Dog Food Question

[Aspen and Misty]

I know. I know, Ya'll get alot of these!

I have been feeding Chicken Soup for my dog's (Adult, Puppy) and for my cats (adults). I have been pleased with it, but nothing outstanding. We recently went to a WONDERFUL animal food store.

The owner, who knew alot about dog food, told us about some of his products and the ones that he considers better then Chicken Soup. He told us about 3 products that I'm considering buying and trying out on my dog's.

The first product I'm considering trying is Bil-Jac. Alot of Breeders and show people use it on there dog's. It gives them the most outstanding coats, which I would love :)

Annamae is another one I'm considering trying. He said it's good nutrien wise and such.

Canidae is the next product I'm considering trying. He also said it was good nutrien wise.

Anyone have any thoughts on these three brands of food? Anyone use them?

Ashley

[guster girl]

I don't know any of those dog foods, to be honest with you. I feed Finn more of a prey model diet. But, I would recommend simply reading the ingredients. I know you want to see chicken meal, or beef meal, or fish meal as the first ingredient. As opposed to "by product" or "by product meal" or simply "chicken" or "beef", etc. I know it's best to avoid corn and wheat if you can, just because they digest corn about as good as you and I do. ;) And, my understanding is that they don't handle grains all that successfully, either. As far as any further recommendations, your dogs will be the best ones to look to for advice. :) good luck!

[Aspen and Misty]

Thanx a bunch!

I might go back tonight or tomrrow to look at the bags and see what they say.

But I need to figure out what to look for first! (Which you just helped with :) )

Ashley

[guster girl]

and, you can frequently find the ingredients listed on the websites for the products, too. do a search in here, too, because, as you know, there have been a lot of threads on the topic. mostly, you wanna look at the first five to ten ingredients, those should be good things, like protein sources and things like that. the crap you can't pronounce should be lower on the ingredient list. ;)

[Aspen and Misty]

LMAO! The crap yo ucan't pronounce :D

Bil-Jac'sIngrediants

Fresh Chicken By-Products (Organ Meat Only), Fresh Chicken, Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Fresh Chicken Liver, Brewers Dried Yeast, Cane Molasses, Eggs, Salt, Sodium Propionate (a preservative), DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Menaione, sodium Bisulfate Complex, (source of Vitamin K), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Manganous Oxide, Inositol, BHA (a preservative), Iron Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Cobalt Carbonate, Potassium Iodine, Sodium Selenite.


Annamaet Ingrediants

Chicken Meal, Ground Corn,Ground Rice, Beet Pulp, Wheat Flour, Oat Meal, Chicken Fat [Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E)], Brewers Yeast, Corn Gluten Meal, Flax Seed Meal, Wheat Germ Meal, Lecithin, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, DL Methionine, Lysine, Ascorbic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Propionic Acid, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Carbonate, Ethylenedian-
fine Dihydriodide, Vitamin B,2 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite.


Canidae Ingrediants

Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Lamb Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid), Herring Meal, Flax Seed, Sun Cured Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil, Chicken, Lecithin, Monocalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Linoleic Acid, Rosemary Extract, Sage Extract, Yeast Culture, Dried Enterococcus Faecium, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract, Inulin (from Chicory root), Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Fermentation Solubles, Yucca Schidigera Extract Mixed Tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (source of B2), Beta Carotene, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, D-Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Dried Papaya, Vitamin B12 Supplement

Chicken Soup Ingrediants

Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, turkey meal, whole grain brown rice, whole grain white rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), oatmeal, potatoes, cracked pearled barley, millet, duck, salmon, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite (source of vitamin K activity), riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.


Can Anyone Tell me which ingrediants are the best? I'm so sorry, I'm so bad at these things :o


Ashley

[CathyBogart]

At the store I work at, my boss will only sell foods she considers acceptable to feed her show dogs, which means we don't sell much dog frrd because most of what we sell is high-end and very expensive. However, we do carry Bil Jac and Chicken Soup. I have heard good reviews on both, so if you wanted to switch Bil Jac would be my recommendation.

I just switched Star and Wilbur over to Wysong http://www.wysong.net/ after doing some research and finding it to be unbeatable (in my eyes) as far as commercially made foods go. Check them out, it's good stuff!

[Aspen and Misty]

Yes, Bil-Jac is BIG in the showing comunity because it gives there dog's really shinny coats. The guy who we went to said he has never heard anyone talk about Chicken Soup at dog shows, but that it is a good dog food.

Thanx! I'll take a look!!

Ashley

[guster girl]

The canidae one looks pretty good, too.

[aly]

I think Canidae is the best out of the ones you listed (from personal experience and from reading the ingredients).

[cali]

by the ingredents list bil-jac looks the worst, and canadae looks to be the best. Annamaet looks pretty good, but has a lot of grains right at the top of the list, that would turn me off right there. I dont like the bil-jac ingredience because of the very first ingredient. I would have to say it gives dogs a shiny coat because one of the ingredence is eggs lol which well gives dogs a shiny coat...

[Aspen and Misty]

Originally posted by cali
by the ingredents list bil-jac looks the worst, and canadae looks to be the best. Annamaet looks pretty good, but has a lot of grains right at the top of the list, that would turn me off right there. I dont like the bil-jac ingredience because of the very first ingredient. I would have to say it gives dogs a shiny coat because one of the ingredence is eggs lol which well gives dogs a shiny coat...

Thanx Cali, is Canadae better or worst then Chicken soup?

Thanx Aly! Do you feed your dogs and cats this brand of food?

[cali]

hmmm well they seem to be very similer lol the top few ingredience are almost identical. and i have heard many good things about both, I would give canadae a try to see which is better for you dogs.

[Aspen and Misty]

Thanx Cali. After alot of thought, if they are basicly the same thing, then I think I will keep them on Chicken Soup. I've been pleased with it.

When this guy said they were the best products out there and that he would never feed his dog's anything else I was like, hmm, I should look in to these brands. And thanx to you guys I'm a little bit smatter :D

Ashley