dog food

[ownerof3dogs]

most dog food first ingredient is corn. I think that if your dog has a glossy coat, clear eyes and is healthy than it doesn't matter about the main ingredient being corn.
My dogs eat Kibbles and Bits and they love it they nearly do flips when it's dinner time

[teena]

I must have the only dog with "irritable bowel syndrome". I have tried just about every food known to dogs and the only one that doesn't give him the runs is Science Diet Lamb and Rice. We call my Orphan Annie "Hoover" because she will "suck up" anything you put in front of her with no problems.

[shais_mom]

Just sending out a warning to ownerof3dogs!!
A lady a work with has a golden and she has spent over a thousand dollars this summer and fall b/c of horrible allergies. Molly has rubbed herself raw on her back, her tail was bald. She was almost to the pooint of putting her down b/c she was so miserable, and this dog is her world. She has used high potent cortisone cream, all sorts of stuff, and took her to 2 vets. She fed Kibbles and Bits and after talking to other people they said they have had the same problem when feeding Kibbles and Bits. So she is weaned her off of it as of last week. And she is not itching as much.

[AdoreMyDogs]

I just started my dogs on Innova, I happened to find a pet store near me that carries it, otherwise I would not have bought it. It's too expensive to buy expensive food online and pay for the shipping on top of that. I started mixing it into their old Eukanuba brand and they seem to really like it. When I opened the bag of Innova, I was amazed at how good it smelled! When I open the Eukanuba I notice it smells so strong of fish but the Innova smells like it has green stuff in it (which it does). It smells much better.

It's a bit more expensive per bag then the Eukaneuba but they are said to eat much less of it because their bodies can digest 100% of the ingredients, making it more filling. So it ends up being about the same as Eukaneuba cost wise.

[teena]

Has anyone heard about Iams selling out to Procter & Gamble? I heard about it and was told by my pet food supplier that that's why you can buy it in all the grocery stores now. I just hope they don't compromise the quality.

[ownerof3dogs]

shais_mom thank for the warning.
I have noticed that my dogs have been itchy latley but they always are. If it keeps up I'll switch food.

[shais_mom]

I was also wondering if I should wean Shai off of canned food. I mix canned food with a small amount of dry food. Then when she eats that I give her more dry food. She seems to do well with it, I like the canned food b/c it is mostly meat.

[Margrete]

We feed our six month old puppy Molly a combination of Eukanuba dry food (which is what the breeder gave her) and California Natural Lamb and Rice dry food and she loves it. We also give her a small bowl of Pedigree wet puppy food every day. I too was against Pedigree as it is the cheapest on the market until I read the label and found out it was manufactured by Waltham's - which makes all of the specialty diets (low fat, low residue etc) that we were buying for our last VERY ill dog at the Vet's. Guess it is working because she is growing, thriving, has clear eyes and a wonderful coat. Most of all - when we took her to have her spayed two weeks ago - the Vet said she was "the picture of health". Don't know about other states but in California you can find all of these foods at An Jan's, Petco, and Pet Club.

[lhg0962]

Well I must admit I had resorted to a cheaper canned to mix with the Iams dry. I bought a few cans of Iams canned this week and you can tell the difference by just looking at it. No more BiLo brand for Honey and Lilly. I must tell you that I also got a lecture from a contact on another pet site who is a "holistic" believer and he is mailing information on several different types of food. He swears that the difference in quality and price will more than outweigh the vet bills I would have otherwise. I'm going to look into it and I'll report back to you after reviewing it.

[shais_mom]

Thanks Logan,
I mix Alpo, Dads, Skippy and sometimes Walmart brand with her dry food. But Iams and Eukanuba look and smell the best!! You can see the broth in the can when you open it!

I am not against Pedigree, a friend of mine her dog Pedigree when it was dying and its coat cleared up. Shai seems to like it and Alpo, and I have a 20 lb bag of it unopened so she is going to eat it until its gone!!!
I wanted to tell everyone about a free sample I got today from Pet Supplies Plus. It just came out and its called Sensible Choice Natural Blend. It has Chicken, oatmeal,tuna oil,potatoes,apples, spinach, and cheese.
The first 4 ingredients are, brown rice, chicken meal,oatmeal, and chicken.
I put in her dish dry and she ate almost all of it!! It is absorbed almost completely so there is little waste. COOL!!!
They also have a giant breed formula and the girl showed us the kibble, it is the size of walnuts!!!!!!!!!!!! It is better for large breeds to have large kibble b/c they are less likely to inhale it and its better for their digestion!! I was wondering if I should try it, even tho Shai isn't a giant breed, but then she would work at chewing and not inhaling therefore less vomiting!!
The girl I was with got a free sample of their new catfood and the rep told us something interesting for you catlovers!(at least I didn't know this)
Most cat food has corn in it, Cats do not digest corn very well, if at all. So this new food doesn't contain any corn!!
I did buy some Chicken and Rice Pro Plan and the first ingredient is chicken.
This Sensible Choice is produced by Pet Products Plus, anyone know anything about them?
Happy New Year!!

[RachelJ]

All these different choices are making my head swim. What I wanted to mention was my vet suggested I feed Hills TC as a suppliment to my regular dry food. This is for tarter control on the teeth. It is supposed to be used as a regular food but it is so expensive he doesn't even feed it that way to his own dogs. I give my dogs three of the nuggets after each meal. When you said the kibble in the griant breed formula was the size of walnuts, that reminded me as these are that size as well. My dogs just love these things. They will sit by their dog dish indefinitely until they get their "nubbins" as we call them.

[shais_mom]

I forgot to mention that when I took Shai to the vet, I asked her what I should feed her, I told her my sister swears by Science Diet.
But I thought it was so expensive and she said her dogs don't even get that either b/c of that reason~!

[trihok]

Hello! i think is better to give shai the same food he ate at the beginning.

ANF is the brand i fed my 4mth old pup and this is what she ate at the dog farm. sometime i will add some can food - alpo, she seem like it very much. but i do agreed what Rachelj mentioned earlier that canned food contributes to tarter on the teeth.
i thk i will stop adding can food to her.

[This message has been edited by trihok (edited January 03, 2001).]

[shais_mom]

What is ANF? Shaianne gets canned food with dry food so I think the dry would help the tartar on the teeth.
I got her frome the Humane Soc and I don't think they fed her a top quality food, so that is why I am looking for a better brand to feed her. And also that one that won't make her sick, so I have been using chicken and rice or lamb and rice formulas b/c that was suggested earlier in the forum.

[This message has been edited by shais_mom (edited January 03, 2001).]

[lhg0962]

I'm adding to the confusion, but I really think the more information, the better.
I read on a Golden Retriever bulletin board recently about Flint River Ranch food. Most of the owners there swear by that food. You can read about it at: www.f-r-r.com

A couple of other pet nutrition sites are: www.api4animals.org/doc.asp?ID=79

and
www.naturapet.com

Anybody know about the essential fatty acids I keep hearing about that are supposed to help with skin and joints? