# Your results from various foods?



## Kibblelady (Jul 13, 2012)

I thought I would start a thread about the various results people have had on different products. Discussing various ingredients is not the thing I am looking for...please, please do not get into that. I am going to list foods I have tried and what results I had with them over the years. I'll list how many dogs of what breeds and which dog may have had a problem if one existed.

Life's Abundance- at least 5 GSDs and a Sheltie. No problems ever noted. Great coats, soft, full. Great stools, teeth and weights.

Blackwood 2000- 5 GSDs and a litter of 11 puppies. Awesome results, puppies in great condition till leaving for homes and 5 GSDs did just as well as the LA.

Annamaet- This was at least 7-10 yrs ago but I was not satisfied with coats, their fullness and a few lost weight. I think it was made at a different plant then? I would try it again though.

Diamond Premium- This was fed before LA came out, I cannot really complain other than coats could tend to be a bit greasy. Weights were good and other coat qualities and stools were just fine fed to various GSDs and my Sheltie.

Canidae- OMG...a nightmare. This was fed due to urging from many online peeps...5 GSDs 3 of them under 2. Horrible coats, broken top coats, clumps falling out, weight loss....ugh. It was something I did not expect. Took 3 months to recover from this.

Pro Plan- Sorry guys, I really like this product. I have always gotten great results in any dog I have fed this product. Awesome coats, great condition, stools a little light in color but good consistency. Emma was fed this while pregnant with her litter of 12 (I did all the figures to determine which food had the most protein per cup and it was Pro Plan Performance) This was 8 years ago of course. I have never, ever been disappointed with this food ....and I am fussy about my dog's condition as I think is pretty clear.

Wellness Lamb- I was never exceptionally satisfied with this food. I believe it had a hand in one of my dog's deaths.....I do not hate the company, but I will never again be able to purchase it in any form. 1 GSD and 1 Sheltie, the Sheltie did not really like it :/ (This was when Wellness first appeared on the market)

Flint River Ranch- I was selling this and feeding it back when it was very popular. Emma got bit by a spider at 7mths of age and this food could not support her, even with her eating 7 cups per day. She was wasting away in front of me. Pro Plan fixed it and saw her gain weight in three days...no lie. I very much liked their Dry Water product but do not know if they make it anymore. I no longer recommend this food because of the wheat and I do not agree that is is all life stages.... dogs stay thin on it and if a challenge happens they are not supported by this product. 2 GSDs and a Sheltie

Verus- I was happy with this product. I only trialed it to see results and to know what the results would be (used in part of my rotation) No problems were seen 5 GSDs and a Sheltie.

Eagle Pack- I loved this food, got great results with it and it was a go-to if I ran out of food before shipping of LA. My Sheltie was on their Senior formula as it helped with weight loss and was gluten free which he needed. 5 GSDs and a Sheltie. Coats were wonderful, weight, activity...I am not sure what I feel now with all that has gone on since it was sold 

Natures Variety Raw Patties- This was fed to my Sheltie for 7mths. I did not like the condition of his coat and he lost pigment which was odd and I may attribute that to copper content being low. He ate it willingly but he did have better overall condition on the Eagle Pack. 

Dave's Simply The Best- Another I loved as it was very similar in formulation to Blackwood and Life's Abundance. Results were the same as well.

Iams- Umm I believe it was the Lamb and Rice formula. 1 GSD he did very well on this and I really liked the smell of the product lol It smelled like tea oddly enough (go figure) lol He had no problems at that time. Later when Iams went to sorghum I had a lot of stool problems with any GSD I have attempted to feed this to that I owned...bulky, light, heavy stools...didn't care for that  So Iams is not something I will feed only for that reason.

Pedigree- Yep, ions ago I fed this to my first GSD Max....I honestly do not remember the results.... I know I will never use it again bleck simply on results I saw in my grooming shop later on eww yucky looking fat dogs.

Rachel Ray Nutrish- DH has grabbed this recently when I forgot to order dog food ( I was suffering from a severe depression and he was caring for the dogs  ) 2 GSDs and 4 Dachshunds, they like it, I haven't seen any negative effects but we haven't fed it long term so I cannot really say yea or nea.

Evo- Feeding to Tobe right now... unfortunately I do not think he likes the aroma of it, he hasn't been eating it for 1.5 days so we just now got more of the Nature's Variety Instinct Chicken and he is chowing down.... so that covers both I guess. His stool has been okay but realize he is on a stool softener and a fiber supplement for his tumor. In this application I cannot really judge the food as Tobe is quickly losing condition due to the cancer...his coat looks amazing though due to the LA lol (Just checked, he wolfed down the Nature's Variety...so he says no to Evo...) I know the NV has high ash and higher calcium but I am up against a wall and this dog has got to eat....

Sensible Choice Natural Blend (Made by Royal Canin)- This was a good food for my Sheltie, I think I stopped feeding it either due to having a hard time finding it or because it had something containing gluten in it...I do remember he did well on it however.

Nutro products- I do not like them. Any one I have ever tried has a low digestibility and bulky, light soft stools... I do not use them.

Hmm I think that's it, I am sure I forgot something but that would be the ones I fed over a period of time that I can form an opinion on. Usually my opinions are based on results more than anything else, yes of course there are ingredients I do not like and will disregard a food containing them, I will also disregard foods with certain formulations I do not care for. Many times, in the end, it is faith in a company that may influence my choices. I have educated myself on what the current recommendation for dogs are (not this newer high protein thing, sorry) and I will look for foods that appear to be following that directive as well as formulating their products to get results. I went through the whole "I *have* to feed the newest and best food" thing and I lost my Max due to my insistence of this philosophy.... that opened my eyes wide and made me focus on nutrition and chemistry rather than ingredient panels. ( I am not saying anyone here is following that philosophy) There are things I look for in a product, I'll post them later in the thread as this has gotten too long.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

We tried quite a few over the years and I noticed that every dog does differently on same food. 

