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". 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!!!