# Sticky  Top five dog food brands



## Michelle

If you had to pick the top 5 dog food brands which ones would they be?


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## BoxerMommie

(not in order)

Wellness
Solid Gold
Natural Balance
California Natural
Innova


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## Jacksie2006

Innova Evo
Wellness Core
Nature's Variety
Merrick Before Grain
GO natural

Just my oppinion, not in order


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## rannmiller

Orijen
Innova Evo
Wellness Core
Blue Buffalo Wilderness
California Natural


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## Apdfranklin

Wellness Core
Natures Variety
Innova Evo
Orijen
Cal. Natural


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## Snowden

Orijen
Innova Evo
Wellness Core
Blue Buffalo Wilderness
Solid Gold


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## LoveNewfies

Ziwi Peak
Orijen
Evo
Addiction
Nature's Variety Instinct


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## e she i

orijen
wellness
innova/ evo
solid gold
merrick


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## Apdfranklin

This is off topic but I can't help but stare at your Avatar... 


e she i said:


> orijen
> wellness
> innova/ evo
> solid gold
> merrick


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## Guest

Artemis
Orijen
Natural Balance
Canidae
Solid Gold


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## chowder

I totally agree with Boxermommie. My pup eats Innova, Orijen, Solid Gold, and Merrick, which are all highly rated foods, but any of them will make my Lhasa Apso horribly sick. She can only eat Wellness Venison and Sweet Potato or (don't kill me here) Natures Recipe Venison and Rice. I am going to try her on Natures Variety Venison as soon as it arrives to get her off the Natures Recipe but if it is too high in protein, it will make her sick. Some dogs just can't handle the 6 star foods. She has made it 11 years on those two foods so even though I would like to feed her the others, I stick with what I know works for her.


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## 3feathers

Orijen
Blue Buffalo Wilderness
Merrick BG
Timberwolf Organics
Innova


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## StellaLucyDesi

My top 5 choices are:

1. Eagle Pack Holistic Select
2. FROMM 4-star
3. Innova
4. Merrick
5. Avoderm


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## Snowrider25

In no particular order:

Orijen
Wellness
Innova
Solid Gold
Merrick


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## snoopified

Orijen
Innova Evo
Blue Buffalo Wilderness
Wellness Core
California Natural


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## juradia

*Pet food NOW! and GO!*

Hello to all, I am new in the forum and Black Russian Terrier bred. I would like knowing which it is your opinion about the meal for Petcurean dogs and specifically the NOW! and GO!. Thank you very much
Juradia


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## rannmiller

They both seem like pretty decent brands. A little light on the meat content though.


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## attackofthebear

Taste of the wild
Innova Evo
Wellness core
Solid gold barking at the moon
Orijen


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## mederic24

*Dog Foods*

Innova
California Natural 
Merrick
Wellness
Orijen


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## wlgjallen

Wellness,Fromm, Innova, Canidae,Chicken Soup


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## selfservepetspa

Primal Raw
Orijen
ZiwiPeak
Acana
Innova EVO


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## LoyalBiscuit

Orijen
Honest Kitchen
California Natural
Innova (and EVO)
Acana


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## LabradorRetriever2009

Artemis Maximal Dog
Blue Wilderness
GO Natural Grain Free Canine
Horizon Legacy Adult Canine
Horizon Legacy Puppy


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## LabradorRetriever2009

BoxerMommie said:


> (not in order)
> 
> Wellness
> Solid Gold
> Natural Balance
> California Natural
> Innova


Wellness CORE is the only really good Wellness brands out there.I really dont like the other Wellness brands because they dont use enough meat and use fillers.


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## claybuster

1) Abady Maintenance and Stress granular
2) Abady BASIC maintenance granular
*3) Abady "classic" granular*
4) Abady Allstar N.P.F. (Raw)
5) Abady High Stress/High Performance (Raw)


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## Postal

Plymouth2009 said:


> Top Dry Foods:
> 
> 1. Artemis Maximal Dog
> 2. Blue Wilderness
> 3. GO Natural Grain Free Canine
> 4. Horizon Legacy Adult Canine
> 5. Horizon Legacy Puppy





LabradorRetriever2009 said:


> Artemis Maximal Dog
> Blue Wilderness
> GO Natural Grain Free Canine
> Horizon Legacy Adult Canine
> Horizon Legacy Puppy


Aww, you two must be lab partners in school!!! How cuuuuuttteee!!!!


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## SeniorDogs

1. Artemis Maximal Dog
2. Blue Wilderness
3. Go Natural Grain Free Canine
4. Horizon Legacy Adult Canine
5. Horizon Legacy Puppy


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## Postal

SeniorDogs said:


> 1. Artemis Maximal Dog
> 2. Blue Wilderness
> 3. Go Natural Grain Free Canine
> 4. Horizon Legacy Adult Canine
> 5. Horizon Legacy Puppy


RFD!!! This guy is back!


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## Doc

*top 5*

Abady Stress & Maint.
Honest Kitchen
Orijen Adult
Orijen LBP
Cussick's Diet Specific German Shepherd Diet


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## STPFAN

Orijen
Taste of the Wild
Nature's Variety
Blue Buffalo
Acana Sport and Agility


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## Cajun

Oven-Baked Tradition
Wellness
Go
Fromm
Evo


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## ChattyCathy

claybuster said:


> 1) Abady Maintenance and Stress granular
> 2) Abady BASIC maintenance granular
> *3) Abady "classic" granular*
> 4) Abady Allstar N.P.F. (Raw)
> 5) Abady High Stress/High Performance (Raw)


I didn't see it in any other post... but I was just wondering if you work for Abady? You seem to really like it. :biggrin:


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## ChattyCathy

Although I've only tried two of the brands on my list, according to my research I like the following brands, not in order...

Wellness Core
Innova Evo
Blue Buffalo Wilderness
California Natural
Merricks

However, I have had to switch to a lower protein food and am now trying Ultra Natural Balance.


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## claybuster

ChattyCathy said:


> I didn't see it in any other post... but I was just wondering if you work for Abady? You seem to really like it. :biggrin:


No, but often acccused!


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## TJ99959

Thats all right, I keep getting accused of working for Purina (where is that ROFL smiley when you need it)


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## rannmiller

I may have missed this or just forgotten, but what do you feed your dogs?


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## TJ99959

rannmiller said:


> I may have missed this or just forgotten, but what do you feed your dogs?


Our show dogs are all on Purina ONE
Main reason is our win ratio went up a full 30% when we switched to that diet. I also add Black Gold Dog Forte if hunting the beagles in sub zero conditions.
My field trial dog is on Pro-Plan Performance during the trial/hunting seasons,
I also add Black Gold Dog Forte if the temp or humidity is really high at trials/hunt tests,
and Purina One during the off season. 

With the boarding we use Black Gold Trainers Blend, because we almost never find a dog that won't tolerate it. The idea being to cause as few loose stools or other problems as possible.
The high stress and varying diets of boarding dogs can be really problematic, and 36 dogs with the squirts can get really exciting


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## GDood

Fromm
Innova
Merrick
Precise
GO

I'm not a fan of grain free kibble, I've seen many very active dogs, including my own, gain a lot of weight on it.


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## mono_case

*healthy pet food*

hi i make my own home made healthy pet food, everyday snacks and food and also doggie cakes and pupcicles. i would offer free p&p do you think that people would be interested? giving your pet 100% natural products increases their life by 134% and is also great for pets with food allergies


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## Kristina97

The best foods are Artemis Maximal Dog, GO Natural Grain Free Canine, Horizon Legacy, Innova EVO, Blue Wildnerness, Instinct, Orijen, Taste of the Wild, and Wellness Core. I can't think of anything negative about these foods; they are all wonderful! The only thing about Orijen Adult, is that because of the high protein content, it wouldn't be suitable for puppies. But, if you read the "adult" label, most people should be fine. hahaha Actually...now that I go back and look at the ingredients and GA of the Orijen bags, all of them seem to be too high in protein for puppies! The Orijen 6 Fresh Fish would be fine for puppies though. The others should be fine for all pups, excpet the GIANT breeds. So, if you have a giant breed pup and want to feed Orijen: stick with the Fresh Fish formula. The TOTW High Prairie food does have some mixed quality ingredients, but the amount of meat and lack of grains makes up for that four times over. The same with the Wetlands formula, but again, it is still one of the best foods. The other wonderful ingredients and high quantity of meat easily make up for the few mixed quality ingredients. I can't say that anything bad about the other foods though. The others are 110% perfect. Orijen and TOTW are about 99.5% perfect!


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## Unosmom

Acana
Orijen
Pinnacle ( peak protein and chicken/oats formulas)
Wellness Core
Blue Buffalo Wilderness


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## Doc

Orijen is an outstanding kibble. They make puppy blends also. I have feed adults and pups Orijen with no adverse problems. I think if you have no experience using a product, you should abstain from editorializing about it. The charge of too much protein for a pup is hogwash. And don't start on the calcium/phosphorus ratios. 

From personal experience, I would feed Orijen kibble to adults and puppies before trying any other kibble. This is based on experience, not judging a kibble based on its label.


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## Pembroke Welsh Corgi

I am getting a pembroke welsh corgi puppy male and was wondering what food you guys think would be best for him? I read everyone's posts on the top 5 brands but if anyone has any "corgi" tailored suggestions I would be grateful. Thanks.


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## CorgiPaws

Pembroke Welsh Corgi said:


> I am getting a pembroke welsh corgi puppy male and was wondering what food you guys think would be best for him? I read everyone's posts on the top 5 brands but if anyone has any "corgi" tailored suggestions I would be grateful. Thanks.



I'm not sure if you'd call it "corgi tailored" but I currently am the proud mommy of a 6 month old male PWC named Grissom. I started him out on Wellness Just for Puppy, and he did wonderful on it. For convenience and economical reasons, I am in the process of switching him to Innova Puppy, and he's doing fantastic there too. So, I suggest either of those, and you should definately post some pictures of the pup in the picture secton when you get him!!!

But to stick to the origional post, my favorites are (in no particular order)

1. Wellness Super5Mix
2. Wellness Core
3. Innova
4. Evo
5. Canidae/ California Natural (not because I think they're fantastic in general, but because they were fantastic for my dog.)


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## Pembroke Welsh Corgi

CorgiPaws said:


> I'm not sure if you'd call it "corgi tailored" but I currently am the proud mommy of a 6 month old male PWC named Grissom. I started him out on Wellness Just for Puppy, and he did wonderful on it. For convenience and economical reasons, I am in the process of switching him to Innova Puppy, and he's doing fantastic there too. So, I suggest either of those, and you should definately post some pictures of the pup in the picture secton when you get him!!!
> 
> But to stick to the origional post, my favorites are (in no particular order)
> 
> 1. Wellness Super5Mix
> 2. Wellness Core
> 3. Innova
> 4. Evo
> 5. Canidae/ California Natural (not because I think they're fantastic in general, but because they were fantastic for my dog.)


Thanks a bunch. I appreciate you sharing your personal preference with me...I have been leaning to the Innova so leaning more towards it now hehehe.


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## Scarlett's Mum

GDood said:


> Fromm
> Innova
> Merrick
> Precise
> GO
> 
> I'm not a fan of grain free kibble, I've seen many very active dogs, including my own, gain a lot of weight on it.


It's because you're overfeeding.

Orijen
Acana
Fromm
Evo
Taste of the Wild


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## Scarlett's Mum

Kristina97 said:


> The best foods are Artemis Maximal Dog, GO Natural Grain Free Canine, Horizon Legacy, Innova EVO, Blue Wildnerness, Instinct, Orijen, Taste of the Wild, and Wellness Core. I can't think of anything negative about these foods; they are all wonderful! The only thing about Orijen Adult, is that because of the high protein content, it wouldn't be suitable for puppies. But, if you read the "adult" label, most people should be fine. hahaha Actually...now that I go back and look at the ingredients and GA of the Orijen bags, all of them seem to be too high in protein for puppies! The Orijen 6 Fresh Fish would be fine for puppies though. The others should be fine for all pups, excpet the GIANT breeds. So, if you have a giant breed pup and want to feed Orijen: stick with the Fresh Fish formula. The TOTW High Prairie food does have some mixed quality ingredients, but the amount of meat and lack of grains makes up for that four times over. The same with the Wetlands formula, but again, it is still one of the best foods. The other wonderful ingredients and high quantity of meat easily make up for the few mixed quality ingredients. I can't say that anything bad about the other foods though. The others are 110% perfect. Orijen and TOTW are about 99.5% perfect!


I have no problem feeding Orijen 6 Fresh Fish to my great dane puppy. Remember that it's not protein CONTENT that matters, but protein SOURCE. All dogs are genetically programmed to digest raw meat proteins, not grain proteins. The only reason I'm not feeding the regular Adult formula (which is actually lower in protein and fat than the 6 Fresh Fish) is because my pup can't tolerate chicken.


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## Doc

Honest Kitchen
Abady
Orijen
Natural Balance
Kirkland Signature


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## deepalisnis

My favorites are....
Natural Balance.
Acana. 
Orijen. 
Wellness Core.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom

1. The Honest Kitchen ( not kibble... dehydrated raw)

2. Acana

3. Fromm 

4. Innova

5. Eagle Pack HOLISTIC line


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## cnemikeman

Orijen
Honest Kitchen
Taste of the Wild
Evo


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## cnemikeman

NOT Old Roy.


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## henry52

*give vitalin a go*

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've just started feeding my greyhound the Vitalin adult maintenance diet which is a complete food and she loves it. She was suffering with a really dry coat and it seems to have made her skin and coat better too, she's stopped scratching so much which is good  They do quite a lot of foods with a sensitive and puppy and a bitch diet too which is good and the prices are really good too. I was feeding mine james wellbeloved but it became too expensive, this seems to be a much cheaper option but same quality, i shopped around for mine and the best price I could find was at www.luxurypetstore.co.uk/pet_food.html . its worth trying it with your dog .


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## jadelee

I am not sure as for strict order but i choose these ones: 
Solid Gold
California Natural
Natural Balance
Innova
Wellness


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## fasteddy

1. Acana

2. Orijen

3. Now

4. Taste of the Wild

5. Evo


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## Shamrockmommy

No Particular order:
PetGuard Lifespan 
California Natural
Innova
Solid Gold
Eagle Pack Holistic


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## StellaLucyDesi

Since last year, my top 5 foods have changed somewhat, so I thought I'd repost. 

1. Orijen
2. Acana
3. FROMM 4-Star Surf & Turf
4. Wellness CORE Reduced Fat
5. TOTW


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## rjc

Nutro Ultra
Wellness
Blue Buffalo
Innova
Natural Balance


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## schooby

Orijen
Natures Variety
Wellness Core
Evo
Solid Gold


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## sagira

Wellness
Innova
Nature's Variety
Merrick
Canidae


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## malluver1005

Not in any order:

1. Orijen
2. Acana
3. Innova Evo
4. Blue Buffalo
5. Taste of the Wild


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## PUNKem733

1. Ziwipeak
2. Orijen
3. Evo
4. Horizon Legacy
5. Wellness core/Nature's Variety Instinct


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## emmy250h

Ziwi peak
Orijen/Acana
Evo/Innova
Solid Gold
Wellness


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## Baxter

Rotations
Taste of the Wild
Solid Gold
Canidae
Natural Balance


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## ruckusluvr

natural balance removed the "meal" ingredient and is now mostly grain, or potatoes 

the first ingredient is no longer meat


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## StellaLucyDesi

IMO (concerning my dogs) and in no particular order:

1. Nature's Variety
2. Orijen/Acana
3. Fromm 4-Star
4. Wellness CORE
5. TIE....Merrick, Eagle Pack Holistic Select


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## Todd

Again, not in any particular order;

*EVO
INSTINCT
ORIJEN
TIMBERWOLF ORGANICS
WELLNESS CORE*


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## Todd

LoveNewfies said:


> Ziwi Peak
> Orijen
> Evo
> Addiction
> Nature's Variety Instinct


Just bought some Ziwi treats for my dog. Should be a pretty healthy snack! :biggrin:


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## Atti'sMommy

This a question for all. I read all your posts and started checking the actual websites for these foods. I noticed that EVO does not have a puppy formula. Do people give their dogs the regular formula or just wait till they are older?


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## Unosmom

If you want to stick with the same brand, feed regular Innova puppy and then slowly transition to Evo once the dog reaches adulthood. 
There are grain free formulas on the market formulated for puppies such as Orijen, horizon legacy and acana provincial (which is an ALS food).


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## Vrod85

*TOP 5 dog food brands*

This is NOT in any order at all:

-Mulligans
-Orijen & Acana (made by the same people)
-Precise
-Enhance
-Merrick's Before Grain

All of these dog food brands are ALL natural and organic. They're a little pricy that regular dog food that you'll find at your local food store, but have you ever thought why those brands are SO CHEAP?


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## Atti'sMommy

Not to sound like an idiot, but what is ALS?

I really liked what I read about Acana, but there are not any local sellers in my area so I think I will start with the Orijen.


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## malluver1005

Atti'sMommy said:


> Not to sound like an idiot, but what is ALS?
> 
> I really liked what I read about Acana, but there are not any local sellers in my area so I think I will start with the Orijen.


My personal opinion, Orijen is better than Acana. I have tried my dog on Acana and he did excellent. But, he does better on Orijen. Evo is what he's on right now, and to me, this is better than both Orijen and Acana.


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## Gwyn

*Orijen Dog Food*

Hi,
I am new to the forum and following this one with interest. I have a 9 month old Standard poodle who has been on Orijen Puppy since weaning. She is doing well and I am very happy with her growth rate and overall health. During the winters here, she is less active then in Spring and fall. With the lowered level of activity, should I be changing to a lower protein food or mixing one of the lower protein ones with the Orijen? There has been concern about the high protein content and growing too fast but my Vet encouraged us to stay with the Orijen, saying he has other dogs on it and he is overall very happy with the results. Just throwing this out there to see what you all think.


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## Todd

Gwyn said:


> Hi,
> I am new to the forum and following this one with interest. I have a 9 month old Standard poodle who has been on Orijen Puppy since weaning. She is doing well and I am very happy with her growth rate and overall health. During the winters here, she is less active then in Spring and fall. With the lowered level of activity, should I be changing to a lower protein food or mixing one of the lower protein ones with the Orijen? There has been concern about the high protein content and growing too fast but my Vet encouraged us to stay with the Orijen, saying he has other dogs on it and he is overall very happy with the results. Just throwing this out there to see what you all think.


First of all, I wouldn't mix Origin with a lower protein food. Most lower protein foods contain grain, which digests at a different rate than grain-less foods like Origin, which can cause digestive upset. I would stick with Origin, and just feed a lower amount of food when she is not as active.


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## Guest

Atti'sMommy said:


> Not to sound like an idiot, but what is ALS?


ALS stands for All Life Stages.


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## Unosmom

Malluver- I dont consider acana (provincial) to be lesser of a quality its just differently formulated, not all dogs do well on high protein, its best suited for highly active or working dogs. Right now Uno is on Horizon legacy and even though he's very active and gets a lot of exercise he always puts on couple lbs on the high protein foods no matter how much I reduce the ammount. So after I'm done with this bag, we'll be going back to acana which he loves just as much and stays trim on it.