*Uno:*

*Nutro natural*- large stool, dry coat, itching

*Merrick*- I had a hard time getting him to eat it, made his coat dull

*Wellness core*- liked the food, good energy, shiny coat but still rough to the touch.

*Acana grain free*- good coat (soft and shiny), small stool, good energy

*Horizon legacy* (hes on it now)- he likes the food and his coat is shiny, but he's been shedding a lot recently (could be seasonal), good energy. 

*Nutrisca*- liked the food, small stool, but made the coat dull. 

*Pinnacle peak protein*- liked the taste but made his anal glands fill up way too quickly, I had to have them expressed every week.. yuk

*Natures logic*- really bad reaction, itching, losing hair, eye discharge (I later found out he's allergic to yeast). 

*Earthborn great plains*- made his coat smelly and shed a lot. 

*Indy:*
*
Taste of the wild:* liked the food, but caused anal gland problems and loose stool.

*Canidae*- didn't like the taste and made his coat dull and dry

*Natures variety Instinct*- loves the food, made his coat shiny and soft, good energy. My main concern is price and ash levels. 

*Nature's Logic*- his current food, loves the taste, soft shiny coat, a lot of energy, thankfully no yeast allergy like Uno has so no reactions at all.


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## kaliberknl (May 9, 2012)

Since the 2007 recall, a variety of ages of English setters:

CANIDAE - did well until sudden switch where they had horrid bloody diarrhea...will never buy again
WELLNESS PUPPY - dogs would eat one bag then decline and were thin
PRO PLAN - gained weight and condition quickly until the formula change where black hairs turned orange
WELLNESS CORE - some dogs simply refused to eat it
ORIJEN/ACANA - all varieties except red meats - doing well although had some soft stools at first, black hairs now black, literally keeping weight on at half the volume of Pro Plan


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Taste of the wild - Gunner had HORRIBLE HORRIBLE EYE BURNING, NOSE SEARING, THROAT CONSTRICTING, STOMACH TURNING, VOMIT INDUCING FARTS. I could NOT handle it. It was sour, rank, and just unbearable. Never in my life have I ever smelled such terrible farts. The minute we switched to raw they went away THANKFULLY! Mikey was down to 2/3 cup a day and would not lose any weight. Sprocket was fine, his breath stank though.


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

Since moving to this side of the pond, two dogs, what I can remember;

*Nutro Natural Choice Chicken & Rice* : Dull coat, less energy, iffy poops, not to happy.

*Royal-Canin Medium Adult 25* : Together with Nutram Active best stools - tiny, good energy level, good coat, overall happy

*Go! Adult* : I remember I thought it was pricey for what we got

*Horizon Complete* : Good overall and good value, happy

*Orijen Puppy* : Terrible poops that never improved, puppy - difficult to judge, itching?

*Fromm Surf & Turn* : Slightly better stools than Orijen, good healthy coat, good energy level, terrible gas

*Horizon Legacy* : So far best results of the GF ones, short transition time, good poops, healthy coat, very happy, great energy level

*Back To Basics Pork* : Would not eat at all, donated

*Canine Plus Red Meat GF* : Dull coat, less energy, random poops, hyper? Did not like

*Canine Plus Chicken GF* : Dense and tough as nails - would not eat/chew - donated

*Nutram Active* : Great digestion, great and tiny poops, awesome conditioning - muscle building, shiny and healthy coat, best energy levels - stamina, great value, very happy

*Nutram Salmon & Trout GF* : Jury still out...

So, the brands I like are Royal-Canin, Horizon and Nutram


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## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

These are foods I've fed over the past 15 yrs. Mainly to Dobermans, Greyhounds, Min Pins, pit bulls, Dogo Argentinos, Great Danes, Boston Terrier, JRT, French Bulldog, and other various foster dogs. 

I'm sure there are some I'm missing. I sometimes try out new food on fosters to see how it goes. But here goes:

Pro Plan (before the shredded blends)- Fed Beef, Lamb, Chicken and performance. Dogs did great. Firm, small poop, no health issues, good energy, good weight maintenance. 

Wellness- weight loss, dry coats, huge grainy stools, Doberman bloated on the Lamb formula. None of the dogs liked the food. 

Timberwolf- dogs did great, but hard to get, got bad/moldy food and I lived very close to the maker of the food, customer service sucked, price went sky high. 

Blackwoods- Dogs did good on the 5000 formula, good coats, weight maintenance. Hard to get (fed when visiting family in S. Carolina), price gone high and not worth it when other foods are easier to get. 

Canidae ALS- dogs hated food and wouldn't eat it

Canidae grain free formulas- dogs did good on it, but had loose stools periodically and had to eat more of it than other foods to maintain weight. 

Taste of the Wild- weight loss, dry coats, loose stool- Doberman bloated again on this food

Diamond Naturals- beef and rice did the best, but had to eat a lot to maintain weight- horrible results on the lamb and chicken- weight loss, diarrhea, crappy coats, gas, yeasty ears

Eagle Pack regular and holistic select formulas. Some dogs did really well, others not so much. The Holistic Select Anchovies did the best. Dry coats were the biggest issue the regular line. 

Native- dogs did great on the Level 1 and 3. Haven't tried to others. Greyhound puppy did the best on the Level 3 puppy than any other food we tried. He maintained his weight and had plenty of energy and glossy, shiny coat, firm/small stool. 

Nature's Variety- did ok on rabbit and salmon formulas. Price just kept going up. 

Victor Grain free line- dogs love flavor, nice coats, good weight maintenance only complaint was really dark soft stool in some of the dogs, others were fine. 

Nutrisca Lamb formula- gave it away as all my dogs refused to eat it Also refused samples at a dog event with they couldn't believe they wouldn't eat their food. 

Earthborn grain free formulas- All dogs do very well on Meadows Feast- good weight maintenance, plenty of energy, good coats and stools. Also like the Great Plains, but the Meadows Feast seems to be preferred. 

