Purina Pro Plan for new puppy?
My question is: Our breeder recommends Purina Pro Plan for Adults... Does anyone have experience with this? Thanks so much! Jill |
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| Works well for us. Went from Pro Plan Puppy, to Pro Plan Large Dog at around 9 months (may have started mixing the two a little bit before that). He has been on this since he was with the breeder as a puppy.
Would go with the recommendation of the breeder. But if after time you decide to switch, for whatever reason, just start to mix the two different foods until you are using only the new food. The mixing helps the sensitive stomachs of these guys adapt to the new food. |
Honestly I do not trust Purina all that much but I decided to go check their website out for you to see what was in it - after all they might have made a very healthy and natural food. Maybe I missed it - but each time I try to look at their ingredients for this particular food it seems to be pleasantly missing. 
I had to go to petfood direct and find the ingredients before I could really recomend you buying it. After reading the ingredients I can't really say it's good... it's filled with by-products and corn... and it doesn't even tell you WHAT kind of fish that's in your dog's food... creepy. Pro Plan Chicken and Rice: Chicken, brewers rice, whole grain wheat, poultry by-product meal, corn gluten meal, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), whole grain corn, corn bran, fish meal, natural flavors, egg product, dicalcium phosphate, salt, potassium chloride, vitamin supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), calcium carbonate, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, ascorbic acid (source of Vitamin C), ferrous sulfate, riboflavin supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, biotin, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite. Let's compare it to Wellness Super5mix really quick: Deboned Chicken, Ground Barley, Oatmeal, Rye Flour, Menhaden Fishmeal, Whitefish, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Millet, Canola Oil (preserved with Rosemary, Vitamin C & E), Flax Seed, Amaranth, Dried Peas, Dried Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Whole Apples, Whole Blueberries, Whole Clove Garlic, Alfalfa Leaf, Yucca Schidigera, Probiotics (Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus), Prebiotics (Inulin, Fructose), Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulfate, Beta-Carotene, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate (a chelated source of Zinc), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate (a chelated source of Copper), Copper Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate ( a chelated source of Manganese), Sodium Selenite, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid. I would only go with foods that are really honest with you about what is in your dog's food. See how they mention what kind of fish that's in it? Even the meal? They also use brown rice instead of corn - which is much better for your dogs anyway (not to mention actually digestable). The reason the fish meal concerns me so much... is because they can put whatever fish they want to in it... even salmon... and that isn't good for your dog to eat on a regular basis. Pro plan is better than some of the other Purina foods I have personally looked through. If I would have to chose - I would go with the pro plan myself over their other foods (since Corn isn't on top of their list like some foods are). |
| I think Pro Plan is a good dog food, I've fed it to several dogs over the years and they have always done well on it, though not quite as well as they do on Iams or Eukanuba. Wellness is definitely a superior food, however many oes don't do well on it, because I think it may be just too rich for their digestive systems, many throw up trying to eat it. |
What is it with vets and Purina Pro Plan? Our vet recommended it too, but my guys were so gasy 
Each dog is different, your's may do well on PPP. |
| My sheepie has been on it exclusively except for one small bag of science diet (free sample from the vet's office). He's done really well with it. |
| Didn't we have a poll on dog food recently? You might check to see what came up on top? |
Clyde's a ProPlan puppy too. I'm not sure if the food causes his gas or if he's just a boy 
Seriously though, it agrees great with him-- he's not fat but he's growing like crazy. 7 months and 69 pounds on the scale yesterday. I'm sure much of it is genetics but he's big and strong nonetheless. |
| I use purina benefuls if it is of any help. I have a 2 1/2 yo beagle and a 10wk oes and both do great on it.
I should probally mention, I didn't have to do the intermixing of food so they can adjust either. And when my inlaws bring their lab mix we catch him eating out of the food bowl too with no problems. Guess I am a big benefuls fan, either that or lucky with dogs who take to it...lol  |
| Integra, do you have another recommendation for the original poster, other than Pro Plan?
Looks like most of us are on the Pro Plan. You all must be the ones buying the big bags with the 10% more free before I get to PetSmart.!! |
| Also, this discussion is also going on in another post in this forum:
http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?t=3373 |
| In our case, Pro Plan has been the best food they've ever had.
We've tried Eukanuba, Hill's Science Diet and Nutro, and they are more active, their coat healthier and their droppings harder with Pro Plan than with any other food. Besides, they really love it, and Petsmart always has free gifts when you buy a large bag
I guess every dog is different, |
| Thanks so much everyone for the informative replies!
I really appreciate it....I am going to stick with Proplan for now, see how she does, and in the meantime do a little more research...I had no idea the wide variety available! And I thought feeding my children nutrionally was a challenge ;0) Jill |
El Gato wrote: Integra, do you have another recommendation for the original poster, other than Pro Plan?
