is expensive dog food really worth it???

[DRH1175]

Yes they are worth it. Nutrisource is a great food for a good price. What kinda Purina are you talking here. You definitely get what you pay for in pet food. Cheaper foods substitute grain like corn or soybeans for meat. Grains have very little nutritional benefit to dogs. The cheaper the food the more you will have to feed. Example Nutrisource you will feed 3 cups a day. To get the same nutritional value on a cheap food you may have to feed 5 cups. Not much savings. And what goes in comes out. So as long as scooping [PoorWordUsage] is a hobby go for it.

[LABS4ME]

Like I've been saying, price isn't the only way to pick out quality food. Todd showed he is getting a good grain free food for under .90 cents a pound and I am doing a good grain free food for 70 cents a pound... I can lay all the same claims as these feeding food for 1-2 dollars a pound. 2.5 - 3 cups a day. Good firm stools, nice coats, great health and vigor, long lived, good stamina.

Price is not the only determining factor in quality food vs. low quality food. Price paid per bag is a badge worn by the owners... The dogs have no idea what is being spent. I will seek out the least expensive way to feed the best food value to my dogs. That makes sense to me.

We all make decisions every day where our discretionary income is spent... Mine is not on dog food... It may be for others, but generally the extra dollars spent on expensive food are only for solace to the owners not improved vigor of their dogs.

Good Luck!

Ken

[BLACKJACK]

Labs, I thought that the heartworm medicine that we give once a month also took care of any other worms that they get??

[LABS4ME]

I believe it will cover hookworms and round worms. Unless it has changed it does not over tape worms. I would ask your vet. I know my cats ate mice and baby rabbits, both carriers of tape worms, dogs ate both of their droppings...

If I remember... Tape worm meds work by dissolving the tapeworm. Heartguard paralizes worms but did not affect tapeworms. Been over a decade since I had this talk so maybe a quick call to discuss with your vet will give the proper answer.

Good luck!

Ken

[CANOPY SAM]

This question about dog food is an interesting one. I really, really wonder what type of protein truly goes into "good quality" dog food? I mean, can anyone here honestly say they know?

I know this, I put myself thru my first two years of college working at a turkey processing plant. By the end of each day of processing we had a full length semi trailer filled with primarily feathers, but also heads, feet, guts, blood, and anything else found "Not for human consumption".

This trailer was hauled to the dog food manufacturing plant.

Now I can't say I know that they labeled their dog food as containing turkey meat, as I never have purchased that brand of dog food, but I seriously wonder if the same "ingredients" don't go into other dog food brands...being supplied by other livestock processing plants?

I believe the true amount of pure meat protein going into dog food is extremely questionable. Let's face it, good quality meat at the market isn't cheap! Even the low quality stuff isn't cheap!

So how much pure meat protein do you really believe these manufacturers are feeding our dogs? I'd wager the majority of protein comes from nothing more than powdered bone meal, and other animal byproduct. And that byproduct contains a very low percentage of actual pure meat protein.

Now taking this fact into account, it may not actually be as bad as it initially sounds. Dogs, like any canine, have eaten ALL of the animals they killed for thousands of years, so perhaps some of this processed dog food really isn't all that different then what they would eat in the wild?

[Scott K]

Hmmm, yet they say not to feed your dog turkey??

I know a certain chicken place local to me, has about the same set up. A chicken dies, it gets tossed in a pile for dog food. Not really sure how long they sit in said pile, or truck, before it gets frozen, hauled off, and processed at the dog food plant.

[Gordie]

All I can say is that I went to a higher priced dog food , (because it comes with a higher price) one with no corn in it and it has made a huge difference. My lab has allergies that are food related and the food w/o the corn and other type by products seams to be helping her. I have started to also feed her fish eggs from the pike that I have speared and it has also made a big, big difference.

If She still has problems this spring I am thinking of trying a all meat diet next.

I was also told by a vet that the foods with a high salmon content is good for them too.

[LABS4ME]

I think if it is labeled as chicken meal it has to come from parts of the animal other than head, feet, feathers, bone, blood and organs.... by products are all the rest.

I can pretty much guarantee there is not a truck load of chicken breasts waiting to be ground into dog food, but wing tips, necks, backs, butts all are eesentially useless in the grocery store, yet almost identical to the parts we eat as far as nutrition... that I'm sure is where alot of the meat portion of dog food is derived from. Add in 'meal' which is ground up clean skin/fat from a chicken and the by-products... feathers, organs, head, feet etc.