Nutrisource Lamb grain free- dogs do very well on this food too. All can eat it even allergy dogs. Good weight maintenance, good coats, stools. 

Orijen 6 fish- loose stool, gas, some dogs did very well, others not so much. 

Acana- Duck and Bartlett Pear- all dogs are doing well on this food. Coats are getting a little dry is my only complaint so far. But Casper's tear stains are finally clearing up on this food. 

Fromm Classic to a foster recently and she couldn't eat it as she lost too much weight so I fed it to my Amstaff to get rid of the bag. She did awesome on that food. Glossy coat, lost some need weight, had plenty of energy, small firm poop. 

Fromm Surf and Turf and Salmon Al A veg- dogs did well on both these formulas, but we had issues with the Pork one, lots of gas and loose stool.

Forgot Innova (regular and red meat), Evo (turkey, red meat and herring) and Innova Prime (tried chicken/turkey)- didn't like them. Overpriced, dry coats, loose stool or superhard stool, gas, several dogs wouldn't eat them. 

California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato- dogs did ok, weight loss on high energy dogs was biggest complaint


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

We've fed Nutro (what Jersey was being fed when we got her so bought a small bag), Canidae, Solid Gold, TOTW and Diamond Naturals. Nero had constant loose poo on Solid Gold, Jersey lost a bit of hair on Diamond Naturals, other than that no huge differences.


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## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

*Dog Chow*-from breeder, huge poops, needless to say we switched as fast as possible to...

*Blue Buffalo Life Protection Puppy Food*-he grew up on it. He looked pretty good, good muscle. Never had consistent stools. Had ear infections and was itchy.

*Wellness Large Breed Puppy*-sniffed it and walked away....I've never been a fan of Wellness either though...(back up in case of recall)

*Blue Buffalo Life Protection Large Breed Chicken and Rice*-good muscle, itchy, more ear infections, more consistent stools, ended up with consistent cannon butt at the end though

*Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon*-started his decline, loss of muscle (flabby), developed his localized mange (might be a coincidence though), better coat though


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## EckoMac (Jun 1, 2012)

Pedigree- Ecko was on it when I met him. -thin coat, A LOT of poo and always a reddish orange color
Beneful- GF's chi was on it so we wanted to switch them together. thin coat, random colors and a lot of poo
TOTW- coat filled in a little more, 2 poops per day, natural brown color.
Acana-only the chi is on this now, 1 to 2 poops per day, natural brown color, and her coat is looking good. She is eating a lot less. I'm supplimenting it with canned as well for moisture but I'm using Evangers canned. She's doing very well. Too bad it doesn't help her attitude. LOL!


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

Dr. Tim's Pursuit 30/20 & Momentum 35/25 - Best I have ever used, most palatable, best stools, best coats, best weight (not thin, not jiggly), best value, love that it is made at Ohio Pet.

Annamaet Ultra - Second Best

Royal Canin 4800 - Third Best


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

*Dog Chow* Yup, way back when! It did awful things of course. She had goopey eyes/ears, itched so bad she got aural hematomas in both ears.
*TOTW* Both dogs had the same reaction as Gunner. It was it worst thing ever! Didn't matter the formula either. Just bad gas 
*Orijen* I think this was just too rich for them. Both of their coats looked awesome but I couldn't get them to have solid poo for the life of me!
*Diamond Naturals* I fed this for quite a while, as it was the cheapest corn/wheat/soy free I could get. The dogs did pretty well on it, but I had to feed the highest kcals/cup to get them to maintain weight without feeding a ton.
*Blue Buffalo* We tried this for a while all we got were dull coats, soft poo and gas :tongue:
*Solid Gold* They did ok on this. Maintained a good weight, had decent coats and good energy, but I knew they could do better
*Black Gold* This is the kibble that Maddie does best on. If raw made her a 10/10 this kibble makes her 9/10. Moose, doesn't do so well on it. His coat really lacks on this.
*Earthborn* Well, we just bought this bag, but Mooses coat is improving already. Good poos, no gas, no discharge from eyes and just looking/acting better in general.


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## Kibblelady (Jul 13, 2012)

riddick4811 said:


> Wellness- weight loss, dry coats, huge grainy stools, Doberman bloated on the Lamb formula. None of the dogs liked the food.


OMG, not another one :*( Do yu remember the time frame on this bloat incident? I know I lost my boy to Wellness Lamb and I know of 6 others in the same time frame that either lost a dog or had dogs bloat but survived...I cannot believe you posted that....


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## Kibblelady (Jul 13, 2012)

Cowgirl, I have seen that Black Gold before online...I suspect it is an OPF product.. do you know who makes it?

Thanks


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

Kibblelady said:


> Cowgirl, I have seen that Black Gold before online...I suspect it is an OPF product.. do you know who makes it?
> 
> Thanks


What do you mean by OPF? Not sure who makes it, but this is the formula I have fed. Not the greatest but its really the only kibble she does well on


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## Kibblelady (Jul 13, 2012)

OPF= Ohio Pet Foods If that food is not made by OPFs I will eat my mouse lol I cannot find the info online though....


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## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

Kibblelady said:


> OMG, not another one :*( Do yu remember the time frame on this bloat incident? I know I lost my boy to Wellness Lamb and I know of 6 others in the same time frame that either lost a dog or had dogs bloat but survived...I cannot believe you posted that....


Same time yours did. I was on the AOL nutrition board at that time. It was my Dobe, Zeus. He died 3 yrs ago at age 11. He went about 6 yrs w/o bloating. I had him on raw, then he bloated and torsioned on a lamb neck and had to have emergency surgery. Then he went back to kibble. He ate TOTW for a while and was doing ok, then he bloated again. He ate home cooked after that, but it took it toll on his body and he died a few months after his 11th birthday. 