Looks like most of us are on the Pro Plan. You all must be the ones buying the big bags with the 10% more free before I get to PetSmart.!! Oh yes!  Let me get a list ready - I know there is at least one at petsmart that I think is pretty good as well. |
| Canidae for all life stages: Pros: Has no corn, has no by products Cons: has white rice, won't tell you what kind of fish is in fish meal Ingredients: CHICKEN MEAL, TURKEY MEAL, BROWN RICE, WHITE RICE, LAMB MEAL, CHICKEN FAT, ( PRESERVED WITH MIXED TOCOPHEROLS AND ASORBIC ACID ,VIT.E & C ), FISH MEAL, FLAX SEED, DEHYDRATED ALFALFA MEAL ,SUNFLOWER OIL , LECITHIN , BREWERS YEAST , NATURAL FLAVORS, MONOSODIUM PHOSPHATE , CHOLINE, LINOLEIC ACID, ROSEMARY EXTRACT, SAGE EXTRACT , FERROUS SULFATE , DL - ALPHA TOCOPHEROL (SOURCE OF VITAMIN E) ZINC OXIDE, SODIUM SELENITE, MANGANOUS OXIDE, RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT ( SOURCE OF B2), YEAST CULTURE, DRIED ASPERGILLUS NIGER FERMENTATION EXTRACT, DRIED ASPERGILLUS ORYZAE FERMENTATION EXTRACT, DRIED LACTOBACILLUS ACIDIPHILUS FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED STREPTOCOCCUS FAECIUM FERMENTATION PRODUCT, ZINC AMINO ACID CHELATE, MANGANESE AMINO ACID CHELATE, COPPER AMINO ACID CHELATE, COBALT AMINO ACID CHELATE, IRON AMINO ACID CHELATE, NIACIN, VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE , D-BIOTIN SUPPLEMENT, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6) , CALCIUM , IODATE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE , FOLIC ACID , PAPAIN , BACILLUS SUBTILI , ASPERGILLUS NIGER , YUCCA SCHIDIGERA EXTRACT. Wellness - Pros: there are many flavors - which is nice, they also have foods with a single protein source and only one carbohydrate (if you dog is allergic to a certain meat or carb), tell you what kind of fish is in their food, Use brown rice instead of corn, uses fruits and veggies instead of corn, you can use the adult food when they are puppies if they are large breed (had this recomended to me for large puppies, human grade. Cons - in the puppy food there is salmon meal, cost Wellness Puppy Super5mix food: Deboned Chicken, Salmon Meal, Menhaden Fishmeal, Oatmeal, Barley Flour, Ground Brown Rice, Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomatoes, Flax Seed, Peas, Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Bananas, Whole Apples, Whole Pears, Garlic, Beta-Carotene, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate (a chelated source of Zinc), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate (a chelated source of Copper), Copper Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate ( a chelated source of Manganese), Sodium Selenite, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid. Wellness Simple Solutions: Ground Brown Rice, Duck, Brown Rice Protein, Sunflower Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Flaxseed, Natural Duck Flavor, Taurine plus Vitamins and Minerals. Super5mix I already posted above. Nutro Large Puppy food: Pros - no by products, cheaper than more expensive foods Cons - Does not mention if rice is white or brown, corn, flour, has no fruits or veggies Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Ground Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat Flour, Rice Flour, Rice Bran, Dried Beet Pulp, Poultry Fat,(preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of natural vitamin E), Natural Flavor, Sunflower Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of natural vitamin E), Lamb Meal, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Dried Egg Product, Lecithin, Dried Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Biotin, Ascorbic Acid (source of vitamin C), Manganese Proteinate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Manganous Oxide, Chondroitin Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Proteinate, L-Carnitine, Sodium Selenite, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of vitamin K activity), Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid. Merrik - cowboy cookout (one example) Pros - lots of different flavors, uses oat meal, uses brown rice, uses fruits and veggies, no by products, no corn Cons - Cost (and boy does it cost a lot!) They make excelent cat food as well btw. Ingredients: Beef, Oatmeal, Barley, Beef Meal, Whole Brown Rice, Beef Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols - a source of Natural Vitamin E and Ascorbic Acid, a source of Vitamin C), Flaxseed, Potatoes, Carrots, Peas, Dried Chicken Liver, Whole Apples, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Lysine, Guar Gum, Salt, Choline Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Whole Blueberries, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Whole Clove Garlic, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Dried Beef Broth, Chicory Root, Marigold Extract, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterocococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Natural Celery Flavor, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Natural Caramel Color, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3, Niacin, Lecithin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Amino Acid Complex, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite. Blue Buffalo - Pros - cheaper than most natural foods, human grade, uses brown rice, no corn, no by products, veggies, CAN be found at petsmart, no corn Cons - the life source bits are a pain in the rear as they all fall to the bottom... you have to shake the food up to get all the nutrients they are supposed to have, no fruits. Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Rye , Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid and Rosemary), Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Ground Flax Seed, Alfalfa, Herring Oil, Sea Salt, Barley Grass, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Calcium Phosphate, Dried Kelp, Whole Garlic Cloves, Lecithin, Parsley, Glucosamine, Spirulina, Yucca Schidigera, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bacillus Subtilis, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum, Bifidobacterium Longum, Enterococcus Faecium, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Choline Chloride, Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Turmeric, Vitamin E Supplement , Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Natural Color, Beta Carotene, Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Potassium Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Potassium), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin, Calcium Pentothenate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Potassium Iodide, Biotin, Cobalt Proteinate (source of Chelated Cobalt), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (source of Vitamin K activity), Sodium Selenite. Chicken soup Pros - uses brown rice, no corn, uses fruits and veggies, easier to find, cheaper than most natural foods Cons - Uses white rice, uses salmon Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, turkey meal, whole grain brown rice, whole grain white rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), oatmeal, potatoes, cracked pearled barley, millet, duck, salmon, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite (source of vitamin K activity), riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid. That's all I have for now - but I could actually show a bad food and tell you why it's bad so you can look at other foods and see what you would like to get. |
This kind of food makes me grind my teeth together...  I'm only using this as a bad example:
Healthy Choice: Pros - cost Cons - Corn is the first ingredient, corn is mentioned again (what? They didn't think they had enough?), the only "meat" in this food is by-products... Definition of by-products: "the dry, ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines -- exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices" it can also include beaks. Wheat is mentioned twice... again... crud. They put together a bunch of corn, wheat and byproducts and add coloring, vitamines and minerals into the mix. I can add vitamines and minerals to an old leather boot and feed it to Momo - but that doesn't make it healthy. 
