What do you feed your dog?

[autumnpalm]

We have a new puppy coming home on Friday and I'm trying to figure out what the best, decently priced dog food out there is. I've read a lot about premium brands like Solid Gold, Blue Buffalo, Chicken Soup, etc. but I am currently a university student and I just can't afford those right now.

I'm looking currently at the more middle of the line brands like Authority and Nutro, which are slightly pricier but I can afford to feed her. I have another dog right now who has been on Nutrience since he was born and is a healthy, happy 10 year old boy, but I've read that Nutrience isn't such a good pet food.

Are there any pet food experts on the DIS who can help me out? I want to do what's best for my puppy, but I would also love to be able to keep paying the bills!

Thanks!

 

[goin2disneyagain]

I started my dog out on Purine One puppy food and then switched to Science Diet Small Bites (she's only 10lbs) after she turned 1 because she seemed to like it a little better. I have found buying the big bag not only last a long time but is actually cheaper than buying the small bags of Purina One that I used to buy.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Hills Prescription Diet, it's a pest that we have to buy it at the vet's office but we have been pleased with it.
Our dog has very sensitive skin so we mix the sensitive skin dry with HPD canned. It has really helped her skin.

 

[Tuffcookie]

California Natural.

TC

 

[MushyMushy]

Well, for a long time I fed my older dog just plain Dog Chow. Every time I took her to the vet, he'd ask what I feed her because her coat was always so shiny and she was healthy.

We eventually switched to Nutro Max and both dogs do really well on it.

 

[GSDRescuer]

Sorry, no advice here. We feed a premium brand.....Fromm Family Salmon ala Veg.
Good luck in your search!!!

 

[Kirby]

The store brand usually. I currently have Alpo's Come and Get It. I don't buy the cheapest brand on the shelf but don't buy the most expensive either. I shoot for around $10 for a 16 lb. bag. I have large dogs and have also found that they like the smaller pieces of dogfood versus the large chunks.

 

[NikiM20]

Purina pro plan lamb and rice. I used to feed dog chow but one of mine developed skin issues so my vet suggested the switch. I have been feeding this for years and no issues. Also if you buy your dogfood at petco and buy a premium brand, after 10 bags they mail you a coupon for a free bag

 

[LindaR]

Oh, I feed both of my dogs Fromm Four-Star, too!!!

Pork and Applesauce, Salmon and Vegetables, Duck and Sweet Potato, Fish and Potato.

My big dog developed alot of allergies. Was constantly sneezing and licking his paws and his fur was a dull black and he was having issues with his bones (he is a senior).

After I switched from Purina ProPlan, his allergies are almost non-existent, his fur is glossy, and he is much better with getting up and doing stairs!

 

[Aimeedyan]

Dog food! One of my fave subjects! (how odd am I? )

You don't have to break the bank to feed a quality food. Some of the best foods are pricey but not all. Also, the higher quality food, the less you feed. When I fed Science Diet, I fed twice as much! So that bag ended up being MORE than a better quality food. They fill it with so much icky fillers that your dog just, um, promptly leaves on your lawn.

Check out this site www.dogfoodanalysis.com. Under reviews, you can see how different foods rank.

Also check out this site www.dogaware.com. This page gives good info on how to choose a commercial dog food: http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html#commercial

You can buy Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul (stupid name, I know) or Canidae for about the same price as Nutro or Royal Canin, and it'll be a lot better quality. Now, Nutro has different levels of quality - only one that is decent is their Ultra line and it's mucho $$$. www.petfooddirect.com will deliver it to your house and has competitive pricing and coupons.

I currently feed Kirkland Signature Chicken and Rice - it's Costco's house brand, made by Diamond foods. IMO, it's about the same quality as Canidae. My dogs eat the same amt as on Canidae and I can live with the ingredients. It's not the best food I can put them on but with an unemployed DH and a foster dog in the house that is underweight, it's what we feed. It's 10x better than Authority, Royal Canin, Purina, Iams, Science Diet, Nutro Max, etc at a fraction of the cost. I pay $22 for 40 POUNDS of it. Lasts me a few months with four dogs. It's the deal of the century and worth a Costco membership ($50) if you don't already have one.

