dog food

[shais_mom]

What is the best food for our dogs?? I am trying to find the best food for Shai.
I will admit that right now she gets a mixture of Diamond lamb and rice and Iams chicken with Alpo canned dog food.
I have had good luck with Alpo and Pedigree.
My sister swears by Science Diet.
I just requested information from Solid Gold and that sounds like an excellent food, but its very expensive, there is a testimonial that is actually cleans out toxins from the dog, like one woman gave her dogs corn cobs to chew on and like 6 mos later when she fed them the food, it started coming out all decayed where it had been imbedded in the intestines. Another lady noticed bits of a blanket that the dog had eaten 3 months earlier!!! This food also is supposed to reduce the amount of licking and chewing dogs do to their tail and rectal area due to allergies. Thanks for all the input!!!

[This message has been edited by shais_mom (edited December 22, 2000).]

[Lane]

I have a collie that I adopted from a shelter and did not know her previous food history. She was very sensitive to most foods and would have diarreah and vomiting. She was also a very fussy eater.

I finally found a dry food that she can eat: California Natural Lamb and Rice by Natura. Since she has been eating this she has no problems with digestion, unless of course she gets into something else!

Natura also manufactures Innova, which is full of great stuff like cottage cheese potatoes, apples, etc, stuff that you or I would eat.I have a new puppy I am feeding that to now. She seems to really like it and has no problems with it.

Personally, when choosing a food for my animals I want the ingredients list to resemble food that I would eat myself.

[KYS]

(I never had any problems with
Nutro's natural lamb and Rice) but
I wanted to go to a human grade dog kibble.
I feed my dogs Innova, with good results.
I am considering trying Candid which
is human grade, less expensive, and has good reviews.

[b10OML]

My advice with dogs is not to chop and change their diets.

I like LANE have a rough collie. She is used to a particular flavour of Tesco's (turkey, lamb and green veg). In fact even another flavour of Tesco's and she is sick.

I don't know if it is the collie breed or all dogs. But I say, once you find something your dog likes - stick with it.

I suplement her diet with a boiled chicken wing. Also a bit of boiled veg or a bit of leftover people food.

Do remember that manafactured animal food is not always best. Although a dog won't come to any harm eating this food alone - she will be a lot happier and healthier with a bit of traditional food down her neck!

[RachelJ]

I have been feeding Iams first the regular and now the Lamb and Rice formula and have been so pleased with the END RESULTS (if you get my drift). My dogs like it and they seem to be thriving, although one tends to be a little on the heavy side.

[Genia]

I feed my dogs Iams lamb and rice formula also. Should I add a canned food to the dry? Some of my friends do this everyday and others say they do this sometimes to give their pets something different.

[shais_mom]

The only 2 names that I have heard of were Iams and Nutro!! Where do you buy the other kind? Never heard of them.
Rachel- does the "end results" not as much waste product?
I must also mention that my dog is a puker to say the least - no matter what I feed her - if she really like it she wolfes it down whole and then a little later it comes up whole. The other night she threw up 4 times - in the course of the evening and night.
I have tried giving her tums but that didn't help. Someone told me to get the white or pink losenges (candy) that taste like Pepto, and try those, someone else told me Maalox tabs. No matter how consistent I am with her food, she throws up at least a 1-2 every 2 weeks. She could have a reflux and I suppose I could try Tagamet, I read somewhere someone did this.
Thanks for all the Input!!

[RachelJ]

Originally posted by shais_mom:

Rachel- does the "end results" not as much waste product?


We call them "stinkies". http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif And although the name fits them, they are dry and firm and easy to pick up.

As to the question about adding canned food to the dry, if your dog is eating the dry food, I wouldn't add canned. I think canned food contributes to tarter on the teeth. If you have a picky eater, a little canned food may help make the food more palatable.

In regard to the regurgitation, sounds as if Shai might just be eating too fast. Can you slow her down by giving her a little bit at a time?



[This message has been edited by RachelJ (edited December 20, 2000).]

[KYS]

posted by shais_mom:
The only 2 names that I have heard of were Iams and Nutro!! Where do you buy the other kind? Never heard of them.
I must also mention that my dog is a puker to say the least ->>>>>>>>>>

Innova and Candid can be purchased at
some pet shops and feed stores.
They probably have web sites where they list the places in your area that sell it.
You might try a good quality kibble that is Lamb and Rice if your dog is a puker,
and try feeding in smaller multible meals instead of one large meal. If you do switch foods, you need to mix it with the old food for a couple of weeks so not to upset the dogs stomach.
I add people food such as cottage cheese, meat, fish, plain yogart and sometimes a bit of
can dog food to their Kibble. : )

P.S. My male spits up a too and I do all of the above.
Next month he is do for his vet exam,
so I will bring it up.