GROUND YELLOW CORN, CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL, RICE, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, ANIMAL FAT (PRESERVED WITH MIXED TOCOPHEROLS, SOURCE OF VITAMIN E), NATURAL POULTRY FLAVOR, WHEAT, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, BREWERS DRIED YEAST, WHEAT FLOUR, CARAMEL COLOR, WHEAT GLUTEN, VEGETABLE OIL, CALCIUM CARBONATE, TAURINE*, VITAMINS (DL-ALPHA TOCOPHEROL ACETATE [SOURCE OF VITAMIN E], CHOLINE CHLORIDE,L-ASCORBYL-2-POLYPHOSPHATE [SOURCE OF VITAMIN C*], VITAMIN A ACETATE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT [VITAMIN B2], BIOTIN, VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT), MARIGOLD MEAL (SOURCE OF LUTEIN*), TRACE MINERALS (ZINC SULFATE, COPPER SULFATE, POTASSIUM IODIDE). My advise on looking for your pet's food: Pretty much - I would look at the food you are feeding your dog much like you would view your own food or what you would like to eat if you were a dog. Corn is not the end of the world, but it's not very good for them either... and I especially do not like seeing it close to the top (especially not as the first ingredient) of the list or mentioned more than once. Dog food companies use it because it is cheap and it boosts up the protein stats on the bag. By-products... well... yes I know a dog would eat them if they are out in the wild, but usually they eat it along with the rest of the meat... by products can be good I suppose... but they should never be the main meat source ever... period. Beaks, feet and feathers should not be your dog's staple diet. Honestly, it's kinda like using corn, it's just there to make it look good (even though it doesn't). Reoccuring foods are good as long as they are meats, fruits and veggies, but not if they are corn, wheat and by products. Oatmeal, brown rice and other grains are better than white rice and corn. Although white rice is better than corn IMO. They should always tell you what kind of meat they are using and identify what animal it comes from. Fish-meal, meat-meal, poultry-meal kinda worry me. It means that they can change what kind of fish, meat or bird they put into your food. What if your dog is allergic to a type of fish? He could be ok with one bag and react badly to another... there is no consistancy. The same with the meat-meal... what kind of meat? Road kill? Fish? Beef? Birds? The same with poultry - it doesn't just have to be chicken. They should also use the same practice when talking about the grains in your dog's food... they shouldn't just say "rice" or "grains" what kind of rice? What kind of grains? You also have to be weary of food companies that use cruddy meats that are not good for human consumption - diseased cattle, rotten meats, animals that have been euthanized (and can poison your pet) can find their way into your pet's food. Scarey? You betcha! Also - it may seem that people's dog likes a food that might be considered "bad" - why do they like it so much? Because of the flavoring they put on the stuff! My cats would love to eat dry food that is mainly made out of corn and by-products because they like the taste more. I see it like this - kids like the taste of candy and McDonalds... and will probably prefer those things over veggies... so do you feed your kids candy and McDonalds as their main diet because they like the taste or gobble it right up? Of course not.
I hope I didn't sound too mean while I was talking about these food companies and I really don't mean to offend anyone. I'm just really picky about what my pets eat and I have no sympathy with the companies who might harm my animal with their bad practices just to make a dollar. I also come here with a cat that is allergic to certain things... and if I can't trust my pet food company to be honest with me - then they aren't getting my buisness. |
| Oh yeah, look out for animal digest as well! If you don't know what that is... it's poop... so gross! |
| ok- that's just plain gross!!! I'm checking my labels when I get home!
Karen |
| Just discovered this link for a natural dog food,
its by mail order only Life's Abundance Natural Dog food www.healthypetnet.com |
zahra wrote: Just discovered this link for a natural dog food,
its by mail order only Life's Abundance Natural Dog food www.healthypetnet.com Here are the ingredients: INGREDIENTS: Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Potato Product, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E)), Dried Beet Pulp, Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Flavors, Flax Seed Meal, Egg Product, Fish Meal, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine, Carrots, Apples, Canola Oil, Alfalfa Leaf Meal, Celery, Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Bifido bacterium bifidium fermentation product, Streptococcus faecium fermentation product, Aspergillus oryzae fermentation product, Whole Clove Garlic, Spinach, Grape Seed Extract, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Panto-thenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Dimethyl-pyrimidinol Bisulfate (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate. Very nice food and the prices are in the Wellness range (it seems that the smaller bags are cheaper than wellness - but as you go up in size they seem more expensive than wellness which is quite odd... however... S & H is really going to cost you if you can't order if from a petstore. =/ Unless free shipping is offered!
P.S. I swear! If I had a dollar for every good food I came across that didn't talk about the source of fish for their fish meal... *sigh*  I think if I'm going to pay $52.95 for a 40 lb bag of food that they could at least tell me what kind of fish they use! There I go - being picky again. I still like the food though - very nice ingredients - a bit pricey though.
Their cats section could use a little work too (no canned food?) but we're not talking about cat food... so I'll let it slide...  |
| Thanks Integra,
Thought I'd share the site, its a new one to me ! It does look like a high quality food, but more costly than some others in the same range. The fact you have to order it by mail can be a drawback too. |
| There are honestly a lot of good ones out there, but they are mostly kept at the little/non-corperate pet stores. It's a real shame too - because it would make it a heck of a lot easier to buy... but it's probably what's keeping the little stores open.