The only reason I tried Wellness in the first place was most of the people on the AOL nutrition board said I was killing him by feeding him Pro Plan Performance which he did fabulous on, but it turned out the other way. Wellness was all the rage then. Still hate that food no matter what changes they have made to it.


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## Losech (Jul 10, 2012)

I like this thread, if it continues to stay on topic...

*Pedigree* - Juneau and Sasha were (unfortunately) raised on this. Nasty teeth buildup, large, soft, SMELLY AS HELL poop, slick, greasy, smelly, flaky coats, layer of fat over all muscle, Sasha was 20 pounds overweight on this food (that was an overfeeding issue, not my fault). In general, I hated this stuff.

*Science Diet Puppy Bites* - Conker came with a bag of this from the shelter. Coat was stiff, easily broken, shed in large patches, poop was completely unpredictable, large, smelly, consistency was anything from too solid to complete liquid. Teeth had a bit of buildup (and for a 4 month pup, that's really sad), fur was stinky, feet smelled real bad... Another "food" I hated.

*Orijen Puppy* - I tried Conker on this. Was not a pleasant experience. While his coat did improve and was lusher, it still shed a lot and smelled. His poop was also unpredictable but a little less severe than the SD. I don't know what the deal was, but this food just did not work for Conker.

*Freshpet Vital (slice n' serve, complete meals)* - OMG can't say enough good things about this. Only bad parts is it's expensive as all getout and the dog needs to eat a lot to maintain weight. Coat was GORGEOUS, sleek, shiny, no smell, soft yet firm and fun to rub your face on. Poop was, small, firm, no smell whatsoever. Teeth did get some buildup since the food is soft, but nothing like what kibble does. Great amount of energy on this food.

*The Honest Kitchen (Keen & Verve)* - I like these foods as a travel/backpacking food. Coat got a bit dull, poop was sometimes biggish, but was firm and had little smell. Teeth got a bit of buildup but it was easily removable. A little less muscle mass and a bit of blub. I generally liked it, but would not feed it long-term.

*Ziwipeak* - This is another great travel/backpacking food. I really liked the coat and body condition on this. Poop was tiny, firm, no smell. Wouldn't feed it long-term due to price.

*Nature's Variety Instinct* - I liked this kibble. Poop was small, firm, no smell. Energy was great. Teeth took a long time to gunk up but was easily removable. Coat and body condition was amazing compared to other kibbles.

*Wellness CORE* - Hated this food. Coat condition dropped dramatically and stunk, poop was large, soft and stank to high heaven. It could not be digested easily without constant aid of probiotics and prebiotocs. Body condition dropped as well. Teeth got a lot of crud that took a while to scrape off.

*Fromm Four-Star* - Grain Free: Coat and body condition was good on this food, had a slight doggy smell. Poop was small, unsmelly and firm. Energy was good. Not phenomenal, but I was very satisfied with it. Grain Inclusive: Coat and body condition dropped a bit, more blub than normal developed. Poop was large, somewhat soft and smelled a bit. Coat got a bit stinky.

*Before Grain* - For the big dogs, they got the chicken type. So far, coats are great but do have a slight smell, body condition is great, poop is very small, no smell, and firm. I am still trying this out so I don't have an official stance on it yet. The Shiba got the pork type. Coat smelled a little, poop was somewhat large, a bit smelly and, green... I dunno what's up with that.
But it's being discontinued so it doesn't matter anyways.

*Taste of the Wild* - The Girls eat this regularly. Coats are soft, shiny, and sleek. Do not smell bad, but there is a slight scent. Poop is smallish and firm with a slight odor. Energy and body condition are great on this food. (The Shiba does not eat this. He reacts badly to it)


*Prey-Model Raw* - I know this is not a commercial food, but I do have an opinion on it. Coat was amazing. Body condition was okay. The Shiba never gained good weight no matter how much he was fed or how often, he was always a tad too skinny for my liking, and I like my dogs slim. Poop was good once he transitioned to it with only occasional slip ups. No body smell whatsoever, teeth were great. I do like PMR, but I am not comfortable having an underweight dog, so I no longer feed it.

*Raw/Homemade* - So far, this has worked best for my Shiba. It's a very detailed and customized diet formulated specifically for him and his nutritional and digestive needs. He has amazing coat and body condition with no doggy smell, small unsmelly firm poop, no tooth buildup at all, and he has great energy and lots of endurance. I use it as the "default" when comparing foods since this is what he's done best on long-term.


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## Kibblelady (Jul 13, 2012)

riddick4811 said:


> Same time yours did. I was on the AOL nutrition board at that time. It was my Dobe, Zeus. He died 3 yrs ago at age 11. He went about 6 yrs w/o bloating. I had him on raw, then he bloated and torsioned on a lamb neck and had to have emergency surgery. Then he went back to kibble. He ate TOTW for a while and was doing ok, then he bloated again. He ate home cooked after that, but it took it toll on his body and he died a few months after his 11th birthday.
> 
> The only reason I tried Wellness in the first place was most of the people on the AOL nutrition board said I was killing him by feeding him Pro Plan Performance which he did fabulous on, but it turned out the other way. Wellness was all the rage then. Still hate that food no matter what changes they have made to it.



Are you Zeusmom?? Wow! Man, yeah that was a bad time remember that lady with the GSD Chase on the GSD board? *BOTH* of her Gsds from different areas and lines bloated the same night on the Lamb formula...I found a number of others with problems as well as other breeds and gas like problems  I know what you mean about being made to feel like a jerk for what you were feeding, it was awful. I remember who the ringleader was too...... had South in the name.... that situation is what made me "stop drinking the koolaid.."  I am so glad you had your boy for many years more....


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## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

I think at the time mine was Zeusnlucas then I changed to Tiffany3483, but I remember Zeusmom, she had a GSD. Only people I still talk w/ occasionally is the Dobe board people as they made a yahoo group after AOL boards pretty much died off. 

I still have my little JRT mix breed Pongo, he was a few months older than Zeus and will be 15 this year.


