Good vs. Bad Dog Food, what do you feed your dogs?

[magicre]

greyshadows....

i don't know whether or not dogs live longer on a raw diet, but i do know my vet visits have dropped from three to five times a year to one and that's for their wellness exams.

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mythbusters.......in one sense of the word, kibble can be painted with the same brush. kibble is a processed food. raw is in its natural form.

after that, it all comes down to whole unprocessed food that is unchanged in its nutrient panel.....

and cooked, extruded, expelled dry stuff that needs nutrients added back because the process removed the ingredients.

[MollyWoppy]

And, I have to chime in that my friends 14yo pug, who has been poorly all his life, (eye's, ear's, teeth, skin, allergies) was swopped over to Orijen and raw a year ago. And, this is the first time in 14 years he has not had to see the vet between his wellness exams, which are once a year. Hopefully, he will not need a dental either, even though 18 months ago they had to pull 4 teeth out.
I'm only mentioning this, and I don't care what anyone else says, but I am proud to have been responsible for making one old sweetheart pugs life a lot happier.

[Breathing Borla]

New to the forums and want to know what most here feed their dogs. Not sure what good dog food is anymore since the 2008 recalls where we found out that supposed great foods were made in the same factories as the cheapest supermarket brands. I saw a few sick and dying dogs with that recall and I told myself I would never feed any of those brands to my pups. Then I began the long journey to find food. Fortunately I have a friend who repairs pellet machines and he goes into many plants and his stories would horrify you. I know the best food is home cooked but realistically I don't always have the time, but I do try. I tried Halo because it was never recalled and it looked decent. Unfortunately though my one Weimaraner has a problem with some probiotics so I had to stop using it. Then I looked into Orijen but my vet said the protein count was high so they would have to be periodically tested for liver issues, no thanks! Now I am using Purina Selects Turkey and Barley. Some of you will say yuck but it is fairly decent (no wheat, corn or soy) my dogs look and act great. Plus as I mentioned above my friend has worked in the Purina plants and he says you can eat off the floor there. I rambled on a bit but for now that is what my Weimaraners eat. How about your dogs? What are your thoughts on brands of foods?

I have a weim as well, she does really good on EVO turkey and chicken..

[Breathing Borla]

Like you I have sporting dogs (2 German Shorthaired Pointers) and I cannot understand why your Vet would tell you that a high protein food would mean having to check their liver functions all the time. None of my vets have ever suggested that to us, especially since we feed Innova EVO grainless Turkey/Chicken which is ~ 42% protein.

Our dogs are active in Field work and Obedience, plus they are exercised several times a week, so EVO works very well for them.

Just putting that out there...

agreed,my vet told me they love the EVO foods and that's what they feed their dogs.

[greyshadows]

where do you find evo and is it expensive? You have a beautiful weim!

[SubMariner]

where do you find evo and is it expensive? You have a beautiful weim!

Neither Petco or Petsmart carry EVO, but in our area Pet Supermarket does. However, we found the best local price at a one-off family owned pet store in our area called Pet City. A 28# bag of Turkey/Chicken costs me $58 just north of Tampa.

At the checkout you will pay more for EVO than "Brand X". However, because you feed LESS of it than the bargain brands, it actually winds up being more cost effective.

[Caty M]

Neither Petco or Petsmart carry EVO, but in our area Pet Supermarket does. However, we found the best local price at a one-off family owned pet store in our area called Pet City. A 28# bag of Turkey/Chicken costs me $58 just north of Tampa.

At the checkout you will pay more for EVO than "Brand X". However, because you feed LESS of it than the bargain brands, it actually winds up being more cost effective.

I agree. I used to feed Science Diet to my cats (the Urinary prescription one) and we would go through around 10lb a month- I have two cats. I now go through one bag of EVO every two months, with some raw supplementation, too. Per pound the cost is similar with the two but trust me, you feed WAYYY less of the EVO.

[Breathing Borla]

where do you find evo and is it expensive? You have a beautiful weim!

Thanks for the complement, Roxy thanks you too, LOL

try this Where to Buy - Natura Pet Products

I pay about 58-59 dollars for the 28lbs bag. Remember that you don't feed as much. I learned the hard way and she had loose stools, but when I asked around here people told me to cut down a bit and I did.

She runs like a wild man and she gets 1 cup in the morning, 1 cup at night with a few EVO treats in the day. She stays a perfect 60 lbs where the vet told me they want her. Her coat is better than ever on the EVO, simply SUPER soft.

she also gets some canine caviar buffalo jerky from time to time to chew on

I do have a bowl that slows her down so she doesn't get bloat, she absolutely inhales her food.

this is the one I use Healthy Pet Product Search ? Organic Dog Food, Dog Treats and More ? Natura Pet Products

IMG_0253.jpgIMG_0095.jpgIMG_0257.jpg

[Caty M]

By the way- the bag of EVO I buy for two cats every two months is only around 6lb, very calorie dense stuff!

[JustaLilBitaLuck]

There are not 'stages of carnivore', you are a carnivore or you are not. a cat is a carnivore. a dog not. it is an omnivore.

There actually ARE stages of carnivores - three, in fact. You have hypercarnivores, also called "obligate carnivores" - animals whose diet must consist of 70%-100% meat, such as wild cats, sharks, snakes, and birds of prey. You then have mesocarnivores, also called "opportunistic carnivores" - animals whose diet must consist of 50%-70% meat, such as wolves, coyotes, foxes, martens, mongooses, and skunks. And finally you have hypocarnivores, also called "omnivores" - animals whose diet consists of 30%-50% meat, such as bears and pigs.

I believe the differences are classified based on the animal's natural preference in the wild and nutritional requirements, as well as the structure and function of the teeth and digestive process.