I would recomend to anyone to shop around where you live and check out the petstores. If you find a food you like online - sometimes the food's site will give you a listing of places that sell their food in your area. I believe Chicken soup does and I know Wellness has one. It also depends on how much you want to spend and how far you want to travel to get your food. To me - it's worth traveling an hour to go get my dog and cat food, to others they might prefer to just stay in town and pay a little less. All is well. I would just get the best you can get for your price range and traveling distance. I just like people being aware of what is going into their pet's food... I myself didn't read labels until someone talked about in on a different forum... what a difference it made!
My poor Halifax was always sick as a dog (he he he) when he was a kitten. He was on SD since he was weaned and he litterally didn't leave the litter box if you know what I mean. I found out he had an allergy to grains and rice... so guess what? I checked out canned Wellness - just meat, veggies and fruits... glee! He did instantly better... not to mention he is a Himie and his coat is soooo nice now that I barely have to brush him.  I figured if the ingredients were doing that for my cats...
Momo also did very well with her transition from Purina to Wellness - firmer stools - she isn't farting anymore... thank GOD! She didn't even get sick or have the runs... it was woooonderful. I'm thinking about switching her food out pretty much every bag so she doesn't get all picky about just one flavor.
Ack! Anyways - Guest - I hope you do well with whatever food you chose to use in the end. |
| i have been using nutro ultra, but it sounds like wellness is the ticket, i've never seen it at petsmart |
ourrockytop wrote: i have been using nutro ultra, but it sounds like wellness is the ticket, i've never seen it at petsmart
Unfortunatly Petsmart doesn't carry it. I'm not sure why though. I know they carry Blue Bufalo where I am - but one of the workers there had to fight tooth and nail to get it there. I'm not sure if someone can request a food to be brought to the store or not... maybe a petition?
http://www.omhpet.com/index.asp If you would like to try it out - this is the Wellness website. Click on "Where to Buy" and put your info in - make sure to click on just "Wellness" or it might take you to the Old Mother Hubbard Dog Biscuits (which are carried by petsmart and mislead me the first time around). Hopefully there will be some in your area.
I would go to petfood direct before/after you see if there is any stores in your area to check on prices for the food. If you have a few stores in your area you can check if the prices are decent in comparison to how much they are really worth. I went to one store - and they tried charging $1 per can of catfood... which is expensive for 5.5 oz! I went somewhere much closer and got them for .89 cents and cheaper and $1-2 off if I bought them by the case. I wouldn't get anythingthing from petfood direct though - shipping a 40 lb bag is expensive unless they are having a mad sale!
I hope you can find some in your area though. |
Integra Hellsing wrote: ourrockytop wrote: i have been using nutro ultra, but it sounds like wellness is the ticket, i've never seen it at petsmart Unfortunatly Petsmart doesn't carry it. I'm not sure why though. I know they carry Blue Bufalo where I am - but one of the workers there had to fight tooth and nail to get it there. I'm not sure if someone can request a food to be brought to the store or not... maybe a petition?http://www.omhpet.com/index.asp If you would like to try it out - this is the Wellness website. Click on "Where to Buy" and put your info in - make sure to click on just "Wellness" or it might take you to the Old Mother Hubbard Dog Biscuits (which are carried by petsmart and mislead me the first time around). Hopefully there will be some in your area.I would go to petfood direct before/after you see if there is any stores in your area to check on prices for the food. If you have a few stores in your area you can check if the prices are decent in comparison to how much they are really worth. I went to one store - and they tried charging $1 per can of catfood... which is expensive for 5.5 oz! I went somewhere much closer and got them for .89 cents and cheaper and $1-2 off if I bought them by the case. I wouldn't get anythingthing from petfood direct though - shipping a 40 lb bag is expensive unless they are having a mad sale! I hope you can find some in your area though. Yikes...have to drive 100 miles to get it, lol I think I'll stick to Iams large breed puppy food.  We don't have pet stores in my local area, so food is REALLY limited here. The only foods you can get are grocery store brands, Iams, Eukanuba, and Hills Science Diet. Bad part about living out here! |
| The Wellness dog food looks really good, Max likes the old mother hubbard biscuits. If a person goes with Wellness, do you feed them puppy or adult food? |
| I'm feeding puppy food right now - but they don't have "large breed" puppy food even though the puppy food could probably only be consumed by a large pup (the chunks are huge!)
