# from Iams, to Taste of the Wild



## ruckusluvr (Oct 28, 2009)

Hey everyone!

I have been feeding my dogs Iams for sometime now. They were honestly doing pretty good on it. But one of my dogs, Ruckus seems to always itch. He even did this when I fed him Diamond Naturals and Nutro in the past. I decided that I would like to try him on a grain free food since grains commonly cause allergies. Now Ruckus will be eating Taste of the Wild wetland formula. How gradually do I need to make the change?

Since I will be feeding him grain free kibble, should I start feeding him grain free treats too?

And my other dog, Lynn... I am sure she could eat anything and be fine. But I would like to start her on a healthier food. I got her a bag of Diamond Naturals Lamb and Rice. 

Also, should Ruckus be on a rotation diet of all three formulas of TOTW? 

I know there are better foods out there, but I am on a pretty tight budget. I cannot afford anything better than TOTW (that I have seen anyway) I doubt I can afford to have both dogs on TOTW so since Lynn does fine with grains I decided on Diamond Naturals L&R. Is there anything better than Diamond Nat. that is the same price?

Thanks for any help


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

As far as price goes, Canidae is great for the value. Not the absolute best food ever, but for $50/ 44lbs it's great. 
Also, Kirkland from CostCo is the best in its price range. Roughly $22/ 40lbs. 

Neither are my favorite foods, but for the $20 price range, Kirkland is the best, and for the $50 price range (for 44lbs) Canidae is the best. (Most good foods are about $50-$60 but only come in 30lb bags. 

I have used Canidae for my Shepherd when money is tight (like right now, actually) and he does very well on it. I know it's not as good as it was before the formula change, but it's still better than a lot of things out there, despite not being grain free. 


Also, Canidae makes a grain free formula as well, and I believe it is more affordable than the TOTW, and comparable in quality. It's not popular, and you never hear much about it, but it appears to be decent. A few of our customers have us order it for them, and they all seem to do very well on it. We recommend it as an alternative for the people who end up disappointed with EVO, but want to do grain-free. (Orijen isn't sold anywhere even remotely near) and TOTW is about 40 minutes away, but the Grain-Free Canidae we can get here. I believe it is an ALS one too, but don't quote me on that.


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

You'll want to make a very gradual change. Do like 75% Iams, 25% TOTW for the first, week. Then 50-50 the next week, then 75% TOTW, 25% Iams the next week, gradually mixing in more TOTW and less Iams until Ruckus is completely on TOTW. You'll want to do grain-free treats too, since you wouldn't give a kid with a peanut allergy a snickers bar "just cuz it's only a snack." 

I'd say hold off on doing a food rotation for a few months and let Ruckus adjust to the new diet first, then see how he tolerates different formulas. 

Lynn should be fine on the Diamond, so long as Ruckus doesn't get into it!


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## jenh22 (Sep 22, 2009)

I made the same switch with my cats. They were on Iams and I switched them to TOTW, I did the 25%-50%-75%-100% over the course of about a month. They all did great and although TOTW is a little more expensive they ate about 2/3 what they did before. In fact in the long run it was cheaper, Iams cat food was $7.50 for a 4lb bag. TOTW was $10.25 for a 5lb bag.

Since then I've made more changes. I started feeding canned food which can get pretty expensive and then began introducing raw. I've got one who's totally on board, one that's finicky about it, and one that hasn't been willing to try it. If I can get all of them on it, I'll save so much more money. The cat food runs approx $2 per pound, more for canned. I can get meat for less than a $1 a pound and often lower than $0.50.

My dog was on Science Diet when I got him. I switched him to a combo of TOTW and raw. Turns out TOTW was cheaper than SD even without taking into account that he was eating less. (though canned TOTW is a little more expensive than canned SD, at least at our feed store)

And you should skip any treats with grain if you suspect an allergy.


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## wolfsnaps (Oct 7, 2009)

I feed my three very different dogs Taste of the Wild (among other kibbles in their rotation) and they all do very well on it. I like the grain free aspect and the price is the best I have seen around here compared to other similar foods. 

I agree with the waiting on the rotation. My dogs are used to having their food changed often and have iron guts but until YOUR dog is used to it, I would stick to one formula...for now. 

Good luck!


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## SweetKisses (Oct 29, 2009)

I can't even begin to tell you how much I dislike Iams. It not only provides empty calories and absolutely the bear necessary nutrition, but the Iams company does very cruel and unnecessary tests on animals. If you are going to feed kibble, Taste of the Wild is a good choice. That is definately a big improvement! I recomend TOTW High Prairie or Wetlands. The only thing I don't like in Pacific Stream is potato fiber, which is a filler. High Prairie and Wetlands are also much better because they contain more meat. I am glad to hear that you are improving your dog's diet! It is definately one of the best dry dog foods on the market. Personally, I'm not a fan of dry food. It just contains too many unnecessary ingredients and supplementation that dogs do not really need. Plus, it is really bad for their teeth. I feed Odin, my Norwegian Buhund, on a diet of raw chicken and turkey. I feed him whole chickens, feathers, heads, beaks, feet, and all, and turkey necks and chunks. Sometimes I will give him a cut-up apple, but rarely. He also likes to chew on big carrots and whole butternut squash. Sometimes, just as a boost to his skin and coat, I will give him a boneless ground meat, usually either chicken and turkey, and some whole flaxseed mixed in.


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

SweetKisses, while it is absolutely amazing that you can feed your dog like that (I'm jealous!) you should try adding other protein sources to your pup's diet as well, such as beef, lamb, venison, elk, pork, etc. because dog's need more variety in their diets to keep them at their peak health.


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## ruckusluvr (Oct 28, 2009)

thanks for the advice everyone.

I am a little worried about the possibility of ethoxiquin in the TOTW formulas. But I am trying to to worry, because I am a believer that most of what I have read about it is speculation and rumor. and plus, what doesnt cause cancer in rats! I have had pet rats for 7 years. they usually die of old age and more times than not cancer by age 2 and 1/2. So since ethoxiquin MAY cause cancer in rats, I am not worried.

Did you know that orange juice causes cancer in male rats?

I am not trying to start a debate, just saying I dont think I should worry about it. I am unsure if I will feel the pacific stream forumula though, because there is about 4 ingredients that could have it. 4 is a lot more that 1!


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