Carbs for Dogs

[nlboz]

Hi Hi everyone, this is my first post. I have been reading/lurking for a few moths now, trying to learn all I can. Specially I spent the last 2 hours reading this thread and stopped on about page 19 because at some point I needed to actually work. But, I wanted to give my two cents as a true outsider on this forum who is here to learn about the best kibble/raw food for her dogs. I also apologize in advance for the length of this post.

First off, I have mutts and I love them like they were purebreds. Growing up I had the runt of the litter of champion blood line Samoyeds. (This will be addressed again later.) My male dog is a 4 yr Catahula mix, I would like to think his is a purebred because I can’t really tell what he is mixed with, but since he was found on a relatives farm four years ago I can’t say that. My female dog is a true mutt. She has the head of a beagle, body of a small cattle dog, coloring and eyes of a corgi. (I have always wanted to do a DNA test because I swear I se a new breed trait in her all the time). She is approximately 5 years old. In the beginning I fed Puppy Chow, and then switched to Pedigree (thinking I was being good at the time). The lived on an acre of land and played like crazy. Then we had a life issue and moved into a one bedroom apt. They got walked once a week if lucky and no real chance to run and play. In an act of desperation I bought a treadmill to at least increase all of our exercise levels.

In March I moved into a house that also has an acre of land. Within about 2 months my female dog starting limping, at first I thought she just over extending a muscle, but then it didn’t get better and she stopped doing a lot of the jumping up and down she used to do. After a pretty decent vet bill, I was told she had mild hip dysplasia and to give her a daily supplement of Glucosimien/Chondriotin and use a dog food with higher concentration of it. So I set off to Petsmart to find a better food. A Nutro rep just happened to be there. So I decided to go with the Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice. They were on that for about a month until I read the article on how the synthetic vitamin K was bad. So that is when I found my self here and on several other dog food rating websites. I chose Orijen, only because it had the highest Glucosime/Chondroitin levels of all the Grain Free brands. I do not love the price, but I am making it work. They have been on it since mid August. Honestly I haven’t noticed much of a change at all. Aside from better stool. I have a foster dog that is on Beneful and he has more energy than mine do. I did try transitioning him and it did not go well at all. The poor dog threw up after every feeding even with just a handful of the kibble mixed in.

I came on here today to look for a less expensive kibble that is just as good as Orijen, then I found this thread. I have to admit, after reading some of the comments it almost felt like my questions didn’t matter because the only answer I was going to get was feed raw. You can call me a bad pet owner all you want, but a raw diet at this moment in my life is not an option. I read a comment that an owner went without eating so their dogs could eat raw. While I think it is admirable, if I went without eating I would go into diabetic shock and end up in the hospital unable to work, which leave me unable to pay my mortgage and my dogs and I would end up homeless and what I fed them wouldn’t really matter.

What I have noticed is my female’s neck has gotten bigger; I have had to loosen her collar a notch. This has worried me slightly and will be addressing it with the vet next month at their annual visit. Which is about all they go, aside from the limp issue I have never had a health issue with either of them in the 3 plus years I have had them. Oh, I have also cut back on the amount of food, because I have done the research and know they don’t need as much. As for her limping, it seems she has good days and bad days. Since she has been on the Orijen I have used two different supplement brands Nutri Vet and 21st Century. The amounts of the supplements are identical but she seems to respond much better on 21st Century. Which is back to why I was her today, to look for a kibble with a lower level of Glucosamine and stay with the 21st Century.

Finally, I know it was touched upon in the thread and it was about where I got tired of reading (sorry just was a lot for one sitting). The Samoyed I had growing up was free fed with a nothing special grocery store bough kibble and lived to be 15. Also I grew up on fish stick and mac and cheese from a box, spaghetti sauce out of a jar and numerous amounts of other processed foods. I survived, and have no major health issues. If it wasn’t for a George Forman grill ad frozen veggies I wouldn’t eat remotely healthy. My dogs on Orijen eat WAY better than I do.

So to sum up, I would love recommendations on good kibble and I am also open to listening to how raw diets actually work, but and not open to implementing one at this time.

Thanks

[xellil]

good luck. hope you find the dry dog food that makes your dogs feel good.

[PDXdogmom]

To nlboz post #271: I commend you for trying to do the best you can for your dogs even under difficult circumstances.

I would not choose a kibble by its level of glucosamine - better to give that as a supplement as you are doing.

Yes, you certainly can feed your dog responsibly without the high cost of Orijen. If you want to keep feeding grain-free, then you might want to take a look at:

Acana - same company as Orijen but a little less expensive and with slightly lower protein
Taste of the Wild - one of the more reasonably priced grain frees
By Nature

[DaneMama]

Hi Hi everyone, this is my first post. I have been reading/lurking for a few moths now, trying to learn all I can. Specially I spent the last 2 hours reading this thread and stopped on about page 19 because at some point I needed to actually work. But, I wanted to give my two cents as a true outsider on this forum who is here to learn about the best kibble/raw food for her dogs. I also apologize in advance for the length of this post.

*****

Thanks

First off, hello and welcome to the forum! I'm glad you've joined up and are looking for better options.

The only time people are going to push raw feeding on you is in the actual raw forum. Yes, it may be mentioned now and then in the kibble section as well as this one, but don't take it as the "only way" here. Its not in the slightest bit. I was in your shoes when I first got my dogs, not in a position to even consider feeding raw. I did do my homework, found a good kibble and stuck with it. Do your best and forget the rest (the words of Tony Horton LOL)!!!

I sure do hope you stick around, we need a good community of kibble feeders since this forum is mostly raw feeders. Happy posting!