# Thanks to the recalls, looking for a new dry food.... again.



## beardieluvr (May 6, 2012)

Hi!

We have a 13mo Bearded Collie who is not one of life's great eaters (not unusual for the breed, especially when they're younger). His breeder had the puppies on Annamaet Ultra; when we got him last year, we couldn't find it locally, so switched him to Chicken Soup Puppy, and later mixed the Chicken Soup with Canidae Life stages. He did ok on them, although never seemed that enthusiastic. 

A few months back, we transitioned him to Taste of the Wild chicken/duck, which was the first food he ever actually seemed to LIKE - he gobbled it up. He was doing fine on it until our most recent bag - it didn't actually make him or us sick, but his stool did noticeably change with the new bag, so I now have to wonder if it was part of the recall (we are limited for storage space so I put the food in tubs and throw away the bags as soon as we get it, so I have no way of checking if it was one of the affected bags). 

Diamond has had WAY too many issues in recent years for me to feel comfortable continuing to use their products (not only for the safety aspect - although that's the prime concern! -but I reckon as consumers we can only vote with our feet; the company will never change their practices if they don't start LOSING MONEY.)

So, I find myself once again researching and looking for a quality food that we can afford, that our boy will eat and do well on. While I absolutely appreciate the benefits of feeding raw, it just isn't an option for us both in terms of time and storage of raw materials - at this particular point in our lives, it's not something we could make work, even though it's definitely something to consider at another time when we might be able to do so.

In the meantime.... suggestions? We were just about to run out of food and I had to get SOMETHING, so since Annamaet is now on wider distribution and we can get it where we live, I picked up a bag of their Salchuk from our independent store. Seems like a great food based on the analysis and various reviews I've seen, but $$$$ ($65-80 for ~28# bag); I'm not sure it's one we can sustain given the price. 

We tried Acana at one point (when we were first figuring out what to give him) and it made him REALLY soft, gassy and smelly -- definitely not a success, although perhaps it would be better with a more mature digestive system? Not sure.

Somebody suggested Nutrisource - sounds good, but we can't get any locally to try it. 

While grain-free isn't essential - he did ok on the Chicken Soup and Canidae, both of which had rice in them - I have really liked how he has looked and behaved since we switched to TotW. That's really the most frustrating thing - he was doing SO WELL on that food. Sigh. 

Thanks in advance for possible suggestions! I suspect I'm not the only one in this position just at the moment, so hopefully the discussion will benefit others as well.


----------



## ShanniBella (Jul 1, 2011)

Personally I don't know what kibble to trust anymore....Wellness is supposed to made here in Massachusetts where I live but It is also produced in diamond facilities across the country and recently had a recall the other day. TOTW is also a diamond food. There are actually alot of other kibbles made in the diamond plants. I think the only dog kibble I would trust is Acana, Orijen, or Fromm.....I'm not to familiar with Annamet but I think it is also pretty decent. I started home cooking for my dog about 8 months ago after battling allergies and skin issues with her. NO KIBBLE HELPED HER no matter what I tried and I tried all the top grain free brands. Home cooking wasn't easy but it worked for her and made her well....I recently in the last month put her on RAW and I am very pleased with the results. Have you thought to go RAW? It's not as complicated as one would think.....it's actually pretty easy. Just an idea for you.....I just lost faith in any and all kibble. No matter how good the food and the price you pay it's still all processed and filled with unnecessary ingredients dogs don't need  Best of luck to you and I hope you find something that works


----------



## beardieluvr (May 6, 2012)

Thanks for the reply! As you'll see in my initial post, raw just isn't something I can do right now - I absolutely appreciate the benefits, but with aging parents and a disabled spouse to care for (and no appropriate storage), I simply can't add anything else right now; if and when it becomes possible, I would certainly consider it. 

In the meantime, still looking for something which may be safe, appropriate, and not break the bank ... and NOT made by Diamond!!!


----------



## Javadoo (May 23, 2011)

Consider Fromm or Nutrisource.
Both are small family owned companies.
From m produces all it's own food. 
I'm not sure about Nutrisource, but it is a good, affordable food that is very similar to TOTW.

Fromm is the only dog food company that I trust 100%.


----------



## DDBsR4Me (Jan 23, 2012)

I've seen a lot of people mention Earthborn Holistic lately. I think it is reasonably priced and seems to be a decent food. They have 4 grain free varieties. 

Home : Earthborn Holistic Pet Food

If you can't find it locally, maybe you could order it online? Petflow usually offers free shipping if you spend a certain amount. PetFlow | Get Started They also carry the Nutri Source if you were wanting to try it. 

Others might be able to direct you to other sites with better offers on shipping.


