clh2 said:
luvmyeor - is that your dog's regular food too or just a "treat"? We've only had ours for 9 days, she is almost 4. The previous owners had fed her a can of Alpo in the a.m. and dry alpo in the evening. We are going through a huge adjustment, so I don't want to switch foods right now, but after we get through some separation anxiety issues, as well as recovering from getting her spayed, I'll be doing some investigating dog foods.
Right now, we are taking her to obedience, (read she gets treats), giving her some meds (read she gets cheese), working on crate training which is a new concept (read she gets a mixture of dry alpo and some treats). I am just concerned that she is going to be a dog that just wants treats, so I am trying to get something healthy in the kong.
I know the alpo is not the healthiest, I just in good faith cannot make that particular change right now. We just want to get some other changes made first. Any "good nutrition advice" would be helpful!
Eew, Alpo? Poor puppy! I agree that changing that now is not a good thing though. She must be going through so much! You sound like you're doing a great job! =)
I know you didn't ask me but when I saw the question about NB I just had to pipe in! I am a dog food snob, btw, and will bore you to tears with nutritional information if you care to hear. What I can tell you in a nutshell is 1) vets are not nutritionists and many are given kickbacks by major food companies to recommend and sell their products. 2)Not only that, but the little nutrition classes they receive in vet school are taught BY science diet, iams, and eukanuba. My vet said that a vet can receive anywhere from 1-3 classes in nutrition and most of it covers issues like kidney and bladder problems that require a different diet. 2 other vets I've talked to agreed with her and felt that their education was lacking in that area. If a vet truly cares about nutrition, they have to do that education and training after vet school. If you think about it, vets have to learn a TON in school with all the different animals out there so it's impossible for them to also learn the best nutrition of each animal. Thankfully, my vet continued her education and believes strongly that an animal is only as healthy as the food that goes into it. I always tell people - would you go to your gynecologist for diet help? No, you head for a nutritionist! Same thing with vets. they are amazing doctors who have to learn SO MUCH.
Nothing you find at Target,
Walmart, Sams, or a grocery store is quality. Most of it is pretty disgusting, as you'd find reading the labels. Your dog likely won't die from it (though it can from some foods that use cancer causing preservatives still) but they won't thrive. Anyone who says that their dog is eating, say, Ol Roy and is healthy and has a great coat has never seen a truly healthy dog. There IS a difference. Your vet bills will be lower, too, and your dog will not be as likely to have allergy and skin issues. Plus healthy dogs don't smell - dogs that eat poor diets do. =(
Natural Balance is one of the best widely found foods out there. It's cheaper than most of the big name brands because they put the money into the food NOT into deceptive marketing (the Beneful commercials tick me off so bad!). You can find NB at Petco - not PetsMart. The Ultra Premium is an all level food and very good. Solid Gold is also found at Petco and it's good.
Blue Buffalo is the only decent food that PetsMart carries. Petsmart and Petco sell Nutro Ultra - it's decent as well but is very overpriced. It's the only Nutro formula I would feed, personally. I just think it's a rip off, LOL. I fed it for awhile until we got a Petco and I found NB there.
You find the best dog foods at feed stores and independently owned pet stores. They seem to care the most about nutrition and dog care and are the best to seek advice from. I have discovered lots of great family owned stores this way! I am currently feeding Kirkland dog food - it's Costco's brand. It's not as good as Natural Balance but pretty comparable and MUCH cheaper. I pay $15.50 for 40 pounds of it. I am feeding the same amount as I did with NB and the dogs appearance hasn't changed. Good dog food is NOT more expensive - that's a myth. You always feed less of a quality dog food so you can't compare pound to pound. If there is less icky gross stuff that your dog just poops out, then you feed less food. Your dog also poops less which is a huge plus for their owner! There is really no reason not to feed something better for your animal. You can find local retailers of other quality foods on their websites.
Here are some sites to check out that will show you what to look for on a label. If it gets too confusing, I am happy to give you my "rule of thumb" on foods. There is no perfect food, we switch foods on occasion due to that (pet food makers will tell you not to do that because they don't want to lose your business!) and some dogs won't do as well on some foods. It's trial and error in a lot of ways. Local shops usually carry sample size bags so you don't invest too much.
www.dogaware.com
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/
http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=comp-wiz
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/
Good foods to consider (don't have sites handy but you could google for their website):
Chicken Soup for the Dog lovers Soul (stupid name, good food - my vet recommends this to people that think good food is too expensive)
Innova (very rich but very good)
CA Natural (I have fed, really liked it)
Wellness
Solid Gold
Eagle Pack Holistic
Natural Balance
Timberwolf Organic
Candidae
Merrick
Good luck with the new addition! Feel free to PM me if you'd like more info. I'm not expert but I'm learning...