I was told by my vet and a couple breeders of large dogs (on another forum) that they usually feed their larger puppies regular dog food if there is no large breed puppy food available. If the puppy is really young - I would keep it on the puppy food - but if s/he is around 3 months I don't see why it would hurt them. Of course they give feeding instructions for larger puppies on the bag - so I don't think the puppy food would hurt them either. I think it all has to do with what you think is best to feed your pup. Of course I wasn't about to just take people's word for it - I wanted to look it up myself and see the difference between the foods (checked out the labels for ingredients and the analysis). I'm going to feed Momo regular dog food after she is finished with this bag. Let's compare proplan large and small breed puppy formula and the Wellness puppy diet with the adult Wellness diet. (I'll try to take the chicken formulas). I'll add the "Guaranteed Analysis" on each food to show you the differences as well. This might help decide whats best for you. Proplan Large breed Puppy formula: Chicken, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain wheat, poultry by-product meal, whole grain corn, pea bran, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), fish meal, natural flavors, dicalcium phosphate, egg product, hydrolyzed sunflower oil, salt, potassium chloride, potassium citrate, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, vitamin supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), manganese sulfate, niacin, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, copper sulfate, biotin, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite. Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein (minimum) 28 Crude Fat (minimum) 13 Moisture (maximum) 12 Crude Fiber (maximum) 6 Linoleic Acid (minimum) 1.6 Calcium (minimum) 1.1 Phosphorus (minimum) 0.8 Regular Proplan puppy food: Chicken, brewers rice, poultry by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole grain wheat, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), whole grain corn, corn bran, natural flavors, egg product, hydrolyzed sunflower oil, dicalcium phosphate, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, vitamin supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), riboflavin supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, biotin, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite. Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein (minimum) 28 Crude Fat (minimum) 18 Moisture (maximum) 12 Crude Fiber (maximum) 3 Wellness puppy food- Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Salmon Meal, Menhaden Fishmeal, Oatmeal, Barley Flour, Ground Brown Rice, Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomatoes, Flax Seed, Peas, Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Bananas, Whole Apples, Whole Pears, Garlic, Beta-Carotene, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate (a chelated source of Zinc), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate (a chelated source of Copper), Copper Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate ( a chelated source of Manganese), Sodium Selenite, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid. Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein (minimum) 28 Crude Fat (minimum) 17 Moisture (maximum) 11 Crude Fiber (maximum) 5 Omega-6 Fatty Acids (minimum) 4 Omega-3 Fatty Acids (minimum) 1.33 Wellness - regular dog food Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Ground Barley, Oatmeal, Rye Flour, Menhaden Fishmeal, Whitefish, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Millet, Canola Oil (preserved with Rosemary, Vitamin C & E), Flax Seed, Amaranth, Dried Peas, Dried Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Whole Apples, Whole Blueberries, Whole Clove Garlic, Alfalfa Leaf, Yucca Schidigera, Probiotics (Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus), Prebiotics (Inulin, Fructose), Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulfate, Beta-Carotene, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate (a chelated source of Zinc), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate (a chelated source of Copper), Copper Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate ( a chelated source of Manganese), Sodium Selenite, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid. Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein, minimum 22 Crude Fat, minimum 12 Moisture, maximum 11 Crude Fiber, maximum 3 Now - I took this off of what pro-plan had to say about large puppy food: "Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy Formula If your puppy will weigh over 50 lbs. at maturity, you need to make different nutritional and feeding choices while he’s a puppy. This large breed formula contains reduced levels of fat and calories to help large breed puppies grow at a normal rate for healthy bone and joint development. This scientific formula lays the nutritional groundwork for development, longevity, robust good health and an overall ability to thrive." If you check the puppy wellness - it does have a bit more fat than proplan. But the Wellness dog food has less fat as well - but also contains 6 less protein than the puppy food. It all depends on what you want to give up really. It could be argued "why not stick with the proplan since is has extra protein and less fat - you wouldn't have to give up anything then?" but you really have to look at the ingriedients too. Remember what I said about corn boosting the protein levels? It has two corn ingredients to help it along. You know what's the fun part? This stuff is not digestable to our dogs (and not us either - if you have ever eatten corn before you probably see it when you go the bathroom as well) We can't see it in their stool because it is ground up. So I can really see using the regular wellness dog food in this case - they are normally used for all life stages anyway, it just depends on when you are comfortable making the switch from puppy to adult food. |
JakobandBrandonsmom wrote: Yikes...have to drive 100 miles to get it, lol I think I'll stick to Iams large breed puppy food.
We don't have pet stores in my local area, so food is REALLY limited here. The only foods you can get are grocery store brands, Iams, Eukanuba, and Hills Science Diet. Bad part about living out here!I know what you mean - that is a very long drive unforunatly!  It's a long drive for me too - but I usually end up saving a ton of money and buy a lot of food all at once. Brad and I are making plans for when we move - that if there isn't any Wellness in the area we are going to - that we should probably save the money during the year and visit our families and bring back a year's supply for the boys (our kitties). I wish I could have shown you guys the picture of "cat food mountain" that I had when I last bought their food. Of course - it's all canned so it has a very long shelf life. We're not sure what we would have to give Momo if that happened... I might resort to canned dog food at that point - or just cooking for her. Heck - I might end up just cooking for all of them.
This next fall I'm going to buy their food in bulk again - so I'll have a picture for you guys to laugh at.
But! Since you only have Iams, SD and Eukan... Euuuuucan.. I hate their name! I can give you my opinion on their foods. While I think that Iams is worlds better than SD - I also think that Eukanuba is better than Iams for their ingredients (even though they are the same) the meats come closer to the top of the list.
I'm glad you are giving your dog the best you can. Iams isn't the end of the world by anymeans... Now... kibbles and bits... |
| In reading this forum I had to laugh. We spend all this time worrying about what we feed them but they happily eat dirt, mulch, toilet paper or garbage given the chance! I wouldn't even want to think of the ingredient listings there |
ButtersStotch wrote: In reading this forum I had to laugh. We spend all this time worrying about what we feed them but they happily eat dirt, mulch, toilet paper or garbage given the chance! I wouldn't even want to think of the ingredient listings there
LOL, I know. There's more to feeding dogs than there is my babies, and I'm picky about what they eat...lol Thanks Integra for all the helpful info. |
ButtersStotch wrote: In reading this forum I had to laugh. We spend all this time worrying about what we feed them but they happily eat dirt, mulch, toilet paper or garbage given the chance! I wouldn't even want to think of the ingredient listings there
You are telling me! Fish bones, cat poop, grass and dead frogs are what I usually have to pry out of her mouth... she is such a goober. |
| I'm not a huge fan of Purina. It's not horrible, but there are better foods out there (like Innova and Wellness). If you can't afford anything else, I'd go with that or Nutro Natural Choice. The truth is, you feed less and save money when you feed a higher-quality food. |
Integra Hellsing wrote: . I'm thinking about switching her food out pretty much every bag so she doesn't get all picky about just one flavor.. Integra, Just a thought, our vet suggested to stay with the same food if he was having no problems for the first year. He felt changing foods and introducing new foods too fast could trigger allergies. We kept it simple for the first year including minimal treats. It worked for us, so thought I'd just pass along this approach... |
| What a weird thing for your vet to say - I've never heard of such a problem. I switch my cats' food out every single day (beef, chicken, crab, turkey etc) and they have never had problems - in fact they had fewer problems and haven't had the runs since I've switched them over. I think changing their food out all the time has actually lead to them not being so picky about what they eat and help them be more adaptable. Cats supposivly have the same sensitive stomachs that dogs have.
