# Making an attempt to slowly improve my dogs food and not kill my wallet



## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

So I'm slowly trying to improve my dogs food. Its been a little hard right now with a tight budget. I started out feeding my dogs Purina Dog Chow.

*Guaranteed Analysis*
Crude Protein (Min)	21.0%
Crude Fat (Min)	10.0%
Crude Fiber (Max)	4.5%
Moisture (Max)	12.0%
Linoleic Acid (Min)	1.5%
Calcium (Ca) (Min)	1.0%
Phosphorus (P) (Min)	0.8%
Vitamin A (Min)	10,000 IU/kg
Ascorbic Acid* (Min)	70 mg/kg


*Ingredients*
Whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal, corn gluten meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), meat and bone meal, brewers rice, soybean meal, whole grain wheat, egg and chicken flavor, animal digest, calcium phosphate, salt, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, added color (Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 2), zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin D-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite. 

I fed this to One dog starting when she was a puppy and then when she got about a year I decided to try Blue Buffalo... At the time I was trying Blue Buffalo I had obtained another dog who was a puppy. I fed this for a couple months and the little dog didn't do too well on it. I even cut back the food. So I went back to Purina Dog Chow. And they stayed on it until here recently. About a month ago I decided to change their dog food to one that is in our local Feed Store, and this is actually the only brand they carry :

* StarPro Premium Dog Food *

*Ingredients*

Lamb meal, ground rice, ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, ground oat groats, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and ascorbyl palmitate), poultry by-product meal, flaxseed, natural lamb flavor, brewers dried yeast, salt, potassium chloride, vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, dl-methionine, niacin, calcium pantothenate, choline chloride, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate.	

*Guaranteed Analysis*
Crude Protein, min. 26.00%; Crude Fat, min. 16.00%; Crude Fiber, max. 3.50%; Moisture, max. 10.00%; Omega-6 Fatty Acids, min. 2.70%*; Omega-3 Fatty Acids, min. 0.40%*
*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog 
Food Nutrient Profile.


Which I figured since it actually has Lamb Meal as the first ingredient it was better then Purina. All 5 of my dogs love this brand and I don't have to feed near as much to any of them so it last just a little bit longer. But I'm not happy. I'm fixing to start getting really active with one of my dogs so I want something for performance and activity. Which isn't a problem for the other dogs since they are all pretty active anyways. I was reading comparing facts on TOTW and BB (thought i'd try it again... since the smaller dog is now older) and see what people thought about them. Diamond Has had a lot of recalls lately and I don't know if I want to chance their products with my dogs just yet. 

So here is the break down so maybe someone can help me. My hubby brings home a rough estimate of $1200 a month maybe a little more. After paying bills we might have $300 left for gas and food out of each paycheck. I was hoping someone could help me brake down the numbers on good dog foods (grain- free please because that's what I want to change to) and decide what foods would be best under my budget and help me achieve what I want in my dogs. ^^ Thanks in advance!

or at least give me some suggestions and a formula so I can !!! LOL


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

where do you live? victor has a high quality dog food at a reasonable price but it's only in certain areas of the US and they sell it at feed stores.

You can find the closest outlet on their website:
Victor Super Premium Dog Food


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

I actually live in Louisiana (North East LA) and they do have a supplier about 30 minutes from me. It looks like its worth looking into. Thanks for the suggestion.

ETA:
Oh.. nvm I wanted a grain free and that food has grain in it.


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

I looked at the food and it still has Grain in it. I want Grain Free.


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

I think the least expensive food line that would get any type of endorsement from most out here would be the Kirkland line at Costco(see my recent post). You can buy it for as little as 40 cents/lb(grain inclusive) to 80-90 cents/lb(grain free). Nothing that I have seen will come close to those prices. Indeed, the ingredients actually look very respectable on the foods. However, someone will have to confirm, but I believe they are produced by Diamond which is a huge animal feed company which has been involved in some of the recalls/dog deaths(from 07) and you will find many that want nothing to do with them. I'm on the fence with Diamond. Don't love them but admittedly, they sell a helluva lot of dog food and they offer decent food that is 100% better than most foods in a typical grocery store.