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## Gwyn

*Acana VS Orijen*

Hello Again,
Just a question about the switch to Acana. My Stnd. poodle is on Orijen but soon to switch to an adult food. She is fairly active but I don't think enough at this point to warrant the high protein food. I have been adding Acana gradually to her Orijen puppy but have noticed a stool change. She goes more often with the addition of the Acana and the consistency is softer. Have anyone noticed such a change? Otherwise, she is quite happy to eat the Acana. 
I will throw this out as well. I have heard there is an independent rating scale the says the Kirkland Signature Adult Chicken and Rice is rated a 5 star along with the Acana. I don't know anyone who is using the Kirkland but it is sold at Costco and is significantly cheaper than the Acana. I am not in a place where I need to worry about food costs and I know that I have had no vet contact in the almost year I have had the dog other than the origional shots. If this is due to the Orijen, she will be staying on it.
Looking forward to some discussion.


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## CorgiPaws

Gwyn said:


> Hello Again,
> I have been adding Acana gradually to her Orijen puppy but have noticed a stool change. She goes more often with the addition of the Acana and the consistency is softer. Have anyone noticed such a change? Otherwise, she is quite happy to eat the Acana.


This is normal during any transition between any two foods. Just keep the transition slow, and give it time. 



Gwyn said:


> I will throw this out as well. I have heard there is an independent rating scale the says the Kirkland Signature Adult Chicken and Rice is rated a 5 star along with the Acana.



Kirkland is significantly better than anything else in its price range. I don't know that I would say that it is as high of quality as Acana, but it's definately a good value. With that said, if you have good results with the Acana, and can afford it, no need to switch to Kirkland.



Gwyn said:


> I don't know anyone who is using the Kirkland but it is sold at Costco and is significantly cheaper than the Acana.


My foster is on Kirkland right now. I buy a bag of the chicken and a bag of the lamb and mix them. 
Origionally it was temporary as I was in a bind wedding planning and moving... but I have been suprisingly impressed with the results. I was dreadding the switch from the canidae he was on, and felt guilty even... but his stools and coat are more impressive on Kirkland. Money isn't as much of an object now. Not sure if I could afford to feed him Evo right now, but I could definately go back to Canidae... but with thee results, price aside, I don't think I want to.


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## Jordan S.

Michelle said:


> If you had to pick the top 5 dog food brands which ones would they be?


1. Ziwi Peak
2. Orijen
3. EVO
4. Natures Variety
5. Wellness.


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## goujon

Orijen
Blue Buffalo
Halo
Innova
Dogswell


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## Khan

Just like in my last post. I would suggest you take a look at the publication The Whole Dog Journal. They will compare the ingredients to almost all the foods everyone has listed. They put them all in one place so no going from site to site.


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## Waggers

RedMoon Custom Pet Food
Horizon Legacy
Evo
Orijen
Wellness Core


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## ruckusluvr

Khan said:


> Just like in my last post. I would suggest you take a look at the publication The Whole Dog Journal. They will compare the ingredients to almost all the foods everyone has listed. They put them all in one place so no going from site to site.


I disagreed with WDJ on a lot of their dog food choices.


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## stef7654

Party Animal
Tiki Dog
Addiction
Orijen
EVO


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## 1605

stef7654 said:


> Party Animal
> Tiki Dog
> Addiction
> Orijen
> EVO


Well, I had a hard time finding any neutral reviews on Party Animal, Tiki Dog or Addiction. Mostly they seem to be on websites that sell the product. You wouldn't happen to be associated with any of these distributors/resellers, would you?

FYI, I finally was able to locate them here: Dog Food. Expensive!


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## Shamrockmommy

Updating:
Best five foods "on paper"
Orijen
PetGuard
Solid Gold
Innova
Nature's Variety

Best foods based on "performance" with my own dogs:
PetGuard 
4Health Lamb/Rice
California Natural Lamb/Rice

My bichons do best on PetGuard- they react to everthing else- and I've tried a TON of foods. 
My minpin has had a lifelong problem digesting higher end foods. Recenty switched him to 4Health Lamb/Rice at TSC and he has, for the first time ever, solid poop! Seems silly but after 14 years of scooping up mush poo in the yard, it' snice to just have a turd roll to pick up!


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## random

*Top 5*

Earthborn Primitive Naturals

Taste of the Wild

Innova

Blue Buffalo

Orijen


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## KateDesiraeReid

Innova
Merrick Before Grain
Wellness Core
California Natural
Orijen


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## kevin bradley

1. Orijen(Champion)
2. Evo(Natura)
Ok, I found some additions to my list...
3. Acana
4. Innova Adult
5. Healthwise(for those on a strict budget)


(Still trying to find companies that deserve to be near the above 2)


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## Pacific Sun

*The Truth About Pet Food*

I registered here just to reply to this question. The responders have it partly right. Orijen and Wellness Core are dependable in terms of the integrity of their ingredients. Integrity determines the quality of the ingredients used and the manufacturing standards. Responders are also using subjective experience in terms of what works for their own dog and their own breed. I am not selling anything. I am not making money from anything as this is a non-profit site. But for in depth research about individual dog food brands via their individual ingredients, visit The Truth About Pet Food. It is an "eye opener" to everything you've assumed about the most publicized brands. Note: viewing details about pet food brands takes an additional "password". But the site can give you more information about how to do it:smile:.


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## kevin bradley

you wouldn't be referring to Life's Abundance Food, would you? 

Most of what I've researched on it indicate a decent food yet extremely high priced and not comparable to Orijen or Evo.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5

orijen,evo,,canidae.


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## SaltyDog

Pacific Sun said:


> I registered here just to reply to this question. The responders have it partly right. Orijen and Wellness Core are dependable in terms of the integrity of their ingredients. Integrity determines the quality of the ingredients used and the manufacturing standards. Responders are also using subjective experience in terms of what works for their own dog and their own breed. I am not selling anything. I am not making money from anything as this is a non-profit site. But for in depth research about individual dog food brands via their individual ingredients, visit The Truth About Pet Food. It is an "eye opener" to everything you've assumed about the most publicized brands. Note: viewing details about pet food brands takes an additional "password". But the site can give you more information about how to do it:smile:.


I'm baffled by one thing in this statement. You used Wellness Core and Integrity in the same sentence. Wellness Core is made by American Nutrtion (Atta Boy!) the very opposite of Integrity.


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## CorgiPaws

SaltyDog said:


> I'm baffled by one thing in this statement. You used Wellness Core and Integrity in the same sentence. Wellness Core is made by American Nutrtion (Atta Boy!) the very opposite of Integrity.


The difference is, wellness has reps that supervise production, and they are also one of VERY few pet food companies that test the final product. 
So, considering it's inspected upon completion, I don't see why it matters so much where it's made with the quality of ingredients and final inspection.


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## beagle10

This post is so old! Anyway my 5 favorites (for my dog's digestion and not just the label) are Honest Kitchen (Keen & Thrive), Pinnacle Duck, Castor & Pollux Organix, Wellness Core (Ocean), Merrick Before Grain.


----------



## chelle

What do you think of Blue Buffalo? Not the wilderness though.


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## sal101011

Orijen
Acana
Fromm
Evo
Instinct (Natures Variety)

*not in order


----------



## sal101011

i like Blue Buffalo, but didnt reach my top 5, the only reason is when i tried it on my rotties, for some reason, they would leave a lot of the Life Source bits within the dry food, blue claims that the life source bits is something that contains many of their vitamins and minerals, but what good is that if the dog wont eat them. We all know all dogs are different, so, just because my rotties wont eat them doesnt mean all dogs wont. other than that, i like their ingredients, id rather go with a grain free food though


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## Jody

*senior dogs - my first post*

I just had my senior dogs in to the vet. Both had mammary tumors. My 7 yr old worries me most as she hasn't had puppies. My old gal is 13 and has had tumors removed 3 yrs ago, and she had 3 litters. I am changing foods - I ordered Orijen senior. They are on Kirkland right now and do ok - if you don't count the tumors. I am doing the so slow change. I did offer my picky old gal a kibble of the Orijen and she took it, and loved it. If I did that with any other kibble she would have taken it - so as not to hurt my feelings, roll it around in her mouth and drop it. She wanted more Orijen. I do worry about the richness of this food. The old gal is not active, she strools around, the 7 yr old gets around so I'm not so worried about her.
Any ideas what would be best for my senior girls? BTW they are Cavaliers.
Jody


----------



## buddy97

Orijen
Acana Provincials
Natures Logic
Wellness Core

i really like the philosiphy of Natures Logic and their aversion to using chemically synthesized vitamins, minerals and amino acids which are produced in chemical plants. my german shepherd is intolerant to all grains, except millet, which is what NL uses. i can feed her less of NL in comparison to Orijen, EVO, anything... and keep her lean and well muscled. 

my only complaint is that it is difficult to find any local sources. i would like to see this company penetrate the market more.


----------



## List

Top 5 Grain Free:
Orijen (I think the Regional Red is great)
Horizon Legacy
Go! Grain Free
Acana
Evo


Top 5 Grain Inclusive:
Go! Naturals
Fromms(5 star)
Acana
Innova
Nature's Variety


----------



## River Aspen

*Have you ever heard of VeRus?*

I have two chocolate labs - one with allergies and a breeder recently recommended VeRus Advanced Opticoat for her. It has Menhaden Fish Meal listed as it's main ingredient. Any opinions on this food?


----------



## PUNKem733

> Menhaden Fish Meal, Potato, Ground Barley, Ground Oats, Beet Pulp, Menhaden Fish Oil
> (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Ascorbic Acid and Rosemary Extract), Flaxseed Oil, Dried
> Kelp, Garlic, Salt, Parsley, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Choline Chloride,
> Flaxseed Meal, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin B-12
> Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, d-Calcium
> Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine
> Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite.


Also Protein is only at 22%. I wouldn't touch this food personally. I really don't like the ingredient list in this also. I'd just stick to the foods that are in most of these lists in this thread.


----------



## River Aspen

Thanks sooo much! This was my gut reaction too once I read the ingredient list, but the breeder said it was awesome food and that this is all he feeds his dogs (who actually are beautiful healthy appearing animals). But I have heard that beet pulp is bad as well as some of the other ingredients. Any suggestions on a good limited ingredient food (for a dog with allergies)? She is currently on prescription Hills D/D Venison & Potato - but I recently heard that this is bad too.


----------



## Unosmom

I couldnt access the SD site to look up the ingridients, but from what I recall, presription diets are the worst. 

A lot of people have had good results with California Natural, its a limited ingridient diet for dogs with multiple allergies.

California Natural Dog Food, Natural Cat Food & Nutritious Dog Treats – Natura Pet Products


DO you know what your dog is allergic to? if its something like corn or chicken, I personally would try a grain free food with a unique protein source such as fish, venison or duck. and then if its too rich for dogs stomach, go with california natural. 

You may want to look into Wellness core ocean, taste of the wild pacific stream, natures variety instinct rabbit just the few that I can think of now. 

I normally would reccomend something like oriejen/acan/evo, but its a very high protein kibble(except acana) with a ton of ingridients which can cause digestive upsets in sensitive dogs, so I would put this on hold for now and see how your dog does with simpler formulas.


----------



## River Aspen

Super - thanks for the great advice. I know she is allergic to both chicken and beef. She's been doing well with both venison & potato and duck& potato mixtures. I'll look into one of your recommendations that offers either of those. Another quick question - we are getting a new pup in June - any suggestions on what would be a good puppy food - last time I used Eukanuba, but have heard that's not great.


----------



## Unosmom

Theres a lot of good foods out there, it all depends on your budget, as I mentioned previously Orijen is probably the highest rated kibble right now, its grain free, only made with fresh local ingridients, a bit expensive, but very nutrient dense, so generally dogs eat less of it then other brands. 

If youre looking for something slightly less protein, theres also Acana Provincial, its made by the same company as Orijen, slightly less expensive, but still good quality. 

heres a link to orijen store locator:
Orijen

Champion Petfoods | ACANA | Locator

Few other ones I like would be Horizon Legacy, Innova, Natures Variety and Wellness, but it doesent really matter what I consider to best, it all comes down what the dog does well on.


----------



## River Aspen

True! The nice thing is that thanks to this website and feedback from folks like yourself, I now have a handful of truly good products that I can try my girls on as opposed to just going with what my vet puts her on. I have heard from a lot of folks that vets unfortunately are not the best people to get dog nutrition advice from. Thanks again!


----------



## DaneMama

Ingredient list for Hill's d/d Venison and Potato formula:

Potato, Potato Starch, Venison, Potato Protein, Pork Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Soybean Oil (preserved with BHA, propyl gallate and citric acid), Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Powdered Cellulose, Venison Meal, Fish Oil, Iodized Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), DL-Methionine, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

Ingredient list for Hill's g/d:

Brewers Rice, Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Dried Egg Product, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Flaxseed, Soybean Oil (preserved with BHA, propyl gallate and citric acid), Chicken Liver Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Pork Protein Isolate, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Iodized Salt, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols & Citric Acid, Rosemary Extract.

Neither of which has a good ingredient list. Although there are worse foods that SD/PD out there, these are definitely subpar. Unosmom has provided some great info, just thought I would post up the info for these ones since it would be good to compare them.


----------



## RCTRIPLEFRESH5

List said:


> Top 5 Grain Free:
> Orijen (I think the Regional Red is great)
> Horizon Legacy
> Go! Grain Free
> Acana
> Evo
> 
> 
> Top 5 Grain Inclusive:
> Go! Naturals
> Fromms(5 star)
> Acana
> Innova
> Nature's Variety


acana is grained free.
my lst ius...

canidae grain free
wellness core(shane LOVES THE TASTE LOVES IT...)
innoca evo herring...cant wait to try this..no potatoes...
orijen red...would like to try this one.


----------



## River Aspen

Thanks so much! This is a great comparison and really points out what you guys were saying and supports all the stuff that I have recently been reading and finding out. I'm excited to switch my girls to a much better product - and it's nice to have some good options in case one doesn't work out.


----------



## SaltyDog

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> acana is grained free.
> my lst ius...
> 
> canidae grain free
> wellness core(shane LOVES THE TASTE LOVES IT...)
> innoca evo herring...cant wait to try this..no potatoes...
> orijen red...would like to try this one.



Acana has both a line of grain free and a line of grained food. In fact the line with grains is much larger than the grain free line.


----------



## SaltyDog

My New Top 5 List

1. The Honest Kitchen
2. Evo
3. Orijen
4. Canine Caviar
5. Acana


----------



## River Aspen

*Food Decision*

Okay - after some great advice from several of you, I decided to put my 12 yr old lab (who has been on Hills G/D) on Wellness Super 5 Seniors and my 5 yr old lab (who has allergies and is on Hills D/D Venison & Potato) on Natural Balance LID. I have not started the transition yet, but was wondering if anyone has any "high alerts" before I start the transition. It's so hard doing this cuz you want to give them the best food for them, but everyone has a different opinion.


----------



## Unosmom

its a slight step up, the issue that I have with senior formulas, is that in order to reduce the ammount of fat, they have to cut out the meat, so the food is very grainy, even though meat is listed as the first ingridient, it actually isnt since the ingridients are listed prior to extrusion process and meat is 80% water, one its baked, it goes down the list. 

So the main ingridients become whatever grains follow it. For example, heres the ingridient list:

Deboned Chicken, Oatmeal, Ground Barley, Rye Flour, Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Tomato Pomace, Deboned Whitefish, Rice Bran, Natural Chicken Flavor, Tomatoes, Ground Flaxseed, Ground Millet, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a natural source
of Vitamin E), Carrots, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries,

So you see, once the chicken goes down the list, its mostly oatmeal and barley. When you look at the food you should see a named meat, followed by a named meat meal (for example, chicken, chicken meal, oatmeal.. etc). 

Another thing, is that you want to aim for at least 26% protein, wellness is only 22%, which is very low. If you want to feed wellness, they do have a great grain free line called wellness core, you could try the reduced fat version, which is great for senior dogs. 


As far as natural balance goes, its not any better, most people on this board dont care for NB due to very high carb content and almost no meat. 

Does your dog has to be strictly on venison formula?

Addiction makes a great grain free venison kibble:
Venison Meal, Dried Potatoes, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavors, Dried Egg, Dried Kelp, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dried Carrots, Dried Cranberries, Dried Apples, Dried Spinach, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Brewers Dried Yeast, Lecithin, 

Addiction Dry Food - Viva La Venison

Have you tried any of the fish formulas I mentioned previously? fish is a very low allergen and its especially good for dogs with allergies and skin issues due to higher concentration of omega 3's. 

Sorry for making it too confusing, but I hope this helps.


----------



## Unosmom

Something else I forgot to mention, a lot of small stores/boutique and even feed stores offer free samples, so instead of wasting money on trying new foods that dont work, its a great option. Granted, its more of a taste test then anything, but its still a good indication of palatibility. 
It doesent cost stores anything to get the samples in, so dont be afraid to ask them, since some places will have it hiding behind the counters. 

Also, if you email the manufacturer, most will send you free samples and/or coupons. I know taste of the wild does, Wellness has a monthly newsletter with coupons in the email, heres a link to this months coupon:
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Wellness-dry-us2.pdf

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Wellness-us-cans2.pdf


Natures Variety has a great 1 time BOGO offer, just register and they'll send you a coupon to your email. 
Come to think of it, they have a venison formula

Prairie: New Zealand Venison Meal & Millet Medley: Kibble Diet for Dogs | Nature's Variety

and heres a link to a coupon registration:
Try It - Registration | Nature's Variety


----------



## RCTRIPLEFRESH5

i fee lweird asking for samples of evo and oprijen...i doubt my store even has them....


----------



## SaltyDog

River Aspen said:


> Okay - after some great advice from several of you, I decided to put my 12 yr old lab (who has been on Hills G/D) on Wellness Super 5 Seniors and my 5 yr old lab (who has allergies and is on Hills D/D Venison & Potato) on Natural Balance LID. I have not started the transition yet, but was wondering if anyone has any "high alerts" before I start the transition. It's so hard doing this cuz you want to give them the best food for them, but everyone has a different opinion.


A word of caution, Wellness Super 5 is low in meat content and way to low in caloric intake. You might want to try something in the 400 K/cal per cup arena. One thing seniors definately need is higher meat protein yet lower in fat.


----------



## jdatwood

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> i fee lweird asking for samples of evo and oprijen...i doubt my store even has them....


it's hard to understand your posts sometimes... you really should pause before submitting them to fix missing letters, etc :wink: (and no I'm not trying to be a dick... I'm serious. People would take you more seriously if you did)

The only thing you have to lose by asking are the samples themselves. If you don't ask you'll never have them. If you do ask you might get them, you might not.

Companies LOVE providing samples as it's another means for them to get their product into your home :wink:


----------



## RCTRIPLEFRESH5

jdatwood said:


> it's hard to understand your posts sometimes... you really should pause before submitting them to fix missing letters, etc :wink: (and no I'm not trying to be a dick... I'm serious. People would take you more seriously if you did)
> 
> The only thing you have to lose by asking are the samples themselves. If you don't ask you'll never have them. If you do ask you might get them, you might not.
> 
> Companies LOVE providing samples as it's another means for them to get their product into your home :wink:


After a few rounds of the grain free canidae, im pretty sure imgoing with EVO. im interested in pretty much all of the evos, and even regional red orijen. i just feel weird,going to ask the store for every evo, and orijen sample ha. i guess i will do it though. might as well.


----------



## RCTRIPLEFRESH5

SaltyDog said:


> A word of caution, Wellness Super 5 is low in meat content and way to low in caloric intake. You might want to try something in the 400 K/cal per cup arena. One thing seniors definately need is higher meat protein yet lower in fat.


idk if it's that low in meat. shane seems to love the taste of all wellness products...way more than canidae.


----------



## CorgiPaws

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> After a few rounds of the grain free canidae, im pretty sure imgoing with EVO. im interested in pretty much all of the evos, and even regional red orijen. i just feel weird,going to ask the store for every evo, and orijen sample ha. i guess i will do it though. might as well.