I actually did a little reading last night on this whole dog food debate. Some of the articles are contrary to what our thoughts as owners are. Cal Poly did a study that shows domestic dogs and their wolf couterparts do not digest food equally. Neither are truely carnivore, both are considered omnivore. Domestic dogs have the ability to digest starch which wolves do not. Surprisingly the study showed corn is a good grain to use and dogs do get multi benefits from it. (fiber, Omega-6, carbs etc) Many new designer foods have potatoes which they concluded are poor sources of carbs for dogs. It went on and on waaay over my head. I ended up clicking on the Purina sight for dog food analysis and see they have some of the same info. What was another eye opener was 94 out of 100 winners at the national dog show this year were fed Purina Pro plan. I used to feed that years ago and can say my dogs did very well on it. It has quite a bit of corn in it. (that is why I chose to leave it) The 1st ingredient though is "chicken". When printed that way it is actual chicken flesh. Not skin, not heads, but chicken meat. The study went on to say that they are now begining to see a new wave of Kidney failures from all the high protein meat based diets on the market. They say domestic dogs are not engineered to handle that much protein going through their systems... All interesting reading. They also went on to say less than 1% of all dogs actually have a grain allergy.

In the end, we form our OPINIONS, then we base our decisions on those, but it is eye opening when those with high degrees in animal studies and nutrition can debunk much of what we believe... I like to think I'm well informed, but find myself believing my own opinions... mayn times probably not true. I think all should use what they like, what they have been having good luck with and take in as much info as possible to formulate future decicions.

Good Luck!

Ken

[wannafish2]

Diamond is not considered a Premium dog food, although it may be perfectly adequate.

The easiest way to explain the difference between a premium food and a non premium dog food is to say it is similar to you eating at Steak and Ale VS McDonalds. While both are able to sustain life, one is preferable over the other when it comes to health.

Premium foods are most cost effective when fed at the recommended meal sizes.

Because of the higher quality ingredients, your pet will eat less of a premium food than a lower quality food. They will also utilize the food better, which translates into less and fewer bowel movements, which means less for you to pick up.

There are many premium foods to choose from, and most will be perfectly fine for your dogs. I have had customers experience the best results when they feed NUTRO brand dog food. NUTRO is made from quality ingredients and is very good for your dog. You will notice improvement in their attentiveness, skin and coat, eyes will be brighter, and your dog will have more energy.

I recommend Nutro to all my dog loving friends. I don't have a dog, but I have worked with many pet food reps and vets and when you talk to people who have changed to Nutro they usually don't change to anything else.

You may be able to find a coupon online to help offset the cost.

Unless your dog needs a RX food, Nutro will be fine.

Again, there are many premium foods to choose from. NUTRO is just the one I have the most success with. I am sure other premium foods are just as good. So to answer your question, YES, premium foods are worth every penny. Just don't over feed. Too many steaks aren't good either. LOL

[DaSwede]

Wow...never said I "loved" my dog more than anyone. I just said I won't feed him Diamond products. I believe I also said, if you do, that's "great." We all do what we think is best for our four-legged friends. Also, if I had three dogs, I would probably also look at alternative foods, but since I have one, and only plan on having one, I will continue to buy Fromm.

I know there are a lot of good foods out there. The OP asked about expensive dog food, and I told him why I feed Fromm. No need to get overly defensive...

[Lunker]

So I've seen mentioned above that there are grain-free products for .80 cents per pound, and .90 per pound. Which brands are we talking about here?

[LABS4ME]

Swede,

Defensive? Nope. My post mirrored yours, just from the other side of the fence. I said if you want to feed 2.50 a pound food by all means carry on. I also said I fed Fromm's for a couple years before they got all wrapped up in designer food. Loved it. It was great food at a great price. I said everything you said, just in the inverse. I think the original OP asked if 'expensive' foods are worth it. I am giving him an alternative to feed good food at a competitive price. I did say if you are paying 2.50 a pound you should be assured of getting good food.

Good Luck!

Ken

[LABS4ME]

Diamond is not considered a Premium dog food, although it may be perfectly adequate.

The easiest way to explain the difference between a premium food and a non premium dog food is to say it is similar to you eating at Steak and Ale VS McDonalds. While both are able to sustain life, one is preferable over the other when it comes to health.

Premium foods are most cost effective when fed at the recommended meal sizes.

Because of the higher quality ingredients, your pet will eat less of a premium food than a lower quality food. They will also utilize the food better, which translates into less and fewer bowel movements, which means less for you to pick up.

There are many premium foods to choose from, and most will be perfectly fine for your dogs. I have had customers experience the best results when they feed NUTRO brand dog food. NUTRO is made from quality ingredients and is very good for your dog. You will notice improvement in their attentiveness, skin and coat, eyes will be brighter, and your dog will have more energy.

I recommend Nutro to all my dog loving friends. I don't have a dog, but I have worked with many pet food reps and vets and when you talk to people who have changed to Nutro they usually don't change to anything else.