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## Kibblelady (Jul 13, 2012)

riddick4811 said:


> I think at the time mine was Zeusnlucas then I changed to Tiffany3483, but I remember Zeusmom, she had a GSD. Only people I still talk w/ occasionally is the Dobe board people as they made a yahoo group after AOL boards pretty much died off.
> 
> I still have my little JRT mix breed Pongo, he was a few months older than Zeus and will be 15 this year.


Wow that is awesome, if you remember my Sheltie Joey he made it to approx 15 (he was a rescue so we could not be positive) Oops Dobe board? lol I probably insulted one of your friends, I'm sorry :/ You're right duh Zeusmom was Cindy....


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## lindseycampbell358 (Jun 17, 2012)

I'll go in chronological order I guess:

Pedigree: when I was a kid/teen, fed this to my JRT & Shih Tzu that are both in Doggie Heaven now. The JRT honestly did well on ANYTHING he was fed...he was a beast. The Shih Tzu always had horrible allergies on it, and until I was a bit older I didn't realize that it could be coming from the food. 

Science Diet: Recommended by my vet, because Tosha (Shih Tzu) had horrible intestinal and skin allergies. She did a bit better on that at first, but still had horrible quality coat, awful poops, and just about everything else was in poor condition. Chief (GSD) was on this as a pup for a couple months, and I could not keep weight on him. Horrible coat/poop.

Taste of the Wild: Switched GSD to this after boyfriend at the time thankfully started to persuade me to the more natural dog food side of things. Chief only did so-so on this, he had horrible gas most of the time, and BIG poops. And it wasn't overfeeding, as he was still on the thin side. 

Earthborn: Definitely had better results on this, dogs just didn't *love* it. 

California Natural: Used the Grain Free for Chief, he actually loved it, and did fairly well on it. Coat was a little on the dry side, but weight and poop were good. Little dogs (2 Shih Tzus at this point) were on the grain-inclusive varieties. Tosha the older one absolutely blossomed on the chicken and rice formula. She had suffered from horrible allergies her whole life, and this food completely turned her life around. My 11 year old problem-child became like a pup again. The other Shih Tzu (Henry, pup) did ok on it. Not great, not bad. Had a bad bout with tear staining (probably an allergy to something)

Healthwise: Chief liked this food, and I definitely liked the price! I think it's an excellent food for what you pay for it. He did well, coat got a little nicer on this than CN. 

Nature's Variety Instinct: This is what the boys are eating now. Sadly, only have 2 dogs to write about now :'( Chief eats the dry and canned varieties together. He has never looked better, he is so much more playful, and his coat is awesome. Poops are smaller than they've ever been, and much less each time. Henry is eating the raw, and his tear stains have all but disappeared. His coat is amazing (I keep it short, but its soooo silky soft!) As long as they keep their formulas the same, I plan on sticking with this brand for a while. I do rotate the formulas.


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## skadoosh (Jun 11, 2012)

When we got her she was on *Iams puppy*-- had ok stool size and consistency, she had good energy, her coat was ok.
Then we switched her to *Horizon Complete*-- she did well on it, really, REALLY nice shiny soft coat, ok poops, but it didn't keep weight on her. 
*Acana Grasslands*-- she did ok on it, put on weight. Poops were a bit bigger and mushier them before and coat started getting dull
*Pre-made/PMR*-- started getting listless, no energy. Coat was crap (REALLY dull and dry feeling). Poops were ok in the beginning then they started to get very pudding like in consistency.
Switched to *full PMR* and exacerbated above results^^
Now on *Acana Ranchlands* with some raw-- bit larger poops but firm. Coat is improving but still slightly uneven and dull. Energy is MUCH improved since full raw.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

Riddick: what was your AOL SN when you were on the nutrition board? I spent alot of time there. 
As for foods, I fed Eukanuba twenty plus years ago, no idea what the results were, however. Boone is my problem child, so to speak. He gets ear infections if I'm not careful. He has always had good poops on anything he's eaten. He has eaten Orijen fish, Acana fish, Nature's Variety limited ingredient turkey, The honest Kitchen Embark, all with great results. He looks good, good coat, etc. Ginger came to me on Nutro adult, while she looked fine, so many poops! This is her, however. She poops many times a day, they're formed and not loose but a little soft and frequent. She has been on Prairie, Annamaet Ultra, Orijen, A Ana, THK's Thrive and Keen which are both grain inclusive and THk's Embark, grain free turkey. 
Currently, both dogs eat Darwin's which is pre made raw and THK. Ginger the gf Embark and Boone on the Zeal, which is fish. Oh, Boone is a paw licker which I think that is behavioral. That is one reason I'm trying him on the Zeal, he loves THK and the Zeal has no whitevpotato, in case that is something that may bother him.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I go back a very very long way so I'll try to remember them all!

*Pedigree* - 3 Samoyeds - a toy poodle - a Lhasa Apso - was in college and my MIL paid for the food while I lived with her. The dogs were free fed and did fine. We thought we were doing good by avoiding Purina Dog Chow
*Pedigree* - Samoyed, Chow, Lhasa Apso - lived in a very tiny town in Vermont - limited choice and the internet didn't exist yet. Dogs were okay and actually my Samoyed lived to be 12 even with a hemangiosarcoma and having her spleen removed. The Lhasa lived to be over 16 and they have since been my two longest living dogs.
*Purina ONE* - Chow - Lhasa - Chow ended up bloating and dying. 
*Natures Recipe Venison* - Chows, Lhasa, Labrador - It was the only food the Lhasa could eat without having colitis and turning bright red. The other dogs did fine.
*Eagle Pack Holistic Select Duck & Oatmeal* - Chow - did well on it (my avatar) - he had some kind of allergy that developed right after he got his first vaccines. It was the only food that allowed him to grow hair.
*Natural Balance Venison* - Lhasa - ate it during the recall - got bladder full of sand for the first time in 11 years and had to have emergency surgery. Never had the problem again after I took her off the food. Returned all the food.
*Innova Senior Plus* - Lhasa - she did really well on this food before I went to grain free
*Innova puppy* - first Chow puppy - puppy bloated - eventually died from vet error.
*Orijen Large Breed Puppy* - Chow - did consistently well on it
*Orijen Adult* - Chow - Lhasa - Chow did not like the taste - much preferred the large breed puppy. Lhasa was allergic to the ingredients
*Evo* - Chow, Lhasa , Rotti - all dogs did consistently well on it. One of the few that the Lhasa could eat. 
*Taste of the Wild *- Chow, Rottie - they loved the taste but got itchy on it. 