You can always email the companies directly for samples. 
That way they are sent right to your house and you don't have to ask anyone directly, even though you really have nothing to lose from it. The worst that can happen is they say they don't have any. 

I agree with what Jon said though, most companies love giving samples, if that's what it takes to get their product in your home.


----------



## RCTRIPLEFRESH5

CorgiPaws said:


> You can always email the companies directly for samples.
> That way they are sent right to your house and you don't have to ask anyone directly, even though you really have nothing to lose from it. The worst that can happen is they say they don't have any.
> 
> I agree with what Jon said though, most companies love giving samples, if that's what it takes to get their product in your home.


natura stated that they dont give samples directly, and that i had to get them from the stores. i figured since orijen was in short supply that they wouldnt give samples either.

i really want to see if shane likes the herring evo before going with it. he''s been on chicken,turkey,lamb all his life.


----------



## kevin bradley

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> natura stated that they dont give samples directly, and that i had to get them from the stores. i figured since orijen was in short supply that they wouldnt give samples either.
> 
> i really want to see if shane likes the herring evo before going with it. he''s been on chicken,turkey,lamb all his life.


RC, you gotta ask for them at the store. Seriously dude, you are scared to ask? Come on. Walk up to the counter and say, "Would you happen to have any samples of Evo or Orijen (or whatever brand you want)"

Jon is right, they have these samples for a reason. 

But, I will say this...I'm not a huge fan of samples....I'm not sure what a 1-2 serving sample really accomplishes....I personally recommend getting a 5-10 lbs bag as a sample...shouldn't run you more than $20 or so. That will give you a good 2 weeks or so to test Shane on a new food.

I suppose a sample at least tells you if your dog will eat the new food...and if that is the goal, I'm sure it accomplishes it.


----------



## SaltyDog

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> idk if it's that low in meat. shane seems to love the taste of all wellness products...way more than canidae.



There is only 18% protein in it with only 10% fat. Yeah the first ingredient is chicken but it is inclusive of water. The real first ingredients are Oatmeal, Ground Barley and Rye Flour. Finally you get to a Chicken Meal, but it is immidiately followed by Rice. There are only 340 k/cals per cup. 

So yes, I would conclude that it is low in meat and without a doubt way to low in calories. Seniors need PROTEIN and they need it from MEAT SOURCES. They don't need super high fat content or sky high caloric intake, but a feed with 30% or more protein...around 15-17% fat and calories in the 400 to 450 would be very beneficial to a senior dog.

If you absolutely for whatever reason you choose, have to feed Wellness, I'd recommend Core Ocean for your senior. 34% protein, 14% fat, 7% fiber so he'll be a good pooper...and 430 k/cals per cup.


----------



## River Aspen

Thanks for all the great feedback - One more question - have any of you heard of the practice of switching food every 45 days for a dog with food allergies. Supposedly to prevent them from developing new allergies. When I was at my boutique dog food store yesterday, the salesperson was recommending that I do this. This was one of the reasons she was recommending the Dick Van Patten brand because it had 4 different "flavor" options for LID food. I've never heard of this before!


----------



## River Aspen

It absolutely helps! I actually found a store near me that offers Addiction, so I plan to go and talk to them about it as well as a couple of the brands that offer the fish option. I've never tried Aspen with fish, but she gets "fish oil" supplements every day and has not had any problems so I am thinking that she would be fine with it.


----------



## RCTRIPLEFRESH5

SaltyDog said:


> There is only 18% protein in it with only 10% fat. Yeah the first ingredient is chicken but it is inclusive of water. The real first ingredients are Oatmeal, Ground Barley and Rye Flour. Finally you get to a Chicken Meal, but it is immidiately followed by Rice. There are only 340 k/cals per cup.
> 
> So yes, I would conclude that it is low in meat and without a doubt way to low in calories. Seniors need PROTEIN and they need it from MEAT SOURCES. They don't need super high fat content or sky high caloric intake, but a feed with 30% or more protein...around 15-17% fat and calories in the 400 to 450 would be very beneficial to a senior dog.
> 
> If you absolutely for whatever reason you choose, have to feed Wellness, I'd recommend Core Ocean for your senior. 34% protein, 14% fat, 7% fiber so he'll be a good pooper...and 430 k/cals per cup.


are yopu looking at the super 5 adult? ive given shane samples of wellness core chicken and super 5 mix large breed adult...even the large breed has 26 i think?


----------



## Unosmom

River- Yes, its called rotation. But its very important that if you chose one type of food, you have to stick with that type, but you can switch the flavors, to prevent digestive issues. Some dogs do well on similar protein/carb level foods with some transition, for example going from EVO to Orijen, since both are grain free and in 40% range. But personally I would stick with same brand (either grain inclusive or grain free) and rotate between the flavors, hopefully that makes sense. 

I dont really reccomend NB L.I.D due to very low meat content, I think its worth trying something with a bit more meat in it first like wellness core ocean, taste of the wild pacific stream, acana provincial pacifica( or grain free Addiction), etc and if your dog does poorly on it, then you can always go back, but keep in mind that theres always going to be a transition period especially going from something so bland like prescription food to something very nutrient dense, its very common for dogs to develop some gas, soft poo or even diarhhea, so I stronly reccomend adding an enzyme supplement during the transition period, which immensely helps with any digestive issues.


----------



## SaltyDog

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> are yopu looking at the super 5 adult? ive given shane samples of wellness core chicken and super 5 mix large breed adult...even the large breed has 26 i think?


He was asking about Super 5 Senior


But in general Super 5 is pretty grain heavy which throws off the true protein percentage. Yeah you get protein from rice and other grains, but it is not in the digestive system long enough to fully obtain it like in humans. I'm just not a big fan of Super 5. For the money, there are much better alternatives out there. (and yes, I have fed Super 5 before)


----------



## elfinelda

*2 month old Shih Tzu Puppy*

I really hope someone could answer my question. 

I'll be having a 2 month old shih tzu puppy on the 2nd week of May.
The breeder to whom I will get the puppy from is feeding acana puppy food for her dogs. I've researched in the internet and found out that acana may not be the best dog food that I could give my puppy. 

Could you guys please recommend me a dog food that will be suitable for my 2 month old shih tzu? 

Thanks in advance!


----------



## buddy97

elfinelda said:


> I really hope someone could answer my question.
> 
> I'll be having a 2 month old shih tzu puppy on the 2nd week of May.
> The breeder to whom I will get the puppy from is feeding acana puppy food for her dogs. I've researched in the internet and found out that acana may not be the best dog food that I could give my puppy.
> 
> Could you guys please recommend me a dog food that will be suitable for my 2 month old shih tzu?
> 
> Thanks in advance!


well, a rare case where a breeder isnt sending a buyer home feeding stuff like eukanuba, purina, royal canin, iams, etc....

IMO, Acana Puppy Small Breed would be one of the better choices out there. it is made by a company(champion) that owns their own manufacturing facility and doesnt make food for anyone else. it has a good meat content as well. 

if you wanted a food with no grains, there are many grain free choices, such as acana provincials (grasslands, prarie harvest, and pacifica) or orijen (champions other line). 

since the breeder already has her on a good food, i would leave it alone unless she is having problems with it.

Acana is highly regarded on every dog forum i frequent whenever quality kibbles are discussed. i am surprised you came away with a negative impression of it.


----------



## SaltyDog

^^^ agree ^^^


----------



## PUNKem733

buddy97 said:


> well, a rare case where a breeder isnt sending a buyer home feeding stuff like eukanuba, purina, royal canin, iams, etc....
> 
> IMO, Acana Puppy Small Breed would be one of the better choices out there. it is made by a company(champion) that owns their own manufacturing facility and doesnt make food for anyone else. it has a good meat content as well.
> 
> if you wanted a food with no grains, there are many grain free choices, such as acana provincials (grasslands, prarie harvest, and pacifica) or orijen (champions other line).
> 
> since the breeder already has her on a good food, i would leave it alone unless she is having problems with it.
> 
> Acana is highly regarded on every dog forum i frequent whenever quality kibbles are discussed. i am surprised you came away with a negative impression of it.


Ditto! Acana is one of the best quality foods out there.


----------



## chuckNashley

Ziwi Peak
Orijen
Instinct
Taste of the Wild
Natures Balance
Acana


----------



## dogsbff

I'm not sure if this is available outside Canada but, we tried our 4 year old boxer on a new food called Canadian Naturals and her coat has improved remarkably and she doesn't have the smelly farts like she used to. THe ingredients are better than I eat on a daily basis.

1. Canadian Naturals - Turkey Salmon
2. NAtural Balance
100. Nutro


----------



## buddy97

dogsbff said:


> I'm not sure if this is available outside Canada but, we tried our 4 year old boxer on a new food called Canadian Naturals and her coat has improved remarkably and she doesn't have the smelly farts like she used to. THe ingredients are better than I eat on a daily basis.
> 
> 1. Canadian Naturals - Turkey Salmon
> 2. NAtural Balance
> 100. Nutro


Canadian Naturals is a fair looking food as grain inclusive foods goes, but imo the only foods that i can hold in high regard are the ones with high quality and high quantity meat content. Naturla Balance is produced by diamond and is another fair product, but nothing great IMO.

Canada does have two of the better looking manufacturers right at the moment in Champion (Orijen/Acana) and Horizon (the Legacy grainless food is terrific).


----------



## CorgiPaws

It's been about a year since I did this, so I think I'll revise my list just a bit, in light of some recent changes in companies. 

In Order: Grain Free
1. Orijen
2. Acana
3. Horizon Legacy
4. Nature's Variety Instinct
5. Blue Buffalo Wilderness

ETA: I know they're not grain free, but I've always been a fan of Merrick canned foods, too.


----------



## dogsbff

I think grain free is an over hyped / over priced fad that will people will realize isn't worth paying. The problem wasn't grains as a whole, but ingredients like rice protein. Ingredients like oatmeal and Barley, I believe are great for my dog.


----------



## ziggy29

dogsbff said:


> I think grain free is an over hyped / over priced fad that will people will realize isn't worth paying. The problem wasn't grains as a whole, but ingredients like rice protein. Ingredients like oatmeal and Barley, I believe are great for my dog.


I think it's both the quality of the grain and the percentage of grain in the food. 

If the grains are of better quality (no wheat or corn primarily) and not the primary ingredients of the food, there are decent foods that aren't strictly grain-free. And if a dog is doing well on it and doesn't have any of the common grain-based food allergies (again, wheat and corn the usual culprits), a little bit of grain isn't the end of the world.

One thing to keep in mind about grain-free food is that it is generally more nutrient-dense, usually with a higher amount of digestible calories per cup. That means more of the food is digestible and used for nutrition and less is waste. Translation: some of the higher cost of grain-free food may be offset somewhat by feeding less of it than the cheaper stuff with a lot of cheap fillers.

In short, I think "fad" is too strong a word here. Doesn't mean you're poisoning your dog if their food has some grain in it, but grains simply should not be the main ingredients in dog food. And I have a strong preference for food without wheat and corn (if there are grains, whole-grain rice, barley and oats are far better than wheat and corn assuming no allergies to these products).


----------



## buddy97

dogsbff said:


> I think grain free is an over hyped / over priced fad that will people will realize isn't worth paying. The problem wasn't grains as a whole, but ingredients like rice protein. Ingredients like oatmeal and Barley, I believe are great for my dog.


over hyped? fad? 

for me, feeding a kibble with a high quantity of protein coming from meat is not a fad. i cant get that from most all grain inclusive foods. for many it is not about the elimination of grains, it is the fact that many of the grainless foods have a much higher meat content. those higher protein percentages arent coming from potato that is used instead of grain. they are coming from meat. almost all grain inclusive foods are grain heavy enough to prevent them from having high meat content.

also, i agree with ziggy. i dont think limited amount of quality grains are evil, but grainless foods (most of them) are more nutrient dense and will tend to produce less waste. because they are more well utitilzed, many of us experience the ability to feed less of them.


----------



## ann g

I am new here and have some questions, my 2 year old gsd has tried Wellness, Innova and is currently on Blue Buffalo. He has liked all 3 but recently developed a sore on his leg, it is healing but I'm wondering if it might be his current food because he has started scratching a little also. I would like to go back to Wellness Large Breed Adult but I keep hearing that Wellness is not that good(little meat content). The mentioned formula looks to have more meat than the Super 5 mixes, can anyone give any advice. Thanks


----------



## RCTRIPLEFRESH5

wellness core is higher in meat content than the super 5 mix. it is also a tasty food(shane loves it)


----------



## ziggy29

ann g said:


> I am new here and have some questions, my 2 year old gsd has tried Wellness, Innova and is currently on Blue Buffalo. He has liked all 3 but recently developed a sore on his leg, it is healing but I'm wondering if it might be his current food because he has started scratching a little also. I would like to go back to Wellness Large Breed Adult but I keep hearing that Wellness is not that good(little meat content). The mentioned formula looks to have more meat than the Super 5 mixes, can anyone give any advice. Thanks


Wellness *CORE* is an excellent food. The other Wellness products are are fairly mediocre and contain too much grain, IMO, though at least Super 5 doesn't contain wheat or corn.


----------



## CorgiPaws

dogsbff said:


> I think grain free is an over hyped / over priced fad that will people will realize isn't worth paying. The problem wasn't grains as a whole, but ingredients like rice protein. Ingredients like oatmeal and Barley, I believe are great for my dog.


It's not about the grains, it's about the carbs.

I have yet to find a grain inclusive food that is low carbs, and carbs are dangerous to give dogs and cats, so I stay away from them. I have many times questioned if they are superior enough in quality to justify the price difference, but then I ask myself: If Ellie (my cat) gets diabetes, is it worth saving $10/month on her food? NO. 
I don't think that ALL grain free foods are made equal, though. Like ToTW, and Canidae Grain Free, not thaat I consider them awful, just not in the same league as things like Orijen and Horizon.


----------



## buddy97

so, there ya go. grainless foods are in large part desirable due to higher meat content and lower carb content....both good features of a canine diet...NOT A FAD.

calling them a fad sounds like something a (typically uninformed) vet or petsmart clerk would say.


----------



## PUNKem733

dogsbff said:


> I think grain free is an over hyped / over priced fad that will people will realize isn't worth paying. The problem wasn't grains as a whole, but ingredients like rice protein. Ingredients like oatmeal and Barley, I believe are great for my dog.



I truly believe that people like this DO know better. They just come on here to try to get our feathers ruffled, and have a good laugh as we stumble over each other in the race to set them straight. I just laugh and have pity of their dog's.


----------



## ChucklesSampson

Wellness CORE
Taste of the Wild
Wellness
Blue Wilderness
Solid Gold


----------



## goujon

Orijen
Blue Buffalo
Innova
Pinnacle
Dogswell


----------



## ajcstr

CorgiPaws said:


> It's not about the grains, it's about the carbs.


What would be a low carb target % ?

Also would the "allergy" formulas be considered grain free because they may use potatoes or by grain free are you guys really talking higher protein, lower carbs ?


----------



## RawFedDogs

ajcstr said:


> What would be a low carb target % ?


Zero but you aren't going to get that with any kibble. Kibble MUST have carbs.



> Also would the "allergy" formulas be considered grain free because they may use potatoes or by grain free are you guys really talking higher protein, lower carbs ?


You are talking about higher protein/lower carbs but also grains are common allergens for dogs.


----------



## ajcstr

Im gonna start a new thread because I have more questions and don't want to get off target


----------



## Veronica

I can only think of one! Life Abundance. This dog food saved me so much money at the vet. I will shout it from the roof tops its the best dog food ever!


----------



## Doc

Iams
Old Roy
Pukanuba
Gravy Train
Ken -L- Ration can

Smack my lips ...


----------



## RawFedDogs

Doc said:


> Iams
> Old Roy
> Pukanuba
> Gravy Train
> Ken -L- Ration can
> 
> Smack my lips ...


Actually, Ol' Roy IS the #1 selling dog food.


----------



## Doc

It must be good then if everybody buys it ...


----------



## ajcstr

Doc said:


> Iams
> Old Roy
> Pukanuba
> Gravy Train
> Ken -L- Ration can
> 
> Smack my lips ...


I am surprised Gaines-Burgers did not make the list.


----------



## GermanSheperdlover

Orijen
Evo
Wellness Core
Innova
Acan
California Natural
Fromm
TOTW

Geez I always was bad at Math.....


----------



## wrangler1

There are only 2 dry foods I would feed.

1) Abady
2) Annamaet


----------



## whiteleo

Is that you Claybuster?????????????


----------



## wrangler1

Excuse me?


----------



## ruckusluvr

whiteleo said:


> Is that you Claybuster?????????????


LMTFAO!!! LOL OMG!!!
i so just let out the biggest laugh.


----------



## RawFedDogs

ruckusluvr said:


> LMTFAO!!! LOL OMG!!!
> i so just let out the biggest laugh.


Naahhhh ... this guy is somewhere around Newark. I think Claybuster was in Connecticut. Maybe they are brothers. :smile:


----------



## PUNKem733

wrangler1 said:


> There are only 2 dry foods I would feed.
> 
> 1) Abady
> 2) Annamaet




It's, it's CLAYBUSTER!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....












I bet he moved.


----------



## kclime

Orijen
Taste of the wild
Wellness
Chicken soup
Merrick


----------



## Guest

PUNKem733 said:


> ...... I bet he moved.


Claybuster moved to the Chazhound Forum where he STILL talks about Abady.


----------



## SaltyDog

1. The Honest Kitchen
2. Ziwi Peak
3. Evo
4. Orijen/Acana
5. Natures Logic


----------



## frenchies

*small dogs diet vs large dogs diets*

I have read all your opinions on the best foods, and I have a question.

What about the foods that differenciate between large and small breeds. 

Obviously there is a huge difference as far as digestion goes. Amount of exercise is another big difference. My frenchies (5) are all pretty laid back, but they do go to dog shows... therefore stress is another issue. Your opinions are really appreciated. 

thanks


----------



## Serendipity

This isn't really in order...

Orijen 
Natura EVO 
Merrick Before Grain 
Wellness CORE 
There's also Timberwolf, but they only have two grain-free foods.


----------



## Serendipity

I forgot Blue Buffalo Wilderness...maybe that instead of Timberwolf...


----------



## Pet Geek

*5 Best Dog Foods*



michelle said:


> if you had to pick the top 5 dog food brands which ones would they be?



grandma mae's country naturals
stella & chewy's
evangers 
sojos
fromm


----------



## Simbasmommy

have been using Cesar, but no more! Just found cardboard in food, and found plastic this summer. Be careful what you feed!


----------



## ajcstr

frenchies said:


> I have read all your opinions on the best foods, and I have a question.
> 
> What about the foods that differenciate between large and small breeds.
> 
> Obviously there is a huge difference as far as digestion goes. Amount of exercise is another big difference. My frenchies (5) are all pretty laid back, but they do go to dog shows... therefore stress is another issue. Your opinions are really appreciated.
> 
> thanks


Let me start by saying I feed our Yochon a rotation of small breed dry foods (Wellness, Holistic Select, Solid Gold) and add wet. I think that the small breed formula angle is mostly marketing hype but I like the fact they tend to have a higher protein percentage than standard grain inclusive foods. The grain free foods are higher in protein but I have not crossed that bridge yet.