You may be able to find a coupon online to help offset the cost.

Unless your dog needs a RX food, Nutro will be fine.

Again, there are many premium foods to choose from. NUTRO is just the one I have the most success with. I am sure other premium foods are just as good. So to answer your question, YES, premium foods are worth every penny. Just don't over feed. Too many steaks aren't good either. LOL

Your basis on what is and what isn't a premium food is based on what? fact or opinion?

Diamond Naturals ing list:

Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, white rice, cracked pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), oatmeal, beet pulp, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, fish meal, potassium chloride, choline chloride, 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, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid

NUTRO list:

Chicken Meal, Ground Whole Wheat, Wheat Flour, Ground Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Rice Bran, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Natural Flavors, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), L-Carnitine, Potassium Iodide, Copper Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6), Riboflavin Supplement (source of Vitamin B2), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid.

I don't call Diamond a 'premium' food. I call it a good food at a great price. It starts with chicken (whole meat)as it's first ingredient. No corn or wheat... and from there mirrors up with Nutro.

I can lay all the rest of the claims as far as health of my dogs too and for waaaay less than a dollar a pound.

Good Luck!

Ken

[LABS4ME]

Lunker,

Diamond Naturals chicken and rice. Maynerds is $28.00 a 40lb bag.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Todd Caswell]

Lunker,

Costco, salmon/sweet potato and Turkey/sweet potato both grain free 29.99 35# bag..

[Todd Caswell]

Hmmm, yet they say not to feed your dog turkey??

I know a certain chicken place local to me, has about the same set up. A chicken dies, it gets tossed in a pile for dog food. Not really sure how long they sit in said pile, or truck, before it gets frozen, hauled off, and processed at the dog food plant.

Where did you hear or read that turkey was bad for dogs???

[setterguy]

Is running sea foam through all your engines every fall worth it...to me its the same question. Some guys dont bother and have never had a problem. To them its probably not worth the time and energy...some guys like me will have a problem with every motor I own if not taken care of properly so I do the preventative stuff. Same goes for my dogs, I feed TOTW and have been very impressed. I switched to a different grain free brand about a year ago and the shedding became too much. My 46lb male who runs 5-10 miles a day with my wife gets 1 1/4 cup twice a day and looks like a million bucks. Rock hard stools and clear eyes and teeth are clean. If you have a cheaper option that works for you, say thanks. To me I've found something that works and I'm sticking with it.

[leechlake]

"if a chicken dies it gets put in a pile for dog food"

I worked for years for a company that sold truckloads and railcar loads of items to feed companies; cattle feed, hog feed, pet food etc.

any entity of any size at all isn't going to deal with a single cow or hog let alone a single bird. They are buying 44,000 pound truckloads of chicken meal or larger or any ingredient put in their food. Theses entities can't just put whatever they want into feed. Yes, the standard is lower, many dog food ingredients are "non-edible" grades of ingrediants meaning not for human consumption standards. Luckily canines aren't human even though mine sleep on a couch!

[natertater83]

I always fed my dogs science diet which was expensive so I figured it was great food, I then did some research and found that if the first ingredient was corn meal and not some form of meat it was not very good. so I switched to Costco brand dog for. $32.00 for a 35lb bag and the dogs love it. less [PoorWordUsage], coats are better, less gas. and they seem to have more energy. Everyone is going to tell you this or that dog food is the best, it really comes down to what you want for your dog and what you want to spend!! if people saw how and what cattle and pigs were fed people would never eat them. cardboard, plastic, anything that gets thrown into the grinder gets fed to the animals and they eat it. Probably no worse then humans drinking soda and putting tobacco into our systems.

[nofishfisherman]

I don't think there is any solid answer to the question. Its all up to the individual dog. We all have heard stories about some dog that ate nothing but the cheapest grocery store brand that was mostly saw dust, corn, and chicken feet and the dog ended up living to 104, and we've all heard the stories of a dog that made some miraculous turnaround after switching to one of the higher priced foods.

Truth is each dog is different just like all people are different. For some reason I can eat anything I want and not gain a pound while maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. Then there are people who eat nothing but salads and lean protein and they struggle with poor health everyday.

Does a good diet help? Sure it does. But what gains are you really seeing is a hard question to answer. I know I've had my vizsla on a few different foods and finally settled on Nurta Source Grain Free and he's done great on it and I'd saw I've seen an improvement. Now will this relate to longer life or better quality of life? I don't know and there's really no way I ever will know since to compare effectively I'd have to have an exact replica of my dog and feed it nothing but low end food.

