Dog Food Brand

[The Mystery Machine]

My dogs are on the uber expensive Orijen, ack. We went through a multitude of foods with my dogs as they have issues.

They were on a California Natural + Royal Canin mix which was working however when California Natural was recalled, we switched foods.

 

[Zooshoveller]

Fillers may not be that great, but there's frankly nothing wrong with meat by products for animal consumption. They may not be prime cuts of meat, but frankly the organs and bone meal are good for the health of carnivores. And basically all pet foods are made from the scraps of what was separated for human consumption. The major pet food manufacturers have huge R&D budgets and they have lots and lots of testing. The packaging may not be as fancy and the price may make it seem inferior, but there are lots of pets living long and healthy lives on pretty basic stuff.

My dog lived to the ripe old age of 17 and was active and bright eyed until maybe that last year.

Unless a dog has a specific health issue, I'm not convinced that springing for uber-expensive dog food is going to lead to better health or a longer lifespan. I do understand that some pets are very particular about what they eat, but as with many things in life I think a lot of people are convinced that they're getting possibly dubious benefits by paying a premium price.

Here's a pretty interesting article:

Its a lot of grain by-products that I don't like. And the anonymous "animal" or "meat" by-product. Which species? I want to see chicken, beef, lamb, or at least poultry. Organ and bone meal is good, but a little muscle would be nice. I'm not looking for the prettiest bag or the most expensive. Just a good all around dog food. I can survive off fast food, but I would rather eat healthier options. KWIM?

 

[jsmith]

Prey model raw. If I have to feed kibble Fromm Gold Large Breed.

 

[Poohforyou]

I never heard of dog food advisor before. We have a wonderful pet store here that's been a big help to us. I just checked the advisor site and the food we use is 5 star. That's a nice reassurance.

 

[Zooshoveller]

What type of dog is it (or if a mutt, what's the best guess about breed or size)? And how old?

If you're going to change foods, you don't really want to do it suddenly, you want to do it gradually, over the course of at least a week. The vast majority of dogs do just fine on "regular" foods, and "more expensive" does not always equal "better".

My dog was on Royal Canin when I worked for the vet (I got it at half price, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to afford it), and then switched her to Nutro Adult. When she turned 8, I changed her over to Nutro Senior, but she started having stomach problems and skin itchy-ness, so I started her on Blue Buffalo Senior, and haven't had a problem since.

Mutt, mom is a yorkie/schnauzer. 12 weeks old. His adult weight will be ~20lbs.

I'm pretty good at switching to new diets. Switching tigers from chicken to beef right now.

Here's Wally:

 

[mamacatnv]

Fillers may not be that great, but there's frankly nothing wrong with meat by products for animal consumption. They may not be prime cuts of meat, but frankly the organs and bone meal are good for the health of carnivores. And basically all pet foods are made from the scraps of what was separated for human consumption. The major pet food manufacturers have huge R&D budgets and they have lots and lots of testing. The packaging may not be as fancy and the price may make it seem inferior, but there are lots of pets living long and healthy lives on pretty basic stuff.

My dog lived to the ripe old age of 17 and was active and bright eyed until maybe that last year.

Unless a dog has a specific health issue, I'm not convinced that springing for uber-expensive dog food is going to lead to better health or a longer lifespan. I do understand that some pets are very particular about what they eat, but as with many things in life I think a lot of people are convinced that they're getting possibly dubious benefits by paying a premium price.

Here's a pretty interesting article:

Our vet agrees with you. Our Pyreneese eats Costco Lamb and Rice kibble. When we got him he was on Purina. The rescue he came from sticks with Purina due to low recall rates. Our vet said Purina was just fine but for the same $$ Costco was a bit better.
We also give him raw beef and bison bones as treats.

Just looked, the Kirkland (Costco) has a 4 star rating. Guess we are doing pretty good

 

[JillyBean1899]

Mutt, mom is a yorkie/schnauzer. 12 weeks old. His adult weight will be ~20lbs.

I'm pretty good at switching to new diets. Switching tigers from chicken to beef right now.

He's adorable! Just wanted to make sure he wasn't a giant breed dog, they have to stay on puppy food for longer than small dogs, and it's recommended to keep them on a large breed formula to ensure they don't have growth problems. But with your guy, puppy food until 12 months and then switch to adult food and he'll be good to go.

 

[Gracie09]

We use Kirkland brand. American made, rated high on pet food advisor or some website like that. We just had out puppies one year check up and she is healthy and happy.

 

[Disneefun]

We use Nature's Logic with our current dog, and have used Innova in the past.