----------



## speeddts

*Top Five Dog Food Brands*

Orijen - 
Instinct:
Go/Now/Summit
Taste of the Wild (TOTW)
Wellness/Wellness Core

My choices are based on the: 
1) quality and number of protein sources 
2) grain free offerings
3) inclusion of Omega 3 and 6
4) Use of quality fruit and vegetables
5) Location of Production, bias given to Western Canada (Orijen/Go/Now)

As an aside:

Cosmo is my 4 month old Welsh Terrier, he is currently fed Orijen Puppy. The results are so far really good he has an amazing coat, high energy (he is a terrier) and has excellent stools. His trainer was happy with his food, as well as his doctor. I must admit he had some stinkers when we were transitioning him to Orijen.:biggrin:

I have been reading a lot about the following: 
1) Grain Free Diet/High Protein Diet (70% meat/30% carb)
2) Rotational Feeding, providing your dog with varied pet foods and quality varied protein sources (if allergies do not exist), I am doing this via dry kibble and canned meat (Wellness Puppy or Instinct Rabbit 1 tsp per half cup)



Cosmo is 4 months/13 lbs: 
A) Orijen Puppy (1.5 cups a day)

I am slowly mixing in: 
B) Instinct Rabbit Formula Dog Food (Dry Kibble)
- quality lean protein from deboned rabbit and salmon meal

And Also will consider a third brand and am currently debating between
C) Go Chicken/Fruit/Vegetable, TOTW Wetlands and Wellness Superpuppy Small Bread Mix

Ultimately I would like to rotate the kibble brand weekly or mix them continuously.

I wanted to inquiry if any fellow readers had thoughts if this is too much rotation/selection or variety for him?

Thank you in advance for your time in review and responses.

Best,

Tejinder


----------



## [email protected]

No specific order:

Orijen
Canidae
Sold Gold
Innova
Evo

Also in consderation:

Prarie, Pure Vita, California Natural, and Taste of the Wild. Premium Edge doesn't read all that bad either.


----------



## stajbs

Speeddts,

The one thing I would be cautious of is consistently mixing 2-3 brands of kibble at once. If a problem develops it may take you longer to figure out which food might be causing the problem. We switch the kibble or Honest Kitchen every 2-3 months, and add a tblsp. of variety through either lightly cooked meat, or canned such as Merrick's BG or other quality canned. I also recently started feeding two cans of the same type in a row before adding the next kind. Just seems a bit "gentler" on the digestive system, and with my senior guys we are lucky they do well with variety but I was not liking their stool as much when I changed the "base" food every month and the canned after each single can variety. This is just what works for us and to give you food for thought. 

Others may switch kibbles/foods differently and more quickly/frequently, if that works I say go for it. Also when transitioning the base food I give that 1-2 weeks max. Here again, it's just what works for us.


----------



## Jazzy

I don't have a list of 5; but I want to throw in another vote for Fromm.

I did a reasonable amount of research and checked out most big name, high end foods and decided that I was most comfortable with the Fromm Four Star Nutrionals line.

One thing that was very important to me was finding a food that was manufactured in the US, using all ingredients from the US (or Canada).

Some foods that I thought met this requirement when emailed responded that they use vitamins and minirals from Asia; and also apparently taurine is only available from China.

I know this is probably unnecessarily nit-picky...but the 2007 recall debacle really scared me.


----------



## speeddts

Thanks Stajbs,

that was really good advice and will look to implement.

So far I found when mixing, my pup is not as responsive at feeding time.

Best,


----------



## Paws&Tails

Not in any particular order....

Acana
Orijen
Wellness
Blue Buffalo Wilderness
Nature's Variety


(Though I personally think that homemade or raw always beats the pants off of any commercial food.)


----------



## xxshaelxx

This is what boredom will do to you...

I went through and counted 'em up. Here's the results:



ORIJEN
53

EVO
34

INNOVA
26

WELLNESS CORE
25

ACANA
23

WELLNESS
15

MERRICK BEFORE GRAIN
15

TOTW
14

BLUE BUFFALO WILDERNESS
13

CALIFORNIA NATURAL
13

SOLID GOLD
13

FROMM
12

NATURE'S VARIETY
10

NATURAL BALANCE
9

NATURE'S VARIETY INSTINCT
8

THE HONEST KITCHEN
8

ZIWI PEAK
7

CANIDAE
6

BLUE BUFFALO
6

HORIZON LEGACY
6

GO!
6

ABADY
4

EAGLE PACK HOLISTIC SELECT
4

PINNACLE
3

PETGUARD
3

ARTEMIS MAXIMAL DOG
3

TIMBERWOLF ORGANICS
3

NATURE'S LOGIC
2

NOW
2

CHICKEN SOUP
2

DOGSWELL
2

PRECISE
2

ADDICTION
2

NUTRO
2

GRANDMA MAE'S COUNTRY NATURALS
1

STELLA & CHEWY'S
1

EVANGERS
1

SOJOS
1

SUMMIT
1

CANIDAE GRAIN FREE
1

ANNAMAET
1

LIFE ABUNDANCE
1

CANADIAN NATURAL
1

CANINE CAVIAR
1

EARTHBORN PRIMATIVE NATURALS
1

HEALTHWISE
1

CASTOR & POLLUX ORGANIX
1

REDMOON CUSTOM PET FOOD
1

PARTY ANIMAL
1

TIKI DOG
1

4HEALTH
1

MULLIGANS
1

ENHANCE
1

KIRKLAND SIGNATURE
1

CUSSICK'S GSD
1

OVEN-BAKED TRADITION
1

PRIMAL RAW
1

AVODERM
1



Some of them that were just different formulas of the same brand I combined together just to make it easier. And I didn't know whether or not to consider Innova Evo as both Innova and Evo, or just Evo, so I considered it just Evo, because some people put just Evo, and some people put Evo/Innova or Innova/Evo. *shrugs* If I was wrong, then I can guarantee that Innova would be about the same as Evo or higher on that list, closer to Orijen.


----------



## SamWu1

Great Life (Grain & Potato Free)

Orijen

Acana

Ziwi Peak (Air dried meat)

Honest Kitchen

Nature's Variety Instinct is good too but I dislike mehaden fish meal.

Most premade raws' are pretty much the same imho except for Nature's Logic (because they don't use synthetic vitamins) and Detail Answers which doesn't use any vitamins at all.


----------



## ajcstr

xxshaelxx said:


> This is what boredom will do to you...


But the big question is how many ceiling tiles do you have ?


----------



## miznonny

Oh my Lord! After all THESE CHOICES....how am I EVER gonna' find the perfect, (firm poop!) dog-food? Because every dog IS different, I guess there IS no "perfect" solution for the "runny poop" problem! Don't get me wrong; of course I CARE about nourishment! And, I need a food that will help curb my Dane's gassy tummy. He is prone to bloat and for some reason he has begun to have really loose stools and a VERY rumbly tummy. I burp him religiously, after every meal...which helps a tiny bit with the gas. To complicate matters, as I mentioned on another forum....my elderly Dane, and my 1 1/2 year old Poodle have to potty on a tiny 6'x5' area of Pet Turf, in my itty-bitty backyard. I have to IMMEDIATELY scoop and flush...and pray that there is not much "residue", because I then have to immediately hose down the Pet Turf...and wash the scooper. I feel like I'm doing this, 25 million times a day!! I bought a cottage that is part of a HOA. The neighbors don't LIKE that I have BIG DOGS, and the rules are strict. If the poop is there for more than a few seconds, they complain about flies. If I have to use too much water, to wash down the Turf, then it brings ANTS!!! I'd give anything just to find a good food that both nourishes my babies...doesn't upset their stomachs, results in fewer potty trips, less volume, but more importantly, keeps the stools nice and firm. Maybe I should look for a couple of goldfish??
Lynn


----------



## lexisdad

*top 5*

Life's Abundance is what I use and just love but there are others.
Orejen
California Natural
Solid Gold

I really don't have 5 because I have not used that many. I know you should stay away from Purina and any grocery store brands. Actuall just learn to read the labels and understand them then you can make your own choices.

Life's Abundance I found after my I had to put my dog down with Kidney problems. I wanted to find out why and what caused them. After a lot of researh discovered what the causes were. NEVER feed your dog or cat anything with Wheat, Soy or Corn. 
Also look at the preservatives in them....if they don't list them or just say - natural preservatives - write the company and find what they use. So many out there and some natural but very nasty for your animals. Actually any perservatives should be avoided if at all possible. 
That is why I use Life's Abundance it is never older than 6 weeks old - formulated by a Vet and you can actually call her and talk to her about your pet and the food. Anyway I use in and love it...delivered to my door at the same or less than other brands. Make sure with any food you compare the apples to apples. Check wgt on bag and amount per feeding per day.
lifesabundance.com/lexischoice


----------



## lexisdad

Look at the label of what you are feeding them..did you just recently change foods? Or has this just start out of no where. To firm things up right away ...feed them cooked rice and boiled chicken boneless chicken breast. Do this for a few days to help the stomachs settle down. Then you can start to introduce the food again. Smaller dogs - 15 - 25 lbs. - about 1/2 cup rice and 1/2 cup diced up chicken couple times a day. Not sure about how much for the dane.....


----------



## xxshaelxx

ajcstr said:


> But the big question is how many ceiling tiles do you have ?


NONE! I've been counting the little ridges, though.


----------



## Kodiesmom

*I'm now thoroughly confused.....*

I've been checking out this site and others in preparation of changing kibble. My 5 yr old golden didn't want to eat when we got her as a pup, and had some digestive issues. 

We finally found Evolve (I know, not one of ANY of the foods listed here), but as she's getting older and a bit less active, she's gaining weight. The vet recommended to go to the Senior or Lite within the same brand, but Kodie went from appx 2 good, not soft stools a day to 4-5 stools a day, some softer than others in the last 3-4 months since I've switched. 

So I've been reading about these posts most of today to try to see which new brand I should try. I thought maybe Evo, as it's highly recommended on a number of sites, here as well, but have heard (read) a lot of negative since apparently P&G has purchased the company that makes it.
I'm also concerned, as I've been feeding the same food for the past almost 5 years, that switching to a more protein-based diet may affect her digestion (why i've been feeding the same food for 5 yrs), as I've been reading that it might do. 

Any suggestions to avoid these kinds of issues?

Thanks


----------



## ann g

You could try Acana, not as high in protein as Evo but still above 30%. As with changing to any new food, do it very slowly possibly over 1 to 2 week period. When my gsd tried grain free for the 1st time, it took about 1.5 wk to be ok with it with no major problems, just stools a little loose but that quickly went away. Hope this helps, Good luck


----------



## vigornj

I feed my Doberman TOTW Dry (High Prarie Mix) and rotate California Natural & Innova Wet.

My top 5 would be:

TOTW
Innova EVO
Orijen
California Natural
Before Grain


----------



## ruckusluvr

is that in a particular order?
if so,
why do you like TOTW better than orjien?


----------



## vigornj

ruckusluvr said:


> is that in a particular order?
> if so,
> why do you like TOTW better than orjien?


No particular order 

If I had to, I would put Orijen at the top of the list, but my Dobe doesn't like the Orijen much.


----------



## RCTRIPLEFRESH5

instinct
earthborn hollistic prim natural
canidae grain free
go natural
orijen
totw bison or duck


----------



## LovMyDoodle

*Can only reply to what I have used....*

Blue Buffalo Wilderness....great

e she i - you dog is amazing looking....eyes and forehead of a human.


----------



## Sarayu14

I only have two that I would even think of feeding my dogs.

Orijen 
ACANA Pacifica and Grasslands for dogs

Other than that I feed all three of my dogs raw meat.


----------



## CGSCeltic

*Need help*

I have a 3 1/2 year old mixed breed dog. At the moment she is at a healthy weight.

I want to get her a good brand dry dog food. I thought I was giving her a good food but now her fur is starting to show flakes.

I want to get a dog food that will be good for her digestive, keep her weight right, give her nice fur and be the best for her in the long run.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

:wink:


----------



## BoxerMommie

CGSCeltic said:


> I have a 3 1/2 year old mixed breed dog. At the moment she is at a healthy weight.
> 
> I want to get her a good brand dry dog food. I thought I was giving her a good food but now her fur is starting to show flakes.
> 
> I want to get a dog food that will be good for her digestive, keep her weight right, give her nice fur and be the best for her in the long run.
> 
> Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> :wink:


I'd recommend a grain free food. Don't worry about reduced calories foods, just simply feed a little less of a regular food if they start to gain weight. I personally prefer Taste of the Wild or if you have a Costco they have their own grain free either Pelican Bay or Nature's Domain depending on where you are in the country. Other grain frees include Wellness Core, Innova Evo, Orijen and others.

I'd recommend you check out www.dogfoodanalysis.com and choose a 4, 5, or 6 star food that you can easily get and fits your budget.

I'd also recommend adding in a couple of fish oil capsules (human grade is fine) to help with the dry skin and make sure you're not over bathing.

Good luck!


----------



## CavePaws

ZiwiPeak (it's dehydrated, not necessarily kibble...and so very expensive!)
Orijen
Wellness Core - Turkey or Ocean
Inova Evo - red meat
I'm undecided at the last one, because I'd put raw somewhere in here if I could.


----------



## mhenkes

*Im New Here  with 2cents*

Just my two cents. In no order or even a rotation.... 

King: Orijen

Tie:Wellness, Solid Gold, TOTW, Fromm, and Innova

After about 9 months I will be doing a rotation of two or three of these as long as no issues arise. I have made the decision to save Orijen LBP as a back up just in case this 9week old gets a reaction... As for Fromm I love the fact that it has Wi cheese. When I was growing up my Lab would do anything but open the fridge to get at some cheese


----------



## richie

*Ziwi Peak the best I have found so far*

My 4 year old Westie tried a lot of commercial feeds, and 'almost' tolerated the Innova EVO red meat for a year or so, but really didn't like it all that well, and did OK but not great. The Ziwi Peak venison and fish she likes a lot, and seems to be a good complete formula. Sorry I only have 2 to suggest not 5.


----------



## john woo

My big dogs - 4Health. The only decent priced decent food. Its $30 for 35lbs, and has no corn, soy, dyes, or presevatives. BEST is no grain.. But at least it has no corn, which is the worst.


----------



## GermanSheperdlover

I have to change mine.

1. Orjien
2. Acana, grain free only.
3. Horizon Legacy
4. TOTW, wetlands & prairie only.
4. GO, grain free/endurance Only.
4. Fromm, 4 star grain free only.
5. Merrick


----------



## Dogs4ever

Orijen
TOTW
Blue Wilderness
Wellness CORE
Halo Spot's Stew


----------



## chuckNdjango

Ok...After feeding my Vizsla almost all the foods and researching these foods for almost a year, here are my picks:

1) Orijen (but my dog doesn't like the flavors)
2) Great Life
3) TOTW
4) Instinct
5) Blue Wilderness

There are other good foods...but for Kibble...These are are awesome!


----------



## swolek

In no particular order...

Innova EVO
Innova
Orijen
TOTW
Before Grain

My dogs never cared much for Wellness and haven't tried Instinct. Otherwise those might have made the list, I just don't feel comfortable listing foods I have no personal experience with.


----------



## kabs996

My puppy LOVES Canidae ALS.....good or bad???


----------



## framos

Has anyone tried Newmans Own organic dog food?


----------



## PDXdogmom

framos said:


> Has anyone tried Newmans Own organic dog food?


While I whole-heartedly support organics, I have looked at but not tried this food. I like to feed more than 21% protein; plus I imagine there is very little meat in this formula compared to all the many grains listed.

If someone wanted to feed this, I'd suggest adding some fresh cooked organic meat on top. Like most "organic" formulas, typically some of the grains are organic but not the meat because the price would be so high.


----------



## framos

There's 24% of crude protien in the the active and senior formula.


----------



## RickMc

kabs996 said:


> My puppy LOVES Canidae ALS.....good or bad???


Canidae makes high-quality foods. Their best dry foods are their "Canidae Pure" series: 36% crude protein, 18% fat. The regular dry food (like ALS) are almost as good.


----------



## meganp

Orijen
Acana (grain free)
EVO
Taste of the Wild
Go


----------



## Steele&Pumba

1. Instinct
2. Orijen
3. TOTW
4. Blue Wilderness
5. EVO

I just started feeding my dogs TOTW because it's still pretty good and not as costly as Instinct, Orijen and Blue Buffalo.


----------



## Kat

In no particular order... taste of the wild, natural balance, natures variety instinct, orijen, and I would have said EVO in the past but they sold their company to someone else, or so Iv been told, to proctor and gamble. And I would say blue buffalo is bad, Iv known three seperate dogs who have all gotten urinary crystals from it.


----------



## cast71

1. ziwipeak
2. orijen
3. acana
4. evo
5. instinct


----------



## RickMc

Anyone have thoughts on where Canidae's grain-free dry food would land?


----------



## scorpio02150

Solid Gold
Wellness

Question: I have a 6 yr old mini-schnauzer who has been on Wellness food for the past 3+ yrs and he seems to be growing bored of it, not to mention that it causes him to have "more than usual" occurrences of farting. I've been told by many petstore employees that they have heard this issue from many other shoppers. So, I wanted to switch to something else , to a brand not impacted by recalls. Maybe EVO? What do you guys think?


----------



## PUNKem733

RickMc said:


> Anyone have thoughts on where Canidae's grain-free dry food would land?


Not in a top 5 list. I can tell you that much.


----------



## Evelinetta

For small breed:
Acana Small Breed, only Canada
Artemis Small Breed
Acana Grasslands
Wellness
Merrick

For large breed:

Ziwi Peak
Orijen
Acana Pacific
Merrick Before Grain
Evo


----------



## Jordan S.

Orijen
EVO
NV Instinct 
Wellness CORE
Taste of the Wild


----------



## Serenity

Im a HUGE Vets Choice fan. The food is called Holistic Health Extension. I swear by this stuff and changed a lot of people over to it. Iont disagree with some of the other options that were given to you but I really like this stuff.


----------



## StellaLucyDesi

Imo: (in no particular order)

Fromm
Nature's Variety
Now!
Halo
Rotations


----------



## blondone

Can anyone tell me what brand of dog food wet/dry is good for a dog (HE'S 7) with a sensitive digestive system?
Right now he's on Vet's Choice Heath Extension.. I have to watch he doesn't get constipated, which seems to happen more than normal... Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!


----------



## Scarlett_O'

blondone said:


> Can anyone tell me what brand of dog food wet/dry is good for a dog (HE'S 7) with a sensitive digestive system?
> Right now he's on Vet's Choice Heath Extension.. I have to watch he doesn't get constipated, which seems to happen more than normal... Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!


I would suggest making your own thread for him, give us all as much detail as possible(what foods you HAVE tried and what happened on each of them, what your price range is, where you live-for pricing and availability, etc) and we will surly all help you figure out the best food possible for your dog!!:thumb:


----------



## Emily

My top five would be:
Earthborn Holistic Great Plains
Natural Balance
Wellness
Innova (cost is high)
Solid Gold


----------



## Cash&Thumper

My top 5 for kibble, in no particular order is:

Acana (All Life Stages)
Fromm's grain free
Nature's Variety Instinct
NOW!
Timberwolf Organics


----------



## Igandwhippetlover

Taste of the Wild
Orijen
Solid Gold
Innova
Evo Ancestral


----------



## JustaLilBitaLuck

My top five (in no particular order), based on products, ingredients, and the company's practices...

Orijen/Acana (Champion Pet Foods)
Go!/Now! (PetCurean)
Fromm
Nature's Variety
Nature's Logic


----------



## imthemonkey

PuppyMax said:


> Have you seen this $40 bag of high value food, grain free vs. $70 food? Horizon Pulsar


This person just spammed another site as well. I just lost some respect for Horizon.


