# a good dog dry food brand?



## radicalsam (Feb 18, 2009)

we have a pointer, her previous owners have been feeding her beneful origina so we've started her off with that, however, some people say beneful isn't a good brand, can anyone recommend a good brand for my dog?


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Beneful is awful! That being said, I'd say it depends on what is available in your area to determine what you can get. If you've only got Petsmart, the only good brands there are Blue Buffalo and ByNature is ok. PetCo has Wellness (I really like the Core because it's grain-free), Natural Balance (but only the blue bag, the rest are all too grain-heavy), Solid Gold, and Pinnacle. 

If you can find a doggy boutique store, then your options open up a bit more. Orijen and Innova Evo are two of the best grain-free foods on the market and usually only carried in these stores. I hear Timberwolf is good, along with Fromm and California Natural as well. 

And remember, if you're going to switch her foods, take about 2 weeks of mixing the two foods together (75% of the old, 25% of the new to start) so as not to have any digestive upset. 

How old is Isabella?


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## Doc (Jan 17, 2009)

You are asking the 100,000 dollar question! Pick a price range you want to spend then ask. Pick either raw or kibble, pick with or without grain, then ask. Otherwise you are opening a can of worms in here! Way too many choices and opinions.

My reccomendations for kibble

High price Orijen ~$60 per 29.7 lbs bag
Abady grannular ~$63 for a 40 lb. box - great stuff contrary to what you may read

Mid-range Natural Balance, Taste of the Wild Grain free, 

Low price but good Kirkland Lamb, Rice and Vegetable (available at Costco).

Good luck!


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## radicalsam (Feb 18, 2009)

rannmiller said:


> Beneful is awful! That being said, I'd say it depends on what is available in your area to determine what you can get. If you've only got Petsmart, the only good brands there are Blue Buffalo and ByNature is ok. PetCo has Wellness (I really like the Core because it's grain-free), Natural Balance (but only the blue bag, the rest are all too grain-heavy), Solid Gold, and Pinnacle.
> 
> If you can find a doggy boutique store, then your options open up a bit more. Orijen and Innova Evo are two of the best grain-free foods on the market and usually only carried in these stores. I hear Timberwolf is good, along with Fromm and California Natural as well.
> 
> ...



she's 1 year and 1/2


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Okay yeah so any of those brands would be fine for her. What sort of stores do you have in your area?


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## radicalsam (Feb 18, 2009)

rannmiller said:


> Okay yeah so any of those brands would be fine for her. What sort of stores do you have in your area?


walmart, petsmart, petco ( petsmart and petco are 2 hrs away but worth the drive if hey have good dog food) and a local petstore lol. well and target too. this town i live in is kind of small and hopeless lol but i think there is a good petstore in the next town also, i dont know what they have, since we got an ad from it recently and havent checked it out


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## Guest (Feb 18, 2009)

I have to agree that Beneful is awful, and I'm glad you want to get Isabella off that food and on something better. All of the brands mentioned above are much much better than Beneful.


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## radicalsam (Feb 18, 2009)

LabbieMama said:


> I have to agree that Beneful is awful, and I'm glad you want to get Isabella off that food and on something better. All of the brands mentioned above are much much better than Beneful.



yea i heard it wasn't a good brand so i looked into it more and ask for advice


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Lol sounds like the town I used to live in! Check your local store, if they don't have any of those brands, then I'd say either make the drive to the Petsmart or Petco or you can always order it online too. But then you usually get charged an arm and a leg for shipping. It's probably more worth it to drive and stock up than order off the internet. 

Avoid any of the food you can find in Walmart and Target unless you find it in the butcher section :wink:


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## radicalsam (Feb 18, 2009)

rannmiller said:


> Lol sounds like the town I used to live in! Check your local store, if they don't have any of those brands, then I'd say either make the drive to the Petsmart or Petco or you can always order it online too. But then you usually get charged an arm and a leg for shipping. It's probably more worth it to drive and stock up than order off the internet.
> 
> Avoid any of the food you can find in Walmart and Target unless you find it in the butcher section :wink:


cool thanks  yea shipping stuff is so expensive. 
and what about pedigree brand?


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## MandyPug (Sep 21, 2008)

There are sites such as Super Premium Dog Food and Dog Treats - Free Shipping have free shipping for purchases over i think $50 or $60... You can get eagle pack and orijen and evo and wellness and lots of other good brands on there.


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## Doc (Jan 17, 2009)

I would not reccomend any dog food that you can buy in a local food market. It's cheap, and nasty - unfortunately.

Stick with Tractor Supply for Taste of the Wild brand - there are some good Diamond products but stay with their Natural line.

No Iams, pukanuba, purina, kibbles and bits, ol roy, pedigree, etc.

Sorry but these brands are junk and can cause all sorts of problems with dogs.


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## PeanutsMommy (Dec 7, 2008)

I have had great results with evo red meat and blue buffalo wilderness but pricey


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

I think Pedigree is excellent food for pigs and garbage cans.


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## TippysMom (Oct 3, 2008)

Doc said:


> No Iams, pukanuba, purina, kibbles and bits, ol roy, pedigree, etc.
> .


Pukanuba! Hahaha That's funny!!!

Radicalsam - it sounds like you live in a place like Clovis! I lived there (once upon a time) and they had nothing! They still don't have much - but Tractor supply. 

I think that PetCo or PetSmart would be worth the drive for you - just stock up when you go.

Good luck!!!


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## Doc (Jan 17, 2009)

I must confess - back in my younger days I fed Pedigree. My dog lived over 13 years. Thank goodness for good genetics! LOL

Tractor Supply around here carries Taste of the Wild and other Diamond brands.


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## PeanutsMommy (Dec 7, 2008)

feed stores are pretty good for having the high quality kibbles


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Unless they're in Elko (rural NV), then the best thing they carry is Nutro. The horrors!


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## PeanutsMommy (Dec 7, 2008)

eh yuck. i think when you have that as one of your only choices...time to research raw 

i am so anti nutro they were hurting my boy's tummy


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Oh I hate Nutro, I personally know of at least 6 dogs including my own, my brother's, and my friend's (who ironically _is_ a Nutro rep). My mom still lives in Elko and has me import either Blue Buffalo or Kirkland brand for her from Reno whenever I come to visit. She won't do raw because it's too inconvenient for her and she doesn't really care nearly as much about her dogs as I care about mine. To each their own I suppose.


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## radicalsam (Feb 18, 2009)

TippysMom said:


> Pukanuba! Hahaha That's funny!!!
> 
> Radicalsam - it sounds like you live in a place like Clovis! I lived there (once upon a time) and they had nothing! They still don't have much - but Tractor supply.
> 
> ...


lol yea....we're stationed at fort riley,kansas. the town were technically in is pretty hopeless lol


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Okay, one food that no one ever mentions is Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul. I know it is a stupid name, but it is a 4 star food on dog food analysis, it's relatively cheap compared to other premium foods, has a decent amount of meat in it although not as much as I would like, and you can get it at most independent pet stores. I'm not sure if Petco and those types sell it. If you buy the cans by the case, they cost about a $1 a can for comparison. It doesn't compare to foods like Orijen but if you are comparing to foods like grocery store brands, I would definetly go with it.


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## radicalsam (Feb 18, 2009)

chowder said:


> Okay, one food that no one ever mentions is Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul.


at first I thought of the books with the Chicken Soup for the Soul names. But i shall look into it


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## EnglishBullTerriers (Sep 10, 2008)

rannmiller said:


> Lol sounds like the town I used to live in! Check your local store, if they don't have any of those brands, then I'd say either make the drive to the Petsmart or Petco or you can always order it online too. But then you usually get charged an arm and a leg for shipping. It's probably more worth it to drive and stock up than order off the internet.
> 
> Avoid any of the food you can find in Walmart and Target unless you find it in the butcher section :wink:


You can also ask your local pet store if they would mind ordering the type of food that you will be feeding. They are more willing to do that for more business. Plus if they get a lot of requests for something specific, they will know more of what their 'supply/demand' is in their area. Just a thought. 
Good luck!


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## ghosthorse (Feb 20, 2009)

:wink:What do you all think of the chicken soup brand Stella was on that when she was younger but kept having loose stools so I tried a few foods and now feed her Nutro Natural Choice for adult she's a 1 year Mastiff. The vet said not to feed her puppy food anymore and that was 6 months or so ago. She is 90 lbs now. thanks Peace to ya


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Chicken Soup is a pretty decent brand actually. I wouldn't touch Nutro with a 10 foot pole and can honestly say I wouldn't feed anymore if it was given to me (seriously, I had a voucher for a free bag and gave it away to a cat rescue lady because I sure as heck was never going to use it). 

The problem with Nutro is that they are extremely grain heavy, their products are taking a turn for the worst where they are using even less meat than before, they use really low quality ingredients like corn gluten meal, soy, and wheat, and something in their food seems to make most of the dogs who eat it sick (I know of at least 6 dogs personally - my own included - who have gotten sick off of it, not to mention many other personal testimonies from random strangers, and consumeraffairs.com has some pretty disturbing stores as well). Oh and they're down sizing their bags while increasing the price while decreasing the amount of meat in it. So all around, Nutro is awful. Not to attack you or anything, just friendly informing. 

If you can go back to Chicken Soup and give that a try again, that would probably be a much better choice for your dogs. However, if you don't want to risk the loose stools you can also try Wellness (PetCo, Pet Supermarket, Scraps, and Healthy Tails carry it), Orijen (Scraps on S. Virginia St. carries it along with Lakeside Animal Hospital), Blue Buffalo (PetCo and Petsmart), Abady (no clue where to get that), Innova [Evo] or California Natural (Scraps and Healthy Tails). 

STELLA!!!! Sorry, I couldn't resist!


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## domari (Jun 17, 2008)

chowder said:


> Okay, one food that no one ever mentions is Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul. I know it is a stupid name, but it is a 4 star food on dog food analysis, it's relatively cheap compared to other premium foods, has a decent amount of meat in it although not as much as I would like, and you can get it at most independent pet stores. I'm not sure if Petco and those types sell it. If you buy the cans by the case, they cost about a $1 a can for comparison. It doesn't compare to foods like Orijen but if you are comparing to foods like grocery store brands, I would definetly go with it.


I've always liked Chicken Soup. I feed it to our cats and recommend it to people who adopt from us. Someone who adopted a kitten from me last week was impressed that Chicken Soup for cats was actually less expensive than Purina, Eukanuba, Iams, and Science Diet which are all junk food. 

Sure it's not top of the line like some of the other brands, but it's a lot better and less expensive than the store bought food. 

We don't have a pet shop close by, but it's sold in the feed store.


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## domari (Jun 17, 2008)

rannmiller said:


> Chicken Soup is a pretty decent brand actually. I wouldn't touch Nutro with a 10 foot pole and can honestly say I wouldn't feed anymore if it was given to me (seriously, I had a voucher for a free bag and gave it away to a cat rescue lady because I sure as heck was never going to use it).
> 
> The problem with Nutro is that they are extremely grain heavy, their products are taking a turn for the worst where they are using even less meat than before, they use really low quality ingredients like corn gluten meal, soy, and wheat, and something in their food seems to make most of the dogs who eat it sick (I know of at least 6 dogs personally - my own included - who have gotten sick off of it, not to mention many other personal testimonies from random strangers, and consumeraffairs.com has some pretty disturbing stores as well). Oh and they're down sizing their bags while increasing the price while decreasing the amount of meat in it. So all around, Nutro is awful. Not to attack you or anything, just friendly informing.
> 
> ...


I fed my dogs Nutro for a while, but they changed it and jacked up the price. Chicken Soup costs less than Nutro does now. In our feed store, Canidae costs the same as Nutro does now. Canidae used to cost a lot more. I don't think Nutro is going to keep a lot of customers for long.


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

domari said:


> I don't think Nutro is going to keep a lot of customers for long.


I sure hope not! That would make me happy :biggrin:

Course it would make me even happier if that happened to SD, Purina and Iams/Eukanuba, and the rest of the Mars foods (Nutro, Pedigree, and Royal Canin) too, but *shrug* I can't get everything I want, I suppose.


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## GDood (Jan 31, 2009)

First post, here goes. 

My girl absolutely adores and thrives on Fromm Four Star Duck and Sweet Potato as well as Pork and Applesauce. She's my first dog and in the 2.5 years I've had her she's been on Iams, Eukanuba, Nutro Ultra, Natural Balance, Merrick Wilderness Blend, Orijen, and finally the Fromm.

Iams, Eukanuba, and Nutro Ultra are terrible but as a first time owner I bought into the marketing. 

Natural Balance is a good food but after a few months she lost interest in it.

Merrick Wilderness Blend is great quality but the meat didn't agree with her. 

Orijen put the weight on her like crazy!!! 

Fromm, so far so good.


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## MandyPug (Sep 21, 2008)

GDood said:


> Orijen put the weight on her like crazy!!! .


You can't blame a food for putting weight on your dog... Honestly, you feed less and exercise your dog more if you're dog is gaining weight.


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## GDood (Jan 31, 2009)

Sure you can.


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## birddog1 (Jan 26, 2009)

My german shorthair has been a picky eater with a sensitive stomach since we have had her. I tried Pro Plan select salmon several months ago and it was the only food she would eat immediately and she didn't have any adverse side reactions. But when I went to buy it a couple months ago the price was had gone up and I started looking at other options. I have tried the Canidae ALS and Chicken Soup brands so far. She has done very well on both and gobbles them right up. Right now I have her on the Chicken Soup and I noticed just this morning she seems like she is shedding more than she has. 

I would like to try some of the other options mentioned here but cost wise I need to watch what I spend. We are a single income family and to top that off everyone at my company had to take a 10% pay cut at the first of the year.


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## Doc (Jan 17, 2009)

If you have a Costco close by, look at the Kirkland Signiture dog food. For the price, its a good product. Diamond Naturals is another - they are both very similar. I had to go the economy route too. You may want to consider a rotation of lower cost with a month of premium kibble. Just a thought. Good luck!


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## Bluedog (Feb 24, 2009)

radicalsam said:


> lol yea....we're stationed at fort riley,kansas. the town were technically in is pretty hopeless lol


I work at Fort Riley.Have you found a good dog food that's inexpensive? I've been looking,but may have to go to Kansas City to Costco,and get Kirkland,or check out the Diamond Naturals at Orchelns. Wonder what the price difference in these two pet foods are?


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## PeanutsMommy (Dec 7, 2008)

MandyPug said:


> You can't blame a food for putting weight on your dog... Honestly, you feed less and exercise your dog more if you're dog is gaining weight.



that is funny. 

if you use a rich food and do not work your dog out and not feed less then of course YOU are the one making your dog fat not the food!
feeding foods like orijen, evo, core etc you dont feed them the same way you would lesser foods


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## Doc (Jan 17, 2009)

Kirkland Signiture Lamb & Rice runs around .55/lb.

Diamond Natural Lamb and Rice runs around .70/lb.


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## Guest (Feb 27, 2009)

MandyPug said:


> There are sites such as Super Premium Dog Food and Dog Treats - Free Shipping have free shipping for purchases over i think $50 or $60... You can get eagle pack and orijen and evo and wellness and lots of other good brands on there.


I did some comparison shopping. This company (K9 Cuisine) overcharges on products to compensate for "free" shipping on products over $50.

Example: 15 lbs. Artemis Fresh Mix Adult Dog dry. K9 Cuisine charges $39.99 (no free shipping since it's under $50); PFD charges $29.99 plus shipping, and my local feed store sells it for $26.50.


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## Doc (Jan 17, 2009)

Check out Alpha Nutrition. They are very resonable on pricing and shipping - especially if in the NE or East coast.


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## StellaLucyDesi (Oct 29, 2008)

Everyone has mentioned good foods. Like the one poster, I also have used Fromm 4-star (whitefish & pot, salmon, chicken) with good results. It is one of my (and my dogs favorite foods). I was using Orijen Senior from Nov. to recently, but my cavalier got a uti/struvite crystals. I am not blaming the food at all! In fact, it worked fantastic! By that I mean, the dogs loved it, with good stools, healthy skin, etc. However, I was always concerned about the high protein for Stella (in the back of my mind). So, I decided to switch to Eagle Pack Holistic Select Anchovy dry and EPHS chicken can. This was what I was using prior to the Orijen. I feel the EPHS is a great food! My dogs love it, too. It is a lower protein, fat and has a lower phosphorus/magnesium and ash content (good for Stella). So, that is what I recommend. 

On another note...since you have a pointer...My daughter has a German Shorthair Pointer and she has been eating Solid Gold Wolfcub/king all her life. She is doing fantastic! In fact, her vet says she is a perfect specimen of the breed. I almost chose a Solid Gold food as well, over the EPHS, for the dogs and Stella's urinary issues, but went with the EPHS because I knew they already did well on it. I do use Solid Gold supplements, however, (seameal and berry blend). Whatever you choose, switch slowly, and good luck!


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