Member's Mark "Exceed" food from Sams?

Anyone ever fed Member's Mark Exceed (Chicken and Rice) food to their dogs? We've been talking with Eli's breeder (We didnt buy him from her, fyi...) and she said his other siblings have filled out more.. and we're suspecting the people who had him before didnt care for him properly.. so we've been trying to put some weight on him. He was barely 40 lbs when we got him at 5.5 months. We could see his ribs! He's now 57.5 lbs at 8 months. (About 20 lbs weight gain total so far.) He was eating Purina Puppy Chow when we got him...

So anyways.. His breeder said to look for a high protein food - with meat as the first ingredient- and supplement it with cottage cheese to get him to gain some weight quicker. So Ive been looking around.. cant really spend a whole lot of money on dog food right now.. Seemed like a good deal.. 44 lbs for $22.
Came across this Member's Mark Exceed at Sams a couple weeks ago.. Has the highest protein Ive seen so far..

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This food was specifically developed as a high-protein formula to keep active, hardworking or hunting dogs in top form. Its high quality formulation with real chicken packs 30% protein and 20% fat into each healthful serving. That helps give your active dog the lean muscle mass, energy and endurance he needs for top performance.

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Link to the info page at Sams: here.

He seems to like it.. eats it straight from my hand.. which he's never done before (See other threads about him being a picky eater...). So I figure its good. Its real chicken.. no byproducts...

Was just looking for some input.. who makes it.. anyone have any info on it? And does anyone see a problem with feeding him food that isnt "puppy" formulated?

=) Thanks!

Do you have the ingredients list? I've never heard of this food.

I personally feed Innova EVO Red Meat which is 42% protein I believe.

I see nothing wrong with not feeding puppy food to a puppy. As long as the food is nutritious enough for a growing puppy. Mufasa was fed puppy food for a month or so when we first got him. Ever since then he's been fed adult food (he's 9 months.)

To be honest, I've gone over the topic of dog food and kibble choices so many times that nothing impresses me much anymore. After debate to debate to "agree to disagree's", my only advice is to use what works for you :) I can't find the ingredient list for it and I suppose the company that makes it is Member's Mark, but it seems like MM is a large company that makes various human and pet products (infant formula and grills, for example :p). That said, they probably don't specialize much in dog nutrition and for that I'd be wary. I know it's futile and it doesn't mean much but check to see if has the AAFCO seal. I wouldn't take the AAFCO seal as a sign of quality, but I'm not familiar with the food so at least you'd have some type of reassurance. My point is: Use what works for you, and if Eli likes the food, go for it!

Also, I fed Ivy two bags of Innova Large Breed Puppy until I read more on the realities of HD. Then, I ditched it and started feeding Ivy the same diet as Giselle (and she gets adult kibble + raw).

Ok so I went and wrote down the ingredients list. Couldnt find it online anywhere..

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Chicken, chicken meal, corn gluten meal, brewer's rice, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, ground yellow corn, ground wheat, calcium phosphate, dried beet pulp, dried egg product, brewer's dried yeast, animal digest (Is this considered byproducts?), salt, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, L-Lysine monhydrochloride, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, ferroud sulfate, manganese sulfate, miacin, Vitamin A suppl, calcium pantothenate, thiamine, mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin suppl, Vitamin b-12 suppl, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, Vit D-3 suppl, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfate complex, sodium selenite.

Crude Protein: 30%, Crude Fat: 20%, Crude Fiber: 4%, Moisture: 12%...

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I know several things on that list are not good things.. beet pulp, brewer's rice, corn... Im assuming this is much better than the Puppy Chow though! As its first ingredient was corn, then chicken, then some more corn.. I did see something about AAFCO.. should have wrote that down. I'll make sure and check tomorrow.

I dont want to stir up a debate either.. I know the which is better talk has been beat into the ground.. I just wondered what people thought of this food.. As Ive never seen or heard anyone talk about it.

It doesn't look bad but it's not the best. Ingredient-wise, I think it's along the lines of Iams and Eukanuba so it's a decent food. If Eli likes it and is thriving on it, congrats, you've found the right kibble! :)

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It doesn't look bad but it's not the best.