----------



## Serenity

I only feed Vets Choice food. I've done alot of research on the top brands and this one seems to be the best well balanced diet. The one my my guys eat is the Health Extension Lamb Formula. They have canned food too that has very few ingredients in it but I usually stick to the dry.


----------



## DaViking

imthemonkey said:


> This person just spammed another site as well. I just lost some respect for Horizon.


Very "out of character" for Horizon. I sent this thread to Jeff @ Horizon Mfg.


----------



## Serenity

My guys are on their Lamb and Rice formula and dont have any issues. Which one you feeding?


----------



## Serenity

Just curious bc I havent heard that one before about Vets Choice food


----------



## blondone

I have been using vets choice, but their canned food... Dry food for him is not working..
I think(it's just my observations) that he eats too much dry kibble then drinks too much water, and his little stomach can't handle all of that so soon... He's has some very scary seizures lately.. Vet doesn't know from what or why.... So it is my up to me help him.. Thank you for all of your in put


----------



## Serenity

seizures can be a very scary thing to deal with. Good luck to you both.


----------



## Yorkie967

Ok so it looks like Orijen/Acana is top dog from the results here. However on dogfoodadvidor.com *Brothers Complete* is top dog and is even more expensive than Orijen. Has anyone had the luxury of feeding Brothers Complete and Orijen?

Btw it just occured to me that these top 5 brands we "think" is good for them, is perhaps like tofu and wheat pasta to us. So maybe from here on there should be a note which ones your dogs like most also. There should be some compromise because I would hate to feed my dogs something I despise...wheat pasta! so gross.

Being happy IMO is equally important as being healthy and I try to find a balance medium so I would like them to enjoy their meals.


----------



## 7766

I have been feeding Orijen Adult for about a year now and have had great results. My dogs love it, their coats look amazing and their stool has been good as well. I switched to Acana grain free Wild Prairie and they wouldn't eat it. I actually had to mix some Dog Chow in to get them to eat it. So I went back to Orijen Adult. I know it's expensive but usually I can find coupons and buy in bulk. I go through a 30lb bag a month with my two.

I want to rotate food for them and have started the hunt again for a brand that will work. One of my dogs has hip dysplasia and is on supplements as well but it's important whatever food I rotate in does not hinder her condition. So I look at foods as high in Glucosamine and Chondroitin as I can find without being a Senior Formula.

Also I should mention I have at least 3 foster dogs at any given time and they are fed Dog Chow (or whatever has been donated) by the rescue. I usually mix in a little bit of the Orijen for them but I can not afford to feed all of the Orijen. That is why there was Dog Chow lying around my house. The rescue lives on donations and sometimes you have to feed a dog crappy food to keep it out of a shelter where it may be put down. So please don't kill me with comments about it.


----------



## Unosmom

Can you feed something other then dog chow? diamond naturals is like $28 for 40 lbs and a whole lot better. There are few other better brands that usually cost around $35 for 35 lbs, like healthwise, premium edge, whole earth farms, canidae, kirkland, nutrisource just to name a few.


----------



## 7766

If I bought the food they would be on something different, but I don't and I couldn't afford to foster like I do if I had to buy food for every dog that comes through my door. Also I tend to be an emergency foster, so I may have a dog stay for 3 days, to 3 weeks to 3 months and not all foster homes are as dog food conscious as I am. I try to make sure the food goes with them and that if they change it they transition it right. Plus we receive a lot of donated food, and it’s hard to be choosey and tell someone no thank you we prefer better food. 

I realize the food is crappy, but at least they are being taken care of and fed regularly and not out on the streets eating when they can or not at all. I do my best to educate adopters on buying good food and avoiding grocery store brands.

The worst is my boyfriend’s parent’s give me the argument that their dog is 10 years old and has been fed Ol Roy it’s entire life and its fine. So I do what I can.


----------



## whiteleo

nlboz said:


> If I bought the food they would be on something different, but I don't and I couldn't afford to foster like I do if I had to buy food for every dog that comes through my door. Also I tend to be an emergency foster, so I may have a dog stay for 3 days, to 3 weeks to 3 months and not all foster homes are as dog food conscious as I am. I try to make sure the food goes with them and that if they change it they transition it right. Plus we receive a lot of donated food, and it’s hard to be choosey and tell someone no thank you we prefer better food.
> 
> I realize the food is crappy, but at least they are being taken care of and fed regularly and not out on the streets eating when they can or not at all. I do my best to educate adopters on buying good food and avoiding grocery store brands.
> 
> The worst is my boyfriend’s parent’s give me the argument that their dog is 10 years old and has been fed Ol Roy it’s entire life and its fine. So I do what I can.


Personally, The dogs I foster or bring into rescue can't handle cheap food or food full of grains, this is why usually we get them. People can't afford their vet care and if they only fed them a decent food in the first place they would not have had the issues...

We do extensive background checks into previous vet care and if they can afford to care for one of our rescues which they pay to adopt.. They need to be able to afford a decent grain free food or it's usually a no go...You could change your policy, this is your right!


----------



## 7766

I foster for the rescue, I do not run it so I do not have a say in what they do. Yes, I could look for a different recue to foster with, but this one really does a lot of good. They are an official non-profit rescue and not a fly by night found a dog so let’s find it a home recues. They do background checks, home visits, vet reference and charge adoption fees. Spay and neutering is a must, all dogs are chipped and must be kept up to date on heartworm and flea prevention and all are adopted as inside dogs. (Which in this state shocks people all the time)

As for feeding, the first foster I ever had would only eat Pedigree. Several different foods were tried including grain free and he would have the worst stool and even vomit it up. Pedigree just worked for him.

Please understand I live in the South and we have a very large population of stray animals and horrible animal legislation. Cock fighting is still legal in this state. They just banned the gas chamber last year. Currently the state is trying to shut down low cost spay and neuter clinics. Yes, proper nutrition is important, but you also have to pick your battles. In this particular case, I am fine with working with a rescue who will feed whatever is donated to them, to save a dog. They/we do are best to educate potential and or adaptors on nutrition and the animals well being in general but if it comes down to the dog being having a GOOD family take the proper care of them but feeding them Dog Chow, vs them being put down or staying in foster care where others are turned away for lack of room. I will take the family feed them Dog Chow any day.

I really did not want to get into a lengthy discussion over bad food. My intention was to comment on my experience with Orijen and Acana. The part about the Dog Chow was just so I wasn't lambasted for feeding it.


----------



## Yorkie967

I found this nice website that ranks their top ten best dry foods which several top brands that had been recently crossed out due to recalls and what not. They said there is a new top ten list coming soon. Here's the current with artemis and solid gold still on it. 

10 Best Dog Food Brands - Compare the Best Dog Food for your Fur Baby!


----------



## RCTRIPLEFRESH5

back TO BASICS
orijen
acana
wellness core
evo


----------



## Sapphire-Light

After all the recalls, maybe it would be good to make a new thread of this subject, since besides the fact this thread is a couple of years old there's many recommendations of diamond products.


----------



## rockysdad

Any way for one of the site moderators to switch this to a poll? 

Would love to be able to see the percentages for the top foods people would choose.

I personally would pick Wellness and Blue Buffalo....Rocky is eating Wellness Chicken stew and beef stew as of right now

Ive also heard great things about Orijen but it is very very expensive


----------



## bullyBug

The best food is the one _your_ dog does thrives on, but I would start here:

Nature's Variety
Nature's Logic
Back To Basics
Canine Caviar
Champion Pet Foods (wish they had a canned line)
Tripett (wish they had a dry line)


----------



## _unoriginal

As far as kibbles: 

NVI and Orijen are at the top of my list but I don't have a huge list.

Nature's Variety
Orijen (never fed)
California Natural (never fed)


----------



## 1605

rockysdad said:


> Any way for one of the site moderators to switch this to a poll?
> 
> Would love to be able to see the percentages for the top foods people would choose.
> 
> I personally would pick Wellness and Blue Buffalo....Rocky is eating Wellness Chicken stew and beef stew as of right now
> 
> Ive also heard great things about Orijen but it is very very expensive


Actually, you can start a new thread with a poll; it's the last section in the dialog box when creating a new post.


----------



## Sheltielover25

Acana
Orijen
Nature's Logic
Fromm
Go

Those are probably the only ones I'd ever consider feeding as they're the only ones I've found who don't use any ingredients from China. (I'm sure there are others, just haven't come across them.) Ziwi Peak is fabulous but I don't consider it in the same group because it's not processed in the same way.


----------



## rockysdad

Sheltielover25 said:


> Acana
> Orijen
> Nature's Logic
> Fromm
> Go
> 
> Those are probably the only ones I'd ever consider feeding as they're the only ones I've found who don't use any ingredients from China. (I'm sure there are others, just haven't come across them.) Ziwi Peak is fabulous but I don't consider it in the same group because it's not processed in the same way.


Wow those are the only ones without crap from China? Just to double check, are you sure about this? Not questioning your research, just wondering how you got the info on that since usually companies dont like to give out that info...

So wellness also gets crap from china? Jeez, and I really thought I found a company to trust....


----------



## Sheltielover25

rockysdad said:


> Wow those are the only ones without crap from China? Just to double check, are you sure about this? Not questioning your research, just wondering how you got the info on that since usually companies dont like to give out that info...
> 
> So wellness also gets crap from china? Jeez, and I really thought I found a company to trust....


I found out Wellness gets their Vitamin C(both cat and dog food) and their Taurine (cat food) from China. I am not sure they are the only ones.... I just know any Procter and Gamble food like Evo or Innova uses Chinese vitamins and I know Wellness does.


----------



## kaliberknl

Both Ainsworth (Blue Buffalo and Rachel Ray) and WellPet (Wellness, Holistic Select, ?Eagle Pac) insist they must buy vitamin premixes from China. Nothing from China is my first requirement. So far, I've found Champion(Orijen/Acana), Fromm, Precise and Nature's Logic willing to claim Chinese free ingredients in their canine dry kibble.


----------



## Sheltielover25

kaliberknl said:


> Both Ainsworth (Blue Buffalo and Rachel Ray) and WellPet (Wellness, Holistic Select, ?Eagle Pac) insist they must buy vitamin premixes from China. Nothing from China is my first requirement. So far, I've found Champion(Orijen/Acana), Fromm, Precise and Nature's Logic willing to claim Chinese free ingredients in their canine dry kibble.


That's my first requirement, too! I haven't heard of Precise -- I'll have to look into them. I'm mainly feeding a cat kibble, but the dogs get some here and there. I'm amazed by how much my cat love Orijen! She wasn't the biggest fan of NL lol...She'll eat it but she's breaking things to get to the Orijen LOL


----------



## kaliberknl

Mine are eating Orijen/Acana so I haven't tried any of the others. I would love to support a company in the good old US of A though so will eventually. Fromm has been around dog show folks for many years but I think people prefer the 4 star and gold formulas. It also seems folks prefer the Precise Plus formula. Nature's Logic actually seems to be pretty inexpensive but I don't think they own their own manufacturing plant :-(


----------



## PDXdogmom

kaliberknl said:


> Both Ainsworth (Blue Buffalo and Rachel Ray) and WellPet (Wellness, Holistic Select, ?Eagle Pac) insist they must buy vitamin premixes from China. Nothing from China is my first requirement. So far, I've found Champion(Orijen/Acana), Fromm, Precise and Nature's Logic willing to claim Chinese free ingredients in their canine dry kibble.


I also prefer dog foods with no ingredients from China, but that doesn't totally negate concern of vitamin sourcing, IMO. A company can truthfully claim that no ingredients come from China; but should a customer have compete faith in vitamins that may come from Thailand, India or Asia in general? 

For example, Natura's vitamins come from a variety of countries - none of them China but some from European countries as well as South Korea and India.

While Orijen states on their web-site that all ingredients are "China free", they would not answer requests about where their vitamins come from. Pet Food Customer Service Test

There is also a major pet food vitamin pre-mix business headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand by the name of Rovithai Ltd. Who knows how many companies may source from them?

For me, looking at the total picture of a specific dog food company probably has more importance than the source of vitamins.


----------



## 1605

rockysdad said:


> Wow those are the only ones without crap from China? Just to double check, are you sure about this? Not questioning your research, just wondering how you got the info on that since usually companies dont like to give out that info...
> 
> So wellness also gets crap from china? Jeez, and I really thought I found a company to trust....


Evo does not source any of their ingredients from China. I contacted them myself to find this out.


----------



## Sheltielover25

SubMariner said:


> Evo does not source any of their ingredients from China. I contacted them myself to find this out.


Was this prior to the Procter and Gamble buyout? I personally just don't feel comfortable buying anything that's a P&G product, but that's just me.


----------



## Sheltielover25

PDXdogmom said:


> I also prefer dog foods with no ingredients from China, but that doesn't totally negate concern of vitamin sourcing, IMO. A company can truthfully claim that no ingredients come from China; but should a customer have compete faith in vitamins that may come from Thailand, India or Asia in general?
> 
> For example, Natura's vitamins come from a variety of countries - none of them China but some from European countries as well as South Korea and India.
> 
> While Orijen states on their web-site that all ingredients are "China free", they would not answer requests about where their vitamins come from. Pet Food Customer Service Test
> 
> There is also a major pet food vitamin pre-mix business headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand by the name of Rovithai Ltd. Who knows how many companies may source from them?



Yes, I personally trust Thailand a lot more than China. They're required to go through rigorous workshops and training on safety and quality control. Also, countries like Thailand and Malaysia and Indonesia export a lot of products to the EU and have adopted strict policies because of this. China is very well-known for having horrible standards. So yes, big difference between China and Thailand for me. You might find this interesting: http://petshops.about.com/od/petfood/f/Pet-Foods-Made-In-Thailand.htm


----------



## xellil

I buy fish from Viet Nam and India. I don't consider "Asian" and "China" to be the same thing at all.

I have heard really good things about Victor dog food. They have their own plant and they source locally. If I had to go back to dry food, it would be at the top of my list. Also, it's a reasonable price.

I haven't used it so can't vouch for it personally, but it seems like a very good dog food.
Victor Super Premium Dog Food


----------



## Sheltielover25

xellil said:


> I buy fish from Viet Nam and India. I don't consider "Asian" and "China" to be the same thing at all.
> 
> I have heard really good things about Victor dog food. They have their own plant and they source locally. If I had to go back to dry food, it would be at the top of my list. Also, it's a reasonable price.
> 
> I haven't used it so can't vouch for it personally, but it seems like a very good dog food.
> Victor Super Premium Dog Food


Yeah, the thing with the countries I listed is they make almost all their revenue off exporting foods to countries in the EU and such. It would be very dumb of them to ruin that as that's what keeps their country afloat. I agree with the way you worded it -- Asian and China aren't the same thing.


----------



## 1605

Sheltielover25 said:


> Was this prior to the Procter and Gamble buyout? I personally just don't feel comfortable buying anything that's a P&G product, but that's just me.


This was AFTER the P&G buyout.

BTW, I have kept track of the ingredients & nutritional analysis of my the EVO Turkey/Chicken since ownership switched and it has not changed. 

That being said, I am not going into the whole P&G thing because I don't feel it is relevant to this thread.


----------



## Sheltielover25

SubMariner said:


> This was AFTER the P&G buyout.
> 
> BTW, I have kept track of the ingredients & nutritional analysis of my the EVO Turkey/Chicken since ownership switched and it has not changed.
> 
> That being said, I am not going into the whole P&G thing because I don't feel it is relevant to this thread.


I have noticed nothing has changed. I agree, the P&G thing is an individual concern and if someone else doesn't have the same concern, more power to them. I think we all strive to feed what we feel good about and we all decide what makes us feel good about something in different ways.


----------



## Chiwawamom

I am sorry I have not posted an introduction yet but I am limited on time but was wondering if anyone has heard of or uses Azmira dog food for their dogs? I will post more when I return but this diet is Holistic and has been around for 30yrs and formulated by an Animal Nutritionalist. It has to date never had a recall. I would love to hear more about this food. I was given samples from one of my customers that feeds it to her dogs.


----------



## DaViking

Chiwawamom said:


> I am sorry I have not posted an introduction yet but I am limited on time but was wondering if anyone has heard of or uses Azmira dog food for their dogs? I will post more when I return but this diet is Holistic and has been around for 30yrs and formulated by an Animal Nutritionalist. It has to date never had a recall. I would love to hear more about this food. I was given samples from one of my customers that feeds it to her dogs.


Why post this food in this thread when you never tried it? Never heard of it or anyone feeding it. Looks too low in proteins and fat for my liking. 22% proteins from two named animal meals isn't really impressing. Holistic means very little. You can come up with any concept and slap the label holistic on it. Rarely does it mean something useful. I hope all foods are formulated by a competent person. Do the company have university educated nutritionists on staff and do they conduct their own tests and studies would be more useful to know.


----------



## Caty M

I do not like Azmira dog foods. Nothing to do with the food itself, as I know nothing about it, but their "nutritionists" are some of the ones doing studies showing raw diets are awful for animals health and wellbeing, when they do not release information like what the animals were actually fed, and say you can only feed a proper diet if you are a certified nutritionist. Maybe that's a dumb way to dislike a company, but it rubbed me the wrong way. Also, "holistic" means nothing. Beneful can call themselves holistic. There is no legal definition for it.


----------



## Unosmom

Caty- I was going to post the same thing. I posted a comment on their facebook page asking questions about their so called studies and they ended up deleting it. So much for transparency.


----------



## Caty M

If anyone wants to read the study, it can be found here. Of course, the Great Dane Lady is in agreement since she makes a living designing diets for dogs- it would be pretty dumb of her financially I guess to say "homemade diets are easy!".. lol. The studies absolutely should be transparent- it's kind of proof of bias if they don't. Not very scientific.


----------



## Chiwawamom

Well if you will re-read my post I said I was given samples and I have been using it actually for 1week with good results so far. I know that is a short time to see any results and I have one dog with intestinal food allergies and 2 others that have been scratching their fur out and now within a week of mixing Azmira Lamb recipe with the Vet prescription diet my dogs are on prescribed by my Vet the issues with all my dogs has stopped. I have 2 of my dogs that are over weight so which is why the need for the lower fat content. I have had horrible luck with Orijen, Acana, Evo, Wellness. Just to name a few of the top brands. I tried Evo with my dogs for 3 months of a headache dealing with bouts of runny stools consistantly. Those high fat/protein diets are much too rich for small dogs. I was wanting more feedback on a food that I myself have just been introduced to and that is all. No recalls in 30yrs is pretty damn good because I am scared to death of all these pet food recalls.


DaViking said:


> Why post this food in this thread when you never tried it? Never heard of it or anyone feeding it. Looks too low in proteins and fat for my liking. 22% proteins from two named animal meals isn't really impressing. Holistic means very little. You can come up with any concept and slap the label holistic on it. Rarely does it mean something useful. I hope all foods are formulated by a competent person. Do the company have university educated nutritionists on staff and do they conduct their own tests and studies would be more useful to know.


----------



## Caty M

Chiwawamom said:


> Well if you will re-read my post I said I was given samples and I have been using it actually for 1week with good results so far. I know that is a short time to see any results and I have one dog with intestinal food allergies and 2 others that have been scratching their fur out and now within a week of mixing Azmira Lamb recipe with the Vet prescription diet my dogs are on prescribed by my Vet the issues with all my dogs has stopped. I have 2 of my dogs that are over weight so which is why the need for the lower fat content. I have had horrible luck with Orijen, Acana, Evo, Wellness. Just to name a few of the top brands. I tried Evo with my dogs for 3 months of a headache dealing with bouts of runny stools consistantly. Those high fat/protein diets are much too rich for small dogs. I was wanting more feedback on a food that I myself have just been introduced to and that is all. No recalls in 30yrs is pretty damn good because I am scared to death of all these pet food recalls.