That's what I can remember. I have tried a few one bag (solid gold, timberwolf, primal) but these are the ones we routinely fed.


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## _unoriginal (Apr 8, 2012)

Don't judge me for my list :lol:

Bentley is a 8 year old bulldog mix ::

Purina Kibbles 'N Chunks :: This is what he came with. He had loose-ish stool and a lot of stool but he was mostly fine, a little underweight but I didn't keep him on it long enough to find out if the food was the cause.

Purina Beneful :: Projectile vomit/cannon butt. All-around not a good experience for either of us.

Purina One Sensitive Systems :: Loose-ish stool, 3-4 piles per day. No major complaints.

Eukanuba Adult Maintenance :: Moderately firm stool, 2-4 piles per day. No major complaints.

Taste of the Wild SM :: Firm stool, 2 piles per day. No major complaints.

Taste of the Wild PS :: Firm stool, 2 piles per day. Did well at first but after a couple months, there was a lot of not being able to keep food down after 5-7 hours.

Taste of the Wild PS (canned) :: Loose stool, 3-4 piles per day. Peed ALL THE TIME. It was getting to be really expensive. Bad gas and stool smelled awful.

Nature's Variety premade raw patties :: Firm stool, 1-2 piles per day. Did well on this but it was going to be expensive to continue.

Prey Model Raw :: I know this is the commercial diet section but this is what we settled on and Bentley has been doing well ever since. Firm stool, decent variety, 1 pile if we're lucky per day.

______________

Carter is a 4 year old Dogo Argentino mix ::

Blue Buffalo Basics :: Chronic diarrhea and UTIs. Skin rashes and dry skin, good coat.

Taste of the Wild SM :: UTIs but less frequent. Rashes/dry skin went away until about 6-7 months in when they started coming back, good coat.

Nature's Variety Instinct LID lamb :: UTIs but even less frequent. Skin is good, coat still good. Having trouble keeping weight on (I think it's an underlying undiagnosed medical issue)


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Oh boy, there have been a lot over the last 16 years and I'm sure I'll forget some.

Minpin boy: (at RB now for 2 years)

Nutro Puppy, Iams Puppy, Bil-Jac Puppy, Fromm Puppy. All about the same. By the age of 1 he had been over vaccinated and had major coat loss/bald patches and pustules all over his skin
Switched him to Volhard Natural Diet (raw diet with bonemeal and grains) and he MUCH improved. Fed this to him a long time.

Entered the bichons:
Volhard Natural Diet. minpin was fine, bichons had "allergies" and Darby was very yeasty (this has been a battle all her life)
Bil-Jac: Coat loss, pancreatitis/gallbladder disease
PetGuard: Nice coat, nice stool, one of my favorite foods still but price has really gone up
Sojo's premix: the grain inclusive one. No yeasty skin on Darby, nice stool... however.... Darby's mom Lexi (my other bichon) was fed this during her pregnancy and Darby was fed it for a couple years. She has NO hip socket on her right hip and minimal on her left with severe arthritis/Hip Displaysia. Her mom, Lexi is OFA good and her sire is OFA excellent.  I kindof blame the food because, at the time it had NO calcium source whatsoever.
I kept them on Petguard Lifespan dry with their canned mixes for a long time and they did well.
Strombeck home cooked recipes: zero allergies, nice coat and stool, lots of work to make though.

Nature's Variety Prairie: tear/face staining and paw chewing both bichons. Minpin looked fine
Innova/California Natural: either tiny "screaming" rock hard poops or diarrhea which resulted in several impacted anal gland issues.

Solid Gold Barking at the moon. Everyone looked awesome and had nice stool, but they put weight on despite tiny amounts of food

Attempted Volhard NDF (Natural Diet Foundation) and NDF2, which is a dehdrated version of the natural diet to which you add meat, yogurt and veggies. I LOVE their philosophy, BUT bichons skin turned red, constantly itched, scratched out coat, hot spots, ear infections, yeasty feet, you name it, they were miserable. I think it is due to the brewer's yeast, because if I feed from scratch and omit the yeast, they are fine.

Minpin passed, enter Portuguese Water Dog:
Brief time on PInnacle trout/potato, huge cow plop poops from the PWD
THe Honest Kitchen, Thrive and Embark. SPent about a year feeding this exclusively with added in raw meat and RMBs. LOTS of poop, about 4 times a day and huge.
PetGuard: PWD seems to be intolerant to grain, it has oatmeal and brown rice in it. BIchons did fine.
Acana: All do well on this food, no complaints. (this is the old formula, haven't yet tried the new one)
PMR: coats became thin, sparse, dull. Bichons broke several teeth even on 'soft' chicken wings  
Barf: coats improved but spendy/labor intensive depending if I bought premade or made from scratch
Tuscan Natural: Dogs looked good, weight gain and my PWD felt "squishy" and chubby around her ribs/shoulders. good poop
Fromm: LOVE this one! No complaints, I feed the four star grain free only. I also add in some THK (Love or Zeal) and we've found an awesome combination. Poops are a bit large from the added in THK. I may switch to a cooked meat topper in lieu of the THK but I have a bunch of THK that will probably last us for months so I won't need to decide till then. 

