# Mixing EVO and regular Innova or wellness and core?



## RegDunlop (Dec 22, 2009)

Good idea or bad?

dry dog foods is what ia m wondering about?


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

Nope, not a good idea since they digest at different rates, if you want to feed just grain free, you can mix 2 grainless kibbles or 2 grain inclusive ones, but do so carefully over time to prevent any issues.


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## RegDunlop (Dec 22, 2009)

Unosmom said:


> Nope, not a good idea since they digest at different rates, if you want to feed just grain free, you can mix 2 grainless kibbles or 2 grain inclusive ones, but do so carefully over time to prevent any issues.


Thanks unosmom, I wont mix them then.

I just started feeding Innova dry and I also mix in Innova dry -Red Meat, should I stop doing that?

He doesnt seem to like the taste of the Innova at all?


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

its fine if you plan on completely switching over to EVO.


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## SuZQuzie (Nov 26, 2009)

Maybe I'm just behind the times, but why would the individual kibbles having different rates of digestion would be detrimental to the canine?

To the OP: Since each kibble was designed to be fed individually, they are only balanced to be fed that way. To feed them simultaneously, one must reevaluate the nutrient composition of the entire diet to figure out what ratio of each kibble in the diet would still satisfy the requirements of the animal. Rarely would that be the standard 1:1 usually adopted.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

because one is grain free high protein (42%) and the other one is grain inclusive ( I believe around 26%)


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## Todd (Jan 13, 2010)

i agree, it wouldn't be a good idea. like others have said, both foods digest at a different rate because of one containing grain, and the other not. I made that mistake with my dog when she was younger. She had fairly loose bowels until i switcher completely to evo.


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Todd said:


> i agree, it wouldn't be a good idea. like others have said, both foods digest at a different rate because of one containing grain, and the other not. I made that mistake with my dog when she was younger. She had fairly loose bowels until i switcher completely to evo.


Agreed! The EVO Large & Small Bites are grain free with a much higher protein content than any other dry food I've found on the market (43%). Our dog has been doing fantastic on the Turkey/Chicken version. Also, because it's a more calorie dense food, he needs less of it.

Pax,


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I don't buy it. So one has potatoes and one has rice, basically, and you'r trying to tell me they digest at a different rate. LOL, sorry it's like saying don't mix dry with wet or don't mix turkey with chicken or don't mix chicken with fish. Sounds silly to me. You'd have to prove this one to me, with some proof and not just someones opinion. I mix Orijen with California Natural and my dog is going great.


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## Todd (Jan 13, 2010)

GermanSheperdlover said:


> I don't buy it. So one has potatoes and one has rice, basically, and you'r trying to tell me they digest at a different rate. LOL, sorry it's like saying don't mix dry with wet or don't mix turkey with chicken or don't mix chicken with fish. Sounds silly to me. You'd have to prove this one to me, with some proof and not just someones opinion. I mix Orijen with California Natural and my dog is going great.


Rather than try and explain why the two may digest at different rates, I'll first try and explain to you why there is no benefit in feeding your dog a food with grain in it to begin with. Here is a fairly simple explanation I recently came across; 

*When starches are broken down, they must first be broken into sugars in order to be usable. Primary sources of carbohydrates in most diets are barley, brown rice, oats and rye, cooking of cereal grains is necessary for your animal to properly digest starches. Dogs and cats do not normally produce enzymes in their saliva to actually break-down carbohydrates and starches. Essentially, it’s a no-brainer: dogs and cats can’t digest grains and starches. Their pancreas is forced to produce large amounts of this enzyme to deal with the starches. 

So, it’s no surprise one of the main reasons is that dogs and cats can’t easily digest vegetables or grains unless they are partially digested first. As for the reason? They don’t have a long intestinal tract like humans. Since theirs is short, it doesn’t have the ability to digest vegetable matter. *

As far as digestion rates are concerned, food with grain in it digest much slower than foods without grains, so whether this mix causes digestion issues or not, the issue here lies with the nutritional content. It seems fairly counterproductive to mic a grainless kibble, with a kibble with grains in it (which is very unnecessary for your dog). 

Essentially, the fact of the matter is, no matter the digestion rates, there is no benefit, and possibly some harm in the long run, of mixing a food that has grain in it, with a grainless food. There is NO reason to include grain in your dogs diet. 

When I first got my dog, I fed her a mix of EVO and California Natural as well, and she had fairly loose stools during that time. 

Hope I could help:smile:


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## lovinmylabs (Jan 5, 2010)

*Pig Hocks*

I found these at my local grocery store. Do I have any use for them?


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

lovinmylabs said:


> I found these at my local grocery store. Do I have any use for them?


I don't feed them to my dogs. Not a lot of meat, a LOT of bone and skin.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Hey Todd
My dog always eats the Orijen first, so the California Natural will just be behind on the way out. LOL. On a real note, I am just taking my sweet time transfering the C.N to TOTW. I am also looking hard at Fromm's duck, because Tony just loovves duck. If you see his pictures, he is really soft and shinny for a GSD.


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