The food I try to steer people to who ask...and those trying to save money is FROMM. Family owned company in Wisconsin. As far as I know, they haven't been involved in the recalls that Diamond has(if any, I'm not sure). You can buy their Classics line(purple and red bags) for about $1/lb. Just a good basic, solid food from a very reputable company. Also, they make all their own food at THEIR own manufacturing facility in Wisconsin(not a small feat. Many of these companies farm their production out to comanufacturers). 

A couple other brands that I think are decent and offer good value--Holistic Select, Canidae(though lots of Dogs don't seem to tolerate the food real well), Annamaet, Avoderm.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Why do you want completely grain free? It might be hard to get a very low cost food with no grain in it. Do your dogs have allergies? The current food you are giving them has rice second and corn third and Victor at hopefully a comparable price would be a huge improvement. Victor food for high performance has vastly better ingredients than StarPro, in my opinion.

There are some grain frees people will probably suggest. Not sure if they are affordable but hopefully there is one out there for you.

I feed totally grain free but I feed raw food. Not sure you want to look into that.


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## Maxy24 (Mar 5, 2011)

On the victor site, go to the premium dog food tab and scroll way down, they have four grain free formulas.

I would still feed TOTW over what you are feeding now, yes they had a recall and must have some quality control issues, but at least the food itself is good.

The only other lower priced foods I can think of are Earthborn and Canidae pure elements, though I'm not certain just how cheap they are.


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

if you must have grain free... 2 foods are alone in terms of price--the Kirkland brand Grain Free and Taste of the Wild. I know of nothing else that come close in price to those foods.


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

I've thought about raw, but right now its not a good idea. Reasons I don't want to mention on a public forum. And the reason I want to go completely Grain free is because I do have a dog that either has flea allergies or its the foods I've been feeding her. So Figured I'd knock out one problem and if it doesn't clear up its the fleas from being outside. Yes she has preventive and such... But it doesn't work so well when the fleas actually get a chance to bite her.

I really want to stay away from Diamond Products. I'm sorry I know they have had recalls. Too many in my opinion and I wouldn't want to chance it with my dogs. Also I am looking for a high performance food.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

Earthborn Holistic makes a great grain free line that is somewhat close to price points of TOTW, and it's not a Diamond product. 

Maybe Nutrisource grain free too..


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## Grey (Jul 6, 2012)

I recently switched my dog to Acana Wild Prairie. While that's likely more than you want to spend, I did want to share that I found some really great prices on MrChewy.com. Something to keep in mind with the quality of food that you're changing to, too, is that you may have to feed less than what you feed now, so it might stretch your budget a bit more.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I would check the grain frees mentioned, plus the Victor grain frees. As with Fromm, they have a small local North Texas plant and source within a couple hundred miles of their plant.

Keep in mind that sometimes dogs are not allergic to cooked grains, but cooked proteins and it seems to me that often cooked chicken is the culprit. The fewer ingredients, the better.


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

Justapup said:


> So I'm slowly trying to improve my dogs food. Its been a little hard right now with a tight budget. I started out feeding my dogs Purina Dog Chow.
> 
> I'm fixing to start getting really active with one of my dogs so I want something for performance and activity. Which isn't a problem for the other dogs since they are all pretty active anyways. I was reading comparing facts on TOTW and BB (thought i'd try it again... since the smaller dog is now older) and see what people thought about them. Diamond Has had a lot of recalls lately and I don't know if I want to chance their products with my dogs just yet.
> 
> ...


Not many premium grain free foods can compete on price with TotW since it's a Diamond brand but I have one alternative for you. Horizon Pulsar Chicken is grain free, Pulsar Chicken costs $40.99 for 25.1lb from Petflow. Made by a small family company in Saskatchewan Canada and one of the few that guarantees no China ingredients what-so-ever. Every ingredient is short traveled. Compared to it's big brother Horizon Legacy it probably contains a little less animal proteins but it is still a great alternative with an ultra low glycemic load. I don't know many grain free formulas that are cheaper than ~$1.6/lb


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

Which is another reason I'm just looking at the entire market as a whole and not like 'omg! 40$ for a 28 LB bag?!' I'm trying to think what is best for my dogs. If I can afford to stay away from Fast Food restaurants then I can afford to give my dogs quality food too.