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Yea.. thats what I was thinking.. I cant afford the best right now.. with the random termination that has affect our household...

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If Eli likes it and is thriving on it, congrats, you've found the right kibble!

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I agree. He's so picky... I was surprised to see him take it out of my hand and actually eat it. He'll usually spit it out.

I was reading all labels and 30% seemed like the highest protein for a kibble in my price range... Was just looking out for any horror stories or if anyone knew anymore about it..=) Thanks for your input!

I personally wouldn't feed it (I don't prefer to feed foods that corn is one of the main ingredients.) However, if it works the ingredients don't look too bad.

Hope he does well on it. :)

Has anyone ever tried Nature's Recipe Dog Food? It is made with all natural ingredients, no beef, soy, corn or wheat for less allergy problems. No fillers or by-products. There are several formulas including "healthy skin" and "easy to digest. It can found at Pet Smart and the price is reasonable....I think I paid about $33.00 for a 40 LB bag.


Michele

I would stay away from this kibble, if at all possible... but that's just my humble opinion! There ARE way worse kibbles out there, but there are also WAY better kibbles out there, for the same price.

Canidae, for instance, is about the same in cost (I think it's $30 for 40 lbs); and because it isn't packed with fillers, you will probably need to feed a lot less. C:

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I would stay away from this kibble, if at all possible...

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Are you referring to Nature's Recipe? Or my original food post?

We feed Nature's Recipe Lamb and Rice to our three.. They seem to be doing really well. Nice coats, no upset tummys... Id recommend it. Its about $27 at our Petsmart.

Used to feed Nutro Max and then Nutro Natural Choice, and then Eli lost a lot of weight on Natural Choice, so then we chose Nature's Recipe. I figure its better than the Purina crap Eli was being fed when we got him.. :rolleyes:

Guess its really to each his own on the topic of dog food. I was happy knowing that there's no Byproducts, Corn, or wheat used in it.

Oh, oops... I was refering to the kibble in your original post.

If it were me (and, I know, it isn't!) I would feed Nature's Recipe and supplement with whole foods, to put some weight on him. Satin balls, for instance, or even occasional raw meaty bones.

Some people seem to forget that the feeding guidelines on the back of bags are just that -- guidelines. Maybe his previous owners were feeding the guidelines but he just needed a little more?

My suggestion is, if he likes the food and is doing well on it then there's no reason to change :)

BUT if you wish to put him on the same food as your other dogs then you can still supplement the diet. If he is maintaining weight, great; if he's losing or gaining weight just adjust the portions accordingly.

Bottom line - you just have to find what's right for you and your dog :)

Wow... you guys are a little behind.. this thread got bumped because someone else asked a food question. Eli is fine and dandy now. Ive got that all under control.

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and there's planty of chicken and animal by-products listed there. What do you think chicken meal is?

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In my last two posts I was never referring to the Member's Mark food... Was talking about Nature's Recipe... As in response to this question...

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Has anyone ever tried Nature's Recipe Dog Food? It is made with all natural ingredients, no beef, soy, corn or wheat for less allergy problems. No fillers or by-products. There are several formulas including "healthy skin" and "easy to digest. It can found at Pet Smart and the price is reasonable....I think I paid about $33.00 for a 40 LB bag.

Michele

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Thats why it was bumped...

Maybe you should read the WHOLE thread before posting. :rolleyes: I was NEVER looking to get

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a huge layer of fat over the ribs.

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I find that statement ignorant and somewhat offensive. Eli was OBVIOUSLY underweight when we got him.. and I wasnt trying to "Pack on the pounds".. was trying to get him to a good weight. I realize that when theyre growing as puppies they get awkward, skinny stages.. that wasnt his case. And the last thing we'd have is overweight or obese dogs.. :rolleyes:

I think it's a great product.
I feed my dogs the Lamb and Rice formula and they have great energy, beautiful coats, strong nails, clear eyes.

Also the Lamb and Rice contains garlic which helps keep fleas and mosquitoes at bay.

There is no soy in this product, unlike several of the brand names, which can contribute to aggression in dogs.

Also corn is not the first ingredient, unlike most store brands, which means better digestion and not as many piles in my yard.

I would strongly recommend this product.:love: