# Switching Dry Food Need Recommendations



## MMAcheron (Jan 12, 2010)

I was using Nutro Natural Choice Lamb & Rice but since my move to TX 3 weeks ago, my Boxer does not want to eat it anymore. At first, I thought that it was just the move, but now I don't think that's the case. I think its the food that's the problem. He used to eat it with no problems. However, I have noticed that his once beautiful coat is shedding alot, he has diahrreah, and I have seen him dry heaving which I attribute to an upset stomach.

I regularly paid $32 for a 17.5 lb bag of the Nutro and don't mind paying it so long as I can continue to afford it. However, I am now on a very limited income, as I am on unemployment until I can find a job here.

What dry food would be as good or hopefully a better quality for around the same price that I can find at a pet food store?

Tank is a 2.5 year old male Boxer. He's never had any allergie's but he does tend to get bladder infections from time to time, to combat that I put a little apple cider vinegar in his water and I read that if you take cranberry pills, break them open and put them on his food that it might help. He's had three infections in the past year and a half since I've owned him, two of those times was after he was boarded for the weekend and was in an inside run, which I'm wondering if he was refusing to urinate in his kennel, as he was trained only to go outside.


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

You can try Taste of the Wild. It's a great food, and not too expensive...


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## SuZQuzie (Nov 26, 2009)

I agree with the Taste of the Wild and add a Kirkland's Dog Food from Costco. Whenever I find myself in a monetary bind, that is what I turn to. :smile:


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

I would recommend TOTW (not sure how expensive it is), Canidae, or Kirkland brand (definitely the cheapest and way better ingredients than Nutro).


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I agree with those brands, but if you can afford a little more money Orijen and Evo are top of line dog foods. I mix California Natural (lamb) with Orijen and have had super results. My pig of a shepherd eats them dry and really loves the taste of Orijen. Taste of the Wild can't be beat for cost and what you get, great dog food.

I really believe dogs like new flavors and you should try changing just for the heck of it evey now and then. TOTW makes a few different tastes.


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## MMAcheron (Jan 12, 2010)

Thank you to everyone that has posted, TOTW it is, once I get to working again I will give Orijen and Evo a try as well!


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2010)

Welcome to the forum, glad you were able to get some help, and your Boxer is beautiful.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

Your Boxer is beautiful! As a fellow Boxer owner, I have to comment on every Boxer I see. lol. I'm sure you know how that is...
Good move getting away from Nutro. There are better foods for less cost, actually.
I have fed Canidae in the past with EXCELLENT results. I know it's not grain free, but it's still a good food and only about $53 for a 44lb bag... which is not a bad price at all. 
When that's not do able, I've gone to Kirkland Signature carried only at CostCo.... It's not absolutel top of the line, but it is absolutely the best for the money... I consider it to be better than Nutro, and it's only about $22 for a big 40lb bag... doesn't get much more affordable than that! I buy a bag of the lamb, and one of the chicken, and mix it for our foster. I haven't noticed any changes in coat since I had to switch him about a month ago... but his poop is more solid than it was on Canidae. 
TOTW is a little more expensive than Canidae, but it is grain free. My shepherd did terrible on it, but a lot of dogs do great on it, so trial and arror I guess.

When I feed kibble, I always make sure to supplement with a raw egg once a week, and canned fish for the omegas once a week. Of my three dogs living here right now, my two are raw fed, and my foster is kibble fed.


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## MMAcheron (Jan 12, 2010)

CorgiPaws said:


> Your Boxer is beautiful! As a fellow Boxer owner, I have to comment on every Boxer I see. lol. I'm sure you know how that is...


LOL! Thank you. Yes, I do know! Tank is a bred and born UTAH dog! I just moved from Cedar City to TX. My Avatar was taken in Vernal, at my sister's house, Tank came from her kennel when she bred Boxers. As a longtime dog owner (rottie's) and lover, she saw how lonely I was without my beloved dogs and gave me her last puppy (he was 10 mo's. when I got him) then she retired from breeding Boxers. She still breeds her miniature horses though, which are not much bigger than Tank!