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

Justapup said:


> I've thought about raw, but right now its not a good idea. Reasons I don't want to mention on a public forum. And the reason I want to go completely Grain free is because I do have a dog that either has flea allergies or its the foods I've been feeding her. So Figured I'd knock out one problem and if it doesn't clear up its the fleas from being outside. Yes she has preventive and such... But it doesn't work so well when the fleas actually get a chance to bite her.
> 
> I really want to stay away from Diamond Products. I'm sorry I know they have had recalls. Too many in my opinion and I wouldn't want to chance it with my dogs. Also I am looking for a high performance food.




they could just as easily have a chicken allergy. I'm just sayin'. While grains can cause problems, some proteins can present issues also and chicken can be a primary culprit.


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

I understand that too. And now that I think about it; it could be the Lamb meal doing it too?? She is currently on a no chicken Dog food. But she has broken out before; last time she was about 4-6 months old. She was on Purina then. And it went away.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

With Purina I would suspect almost anything, there are so many bad ingredients in there.


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

Yeah, but like i said, after a little bit it went away; made me suspect fleas because I put her on Comfortis and the breakouts and rashes stopped??? So I don't know. Never took her to a vet over it.


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

you've also got seasonal allergies to deal with... I read somewhere that most allergies Dogs face actually are not food related. AND, if you do feel like they are food related, you really should get him on a limited ingredient diet(Cal Natural and Wellness make them) to attempt to decipher what is going on. -AND- they need to be on that diet without any interruption or cheating for a couple months. 

allergies are a pain to deal with. Just real tough.


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

I heard that!!! Thanks for the info.


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

*Check your PMs*

Please check your PMs...


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

Thank you Sub for that wonderful information. Its all very helpful.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

Keep in mind if you feed a higher quality food, you will probably feed less. Let us know what you decided to buy!


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

Chances are, you're not going to find many grain free options under $40 for 30 lbs, so go with decent quality grain inclusive like healthwise or whole earth farms and supplement with some meat or canned low sodium fish. Couple other non diamond brands to look into would be hi-tek naturals and nutri source.


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

I've decided to go with Evo. ^^ I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful information.


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## Muttkip (Aug 18, 2011)

Just make sure to feed the Evo everyday not every other day like you're feeding Snow currently.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

Muttkip said:


> Just make sure to feed the Evo everyday not every other day like you're feeding Snow currently.


what?? 

What do you mean feeding every other day?


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## Muttkip (Aug 18, 2011)

meggels said:


> what??
> 
> What do you mean feeding every other day?


Just what I said she feeds her young female Bully breed mutt Snow 2 cups of food every OTHER day. I know her from a few forums I'm on and she's admitted to doing this to help her dog loose weight and argues that it's good for her.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

oy 


(too short)


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

Muttkip said:


> Just what I said she feeds her young female Bully breed mutt Snow 2 cups of food every OTHER day. I know her from a few forums I'm on and she's admitted to doing this to help her dog loose weight and argues that it's good for her.


I remember this scenario, wasn't it here?


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## Muttkip (Aug 18, 2011)

InkedMarie said:


> I remember this scenario, wasn't it here?


This one or Chaz or GoPitBull....can't remember. But she has admitted to it on several forums and she will argue that it's great for the dog and that it's similar to if you're fasting a raw fed dog.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

Except, 2 cups every OTHER day is not the same because you aren't making up the dogs nutritional needs, where as fasting, the dog is still getting adequate food *each day* and then maybe fasting a day. Really not the same thing as being fed only every other day...


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

you feed during fasting???



meggels said:


> Except, 2 cups every OTHER day is not the same because you aren't making up the dogs nutritional needs,
> 
> >>>>>>where as fasting, the dog is still getting adequate food *each day* <<<<
> 
> and then maybe fasting a day. Really not the same thing as being fed only every other day...


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

I really don't know what this person is talking about. Apparently he/she knows my feeding routine. However I do not feed my dogs like that. All of my dogs get fed every morning.  I love how people think they know how you feed your dog when they don't even live anywhere near you.