If you don't have a Costco near you, I'd look into Chicken Soup or Canidae.

Also - you won't find most decent foods at big box stores but instead at local feed stores and mom and pop pet stores. I have found some fantastic feed stores just by looking for dog food. They are cheaper, they will usually give you a free sample to try it or take it back if your dog doesn't like it, and you support a local business. All the various dog brands have store locators on them. I even found my groomer by looking for good food.

PM if I can help! Congrats on your new pup and kudos for looking for the best diet for him!

 

[LindaR]

Actually, there are a couple of good premium brands that CAN be found at Petsmart (I was just there today buying toys).

Blue Buffalo and Avoderm and........I just forgot the other one!

Also, OP you can contact most companies and they will send you a coupon!

 

[Dancemom03]

How exciting... Congrats on your small new canine addition to the family!

DD19's collie eats Iams large breed. Whe she was a puupy she ate the Iams large breed puppy food. It's what the breeder (who travels the country extensively judging collies) feeds and recommends. It isn't overly expensive and can be found at Walamrt and some grocery stores finally which is a plus.

Our previous dog - a greyhound - ate NutraMax. No problems to report, she loved it and was very healthy.

DD8's new puppy - a papillion - eats puppy chow but prefers the collie's Iams when we're not looking. Her breeder started the puppies on puppy chow b/c she said it was easy for new owners to find. She also gave her puppies "Great Choice Puppy - lamb & rice" canned food which is sold at Petsmart. We've only had the puppy for 6 weeks now so we haven't changed any of her food yet but I'm not thrilled with the puppy chow. Unlike when she steals the big dog's Iams, she doesn't seem to enjoy the puppy chow very much.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Actually, there are a couple of good premium brands that CAN be found at Petsmart (I was just there today buying toys).

Blue Buffalo and Avoderm and........I just forgot the other one!

Also, OP you can contact most companies and they will send you a coupon!

PetCo carries Wellness and Natural Balance but their prices are typically higher than any feed store or local shop you can find, plus two brands isn't even the tip of the premium dog food inventory. While I'm glad they are bringing some decent brands to the mass audience, I still prefer buying from a local store if I can.

 

[MichelleVW]

Dog food! One of my fave subjects! (how odd am I? )

You don't have to break the bank to feed a quality food. Some of the best foods are pricey but not all. Also, the higher quality food, the less you feed. When I fed Science Diet, I fed twice as much! So that bag ended up being MORE than a better quality food. They fill it with so much icky fillers that your dog just, um, promptly leaves on your lawn.

Check out this site www.dogfoodanalysis.com. Under reviews, you can see how different foods rank.

Also check out this site www.dogaware.com. This page gives good info on how to choose a commercial dog food: http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html#commercial

You can buy Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul (stupid name, I know) or Canidae for about the same price as Nutro or Royal Canin, and it'll be a lot better quality. Now, Nutro has different levels of quality - only one that is decent is their Ultra line and it's mucho $$$. www.petfooddirect.com will deliver it to your house and has competitive pricing and coupons.

I currently feed Kirkland Signature Chicken and Rice - it's Costco's house brand, made by Diamond foods. IMO, it's about the same quality as Canidae. My dogs eat the same amt as on Canidae and I can live with the ingredients. It's not the best food I can put them on but with an unemployed DH and a foster dog in the house that is underweight, it's what we feed. It's 10x better than Authority, Royal Canin, Purina, Iams, Science Diet, Nutro Max, etc at a fraction of the cost. I pay $22 for 40 POUNDS of it. Lasts me a few months with four dogs. It's the deal of the century and worth a Costco membership ($50) if you don't already have one.

If you don't have a Costco near you, I'd look into Chicken Soup or Canidae.

