# Worst dog food brands



## Mark_Siebel (Oct 9, 2008)

BEST DOG ON THE BLOCK Dog Tips 

Dog Food – Friend or Foe?
by Mark Siebel – Owner - DOGGIE STEPS Dog Training

I find it funny how some dog owners have NO idea what they’re feeding their dogs; “This is what I’ve always fed FIDO, and he seems to like it.” Upon years of observing dog behavior and health trends, I have noted how the longevity and quality of a dog’s health is directly related to the food eaten.

I have recently adopted the attitude that I will NOT feed my dogs anything that I wouldn’t eat. Holding true to this philosophy, below are a few simple tips to ensuring your dog will be treated to a well balanced meal and not leftovers from who knows where:

1.	Dog food nutritional standards. According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), all of a pet’s dietary needs (ie..proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals) must be present in every meal. The AAFCO approval label is found on 95% of all dog food, including those that have inferior nutritional value. So, how do we know that the food is actually nutritionally sound for our dogs? Do your homework!! 

2.	Read the ingredients label on your dog food bag. Most inexpensive dry dog foods contain “fillers” such as corn, millet, wheat, and rice, ALL of which are not natural in a dog’s diet. Be aware that the first 5 ingredients on the ingredients label will comprise over 85% of the food’s content. If any of the following ingredients are currently listed on your dry food, BEWARE!! *4-D: comprised of meat from dead animals, including the possibility of tainted and/or diseased meat. *Propylene Glycol: a preservative thought to have the similar molecular structures to that of antifreeze. *BHA & BHT: a suspected carcinogen. *Ethoxyquin: a major preservative used in rubber tires, and sometimes in dog food as a synthetic antioxidant to keep fats from turning rotten.

3.	Find a Veterinarian who practices “Holistic” Medicine. Today, most traditional vets don’t even own a dog!! They recommend a dog food that “coincides” with your dog’s current ailment, and will most often recommend a steroid injection (cortisone) to mask the symptoms of the dog’s illness while not treating the actual disease. It’s nice to have a vet who will assess your dog’s history of illness and prescribe the appropriate foods and recovery program to establish a healthy nutritional balance.

4.	Finally – What to feed your dog. A raw, homemade diet is often chosen by dog owners who want to provide the freshest organic meats, vegetables, and proteins to their dogs. This often requires a lot of work, time, and money. To satisfy your dog’s appetite, the following dry dog foods have been tested/qualified to be the top dry brands for both overall nutritional balance, and immune strength: Innova, Eagle Pack, Canidae, Wellness, Fromm’s, Solid Gold, Canine Caviar, California Natural, Natural Planet Organics, and Prairie. ALL OF THESE FOODS ARE MADE IN THE U.S.A. These same brands have wet food to accompany the dry. I recommend a tablespoon of wet food daily for added protein and flavor.

If we eat at McDonald’s every day, we get overweight and a triple bypass at the age of 62. Eating with natural/organic food in mind, we can achieve better future health and the comfort of knowing that our immune system is more resilient against disease. So, the next time you’re thinking about saving a few bucks by buying the cheapest dog food at your local supermarket, think twice.

Mark Siebel has trained over 500 Arizona Valley dogs, has dog training tips published monthly in various AZ magazines, appears on NBC Channel 12 Arizona Midday, ABC Channel 15 Sonoran Living, speaks regularly with local schools youth groups about the importance of dog safety and ownership, and donates time to kids who want to learn more about dogs. He is a member of APPSA (Arizona Professional Pet Sitters Association) and ASC of Arizona (Australian Shepherd Club of Arizona). Mark owns (2) Australian Shepherds named Leinie and Kugel. For more information or general dog questions, go to: http://www.doggiestepsdogtraining.com/index.html or call Mark @602.318.0122.


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## LuLu1 (May 15, 2009)

You forgot the all-time worst food ..... Old Roy sold at Walmart!


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## Dogmom1 (May 31, 2009)

I cringe when I see Ole Roy at Walmart-how could they sell such an alful food? But look at the dumb looking people that buy this garbage. Spend more money on a fancy cell phone and say that cant afford a good food or say "the dog loves it" how about a shovel to go with the food so you have a lot of clean up.
I spend all my money on the best food and treats. The back yard can prove it, less shedding-poop- and they eat less (because it real)


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## Pami (Jun 29, 2009)

Dog and service dogs should not be eating dog food that has corn and sugar in it. It will not help them grow big and strong. All this does for them is make them full, Eating this make them have bad breath, and bad teeth. Also they will die 2 1\2 years earlier, do you what your best friend (dog)to not live health. If you do feed them this type of dog food then you should not have a dog or a service dog. You should read the back of the bag, to see what they put in the dog food be for you buy it. dry, can and moist dog food. If you can feed them right don't get a pet or service dog. It's not fair to the animal.


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## I_say (Jul 4, 2009)

Who cares about those mutts. All they need is table scraps. LOL


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## CRYSTAL (Jul 12, 2009)

IS EUKSNUBA REALLY BAD I HAVE A YORKIE I AM SO WORRIED HELP


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## Dog_Helper (Jul 17, 2009)

Crystal,
you should use Chicken Soup For Pet Lover's Soul Adult Dog Formula or Puppy Formula.
This food is really satisfying for your dog.
It will love it!
My dog is picky and he liked it!
Plus this food prevents plaque and tartar and bad breath.
It is made with all natural ingridients, none of that frozen food. Everything is pure.
Enjoy


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## Dog_Helper (Jul 17, 2009)

Btw, "I" the one who wrote...
"Who cares about those mutts. All they need is table scraps. LOL"
that was not funny.


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## jackie1 (Aug 4, 2009)

i hate it when you go to the grocery store and dispite the petfood recall people are still feeding there dogs what was recalled just because they belive what the tv tells them.and i would just like to say that my dog is 8 years old and he can run really fast because of solid gold petfoods its one of the best it doesnt have by-products,corn,wheat,dairy,soy also known as lection),no animal fat added and no sugar or salt and no sunfolwer oil which is a very cheap oil and it increases the risk of cancer by up to 69%


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## Dugan_Fry (Aug 22, 2009)

If I had a pet I really did love, I would feed them the best. I don't. 

Most of the Wal-mart buyers buying "Old Roy" usually are ******** who own some mixed barnyard mutt wandering around their trailer park so they don't give a horses patoot what's in the ingredients.


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## Woof (Aug 31, 2009)

I have to say that my 2 year old Golden was on Pedigree up untill a few months ago...after doing a little research online and talkin to my friends I switched her to Solid gold...she does likes it a lot. It is the first dry food she will eat with nothing else added to it...
For all of you who REALLY care about your four legged friends, please read the article that changed my mind about dog food (click the link below).


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## Vanessa_van_Vliet (Sep 2, 2009)

WHAT DO U GUYS THINK OF PRO PERFORMANCE for small size puppies?
Thank u


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## VIctoria (Sep 16, 2009)

Our dog is a large breed, and a rescue from a backyard breeder that was shut down due to deplorable conditions (so he didn't get the best start in life). He has a host of inherited health issues as well, so it's not like we have a naturally healthy dog. But he is now ten, and is as rambunctious and fun-loving as ever. When we moved into our new house a year ago, our dog was nine, and I mistakenly thought our neighbor's dog was much, much older. He walked slowly, and just seemed like a very, very old dog. Nope. He was seven. Just fed crap his entire life--Pedigree. 

For people who think buying higher quality dog food is a waste of money, let me explain why it's not. Our dog's food may be twice as expensive as a grocery store brand, but he eats half as much food on a daily basis because it's a higher quality food without fillers and garbage in it. So in the long run, we are paying out the same amount. And we have a much happier dog, too.


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## Sky (Oct 19, 2009)

I CANNOT beleive I am feeding my dog Beneful! I am in tears! My baby means so much to me...it's all in my lack of better judgment. Please tell me what you think of blue buffalo, but I think I'm going to search for Solid Gold. I'm so glad I found this site...I Love You People!