You were likely over feeding- those diets are extremely rich and require much less food since they are so calorie dense. Loose stools are the classic sign of overfeeding.. and fat dogs don't need a lower protein/fat content food.. they need LESS food and more exercise :wink:.

There are a lot of small dogs on here that eat richer foods, a small dog has the same nutritional requirements as a larger dog, just lower calorie amounts.


----------



## Chiwawamom

Yes I was leaving kibble out 24/7 until we decided it was time for me to take control of how much my dogs were eating due to the extreme amountof weight gain in 2 of my dogs. Then I was measuring out 1/4 cup per dog twice a day and after doing this for quite a long time without any weight loss from either dog then we seeked help from our vet and that is when my vet put my dogs on a prescription low fat/allergy formula kibble and a few months later one has lost 3lbs and the other has lost 3/4 of a lb but at the same time they suffered other issues on the prescription diet which is why we tried Azmira and so far has had great results. Dogs that suffer from intestinal allergies are in alot of discomfort and it is very painful. Since mixing with Azmira my one that has this issue the symptoms have improved.


----------



## SaharaNight Boxers

Umm intestinal allergies?


----------



## DaViking

Chiwawamom said:


> Well if you will re-read my post I said I was given samples and I have been using it actually for 1week with good results so far. I know that is a short time to see any results and I have one dog with intestinal food allergies and 2 others that have been scratching their fur out and now within a week of mixing Azmira Lamb recipe with the Vet prescription diet my dogs are on prescribed by my Vet the issues with all my dogs has stopped. I have 2 of my dogs that are over weight so which is why the need for the lower fat content. I have had horrible luck with Orijen, Acana, Evo, Wellness. Just to name a few of the top brands. I tried Evo with my dogs for 3 months of a headache dealing with bouts of runny stools consistantly. Those high fat/protein diets are much too rich for small dogs. I was wanting more feedback on a food that I myself have just been introduced to and that is all. No recalls in 30yrs is pretty damn good because I am scared to death of all these pet food recalls.


1 week with some sample bags is nothing. It takes 8 to 12 weeks to see how an individual dog respond to a particular food/feeding regime. After that you can start to evaluate appearance, physique etc. at around 20 to 30 weeks.

Sure, a low fat and protein formula might be appropriate under certain circumstances and for all I know Azmira might use quality ingredients but it will still be a formula for special cases. You are not alone in reporting terrible stools from newer high protein grain free formulas. It's a well known issue. Feeding these new foods seems like a real balancing act. I think there are a lot of not so experienced dog owners out there that buy many of these expensive formulas and just accept that their dogs have wet mushy stools. The only grain free formula I personally have had success with is Horizon Legacy. If a dog drinks more water because it needs to get rid of excess nitrogen some of this extra water will find its way into the digestive system and make the stool watery and runny in some cases. That's not the definitive answer but it's a theory that makes sense based on what we know. Excess peeing and watery stools are the result of excess water intake due to the nitrogen part of excess proteins passing through the kidneys. Some dogs doesn't seem to drink more water, some do but the owners really don't pick up on it and some dogs drink more and the owners sees the result in watery stools and more (frequent) peeing.


----------



## Caty M

1/2 cup per day of food like EVO for a chihuahua (I'm guessing you own chis?) is way too much for the average tiny dog. An allergy doesn't present itself as loose stools. If a dog doesn't lose weight, then it is still too much food for weight loss. You can always start with a lower amount (like 1/4 cup) and give green beans or something to make them full with virtually no calories.


----------



## Yorkie967

Caty M said:


> 1/2 cup per day of food like EVO for a chihuahua (I'm guessing you own chis?) is way too much for the average tiny dog. An allergy doesn't present itself as loose stools. If a dog doesn't lose weight, then it is still too much food for weight loss. You can always start with a lower amount (like 1/4 cup) and give green beans or something to make them full with virtually no calories.


does it have to be green beans? they'll be fartin all day


----------



## Chiwawamom

Yes intestinal allergies can and do happen. I knew my dog was acting different and laying around and not playing like she was so my vet did a sonogram of her insides and that is when he said shes got intestinal allergies and I saw the sonogram myself as I was right in the room when it was being performed. We ran bloodwork and all her bloodwork came back normal so you cant always tell through bloodwork if your dog has an issue, you just have to know your dog and know if they are not acting like their normal selves. I plan to try some of Azmiras holistic medication for allergies also. Lisa Newman the founder of Azmira seems to be very knowledgable on holistic.


SaharaNight Boxers said:


> Umm intestinal allergies?


----------



## Chiwawamom

They were given 1/4 cup each and yes. Have 3 chis and one imperial shihtzu


----------



## domika

No specific order:
Orijen
Acana
Horizon Legacy Line
Solid Gold
Canidae


----------



## Chiwawamom

I am sure those are all very good dog kibble but my main concern is all the recalls happening. Solid gold just had one and Basic Instinct and wellness and natural Balance. I don't use foods after a recall. Azmira hasn't ever had a recall in the 30yrs they have been milling. 

Holistic means no by products and no Artificial colors. And no bad preservatives...Etc..The thing with these so called high end foods as mentioned above is they are very hard on a tiny dogs digestive system. I know it takes longer than 5days to see a difference in switching dog foods but since we switched to Azmira our one Chihuahua with intestinal allergies has gotten better. Azmira is suppose to be all human grade ingredients.


----------



## SaharaNight Boxers

Maybe, but the ingredients in Azmira are something I would never feed my dog. It's very grain heavy.


----------



## DaViking

Chiwawamom said:


> Holistic means no by products and no Artificial colors. And no bad preservatives...Etc..


Hmmmm. The term holistic is completely open ended and can be used by anyone for any "whole" or complete plan, regime, method, what-have-you. It's a complete a to z approach who constitute the "whole" or "holistic" You can do some unbelievable dumb and harmful things and still call it "holistic" or you can provide great products and/or services with a holistic approach.


----------



## Unosmom

"holistic" is just a marketing term, like natural. The food can be crap and still be called holistic since it doesn't have to adhere to any particular standards to carry that label.


----------



## Chiwawamom

Well I would love to hear some recommendations then on what I can feed my dogs without allergy problems? Especially the one with intestinal allergies, I am sure open to anything that can improve my dogs lives and keep them long lived and happy and comfortable? Money is no object. I am just not 100% sure that any type of raw diet is my answer either. I am honestly at the point of getting really tired of switching foods on my dogs all the time.


----------



## Scarlett_O'

Chiwawamom said:


> Well I would love to hear some recommendations then on what I can feed my dogs without allergy problems? Especially the one with intestinal allergies, I am sure open to anything that can improve my dogs lives and keep them long lived and happy and comfortable? Money is no object. I am just not 100% sure that any type of raw diet is my answer either. I am honestly at the point of getting really tired of switching foods on my dogs all the time.


I would suggest starting your own thread where people can help you in your specific quest!:wink:

Although I would HIGHLY suggest looking into raw(via preymodelraw.com)!:thumb:


----------



## Brian 6

Chiwawamom said:


> Well I would love to hear some recommendations then on what I can feed my dogs without allergy problems? Especially the one with intestinal allergies, I am sure open to anything that can improve my dogs lives and keep them long lived and happy and comfortable? Money is no object. I am just not 100% sure that any type of raw diet is my answer either. I am honestly at the point of getting really tired of switching foods on my dogs all the time.


Unfortunately there is no reliable lab test that can tell you what your dog has an allergy to. You have to be a detective and then go by trial and error unfortunately.

Be aware that there are a couple of traps. When you are doing a food trial, make sure your dog is getting NOTHING else. One client's husband started giving the dog his toast crust when the wife was trying a hypoallergenic diet. turns out the dog had a wheat allergy. Luckily, he had stopped doing this when the food trial had started so we were able to identify the problem by looking for what had changed as the dog had improved for a short time and then got worse. If the husband had never stopped, we would have never found a food that worked.

Also, many dogs are allergic to grain mites, so if you use a food container, wash it before you add a new food to it.

Some small dog food companies use a community mill to prepare thei foods and these mills are not cleaned between different diets so even though the dog food bag may say that it doesn't have wheat for instance, if the previously formulated food had wheat it in, then this food will have traces if wheat in it.

Concerning raw diets. the reason that they work for food allergies is that they have limited ingredients. You are just as far ahead preparing home cooked diets for your dogs with limited ingredients. the problem for me is that if my wife is away I don't seem to manage to find time to cook for me let alone my dog...:smile:

If you want to try home cooked diets there is a book put out by a good nitritionist that gives you balanced hypoallergenic recipes. 'completeandbalanced.com'

When you are changing diets do it SLOWLY! Take at least 10 days. Start with 10% new food on day one and increase it by 10% a day. Just changing the diet quickly may give your dog diarrhea even if he/she is not allergic to any of the ingredients.

Hope this helps.


----------



## Chiwawamom

Thanks Brian. I will for sure do a diet change very slowly. I am considering switching to Earthborn but still searching through the reviews on other brands. I just worry about recalls and cancer agents such as preservatives in food. 
My dogs are doing well on Azmira but I am concerned about the Vitamin K added and grains.
It seems Beef, chicken, wheat and egg and soy are common allergy problems in some kibble so I will make sure to stay away from foods with those added.


----------



## DaViking

Chiwawamom said:


> It seems Beef, chicken, wheat and egg and soy are common allergy problems in some kibble so I will make sure to stay away from foods with those added.


They are not common allergens in an overall perspective. Do you have a current suspicion towards a specific ingredient? As Scarlett O said, maybe start a separate thread about it?


----------



## speeddts

Chiwawamom said:


> Well I would love to hear some recommendations then on what I can feed my dogs without allergy problems? Especially the one with intestinal allergies, I am sure open to anything that can improve my dogs lives and keep them long lived and happy and comfortable? Money is no object. I am just not 100% sure that any type of raw diet is my answer either. I am honestly at the point of getting really tired of switching foods on my dogs all the time.


I read the above and wanted to convey my appreciation to make your dogs lives happy and healthy.

Although strange when I first saw it, I thought this might be a good option for you and not too difficult to find. Couple of things I prefer: 
1) a higher protein content, haven't seen to many "real" limited ingredient offerings with higher recognizable alternative protein content
2) a protein based Omega 3 or 6 fat source, though again with the allergies this maybe be a good scenario with sunflower oil.

I am interested if you view this as a viable option.

Natural Dog Food, Cat Food and Puppy Food for Pets With Food Sensitivity ? California Natural

Best of luck.


----------



## Chiwawamom

Thanks for the reply. I actually did try California Natural Kangaroo and it did not go very well with my crew. We are now on our 3rd week on Acana Pacifica and so far everything is going smoothly. I plan to stick with it as long as Acana doesn't sell to another supplier.


speeddts said:


> I read the above and wanted to convey my appreciation to make your dogs lives happy and healthy.
> 
> Although strange when I first saw it, I thought this might be a good option for you and not too difficult to find. Couple of things I prefer:
> 1) a higher protein content, haven't seen to many "real" limited ingredient offerings with higher recognizable alternative protein content
> 2) a protein based Omega 3 or 6 fat source, though again with the allergies this maybe be a good scenario with sunflower oil.
> 
> I am interested if you view this as a viable option.
> 
> Natural Dog Food, Cat Food and Puppy Food for Pets With Food Sensitivity ? California Natural
> 
> Best of luck.
> View attachment 8099


----------



## bah

Orijen
Taste of the Wild
Wellness Core
Eagle Pack
Innova


----------



## newlndnfire

bah said:


> Orijen
> Taste of the Wild
> Wellness Core
> Eagle Pack
> Innova


Taste of the Wild is produced by Diamond, who were involved in a huge forced recall. Just in case you didn't know.  That's why they are no longer on many peoples lists.

My list would be:

Fromm
Go!/Now!
Orijen/Acana

actually...I think these are the only brands I'd feed. :/


----------



## Sheltielover25

Been in the same boat as you when searching for a cat food I found suitable for the cat who refuses to eat raw. Tried so many different kinds, never satisfied with them. Finally broke down and decided to go with ZiwiPeak for her. Yes, expensive, but I can cut back on some fast food or something each month to make it work. Plus, it will save me in the long run on less vet bills. I've learned most of the kibble out there is the same stuff, some with a little better ingredients, but none of them truly species appropriate. Look into Ziwipeak if you chose not to feed raw. Although, raw is a heck of a lot cheap! I know this food is expensive, but again, so is going to the vet constantly for food-related issues. Feeding a dog a diet of processed foods, similar to humans, will take a toll on their organs eventually so consider the cost upfront being a savings in the long run.


----------



## bah

newlndnfire said:


> Taste of the Wild is produced by Diamond, who were involved in a huge forced recall. Just in case you didn't know.  That's why they are no longer on many peoples lists.
> 
> My list would be:
> 
> Fromm
> Go!/Now!
> Orijen/Acana
> 
> actually...I think these are the only brands I'd feed. :/



Yeah, I am very aware of the TOTW recall and the Diamond debacle. My puppy grew up on TOTW, and continues on it. He's never gotten sick on TOTW, and loves it. I was very disappointed in the last recall, and did switch to Fromms & Orijen for a few months until it all blew over. My dog got really tired of Fromms after a week, and loves the Orijen, but has nasty gas/poops on it. He's back on TOTW now, and eating well again. I agree tough, Fromm is right up there too. I'm not familiar with Go!/Now!, haven't seen it in stores in my area. I still haven't given up on Orijen, and am currently using Regional Red as 'treats', and might eventually move to it as our full time food. Just really gradually...


----------



## newlndnfire

bah said:


> Yeah, I am very aware of the TOTW recall and the Diamond debacle. My puppy grew up on TOTW, and continues on it. He's never gotten sick on TOTW, and loves it. I was very disappointed in the last recall, and did switch to Fromms & Orijen for a few months until it all blew over. My dog got really tired of Fromms after a week, and loves the Orijen, but has nasty gas/poops on it. He's back on TOTW now, and eating well again. I agree tough, Fromm is right up there too. I'm not familiar with Go!/Now!, haven't seen it in stores in my area. I still haven't given up on Orijen, and am currently using Regional Red as 'treats', and might eventually move to it as our full time food. Just really gradually...


Okay good, I was hoping you were aware.  Just thought I'd mention it just incase. I no longer feed anything produced by Diamond because of that whole fiasco. I just don't trust the company anymore and I want to be able to trust the company that produces my food! Even Champion, that produces Orijen/Acana isn't my favourite and that's why they're at the bottom of my list. Go! and Now! are excellent foods but not really well known. Maybe your stores could order in a small bag for you to try if you're ever interested? It could be something to look into to. It's really a shame that TOTW was involved in that recall. It was a great food for the price and I would probably be feeding it now if it wasn't for the recall. I wouldn't give up on Orijen, its a wonderful food and yes, I agree. Go very slowly. Your puppy will probably need less food then when he was eating TOTW as well because it's richer and higher in protein. Oh, but don't forget that Orijen and Acana formulas will be changing in the future. It's just something to think about.


----------



## Jacksons Mom

I'm not even sure there are five dog food companies that I trust, LOL. Kind of sad. Lately, it just seems like there's something with them all. But as far as companies go,

At this moment, I'd probably say
1. Fromm
2. Precise 
3. Midwestern (Earthborn)
4. Canine Caviar 
5. Champion 

I'm not liking Champion as much lately. Can't exactly put my finger on it. But I just don't think I trust them like I used to. Also am irritated with their recent changes.


----------



## bah

Jacksons Mom said:


> I'm not even sure there are five dog food companies that I trust, LOL. Kind of sad. Lately, it just seems like there's something with them all. But as far as companies go,
> 
> At this moment, I'd probably say
> 1. Fromm
> 2. Precise
> 3. Midwestern (Earthborn)
> 4. Canine Caviar
> 5. Champion
> 
> I'm not liking Champion as much lately. Can't exactly put my finger on it. But I just don't think I trust them like I used to. Also am irritated with their recent changes.


Yeah, I hadn't owned a dog since growing up back in the 80s-90s. So when we just bought a puppy, and I went to the pet store the first time, it was a shock. Long gone are the days of buying a bag of Iams or Eukanuba and calling it 'good'. Holistic vs. Grain-Free vs. Limited Ingredient vs. All Natural vs. ..... And then I made the mistake of getting on the internet and googling "Best Dog Foods". AHHHHH! Crazy stuff, and way too many opinions for me to really trust anything as 'fact'. We loved TOTW, then found out it was Diamond. Innova looked good, but heard they were bought out by P&G. etc, etc, etc... Part of me just wants to go buy a bag of Eagle Pack original, and call it good... But wait, it has CORN in it, and rumor has it that corn is bad. *sigh* I'm coming to the realization that there is probably no 100% perfect dog food, and that as long as I keep it to the 4-5 star brands, and stay away from the crap that you can get in grocery stores, my dog is going to do just fine.


----------



## newlndnfire

bah said:


> Yeah, I hadn't owned a dog since growing up back in the 80s-90s. So when we just bought a puppy, and I went to the pet store the first time, it was a shock. Long gone are the days of buying a bag of Iams or Eukanuba and calling it 'good'. Holistic vs. Grain-Free vs. Limited Ingredient vs. All Natural vs. ..... And then I made the mistake of getting on the internet and googling "Best Dog Foods". AHHHHH! Crazy stuff, and way too many opinions for me to really trust anything as 'fact'. We loved TOTW, then found out it was Diamond. Innova looked good, but heard they were bought out by P&G. etc, etc, etc... Part of me just wants to go buy a bag of Eagle Pack original, and call it good... But wait, it has CORN in it, and rumor has it that corn is bad. *sigh* I'm coming to the realization that there is probably no 100% perfect dog food, and that as long as I keep it to the 4-5 star brands, and stay away from the crap that you can get in grocery stores, my dog is going to do just fine.


I totally agree. If you stick with the foods that are 4-5 star, your probably going to do alright.  Some of us just expect more from our food/companies then others. Were picky, haha. But that, by no means, implys that your a 'lesser' dog owner then us.


----------



## Chiwawamom

I lhad finally found a food that worked for all 4 of mine and they loved it ( Acana Pacifica) then they go and change ingredients and now none of mine will touch it so I took back the huge bag of Pacifica with the new ingredients back and got a small bag of Grasslands but if they change the ingredients in Grasslands then I am done with Champion and moving else where. The new Pacifica is bigger sized kibble too and I got tiny Chi's so the kibble size matters too. I mean the pacifica doubled in kibble size...ugh


----------



## newlndnfire

Chiwawamom said:


> I lhad finally found a food that worked for all 4 of mine and they loved it ( Acana Pacifica) then they go and change ingredients and now none of mine will touch it so I took back the huge bag of Pacifica with the new ingredients back and got a small bag of Grasslands but if they change the ingredients in Grasslands then I am done with Champion and moving else where. The new Pacifica is bigger sized kibble too and I got tiny Chi's so the kibble size matters too. I mean the pacifica doubled in kibble size...ugh


Yeah, reasons like this and the fact that dogs are getting itchy on the new formulas leads me to opt out of Champion products. They just aren't on the top of my list anymore. It's very disappointing.


----------



## Chiwawamom

What is in it that makes them itchy? Very weird! One of mine went to the vet today because she was due for her Annual and I told the vet that all 4 of my dogs were scratching non stop and she said well they don't have dry skin and no fleas so it could be atopic allergies....but all 4 of them??? I am beginning to think it is something in the Acana. This is really chapping my butt. I guess I need to find Earthborn or Brothers kibble locally and switch my dogs once again! So frustrating.


