German Shorthair Pointer - Food

Hi,
I have recently acquired a beautiful, 3 year old, german shorthair pointer. We live in a nice suburban area where our dog plays in the yard with my kids and gets walked through the neighborhood. He doesn't hunt (gun-shy, which is how we acquired him) or work. I am not aware of any food-allergies that would require a grain-free diet.

I was also given a supply of Purina One Smart Blend Chicken & Rice and Lamb & Rice food along with Nutro Natural Choice Grain-free venison, lamb, and chicken food.

We have been feeding a mix of one cup of the Purina One Smart Blend with one cup of the Nutro Natural Choice twice a day. We mixed the two foods to balance out the quaility of the two foods while extending the supply as long as possible before purchasing more food.

Our supply is almost gone and we wish to make the right decision moving forward on which food to use.

I have been told by our Vet that the Purina One Smart blend is perfectly fine for the dog. I have also been told by others that we should stick to the grain-free food and that we need a higher quality food that uses more protien sources and less by-products and fillers.

I do not have an unlimited income (three kids) and would like to make the best choice I can while still trying to be financially smart. I know that there are extremely good foods that are really expensive and extremely bad food that is really inexpensive. I would prefer to find the best possible spot in between without hurting our dog or pocketbook.

Any recommendations or advice toward finding the best solution would be greatly appreciated.

In general, if the Nutro is not that expensive, why not stick with that, as you already know it works. If he's healthy, no issues with skin or digestive tract, that's a good thing!

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Originally Posted by Karen

In general, if the Nutro is not that expensive, why not stick with that, as you already know it works. If he's healthy, no issues with skin or digestive tract, that's a good thing!

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Because the Nutro is quite a bit more expensive than the Purina One Smart Blend. I am looking for help with possible options that might be cheaper than the Nutro (if there are any good options), but not bad for the dog.

The dog food I started with was provided at no cost. I am soon going to have to purchase more dog food and want to find the best option for when I must purchase it.

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Originally Posted by ss3251

Because the Nutro is quite a bit more expensive than the Purina One Smart Blend. I am looking for help with possible options that might be cheaper than the Nutro (if there are any good options), but not bad for the dog.

The dog food I started with was provided at no cost. I am soon going to have to purchase more dog food and want to find the best option for when I must purchase it.

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Okay. Well, the best thing to do is read ingredient lists. Read the label on the Nutro, for example, and write it down, then look for other foods with a similar list. I am betting you'll find choices that are less expensive, but just as good for him. It's tedious, reading labels, but will save you money in the long run! There are so many different types of Nutro when I looked on their website that I didn't know which one you have! And prices vary region to region as well, so that's something else to consider. Where - what part of the country - do you live? In less urban places, feed stores sometimes have decent food at far cheaper cost that the big chain stores.

Nutro does contain menadione, which is banned in human food for the health problems it causes. I suggest finding a food with no menadione, which also rules out purina. In your price range I suggest if you have a Tractor Supply store near you to go there and try out their food called 4Health. Its free of corn, wheat, and soy and has no menadione.

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Originally Posted by IRescue452

Nutro does contain menadione, which is banned in human food for the health problems it causes. I suggest finding a food with no menadione, which also rules out purina. In your price range I suggest if you have a Tractor Supply store near you to go there and try out their food called 4Health. Its free of corn, wheat, and soy and has no menadione.

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Thanks! I will check that out.
We do have a TSC a few blocks from our house. I didn't even think about checking there until I read the posts from you and Karen. I will check them out!

I'm jealous - no TS anywhere near me, but that's what I get for living in the city! ;) Do let us know what you discover!

A dog does not necessarily go on a grain free food due to allergies; they go on it because that is the high quality food!

Here is a link to get you started:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Read reviews for a few 6 star foods, then read a few 2 star foods. You will learn what to look for when you are reading labels.

For example, you will learn that dogs can not digest corn, it is merely a filler with no nutritional value. So you really don't want a food with corn in it! That is a waste of your money.

A dog like yours, who is not a working dog, not in Agility, will do well on a 4 or 5 star food. Not the highest quality out there but still a very good food.

As with humans, paying up front for a good, healthy diet will help reduce the medical bills down the road.