I think the "They do best on only one food day in and day out" people try to push on cat and dog owners is extremely flawed. I doubt dogs in the wild have to eat the same thing each and every day or they will be ill, be allergic or have the runs. Of course I've also read that feeding them the same food over and over again can make them dependant on only one food or a certain mixture or even trigger allergies. To give a doggy example we also switched out our Dachshunds food when they were little and as they got older. They also seemed to come out alright. |
| The vet had quite a few dogs with allergies in his practice,
my sense was that he was very conservative (maybe to a fault!) for the first year. I agree with you, seems like giving a variety of foods is a healthier nutritional approach. Thank you again for your interesting and helpful posts on nutrition! |
| In my opinion, and it is widely known, that switching a dogs food, or a cats food, often can lead to problems. If a switch is done too quickly, they can get diarreah, which can be dangeous in itself, not to mention unpleasant for everyone involved.
Keeping a dog on the same food is supposed to actually prevent a picky eater, not the opposite. I understand your point about dogs in the wild not eating the same thing, but these dogs are no where near their wild cousins, they are a man made breed, who has never been wild. An OES stomach is sensitive compared to other breeds even, probably something we humans have introduced along the way, however, we need to keep that in mind with feed choices as well. Many oes are lacking digestive enzymes, and many oes do develop allergies. I personally do not think "my" two dogs have an overly sensitive stomach, but many dogs can't even eat a new treat without getting sick. Also, just to note, changing food all the time changes coat as well, which may be related to skin problems, I'm not sure. If you are talking about switching your cats food "flavor" not the actual brand, that is totally different. They still have the same formula and are less likely to cause upset if it is the same brand, same protien and fat content, or if a switch is done from lower protien to higher. |
| In regards to the allergy thing, new studies do suggest switching every 3 or 4 months, to prevent food ingredient allergies.
I found an interesting article about it http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?a ... chingfoods |
Willowsprite wrote: In regards to the allergy thing, new studies do suggest switching every 3 or 4 months, to prevent food ingredient allergies.
I found an interesting article about it http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?a ... chingfoods Funny you should find that - that was the cat forum's personal vet for a long while. |
Willowsprite wrote: In my opinion, and it is widely known, that switching a dogs food, or a cats food, often can lead to problems. If a switch is done too quickly, they can get diarreah, which can be dangeous in itself, not to mention unpleasant for everyone involved.
Keeping a dog on the same food is supposed to actually prevent a picky eater, not the opposite. I understand your point about dogs in the wild not eating the same thing, but these dogs are no where near their wild cousins, they are a man made breed, who has never been wild. An OES stomach is sensitive compared to other breeds even, probably something we humans have introduced along the way, however, we need to keep that in mind with feed choices as well. Many oes are lacking digestive enzymes, and many oes do develop allergies. I personally do not think "my" two dogs have an overly sensitive stomach, but many dogs can't even eat a new treat without getting sick. Also, just to note, changing food all the time changes coat as well, which may be related to skin problems, I'm not sure. If you are talking about switching your cats food "flavor" not the actual brand, that is totally different. They still have the same formula and are less likely to cause upset if it is the same brand, same protien and fat content, or if a switch is done from lower protien to higher. But the thing is - everyone claims their dog has a sensitive stomach. OES might be lacking some enzyms and I would never go so far as to say our dogs are the untamed wild beasts of old. But what the heck did people do before dog food plants came around? Their dogs were probably given table scraps... and I could imagine if they had the runs it would be unpleasant. Did they have these problems back then? And as far as the "flavor" for my cats food - it is not a "flavor" it is a different kind of meat all together. They also eat merrik from time to time and it has never bothered them. While some might say that feeding the same food will make them not become a picky eatter - in other words - they eat what you want them to like let's say "Iam" or even "Wellness" god forbid one day the company decides to be cheap and irrisponsible and change their formula for price sake. Then you have one of the pickiest eatters around... and they won't even eat the old stuff you used to provide.