----------



## newlndnfire

Chiwawamom said:


> What is in it that makes them itchy? Very weird! One of mine went to the vet today because she was due for her Annual and I told the vet that all 4 of my dogs were scratching non stop and she said well they don't have dry skin and no fleas so it could be atopic allergies....but all 4 of them??? I am beginning to think it is something in the Acana. This is really chapping my butt. I guess I need to find Earthborn or Brothers kibble locally and switch my dogs once again! So frustrating.


I'm not sure what it is that's making dogs itchy and I'm not sure if anyone else knows. If they do know it would be nice if they told me, hehe. It's probably the Acana that's doing, which is very upsetting. I wish they had never changed their formulas around. If you can, I would look into the Fromm brand line. They have excellent customer service and I've only heard great things about their food. It's cheaper then Acana as well. I would recommend them highly as well as Petcurean brand foods. (Go! & Now!) Let us know how it all works out for you.


----------



## Shamrockmommy

Fascinating about the new Acana and itching! I was using Acana Pacifica in the dogs' treat jar... I ran out a week ago and switched to something else- And I realize, they have NOT been itching at all since then! 
VERY interesting! Now i have to take another food off my list  

1. Fromm
2-5 ??? <sigh>


----------



## Chiwawamom

We are in the process of switching to Fromm Grain free Salmon Tunalini. I am hoping the transition goes well and all 4 like it and no issues arise. I will keep ya posted.


----------



## jhondavis

Wellness Core
Nature's Variety
Merrick Before Grain
GO natural


----------



## ShopBarkBarkClub.com

These are our favorites:
Orijen
Acana
Taste of the Wild
FreeHand
Earthborn Holistic


----------



## Lexi & Bailey

Chiwawamom, 

How was your experience with Fromm's? Our dogs did very well on it, as a matter of fact they are on their second bag. We feed them Fromm's Gold Adult dog food. One of our dogs is a little bit of a pickier eater than the other one but she responded really well with Fromms, she's still eating it  However, we do like to switch foods and brands from time to time so the dogs don't get bored. 

In my dry dog food experience I have to say that our favorites would be:
Fromms
Innova
Acana 
Taste of the Wild
Solid Gold Just a Wee Bit (we have a small breed pack ) 

I'm just so happy that there are so many varieties of high quality dog food brands out, I wish that more people would look pass the Pedigree or the Iams at the grocery stores though but i do try my best to educate the people around me on what's in their dog foods as much as possible. :thumb:


----------



## tonkasdad

Has anyone tried castor and pollux? And is it any good? I was thinking this brand....Natural Ultramix Grain-Free & Poultry-Free Adult Dog Food | www.castorpolluxpet.com


----------



## lindseycampbell358

tonkasdad said:


> Has anyone tried castor and pollux? And is it any good? I was thinking this brand....Natural Ultramix Grain-Free & Poultry-Free Adult Dog Food | www.castorpolluxpet.com


I actually really like the Natural Ultramix. My GSD LOVED it, and I fed it to him for about 6 months before switching him to homemade / raw food because of medical issues, and I was really pleased with how he did on it. The adult dry has little dried banana and carrot pieces in it, and while I don't think that adds much nutritionally, he sure loved eating those crunchy pieces lol. And the canned is my favorite canned to feed hands down, as it looks exactly like stew one would make in a crock pot or something ; seems very minimally processed, unlike most canned foods. I cant speak for the dry grain - free, as I never used that, I used the grain inclusive, but. I would imagine its great also. The ingredients are pretty good, and I just really like the company as a whole. Def up there with Fromm on my list!! Hope it works out for you also.


----------



## tonkasdad

Do you think an inactive king charles would do ok on Orijen dog food?


----------



## Shamrockmommy

Well I found another to add to my list!

1. Fromm
2. Petguard Lifespan (but NOT their organic or vegetarian dry foods, and only some canned that dont have brewers yeast)

Still looking for something else to rotate through, because although I trust fromm as a company, I'm not entirely happy with body condition and the giant poo is no treat either.


----------



## Matsuro

Well, since the dog is on Castor& Pollux's Natural Ultramix Duck formula, my top four that I would like to try with either her or my own personally dog's are:

2. Fromm (any line)
3. Acana
4. Timber Wolf Organics
5. Wysong


----------



## Jan Fred

My dog doesn't eat canned goods, what will I feed him? Please help. Thanks!


----------



## Dr Dolittle

If I were lloking for top foods I think I would first ask who was I trustinmg my beloved pet's nutrition to. Do they have any more credentials than the good folks on this forum? Afterall I am not buying ingredients. I am trusting a company to concoct a diet with the 50 + nutrinets in optimal balance to each other that will be my dogs toatl diet. Do they have any chemists, nutritionists, veterinarians involved? Do they have any research out there? I might ask how long they have been in the filed of pet nutrition and if they in fact make their own food. So many don't these days. I would look past the glitze on the bag to the nutrtional statement and if it said it was "formulated" and had no feeding trials I wouldn't feed it because it was simply "made" on a computer screen by some geek and never fed to real animals until mine! I would see if it said "complete and balanced for ALL LIFE StAGES because I know by law that means it has high enough nutrients for even puppies and I don't believe I should be feeding puppy food to my adult and worse yet older dog. I would ignore the hype of "holistic" becasue I know it means nothing and has no effect on ingredients used or how it is processed. I will ignore the ingredient panel because ever since 1988 when Purina came out with ProPlan with "chicken as the 1st ingredient" the ingredient panel has been manipulated to con pet owners to believe all kinds of myths since most have no idea how an ingredient panel works. One thing I know. I would be on the phone way before I chose to feed a food and I would know the nutrient content, and not simply the mins and maxs on the bag. And I would spend a whole lot less money than most folks who mistakenly believe "You get what you pay for." Not true in pet food anymore. But I have a very different perspective than most folks.


----------



## LilasMom

Dr Dolittle said:


> If I were lloking for top foods I think I would first ask who was I trustinmg my beloved pet's nutrition to. Do they have any more credentials than the good folks on this forum? Afterall I am not buying ingredients. I am trusting a company to concoct a diet with the 50 + nutrinets in optimal balance to each other that will be my dogs toatl diet. Do they have any chemists, nutritionists, veterinarians involved? Do they have any research out there? I might ask how long they have been in the filed of pet nutrition and if they in fact make their own food. So many don't these days. I would look past the glitze on the bag to the nutrtional statement and if it said it was "formulated" and had no feeding trials I wouldn't feed it because it was simply "made" on a computer screen by some geek and never fed to real animals until mine! I would see if it said "complete and balanced for* ALL LIFE StAGES because I know by law that means it has high enough nutrients for even puppies and I don't believe I should be feeding puppy food to my adult and worse yet older dog.* I would ignore the hype of "holistic" becasue I know it means nothing and has no effect on ingredients used or how it is processed. I will ignore the ingredient panel because ever since 1988 when Purina came out with ProPlan with "chicken as the 1st ingredient" the ingredient panel has been manipulated to con pet owners to believe all kinds of myths since most have no idea how an ingredient panel works. One thing I know. I would be on the phone way before I chose to feed a food and I would know the nutrient content, and not simply the mins and maxs on the bag. And I would spend a whole lot less money than most folks who mistakenly believe "You get what you pay for." Not true in pet food anymore. But I have a very different perspective than most folks.


All Life Stages foods are great. The only difference between puppies and adult dogs is that puppies need more food. There really isn't too much variation in the nutritional needs of dogs and puppies, they just need different amounts.

What do you feed your dog?


----------



## Dr Dolittle

Well LilasMom, (love your breeds by the way) I really have never read any veterinary nutritionists that would agree with that idea, though once very common. You are correct that pups need higher levels of just about everything for growth, though still balanced to prevent issues but science has shown us that different levels of nutrients can be beneficial for adult dogs and then even geriatric dogs present us with more opportunity to adjust, based mainly on their risk of disease. Yes, feeding less of a food feeds less of all nutrients, but we would want to change some of those ratios based on the energy provided. LOL! Sorry, it's late and I'm tired! If your guys have lived long on All Life Stage foods you are blessed!


----------



## LilasMom

Dr Dolittle said:


> Well LilasMom, (love your breeds by the way) I really have never read any veterinary nutritionists that would agree with that idea, though once very common. You are correct that pups need higher levels of just about everything for growth, though still balanced to prevent issues but science has shown us that different levels of nutrients can be beneficial for adult dogs and then even geriatric dogs present us with more opportunity to adjust, based mainly on their risk of disease. Yes, feeding less of a food feeds less of all nutrients, but we would want to change some of those ratios based on the energy provided. LOL! Sorry, it's late and I'm tired! If your guys have lived long on All Life Stage foods you are blessed!


Most vets know little about nutrition so that doesn't bother me. Dogs and puppies for thousands have years have eaten the same thing and have been fine, it is only in recent times that age and breed specific foods have come about. I can imagine that the "science" showing that they need different levels of nutrients is sponsored by those very dog food brands. And I am very grateful that my dogs are healthy on their diet, they have been on raw for almost two years know and in a way that is an All Life Stages food lol.


----------



## Bill Rogan

Evo
Nature's Variety
Orijen
Primal
Solid Gold Wolf King


----------



## danielba73

wow this is a tricky question


----------



## InkedMarie

Currently, for me:

The Honest Kitchen
Darwin's (pre made)
Natures Logic
Brothers Complete
Dr Tim's

These are foods my dogs do great on.


----------



## Chiwawamom

Mine has changed completely since I first posted. In order
Hare Today Gone Tomorrow (Raw)
Brothers Complete Allergy
Canine Caviar
Natures Logic

These are the only ones I currently have used but now do half Hare Today and half Brothers.


----------



## Shamrockmommy

Mine is about the same so far, added a couple to the list though:

Petguard Lifespan (only this formula from PetGuard. All the others are just eh)
Fromm (any of the grain frees/4 stars, have not tried the grain inclusives to judge)
Precise holistic complete (puppy)
Now! Small breed (transitioning to, will update to see how well I like it)

I have a couple other brands I want to rotate to and try at some point.


----------



## Weten2

Chiwawamom said:


> We are in the process of switching to Fromm Grain free Salmon Tunalini. I am hoping the transition goes well and all 4 like it and no issues arise. I will keep ya posted.


Chi
I just picked up the Froms grain free salmon tonight. How has it been working for you?
I had two Havanese on the Fromms whitefish and one started scratching a substantial amount just two days after starting. 
I hope this works and can quit experimenting.


----------



## Shamrockmommy

Shamrockmommy said:


> Mine is about the same so far, added a couple to the list though:
> 
> Petguard Lifespan (only this formula from PetGuard. All the others are just eh)
> Fromm (any of the grain frees/4 stars, have not tried the grain inclusives to judge)
> Precise holistic complete (puppy)
> Now! Small breed (transitioning to, will update to see how well I like it)
> 
> I have a couple other brands I want to rotate to and try at some point.


Striking Now! from my list. Pudding poop I could not get under control  

So Fromm (grain frees only) and
Petguard Lifespan (none of their other formulas)

I don't have any others that I've liked


----------



## nkr1

IN ORDER OF EXTRAORDINARY QUALITY:
Orijen (grain free)
Horizon Legacy (grain free)
Merrick Grain Free
Acana Regionals Grain Free
Evanger's Grain Free


Always do grain free. Never have a rice ingredient. Canned wet food's completely not necessary (yes, your dog will get over it). I add crumbled freeze dried & fresh shredded carrots to their meals to make it more exciting (for me, I guess!).


----------



## LeonilCraig

Alpo
Orijen
Natural Balance
Solid Fold
Wellness


----------



## leaveittoweaver

Orijen
Fromm
Nutrisource
Nature's Variety
The Honest Kitchen


----------



## LilasMom

LeonilCraig said:


> Alpo
> Orijen
> Natural Balance
> Solid Fold
> Wellness


Alpo is a HORRIBLE dog food.


----------



## rogerharris

Hi,
Orijen.
Fromm.
Nutrisource.
natural balance.
solid Fold.
are best.


----------



## Chiwawamom

I have been through Raw diet ( 2 of mine got Pancreatitis and a bad bacteria from the Raw diet (Darwins Duck formula) Then we have tried Natures Logic ( My one with intestinal allergies it did not agree with) Then we tried Canine Caviar ( None of my 4 liked it) Then after a battle ( Dealing with healing the guts of Candida ) we have been rotating through Brother's Complete Allergy Formula's and everyone has been fine up until my Shih Tzu was once again diagnosed with Pancreatitis so we had to go to a lower fat so now she is on ( Honest Kitchen Zeal) I am mixing in cooked chicken breast and other proteins lower in fat for her but my other 3 are still rotating through all Brother's Allergy Proteins and doing fantastic. Next we will try the Lamb that just came out in Brother's kibble.

Oh and we have now been on Brother's Complete Allergy Formula for going on a year and half.


----------



## MarieLovesChis

I don't know about you guys, but my list will always be changing since companies tend to always change lol. My top 5 is based on how much I like the company, the quality of the food, and how my dog likes it and did on it. They aren't in any particular order.

Farmina
Annamaet
Dr. Tim's
Ziwipeak
The Honest Kitchen


----------



## PDXdogmom

MarieLovesChis said:


> I don't know about you guys, but my list will always be changing since companies tend to always change lol. My top 5 is based on how much I like the company, the quality of the food, and how my dog likes it and did on it. They aren't in any particular order.
> 
> Farmina
> Annamaet
> Dr. Tim's
> Ziwipeak
> The Honest Kitchen


Well-chosen IMO.


----------



## Chiwawamom

Ours has changed again since my shih Tzu was diagnosed with a poultry intolerance so we are using Nutrisca (Salmon and chickpea) I am also cooking Halibut and sardines and adding that in with her Nutrisca.. She seems to be feeling better. So we are roating through Brother's Allergy Formula's and Nutrisca ( two of their formula's since chicken is an issue here. I am looking for another rotating kibble without grain or white Potato and possibly egg. I picked up some cans of Ziwipeak but have yet to try it. THK was a no go. It had too many bigger alfalfa stems in it.


----------



## MarieLovesChis

Chiwawamom said:


> Ours has changed again since my shih Tzu was diagnosed with a poultry intolerance so we are using Nutrisca (Salmon and chickpea) I am also cooking Halibut and sardines and adding that in with her Nutrisca.. She seems to be feeling better. So we are roating through Brother's Allergy Formula's and Nutrisca ( two of their formula's since chicken is an issue here. I am looking for another rotating kibble without grain or white Potato and possibly egg. I picked up some cans of Ziwipeak but have yet to try it. THK was a no go. It had too many bigger alfalfa stems in it.


Hmm that's weird... I don't use THK for full meals but I used to use it a lot in place of wet food (Zeal) and I can say I've never gotten large pieces of alfalfa. As a matter of fact, everything is finely ground, the food is always like a powder.

I personally am not a huge fan of Ziwipeak cans, just the air dried. At 66% meat content I feel that's a bit low for me. I also don't like the texture, doesn't work well for what I use wet food for: mixing with her kibble. Plus, I try to keep her food carrageenan free.

I'm using Hound & Gatos canned food right now. Seems really high quality and Onyx loves it. Still waiting for some info from the company before I decide how much I really like it.


----------



## Yorkie967

Chiwawamom said:


> Ours has changed again since my shih Tzu was diagnosed with a poultry intolerance so we are using Nutrisca (Salmon and chickpea) I am also cooking Halibut and sardines and adding that in with her Nutrisca.. She seems to be feeling better. So we are roating through Brother's Allergy Formula's and Nutrisca ( two of their formula's since chicken is an issue here. I am looking for another rotating kibble without grain or white Potato and possibly egg. I picked up some cans of Ziwipeak but have yet to try it. THK was a no go. It had too many bigger alfalfa stems in it.


Hi..can you tell me what are the symptoms with the poultry intolerance? do their skin break out or is it indigestion? thx


----------



## Shamrockmommy

My updated list in no particular order:

Precise Naturals (Foundation)

Purina One Beyond (either lamb or chicken formulas)

Hills Ideal Balance 

Fromm Gold or 4-star

(canned) 
Kirkland Cuts in Gravy
Petguard (chicken or lamb)
Newman's Own all flavors
Precise Naturals (lamb or chicken)

Really happy with all of the above!


----------



## Candyd

MarieLovesChis said:


> I personally am not a huge fan of Ziwipeak cans, just the air dried. At 66% meat content I feel that's a bit low for me. I also don't like the texture, doesn't work well for what I use wet food for: mixing with her kibble. Plus, I try to keep her food carrageenan free.


66% meat is an average meat content. ZiwiPeak counts broth on its canned food labels. Many brands don't because broth doesn't need to be mentioned. They count ingredients but don't mention broth, which changes percentages. Most reputable brands which say "95% meat" actually contain about 65% meat if you count broth, and they still have a reasonable moisture percentage (between 75 and 80%). If there is less than 30% broth, the food texture is extremely hard.



Yorkie967 said:


> Hi..can you tell me what are the symptoms with the poultry intolerance? do their skin break out or is it indigestion? thx


A very itchy skin for my own dog, but it's actually a chicken allergy in his case. And he can eat other poultry species.


My own favorites list :

* dry : 
- Simpsons Premium 80/20 fish (a British brand)
I don't have many other brands as there aren't many brands that are OK with all my dog's sensitivities. I used the old "70%" Orijen line but I was disappointed with their "80%" line with more starch, and I definitely changed the brand when they added all those peas (very bad protein sources). The new kibble gives my dog a beautiful coat, even as it's just a complementary food for him as he eats mainly canned and sometimes homemade food. 

* canned (German brands) : 
- Terra Canis (complete)
- Grau (complete)
- Belcando (complete)
- O'Canis (complementary)
- RopoDog SensiPur and SensiPlus (complete)


----------



## Shamrockmommy

Want to add Percurean products to the list ($$$ though!).particularly Now Large Breed grain free. 

And strike Ideal Balance from my list. Totally ruined Echos coat.


----------



## mdinno

Farmina
Fromm Adult Gold
GO!

I would say Farmina is far and away the best, IMO. With Fromm and Petcurean to follow. These are the last family owned pet foods now that Champion has been bought out. European diets are superior in both people and pet foods. Dogs live on an avg. longer in Europe because of the better diets. No GMO's and naturally raised farm animals.


----------



## AveryandAudrey

Orijen
Acana
Merrick grain free
Fromm 4 star
Wellness Core


----------



## Candyd

mdinno said:


> Farmina
> Fromm Adult Gold
> GO!
> 
> I would say Farmina is far and away the best, IMO. With Fromm and Petcurean to follow. These are the last family owned pet foods now that Champion has been bought out. European diets are superior in both people and pet foods. Dogs live on an avg. longer in Europe because of the better diets. No GMO's and naturally raised farm animals.


Sorry to be off-topic, but in Europe, farm animals aren't naturally raised at all (chickens and pigs are caged, cows never see sunlight, farm animals are fed GMOs and antibiotics...). Even though GMOs are almost absent in human food in Europe, there are a lot of them in dog food because pet food manufacturers import many raw ingredients from China, especially grains.
I live in Europe and my favourite dog foods are both made in Europe and in North America. Quality really depends on the brand and the product itself. The only reason why I more often prefer European kibble to North American kibble is because here most grain-free kibble still use potato instead of peas, and I avoid any kibble with a significant quantity of pea protein like plague.


----------



## mdinno

How does Nature's Logic compare to Farmina and their canned food compare to Fromm Gold?


----------



## Georgiapeach

I've revised my original list:
Acana
Back to Basics Grain Free
Now Grain Free
Victor Grain Free
Wellness


----------



## ButtersPupp

How is the Honest Kitchen? I saw this Pet Food review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCdROTAsBTw. Any other suggestions?