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## Muttkip (Aug 18, 2011)

Justapup said:


> I really don't know what this person is talking about. Apparently he/she knows my feeding routine. However I do not feed my dogs like that. All of my dogs get fed every morning.  I love how people think they know how you feed your dog when they don't even live anywhere near you.


You know what I'm talking about you got that thread locked on another forum and then disappeared like you always do when you show your true colors and how you think you're a know it all.


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

Well I'm telling you now, I feed my dogs every morning. And some morning and night.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

doggiedad said:


> you feed during fasting???


Sorry, I meant you are feeding adequate food before hand and then fasting, as most people seem to do a gorge meal and then fast, so you're making up for the one fasting day.


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

Being as Fasting isn't a part of this topic. Please can we get back on topic?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Just an FYI.....don't bring drama from other forums. IDK where from or what, its dumb. 

Back to your regularly scheduled featured thread :thumb:


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## PunkyPug (Apr 4, 2012)

As far as you're dog's allergens. Would you love to save over $100 on your dog's flea preventative? Your flea preventative is basically toxins and poisons that you are putting on your dog. :'( And SOME allergen signs are cleared up after removing the commercial flea preventatives.
I strongly suggest you give Organic "by the mother" Apple Cider Vinegar a try. How it works, is it makes the skin taste acidic and thus the buggers don't want to make a home out of your dog. Because bugs use your dog as a food source. And if the food source aint great, they'll go somewhere else! I purchased a bottle of this size(exact bottle):http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/179902_2274466158308_249403118_n.jpg for $8.99 at my local Win Dixie. Any brand would work. As long as it is ORGANIC. My 18lbs pug gets 1/2 teaspoon of ACV in her meals. That makes 1 teaspoon everyday.
Emma went from this:







Being mummified when left alone or during bedtime. She would scratch so MUCH. She would chew and itch non-stop. Break skin, bleed AND STILL KEEP GOING!!! I'd be pulling out my hair saying "do you NOT feel pain?! Do you not see what you're doing to yourself?! To me and your furdaddy?!" I was in so much stress with her. And she was stressed too. She hardly slept, relaxed or played. Then someone at a dog park who had a similar problem asked me if I ruled out my flea control. 
Now look at her. Soft fur. No more chewing and itching. She SLEEPS! I can sleep! I don't worry about leaving her alone anymore. I can stretch her fav spots and she isn't bothered by them. It's so nice to have her happy and healthy.
Also, we've been using that bottle for 2-3 months now/we just got past the top of the label.















Now, besides giving your dog an all natural flea control. I think that if you are saving over $100 on your flea control, you can easily choose the brand of food you'd love to give your dog. They are so expensive. But now that I save money on Emma's flea control I can feed her Orijen! That stuff aint cheap!


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

Thats all wonderful information; but I do not apply any topical flea treatments on any of my dogs and haven't for years. I just give one tablet once a month and it takes care of Heartworms, Intestinal worms and Fleas. I just started Jud on this tablet and I love the effects. So I will be Placing all my dogs on this and in the long run it will be cheaper then buying all these things separate. But If I get a dog that has skin problems to the point that this doesn't work I will try Apple Cider Vinegar.


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## PunkyPug (Apr 4, 2012)

Justapup said:


> Thats all wonderful information; but I do not apply any topical flea treatments on any of my dogs and haven't for years. I just give one tablet once a month and it takes care of Heartworms, Intestinal worms and Fleas. I just started Jud on this tablet and I love the effects. So I will be Placing all my dogs on this and in the long run it will be cheaper then buying all these things separate. But If I get a dog that has skin problems to the point that this doesn't work I will try Apple Cider Vinegar.


I find these to be even worse for dogs than the topical solutions.
I've thought about putting Emma on those as well and read alot of horrible reviews about them.
I'm sorry if you've already said this, what issues are you having with your dogs? Or do you just want a better food for them?


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

I just want to put them on better food. I'm fixing to start getting real active with them and need something that will help them keep the needed and required energy levels for the work I am going to be doing with them. And I cannot get those kind of results out of feeding the crap food I was and still am kinda feeding. I might as well out and say it now, the reason I am not feeding raw right now is because I am pregnant and don't want to chance handling the raw meat. I do plan on eventually sometime next year starting them on it for sure. But for now I am going to stick with kibbles and work on just putting them on better foods. Plus the better the food the less I have to feed because it fills them up longer and faster.

