Non-grain dog food?

[ptcbass]

Zignature is a really good one too. They offer several meat sources an are grain free and potato free. Great for dogs with food allergies and it doesn't cost as much as Orijen or some of the other primo ones.

 

[Sleepy425]

Nature's Domain, the Costco grain free, is $33.99 for the salmon kind. I am saving $20/month by using it and the dogs have done really well on it.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I used to feed my dogs Orijens, which is quite expensive. I switched them to Costco's Nature Domain, which is about 1/3 the price, and they are doing very well on it. Thank you, Costco!!

TP

 

[texasroni75]

This website provides a lot of good information on dog foods and their ingredients: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/

We use Diamond Naturals and buy it at our local farm supply store.

This! Our dog has a sensitive tummy AND gets eye infections (allergic reaction) if we buy her dog food that has grains or gluten in it.

We buy the same brand as mentioned above and get it at our local feed store. It's SO much cheaper than the versions sold in any pet store or grocery store around here.

 

[momto2inKC]

I also wanted to add- our feed store has a frequent buyer deal. This is through the pet food companies , not the store itself. Anyway, for every 6 bags we buy we get 1 free.

 

[ptcbass]

Also be careful of the source of the ingredients. You don't want anything from China or your dog may have more problems than allergies.

 

[Soupermom]

We use the lamb and rice food from Costco (Kirkland brand). It's a very good quality food, no grain, and a reasonable price.

Isn't rice considered a grain? I'm new to all of this, but I thought it would be.

 

[Astylla]

We currently only have cats but exclusively feed them Blue Buffalo and I know they have grain free cat food and believe they do for dogs as well.

We changed from Purina One about 4 years ago and were amazed at the difference in their activity level , fur and skin improvement and they eat MUCH less than before with all the fillers.

Worth checking out for sure.

 

[mickeyluvr004]

I also use 4 health dog food the beef and potatoe, my lab had a real bad reaction to the chicken in the food we used to use and lost all her hair it was aweful, we switched as the vet said shes allergic to chicken and we get it at tractor supply and her hair grew back she looks great shiny coat and loves the food, my brittany was a real picky eater and seems to eat this food instead of pushing it out of her bowl onto the floor under the mat. good luck on finding a good food.

 

[Ranger111]

Isn't rice considered a grain? I'm new to all of this, but I thought it would be.

Yes, and it is a major topic of debate in dog food because of: arsenic.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/red-flag-ingredients/arsenic-rice-dog-food/

The deal is that I eat rice, but I may only eat it once or twice a week.

If dog food has it, the dog is getting it every day along with any arsenic (and there may be no arsenic in the rice, anyway).

And as a grain, it is a rare dog that is allergic to rice.

Know that many many people "poo-poo" the rice/arsenic thing and that a lot of dog food has a lot of rice in it and I am not seeing a lot of dogs falling over dead in the street. And, if you read the link above, you will see that the levels of arsenic being found does not seem to approach any "danger zone."

So, just decide what works for you regarding rice (and any other grain for that matter, because, truth be told, most dogs are not harmed by grains anyway).

 

[jsmith]

You might want to look into prey model raw feeding-and just not start the dog on chicken-basically you feed 80 percent meat, 10 percent organ and 10 percent bone at a ratio of 2 percent of the dogs idea body weight per day-it is not a commercially produced food-its what ya got raw meat and very healthy for the dog-I know lots of people who feed raw and are very happy with it.
I currently do a bit of a combination and feed Fromm Family foods-they have a variety of formulas, are produced at a small plant in Wisconsin and have never had a recall. We do give raw treats-marrow bones, chicken necks and wings and freeze dried raw treats. Raw has the added advantage of no tartar build up on the teeth.

 

[Ranger111]

Final thought on this:

Most dogs don't need grain-free.
http://www.petmd.com/dog/centers/nutrition/evr_multi_what_is_grain_free_pet_food_really#.UZD5b6LFW9s

I went to grain-free because one of my dogs started having seizures. Our vet is an "old school" farm and ranch vet.

He said there was not much to do unless we wanted to waste money on lots of tests that would likely tell us nothing.

Or put the dog on barbituates, which would end it's days as a working dog and would basically turn it into a fat, unhappy 120-pound lap dog.

He did suggest B-12 shots and/or a change in diet to grain-free. He said odds are that neither would work....but....

Decided to go grain-free. Dog has been seizure-free for a year (or so I think, not with the mutt 24/7).

If we had not had the medical issue, I would still be feeding Professional brand or Diamond High-Energy.

 

[eliza61]

My dog Hobbes is diabetic so has to have grain free low glycemic food.
We get him Pet Botanice salmon recipe
It's still pricey

 

[Lizzybean]

We feed our dog Canine Caviar (kitties get Feline Caviar). We absolutely love it but it is still pricey compared to brands we used to buy at regular stores. I tell my dh "you get what you pay for" lol.

 

[Colleen27]

We have a lab mix who has diet-related skin and joint issues and we searched for a long time to find a reasonably affordable food that works for her (and that we could find in our little town). My girl has no problem with rice, barley, and oatmeal, it seems to be just corn that causes her issues but we eliminated wheat at the same time just because it is so hard to isolate either of those two ingredients, so we haven't gone totally grain free. What we're using is 4Health lamb & rice from Tractor Supply. It is much cheaper than most corn-soy-wheat free dog foods at $32 for a 35lb bag but still gets above-average reviews and it has made a world of difference to our older dog.

 

[Colleen27]

Final thought on this:

Most dogs don't need grain-free.
http://www.petmd.com/dog/centers/nutrition/evr_multi_what_is_grain_free_pet_food_really#.UZD5b6LFW9s

I went to grain-free because one of my dogs started having seizures. Our vet is an "old school" farm and ranch vet.

