Which of these would you choose?

[meggels]

Well, my mom gave the okay to bump up the dog food budget a bit in order to allow me to continue feeding Murph (my frenchie) Acana. He's been improving on it just after a week, and I'd like to keep him on that and hopefully continue to see more improvement as months go on.

Because of the $$ involved with buying the Acana, I'm going to keep Abbie (mix) on something relatively cheap, but still of decent quality. I can get all of these foods locally. What are your thoughts?

Canidae (rotate between the grain inclusive formulas)
Chicken Soup
Merrick
Nature's Variety Prairie
Precise

Ingredients for Precise, since I'm guessing not many people are familiar with it...

Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, (Chicken Cartlidge (Source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulfate),) Rice Bran, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Ascorbyl Palmitate), Ground Oats, Beet Pulp, Flaxseed, Fish Meal, Natural Chicken Flavor, Lecithin, Fish Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Biotin, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, DL-Methionine, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate

GA:
Protein: 24%
Fat: 14%
Fiber: 3.5%


Also, it seems like Canidae used to be well regarded, but it seems like you don't hear a whole lot about it anymore. Any idea why?

Here are the rough prices that I would spend on each food, to give you an idea of the price differences. I'll show the most expensive formulas just so that covers all the bases.

Precise: 15lbs for $21
NV: 15lbs for $29
Merrick: 15lbs for $28
Chicken Soup: 18lbs for $25
Canidae: 15lbs for $25


NV and Merrick are at the top of my price range, the rest are much closer in what I'm looking to spend...

[Unosmom]

I like Natures Variety best out of the ones mentioned. You might also want to look into Whole Earth Farms, its a relatively new food made by Merrick, but less expensive, you can find it at local feed stores:
http://www.feedgoodness.com/contact-us/

[bdb5853]

So you decided not to go raw with your frenchie?

[meggels]

So you decided not to go raw with your frenchie?

Yeah. It's just not feasible at this point.

I'm staying with a friend and I can't really use up her freezer space.

He's already improving so much on the Acana, so fingers crossed he keeps improving.

UnosMom- Thanks for that link! I'm going to look into that food, it looks pretty damn good! I think I've seen it around too :)

[LabbieMama]

I would go with Precise Plus if you can get that locally. It's not the regular Precise, it's a step up.

[meggels]

Unfortunately, it's a bit out of my price range :( I did look into it though.

[GermanSheperdlover]

There is only one meat ingredient in the first 5. I would look for one that had a min of 2, I like a min of 3 myself. Rice Bran is a very low quality grain. Here is a short list of the ones I really like

1. Orijen
2. Acana, Wild Prairie, Pacifica & Grassland only.
3. Wellness Core
4. Go, Natural Grain Free Endurance.
5. Blue Wilderness
6. Taste of the Wild, wetlands & prairie only.
7. Instinct
8. Artemis
9. Fromm
10. Acana, the rest of their products.
11. Evo

I feed a simple food in the AM, which is California Natural but I am looking hard at First Mate and Now & Go's other products to replace it since, P&G bought them out.

1. Now
2. GO, chicken, salmon only.
3. Merrick
4. Evangers
5. Timberwolf
6. First Mate
7. Wellness
8. Solid Gold
9. Canidae, grain free ALS only.
10. California Natural
10. Nature’s Logic
11. Karma
12. Summit Holistic
12. Taste of the wild, rest of their products.
13. Innova
14. Heath Wise
15. Costco’s Kirkland brand

[buddy97]

There is only one meat ingredient in the first 5. I would look for one that had a min of 2, I like a min of 3 myself.

that doesnt necessarily make it have more meat. you would have to know the ratios....and i dont care how many meats are listed...grain inclusive foods at around 24% protein just dont have a very high meat content.

back to the OP. of those you listed, id personally favor the NV Prarie or the Canidae.

good luck.

[meggels]

Hmmm, I think the only one you listed that is in my price range is Merrick.

[wrangler1]

Hmmm, I think the only one you listed that is in my price range is Merrick.

In that list Kirkland is the best, you cant be it for $23.99 for 40lbs. Your dog will do just as well on it.