[This message has been edited by KYS (edited December 20, 2000).]

[Doxiedoxie]

I also feed Innova,( the senior formula) and my dogs have been doing very well on it. They eat the dry kibble, and I dont add canned, as they are very happy with the dry.

You can get more information on this food at http://www.naturapet.com . Its made of human grade ingredients, with meats as the first ingredients rather than corn or bone meal or something. They eat less of it than cheaper food, so although it costs more to buy , it lasts longer, also they do have smaller stools because they can absorb more of it.

I have tried many other brands with them, and have been very pleased with the Innova.

[lhg0962]

I switched to Iams last week and I have already noticed that my girls don't need as much food. I still plan to check into the Diamond product as my brother is feeding it to his two black labs and they have the most beautiful coats. They are Dixie and Buck (daughter and father) and are BIG dogs. Dixie is only six months old with huge paws, and Buck is full grown and weighs in at 120 pounds. They are as spoiled as Honey and Lilly. Won't it be an exciting Christmas....six dogs, one of them weighs 5 pounds!

[danegirl]

MY DOG DOSEN'T LIKE ANY OTHER FOOD THEN IAMS :P

[conniff11]

I feed my 4 dogs and 6 cats Pro Plan Turkey or Chicken. Never have had any problem and they all love it. The first ingredient is a meat instead of ground corn, like most.
I am always confused on what is the best food also. the Vets all say Science Diet is the best but i have the problem with the main ingredient being the ground corn.
shais mom...try putting a tennis ball in your dogs food dish. that might help her to slow down when she is eating. i have heard that works. also, if she is throwing up that often though, have you ever taken her to the vet to just have her checked out? there might be a health reason she is doing this?!
for my dogs...if they get an upset stomach i have given them them Papyaya Enzyme tablets. you can get them in a health food store. they are small and yummy for the humans too!

[BoxerLover]

I feed my two dogs and two cats Purina One. It is very different from regular Purina. You should check it out. For example, real meat is it's very first ingredient and it's a dollar less than Iams.

[shais_mom]

Just looked on the back of a bag of Pedigree, and the first ingredient is ground corn. I am very disappointed, b/c she seems to like it. Guess I won't buy another bag after this one is gone. If Pedigree is so good for our dogs why is the first ingredient Corn??? They should get a clue!!!

[ownerof3dogs]

most dog food first ingredient is corn. I think that if your dog has a glossy coat, clear eyes and is healthy than it doesn't matter about the main ingredient being corn.
My dogs eat Kibbles and Bits and they love it they nearly do flips when it's dinner time

[teena]

I must have the only dog with "irritable bowel syndrome". I have tried just about every food known to dogs and the only one that doesn't give him the runs is Science Diet Lamb and Rice. We call my Orphan Annie "Hoover" because she will "suck up" anything you put in front of her with no problems.

[shais_mom]

Just sending out a warning to ownerof3dogs!!
A lady a work with has a golden and she has spent over a thousand dollars this summer and fall b/c of horrible allergies. Molly has rubbed herself raw on her back, her tail was bald. She was almost to the pooint of putting her down b/c she was so miserable, and this dog is her world. She has used high potent cortisone cream, all sorts of stuff, and took her to 2 vets. She fed Kibbles and Bits and after talking to other people they said they have had the same problem when feeding Kibbles and Bits. So she is weaned her off of it as of last week. And she is not itching as much.

[AdoreMyDogs]

I just started my dogs on Innova, I happened to find a pet store near me that carries it, otherwise I would not have bought it. It's too expensive to buy expensive food online and pay for the shipping on top of that. I started mixing it into their old Eukanuba brand and they seem to really like it. When I opened the bag of Innova, I was amazed at how good it smelled! When I open the Eukanuba I notice it smells so strong of fish but the Innova smells like it has green stuff in it (which it does). It smells much better.

It's a bit more expensive per bag then the Eukaneuba but they are said to eat much less of it because their bodies can digest 100% of the ingredients, making it more filling. So it ends up being about the same as Eukaneuba cost wise.

[teena]

Has anyone heard about Iams selling out to Procter & Gamble? I heard about it and was told by my pet food supplier that that's why you can buy it in all the grocery stores now. I just hope they don't compromise the quality.

[ownerof3dogs]

shais_mom thank for the warning.
I have noticed that my dogs have been itchy latley but they always are. If it keeps up I'll switch food.

[shais_mom]

I was also wondering if I should wean Shai off of canned food. I mix canned food with a small amount of dry food. Then when she eats that I give her more dry food. She seems to do well with it, I like the canned food b/c it is mostly meat.