Also - you won't find most decent foods at big box stores but instead at local feed stores and mom and pop pet stores. I have found some fantastic feed stores just by looking for dog food. They are cheaper, they will usually give you a free sample to try it or take it back if your dog doesn't like it, and you support a local business. All the various dog brands have store locators on them. I even found my groomer by looking for good food.

PM if I can help! Congrats on your new pup and kudos for looking for the best diet for him!

I agree with everything you said! I feel Diamond Naturals usually and I get it at Tractor Supply. It's way cheaper than things like Science Diet and Iams and seems to be better quality.

I fed Nutro for a very short time and my Golden looked horrible.

I love Chicken Soup but it's hard to find around here, maybe I should look into a costo card.

I had a shepherd mix who lived to be 15 on store brands, but now that I've done research I just can't feed that stuff knowing what I know now. She also had a lot of ear infections and itchy skin and I bet it was the dog food.

 

[KiKi Mouse]

Iams cat food. Because the dog kept stealing the cat's food so we gave up and now they eat the same stuff from the same dish. Nobody's complaining...LOL

 

[LindaR]

Aimeedyan, I get Fromm from a specialty store. Its actually a store that only sells natural/holistic pet food/treats/supplies.

 

[autumnpalm]

Dog food! One of my fave subjects! (how odd am I? )

You don't have to break the bank to feed a quality food. Some of the best foods are pricey but not all. Also, the higher quality food, the less you feed. When I fed Science Diet, I fed twice as much! So that bag ended up being MORE than a better quality food. They fill it with so much icky fillers that your dog just, um, promptly leaves on your lawn.

Check out this site www.dogfoodanalysis.com. Under reviews, you can see how different foods rank.

Also check out this site www.dogaware.com. This page gives good info on how to choose a commercial dog food: http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html#commercial

You can buy Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul (stupid name, I know) or Canidae for about the same price as Nutro or Royal Canin, and it'll be a lot better quality. Now, Nutro has different levels of quality - only one that is decent is their Ultra line and it's mucho $$$. www.petfooddirect.com will deliver it to your house and has competitive pricing and coupons.

I currently feed Kirkland Signature Chicken and Rice - it's Costco's house brand, made by Diamond foods. IMO, it's about the same quality as Canidae. My dogs eat the same amt as on Canidae and I can live with the ingredients. It's not the best food I can put them on but with an unemployed DH and a foster dog in the house that is underweight, it's what we feed. It's 10x better than Authority, Royal Canin, Purina, Iams, Science Diet, Nutro Max, etc at a fraction of the cost. I pay $22 for 40 POUNDS of it. Lasts me a few months with four dogs. It's the deal of the century and worth a Costco membership ($50) if you don't already have one.

If you don't have a Costco near you, I'd look into Chicken Soup or Canidae.

Also - you won't find most decent foods at big box stores but instead at local feed stores and mom and pop pet stores. I have found some fantastic feed stores just by looking for dog food. They are cheaper, they will usually give you a free sample to try it or take it back if your dog doesn't like it, and you support a local business. All the various dog brands have store locators on them. I even found my groomer by looking for good food.

PM if I can help! Congrats on your new pup and kudos for looking for the best diet for him!

Oh, we have a Costco right nearby. I will absolutely look into the Kirkland Signature food, we're there all the time anyways!

Thanks so much for your input, everyone! I really appreciate every response.

 

[mckryan]

Love California Natural. The biggest thing I've noticed is they poop less and the poop biodegrades really quickly, too.

 

[LindaR]

Autumnpalm, one thing you want to take into consideration.......the bag of food may cost a little more but you will tend to feed LESS because it is comprised of usable ingredients, not fillers and less food will provide the calories needed.

In the long term, you may save money. Healthier dogs.....less problems!

 

[cassie]

I feed my pup Innova Evo small bites. It has no fillers, corn, or byproducts in it. It is a little pricey, but he's only 22 pounds so a bag lasts a couple months. He's a year and a half old Carin Terrier who has a rough coat of hair, but it does have a shine to it. I also get it from a feed store.