I am positive there are more. I can't think of off the top of my head.
Just thought of another: California Natural Grain Free: Skin/coat improved some on Bichons, especially Darby, whose yeasty skin cleared completely for a time. but then... ROCK HARD POOP. It must have hurt bad enough that she was holding in poop. When she did poop it was bloody, poor thing! Once I took her off it, she returned to normal. Much as I like Natura and their philosophy, actually feeding their food has never worked for us.


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## shatteringglass (Feb 13, 2010)

I'm feeding 2 Dalmatians:

Nutro Lamb/Rice: solid stools, redness on paws

Purina One Lamb & Rice: good poops but bad ear infections

Canidae: hershey squirts!

Wellness Core: loose pudding poops, had to feed a lot of it to keep weight on

Purina Pro Plan Selects Turkey: did okay on this, don't remember any significant problems

Nutro Grain Free Turkey Formula: Small, firm stools, good energy, nice coats

Sportmix 24/20: Fed this to put weight on my thin male. Fed one bag. Big poops but he gained weight VERY easily

Innova Adult: BAD FARTS!! 

Honest Kitchen Force: Did well, poops where small and well formed but they pooped at least 3-4 times a day!

Raw diet: small poops (1x day) increased energy, increased muscle especially in my 14 year old, less shedding, better weight control, clean ears


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Forgot to add, this last May we adopted a tiny 3 legged chihuahua <3 
She came to me eating Purina ONE. Green teeth (what teeth she has left, she's had all but 9 pulled and she's only 5). 
Put her on THK and RMBs straight away. Her coat was short and thin, she's a long coat. 
Transitioned her to Fromm four star grain free plus THK as a topper and occassional RMBs for her teeth (which is pretty much what I do for all the dogs now). BIG changes:

Coat is beautful, full, thick, silky soft. The whites of her eyes were red and irritated. Now they are clear and bright white. She snores less and she's lost weight. She came to me at 5lbs 8 oz and is down to 4.5 lbs now, just about right. Her teeth are also beautiful white and no dog breath at all.


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## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

InkedMarie said:


> Riddick: what was your AOL SN when you were on the nutrition board? I spent alot of time there.


If I remember correctly it was Zeusnlucas in 1999 (my 2 Dobe's names), I think early 2000's I changed to Tiffany3483 and still have that aol acct. I was mainly on the nutrition, BARF, behavior, APBT, Dobe, Greyhound, Jack Russell, and Great Dane boards.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

riddick4811 said:


> If I remember correctly it was Zeusnlucas in 1999 (my 2 Dobe's names), I think early 2000's I changed to Tiffany3483 and still have that aol acct. I was mainly on the nutrition, BARF, behavior, APBT, Dobe, Greyhound, Jack Russell, and Great Dane boards.


I think you were Tiffany3483. Behavior board as in the CBB? I was, still am, Marie22ecw


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

Tess has been on:
Iams Weight Control- which she only ever gained weight on, dull coat.
Wellness weight loss- she hated, ate it for a while and then stopped eating.
Then we tried Orijen, Evo herring, Instinct salmon...and I couldn't tell you the results of each she lives with my parents and I'm not there enough but I kept experimenting to see if anything would help her chronic ear infections..none did. Including Nutrisca which she's currently on. She does have a great coat now and is finally down to 12lbs which is huge because she was at one point 16lbs.

She also had an issue with her back legs this year when they suddenly stopped working but we have no clue what caused that...


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## Kibblelady (Jul 13, 2012)

Shamrockmommy said:


> Sojo's premix: the grain inclusive one. No yeasty skin on Darby, nice stool... however.... Darby's mom Lexi (my other bichon) was fed this during her pregnancy and Darby was fed it for a couple years. She has NO hip socket on her right hip and minimal on her left with severe arthritis/Hip Displaysia. Her mom, Lexi is OFA good and her sire is OFA excellent.  I kindof blame the food because, at the time it had NO calcium source whatsoever.


Just wanted to comment on this point, are you sure there was no calcium in that mix? It would have been a requirement. In any event I would not, as a breeder, think that the food caused this. When a bitch is pregnant the pups *will* get the minerals they need because they will be pulled from the dam's body. If there was no calcium in the diet the pregnancy would have pulled the calcium it needed from her body and bones to get what the puppies needed (this is why bitches look so terrible sometimes after a pregnancy, especially if they were not fed to an optimum level) So please if you were feeling bad for anything you did don't. I also know of a GSD pup born without any hip sockets at all and her mother was on a "complete" diet.... just thought I would comment.


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## Kibblelady (Jul 13, 2012)

I also wanted to let everyone know that I did name the thread "Your results from various foods" and raw counts as "food" lol So do not be wary to post that even if this is the "kibble board."


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## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

Ok, then here's my last one

PMR Raw (ground though)-got rid of flabbiness, coat softened and evened out (hard to explain, but it looks smoother), mange spot started filling in after a few days, increased energy, happiness, and spunk, no more ear problems yay!, no more scratching until he bleeds, consistent little stools, just an overall happier and healthier seeming dog.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

I've been meaning to comment on this for several days and kept forgetting lol...oops.



For Abbie, she's been on:


Acana Wild Prairie- She's on this now and does just okay. Coat is still great (soft and shiny) but her poops are a little bigger than I'd like.

Earthborn Holistic Great Plains Feast- probably the food she does best on so far. Soft, shiny coat. Muscular. GREAT poops, closest I've seen to raw ones. 

Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural- About the same as the Great Plains Feast

Fromm Chicken a la Veg- Did very very well on this food. Soft shiny coat, great poops also, better than they are on Acana right now. 

Fromm Pork & Applesauce- Same as the Chicken a la Veg. 

Trying her on the Duck & Sweet Potato Fromm when I pick it up Saturday, so hopefully that goes over well also  She loves duck foods lol. 


I think she's been on other ones for short periods of time, but I'm blanking and can't remember....



Murph & premade raw:


Vital Essentials beef- he used to do well on this, but was off of it for a few months and now his stools seem to start out firm and then get pudding-like at the end. 

