[Jennifer H]

Let me start this post by saying I do know I just may be unrealistically seeking ‘the perfect food’.

My mission is to see if some of you who’ve done even more food research than me over the years has a solution to my feeding dilemma:
The QUEST: I am looking for a high protein/moderate fat/low carb/moderate calorie/reasonably priced diet:

Desperately seeking a grain free food w/ protein in the 30 to 40% range; fat in the 14 to 18% range; carbs preferably under 45%; and here’s the hard part: calories in the 335 to 360 range.

I am currently using Nature’s Logic Beef and they’re doing ok, but the cost is quite frankly ridiculous at this point.

I have tried Taste of the Wild’s Southwest Canyon (my dogs have explosive diarrhea on it). I am also currently feeding Hi-Tek Naturals grain free, but am concerned about some internet whispers I’m hearing.

The SET-UP: I love, lure course, show, race, and breed with whippets. I have some that are ridiculously picky eaters and are a bit skinny (such a common sighthound trait) and some who unfortunately are a bit chubby. My non-eaters must have free feed, or they literally waste away. Of course, this presents a problem for my over-eaters.

I have found that several of my over-eaters (all females, go figure), have self-regulated their appetites and weights on higher protein/fat and lower carb diets. I have one little gal that is truly a porker, in spite of not appearing to eat that much at any given interval.

Thoughts?

[theBCnut]

If you add up the numbers, a food can’t have 30% protein and 14% and less than 45% carbs, but the lower fat level is the only way you will get the calorie count you’re looking for. If you have 40% protein and 18% fat, you are going to have higher calories, since fat has double the calories of protein and carbs.

If you really want low calorie per cup, you need to use canned food, since it’s 80% water, it will have lower calories per cup.

[Jennifer H]

Thanks, BCnut.

Yup – I realize I’ll have to sacrifice somewhere, but at one point had my really chubby girl on Premium Edge Weight Loss formula I (44% protein; 12% fat; 347 kcals/cup) and she was doing pretty well – even on free feed.

Just not sure I want to feed ANYTHING associated w/ Diamond and not sure the other dogs would do well on it as a free feed food…though I guess if I supplemented their food with something higher fat, we might be ok, as I tend to feed several different foods at a time.

Thoughts on that?

[LabsRawesome]

High protein 42% 22% fat and low carbs 17% total carbs. 479 kcals per cup. Victor Ultra Professional formula. I buy it local for $40 a 30lb bag. I don’t think a food with your exact specs exists. I haven’t looked at them all tho. ;P http://www.midamericapetfood.com/victordogfood/pdf/Brochure-GF-Ultra%20Pro.pdf

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by LabsRawesome.

[Melissaandcrew]

Lol..Labs is now addicted to Victor Ultra Pro…lol..My Dobie is still doing awesome on it!!

[LabsRawesome]

LMAO 😀 Yes, I am addicted. No one can touch the quality of Victor, for the price. And my 3 look AWESOME on it too. 🙂 There’s no other 5 star kibble that comes close to Victor’s price point. Just under $40 for 30lbs. Yes please. 😀

[Melissaandcrew]

Lol. Told you it was awesome! Love the quality, love the price even more. 🙂

[losul]

O.K., O.K., you got me!!

I loved the title you chose for your post. If you had wrote something like “Looking for a good dog food that blankety, blank, blank, for blankety, blank, blank”, I very likely wouldn’t have even read it, and left it for others more capable to help. As it was, how could I resist the challenge!!

Unfortunately, what you are requesting with all those parameters in a kibblet, is likely and truly “Mission Impossible”.

I can come close to, but the fat the fat percentage is a bit less than what you request. (12%). Also it’s equally as expensive as the NL, and more than regular wellness core. Wellness Core large breed 34/12 3540 cal/kg., 346 cal/cup. It’s only slightly less calorie dense than regular Wellness Core at 3660 cal/kg (3.5%) and 420 cal/cup. The main reason so big a difference in cal/cup is because the kibble size is large for the large breed. A cup of stones weighs less than a cup of sand. weight and volume don’t go hand in hand.

http://www.chewy.com/dog/wellness-core-grain-free-large-breed/dp/54100

This message will self destruct in 5 seconds… 😀

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by losul.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by losul.

[Naturella]

It may not be exactly what you want, but I want to “third” the opinion on Victor Ultra Pro – great food, great price, my Bruno loves it, the kibble is small so smaller-ish (and all, really) dogs can eat it – it is a great food! Especially for racing dogs. And, for the chubby girl, just try to feed her in a crate or somewhere separately, and give her a slightly reduced amount – lesser calories + more exercise = weight loss.

[Cyndi]

Lmao @ losul!!

[crazy4cats]

What Cyndi said x2! 😀

[Jennifer H]

Thanks, EVERYONE! I so appreciate input and feedback, as this quest has been on-going for several years now. 🙂

[InkedMarie]

Lol Losul!

[Author]

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