The thing to remember with the "expensive" foods is that you often feed less than you do with the cheaper foods, so they usually end up running closer to the same price-wise since you aren't buying as often. The better quality foods require less quantity to deliver the same nutrition. So what may be a two cup serving with a cheap food may be a one cup serving with a better food.

Compare serving and package sizes before dismissing something as too expensive.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

Rule of thumb: avoid any dog food that you can buy at the grocery store!

 

[eliza61]

My dog hobbes is diabetic so we give him Blue Buffalo Wildreness dry.
grain free, high protein, low glycemic index

Question:
Has anyone done the raw food regiment with their dog?

 

[lakelandgal70]

Have been using Fromms for years now and it is only one I would ever use. They have never been recalled. We feed the Salmon and veggie formula. The vet always comments on their skin and great body condition. We have a 14, 13 and 9yr old doggies. It is a little more expensive but totally worth it. We buy ours from a local doggie boutique.

 

[PrincessJo]

Whatever happened to basic dog food? I remember when I had a dog, it was just basic Purina Dog Chow that my dog tolerated really well. When I splurged I'd go for Purina ONE. And once bad teeth became an issue, it was Purina Moist and Meaty and/or Kal Kan (apparently the brand is no longer on the market except as a dry food only sold at Wal-Mart).

We purchased our Doberman Pinscher from a breeder who breeds champions. Our dog is registered and is the grand daughter of a Best In Show.

That breeder recommended Purina, the lamb/rice flavor. She said she had found it the best one for her dogs. Shiny coats and long lives Our dog has never had anything else and is almost 9 now and going strong.

 

[Hannathy]

Whatever happened to basic dog food? I remember when I had a dog, it was just basic Purina Dog Chow that my dog tolerated really well. When I splurged I'd go for Purina ONE. And once bad teeth became an issue, it was Purina Moist and Meaty and/or Kal Kan (apparently the brand is no longer on the market except as a dry food only sold at Wal-Mart).

The same thing that happened to water..........

 

[pryncess527]

We feed Candidae. I spent some time analzying the cost per serving among 4 and 5 star foods from Dog Food Advisor and found that brand to be at the sweet spot of quality without overpaying, at least among what is available in my area. Our vet discouraged a grain free diet, she said our dogs need more fiber than most high quality grain free foods provide to avoid anal gland issues.

 

[minkydog]

Our vet agrees with you. Our Pyreneese eats Costco Lamb and Rice kibble. When we got him he was on Purina. The rescue he came from sticks with Purina due to low recall rates. Our vet said Purina was just fine but for the same $$ Costco was a bit better.
We also give him raw beef and bison bones as treats.

Just looked, the Kirkland (Costco) has a 4 star rating. Guess we are doing pretty good

We have Tiki in Costco's Kirkland Chicken & Rice Small Dog kibble. He was on a grocery store brand, plus small amounts of table food, peanut butter, and the very occasional hard bone. Last July he got very, very ill and nearly died due to hemorrhagic gastroenteritis--basically internal bleeding from the gut. The vet had us put him on the Kirkland, plus a couple dabs of soft Natural Balance, which is a limited ingredient dog food. No scraps, no "tastes", no unapproved treats. No relapses!

 

[skater]

Blue Buffalo, Fromms, Wellness - there are many many more. I like the good grain free foods that are available at PetSmart or Petco. I want it to be convenient to purchase and still good quality. I like Dog Food Advisor - you can read about latest research which tells why certain ingredients are considered good or bad.

By-products are defined as anything except for the meat. I have had vets look me in the eye and tell me that it does not matter what my animals eat. I've had other vets (who have read the research done by someone other than the companies selling the "junk") who tell me its very important to feed something "better." Its not logical IMO to feed our animals just anything. I think in the past, more dogs were fed scraps - leftover meat fat, vegetables - just less processed food in general. This approach was probably healthier than certain approaches promoted today. All dry food is processed by nature, but if I'm going to feed some dry food, I want it to be the best possible.

I'm not criticizing anyone who chooses to feed a "grocery store" brand. This is of course, my opinion. I don't mind other opinions, but I hope that everyone understands that I'm not judging anyone. We all have to do our own research to decide what is right for our animals and our family.

 

[soccerdad72]

We use Science Diet. No specific reason, except it was the brand my wife remembered her dog growing up used to eat.

 

[skater]

I will add that just because a vet or a breeder or a pet store clerk recommends something, that doesn't make it great for your baby. I always encourage people to do the research and make up their own minds.

 

[ptcbass]

To us it is very important that the ingredients are high quality and don't come from China. You will have to buy a brand like: Fromms, Orijen or Acana. There are probably a couple more. High quality controlled ingredients is the best you can do without cooking for them yourself.