----------



## InkedMarie

I've used The Honest Kitchen for 10 years. My dogs love it, I like the company...


----------



## MarieLovesChis

My list needs an update.

(Dry)
Farmina
Annamaet
Dr. Tim's

(Canned)
FirstMate
Lotus
Petkind That's It
Tiki Dog

My list is based on ingredients, protein to fat ratio, ash levels, and the company's willingness to answer questions. Of course foods on the list also have to pass the Onyx taste test! And the poop test lol.

Had to take Ziwipeak off my list as I have had nothing but bad experiences when contacting them. They don't answer any questions when you ask about more detailed stuff. They don't give the typical "sorry that's private blah blah" response, they simply ignore your emails instead :tsk: Plus, they've increased the fat to be as high as the protein in the canned and the ash has gotten pretty high. Yuck.


----------



## benefulbrand

Dog Food is must be full of quality nutrition with a mixed of ingredients Beneful one of the top brand for dog food that keep your dog healthy and love the dog food with a great taste.


----------



## MollyWoppy

You have to be kidding, Beneful is one of the top dog foods? Isn't there a class action lawsuit against Beneful (Nestle Purina) for the countless dogs that have died or become terribly sick whilst eating Beneful? 
Why does propylene glycol have to be in the food? 
Ingredients:
Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, rice flour, beef, soy flour, meat and bone meal, propylene glycol, sugar, tricalcium phosphate, salt, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, animal digest, sorbic acid (a preservative), mono and dicalcium phosphate, dried spinach, dried peas, dried carrots, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, calcium propionate (a preservative), choline chloride, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, Red 40, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, copper sulfate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, Blue 2, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite.


----------



## InkedMarie

benefulbrand said:


> Dog Food is must be full of quality nutrition with a mixed of ingredients Beneful one of the top brand for dog food that keep your dog healthy and love the dog food with a great taste.


Ha Ha.....NO.


----------



## Shamrockmommy

Beneful? Lol. Gimme a break! All that fancy marketing has pulled the wool over your eyes. 

Lately for me, if any of my dogs or cat can't eat something made by Fromm, then I guess they won't eat. I trust the company very much, and the dogs and cat do perfectly, never any skin, coat, ear, or belly issues. Precise is another favorite as well, but I am quite happy with Fromm, even the Gold works great.


----------



## Shamrockmommy

Ok My updated list after much rotation. 
No particular order 
Fromm Gold or Four Star. Prefer using the grain free ones because of expense
Precise Naturals line 
Petguard Lifespan but not the organic or vegetarian lines. 

Dry and canned from all three have been great. Rotating among these brands and flavors. And they seem to all be trustworthy and safe. 

I also add yogurt and fresh cooked meat and veggie pulp from the juicer, as well as canned salmon and sardines.


----------



## channeledbymodem

benefulbrand said:


> Dog Food is must be full of quality nutrition with a mixed of ingredients Beneful one of the top brand for dog food that keep your dog healthy and love the dog food with a great taste.


Please don't feed the troll. :smash:


----------



## mdinno

Candyd said:


> Sorry to be off-topic, but in Europe, farm animals aren't naturally raised at all (chickens and pigs are caged, cows never see sunlight, farm animals are fed GMOs and antibiotics...). Even though GMOs are almost absent in human food in Europe, there are a lot of them in dog food because pet food manufacturers import many raw ingredients from China, especially grains.
> I live in Europe and my favourite dog foods are both made in Europe and in North America. Quality really depends on the brand and the product itself. The only reason why I more often prefer European kibble to North American kibble is because here most grain-free kibble still use potato instead of peas, and I avoid any kibble with a significant quantity of pea protein like plague.


So who would you suggest is a better alternative to Farmina? I haven't been able to find anyone better and our dog does really well on it.


----------



## InkedMarie

I like Farmina too but try to rotate. Other brands I like are Dr Tim's, Annamaet and Nature's Logic. I just ordered a bag of Dr Tim's RPM (30lb bag) from Sport Dog Food for $60.99.


----------



## mdinno

InkedMarie said:


> I like Farmina too but try to rotate. Other brands I like are Dr Tim's, Annamaet and Nature's Logic. I just ordered a bag of Dr Tim's RPM (30lb bag) from Sport Dog Food for $60.99.


I rotate between the recipe's. You mentioned European brands. They still have higher standards than America in virtually everything. So I will stick with that region. So What other brands of dog food is there besides Farmina that's from Europe that is just as good or better?


----------



## InkedMarie

mdinno said:


> I rotate between the recipe's. You mentioned European brands. They still have higher standards than America in virtually everything. So I will stick with that region. So What other brands of dog food is there besides Farmina that's from Europe that is just as good or better?


Farmina is a European brand but the others are not. 
I choose foods from companies I trust; I trust Annamaet, Dr Tim's & Natures Logic. I know nothing about European brands and since I live in the US, I honestly don't care. Not being snarky, just honest.


----------



## dredges

what Dr. Tim's formulas are considered the best.
not to be over critical but from glancing at the gf, it appears pricey for the top ingredients, potatoes and peas.
I know trust is worth a premium too though


----------



## InkedMarie

I prefer grainfree so....I just ordered a 30lb bag of RPM for $60.99. I can't argue with that price.


----------



## dredges

InkedMarie said:


> I prefer grainfree so....I just ordered a 30lb bag of RPM for $60.99. I can't argue with that price.


that's cool, I guess I'm just confused on why some brands receive 5 star reviews and are deemed "meat based kibble" on dog food adviser, where other foods with similar ingredients are given 3.5 and 4 stars and deemed plant based.
For example some foods top 4 ingredients are some sort of meat meal, some sort of meat, legume, another legume and are slammed for being too heavy of plant protein... plant based ... etc.. etc..

where the Dr. Tim's top 4 ingredients I looked at was like .. meal, potato, legume, beet.. and it gets 5 stars and deemed meat based?


----------



## InkedMarie

You'd have to ask that on DFA.


----------



## channeledbymodem

Dr. Tim's is one of the few manufacturers that reveals the percentage of protein derived from meat ingredients. IIRC it's about 90%. (The regional brand Victor is another). This is another example of how you can't tell the proportion or quality of ingredients from the label. It's where DFA gets it all wrong.


----------



## dredges

channeledbymodem said:


> Dr. Tim's is one of the few manufacturers that reveals the percentage of protein derived from meat ingredients. IIRC it's about 90%. (The regional brand Victor is another). This is another example of how you can't tell the proportion or quality of ingredients from the label. It's where DFA gets it all wrong.


Interesting.
I was looking at Acana's USA web site and the new heritage line info states what they call "meat math"..... For example the free run poultry formula claims the bag of kibble is 60% meat and zero plant protein concentrates.

But how do you figure out the percent of protein derived from meat? I mean there's legumes in there too.


----------



## AngelaPrimanti

dredges said:


> Interesting.
> I was looking at Acana's USA web site and the new heritage line info states what they call "meat math"..... For example the free run poultry formula claims the bag of kibble is 60% meat and zero plant protein concentrates.
> 
> But how do you figure out the percent of protein derived from meat? I mean there's legumes in there too.


Dr. Tim's is incredible food. I use Pursuit.

You have an unhealthy obsession with dog food.


----------



## dredges

AngelaPrimanti said:


> You have an unhealthy obsession with dog food.


Hmm. Sorry, I thought this was the place to discuss dogfood? Nevermind then. Smh


----------



## channeledbymodem

Even knowing the percentage of "meat" you cannot tell where the protein comes from. I guarantee more of it is coming from plant sources than Champion would be happy to admit. Now, from a nutritional pov (vs. marketing), there's really nothing wrong with that. Purina's Sport line combines meat protein with corn gluten (concentrated plant protein) but no matter how many champions eat it, it's derided as "crap." As the CEO of Blue Buffalo has notoriously suggested, there's a lot of "smoke and mirrors" in the pet food industry.


----------



## MarieLovesChis

Nothing wrong with asking questions about dog food, that's what we're here for after all! I wouldn't get too hung up on percentages though. Its all marketing crap in the end anyway. I mean there is no ideal meat protein percentage that is perfect for dogs. Who is to say 95% meat protein or whatever is best?

I kept looking for foods with the highest meat protein percentage until I finally asked myself "why?" I've fed my dog PMR in the past, nothing but meat organs and bones. I've never seen her so unhealthy in my life, and this dog has been on Beneful and Kibbles N Bits in the past. My dog does just fine , if not better with some veggies and fruit in her diet. The thought that there is a "best" dog food is.... silly to put it lightly.

Lot of people on various dog forums bash Champion now because their meat content isn't as high as other brands. I don't care. No matter how many dog foods I try I always run back to Orijen. Maybe they have more plant protein than others. Why should I care when my dog does her best on Orijen? If she is this healthy on it and always experiences a drop in her overall conditon on other foods, I think its the best food for my dog. Her body doesn't seem to care about Dr. Tim's 90 something percent meat protein. That's what matters most to me.. how my dog does on it. I put her through hell trying to find a "better" food for her when I had already found the best for _her_ a long time ago.


----------



## Dogstar

Wellness Core
Natures Variety
Orijen
Innova Evo
Canidae


----------



## Lioness

Wellness Core
Natures Variety
Ukanuba
Orijen
Cal. Natural


----------



## InkedMarie

Lioness: check your messages.


----------



## EmmaRoo

FYI - Of the dog foods listed above by Dogstar and Lioness - NONE of them are on BarkPost's list of 15 companies without a recall. THAT list is as follows:
Fromm
Life's Abundance
Earthborn Holist
Zignature
Holistic Select
Eagle Pack
Nature's Logic
Precise Holistic
Canine Caviar
VeRus
Annamaet
Nature's Recipe
Now Fresh
Back to Basics
Blackwood


----------



## InkedMarie

EmmaRoo said:


> FYI - Of the dog foods listed above by Dogstar and Lioness - NONE of them are on BarkPost's list of 15 companies without a recall. THAT list is as follows:
> Fromm
> Life's Abundance
> Earthborn Holist
> Zignature
> Holistic Select
> Eagle Pack
> Nature's Logic
> Precise Holistic
> Canine Caviar
> VeRus
> Annamaet
> Nature's Recipe
> Now Fresh
> Back to Basics
> Blackwood


Fromm had a very recent recall. Pretty sure that Annamaet, Dr Tim's and Brothers have not had any.

That said, there's no problem with a recall; it's a good thing. It's the "why" and "frequency" that is the problem, plus how they handle it that is very important.


----------



## EmmaRoo

True about the recall thing to a point. If it was discovered internally, GREAT! But if it was discovered by a consumer, not great.
BTW - Fromm's recall was on their canned food. I should have been more specific with my list - those are the 15 companies who've never had a dry food recall. Incidentally, in 20+ years of business and product reformulation/improvement, VeRus has NEVER had a recall on ANY food - wet or dry, dog or cat.
Thanks for the input, Marie!


----------



## InkedMarie

But those foods you listed are not the only ones without a recall. I'm 99% sure the ones I listed have not as well.


----------



## EmmaRoo

Marie, good point. And I am only referencing one source - the BarkPost list. I DO think people need to check with the manufacturer or do more research when choosing a food. I chose VeRus for my own reasons but I never would have found them if not for the aforementioned list.


----------



## InkedMarie

Well, you said in the second post that those were the 15 foods that haven't had a recall. 
People reading may think that is the truth


----------



## EmmaRoo

In my original post I mentioned that it was BarkPosts' list. Therefore, it IS the truth.


----------



## fourleglove

Wellness
Solid Gold
Natural Balance
California Natural
Ample Nutrition

(not in order)


----------



## EmmaRoo

VeRus
Victor
Halo
Natural Balance

In that order


----------



## sport_dog18

Orijen
Acana
Zignature
Ziwi Peak
Fromm Gold star


----------



## 4petneeds

*4Petneeds* have many dog food Top Brands i.e 
*1. Royal Canin
2. Drools
3.Pedigree
4.Purepet
5.Fidele*


----------



## reema

*Top Dog food Brands*

Orijen
Royal Canin
innova/ evo
Wellness Core
merrick


----------



## Marry Ann

Orijen
merrick
Wellness Core
Natural Balance
solid gold


----------



## InkedMarie

Mary Ann,I suggest you remove your address under your name.


----------



## tamoor.tt

Natural Balance
Wellness Core
Orijen
Winner Plus
Blue Buffalo


----------



## LAYLA22

Interesting over time which foods are still on peoples lists. What about the Taurine issue that pet owners want to see this in their kibble. What top 5 grain free kibbles with taurine be on peoples list.


----------



## Osaka71

Dog Food is must be full of quality nutrition with a mixed of ingredients Beneful one of the top brand for dog food that keep your dog healthy


----------



## Portia85

Thanks for all the great feedback.I agree with what Jon said though, most companies love giving samples.


----------



## tamoor.tt

Wellness Core
Natural Balance
Winner Plus
Orijen
Merrick


----------



## LAYLA22

Osaka71 said:


> Dog Food is must be full of quality nutrition with a mixed of ingredients Beneful one of the top brand for dog food that keep your dog healthy


BENEFUL is F A R from a quality kibble


----------



## Christine_72

Something for the Aussie members:

Stay Loyal 

Healthy Everyday pets (Idiot Pete Evans food)

These are the only 2 Aussie brands I feed.

I also add into my rotation:

Holistic Select small breed, which is an American company.

I so wanted my dog to do well on TOTW, but he started vomiting after every meal of it, so had to take that off the list.


----------



## MarieLovesChis

Not too many brands I like these days lol I have gotten picky

Annamaet
Farmina
Carnilove
Ziwipeak


----------



## Christine_72

MarieLovesChis said:


> Not too many brands I like these days lol I have gotten picky
> 
> Annamaet
> Farmina
> Carnilove
> Ziwipeak


Oooh yes, i forgot about ziwipeak. I buy the small bags and mix some in to his food container with his regular kibble, a bag lasts a long time doing it this way.

Another Aussie brand i forgot about is Frontier pets, it's a freeze dried food.


----------



## Sneakesnacks

1. Recommended Freeze Dried All Meat Diet: True Dog Beef and Range Free Turkey
2. Recommended Freeze Dried Grain-Free/Grass Fed/Organically Grown Dog Food: Stella & Chewy's
3. Recommended Freeze Dried Grain-Free Regionally Grown Dog Food: Origen Freeze Dried Dog Food
4. Recommended Dehydrated Base Meal For Dogs: Honest Pet Food Grain Free Base Mix
5. Recommended Frozen Grain-Free Human Grade Dog Food: Tylee's Beef, Chicken, Turkey & Pork Recipes


----------



## MarieLovesChis

Christine_72 said:


> Oooh yes, i forgot about ziwipeak. I buy the small bags and mix some in to his food container with his regular kibble, a bag lasts a long time doing it this way.
> 
> Another Aussie brand i forgot about is Frontier pets, it's a freeze dried food.


Yea Ziwipeak is awesome stuff. The only downside of it for my dog is that it is soo high in calories and she is old and inactive. That is an awesome idea though!! Mixing it with the bag of kibble. I am going to have to try that. Not only will it stretch the Ziwi much longer but I will not have to worry about too many extra calories. It's like those kibbles with the weird added freeze dried bits but better lol


----------



## Christine_72

MarieLovesChis said:


> Yea Ziwipeak is awesome stuff. The only downside of it for my dog is that it is soo high in calories and she is old and inactive. That is an awesome idea though!! Mixing it with the bag of kibble. I am going to have to try that. Not only will it stretch the Ziwi much longer but I will not have to worry about too many extra calories. *It's like those kibbles with the weird added freeze dried bits but better lol*l


Haha exactly! And the smell and flavour permeate through the rest of the kibble :thumb:


----------



## LAYLA22

Ziwipeak is a great topper but an awful expensive daily feed for two dogs.

If you had to feed a LIMITED INGREDIENT kibble which one would you chose ???

1. CANIDAE..

2. CANINE CAVIAR...

3. FIRST MATE...


----------



## MarieLovesChis

LAYLA22 said:


> Ziwipeak is a great topper but an awful expensive daily feed for two dogs.
> 
> If you had to feed a LIMITED INGREDIENT kibble which one would you chose ???
> 
> 1. CANIDAE..
> 
> 2. CANINE CAVIAR...
> 
> 3. FIRST MATE...


Is there a reason why you want a limited ingredient food? Any specific ingredient you are trying to avoid? Earthborn makes a limited ingredient food called "Earthborn Venture". Quite a lot of flavour options and they are a pretty decent company imo.


----------



## LAYLA22

My GSD does have some minor-ish allergies so if I don't want to see her itching I choose an LID.

Your choice is actually a good one. I may not be to crazy about the 2nd ingredient....chickpeas Other than that I like it.

I chose Firstmate because 1. made in Canada... 2. human grade food 3. NO pea's of any kind 4. very limited ingredients which may make it easier to determine her allergies so I can then hopefully move her towards a NON LID kibble.


----------



## MarieLovesChis

Yea out of your three options I would pick Firstmate. Venture does have a pea free flavour, the Pollock one. Just fish and pumpkin which seems like a nice combo. I don't know why they felt the need to add peas to every other flavour lol


----------



## LAYLA22

Me either, and I really like the idea of having other protein choices also.

Thank's for your time and advice. I was feeding INSTINCT which was going fine but my GSD chokes on those darn tiny bites so I had to move on. Just started the Firstmate today so we will see how it goes.


----------



## Christine_72

If anyone is still reading this... It seems nobody visits this site any more :-(

Here are the ingredients to the latest food in my rotation, I love that it is 36% Protein and contains NO peas/potatoes/legumes to artificially (plant based) bump up the protein content, it is also only 20% carbs and is Australian owned and made.

_Turkey and Chicken Meal, Pork Meal, Beef Meal, Tapioca/Cassava, Beef Tallow (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Fish/Tuna Meal, Beef Broth, Alfalfa, Marine Fish Oil, Coconut Oil, Arrowroot, Whole Egg Powder, Yucca Shidigera, Kelp, Kale, Parsley, FOS, Hydrolysed Yeast, Turmeric, Glucosamine, Green Lipped Mussel, Vitamin Supplements (A, D, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, Choline, Biotin), Organic Trace Mineral Supplements (Zinc, Iron, Copper, Manganese, Iodine, Selenium), Natural Antioxidants (mixed tocopherols and rosemary extract) Vitamin E, Taurine, Vitamin C., Probiotics (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis) and Multi-Strain Enzyme Blend._


----------



## Shamrockmommy

I just remembered about this forum! Life gets busy and then all the good conversations dwindle...

My top 5 foods are vastly different now, they have been for a couple years now because of conversations with Dr. Doolittle on this forum.

I am not sure I have 5 top foods to list, but here are the ones I am happy with:
Purina Proplan
Royal Canin 
Hills (science diet, ideal balance)
Fresh pet food rolls (for picky poodle)

Canned and dry for all of these.


----------



## Tantalus24

Artemis Maximal Dog
Orijen
California Natural
Innova (and EVO)
Acana


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## mikeviz

Orijen
Acana
Taste of the Wild
Wellness Core
Innova Evo


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## LAYLA22

Great choices listed above. What if you needed a limited ingredient dog food


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## Dog Food Guides

My 5 pick is 1. Purnia Pro Plan
2. Blue Bufallo
3. Diamond Natruals
4. Innova Evo
5. Orijen

I hope that it would be best dog food in 2020


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## joemartins445

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## C_animal lover

Michelle said:


> If you had to pick the top 5 dog food brands which ones would they be?


Fidele+
Taste of the wild
Arden Grange
Mera Dog
Fish 4 dogs


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