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## Chris_K._Boye (Oct 30, 2009)

I love the idea of posting bad dog foods - excellent thought with much sense behind it and I commend you to the limit, however, I can tell you you're very wrong on Royal Canin. I have a Czech GSD - I would humbly say one of the top 10-15 male working GSDs in the world. I researched every link I could find, outside of published laboratory studies breaking down each component by component. THE best website for info on dog foods is pedigreedatabase.com. Regardless of the breed (don't worry - no vets weighing in with opinions there), the OVERWHELMING consensus is that Royal is among the top 3-4 foods available. Your list is right on with the rest, but NOT Royal. I have no bias in any direction - I'm just informing you that the world's top website for breeders, working dogs and show dogs with members chiming in constantly on this subject, is pedigreedatabase, and what is said by consensus there carries the weight of the world behind it. Working dog people are the absolute best, most intellectual, most knowledgeable and well versed. These are high level competitors and professionals (many WUSV contenders). They "get it", trust me: They say Eagle Pack, Royal, Innova (which is typically too rich causing loose stools but of high quality), Blue Buffalo and a few others. More than a dozen other sites I have checked follow this consensus, and throw Solid Gold and Canidae (but for dry skin issues caused by Canidae) in as well. They do corroborate the balance of your list, btw;-)


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## Steve5 (Nov 2, 2009)

I have a 1.5 year old Australian Working Kelpie and a 12 year-old Kelpie/Lab mix. My wife is very picky about what we feeds them, and they both get Innova Evo small bites. They are both happy, healthy and the elder dog is as active now as she was 5 years ago. It's more expensive, but I know it's been worth it.


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## steve6 (Nov 4, 2009)

Royal canin has been part of recall fact. Royal canin's ingredient panel does not follow what the ideal ingredients of what a dog's needs are fact. Royal Canin's is the producer of Pedigree, Medi-cal, Nutro etc which have all had recall. fact. The problem with innova is with people and feeding amounts.
It is like saying that a balance diet for your children is too rich and we should stay with subpar, bland ingredients. Come on now people, figure out that the Vet's should now be able to push pet foods as it is a contradiction to what they are supposed to do. Our own family doctors cannot sell meds, why should veterinarians?


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## lenora_smith (Nov 6, 2009)

my little boston terrier has just died of liver disease (diognosed at 9 yrs.old) she also had other digestive problems and gall bladder cancer i will always beleive that i shortened her life by feeding her kibles and bits. the dog food industries that put this junk in their pet foods should be ashamed i miss my little girl so much and had i known that i was poisening her i would have done things much differently. i have switched my little boy mackey from beneful to chicken soup for the pet lovers soul, i know it is to late to help bean dog but her early death has made me investigate dog food quality, i hope she knows i did not realize the health problems i was causing her to suffer, because pet food companies lie and that is the sad truth and now i have killed my dog and i blame her diet for her early passing.


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## Rachel1 (Dec 4, 2009)

I have to disagree with the dog foods listed as the top 10 worst dog foods. I recently switched my dogs food from Iams to Beneful. I asked my doctor what was a good food for my dog, but cheaper than Iams, as it is so expensive. He advised me that you get what you pay for. He suggested Purina/or Beneful as a second choice from Iams. Anything generic is not good...and if it is cheap, its cheap for a reason--it is not gonna be good/healthy for your dog. I am sure that my vet. would not give me information that was false.


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## Tamaraja (Jan 5, 2010)

Rachel,
Your vet may not give you information that is false, but they will give you information based upon ignorance. Not stupidity, as that is something else, but being ignorant of what they're talking about. If you knew how little education vets receive about nutrition, you'd be amazed. Again, read the ingredients, that's all you have to do. 

Here's something to think about: http://consumerist.com/2008/09/purina-isnt-bothered-by-dog-food-infested-with-fly-larvae-maggots.html


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

To Chris K. Boye, you need to quit lying on a message board like this. I have had many GSD's and their is no way in gods green earth would I feed any of them a poison like RC. The crap is so grain heavy and low grains at that and has many other low grade ingredents that any GSD would have a lot of problems with it. I would love to see how your dogs look up close and next to mine. I would bet everything I own, it would be night and day, in looks of the coats(big time), eyes, nose's and the way they act. I feed mine only the "best" Oriejen Large bred puppy, Horizon Legacy puppy, Merrick Puppy plate and California Natural. I mix it with Innova large bred puppy. Let me tell ya where ever I go and other big bred dogs are their I get asked over and over again what I feed him. I GOTTA TELL YA THEIR HAS NEVER BEEN ANOTHER GSD THAT COMES CLOSE TO HIS LOOKS AND I ALWAYS GET COMPLIMENTS ON HOW HE LOOKS. LIKE I SAID I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR GSD'S NEXT TO MINE YOU WOULD BE SHOCKED.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Rachel, find a new Vet because yours is a total moron. You just can't find a worse dog food than Benacrap. LOOK WHATS IN IT?????

1.Ground yellow corn. Crap just crap
2.chicken by-product meal. This is the crap the workers walk on in the slalter(sp) houses. It's not chicken it is feathers and other garbage.
3.corn gluten meal. This is just unreal, how bad 2 types of corn in the 1st 5 foods be. SUPER BAD
4.whole wheat flour.. Wheat is even worse than corn and causea many problems in dogs.
5.animal fat. It say animal fat but not which kind, just flat out scary.

Look at a dogs teeth,,, does it look like they are made for grinding corn and wheat????? Heck NO,, THEY ARE MADE FOR ripping apart MEAT !!!!!!!!!


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## oldgriz (Dec 14, 2009)

Not so fast condemning wal-mart Old Roy is a premium dog food and is manufactured under controlled conditions by a major company. Years ago in Kansas I watched a fox go to a silo to eat. I asked the company what was the product that attracted the fox ? The response was Purina dog food.A fox won't continue to eat what is not good.Many years ago I had a doberman and he would turn the bowl over if it wasn't purina, after him I had an American Eskimo she ate nothing but Purina (OLD ROY) and passed away 17 years later and never once in her life did she ever have a sick day.Venison now has a wasting disease I'll continue to feed my dogs Purina, and you use yours.
Note:Sitka my Eskimo was a Blue Ribbon champion.Dogs should not eat human foods they can have early blindness from lack of the right food sources.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

LOL, old roy should be named old crap. A premium food ??? You are kidding me??? Wal worst carries nothing but the cheap crap and I don't care what product line your talking about. Man I would like to see your dog next to mine.

oldgriz, do you really believe that, Ya and I saw my buddies ford being towed to the dealer (for the 5th time) to get fixed and the next day he told me he has had nothing gone wrong with his car. And just what would those food sources be ?????? Meat, dogs need lots of meat, not corn, wheat and the othe crap that is in this so called food. Go to this site and get a #6 or 5 star product and you will see a difference in a week.


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## Galina (Dec 15, 2009)

Hello Good People. I am so ashamed i never thought about doubting the owner of my dog mother. I have a shar-pei - she told me Pro Plan is the best to fed. We did have allergies all the time - although now she is fine for few weeks - i put her on adult salmon one.
I do find corn there and I am reading how bad it is. I live in Russia and we dont have so much variety as you guys there - I travel to USA a lot - so I will be able to bring food for my girl.
So Pro Plan is really that bad?
I had fount that Nature Innova is very good - and they do sell it here!


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## Emma3 (Dec 15, 2009)

I had been feeding my dog Nature's Variety Prairie Canine Beef Meal and Barley Dry Food for several years and he got very sick recently. I should have known that something is wrong since many times my dog smelled the food and then just walked away from it. He didn't do that until recently and later he got very sick from eating that brand of dry food. I took my dog to the vet and he recovered now. But I switched to Wellness Super5Mix Complete Health Chicken Dog Food and my dog just loves it. He's like a complete energetic and happy dog like he used to be. I just feel that by giving my dog better food that will help me to save some medical bills later on.


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## Bob1 (Sep 2, 2009)

It's not rocket science all you need to learn is what each ingriedient is and then read labels. Yes a vet say Beneful is good is a vet that should be replaced!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Ok, Here is my list's, the good and the Bad. If it is good and not on the list I might have over looked it. There are many more bad foods, but these are the ones I know the most about. If yours is on the bad list, well that's toooo baaad because it is BAD..


