Dog food

[Tom7227]

Native dog food has proven to be a good choice for my two Brits. I used to use Iams and when I switched it saw the coat of the old guy brighten up and also find less to clean up in the yard. Chuck and Don's sells it for around $43 for a 40 lb bag.

[MuleShack]

There is a ton of otehr stuff in it too, buti didnt want to list it all, more fruits and vitamins and what not.

This stuff sounds really good for the dog and healthy to boot. However $67 bucks for a bag is kinda steep when your used to paying $38 for a bag of Iams or what ever else.

[Dragonsm]

before my springer passed on...(man, I miss her!) I was using Nutro. I switched her to it and noticed some differences. If you live near Fleet Farm, they sell it for quite a bit cheaper.

I have seen quite a few posts out there about diamond and when I get another one, I may try that, as I can buy it locally for very resonable.

Good Luck!

[Harmonica Bear]

We started out on ProPlan for puppy then dog for our two setters, switched to Diamond Natural because some itchy/scratchy issues developing, now we're serving Diamond Regular(green bag)or Diamond Natural and they do well on it. Diamond works well for the two dogs and the cost works well for me.

[IceHawk]

I'm feeding my Lab I Vet healthy gourmet and really like it.

[Leaddog]

Feeding Nutri Source for several years now both to the sleddogs (Siberians) and the Springers. All do very well even the old Springer with a fat/protein issue, keep her on Senior and she's functions normally. The rest get Senior in the summer, move to Adult in fall with Performance when they're running. Vet says they're the healthiest group she sees.

Premium foods are worth the extra cost, from someone that goes through alot of dogfood. Less going in and alot less coming out. And, firmer is always easier to pick up. pics on BWCA-Knife Lake thread.

[Urbanflyguy]

i fed my last two dogs and my current boxer natural choice from nutro. good stuff first ingrediant is meat and it gave my 15 year old shepard pitbull mix and extra couple of very energetic years. my boxer pup has a super shinny coat from it and endless energey. i swear by the stuff

[MuleShack]

I just found a brand called Orijen.

It is 70% protein and 30% fruits and vegetables. Made with real chicken and turkey and no grains or gluten.

The dog loves it.

Google it, it seems like the best out there.

They have puppy, 2 different kinds of meat dog food and also a fresh fish dog food for dogs with allergies etc.

[Leaddog]

Not to [PoorWordUsage] on your parade but 70% protein without any listing of fat seems excessive on the one and extremely difficient on the other.

Dogs get there energy from fat. Protein builds and maintains their body.

Even the Super Performance (Nutri Source) I feed during the season is something like 33/31 protein/fat. Sleddogs on trail can burn 5000 caleries or more. The only way to get that much fuel in a 50 pound dog is feed a high fat content.

They'll use the protein they need then pass the rest.

[MuleShack]

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein (min.) 40.0%

Crude Fat (min.) 16.0%

Crude Fiber (max.) 3.0%

Moisture (max.) 10.0%

Calcium (min.) 1.5%

Calcium (max.) 1.7%

Phosphorus (min.) 1.1%

Phosphorus (max.) 1.3%

Omega-6 (min.) 2.6%

Omega-3 (min.)

DHA

EPA 1.0%

0.6%

0.3%

Carbohydrate (max.) 20.0%

Glucosamine (min.) 1400 mg/kg

Chondroitin (min.) 1200 mg/kg

Microorganisms (min.) 120M cfu/kg

BOTANICAL INCLUSIONS

Chicory root 700 mg/kg

Licorice root 500 mg/kg

Angelica root 350 mg/kg

Fenugreek 350 mg/kg

Marigold flowers 350 mg/kg

Sweet Fennel 350 mg/kg

Peppermint leaf 300 mg/kg

Chamomile flowers 300 mg/kg

Dandelion root 150 mg/kg

Summer savory 150 mg/kg

VITAMINS

Vitamin A 15 kIU/kg

Vitamin D3 2 kIU/kg

Vitamin E 400 UI/kg

Vitamin B12 0.5 mg/kg

Thiamine 50 mg/kg

Riboflavin 50 mg/kg

Niacin 250 mg/kg

Pan. Acid (B5) 40 mg/kg

Pyridoxine (B6) 26 mg/kg

Biotin 1 mg/kg

Folic Acid 3 mg/kg

Choline 2700 mg/kg

Ascorbic Acid 55 mg/kg

Beta carotene 0.40 mg/kg

AMINO ACIDS

Taurine 0.3 mg/kg

T. Lysine 2.7%

T. Threonine 1.65%

T. Methionine 0.87%

T. Isoleucine 1.60%

T. Leucine 2.9%

T. Valine 1.9%

T. Arginine 2.9%

T. Phen. 1.6%

T. Histidine 0.85%

T. Cystine 0.5%

MINERALS

Sodium 0.4%

Chloride 0.6%

Potassium 0.65%

Magnesium 0.10%

Sulphur 0.4%

Manganese 14 mg/kg

Cobalt 0.47 mg/kg

Iodine 3.5 mg/kg

Selenium 0.5 mg/kg

Iron 200 mg/kg

Zinc 150 mg/kg

Copper 13

[Leaddog]

Its interesting that it includes both:

Glucosamine (min.) 1400 mg/kg

Chondroitin (min.) 1200 mg/kg

Common joint maintenance suppliments but it seems not to include in probiotic.

The botanical items are interesting as well but uncertain of the k9 benefits. But, if your dog does well on it, feed it so long as its a premium grade food and you can afford it.

That reminds me, need to leave early to pick up a 1000 pounds worth of NS (made in MN).

Keep your tail waggin.

[tb7108]

My 3 1/2 year old Black Lab is very active I switched from Iams to Nutro Natural Choice she loves it her coat is very shiney and at 2 cups a day Gypsy seems very satisfied, during hunting I dont measure her food I just feel the dish and she eats what she wants.

Had bad luck with pro plan and Iams, the dog had a strong odor that changed when she stareted on nutro

[311Hemi]

I just found a brand called Orijen.

It is 70% protein and 30% fruits and vegetables. Made with real chicken and turkey and no grains or gluten.

The dog loves it.

Google it, it seems like the best out there.

They have puppy, 2 different kinds of meat dog food and also a fresh fish dog food for dogs with allergies etc.

I would definitely consider it....if I could afford it!

$60 for 29.7 lbs!

[nofishfisherman]

I just started switching my vizsla to Nutri Source Adult from Purina Pro Plan Puppy. I expect him to do well on it. The price isn't real bad compared to some others. I think I got it for $36 for a 35 or 40 pound bag.

[jeffreyd]

I was feeding my 1 yr old lab Blue Buffalo for large breeds, however since getting Gunner, he could not handle the protein in it. So he was on Iams so we changed them both over. The BB was the cleanest that i had found, had no meal or corn in it. Chicken Rice, Blueberries, Carrots, and other veggies. i will give Lobo a bit of it from time to time just as a treat, he loved the dried blueberries. Gunner who will be 15 wks monday is nearly 40 lb, he is just a toad, not fat long and and fearless, thanks Gina. We have had good luck with the Iams but I think gunner is hungrier after the change.

[RumRiverRat]

Eukanuba Sporting

I am pretty sure that Eukanuba supports anti hunting groups.

Apparently they ended their relationship with The Humane Society of the United States(HSUS).

[MuleShack]

Originally Posted By: MuleShack

I just found a brand called Orijen.

It is 70% protein and 30% fruits and vegetables. Made with real chicken and turkey and no grains or gluten.

The dog loves it.

Google it, it seems like the best out there.

They have puppy, 2 different kinds of meat dog food and also a fresh fish dog food for dogs with allergies etc.

I would definitely consider it....if I could afford it!

$60 for 29.7 lbs!

I was in the vets office talking to the Doc a few weeks ago when we were in for the last of the puppy shots. She ask me what food I was feeding and I said the Diamond Naturals puppy and she goes "Oh...". I said what do you mean Oh...? She said that it was not a very high quality food. I asked what she recommended and out came Iams and Eukanuba. Then I told her that Iams has corn as the first ingredient and then she changed the subject. Any way that got me thinking whether she knew what she was talking about or if there are better foods out there. I searched online and ran across this site that uses fresh ingredients and ordered a bag on line to try it. With this food we dont have to mix any canned food with it so I am making up my cost with that alone.

With the Diamond if I'd drop food pieces on the floor she would sniff and ignore it, but if this stuff falls it is gone.

I'm not pushing it on anyone, just putting it out there as a healthy option.

[lenny7]

With this food we dont have to mix any canned food with it so I am making up my cost with that alone.

Why would you have to mix canned food with other dry dog food? I've never done that or heard of doing that.

[MuleShack]

We've been doing this for years with our first labs. The wife brought it up many years ago with our first 2 pups so who was I to argu. Now their gone and we have the new pup so we kept the same tradition starting at 4 months. I mixed about a 1/6th of a can in with the food at each serving to give a little extra flavor. She eats twice a day so one can lasts about 2.5 - 3 days

Some people spoil their dogs i guess...GUILTY

[jeffreyd]

my inlaws feed their 9 yr old schnauzer mixed canned and dry iams at each meal. not sure why but he will eat it down in no time. i will take some left over chicken and boil it and make white rice to add to their food just to use it up. kind of change of pace from the same old thing.

[MNHuntress]

Here's my $1500.00 two cents for what it's worth. It cost me $1500 from a specialized vet down in Eden Prairie to find out that Iams (i.e. Iams and Eukanuba) and Science Diet are the worst foods you can feed to a dog or cat. I had one that developed Irritable bowel disease (read constant runs). 70% of his Irritable bowel patients were on Iams or Science Diet and developed this. He suggested Sensible Choice (which is sometimes hard to find) another good one is Richard Van Pattens. Everybody talks about protein and fat(not runny chicken fat mixed with water as a binder) but it needs to be the right kind with blends of rice and veggies. Just think if you ate steak or chicken for every meal (throw in some runny chicken fat too) your system might get alittle messed up too.

There was also a previous post about a vet recommending Science Diet. That's because their clinic makes a profit on selling dog food of that brand. The only time my vet recommends Science Diet is for use when the animal is sick because Science Diet and Royal Canin make the majority of "perscription" animal foods out there.

I'm getting a new GWP here and I will either use Purina One, Native, or Richard Van Patten.

[GSP4EVER]

My vote is for Precise. I am feeding the large breed puppy formula. My shorthair loves it. Its about $22 for a 17# bag at Pet Expo. The yard is an easy clean up also.

[Leaddog]

Two cents about Large Breed Puppy foods: It's often heard that Large breeds need to grow slow for proper development so the LBP formulas are often lower in protein and quality fat content that Adult mixes.

I don't know anyone in the business of dogs that believes that! Which is why my pups are fed Super Performance. I want to be certain that as they reach each growth spurt that they are receiving sufficient nutrition for complete development. It makes no sense to me to limit growth protential by not providing appropiate nutrient mix.

That notion is supported by people that know a lot more about dogs than I do - that's winners both on the trail and in the show ring.

[catnipmn]

Has anyone tried Orijen? I switched to it and WOW! Awesome food but it does cost more. Little hard to find but most chuck and don's have it. But we are ready for pheasant season

[311Hemi]

I don't know anyone in the business of dogs that believes that! Which is why my pups are fed Super Performance. I want to be certain that as they reach each growth spurt that they are receiving sufficient nutrition for complete development. It makes no sense to me to limit growth protential by not providing appropiate nutrient mix.

That notion is supported by people that know a lot more about dogs than I do - that's winners both on the trail and in the show ring.

Interesting thoughts. I would certainly not subscribe to the notion of feeding super performance food to a pup....but that's my opinion. You don't believe that that food may lead to growth rates that are to fast for proper skeletal development? What are your thoughts on calcium intake and it's affect on skeletal development?

From my reading the main idea is not to limit growth potential, but to manage it so it does not occur to rapidly.

