazing! They do free shipping and have local family owned stores in many cities. We use the classic blend and our dogs all love it! Give them a try!

[M N]

Louise, I appreciate your input. I think you may have the food I mentioned confused with something else…

Salmon Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Dried Potato, Dried Peas, Sweet Potato, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Potato Protein, Flaxseed Meal, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dried Egg Product, Canola Oil, Natural Flavors, Salt, Lecithin, Choline Chloride, Dried Chicory Root, L-Carnitine, Dried Carrots, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Yucca Schidigera extract, Ascorbic Acid, Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Yeast Culture, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract.

Metabolized Energy – AS FED- 1835 kcal/lb
Crude Protein Minimum 32.0%
Crude Fat Minimum 18.0%
Crude Fiber Maximum 5.5%
Total Ash 8.2%
Moisture Maximum 12.0%
Calcium Minimum 1.2%
Phosphorous Minimum 1.0%
Average Calcium 1.29%
Average Phosphorus 1.03%
Vitamin A Minimum 10,000 Iu/Kg
Vitamin E Minimum 80 Iu/Kg
Chondroitin Minimum 90 Mg/Kg*
Glucosamine Minimum 120 Mg/Kg*
DHA Minimum 0.05%*
EPA Minimum 0.01%*
Vitamin C Minimum 25 Mg/Kg*
Omega-6 Fatty Acid Minimum 3.5%*
Omega-3 Fatty Acid Minimum 1.5%*

Black Gold does have some grain inclusive formulas that do not interest me. They list digestibility for those in the low to mid 80s, which is what I would expect from a grain inclusive food.

[Author]

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