[Margrete]

We feed our six month old puppy Molly a combination of Eukanuba dry food (which is what the breeder gave her) and California Natural Lamb and Rice dry food and she loves it. We also give her a small bowl of Pedigree wet puppy food every day. I too was against Pedigree as it is the cheapest on the market until I read the label and found out it was manufactured by Waltham's - which makes all of the specialty diets (low fat, low residue etc) that we were buying for our last VERY ill dog at the Vet's. Guess it is working because she is growing, thriving, has clear eyes and a wonderful coat. Most of all - when we took her to have her spayed two weeks ago - the Vet said she was "the picture of health". Don't know about other states but in California you can find all of these foods at An Jan's, Petco, and Pet Club.

[lhg0962]

Well I must admit I had resorted to a cheaper canned to mix with the Iams dry. I bought a few cans of Iams canned this week and you can tell the difference by just looking at it. No more BiLo brand for Honey and Lilly. I must tell you that I also got a lecture from a contact on another pet site who is a "holistic" believer and he is mailing information on several different types of food. He swears that the difference in quality and price will more than outweigh the vet bills I would have otherwise. I'm going to look into it and I'll report back to you after reviewing it.

[shais_mom]

Thanks Logan,
I mix Alpo, Dads, Skippy and sometimes Walmart brand with her dry food. But Iams and Eukanuba look and smell the best!! You can see the broth in the can when you open it!

I am not against Pedigree, a friend of mine her dog Pedigree when it was dying and its coat cleared up. Shai seems to like it and Alpo, and I have a 20 lb bag of it unopened so she is going to eat it until its gone!!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif
I wanted to tell everyone about a free sample I got today from Pet Supplies Plus. It just came out and its called Sensible Choice Natural Blend. It has Chicken, oatmeal,tuna oil,potatoes,apples, spinach, and cheese.
The first 4 ingredients are, brown rice, chicken meal,oatmeal, and chicken.
I put in her dish dry and she ate almost all of it!! It is absorbed almost completely so there is little waste. COOL!!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif
They also have a giant breed formula and the girl showed us the kibble, it is the size of walnuts!!!!!!!!!!!! It is better for large breeds to have large kibble b/c they are less likely to inhale it and its better for their digestion!! I was wondering if I should try it, even tho Shai isn't a giant breed, but then she would work at chewing and not inhaling therefore less vomiting!!
The girl I was with got a free sample of their new catfood and the rep told us something interesting for you catlovers!(at least I didn't know this)
Most cat food has corn in it, Cats do not digest corn very well, if at all. So this new food doesn't contain any corn!!
I did buy some Chicken and Rice Pro Plan and the first ingredient is chicken.
This Sensible Choice is produced by Pet Products Plus, anyone know anything about them?
Happy New Year!!

[RachelJ]

All these different choices are making my head swim. What I wanted to mention was my vet suggested I feed Hills TC as a suppliment to my regular dry food. This is for tarter control on the teeth. It is supposed to be used as a regular food but it is so expensive he doesn't even feed it that way to his own dogs. I give my dogs three of the nuggets after each meal. When you said the kibble in the griant breed formula was the size of walnuts, that reminded me as these are that size as well. My dogs just love these things. They will sit by their dog dish indefinitely until they get their "nubbins" as we call them.

[shais_mom]

I forgot to mention that when I took Shai to the vet, I asked her what I should feed her, I told her my sister swears by Science Diet.
But I thought it was so expensive and she said her dogs don't even get that either b/c of that reason~!

[trihok]

Hello! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif i think is better to give shai the same food he ate at the beginning.

ANF is the brand i fed my 4mth old pup and this is what she ate at the dog farm. sometime i will add some can food - alpo, she seem like it very much. but i do agreed what Rachelj mentioned earlier that canned food contributes to tarter on the teeth.
i thk i will stop adding can food to her.

[This message has been edited by trihok (edited January 03, 2001).]

[shais_mom]

What is ANF? Shaianne gets canned food with dry food so I think the dry would help the tartar on the teeth.
I got her frome the Humane Soc and I don't think they fed her a top quality food, so that is why I am looking for a better brand to feed her. And also that one that won't make her sick, so I have been using chicken and rice or lamb and rice formulas b/c that was suggested earlier in the forum.

[This message has been edited by shais_mom (edited January 03, 2001).]

[lhg0962]

I'm adding to the confusion, but I really think the more information, the better.
I read on a Golden Retriever bulletin board recently about Flint River Ranch food. Most of the owners there swear by that food. You can read about it at: www.f-r-r.com (http://www.f-r-r.com)

A couple of other pet nutrition sites are: www.api4animals.org/doc.asp?ID=79 (http://www.api4animals.org/doc.asp?ID=79)

and
www.naturapet.com (http://www.naturapet.com)

Anybody know about the essential fatty acids I keep hearing about that are supposed to help with skin and joints? Where do you get them and how do you know what and how much to give?