One article I read suggests that a diet containing 26%/14%, .8% calcium, and .67% prosperous is recommended. This definitely supports to manufacturer as they sell a formula with this exact ration of ingredients. Based on my research on foods I would be somewhat concerned about the 1.9% calcium in the Super Performance food you feed to pups, although if you feed smaller amounts of food do to the ME maybe the overall daily intake is somewhat lower. The bigger issues seem to revolve around calcium intake and not as much around protein and fat, as long as the feeding is controlled and the pump is not allowed to gain too much weight.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Originally Posted By: Leaddog

I don't know anyone in the business of dogs that believes that! Which is why my pups are fed Super Performance. I want to be certain that as they reach each growth spurt that they are receiving sufficient nutrition for complete development. It makes no sense to me to limit growth protential by not providing appropiate nutrient mix.

That notion is supported by people that know a lot more about dogs than I do - that's winners both on the trail and in the show ring.

Interesting thoughts. I would certainly not subscribe to the notion of feeding super performance food to a pup....but that's my opinion. You don't believe that that food may lead to growth rates that are to fast for proper skeletal development? What are your thoughts on calcium intake and it's affect on skeletal development?

From my reading the main idea is not to limit growth potential, but to manage it so it does not occur to rapidly.

It's an interesting topic. As you may know, I am into Great Danes, which are much larger and grow much faster than, say, a lab (our guy went from 40 lbs at 3 months to 140 lbs at 10 months). The popular opinion amongst breeders of Danes is that pups grow too quickly on puppy foods leading to a variety of orthopedic problems, and nearly all the breeders and owners I have talked with feed large-breed adult foods as soon as the pups are on solid foods. Now, from the research I have done, most of that thinking is outdated. There have been a ton of advances to dog foods in the last 10 years. Large-breed puppy and giant-breed puppy foods are designed specifically with the health of a growing pup in mind. Puppy foods are not just higer fat and protein versions of adult formulas anymore. There are many benefits to feeding a proper puppy formula.

The way I look it most owners, breeder, and even vets are not animal nutritionists. Do your own research, and find a food that works for you and your dog.

[portageman]

Wow -

I originally posted this last March. Some great stuff posted since then. I guess I would have to agree with whoever said you have to find something that works for you and your dog. Mid summer my dog decided she would not eat Pro Plan anymore. We had to do some experimentation. She loved Diamond Naturals, but that gave her the runs. We have been feeding her Eukanuba with no problems. I guess dogs are like people - different food sits differently with them.

[Leaddog]

Absolutely, Do you own research and feed what you feel good about.

Calcium is an important point. The supporting connective tissue needs to develop just as strong as the bone, thats part of what makes exercise such a crucial elliment to development and makes other ingredients more relevant. Excesses in most ingredients will simply pass through the system. That's not the case for everything though. Manufacturers do a good job of producing a balanced product but they do have to market to the consumer to be successful which is why you see so many differences.

You're right most of us are not nutrition experts. The bottom line is feed what you are comfortable with. Remember that most of the more expensive food require far less volume to be fed providing more servings per bag at less $ per serving.

One last thing then I'll try to refrain from the topic: Many mushers suppliment the kibble. You have to be very careful when adding to dry food to not knock the nutritional balance out of whack. I cook together venison scraps (meat and some fat from trimming steaks, etc) rice and eggs. Each dogs just gets a bit each night on top of the NS.

Happy Dogs, Happy hunting, be safe and good luck!

[311Hemi]

Calcium is an important point.

Excesses in most ingredients will simply pass through the system. That's not the case for everything though.

Calcium being one of them.

I'm curious to your thoughts on nutrition and it's effect on skeletal development.....as much of the reading and studies done points towards nutritional issues adversely affecting development (not malnourishment). It sounds like you prefer a hot food for your puppies, and don't believe in the puppy formulas. Just curios the specifics behind your decision.

I think the statement about doing your research is a big one. What some may not realize is that with some foods (with regards to puppies), feeding an adult food (with a low calorie ME rating) may supply the pup with too much calcium as they need to feed more of the food to the pup.

[Ralph Wiggum]

What some may not realize is that with some foods (with regards to puppies), feeding an adult food (with a low calorie ME rating) may supply the pup with too much calcium as they need to feed more of the food to the pup.

That is a GREAT point!