I do agree though - switching out certain foods - especially dog foods with ingredients they wouldn't usually eat if they were left outside by themselves can cause some serious stomach upset. What I wanted to do with Momo though - was feed her a variety of "flavors" within Wellness - then maybe switch to a different brand every few months. I might even cook for her later on if I can find a dog cook book. |
| It's not only fat & protein you have to worry about with a large breed. It's the calcium and phosphorus ratio. That's why even Innova didn't recommend some of it's foods for large breeds and finally developed their own large breed formula. |
| For the people that think the Wellness is so superior, because deboned chicken and not chicken meal is listed, you really are getting more grain than chicken. Since it not a "meal", when the kibble is cooked the water is cooked out of the chicken. The deboned chicken should really be 4th or 5th on the ingredient list and the grain listed as the #1 ingredient. |
| Good point... any meat "meal" is concentrated nutrition. No matter that it is composed of parts no person would eat, including bones etc... it is far more nutrition packed than just the meat alone, and, as guest pointed out, it equals more of the mass, since it is already concentrated and dehydrated. |
| Are you certain that meal is already dehydrated? |
| No, but I think so... I can't remember where I read how they do that, or process it.... but someone I know used to work in a Purina plant, and she had also told me the various meals come powdered in a bag, like cornmeal, and are added in measured quantities to the mixture. |
| This is from the Canidae site:
http://www.canidae.com/meat.vs.meal/meat.vs.meal.html Meat vs. Meal ....on Pet Food labeling What does the real difference mean to your pets and you? Meat (Chicken & Lamb are 70% water and only 15% protein) Pet food labels found in grocery and mass marketers like to use Chicken or Lamb to represent real meat. – (Contains 70% moisture). This leads you the consumer to believe that their product is meat based. Chicken or lamb meats are heavier than grains prior to cooking. The moisture contained in the meats (70%) is reduced by 2/3rds after the cooking process, leaving the total formula as a grain base food after processing. VS. Meal (Chicken Meal and Lamb Meal are dry and 50% to 65% protein) meat protein! Canidae Pet foods list Chicken Meal & Turkey meal as the first ingredients. Chicken, Turkey and Lamb meals are dry and are less than 10% moisture and contain 50% - 65% meat proteins. In processing the meat meals do not shrink below the grain weight, producing a true meat based formula for your carnivores. AAFCO label rules require that, the heaviest to the lightest ingredients be the order on the guaranteed analysis panel, (with or without water content) |
| Meal isn't horrible - but I think we should KNOW what the meal is.
I hate seeing "meat meal" or "fish meal" because you never know what the heck it is. Like I said: What kind of meat? What kind of fish? I want to see Lamb Meal or Salmon Meal so I know where it's comming from. P.S. Wellness has meal in it as well. |
Anonymous wrote: For the people that think the Wellness is so superior, because deboned chicken and not chicken meal is listed, you really are getting more grain than chicken. Since it not a "meal", when the kibble is cooked the water is cooked out of the chicken. The deboned chicken should really be 4th or 5th on the ingredient list and the grain listed as the #1 ingredient.
Even if the grains did go above the meat - which I doubt since they nearly always have 3 or more meats listed at the top (along with meals) - they would still be doing a lot better since they have higher quality grains that our dogs can digest rather than corn and other garbage. |
| Deboned Chicken, Ground Barley, Oatmeal, Rye Flour, Menhaden Fish Meal, Whitefish, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Millet, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Flaxseed, Amaranth, Peas, Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Whole Apples, Whole Blueberries, Whole Clove Garlic, Alfalfa Leaf, Yucca Schidigera, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Inulin, Fructose, Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulfate, Beta-Carotene, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate (a chelated source of Zinc), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate (a chelated source of Copper), Copper Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate ( a chelated source of Manganese), Sodium Selenite, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid.
Well, I only see 1 meat in this ingredient list taken from the Wellness site. Ground barley, oatmeal and rye flour are what your dogs are eating then the deboned chicken would probably be next or after the fish meal. I'm not going to pay the prices they charge for those ingredients. |
| What do you feed guest? If there is a better food out I would love to hear about it. I'm always trying to feed better. |
| Deboned Chicken, Salmon Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Oatmeal, Barley Flour, Ground Brown Rice, Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomatoes, Flaxseed, Peas, Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Bananas, Whole Apples, Whole Pears, Garlic, Beta-Carotene, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate (a chelated source of Zinc), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate (a chelated source of Copper), Copper Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate ( a chelated source of Manganese), Sodium Selenite, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid.
This is what I am feeding right now. |
| Yummy! Sounds like a gourmet dinner to me! Let's see:
Oatmeal and barley crusted garlic chicken (or salmon, but I'm allergic) served on a bed of brown rice sweet potato, with carmelized sweet potato, and oven roasted vegetables (peas, carrots, and tomatoes). For dessert, poached fruit banana, apple and pear! If the first 14 food ingredients are suitable for a gourmet dinner, that's good enough for me!! Karen |
| Since the ingredients are listed in order of weight, you ARE doing better by getting the deboned chicken as the very first ingredient than say a food that lists it's meat meals 4 or 5 ingredients behind corn or barley. Does that make sense? The order of listing is pretty important. |
| Just found a great book on nutrition and holistic health.
Also has a reference guide chart to diseases/conditions. The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog Wendy Volhard and Kerry Brown, DVM Howell Book House |
| I also have a book to recomend -
The Veternarians Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs. It talks about remedies (duh), nutrition and even gives some recipes. |
| All I have to say is whatever food you want, find it in it's purest forms...whole grains being better than white.