Good Really BAD

Artemis Anything Purnia
Blue Wilderness	Anything Royal Canin
Go Anything Old Roy
Horizon Legacy	Anythind Abady
Evo Anything Beneful
Innova Anything Science Diet or Hills
Instrinct	Anything lams
Orijen Bil Jack
Taste of the Wild	Cesar Milan
Wellness Eukanuba
Acana Exclusive
Fromm PEDIGREE
Merrick Advance
Canidae Alpo
Evanders Arion
Earthborn	Beta
Natrures Logic	Friskies
Natures Variety 
Solid Gold 
Pinnacle 
Timberwolf 
Blue Buffalo 
Halo 
Natural Balance
CALIFORNIA NATURAL


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

THAT WAS MY GOOD LIST I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED. This is the bad list.

Anything Purnia
Anything Royal Canin
Anything Old Roy
Anythind Abady
Anything Beneful
Anything Science Diet or Hills
Anything lams
Bil Jack
Cesar Milan
Eukanuba
Exclusive
PEDIGREE
Advance
Alpo
Arion
Beta
Friskies


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## Kelechi (Jan 4, 2010)

what is the best food to feed min schnauzers


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## Traz (Jan 13, 2010)

There are several good quality foods out there. After a LOT of research I chose Fromm for my 2 Goldens. It is made by Fromm only & uses USDA approved ingredients. The quality is good, the ingredients are good & althought initially appears to cost more, you feed less to get more nutrition. Plus save hundreds in vet bills from bad food.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Fromm is a very good dog food.


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## Patricia1 (Jan 23, 2010)

Ol Roy is a really bad brand for dog food. It made my maltese visit the vet alot.

I'm wondering, does anyone know of a good dog food (wet and dry) to feed my maltese?

Thank You!


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## Patti2 (Jan 24, 2010)

My dog had pancreatitis so my vet recommended Hills Science Diet i/d formula.I've noticed ALOT of scratching and itching-even my groomer noticed his eyes , paws and behind were pink- she recommended a better food since he might have allergies but I'm concerned about a recurrence of the pancreatitis which was very serious, I also have to add PanaKare enzymes to his food to another serious attack. My dog seems to like the food but the ingredients sound scary.He is a miniature poodle and I'm trying to do my "homework".Any help would be appreciated


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## melody (Jan 24, 2010)

hi..my dog has diarrhea for 5 days..then the vet gave medicine..and i gave boiled chicken and rice for his food..after that, he became good.after two days, i put back his original food which is pedigree for puppy..and got diarrhea again...help me please.....


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Try Orijen, Innova or Taste of the Wild, but if I were you I'd buy a small bag of California Natural and try that first.


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## melody (Jan 24, 2010)

hi anthony...is california natural available to all vet clinic/pet shop? coz i live in indonesia...how to shift?since pedigree results my dog having diarrhea, should i still give him pedigree and mix little bit of new dogfood?actually, i let my dog stay in the clinic to have him fecal examination....i really feel sad bout my dog..pls reply asap.thnx


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Yes, mix it a little at a time. But in your case I'd go half and half right away. Check your pet shops. Here is a link where you can buy it, but being where you are I have no idea about shipping or where you could buy it. This site gives you free shipping (in America over 50 bucks) they also give away free stuff, check the top right. All three are great foods and I feed Orijen and California Natural. Good luck.

http://www.k9cuisine.com/


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## Patty1 (Jan 27, 2010)

We lost our two dogs 2 weeks apart. Mixed breeds. Feed them Ol Roy' dry food but knew nothing of the bad ingredients and price was NOT an option. Both our dogs got Kidney Disease. One was 9 and the other was 10. the one dog slowly died over 8 weeks and the vet said that she couldn't be saved. the other dog died very quickly over 5 days. the docs don't understand it. they were raised in the same home, ate the same food, etc. We are now devastated and don't know what food is OK to keep our dogs healthy. Any advise or opinions would be welcome.
Patty


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## Fay1 (Jan 27, 2010)

Hi I work for a large chain pet store and I am a nutritionist there. I started to become interested in dog nutrition when my Mini Schnauzer was diagnosed with food allergies. I find the lack of education about nutrition that vets have is terrible. The other appalling trend I have noticed is the mass amounts of commercials touting how wonderful their brand is, as a general rule (with the exception of blue buffalo)if you saw it in a commercial the best bet is that they spend more money on advertising than in quality of the food. The other rule is if you can buy it where you buy your food its crap. I have found a wonderful website that rates dog food and it is completely unbiased, it is done independently from any manufacturer. It gives you the rating, the ingredient list, the nutritional information, and an explanation of why it was given its rating. It is by far the best site I have found.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Here is a short list of its best brands
Artemis Maximal
Blue Wilderness
Go natural Grain Free Endurance
Horizon Legacy 
Innova Evo
Instinct
Orijen
Taste of the Wild
Wellness Core

And here are the worst
Alpo
Purina Bakers Complete and Purina Beta (Unimaginable how people could feed this to any living thing)
Beneful
Bil Jack
Country Vet Brand Choice
The majority of Eukanuba
Goodlife Recipe
Hills Science Diet 
Iams 
Kibbles and Bits
Ol’ Roy
Pedigree
Pet Promise
Pro Plan
Purina Dog Chow and Purina One
Royal Care Beauty Care and Dental Hygiene
Whole Meals

I am also a big fan of Natural Balance, even though it is a 4 star food, because of its limited ingredients. One of my dogs is allergic to chicken protein and is also epileptic so he cannot have turkey or rosemary and this is one of a very small number of foods that does not have any of those in it.
Here is a list of the ingredients you want to avoid at all costs
Artificial colorings- ex. Blue-2 and Red-40- Why: they serve no purpose other than to make the food look better to the humans buying it for their dog, and many are thought to be carcinogenic (Cancer causing) 
Sugar-Why: it is to make the dog food more palatable, prolonged use can lead to Diabetes and Obesity.
Propylene Glycol- Why: used to keep moist kibble from drying out and to prevent some fats from becoming rancid, its also used in antifreeze and many solvents.
BHT and BHA-Why: Used to preserve Fats and Oils, is banned in many countries because it is believed to be Carcinogenic.
Ethoxyquin-Why: used as a preservative, it was originally designed as a stabilizer for rubber and as a pesticide, it is thought to be highly carcinogenic.
Menadione Sodium Bisulfate- AKA Vitamin K3 and synthetic vitamin K-Why: Linked to many serious health problems in dogs.

There is so much more information I could give but it begins to go into specifics for sizes and ages and breeds of dogs and would be way too much to fit here but if you have any questions feel free to E-mail me at [email protected] and I will respond as quickly as possible.


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## Jordan S. (Feb 2, 2010)

Don't forget moist n meaty. Now THAT stuff is horrendous!!


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## melody (Jan 24, 2010)

hi...my dog has a cough...and he doesn't have any phlegm or dirt from his eyes...but his cough sounds like scary...is this a normal cough for dog?my shih tzu puppy is now 3 months old..


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## Pam3 (Feb 4, 2010)

Melody, Has your puppy had his Parvo vaccination? Is he eating/drinking ok. If no to vaccinations take him to a vet.


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## Pam3 (Feb 4, 2010)

Oh .... and I came here to prove to a co-worker that Beneful was crap. If you're feeding processed dog food the "good" lists are definitely better than the "bad" lists. BUT if you're really wanting what is best and natural for your dog check into raw feeding. They are carnivores and are meant to eat raw meat and bones.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

GET HIM TO THE VET NEVER TAKE ANY CHANCES !! HE IS WAY TO YOUNG....


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## melody (Jan 24, 2010)

i already had him parvo vaccination...he is eating and drinking..but i think the amount he eats reduced a little....he still has a cough..the vet gave me a cough syrup for baby and im using it to my dog...thnx pam


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## saracherry (Feb 13, 2010)

hello every. so i am not new to not feeding my dog junk fake food. every since she was a puppy i had always feed her taste of wild, canidea and evo. i know she need a high proten diet. her breeder fed her old royle. anyway my friend brought her sister and fed her costco brand. i did a lot of research on what brand i should feed her, before i got her. i chose taste of wild, but lived so far and not a store near me sell that so i swited from taste of wild to canidea for a wild and to evo too. so i was talking to my friend who got my puppy sister if i should buy costco brand cause i was broke. she said yeah. i did look up the first 5 inger. to see if its meat. and i think it was or maybe 4. well i didnt feed her costco brand for long. as i live too far with no car i couldnt buy it anymore. i try to look up if costco is bad, but so far i got no review on it as much as the goos brand aka taste of wild etc. i did how ever got a bad review that its make from china and is make from waste and junk etc. that did worries me. butti also got some review that said it wasnt true. well what i am trying to said is is costco brand good and not junk. i how ever stop buying my dog the good brand for now. as i am not working and cant buy her any good brand yes i am feeding hee dog chow, but i also feed her real meat. cook meat. i am not sure about raw, even thought it has good review. i feed her fish oil and fish meat too. cook with and without salt. its not that i dont want to spend alot on food. all my money go to her and my kittens and meat to keep a blance for now. i just want to know if costco brand is good. if its not when i work again hopefully soon i will stick with taste of wild and canidea. so please is costco brand any good.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

saracherry,If by costco brand you mean kirkland signature,not sure if it's sold by the same name in all states.You can go to Dog Food Analysis They give ratings and reviews on brands A-Z .If you scroll down to the picture of two puppies it says we now have an index,click on the word index and it will give you the list.They tell give you a rating and then go through the entire list of ingredients,and tell you which ingredients are not good.They also rate brands with a 1 to 6 * rating. I think Taste of the Wild gets either a 5 or 6 *.Hope the info helps!!!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Here is the link. They are 3 star foods.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=1733&cat=5

http://dogfoodchat.com/kirkland-dog-food/


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

First of all....it really bugs me when people site DogFoodAnalysis as the Gospel. Even they, DFA, clearly site on their website that they are only grading foods based on ingredients. They do use the nutrient breakdowns to try and figure percentages of proteins from meat.
Not that it is the Gospel either, but I hold The Whole Dog Journal in a much higher regard.

Alot of people know which brands are the better brands and which are the premium brands. I've read on here about the recalls....but what you don't realize is that of the premium brands only a handful of pet food companies actually produce their own food and some of the so called "premium" brands are made at these recall factories.

Here are the premium brands that are made by there own plants:
Champion Pet Food (Orijen, Acana)
Natura (Evo, Innova, California Natural, Karma)
Merrick Pet Care (Merrick, Before Grain, Whole Earth Farms)
Fromm Family (Fromm)
Elmira Pet (Go!, Now!)

I believe there is alot to be said for making your own products assuring the quality in it.


I don't want to take away from all the people that love Taste Of The Wild, Chicken Soup, Solid Gold or some of Wellness....but it's made by Diamond Pet Products.

A question arises about TOTW...it has mostly good ingredients (a few questionable), good protein and fat levels....how is it that it produces so little Kcals with all that "so-called" meat content? And, if it trully had all that meat content, how is it sold under $45 a bag for a 30 pounder. Look at the phosporus and calcium levels in TOTW...it will give it away that although there are a lot of named meats in the food, there isn't much of it.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

You make some very good points, but what would you rather feed to your dog one of these

■Beneful Dog Food
■Eukanuba Dog Food
■Hills Science Diet Dog Food
■Iams Dog Food
■Kibbles and Bits
■Opitmum
■Pedigree Dog Food
■Pro Plan Dog Food
■Purina One and Chow Dog Food
■Royal Canin Dog Food


OR Taste of rhe Wild???

I feed Orijen Large breed Puppy to my dog but he likes duck so I give him some TOTW Wetlands and Fromms duck. I rotate them along with California Natural and some Orijen regional red. Boy he really likes the red. The red is really spendy.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

I agree with you completely....but as you just pointed out why would you feed TOTW when you are feeding MEGA QUALITY FOODS...Orijen, Fromm, Cali Natural (all self manufactured which should be held in a class all its own)


I wish I could get my hands on Orijen regularly...but I can't 

Switching to Evo for my 4 yr old....which I can get my hands on it everyday.

I believe though, Orijen will only get more available as time goes on.


I have a 6 month old pup I'm contemplating putting on California Natural Lamb Puppy. Minimal ingredients...Rice is split yet still yields 26% Protein, 16% fat and produces 535 kcals per cup.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Eric I never said that DFA was gospel,But people have to start somewhere!! That's where I started,did research elsewhere too.And I was able to choose a decent product all by my self,IMAGINE THAT!!I chose Merrick's Before Grain.I totally agree with you about manufacturer's that have their own plants producing a higher quality product!!Merrick's is in Texas and it's family owned. I am also impressed with the fact that they don't distribute to the big box stores like petsmart and petco!! Only to the independently owned pet stores.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I still like TOTW and it's grain free. Like I said I rotate and I feel thats the way to go. But I always feed some Orijen. I have never had any problem getting Orijen in my area, North Seattle.
Check out this site it's a little spendy but tax is included and at the top you can get free stuff and free shipping if you spend 50 bucks. I get dog food pretty cheap in my area so I rarely buy anything from them but I have and they are pretty fast.

http://www.k9cuisine.com/


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Blue buffalo has a class action suite against them. http://hubpages.com/hub/Blue-Life-Protection-Large-Breed-Healthy-Dog-Foods


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Jess, you stated that you were going to try Artemis, I don't know which formulation that you are considering but Maximal lists Chicken fat 3RD on their ingredient list,this has been researched at perdue university and determined to contribute to Bloat in large breed dogs.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

Jess

Found Orijen and Acana at The Pet Health and Nutrition Center.

They keep great stock and ship for only 9 bucks and do not over inflate the purchase price!!!!

Scrap my Evo comment....ordered up Orijen!!!!


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

Michelle,

I think DFA is a good place to compare ingredients among all the different dry dog foods.

But there rating system is a little rattled.

How does Acana get a 5 star rating and TOTW and Wellness Core get 6 stars? Acanas ingredients are every bit as good, if not better than the other two. Acana has a much more thourough nutrient breakdown, it's made in a family owned facility and based on the calcium and phosphorus levels, you can clearly make the claim that the protein is coming from the meat source in the food. It's also low ash and low carb that the other two are not publishing. Wellness Core is made by American Nutrition, Inc. Google that and check out what they make...lol. TOTW is made by Diamond Pet Food....we all know what is in Diamond brand dog food. 

How does Merrick Before Grain gain a 5 star over a 6? It has a 6 star ingredients list. And yet Blue Buff Wilderness is a 6 and it has grain in it!!!

Sorry, but Dog Food Analysis is bogus on it's rating system. Great site to compare all the dog foods available but that rating system is ridiculous. A lot more than an igredients list needs to go into decifering what is the best food. How does the nutrient breakdown read? What is the ash content? What percentage of the protein is sourced from the named meats. Does Omega 6 and 3 balance? Are calcium and phosphorus levels in check? and the big one....WILL YOUR DOG EAT IT?

I guess that's my biggest beef with DFA and so many people live and die by it. It seems to be many peoples only point of reference for dog food debate and these same people don't understand the nutrient breakdown in which the ingredients are sourced and haven't trial'd and error'd it on there own pet.


On a side note....I like your Before Grain food. I trust Merrick, it is a good food to feed your pet in which you can feel comfortable about. My dogs enjoy Merrick Texas Toothpicks, Merrick Snoozles, and Merrick Lamb Filet Squares. I have used the 5 star entrees which is still by far the best canned dog food and asides from Evangers (which I don't trust) is the only canned dog food made by it's company owned facility. Every other canned dog food is outsourced. Favorite Merrick Entree is Turducken.


If you are serious about learning about dog food nutrition, The Whole Dog Journal is a way better place to start than DFA.


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## Jac (Feb 23, 2010)

I disagree that Pro Plan and Iams are one of the worst 10 dog foods. I would consider these grade C dog foods, or average.

Top 10 Worst for me are:
Pedigree
Kibbles n Bits
Ol'Roy
Purina Dog Chow
Beneful
Alpo
Pet Pride
Goodlife Recipe
Gravy Train
Eukanuba


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## Nicole5 (Feb 23, 2010)

I do a RAW / BARF diet... My pets mean to much to me to risk feeding them a less than great food that has iffy ingredients. I actually go right to a local butcher and get what I need for a reasonable price.

BTW Propylene Glycol is an ingredient in many of our pets foods and treats now... Yup thats the stuff in our deodorants and in antifreeze. Sounds nutritious right??

We just have to read labels, ask questions and be smart / aware consumers.


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## Quay (Apr 22, 2010)

Learning lots about different dogfoods here.. I am wondering what is in Science Diet that makes it such a bad food? I am asking because it was recommended by my vet! Thanks!


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## fortheloveofdogs (Sep 1, 2011)

I have prepared my own home cooked dog food for 25 years. You never have to look for any brand again. My daughter and i wrote the book "For the Love of Dogs", because everyone had a sick dog and wanted the recipes.
High quality protein, veggies, fruit and some whole grains, calcium supplement, omega 3's. You can feed yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, beef, chicken, chicken livers, beans, broccoli - everything but onions and chocolate. There is a list of what not to feed - like candy, ice cream, pizza crusts, etc, and raisins are on the careful list, as some dogs are allergic, but we have fed raisins for years and still do.
Unless you have many big dogs and no time, I would never feed any commercial dog food. Pellets, dried unidentifiable kibbles! Canned is just as bad. There are some dog foods being advertised that are refrigerated in the markets - they might be ok, but if you cook for yourself -why would you feed your beloved family dog junky, trashy, non regulated bags of kibbles?
There are some organic brands that are now on the market, but you'll be paying a lot more for someone else to cook your dog food for you.
It's actually fun and your doggies will love to eat!!! and kiss you and thank you and live long, healthy lives.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I agree, ecept for the fact you feed cheese and cottage cheese. And I have no problem with Orijen, Acana, Evo, Innova, California Natural, Healthwise, Horizon Legacy, Wellness(?), Go and Now. I am sorry but their are some decent manufactures of dog food now days, it really has changed. When I grew up in the 60's Purnia actually made a decent dog food, Boy has that ever changed!!


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

Where can we find "for the love of dogs"?


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Double click on her name!!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Eric I still get Orijen LBP for 57 bucks here. They have not raised their price since I've been feeding it. When I get low on California Natural I am gonna do a little shopping and see if my pet food store is lying or if Nuturepet did raise their price.


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## Nikki6 (May 4, 2010)

Hi. I am a new dog owner, 16 years old. And I have a ton of questions! I'll start off with what kind of dog I'm getting. He is a Alaskan Malamute Husky mix. He is about 3 and half months old. My fist questions is on what food to feed him. I have been reading http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com and that helped me a lot. but now I need to narrow my search. I have a job, but I will be paying for all his food. So I'm looking for good food at a reasonable price. Is Merrick puppy plate good food? Also how long do i feed my puppy on puppy food? I also have a question on Solid Gold Barking at the Moon, and Innova EVO large bites, and Welness Just for puppy. Like I said please nothing to expensive. Please answer back, I am getting him in a week. I reposting because I really need a answer


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## Callie_Zoras (Jun 15, 2010)

I am not clear with which brands are the worst, but I use Evanger's and I think it's the BEST! something I ALWAYS do is check out the ingredients lists, and I find so many products that Evanger's has with only ONE ingredient and that is the meat source. So, if you can would treat yourself to something like, Hunk of Beef (the ingredient says 100% Beef and nothing else because it has no added fillers or preservative or by-products), than why can't your dog eat it?! This is something I have been researching for years, and I am so glad I found Evanger's.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Here are 20 of the worst dog foods made today and most are cheap. They are cheap because they use CHEAP BAD INGREIDENTS....

1. Ol Roy
2. Pedigree
3. Beneful
4. Purnia
5. Alpo
6. Friskies
7. Liams
8. Science Diet
9. Nutro
10. Royal Canin
11. Kibbles and Bits
12. Abady
13. Eukanuba
14. Bil Jac
15. Pro Plan
16. Authority
17. Nutra
18. Cesar Millan
19. Pro Pac
20. Ultra


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## Stacie3 (Jul 8, 2010)

I checked caringconsumer.com to find my dogs food - Solid Gold. Some other good choices: Evangers, Halo, Fromm, Artemis, Natural Balance. All are not tested on animals in laboratories, left in cages w/o any vet care for their open wounds (from lab testing)- but rather with family pets, with loving owners and veterinary care.


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## Kristine (Jul 14, 2010)

Isn't it absurd that the some of the same dog food manufacturers that must have started out with a true love for dogs are now focusing on profit and making food that is actually unhealthy for dogs???!!! Jess’ list of the 20 worst dog foods is missing one that claims to be premium dog food… Science Diet. Unfortunately, there are not many brands available that are actually good for your dog. The following ingredients are found in the majority of dog foods: 

1) Corn – a cheap filler that is terribly hard on a dog’s digestive systems and has no nutrients 

2) Corn gluten – a binding agent and type of sugar that causes problems in the dog’s digestion tract resulting in gas, bloating and constipation

3) Chicken by-products – consists of the ground clean parts of slaughtered chickens and contains necks, feet, bones, undeveloped eggs, intestines and feathers 

4) Meat by-products – organs and parts of all animals which are either dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter including bones, blood, intestines, lungs, ligaments, heads, feet, etc and are not fit for human consumption 

5) Meat and bone meal – inexpensive sources of animal protein, lacking any nutritional value

6) BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) – chemical preservatives that have been banned from human use and are potentially cancer-causing agents

I’ve researched them all and only found one dog food that doesn’t contain any of these ingredients and really is dedicated to the pet’s health… Life’s Abundance. Check out the information at my website, www.thehealthypetplace.com. Scientific studies prove that dogs and cats really can live 25-30 years, if they’re given the proper nutrition. This product really is what pet food should be.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

It's number 8. I would NEVER miss that crap. I believe you might like my list of good dog foods. I think you would like many of them. I really liked California Natural but now that P&G has taken over that company, all their products are moving down my list. Evo is one of the best dog foods made today, but I am sure p&g well ruin it. That's why it slid from 2 to 11. And check this site out!!!

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

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
The B list
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


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## Michelle11 (May 7, 2010)

Jess- I doubt that Kristine is going to look at your list-she works for Life's Abundance...She said so in her post....anyway Life's Abundance is an okay product...a little lite in meat content as the only meat source in the first 5 is chicken meal.Also the reported protein content of 30% is exaggerated by the use of plant proteins in the form of Brewer's Yeast and Flaxseed meal.It's not a terrible food,but certainly their are much better foods for the money.Here's a review if anyone wants to check it out... http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/lifes-abundance-dog-food-dry/


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

LOL, I just wanted to see if she would respond. Did you notice that they do not disclose the ingredient list???? Just a bunch of sales pitch's. I just hate that.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

How can I contact you???


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## Kristine (Jul 14, 2010)

Sorry for missing Science Diet on your bad-list, Jess... I should have known you wouldn't miss that one! As for your good-list, those are excellent brands and you should also check out Flint River Ranch, as they also offer a high-quality food.

Thanks for referring to the http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/lifes-abundance-dog-food-dry/ website, Michelle! It's an informative site and I'm sorry to see that the website's author, Mike Sagman, only gave Life's Abundance 4-stars. As I'm sure you know, I believe that it deserves a better rating. The negative points that Mr. Sagman made regarding Life's Abundance dry dog food relate to 2 ingredients that he believes may be controversial: dried beet pulp and canola oil. He also states that dried beet pulp is entirely acceptable (some studies show it to have outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits and others believe it's just a filler) and the negativity related to canola oil is based in urban legend rather than actual science.

I love my pets and would do absolutely anything to ensure they live longer, healthier and happier lives. I know there are other good foods available, but I believe Life's Abundance is the highest-quality and most nutritionally-balanced food for my furry little friends.


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## Kristine (Jul 14, 2010)

FYI... Life's Abundance ingredients are fully disclosed and the list can very easily be found on my website by clicking on 'Dogs' or 'Cats' - then 'View/Print Dry Food Info', 'View/Print Wet Food Info' and 'View/Print Weight Loss Info' on the far right side of the that page... LOL


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## Anna4 (Sep 29, 2010)

Im so glad i stumbled onto this site. I have an 8 week old lab/shepard mix. Hes a handful! Anyhoo, my mom turned me onto beneful, said it was healthy for him, cheap, whole nine yards. I also heard from others brands on your WORST list that they were saying were really good. Well, i decided to do some research and luckily, again, i found this site. Im not quite sure where to get the BEST brands at. Are they available at petco or petsmart, walmart, meijers? 
All i want is the best for my little one and Im just so happy that i found this out now rather than later.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

If you want the best then this is the best. On the right side of this link it says Where to buy, just punch in your area code and it well tell you where you can get it. Be sure to shop because in my area it is much cheaper from one pet store to another. Call around....


http://www.championpetfoods.com/


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## liz3 (Nov 16, 2010)

How does canidae all life stages add up???
i was told it was up there with TOTW..
and i thought it was a big improvment compared to blue buffalo and nutro natural choice. what i was feeding before...
I have had amazing results from it...
before canidae als i was having to buy 3 diff dog foods. puppy,adult,senior.)
I have a 4yr old chihuahua, a 2yr mini poodle, 10 month old boxer, and a 6 yr old boxer. 
any advice about canidae would be much appreciaed!!!!!!
thanks


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

Canidae is a decent food made under by Diamond Pet Foods. Some dogs do really well on it,, while others don't. I've used it before w/ mixed results, but I would say that for the price I was paying was pretty cheap for such good ingredients plus I like the high calorie content of the ALS formula.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

It's a decent dog food. It has 3 meats and 7 grains before the first fat. Plus it contains 4 more grains. This tells me it is grain heavy. I would give it about 6 1/2 stars out of 10. Rice bran, barley, millet and tomato pomace are low quality ingredients. I believe the ocean fish meal does contain euthoxyuin, but you'd have to check their web site. Now their grain free formula is much better. Only the grain free would be in TOTW's league, but TOTW'S wetlands and prairie are WAY better than Canidae grain free. Wetlands is one good dog food and dogs love the taste.

Canidae all life stages,,,
Chicken meal, turkey meal, lamb meal, brown rice, white rice, rice bran, peas, potatoes, oatmeal, cracked pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), millet, tomato pomace, natural flavor, flaxseed meal, ocean fish meal, choline chloride, sun cured alfalfa meal, inulin (from chicory root), lecithin, sage extract, cranberries, beta carotene, rosemary extract, sunflower oil, yucca schidigera extract, dried enterococcus faecium, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, dried bacillus subtilis fermentation extract, saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation solubles, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid, cobalt proteinate, organic selenium, papaya, pineapple.


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## Borzoi_Dad (Dec 31, 2010)

I think the keys are these...

DogFoodAnalysis ...
(1) It may not be the gospel for ratings but the more sites one visits, the more it seems that what DFA publishes is corroborated by other sites. DFA seems like a good, simple summary with transparency in its judging system. I do not know of another site that tries to do this (other than Consumer Reports). 
(2) To bicker about whether a food is "5" or "6" stars - and the consistency for the ratings - is probably not as important than the difference between a "5-star" food and a "2-star" food. We sometimes want an absolute answer when the comparison between "pretty good", "OK"; and "really bad" is sufficient. Evo vs. Origen? Win, either way. Evo vs. Beneful? Advantage, Evo.
(3) If you know of changes in formulation or manufacturing, please ask for new reviews. I feed my dog EVO, but they have been purchased by P&G in 2010 - and the reviews online are from 2007. We need them to update - and possibly re-rank. 

Listing ingredients is not enough ...
(1) I doubt the average pet owner knows what each ingredient is for. Listing a ton of ingredients only muddles the picture. Tell me why the ingredient is in the food and how that impacts my pet. Nutrition, great. Mold suppression, I understand. Extra color, no. The postings which have listed ingredients and why the ingredients are good or bad are the ones I find useful.
(2) Just because some of the contents have chemical names doesn't mean the food is bad. If you want to only give your pet something with little-to-no chemical constituents, don't vaccinate; flea-protect; tick-protect; or heartworm-protect your dog. "Glucosamine" sounds more noxious than "cranberry", but I doubt my dog's joints will be better for the cranberries.

No one (sane) is deliberately trying to harm their pets ...
(1) Educate yourself on what you are feeding your pet - and possibly what you would like to feed your pet.
(2) If you cannot find super premium dog food anywhere in your area, you should go to the website of a dog food that looks good and ask them for local vendors. Its been my experience that horse-tack places carry a lot of premium dog food along with some not-so-good foods (why? - because horse people usually have working dogs and these dogs need good food energy). If you cannot find a place, ordering from the Internet is always an option.
(3) If premiums are not an option, a "4-star" dog food you can get on a regular basis beats complaining about not being able to find a "6-star" dog food. Just don't keep feeding your dog the "2-star" product.
(4) Finally, if you are on a very tight budget and cannot afford a premium dog food, this does not mean you are a bad person. Do the best that you can - this is all your dog is asking of you.

You're the human (and presumably, the smart one in the relationship) ...
(1) Yes - your dog may be a picky eater, but that should not be a reason why you do not stay with / migrate to the better food (assuming availability and cost). If you had a child who (a) only ate potato chips, or (b) would not eat a salad, would you let your child keep eating potato chips just to get energy in him / her?
(2) Conversely, just because your dog will eat it, this does not mean that this is a good thing. They are dogs. They would eat cat feces all day if you let them. Your dog will eventually give in after 2 or 3 days. 
(3) Worrying about your dog being tired of the same food can be easily corrected (assuming you have a little extra money). I feed my dog a blend of four (4) different EVO products: small & large red meat bites; small & large turkey & chicken bites. Every three months, I buy one each of the mid-sized bags and mix the dog foods together into one giant container. While I "lose" about $6 each time I do this (when compared to buying one large bag), my dog never gets tired of her food (I am imposing my human prejudices that the blend of flavors and textures keeps my dog engaged - that and the bowl is empty PDQ). My vets say this mix is fine and laugh about how spoiled my dog is.

Everyone is trying to do the right thing.


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## Borzoi_Dad (Dec 31, 2010)

@ Quay ...

To be fair, this is really a two-part question:
Q1: Why is Hill's a so-so dog food?
Q2: Why do so many vets recommend it / carry it at their practices?

Q1 goes back to looking at the dog food ingredients, their order and their percentages.

Q2 is gossip that may or may not be true. Whenever I ask about Hill's Science Diet, the thing I always hear (from different sources) is that one of every five vets (20%) were put through vet school by Hill's. This is not support / indictment of their ability or credibility; its merely a part of their financial aid obligation.


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## Professor_West (Jan 10, 2011)

SPEAK YOUR MIND!!! OK I WILL...

This is most distressing indeed. Heck, I love my pets & want them to be healthy and happy. Its obvious that we can no longer rely on many of these multi-billion-dollar dog food manufacturing companies to produce a good wholesome high-quality product for our dogs & cats!!! Especially, since we do pay good hard earned money for this so-called Good Product???

The practice of taking good money and offering a crap product in return must be deemed, "a fraudulent criminal practice"

Note: & it would be! If it wasn't for the fact, that we are talking about "meaningless inferior animals" and not all important people here. If it were people these shyster companies that purposely use inferior products for that all-important "profit potential jazz", would have been out of business decades ago, and this discussion of good & bad dog food, would now be null & void. 



I've heard all these pet death horror stories over the years, & it seems to be getting much much worse now. 

SAD FACT, the countless pets that have met their fate consuming this poisonous garbage & that really makes me quite mad indeed. 

Like-class-action-lawsuit-mad...

Just give us some truth here man, no more lies... We demand as consumers of your product to know, (all cleverly disguised terms arrested) what are the main ingredients in his store-bought dog food? Thus, don't leave out any of the gruesome details on the bag...

This is pure criminal in all respect of the work & it can no longer not be tolerated ether...TRUTH,,,TRUTH,,,TRUTH OR NO MORE CASH JACK...


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## yale (Jan 10, 2011)

Man I like this comment and it was so informational and I am gonna bookmark it. One thing to say the Superb analysis you have done is greatly remarkable.Who goes that extra mile these days? Bravo! Just one more suggestion you canget a Translator for your Global Audience !!


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## catherine4 (Feb 10, 2011)

Eric mentioned he had trouble finding Orijen:
k9cuisine.com sells it and if you buy a certain $ it includes free shipping.

Has anyone tried Wenaewe dog food? It is produced in Uruguay, organic and grass fed meat. I started researching it a while ago and at the time it was the only organic grass fed meat dog kibble.

If I missed any of this already discussed--apologies.


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## Ariel1 (Feb 19, 2011)

I agree with everything on the list EXCEPT THE purina One part I feed my Teddy Roosvelt Terrier ,Karma is and she has bounds of energy a soft coat and is doing WONDERFUL . Purina One is an Excellent food brand it works and is afforadable.