He said there was not much to do unless we wanted to waste money on lots of tests that would likely tell us nothing.

That's how we ended up going to the corn/wheat free diet for our dog too, and our vet was outright dismissive of the idea. He says the grain free thing is a "fad" for "pet owners with more money than sense" and wanted to run all manner of tests to diagnose our dog's issues (severely itchy/flaky skin, hair loss, joint stiffness, and one seizure). Changing the food was something of a last-ditch effort because we weren't in a financial position to green light a thousand dollar battery of tests to pinpoint her issue, never mind pay for whatever treatment came next. I'd stumbled onto a breed-specific discussion forum where scores of lab owners were discussing similar health issues and what a difference eliminating corn or grain made so I figured it was worth a try. We saw a difference in the joint/mobility issues almost immediately and her skin healed and fur started filling back in after just a couple weeks. That was 5 years ago and she's still going strong.

 

[Suger Mag]

After a recent illness where my dog went of her regular kibble , I started making my own dog food. It is cost effective and I feel a lot more comfortable knowing exactly what is in it.

I use the slow cooker and make a big batch every couple of weeks and freeze in smaller containers.

Just throw everything togetther in the slow cooker pot and cook for like 6 hours or so on high. Stir a few times during cooking and stir hard at the end to really break up the meat.

My Easy Peasy Basic Recipie

2 cups uncooked brown rice (if you are doing grain free you can obviously alter this)

2 lbs meat... Really you can use whatever quality lean protein source... I generally use chicken (thighs, frozen breasts) because it is cheap and easily digestible... but if I have made it with a liver and pork combo.

LARGE sweet potato washed, cut into chunks and the skin left on (sweet potatos are VERY nutritionally dense).

6 cups of water (usually about 5 hours or so in I have to add more water when I am stirring... so use this as a starter)

Feel free to alter... things I like to add: some big bones (I like beef marrow) it adds flavor and some minerals and then the dogs can have them after as a treat. Sometimes I add butternut squash, or other veggies like carrots, peas, green beans... generally I use a 1/3protein-1/3grain-1/3veggie combo. I often use whatever meat or veggies that I have in the freezer or is on sale that week. Because I have chickens for eggs at my house... sometimes I throw in a beaten egg or two at the end (they cook real quick) and add in good vitamins and minerals.

I split this into 2 feedings... but my 20lb dog gets about a cup of my homemade food a day plus I still mix in a little of a high quality commercial kibble from a local pet store chain (Dave's Soda and Pet Food City) to keep it consistant.

There are a lot of good sites on the web with recipies, especially grain free... with tips and what to avoid.... just google 'grain free dog food recipie'.

It sounds like a pain, but it really is easy if you use the slow cooker... and my dogs go PSYCHO at feeding time now... they love it and think they are getting people food... Only problem, when I cook it... I have to warn my senior citizen father who lives with me... that it is technically dog food. However I suspect he still likes to steal a bowl of my "stew" every now and then... and really to be honest... there is nothing in my basic recipie of chicken, sweet poatao and brown rice I would not eat myself... just not the liver

 

[pryncess527]

Final thought on this:

Most dogs don't need grain-free.
http://www.petmd.com/dog/centers/nutrition/evr_multi_what_is_grain_free_pet_food_really#.UZD5b6LFW9s

Agreed.
We went grain free because it works best for our oldest dog, but our puppies ended up having anal gland issues because grain-free foods are often too low in fiber and their stools aren't firm enough to express the anal glands. We are still feeding grain free (since our older dog requires it) but we have to give the puppies canned pumpkin in addition to ensure they get enough fiber.

 

[lucyem]

Agreed.
We went grain free because it works best for our oldest dog, but our puppies ended up having anal gland issues because grain-free foods are often too low in fiber and their stools aren't firm enough to express the anal glands. We are still feeding grain free (since our older dog requires it) but we have to give the puppies canned pumpkin in addition to ensure they get enough fiber.

We are running into this exact same problem. We had to go grain free due to ear infections in my big dog.

 

[pigletto]

That's how we ended up going to the corn/wheat free diet for our dog too, and our vet was outright dismissive of the idea. He says the grain free thing is a "fad" for "pet owners with more money than sense" and wanted to run all manner of tests to diagnose our dog's issues (severely itchy/flaky skin, hair loss, joint stiffness, and one seizure). Changing the food was something of a last-ditch effort because we weren't in a financial position to green light a thousand dollar battery of tests to pinpoint her issue, never mind pay for whatever treatment came next. I'd stumbled onto a breed-specific discussion forum where scores of lab owners were discussing similar health issues and what a difference eliminating corn or grain made so I figured it was worth a try. We saw a difference in the joint/mobility issues almost immediately and her skin healed and fur started filling back in after just a couple weeks. That was 5 years ago and she's still going strong.

My vet isn't dismissive but does admit outright that he treats many animals, and that it's almost impossible for him to recommend what works for each one by brand. He also spoke about feed trials etc.
What I will say is that I have done a ton of research on my own, and for our lab puppy, the weepy rash in his armpits and on his belly went away completely when we swtiched to a grain free food. Our vet does recommend sticking with what works. My biggest concern was where the food was coming from as even when you think you are getting something that doesn't come out of China you quickly learn that the labeling on the bag can be deceptive with words like "processed by" or "packaged for". We went with a company that we know has kitchens in Canada, makes all components of their food in Canada, and that our pup does really well on.
We use Acana (same company as Orijen). Yes it is pricier. But honestly I have to look at the longterm costs to his health, and my wallet if I'm going to get him steroid creams and antibiotics to treat that rash all the time.
His coat is gorgeous and shiny, his eyes and ears are clear again, and the rash is gone. Overall, it's been a great food for us.