By-products are the ones to really avoid....this can be ANYTHING. As for meal...I agree we should know exactly what it is, just incase they are allergic to one vs the other. Traditionally the more money it cost to buy the food, the better the procesessing and ingredients are. IF they are all 100% honest, and don't take short cuts. I mean we don't work in these plants, we don't know if what they threw in the pot was chicken or road kill...we believe what we read, and hope it's true. I like to change the food once in awhile, so that what one may lack in the other one will have. I also do it gradually, because I know Remy has a semi-sensitive stomach...more so with any table scraps...not dog food. The only way we will know if the dog food is pure and healthy is to make our own. Unfortunately we don't have the money or the time. |
| I do have to wonder, in terms of the all natural diet etc, if that is really what is best.... I know that sounds crazy, we think all natural! Of course it is better.... but if that is true why do we have longer lifespans now than we did thousands of years ago? Early first North Americans only had an average lifespan of about 42 years old, which has gotten progressively longer over the centuries. However, how much of that is due to medical science, and how much of it is due to some preservatives which may actually be killing much of the bacteria etc that we would have ingested then? I am in between opinions as to whether protection from germs is good or bad. I have never been overprotective of my kids in the sense of avoiding people who have a cold, I also do not allow them to recieve flu vaccines and they are the kids who never get sick *touch wood*
We don't eat meat for the most part, I am not against it I just don't often like the taste of it, and therefore my kids have adopted my own habits as well. The first time they had meat they were well over 3 years old. We do occasionally bbq burgers or good steak, and very rarely have a roast or something like that.... but I am not into tofu or any health foods so to speak....lol.... I buy what is on sale, and my kids eat non stop, snacking on fruit, veggies, cheese and crackers, and junk food too. Technically, humans should be omnivores, so why don't we suffer when we don't eat meat? Dog lifespans have gotten longer too... not only because they are more pampered than ever before, but also because of a more complete nutrition available in the kibble that has been improved year after year. That more complete nutrition has included grains and especially corn, which although is not as easily digestible, does provide a high calorie filler. I also wonder, that although wolves are carnivores for the most part, they do ingest vegetable in the wild, occasionally grasses etc, and also the contents of the stomach of whatever they hunt. In the wild, they deal with parasites naturally, knowing which plants to eat to combat them, as well as having a healthier, naturally developed immune system more able to fend off bacteria, viruses, and also parasites. Our companions are not wild and are so far removed from them genetically now, that I wonder if their digestive systems have now evolved to eat differently too. Just a few rambling thoughts..... my two cents for the moment....lol.... |
| Willowsprite said it well....we have changed and advanced alot. I don't like to the idea of a homeade diet, or the raw food diet for the dogs...it would be painstankingly hard to make sure they got 100% proper nutrition.
With all the food companies out there, there is a food for everyone. Each person has to find what they are comfortable with, try it and see the effect it has on their dog. Remy gets carrots and apples on ocassion, as well as raw bones from the store, or pure meat from our supper. She also likes PB&J sandwiches left behind. As long as she remains healthy, I have firm stools, and she is contented then I am doing okay. At the moment we are feeding her Nutro, and a little Royal Canin. She seems to love the Royal Canin. |
| I personally still don't know what would be best food for dogs, but when i got Boo, it was stated in the contract that for Boo's first year I have to feed her American's grain regal. She seems to be doing well on this food, I also feed her every two days special puppymeat. As I said, I'm not convinced that raw meat is bad for the dogs, but it takes a lot of time and money and calculating to get a complete meal. |
| Wellness doesn't have a ton of meat in it, but it's still a good food.
Quote: As I said, I'm not convinced that raw meat is bad for the dogs, but it takes a lot of time and money and calculating to get a complete meal.
Once you get used to it, a raw diet can be very easy. We use our vet's cookbook, with recipes that are completely balanced and make meals once a month. |
| Thanks everybody for the dog food discussion. I recently learned of Innova Puppy food--lots of natural food, probiotics, low calcium, protein and phosphorous. Any feedback???
K. |
| I've heard Innova is an excellent food, generally recommended for high energy dogs if I remember correctly, so I would check the protien level on the bag. |
| Willowsprite,
Thanks for the reply. What is the ideal protein level?? I think Innova is @ 24-26%, but I am definitely going to check. K. |
| That sounds good. With a breed that can grow to be quite large you want to make sure the protien and calcium levels are not too high. Many choose large breed formulas for this reason, but it depends on the lines. I personally don't use large breed formulas, but my dogs don't come from lines known to be large. They are average sized dogs. |
| Wellness Super5Mix has fish meal and keep in mind that fish meal, chicken meal and poultry meal by broduct are all simular. They are all parts of animals or grind up bones. With that in mind some people may just want to consider making their own nutritionist dog food from scratch. I think I will just stick with purina. They have been around for about a hundred years and I have always given my dogs purina and so does my breeder and vet. I know this sounds like a cotradiction and maybe it is, but Wellness Super5Mix does have a lot of natural stuff in it and I am a fan of naturals such as the fruits and veggies.
Menhaden is the major source of fish meal produced in the U.S. The fish are taken in Atlantic coastal waters from Maine to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico. Menhaden are not used for human food but for oil used in paints, soaps, and lubricants and as an ingredient in margarine in Europe. The fish are ground, cooked and processed to yield three products: presscake, fish solubles and oil. The final fish meal product may be simple presscake meal, full meal (all the soluble are added back into the presscake), or some combination of presscake and soluble. |
| http://ingredients101.com/fishmeal.htm
That sounds yummy! My dog loves it. Welcome to the forum! |
| Hi everyone,
I just started using Innova about two weeks ago. Besides being the most expensive food I have found, $48 for a Large Breed 33 lb bag, $38 for regular it does look like a great food. Wellness & Canadae both gave all of my oes gas but I was mixing it with Pro Plan so maybe that had something to do with it. Innova hasn't done that at all. I am using two different Innova products. A regular and a weight watchers product. Because of the cost I am also using two Pro Plan products of the same type and mixing them together with Innova, basically a cup of each. I put the two regulars together and the two weight watchers together and I haven't had any issues of any kind. The dogs love it. Zach |
| Mine have done well on both Canidae and Nutro lamb and rice. It was time to try a new one in the rotation. We are trying one of the Taste of the Wild rations. Wetlands Canine formula. Link to the web page:
http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/pr ... e_formula/ They really like it. I am in the mixing transition stage, but it is going well for all 7. It is a grain-free ration. Not cheap either, I think it is real similar to Innova in price. |
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