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## kevin11 (Mar 7, 2011)

beneful and iams are good qulity i bont know what is so bad.they are good my nan and aunt buy beneful i buy iams


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

yez da iz goood fer yer dogz. Yez da iz....


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## Samantha2 (Mar 16, 2011)

I've been feeding my 3 and half month old puppy Acana Junior Small Breed (puppy). Is That Good?


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## Bella3 (Mar 21, 2011)

First of all; Science Diet is not a "bad" dog food brand and neither is Eukanuba; Everyone on this site just talks about "II FEED MY DOG THE BEST, I FEED MY DOG THE MOST EXPENSIVE IN THE MARKET, I FEED MY DOG FOODS YOU NEVER HEARD OF, I ONLY FEED HIM ORGANIC, BLAH BLAH BLAH" I bet you don't EVEN eat organic, it's sad that many people who feed their dog "the greatest food" probably eat take out. It is also sad that people are so ignorant to think that a dog can actually DIE from eating any kind of food, it's really sad because to be honest, there is no GREATEST dog food, every dog food is processed and you know what they say about processed food, ITS NOT GOOD, so get over yourself.


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## vicky (Mar 24, 2011)

I have a 12 month old pit whats the best for him right now he is on iams but since I read this I am at hault on that so I would love some input plz and thanks


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## michelle18 (Apr 14, 2011)

I hate to inform you Bella, but Science diet IS a negative food. I've done 6 month K-9 Nutrition courses as is required by the Petstore I work for and essentially, Science Diet is all fillers. These fillers break down into 'bad' carbs which then break down into sugar. Science Diet is heavily sold at vet's offices because Vet's recieve a percentage of the sale, so naturally they are trying to make their money. I feed my dogs Taste of The wild which is an outstanding food and the fact that you think because I feed my dog great food means I eat carryout every night? This is an incredibly rude assumption because I do eat extremely healthy, and organic wherever I can. A dog is not going to "die" from a poor brand of food, however overeating, negative health consequences and dull, dry skin & coat IS a possibility. Eating these "bad" brands is the equivalent of a human eating fast food every day for their entire life.

Vicky- Its completely okay that you were not aware of how bad IAMS is. It doesnt make you a bad owner at all. The fact that you're looking into a healthier brand is fanntastic. Some foods I'd recommend are Taste of The Wild, Orijen, Wellness, Merrick, Prairie, Canidae and if you're really dedicated to your dogs diet, try going raw which is essentially the absolute best food for your dog. However this is tedious, time consuming and takes alot of planning. If your dog has allergies go for the Grain Free option. ALWAYS avoid foods that say Chicken BY-PRODUCT. By-Product is nasty. Meal or whole is your best bet, typically being a human grade ingredient. Good Luck with your pup!


I'm going to be a tad bit biased here, but for the love of god, PLEASE stay away from Natural Balance. Unless you are using the Ultra Premium Formula.


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## Lori_Kutlik (Apr 16, 2011)

Hello. I am fairly well versed in dog foods and feed my dogs a raw rotational diet. They get raw rabbit, chicken, beef, and lamb for breakfast and kibble mixed with canned for for dinner (generally Evo, Taste of the Wild, Blue Buffalo Wild, Wellness, or similar. Although Royal Canine is not a 5 star dog food - mainly because of its use of brewers rice - etc - it is certainly not one of the worst dog foods out there. I consider it a 3 star dog food and most dogs really like it and do well on it. Also, Royal Canine makes many breed specific formulas - which are pretty decent. I think Royal Canine should be removed from the list. The worst dog food that I can think of off hand are: Beneful, Hills Science Diet, Purina, Dads, Alsp, Bil Jac, Chef Michaels, Ol' Roy, Kibbles and Bits... Coming in right behind these - Eukanuba, Iams...etc.


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## kacie (Apr 19, 2011)

i feed my wolf hybrid and chihuahua/dachshund mix nutro ultra. that's good dog food right?


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## Sara3 (May 15, 2011)

Great list. Those are some of the worst dog foods. Some people don't listen though. Poor pets.  To the good owners that refuse to feed the trash veterinarians push like drugs, good for you for thinking outside the erroneous mold!


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## linda_henderson (May 30, 2011)

best dry foods for dogs with allergies?


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## Cynthia_Mattera (Jun 28, 2011)

I did a lot of comparing, reading all the ingredients, and found Merrick to be the best. Made in the USA, fist ingredient is chicken, Holistic and no fillers like corn. My dogs really enjoy Grammy's Pot Pie. 
Funny..all vets seem to push the Hills-Science Diet and the first ingredient is NOT real chicken and has a lot of fillers and by-products. Maybe they get kick backs from the company!
When it comes down to it, as long as you're feeding your dog and loving him, who cares what brand of dog food he's eating!


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## Mandi1 (Jul 14, 2011)

You should care what food your dog is eating!!! Because down the line when they get older lots og things can happen. Like when my can corso mastiff was younger he got really sick on the brand of food we were feeding him he had a huge cyst that grew on his leg and lot of stomac problems. So I switched dog foods. I switched his food and he has been fin I went one grade up from what I was feeding him. But now we have a bigger problem he just started having seizures out of the blue for no reason and it kills me every time I have to see him go thru it so now I'm going to research again find a decent brand dry dog food and cook them real meals so they get all the vitiams and minerals they need. Alot of people are saying that the food they eat causes seizures and that a lot more dogs are getting them that they are common well I dont believe that at all no one should have to watch there beloved friend go thru this!!!,!
From going to healthy to seizures is not normal and vet said epilepsy whatever it's his diet and my fault


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## justmyopinion (Jul 29, 2011)

I have had dogs my entire life and yes there are some really BAD foods out there !! I actually own 4dogs, and rescue from high kills shelters, so each foster I have along with my own are all given Purina Chicken n Rice and canned for the puppies !!, Purina has been around FOREVER my own vet feeds her dogs it. And yes keep in mind all dog food are PROCESSED. I have never had issues with, weight, gas, loose stools, stomach and the transistion was simple for everyone. Maybe I got lucky??I dont think its luck due to the fact that my oldest dog is 12 and still is a bull in a china shop (boxer). We all want the best for our animals, so go with your instincts, just like being a parent you will know if something is working or not.


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## Tom2 (Aug 3, 2011)

Just wondering if anyone had heard of or fed "Normans Natural" dog food. I've been feeding it to my extremely active lab/retriever cross and he seems to be doing well on it. The ingredients list is seemingly quite good.

Tom


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi Tom. If this is the food that you are talking about, it looks ok, but I don't really like to see wheat in dog food. Other than that it looks fine. http://www.normansnaturals.com/page2/page15/page15.html


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## Woof1 (Aug 9, 2011)

You are so right. Purina Pro Plan ws on my list of aproved food before the reclals


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## kuei (Sep 25, 2011)

Usually, I can get boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.50/lb and potatoes for 30 cents/pound. I boil 1 pound of chicken chicken with 3 pounds of potatoes with very little seasoning and feed this to my dog. He gets good protein from the chicken and a great amount of vitamins from the potatoes. I occasionally feed him dry dog food to complete his diet. This is a VERY inexpensive way to feed a dog and much healthier.


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## Shorthanded (Nov 21, 2011)

Hi - I am shocked Eukanuba is not rated best anymore after some days researching and hearing from local pet shop P&G has bought them out and lowered the standard ingredients but kept the name for us not followers each month/year our dogs consume.Its like the rug has been pulled from under my feet, I don't like it and P&G will not get my business for pulling stunt like this! Now, many sites list "best of the best" dog foods but weary who's behind these sites and locally in Ontario, Canada cannot get same brands which are listed, so now what? Next step, see how much shipping costs from these online retailers until the costs put me in poor house and then I will have to buy "least" expensive locally by products food all over again?


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## Melissa7 (Dec 19, 2011)

I am also shocked that Eukanuba is rated worst on many websites. Simply because it used to have such a good reputation and even worse, MIRA dogs (Quebec special trained dogs for those with disabilities) are fed on a Eukanuba diet. That is rather concerning.