----------



## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

I would suggest trying Acana again. Many people's first try with acana doesn't go well because they accidentally feed too much(which the culprits are the "issues" that you described!:wink

I would suggest one of Acana's GF, adult/ALS(I don't remember which they go by) foods, and only start him out on a little less then half of what the bag states. 

If I had to go back to kibble(which would be the last option for me on a list of processed foods including premade raw/dehydrated raw/canned/kibble) I would be feeding either orijen or acana again. Out of all of the foods I've fed my dog who I fed acana to(Brody the pug/x) did THE BEST on in! It was amazing the difference between acana fed Brods and TOTW mixed with a little bit of acana fed Brods was!!:thumb:
(Of course now we are raw feeders and won't be ever looking back:wink)


----------



## Jacksons Mom (Jun 13, 2010)

I'm pretty sure the only foods I'd feed at the moment would be Acana, Fromm, Lotus, Precise, Nutrisource, or Canine Caviar. I may have missed one or two, but they're who I trust the most at the moment.

We've been feeding the new Acana formulas for a few bags now. We've gone through two bags of duck & pear, two bags of lamb & apple and now on chicken & burbank potato and he's been doing fantastic! Best he's ever done on kibble, IMO.


----------



## beardieluvr (May 6, 2012)

Thanks to all for the very helpful suggestions!

Nutrisource is really sounding like a possibility - there are a couple of places that carry it within 20 miles, so I'm going to try and find a small bag locally to make sure he'll actually eat it, but the price and ingredients are indeed similar to TOTW; if he likes it and it agrees with him, I can then buy it online. It's definitely much nearer our price point than these other foods. 

I may also try Acana again - I don't think we were overfeeding since the gas + odour happened when I even added a little of it to his then-regular diet of another food, but I'm certainly willing to give it another go if it looks like our best option


----------



## lovemydogsalways (Mar 4, 2012)

My suggestions have all been said but no hurt in saying them again.
Nutrisource, Fromm or, Earthborn Holistic. 
 Good Luck! Post pics of your Beardie please.


----------



## beardieluvr (May 6, 2012)

Thanks all. Managed to get hold of some Nutrisource chicken grain-free samples, and he gobbled it down - not sure if that's because he's been on hungerstrike for 2 days (seriously - first dog we've ever had who seemed to have an opinion about his food!) or because he really likes it, but so far, so good. He hasn't eaten enough yet for us to see what comes out the other end, but fingers crossed it will work for him...

Two further questions: 

1. What's the difference between Nutrisource and PureVita?

2. The sample was actually large-breed Nutrisource, wtih the big chunks (Acana-sized pieces). I also tried him on the small-bites, but he just ate around the smaller pieces and left them behind! No problem buying large-breed, but it's 23% protein (vs 28% in the regular adult). What is the optimum protein percentage for a young, intact male living a suburban lifestyle (in other words, he's not herding or doing some other high-level performance activity). If 23% is low, should I spike the food with something to boost the protein content, and if so.... what?


----------



## beardieluvr (May 6, 2012)

Anybody? ^^


----------



## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

Have you tried the lamb version?
http://www.nutrisourcedogfood.com/nutrisource/products/gf_lamb

I would not feed less then 26% to an active dog.


----------



## beardieluvr (May 6, 2012)

Yeah, I did. He wouldn't touch it  Really, since the chicken LB is the only thing he seems willing to consume, it's more trying to figure out how to boost the protein to a reasonable level. 

What's considered a good level for an average dog?

ETA: the store only had a 30# bag BUT have assured me if I have any issues, I can bring it back, no worries. So while this keeps us going for a while, I can modify/adjust as needed.....


----------



## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

you can try their grain inclusive line too, I think they have a performance version thats like 28-32% protein.


----------



## beardieluvr (May 6, 2012)

Tried it. He wouldn't eat it  That's the problem, really - fussy eater! He went on a two-day hunger-strike over the weekend when I tried to get him to eat Annamaet Salchuk - this Nutrisource large-breed chicken is the only one I've been able to get him to touch! Silly animal....


----------



## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

I would try few other brands then, I could try k9cuisine, they have variety of free samples (though I think theres a limit to how many you can get, last time I did it, it was like 10)
but you do have to pay for shipping. 
Free Dog Food & Cat Food Samples - Free Shipping


----------



## beardieluvr (May 6, 2012)

I must sound like I"m being really awkward - don't mean to, I just have an incredibly fussy eater! First dog we have EVER had to coax to eat; he's been like this since puppyhood. He WILL eat ... eventually - he is just super-fussy about his meal food. He's incredibly health, btw - generally good poops, great energy, bright eyes, beautiful coat. He's just opinionated (this is true in other areas, as well lol)!!!