Northwest Naturals- he does great on this one (chicken & salmon, turkey, bison, beef) the only one that gives him slightly looser stools is the lamb. 

Surprisingly, he does pretty well on Natures Variety premades lol, in the chicken or the venison is what I've tried him on so far. I'll probably throw this brand in from time to time just to get some different proteins.


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## Maxy24 (Mar 5, 2011)

Well Tucker has only been on two foods and has done about the same on both of them and I don't know if he needs improvement lol.
He was on TOTW High Prairie from ten weeks old until 2 years old, then this June he was switched to Acana Wild Prairie. 

In both cases his coat is okay, he has neuter coat so I am always bothered by the texture, it's wooly. His shedding is moderate, his chest went bald like 6 months ago but that did not coincide with a food change so I sort of assumed it was just a coat change that had to do with growing up.

He has always had pretty bad tear stains, it's never changed with food. He does not have any smell, his breath has a smell but not too bad. No health problems.

Has always pooped 2-3 times a day on both foods. Poops are okay, sometimes they are great, sometimes a little mushy, they decompose quickly which is awesome. 

His weight is perfect.


I'd love to give him a food that would make his neuter coat disappear, get rid of his tear stains, make his poops perfect, etc. but I feel like none of these things are food problems, well maybe the poop but perhaps I have unrealistic expectations lol.


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Kibblelady said:


> Just wanted to comment on this point, are you sure there was no calcium in that mix? It would have been a requirement. In any event I would not, as a breeder, think that the food caused this. When a bitch is pregnant the pups *will* get the minerals they need because they will be pulled from the dam's body. If there was no calcium in the diet the pregnancy would have pulled the calcium it needed from her body and bones to get what the puppies needed (this is why bitches look so terrible sometimes after a pregnancy, especially if they were not fed to an optimum level) So please if you were feeling bad for anything you did don't. I also know of a GSD pup born without any hip sockets at all and her mother was on a "complete" diet.... just thought I would comment.


I actually called Sojos and gave the time frame of when I fed the food. They claim it did have enough calcium in it at that time, even though there was no calcium source listed on the ingredients at that time. <shrugs> I can't help but feel badly about it, never intended to have a pup that wasn't healthy- I've lost touch with all but 2 of the litter of 7 (so I know where 3 are but 4 I don't know). Hopefully those pups fared better than Darby did. 

On the plus side, she is on Metacam and is active and happy and still goes on 2 mile walks, tail wagging all the way!


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## Kibblelady (Jul 13, 2012)

Shamrockmommy said:


> I actually called Sojos and gave the time frame of when I fed the food. They claim it did have enough calcium in it at that time, even though there was no calcium source listed on the ingredients at that time. <shrugs> I can't help but feel badly about it, never intended to have a pup that wasn't healthy- I've lost touch with all but 2 of the litter of 7 (so I know where 3 are but 4 I don't know). Hopefully those pups fared better than Darby did.
> 
> On the plus side, she is on Metacam and is active and happy and still goes on 2 mile walks, tail wagging all the way!


 Yes, the puppy I knew had a very great life and never noticed she had any issue at all 


</shrugs>


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Maxy24 said:


> In both cases his coat is okay, he has neuter coat so I am always bothered by the texture, it's wooly. His shedding is moderate, his chest went bald like 6 months ago but that did not coincide with a food change so I sort of assumed it was just a coat change that had to do with growing up.
> 
> He has always had pretty bad tear stains, it's never changed with food. He does not have any smell, his breath has a smell but not too bad. No health problems.
> 
> ...


My PWD has an "improper" coat, which grows like a border collie's or golden's hair instead of long hair all over. She has a spay coat as well. Just this week I stripped out all that wolly stuff. I used latex gloves and just plucked away. She looks stunning, nice dark brown coat. Not sure what it will look like when all that fur I pulled out grows back in, but anyway, stripping it out with latex gloves is pretty easy and they look quite nice after.


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## Maxy24 (Mar 5, 2011)

I have stripped the neuter coat off of his shoulders before and was really happy with it but when I go for his thighs he acts like it's hurting him and I don't want to be just ripping out all of his hair, I'm not sure if he has anything other than wooly neuter coat on those thighs. His shoulders are growing back though booo.


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## PunkyPug (Apr 4, 2012)

Natural Balance - itchy itchy itchy, her rump was coarse feeling, everywhere else was soft.

Blue Basic (Salmon) - itching got worse. Her rump was losing hair and she would chew non-stop

Simply Nourish - itching lessened. She lost weight. Had to double feed. Coat was soft everywhere

Taste Of The Wild - itching stopped almost completely. dull coat. Gasy. soft poos.

Switched her flea preventive to the apple cider vinegar. Itching stopped completely and went back to Blue. Okay coat. Then blue recall came

Back on Simply Nourish. Soft bright coat. Overall happier. 

I plan to try out Natural Balance again. Maybe even Merrick.


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## starturtle (Jul 12, 2012)

Puppy Chow - It's been so long I really don't remember.

Pedigree - I thought things were fine but after I switched to better food I could visibly see a difference in their coat and stools.

Acana Wild Prairie - My dogs wouldn't eat it. Even after tough love it would take them two days to eat a bowl. That is why I switched to Orijen.

Orijen Adult - They really liked it and did fine on it their coats were shiny and there poops were manageable (wouldn't say small, but they weren't huge either) but my oldest male had horrible gas. 

Earthborn Holistics Great Plains - They love it and are doing great on it. Their coats and stools look exactly the same as when they were on Orijen but the gas has gone away.

I ended up feeding this to my foster dog because it was easier. He had this sore on his leg and was missing hair from around it when he came to me. He never licked it or scratched it, it almost looked like a big bite that got infected but after it cleared up his hair never grew back. Within a few weeks of being switched from Dog Chow to the Earthborn it started growing hair back. He also would get eye **** and that has gone now too.


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