# Which of these would you choose?



## meggels (May 30, 2010)

Well, my mom gave the okay to bump up the dog food budget a bit in order to allow me to continue feeding Murph (my frenchie) Acana. He's been improving on it just after a week, and I'd like to keep him on that and hopefully continue to see more improvement as months go on. 

Because of the $$ involved with buying the Acana, I'm going to keep Abbie (mix) on something relatively cheap, but still of decent quality. I can get all of these foods locally. What are your thoughts?

Canidae (rotate between the grain inclusive formulas)
Chicken Soup
Merrick
Nature's Variety Prairie
Precise

Ingredients for Precise, since I'm guessing not many people are familiar with it...

Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, (Chicken Cartlidge (Source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulfate),) Rice Bran, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Ascorbyl Palmitate), Ground Oats, Beet Pulp, Flaxseed, Fish Meal, Natural Chicken Flavor, Lecithin, Fish Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Biotin, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, DL-Methionine, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate

GA:
Protein: 24%
Fat: 14%
Fiber: 3.5%


Also, it seems like Canidae used to be well regarded, but it seems like you don't hear a whole lot about it anymore. Any idea why? 

Here are the rough prices that I would spend on each food, to give you an idea of the price differences. I'll show the most expensive formulas just so that covers all the bases. 

Precise: 15lbs for $21
NV: 15lbs for $29
Merrick: 15lbs for $28
Chicken Soup: 18lbs for $25
Canidae: 15lbs for $25


NV and Merrick are at the top of my price range, the rest are much closer in what I'm looking to spend...


----------



## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

I like Natures Variety best out of the ones mentioned. You might also want to look into Whole Earth Farms, its a relatively new food made by Merrick, but less expensive, you can find it at local feed stores:
http://www.feedgoodness.com/contact-us/


----------



## bdb5853 (May 21, 2010)

So you decided not to go raw with your frenchie?


----------



## meggels (May 30, 2010)

bdb5853 said:


> So you decided not to go raw with your frenchie?


Yeah. It's just not feasible at this point.

I'm staying with a friend and I can't really use up her freezer space. 

He's already improving so much on the Acana, so fingers crossed he keeps improving.

UnosMom- Thanks for that link! I'm going to look into that food, it looks pretty damn good! I think I've seen it around too


----------



## Guest (Jul 11, 2010)

I would go with *Precise Plus* if you can get that locally. It's not the regular Precise, it's a step up.


----------



## meggels (May 30, 2010)

Unfortunately, it's a bit out of my price range  I did look into it though.


----------



## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

There is only one meat ingredient in the first 5. I would look for one that had a min of 2, I like a min of 3 myself. Rice Bran is a very low quality grain. Here is a short list of the ones I really like

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

I feed a simple food in the AM, which is California Natural but I am looking hard at First Mate and Now & Go's other products to replace it since, P&G bought them out.

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


----------



## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

GermanSheperdlover said:


> There is only one meat ingredient in the first 5. I would look for one that had a min of 2, I like a min of 3 myself.


that doesnt necessarily make it have more meat. you would have to know the ratios....and i dont care how many meats are listed...grain inclusive foods at around 24% protein just dont have a very high meat content.

back to the OP. of those you listed, id personally favor the NV Prarie or the Canidae.

good luck.


----------



## meggels (May 30, 2010)

Hmmm, I think the only one you listed that is in my price range is Merrick.


----------



## wrangler1 (Jun 27, 2010)

meggels said:


> Hmmm, I think the only one you listed that is in my price range is Merrick.


In that list Kirkland is the best, you cant be it for $23.99 for 40lbs. Your dog will do just as well on it.


----------



## meggels (May 30, 2010)

wrangler1 said:


> In that list Kirkland is the best, you cant be it for $23.99 for 40lbs. Your dog will do just as well on it.


There's no local Costco's sadly.


----------



## wrangler1 (Jun 27, 2010)

Then go with Canidae. 44lbs costs $38 and the 6th bag is free.


----------



## dobesgalore (Oct 21, 2009)

Can you get Diamond Naturals where you live? It is similar to Kirkland which you said you can't get. It runs $29.99 for 40#. Naturals only, not the original formulas.


----------



## Guest (Jul 12, 2010)

If you have a Tractor Supply store near you, the *4Health* line is good and reasonably priced.


----------



## meggels (May 30, 2010)

Well, I went to the feed store today that has the best selection, and I got a sample of the Whole Earth Farms, a 1lb bag of Merrick Chicken Pot Pie, and a small bag of TOTW Pacific Stream.

I'm going to see how Murph responds to the TOTW. And I'm testing Abbie on WEF and Merrick to see how she likes them. So far, she's eaten a tiny bit of both with no complaints lol.


----------



## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

wrangler1 said:


> Then go with Canidae. 44lbs costs $38 and the 6th bag is free.


Wow, Canidae is CHEAP for you.
We BUY Canidae for $39 for a 44lb bag, and SELL it to customers for $53. And we're the cheapest around.


----------



## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Canidae, NV, and TOTW would be my top choices


----------



## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

buddy97 said:


> that doesnt necessarily make it have more meat. you would have to know the ratios....and i dont care how many meats are listed...grain inclusive foods at around 24% protein just dont have a very high meat content.
> 
> back to the OP. of those you listed, id personally favor the NV Prarie or the Canidae.
> 
> good luck.