As a puppy:

Breeder fed him Annamaet Ultra - couldn't get that where we live, so had to switch him. At the time we tried: 

- TOTW (rejected)
- Acana (rejected)
- Wellness (rejected)

We finally wound up on a mix of Chicken Soup Puppy + Canidae all-stages (both Diamond), both of which he would eat consistently. 

We wanted to go grain-free, so we decided to try a few again: 

- Acana (made him very gassy, even when we only added a few bits of it to his other meal)
- Verus (rejected)
- TOTW, take 2 - TINGTINGTINGTING!!! Apparently he changed his mind lol Finally, he ate EVERYTHING in the bowl every single day. He loved, loved, loved that food, and now.... we can't (and won't) feed it any more. 

Since the recall we have tried sample packs of: 

- Acana (see above)
- Annamaet Salchuk (rejected)
- Before Grain (picked at)
- Natures Variety grain-free (I don't like the ingredients list - #2 is tapioca and there's only one meat)
- Nutrisource lamb (rejected)
- Nutrisource adult chicken (rejected)
- Purvita salmon (rejected)
- Honest Kitchen Force (*I* reject that one - UGH the smell)
- I haven't been able to find earthborn locally to try it, and I just can't afford Fromm. 

Nutrisource Large Breed chicken is the ONLY one he has been eating with the enthusiasim he ate TOTW. 

I'm tearing my hair out with this - it shouldn't be this difficult!!


----------



## Sapphire-Light (Aug 8, 2010)

If he is that fuzzy I recommend you to make a homemade topper and mix it wit the kibble wit a bit of warm water.

That is what I do wit the kibble meals of my boy that is very picky.

Here's how you can make it (is cooked) http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/dog-food-recipes/14213-homemade-kibble-topper-recipe.html


----------



## DDBsR4Me (Jan 23, 2012)

Unless he's underweight, I would try tough love. He won't starve himself. 

I had to do that with my my first DDB who was very picky as a pup, he only skipped a few meals before he started eating. After that I never had any issues with him - he would try whatever I put in his bowl.


Or you could always make a topper as suggested above. Have you tried mixing in canned food?


----------



## Penny & Maggie's Mom (May 19, 2009)

Get some canned Trippets tripe ( providing you can't find access for fresh green tripe) and top his food with it. It's super healthy for them and I swear is like doggy crack. I've never known a dog to not go nuts for it.


----------



## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

sound like a case of picky dog syndrome, I would try tough love as well. What about adding liquid fish oil like salmon oil? most dogs love it. 

if you want to stick with nutrisource you can add some meat to boost protein levels, personally I would cook the meat if its fed mixed in with kibble to avoid digestive issues, but some people have fed raw with no issues. You can also do raw one meal and then kibble the next. 
Another thing you can add is canned fish, like canned sardines in water (make sure its low sodium but I would also rinse it before feeding to remove excess sodium).


----------



## beardieluvr (May 6, 2012)

Oooohh... thanks for some great suggestions! We used to give a tripe mix to our dog in the UK (where you can get it pretty easily) - he looovved it. We've topped this boy's meals with parmesan sometimes which smells good enough to stimulate his appetite (and sometimes he just licks off, and then leaves what's in the bowl. Smart, as well as fussy 

I'm definitely close to the "suck it up and just eat it, dude" tough-love stage. As a young puppy I wasn't comfortable letting him go for too long without eating, but at 13 months he's old enough that it won't hurt him. We had a 2-day hunger strike over the weekend - and, in fairness, he's pretty lean (typical for a Beardie teenager) so I don't want him to lose weight - but really. He's a DOG. Dogs are supposed to eat when they're hungry and not care too much about what it tastes like. Love my boy to pieces, but this is getting pretty silly


----------



## meggels (May 30, 2010)

Maybe Earthborn holistics great plains feast or primitive natural


----------



## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

meggels said:


> Maybe Earthborn holistics great plains feast or primitive natural


I have looked into Earthborn lately and it seems like decent stuff, as long as they have their ash levels in check. Might even start to recommend their Meadow Feast to people with inactive dogs or maybe more so Horizon Pulsar since it can be ordered online and shipped anywhere in the US now. Can't wrap my head around dogs who goes for a walk 2 or 3 times a day getting fed Orijen 40/20. Makes no sense to me.


----------



## beardieluvr (May 6, 2012)

Earthborn was on my list to try, I just can't get hold of it locally (yet) - I'll definitely check it out when I can find some!


----------



## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

You can order Earthborn from Amazon and get free shipping.


----------



## beardieluvr (May 6, 2012)

Right, but I don't want to buy a bag until I'm sure that it will get eaten - need some samples first. If I can't get them locally, I'll order them from the mfr


----------