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## Todd (Jan 13, 2010)

While we're on the subject, here are the foods I'd recommend for those on a tight budget.

Premium Edge;

Not the best food in the world, but still considered "quality" kibble. It is very reasonable priced too. Online, I saw it for less than $25.00 for 18lbs! Not bad, not bad at all. 

Fromm;

This is another quality kibble for a reasonable price. Again, online I found its classic version for as low as 16 bucks for a 15 pound bag, and 32 bucks for a 32 pound bag!!

*These may not be the best dog foods in the world, but it beats feeding Iams or Hills, doesn't it? I know sooooo many people that feed their dogs Iams, when they could feed much better foods for the same price. Where's your logic there?

If you're willing to spend a little bit more, go for brands like Innova, California Natural, Wellness, Canidae, among others.

If you're willing to shoot for top of the line kibble, consider brands like Evo, Solid gold, wellness core, Timberwolf Organics, Instinct, Taste of The wilde, anong other high quality, grainless foods.

*BTW I found Fromm and edge listed at petfooddirect.com


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Taste of the Wild is grain free and is as good as you can get, OK almost. Otijen would be my no. 1.


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

MMAcheron said:


> LOL! Thank you. Yes, I do know! Tank is a bred and born UTAH dog! I just moved from Cedar City to TX. My Avatar was taken in Vernal, at my sister's house, Tank came from her kennel when she bred Boxers. As a longtime dog owner (rottie's) and lover, she saw how lonely I was without my beloved dogs and gave me her last puppy (he was 10 mo's. when I got him) then she retired from breeding Boxers. She still breeds her miniature horses though, which are not much bigger than Tank!


Well now why the heck are all of you moving away right after I move to SLC? :frown:

Hehe jk


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## J&T (Oct 13, 2009)

Dont know what prices are going to be in your area, but here you could get a 35# of Healthwise by the makers of Cal/Nat, Evo etc for about $33-38 depending on flavor. IMHO this is a great value of a food from a top company. We did the Red bag that was Lamb and Chicken and it was about 450cal/cup. Our white/deaf boxer did great on it. Because of the Boxer zoomies she got about 4 cups per day. A number of months ago she started getting Merrick Before Grain which here is about $40 for- 26 pounds -bit more pricey but we do feed about 20% less and it is fabulous for her. But she is going raw shortly.


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## sal101011 (Jan 17, 2010)

*good point!*

I was going to mention to check the calorie content on the food you are going to purchase. it is not always about the price, but if the food is priced higher than what you are comparing it to check the calories per cup, sometimes the prices comes out the same when you take into consideration how much you are feeding your dogs. I have rotties at my house and I feed 2 of them Orijen Puppy Large breed and the other one Acana Grasslands (he likes lamb). I feed my pooches around 2.5 - 3 cups per day. I have a friend of mine who feeds Kirkland (Costco brand) which i think is a great food considering the price, he feeds his rotties around 5 cups a day. Now as cheap as kirkland is, it is still cheaper than orijen and acana but the difference is minimal, it comes down to how many dogs you own  I cannot recommend any of the dog food you can buy at the supermarket. I do agree canidae, totw, etc are also great kibbles. I purchase orijen and acana online for around $35 for a 15 lbs bag, Yes i know, expensive but very consistent, my rotties love it and stool is always firm!


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## k8ter (Jan 21, 2010)

*native dog food*

I would recommend Native performance dog food. I have been feeding it to my 5 year old boxer for about 3 years now. She has a beautiful coat as it contains both Omega 3-6 fatty acids. There are different amounts of protein based on your dogs activity level. I feed my boxer level 2. However, the level 1 is a lamb formula so if you want to stick with a lamb formula that might be the way to go. visit Native Performance Dog Food to see where you can buy it...I am not sure where in texas you live but there are several places where you can buy it.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

rannmiller said:


> Well now why the heck are all of you moving away right after I move to SLC? :frown:
> 
> Hehe jk


Haha, it wasn't my choice. I can't wait for Jon to be done with school in 3 years so I can come back.