In the end the only important thing is that you find a food that your dog does well on, whatever food that may be. Only suggestion I'd make it to make sure that there is as little filler as possible in the food. No reason to pay for something that doesn't do anything for the dog, just a waste of money.

[311Hemi]

Lunker,

Diamond Naturals chicken and rice. Maynerds is $28.00 a 40lb bag.

Good Luck!

Ken

Is this for the actual Diamond Naturals "Grain Free" product? They have Diamond Naturals which is not grain free, and they have Diamond Naturals "Grain Free" formulas which I have found to be much higher priced than what you mention.

Looks like Taste of the Wild is made by Diamond, as is Costco's Natures Domain as well.

Taste of the Wild: Pacific Stream

Calories: 3,600 kcal/kg (360 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy

Ingredients

Salmon, ocean fish meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, canola oil, salmon meal, smoked salmon, potato fiber, natural flavor, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Natures Domain: Grain-Free Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato

3,590 kcals/kg (336 kcals/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy

Ingredients:

Salmon meal, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, canola oil, ocean fish meal, potato fiber, pea protein, natural flavor, flaxseed, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Diamond Naturals: Grain-Free Whitefish & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs

Calorie Content: 3,580 kcals/kg (335 kcals/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy.

Ingredients

Whitefish, fish meal, sweet potatoes, peas, garbanzo beans, potatoes, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tomato pomace, potato protein, flaxseed, natural flavor, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, yucca schidigera extract, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

[LABS4ME]

I posted he ingredients one page back. No corn, no, wheat, no soy. I guess there is rice, oatmeal, barley and flaxseed if you want to lump thse into 'grain'. That is the ingredients for he $28 a bag food I buy @ mensrds.

Good Luck!

Ken

[gunmunky]

I have a Standard poodle we got when she was 3 yrs old. The previous owner fed her Nutra-Source Grain free Chicken for large breeds. We decided to try a less expensive food about a year after we got her and her energy dropped and she was having anal gland issues. Yuck! So we switched to the solid gold brand, which was spendy, and still no energy and some gland issues. We went back to the Nutra-Source and she returned to normal!!!!

I know some say dogs are just animals but what other loves you more than themselves! Including humans. We only go around once and I want the best for my family and my pets. I will sacrifice somewhere else if needed, but not on my pets health. IMHO.

[walleye18]

One of my dogs would eat the butt out of a dead skunk on the road and be good to go. My other lab will eat all of his food but has issues with excess shedding and itching - as was mentioned in prior posts.

Solution - played with some different kind of foods and got him dialed in. Shedding is normal and itching/scratching is non existent.

You get what you pay for. Some dogs can tolerate whatever you feed them, some have issues. Navigate the dog food types and find whats best for your pooch!...simple stuff.

[Eric Wettschreck]

One of my dogs would eat the butt out of a dead skunk on the road and be good to go.

I wonder if our dogs are related.

[CANOPY SAM]

One of my dogs would eat the butt out of a dead skunk on the road and be good to go.

Mine too! Bones, our lab, is an eating machine. He goes thru a large rawhide bone in about 5 minutes. Not just chewed up, but completely gone!

I feed him Purina Large Breed dry food in the morning, and half Purina half ALPO wet food in the evening. He loves his mixed dog hotdish, and literally leaps into the entryway for supper!

He's in great shape. Runs around like a fawn in spring. Happy as a clam. Nice shiny coat, bright sparkling eyes, and big white teeth. Barely sheds at all, but does scratch a bit, but not any more than I would expect from a normal dog. I scratch about as much as he does!

I'd quickly invest more in his diet if I felt he needed something different, but he seems to be about the happiest dog I know, so more expensive food doesn't really appear to be needed.

[Dotch]

He's in great shape. Runs around like a fawn in spring. Happy as a clam. Nice shiny coat, bright sparkling eyes, and big white teeth. Barely sheds at all, but does scratch a bit, but not any more than I would expect from a normal dog. I scratch about as much as he does!

If you itch, I'd recommend you roll in the snow. It really seems to help our older Border Collie!

Your post was spot on Sam. We feed Fudgie the older dog Beneful, something she will actually eat and does well on it. She's extremely fussy and since it's a dog we inherited after Mom passed away, we're not messing with her. She has a thick winter coat, guards gates well and the sheep respect her, all without training. Not real sociable but living alone with Mom as she did, that's not to be unexpected. At nearly 11, Fudgie's welcome to live out the rest of her days here. The younger Border Ruby gets Diamond Performance and at 3 years old she's sheer hell on wheels. No diddling around waiting for the ewes to come up from the pasture. This one probably should've been trained for Fly Ball but she's a very friendly member of the team who many besides ourselves have become very attached to. If we or our vets saw something wrong with either dog we wouldn't hesitate to make a change, food related or otherwise.