If you have 2 or 3 meat products before the first fat or in the first 5 ingredients you are getting a good a meat content or as good as your gonna find. OK, the more the better for the most part. Only companies like Orijen who state it are you ever gonna know and then do we really know for sure. What companies give you the exact ratios ? None. That would be like asking them how far down the ingredient list their meat product falls. I asked that one LOL, no buddy replied. It's like trying to get the real MPG mileage from a new car, they all lie..It's why I add meat to my dogs diet.


----------



## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I was at Petsmart today and their Blue Wilderness was 42 bucks for a large bag. Pretty good price for their Duck and Salmon formulas.


----------



## meggels (May 30, 2010)

I think I may go with WEF. It's a pretty darn good food for the price I think! I don't really like that it's only one flavor, but I could always rotate it with another cheaper food (like 4healths lamb). Or somethin like that...


----------



## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

meggels said:


> I think I may go with WEF. It's a pretty darn good food for the price I think! I don't really like that it's only one flavor, but I could always rotate it with another cheaper food (like 4healths lamb). Or somethin like that...


Or incorporate a number of different canned foods and incorporate variety that way.:tongue:


----------



## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

CorgiPaws said:


> Or incorporate a number of different canned foods and incorporate variety that way.:tongue:


I think this is a great idea. This is what I am doing with Duncan. The only large breed puppy food that I am willing to feed him is the Orijen Large Breed Puppy. So he gets this kibble and then I rotate with different canned....like right now I am rotating with several different canned foods from Merrick.


----------



## meggels (May 30, 2010)

That can be kinda costly though....going against the concept of saving money lol.


----------



## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

meggels said:


> That can be kinda costly though....going against the concept of saving money lol.


It CAN be... but if you watch for sales, and buy by the case, it's actually not too bad.


----------



## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Yes! You only feed a little bit at a time. The last case of Merrick canned I got was having a sale...if you bought a case you got 10% off.


----------



## harrkim120 (Feb 2, 2010)

GermanSheperdlover said:


> I was at Petsmart today and their Blue Wilderness was 42 bucks for a large bag. Pretty good price for their Duck and Salmon formulas.


Not really when you take into account that it's only a 26 pound bag, and their salmon and duck varieties are backed up with chicken. I would've liked to see no chicken at all in them, but it seems as though there's quite a bit. It makes me mad...there are soooooo many people that don't know that.


----------



## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

harrkim120 said:


> Not really when you take into account that it's only a 26 pound bag, and their salmon and duck varieties are backed up with chicken. I would've liked to see no chicken at all in them, but it seems as though there's quite a bit. It makes me mad...there are soooooo many people that don't know that.


yep. wish they could keep the chicken out so they truly have 3 different varieties. the three Merrick Before Grain formulas suffer from the same problem.


----------



## harrkim120 (Feb 2, 2010)

buddy97 said:


> yep. wish they could keep the chicken out so they truly have 3 different varieties. the three Merrick Before Grain formulas suffer from the same problem.


I know it, and it's a shame. One way to keep the cost of manufacturing down I guess. 

However I feel as though it's very shady act. Most wouldn't know to look at the ingredents. They see "Duck" on the front and assume that it's all duck. Totally not the case. :frown:


----------



## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

buddy97 said:


> yep. wish they could keep the chicken out so they truly have 3 different varieties. the three Merrick Before Grain formulas suffer from the same problem.


How can anyone consider Merrick w/ the recent events that went down?


----------



## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

kevin bradley said:


> How can anyone consider Merrick w/ the recent events that went down?


ive never fed merrick due to the reasons above, so i dont keep up on what going on with them......havent been paying attention i guess.


----------



## meggels (May 30, 2010)

What recent events? I missed that apparently...


----------



## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

FDA Health Alert for Merrick Beef Filet Squares Dog Treats Packaged and Distributed by Merrick Pet Care


----------



## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

harrkim120 said:


> Not really when you take into account that it's only a 26 pound bag, and their salmon and duck varieties are backed up with chicken. I would've liked to see no chicken at all in them, but it seems as though there's quite a bit. It makes me mad...there are soooooo many people that don't know that.


I am not a big fan of chicken, but it sure beats chicken by-products, by-product meal, corn, wheat, soy, Brewers Rice, Animal Fat, Beef Tallow, Lard, Poultry Fat, Hulls, Digest, Beef & Bone Meal or? I think you get my drift. Blue Wilderness is a good food and it usually goes for a lot more. I feed mainly Orijen and C.N., but it wouldn't bother me to feed one of those Blue Wilderness's.


----------



## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

GermanSheperdlover said:


> Blue Wilderness is a good food and it usually goes for a lot more. I feed mainly Orijen and C.N., but it wouldn't bother me to feed one of those Blue Wilderness's.


the problem is many feeders cant feed chicken, which disqualifies all three varieties of BB Wilderness and all three Before Grain Varieties, as the chicken meal is a pretty prominent ingredient in all of them.


----------



## meggels (May 30, 2010)

I dunno, a lot of companies have recalls. And I only plan on most likely feeding the dry food of the Whole Earth Farms line...*shrug*


----------



## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

meggels- you should also try their canned line, its affordable, grain free, and my dog loves it as a topper. Pet food direct has it on sale now, I think 12 large cans for $10, but I'll have to find a coupon code for you, if you want to order from them, it helps to cover shipping charges.


----------