[shais_mom]

I don't think you're adding to the confusion!! You are right the more info the better http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif
Actually I am looking thru the RC Steele catalog right now as the pages load and they have an natural rememedies section, and you can get the oils there. Try their website www.rcsteele.com (http://www.rcsteele.com)
If you get a catalog I think the shipping is a little cheaper than ordering online.
Also try www.dockruger.com (http://www.dockruger.com) I just got a pamphlet on that site but haven't checked it out yet!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by shais_mom (edited January 03, 2001).]

[KYS]

lhg0962,

My girlfriend use to feed her Akita
Flint River Ranch until he passed away.
She swears by it. Her dog
had a long time illness so she research food and picked out FRR.
The kibble is baked so it does not expand
very much in water or the dogs stomach.
I mix a little FFR with the Innova for
my dogs. I am shure there are some
very good foods out their.
Just have to find one that your dog
does the best on.

[Genia]

Originally posted by lhg0962:
[B
Anybody know about the essential fatty acids I keep hearing about that are supposed to help with skin and joints? Where do you get them and how do you know what and how much to give?[/B]

I became curious when my vet recommended an essential fatty acid shampoo so I did some research. From what I understand essential fatty acids work to regulate hormones, immune and nervous systems plus cardiovascular function. It also keeps their skin from getting too dry and flaking. Although I don't give my dogs the supplement I do use a shampoo called HYLYT which contains essential fatty acids. I previously used a Hartz(?) brand. BIG difference. With the other brand they would itch and I could see the flaking under their coats. Now their coats are very shiny and there is no itching. They receive compliments constantly on their beautiful coats. ("Those are fine lookin' dawgs" which in the South means they look healthy)The shampoo is about $7 a bottle, but considering they only get baths when they smell or when they bring me delightful little presents like the stinky rabbit carcass I got this weekend (yuck!), it's worth it. Oh yeah, I have seen the supplements at WalMart and at PetSmart.

[shais_mom]

Shaianne gets Linatone in her food daily, it has greatly reduced the shedding and made her coat absolutely beautiful,very shiny, if I do say so myself. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/wink.gif
I have received several compliments on her coat, one day I was walking down the street with her and someone yelled out their car window "Beautiful Dog"!!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/wink.gif http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/wink.gif I guess as long as they aren't whistling at me thats ok!!!
I started out with Drs Foster and Smith VitaCoat Plus when I first got Shai and was surprised how quickly it worked!!!!! I mentioned that on the "shedding" topic a while back. I have previously mentioned that Shai also gets 2 - 400 IUs of Vit E 2 times a day and her coat has improved even more! Very soft and sleek.
Brewers Yeast and Garlic is sold at Walmart and is supposed to be very good for them too.

[lhg0962]

Shais Mom,
Where do you buy the Linotone you give to your dogs? I bought something called Lipiderme at Petsmart last week since I hadn't had the opportunity to order the catalogs yet. They are eating the food with the liquid mixed in, but aren't quite as anxious as before. I don't blame them, it stinks! Is the Linotone in a pill or liquid form? I'm still checking all this stuff out! One guy I talked with said that Lilly's hip problems might be helped with the addition of essential fatty acids.
Logan

[shais_mom]

I believe I got it at rc steele.
(www.rcsteele.com) or maybe drsfostersmith.com
both sights have searches you can look up.
This stuff smells like molassas.
Yep I just check out both sites and they both have it.

[This message has been edited by shais_mom (edited January 13, 2001).]

[*BaSim*]

I feed Simba Pedigree Small Crunchy Bites and he seems to love it!! But he loves kibbles n bits so when he is a really good boy or we leave the house for a long time i give him some kibbles n bits...... its like a snackie to him!! but Pedigree gives him a nice shiny coat ..

[schnauzle]

If you can get to a local grain or feed store ,you might ask who or where you can purchase River Run by the company Cargill, Incorporated the general office is in Minneapolis,Mn.55440. This is availlable in different protein contents and a variety of different sized bites. I have rotts and my female is extremely--PICKY. their coats always drawww attention to other people that see them. I feed 21%protein in the winter only as high protein diets in the hot summer months can/may cause hot spots on a large dogs skin. I have had puppy buyers of my previous litters comment on the coats of our pups and how they have never seen such beautiful shiny fur on puppies at sixtoeight weeksm of age. Put it this way this is the only dogfood my female rott will eat. You know the old comment that if the dog gets hungry it will eat eventually?? Not Shy she will go for days without eating.!must be good stuff to her..!!

[schnauzle]

Don't knock Science Diet though. ecpecially for the little dogs like our white mini schnauzer. It may seem expensive but refigure when the little dogs only eat a small portion daily like our Sherlock. Maybe it costs on the average about ten cents per day.

[jackiesdaisy1935]

Our two Schnauzers eat Purina 1, lamb and rice and they do well on that.