Dog food

[ThumperFlower]

Ever since Lala was a pup she's always been picky about dog food..It's not all her fault, she used to get too many table scraps..she's spoiled rotten..and it's my fault..but that all stopped and she eats nothing but dog food..(unless someone sneaks her a bit of human food)..the breeder gave us a bag of Purina puppy chow for her when we first got her... I was uneducated about dog food then..and byb's and puppy mills....ok I'm dragging this a bit lol, but anyways she's always been bad with ear infections, and dry skin, common for shepherds I know..but we've tried so many different foods...some she won't touch, some she give her diarrea, some just don't seem to help, and some are just downright expensive. Finally..I was able to find something, that seems to be doing the trick healthwise...and she actually eats it. Royal Canin for German Shepherds...my vet says if its working, and she likes it..then keep it up! I'm not sure how it ranks on the good dog food list, but it ranks #1 for her...and my wallet..lol Just wondering what the opinions of the food are...if you haven't heard of it here are the ingredients:

Chicken, brewers rice, brown rice, chicken meal, chicken fat (naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols), soy isolate, cellulose, natural chicken flavor, sodium silico aluminate, beet pulp (sugar removed), fish oil, soya oil, dried eggs, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, sodium tripolyphosphate, dicalcium phosphate, choline chloride, brewers yeast extract (Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation solubles), tyrosine, salt, taurine, inositol, niacin supplement, vitamin E supplement, glucosamine hydrochloride, marigold extract, DL-methionine, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), chondroitin sulfate, calcium pantothenate, zinc oxide, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), zinc proteinate, iron sulfate, manganous oxide, vitamin A supplement, rosemary extract, manganese proteinate, folic acid, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, biotin, calcium iodate, vitamin D3 supplement, sodium selenite, vitamin B12 supplement.

[scotia]

There's always a lot of controversy over how to feed dogs... many people prefer a raw meaty bone diet and nothing else. My own dogs get a commercial dry food in the morning, and a raw kangaroo tail in the evening, and they're thriving. My last Australian Cattle Dog lived til 12, she didn't have a day's illness in her life until she got a brain tumour, and she won in agility an awful lot. So, if your dog eats Royal Canin, go for it. The big issue with commercial dog food is that it isnt' really good for dental health, and bad teeth mean bad hearts, etc so if you toss in a few raw bones and keep an eye on the teeth I'd figure you'd be fine.

Cheers

Scotia

[bckrazy]

I agree with Scotia, raw is ideal & the best you can give her (and would probably eliminate any allergies), but I totally understand that not everyone can put together & feed a wholesome Raw diet.

This part of the ingredients does not seem ideal, to me: brewers rice, soy isolate, cellulose. Brewers rice is crap, as is any kind of soy product. Soy is known to flare up almost any dog's allergies if fed consistenly, as is dried egg products for some dogs. However, I would say it's a good kibble overall, especially if Lala is doing well on it.

[buttercup132]

I'd go with raw feeding for her.