Oh and I want to add that the White dog right now that is currently broken out with her allergies is not on any flea preventative atm. So thats not whats causing her allergies.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

Justapup said:


> I just want to put them on better food. I'm fixing to start getting real active with them and need something that will help them keep the needed and required energy levels for the work I am going to be doing with them. And I cannot get those kind of results out of feeding the crap food I was and still am kinda feeding. I might as well out and say it now, the reason I am not feeding raw right now is because I am pregnant and don't want to chance handling the raw meat. I do plan on eventually sometime next year starting them on it for sure. But for now I am going to stick with kibbles and work on just putting them on better foods. Plus the better the food the less I have to feed because it fills them up longer and faster.
> 
> Oh and I want to add that the White dog right now that is currently broken out with her allergies is not on any flea preventative atm. So thats not whats causing her allergies.


Unfortunately, allergies are a fickle thing, i combat them regularly with mine... we don't use flea prevention, or anything either, we try to keep him comfortable... we supplement his daily feeding with Omega 3 fish oils (he's not much of a fish eater anymore), 1tbs of local raw honey (seems to be clearing up his yeast, and itchiness some), and coconut oil here and there... We haven't narrowed down what the culprit for his allergies are yet, but they are usually from summer, to fall, so it's definitely something seasonal... you can try a few simple things to help ease the allergies for them..

Make sure you're not using any chemicals on the floor, this is essentially their domain this can cause major problems, vinegar, and water is a natural disinfectant. 
The same with the carpets, don't use any chemical cleaners, carpet fresh etc etc, baking soda has much of the same effect, and it's much safer.
Don't wash their bedding in detergent, or their food bowls.
Feed only the food you're going to feed, nothing extra, no added ingredients, no scraps, try to take out as many variables as you can.

These are all steps we've taken... to no avail they haven't changed anything, but... it's always worth a shot :thumb:


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

PunkyPug: I've been using 1tsp of ACV (Bragg with the mother) once a day for my 30lb dogs for over a year. Unfortunately, last year, we had fleas for the first time so it doesn't always work for all dogs.


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

I don't use any harsh chemicals on my floors. And if I do I go over my floors with water to try and dilute and clean up the cleaner. Also Since as her allergies do actually clear up when I do put her on the flea tablets; I believe I know what the computerate is. But this is nice information also. Thank you for sharing.


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## PunkyPug (Apr 4, 2012)

InkedMarie said:


> PunkyPug: I've been using 1tsp of ACV (Bragg with the mother) once a day for my 30lb dogs for over a year. Unfortunately, last year, we had fleas for the first time so it doesn't always work for all dogs.


You may have not been using enough. I strongly suggest trying more than 1tsp. Maybe 1 1/2 or 2 tsp.
My pug is almost 20lbs and she gets 1sp a day. So I would think something more closer to 2tsps would work better.


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## PunkyPug (Apr 4, 2012)

Justapup said:


> Oh and I want to add that the White dog right now that is currently broken out with her allergies is not on any flea preventative atm. So thats not whats causing her allergies.


How long has she been off the flea preventative?


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

He's been off of it since I want to say about November Last year. But fleas just started to get bad here since June and I really don't have the money right now to get any for her (without having to buy topical meds). So for now I just give her a flea bath every 2-3 weeks and she takes benedryl three times a week. In a couple weeks I should have the extra money finally to get her flea tablets.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

how come you went off the topical? Something like Advantage is mild and I use it but my neighbors say it quit working on their dogs.


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

I have never used Topicals on my recent dogs. And Only because I've had pets sicken and harmed from them in the past. Another reason I do not use them now is because Snow loves to rub her shoulders on everything and also likes to lick where she has rubbed or other furniture. Also Topicals are very messy and not in my favor.


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## PunkyPug (Apr 4, 2012)

xellil said:


> how come you went off the topical? Something like Advantage is mild and I use it but my neighbors say it quit working on their dogs.