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## dillion (Dec 27, 2011)

Eukanuba is a horrible food! Have you read the ingredients?! I worked at petco a while back and it is shocking the brands that make it on the permium list. Science diet and Eukanuba both have corn and by-product in the first couple of ingredients. The only reason they are "rated" high is because they pay for the nutrionally classes in vet school. When I worked at a vets office I asked my boss why we recommend science diet when it has corn and by-product in the first ingredients she did not have an answer for me. In fact I got in serious trouble for questioning. Science diet pays vets to recommend their food. Read the ingredients. There should never be corn or by-product in your dog or cats food.


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## Meggie (Jan 19, 2012)

You cannot go by the ingredient list. You can't go by the guaranteed analysis. The only foods on this list that actually BELONG on this list are Purina Dog Chow, Optimum, and Kibbles and Bits. 

Remember, this article is simply someone's opinion based on ingredients. If I told you I had a recipe for something that contained currants, parsley, and nuts wrapped in a vine leaf, you probably wouldn't think it's so great. But you go to an expensive restaurant and it's a fantastic appetizer. It's all in the quality of the ingredients and the ways in that they are prepared. 

There is no such thing as "fillers" in food. Sawdust would be filler. Insoluble fibre (something we look for in our own breakfast cereals) has nutritional value as well. People think corn is a filler. Then why pay $3.00 for a dozen ears at the stand every summer and eat it yourself? Corn is a great source of hypoallergenic energy. Just because your dog or cat is sensitive to a food, doesn't mean it's the corn (or the wheat or the gluten or...) Before we knew better, people thought cholera was spread by SMELL. Now we know it's a bacteria. What will we learn about pet nutrition in the next 10 years?

Think for yourself - don't take someone else's word for anything. It's a waste of a brain.


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## Casie_J (Mar 14, 2012)

Maggie, it is not an opinion, it is the fact that "animal by-product" is not only an unspecified meat source, but it may not even contain protein. Writing that on your ingredient list is basically screaming "Hey lookie here, this food has inconsistent meat sources!" And not only is that not healthy to your dog, but you dont even know what animal it comes from. Or what part it is. "by-product" tells you it is NOT human grade, and could therefore be anything from the cancerous tumors that killed a goat, to other euthanized pets even. 

Also, just because corn is healthy to humans, does not mean it is good for dogs. It is a major cause of allergies in many, many dogs, and because of owners who do not know any better because of the lack of publicity good dog food gets, many helpless dogs suffer in pain and lick and bite their paws until they bleed or can barely walk on them. 

I wish more dog owners were able to easily get information like what this website offers, so more pets would get the healthy nutrition they deserve. And as a last note, I am glad I care about my dog enough to know EXACTLY what animal and what part of it he is eating. So that I can be assured his dinner tonight does not contain decayed roadkill or the scraps that weren't good enough to make it onto my plate. Because, frankly, if I wouldnt eat it, why should I feed it to my dog?


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## Casie_J (Mar 14, 2012)

I should have added this in my first post to help show how important your dogs diet is to it's health and quality of life. 

I have a lot of dogs, first off. And almost 10 years experience making my own stupid decisions. 

We got our first dog when I was 6, a pair of rescue coonhounds and we fed them pedigree. We didn't know any better at the time. Once our neighbors who breed shelties turned us off that, and onto NutroMax (before Mars Co. bought it out) and they THRIVED, wonderful coat, lively, happy, then a few years later we noticed a not-so gradual change in them. Especially Hope. As she was almost 10, we assumed it was mostly age. Then we found out once Mars bought it out, the ingredient list changed to almost as bad as Iams. The quality difference was that noticable, that in two hounds, completely unrealated and in different age groups, we noticed such drastic changes almost immediately. They were sluggish, lethargic, and had dull bristly coats and didnt want to eat anymore. 

We swithed to Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, and boy did it turn things around. It was like they were 3 years younger, glossy coats, happy springy and lively. That is the difference a GOOD dog food makes compared to a bad one. They were downright miserable on the bad stuff.

Also, my new dog Auggie (a mutt) has quite a sensitive tummy. We put him on the same food as our hounds and it didnt agree with him. But we kept feeding it thinking it was just the fast change in food. Nope, so I fed him Verus, another good dog food, and it still made him sick. 20 lbs of dog food later and it just didnt work. He still had diarrhea. So on a whim, we borrowed Purina Pro-Plan from a friend so we didnt waste any more money, and he was throwing up, had diarrhea and had terrible gas. So we put him on boiled chicken breast and rice, hoping to stop the stomach upset before switching to a new food. We next tried a frozen raw diet supplemented with rice and chicken breast to keep his belly calm and he did wonderfully on it for about a month and a half, so I decided we would now try to gradually switch him to this food only orderable online, Life's Abundance. And it has been his only food since. 

I notice his poops are small, solid and dont smell much at all. Whereas on everything else they were loose (if not diarrhea) and as for the Purina, quite large for his size (40 lbs). This tells me he wasn't absorbing the nutrients in the other food (If there were much at all to absorb in that food) and now his body is keeping most of them. Also his new food has a good amount of fruits and vegetables and good grain, with a healthy portion of chicken meal (#1 ingredient) and chicken fat, as well as some catfish meal. I deduce that he just needs a lot more vitamins and nutrients from fruits and veggies and less from meat and overwhelming grains. I also give him plenty of snacks of melon, apple, broccoli, carrots, and other assorted fruits and veggies weekly to be sure he is getting enought of those for his system.

This goes to show that not all dogs will be able to thrive on petstore bought foods, and especially not the crap brands listed above. For Auggie I had to look far and wide and try to find foods that werent too similiar so as not to repeat the last experience with him. I dont get him an expensive food only found online because I claim to feed "the best dog food" but it IS the best... for MY DOG. Maybe not yours. All dogs have slightly different nutritional needs and the foods I tried, except purina, were very good quality. But they werent healthy for Auggie. Just because you buy your food online, and it is expensive, does not mean you do it only to brag. I do because Auggie cant eat much else.


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## sharron (Jun 10, 2012)

Hi

the only dry dog food my yorkie/chihuahua will eat is cesar dry.
She has been on in the past, orijen, acana, wellness core, blue buffalo wilderness, royal canin, darford, nutro ultra, nature's variety raw, nature's variety instinct shall i continue? bottom line? wouldn't eat any of them. She is like a cat, she'll starve herself, and believe me she has to the point of becoming dehydrated, lethargic, weak, had to take her to the vet. I know cesar isn't the best food on the market but it can't be the worst can it?


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## Karen9 (Nov 18, 2012)

Hi. I would like to inform you all that Kibbles and Bits is one of the worst foods you can ever give your pet. And I say this because my pet died because of this terrible dog food. We bought this dog food, and gave it to my pet, three days later my dog died. Please if your reading this right now, don't ever buy this food for your pet. Its the worst thing you can ever feed them, This dog food causes them to loose appetite leading them to loose weight which in this case is bad because they become very weak. So weak that they cant even stand up, Or cry for help. Please if your are reading this don't ever feed this dog food to your pets. If you do be sure to know your are giving them a death sentence.


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## Carol_(Dobiemamma) (Dec 4, 2012)

A few years ago we rescued 2 Dobermans. A sister & brother. The rescue had them on Purina One. Our little girl always had diarrhea & was vomiting. I was so worried about her. My daughter-in-law's father was a vet. He suggested that we change her food. So I started researching & researching. I spends days checking out every brand I could. I went with a holistic food that had no grain fillers . Especially wheat & corn. Within days I had a new dog. Healthy, shiney coat, more energy & less time at the vet office. My babies mean too much to our family to let them eat junk or bad food. Yes it does cost more, but again we went to the vet a lot less, only for regular check-ups. That saved us a bundle. Obviously all of you on this site are good, loving pet owners or you wouldn't be here. Please research your dogs food thoroughly. Don't go to the brand in question website. Of course they will say they are the best & wholesome for your dog.


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## Angela5 (Jul 26, 2013)

Very energetic article, I loved that a lot.
Will there be a part 2?


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Angela, Probably not. The article is dated Oct. 8, 2008. Five years ago.


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## Rosemary_Erb (Apr 2, 2018)

Hello, This is in reply to quite an old post. I would just like to add that Norman's Naturals Dog Food does not have any wheat in it. We have no corn, no wheat & no soy. It is a very good dog food at a very reasonable price. Please feel free to check out the website to get a full list of ingredients and also see where it's available.  Happy, healthy dog = happy owner.


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