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## Todd (Jan 13, 2010)

sal101011 said:


> I was going to mention to check the calorie content on the food you are going to purchase. it is not always about the price, but if the food is priced higher than what you are comparing it to check the calories per cup, sometimes the prices comes out the same when you take into consideration how much you are feeding your dogs. I have rotties at my house and I feed 2 of them Orijen Puppy Large breed and the other one Acana Grasslands (he likes lamb). I feed my pooches around 2.5 - 3 cups per day. I have a friend of mine who feeds Kirkland (Costco brand) which i think is a great food considering the price, he feeds his rotties around 5 cups a day. Now as cheap as kirkland is, it is still cheaper than orijen and acana but the difference is minimal, it comes down to how many dogs you own  I cannot recommend any of the dog food you can buy at the supermarket. I do agree canidae, totw, etc are also great kibbles. I purchase orijen and acana online for around $35 for a 15 lbs bag, Yes i know, expensive but very consistent, my rotties love it and stool is always firm!


Have you considered feeding a raw prey model diet? Despite what you would think, it can be very realistic for dog wonders on a budget. For example, I just bought 10 pounds of chicken quarters at a local store for only about 5 bucks! Can't beat that! It's also considered by many to be the healthiest diet a dog could be on. I'd highly recommend giving it a shot. If you're interested, I encourage you to search the archives here on the forum or feel free to ask any questions you wish. Also, below are a few very informative websites;

Jane Anderson's Raw Learning Site

Raw Fed Dogs

Skylar, Zack, and Abby on the WEB

Good Luck:smile:


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## sganow (Apr 16, 2009)

Not sure if you have Nature's Variety available in your area, but we've had good luck with it. We have not had very good luck with any of the foods made by or processed by Diamond, including Kirkland's, Diamond Naturals, Premium Edge, Chicken Soup, Canidae, or Solid Gold. We got BAD gas from all of them! We haven't tried Taste of the Wild. I stay away from ALL foods that Diamond makes or processes now. Another one to try is Blue Buffalo. My son and daughter-in-law feed that and are happy with it. You can get Blue from Petco, Petsmart, or Tractor Supply.


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## Jordan S. (Feb 2, 2010)

MMAcheron said:


> I was using Nutro Natural Choice Lamb & Rice but since my move to TX 3 weeks ago, my Boxer does not want to eat it anymore. At first, I thought that it was just the move, but now I don't think that's the case. I think its the food that's the problem. He used to eat it with no problems. However, I have noticed that his once beautiful coat is shedding alot, he has diahrreah, and I have seen him dry heaving which I attribute to an upset stomach.
> 
> I regularly paid $32 for a 17.5 lb bag of the Nutro and don't mind paying it so long as I can continue to afford it. However, I am now on a very limited income, as I am on unemployment until I can find a job here.
> 
> ...



TOTW all the way :smile:


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## goujon (Feb 10, 2010)

I also have a 2 1/2 year old boxer. He has been eating Blue Buffalo for over two years and I wouldn't feed him anything else. I also feed him a raw egg once a week, plain yogurt several times a week, sardines once a week, raw chicken leg every other day and a raw carrot once a day. The Blue Buffalo has cranberries so you don't need to add cranberry pills.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I feed my pooches around 2.5 - 3 cups per day. I have a friend of mine who feeds Kirkland (Costco brand) which i think is a great food considering the price, he feeds his rotties around 5 cups a day. Now as cheap as kirkland is, it is still cheaper than orijen and acana but the difference is minimal, it comes down to how many dogs you own  I cannot recommend any of 



Putting Diamonds Costco brand in the same sentance as Orijen kinda bugs me. They are in two whole different leagues. Costco's first few ingredients

Lamb,lamb meal, whole grain brown rice, rice flour, white rice, egg product, cracked pearl barley--- Plus it contains a bad filler in beet plup

The first few in Orijen

Fresh deboned wild boar, fresh deboned lamb, lamb meal, russet potato, fresh deboned pork, peas, salmon meal, whitefish meal*, herring meal, fresh deboned bison, fresh whole eggs

To me thats as different as night and day. Nooow, DON'T GET ME WRONG, for the money and if I had a money issue I would go with Costco's Kirkland brand. Lucky for my dog I don't have a money issue,,,,yet....


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