Agreed
Advantage and Advantix was the only thing(next to ACV) that worked on my dogs. I was rather surprised to find my pug had issues with them.


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Justapup said:


> I have never used Topicals on my recent dogs. And Only because I've had pets sicken and harmed from them in the past. Another reason I do not use them now is because Snow loves to rub her shoulders on everything and also likes to lick where she has rubbed or other furniture. Also Topicals are very messy and not in my favor.


Fleas, ticks & mosquitoes are a year 'round problem here, so we use K9 Advantix II on both our GSPs, esp since they are out in fields & conservation areas almost daily. While it is true that initially the treatment is on the surface, after a few hours it's basically gone. The only reason I can think of that it is still on the surface on your dog(s) is that you may be putting too much in one area. Alternately, you may be using "one size too big" and there is too much liquid to be efficiently absorbed.

FWIW,


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

I don't know why everyone is demonizing me for not using a topical? When I take her to her next vet appointment she is going to be placed back on her flea tablet which worked better then any topical I've seen. I have just been waiting for the money to be able to do it again. :/ I do not wish to use a topical treatment for fleas. End of that.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

No one is "demonizing" you. Good gravy, get a grip. I just asked why you quit.


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Justapup said:


> I don't know why everyone is demonizing me for not using a topical? When I take her to her next vet appointment she is going to be placed back on her flea tablet which worked better then any topical I've seen. I have just been waiting for the money to be able to do it again. :/ I do not wish to use a topical treatment for fleas. End of that.


In my case, I was simply relating my/our observations of topicals and why you may have been experiencing the issues you said you were having. That's it, that's all.

Demonized? Hardly....


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

Well you people keep going on and on about topical's even after i stated I don't use them like a spat on my hand for not using them. :/ Besides this topic isn't even about flea treatments.


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

Justapup said:


> Besides this topic isn't even about flea treatments.


That sort of attitude isn't going to get you much help around here. Everyone was simply trying to come up with solutions. You're new here, no one knows how much you know or about what.


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

kevin bradley said:


> I think the least expensive food line that would get any type of endorsement from most out here would be the Kirkland line at Costco(see my recent post). You can buy it for as little as 40 cents/lb(grain inclusive) to 80-90 cents/lb(grain free). Nothing that I have seen will come close to those prices. Indeed, the ingredients actually look very respectable on the foods. However, someone will have to confirm, but I believe they are produced by Diamond which is a huge animal feed company which has been involved in some of the recalls/dog deaths(from 07) and you will find many that want nothing to do with them. I'm on the fence with Diamond. Don't love them but admittedly, they sell a helluva lot of dog food and they offer decent food that is 100% better than most foods in a typical grocery store.
> 
> The food I try to steer people to who ask...and those trying to save money is FROMM. Family owned company in Wisconsin. As far as I know, they haven't been involved in the recalls that Diamond has(if any, I'm not sure). You can buy their Classics line(purple and red bags) for about $1/lb. Just a good basic, solid food from a very reputable company. Also, they make all their own food at THEIR own manufacturing facility in Wisconsin(not a small feat. Many of these companies farm their production out to comanufacturers).
> 
> A couple other brands that I think are decent and offer good value--Holistic Select, Canidae(though lots of Dogs don't seem to tolerate the food real well), Annamaet, Avoderm.


guess you never read my thread about kirkland (diamond) and my 3 dogs. rex is in liver failure, the other 2 got sick and i'm now negotiating with diamond's insurance company.
i'd rather feed dirt than diamond. check out the fda reports on the plants that they closed.

that being said, is it ok, to flea bathe dogs every 3 weeks?
how do you know the "allergy" isn't fleas?

and yes, fromm is family owned, since the early 1900's and never had a recall. their customer service is wonderful.


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## Justapup (Jul 9, 2012)

How do I know? because When I place her on proper flea treatment (The Tablets) She doesn't break out at all. No fleas, No break outs. Hmm...

And it isn't my attitude, I've been over this a couple times already in this thread alone. 0o; If I wanted to discuss flea treatments I would have made a topic on it. Assuming I don't know anything is just as inconsiderate.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Thread closed by request.


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