Dog Food Suggestions?

[keypooh90]

We have 3 dachshunds and 2 beagles. They have eaten pedigree their whole lives. The doxies do well on pedigree but one beagle has a weight problem. We've read pedigree has lots of filler. We want to switch to a better food with less filler and possibly but our beagle on a lite or diet food. Any suggestions that are budget friendly?

 

[onelilspark]

Diet dog food is a crock. Just feed them less. Remember that dog food companies are in it to make profit, the serving suggestions on the side are usually too much food. When in doubt, check with your Vet on what they think the proper amount is (and if they suggest diet food, switch Vets!)

That being said, we use Orijen and love it. Our dog is allergic to corn, so we've been feeding him Orijen since he was a puppy. (Side note: corn is terrible for dogs and is used in a lot of foods. If you check the ingredient list, at the very least make sure meat is the first ingredient.) Orijen is only a dollar or two more per bag than the usual foods. The only real problem is that it's hard to find, but we started ordering it online at www.chewy.com

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

We use Wellness and Grandma Lucy's freeze dried food. DD gives her dogs Blue Buffalo. All are healthy and at their proper weight. Wellness and BB can both be purchased at Pet Smart.

 

[Wendy31]

We feed our dog Blue Wilderness. It's more expensive, but there aren't any fillers. So he eats less.

Check out the following site which may help you...

http://http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/

In another dog food thread some time ago, someone here posted the site, & it's been helpful to me!

 

[piglet too]

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

The above is a good site to find better quality foods. Yes, they may cost more then what you currently give them, but I think it is worth it.

I would suggest looking at a grain-free food, with no fillers, the dog should lose weight.

ETA ~ See someone beat me to giving the webpage, but it is truly a good place to start.

 

[Poohforyou]

We have a mini doxie and he eats Royal Canine and Merrick. I have to agree with the poster who said the serving sizes are way too much. I can't believe the amount suggested for our 11 lb dog. I give him about 1/2 the amount and he's fine.

Shop around for food. I actually found Amazon with my prime membership has better prices on many things than any store around me.

 

[piglet too]

We use Nature's Variety Instinct brand. Our lab does great on it, grain free and she is beef and chicken free too.

 

[Pakey]

I have finally found success with Nature's Variety Instinct which is grain-free and potato-free. My dogs can't handle potato which is in most high-end foods.

 

[SandrA9810]

Even if you spend a few dollars more per bag, you'll spend the same amount of money since you're feeding less per serving.

I fed my dog Merricks and now I feed my cat blue buffalo. Never buy dog food where you buy your food.

 

[CupcakeKelly]

I have a beagle too, and we use the Blue Brand Adult Healthy Weight formula. She really likes it. At her heaviest she was 31 lbs, now she's down to a healthy 24 lbs.

http://bluebuffalo.com/dog-food/lp-healthy-weight-chicken?pf=1&lifestage=adult&type=dry&animal=dog

 

[MrsDuck]

We feed our dog Kirkland (Costco's brand) food. It was rated highly on the Dog Food Advisor site and is less expensive than Blue Buffalo (what I'd really like to feed him, it's just not in my budget).

 

[keypooh90]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I will definitely check out that website!

 

[KBoopaloo]

We feed our dog Kirkland (Costco's brand) food. It was rated highly on the Dog Food Advisor site and is less expensive than Blue Buffalo (what I'd really like to feed him, it's just not in my budget).

Another vote for Kirkland here. We used to feed Blue Buffalo (Chicken and Rice) but our dog was having all kinds of digestive issues. I suspected it may be a chicken allergy so I switched to a Salmon formula but we also changed brands to Taste of the Wild. Now she gets the Kirkland Salmon formula for way less than Taste of the Wild but she has no issues.

Also, the amount they tell you to feed the dog on the bag is insane.

 

[mamacatnv]

Another vote for Kirkland here. We used to feed Blue Buffalo (Chicken and Rice) but our dog was having all kinds of digestive issues. I suspected it may be a chicken allergy so I switched to a Salmon formula but we also changed brands to Taste of the Wild. Now she gets the Kirkland Salmon formula for way less than Taste of the Wild but she has no issues.

Also, the amount they tell you to feed the dog on the bag is insane.

As in less or more?
We just adopted a Great Pyreneese from a rescue - he is 77#'s but the vet says he needs to gain about 30 more. He came to us eating Purina but we are leaning towards switching him over to the Kirkland - we feed our cats the Kirkland with great success.

 

[Art 1]

I use a brand called Science Diet. The Vet recommended it.

 

[gcoolie]

We have switched our dogs to grain-free Avoderm. It has helped with weight and skin/itchiness issues.

 

[minkydog]

My Tiki came home from the pound where he had IAMS. He did not thrive on that, in fact he lost a ton of weight because he didn't like it. Now he's on Taste of the Wild Roasted Lamb & Sweet Potato. Yeah, it's more expensive than grocery story food. But it doesn't have grain fillers, just meat, vegetables and fruit. The side benefit is that it doesn't produce the sort of "waste" that the cheaper foods do. His stools are denser and there's less of them, and he stopped having gas. Being a little dog, we have to make sure he's not overeating. TOTW has been very good food for him.

My mom has a Border Collie mix who can no longer run around due to subluxating knee caps. As such, her dog has gained a lot of weight. Mom cut back on the amount of food and added green beans to the bowl. The dog eats it right up and now she's lost about 10-lbs.

 

[onelilspark]

As in less or more?
We just adopted a Great Pyreneese from a rescue - he is 77#'s but the vet says he needs to gain about 30 more. He came to us eating Purina but we are leaning towards switching him over to the Kirkland - we feed our cats the Kirkland with great success.

The amount on the bag is way more than you should be feeding. As with anything, check with the Vet (especially if he needs to gain) and follow their instructions. We'd essentially be feeding my dog double if we went with what the bag says.

We feed him 1/3 cup in the morning and a 1/2 cup in the evening. The bag says he should get 3/4 cup twice a day.

 

[minkydog]

The amount on the bag is way more than you should be feeding. As with anything, check with the Vet (especially if he needs to gain) and follow their instructions. We'd essentially be feeding my dog double if we went with what the bag says.

We feed him 1/3 cup in the morning and a 1/2 cup in the evening. The bag says he should get 3/4 cup twice a day.

How big is your dog?

 

[disneychrista]

I am kinda amazed that Kirkland dog food is higher rated that the "Big Name" national brand. I assumed it would be the same or lower quality.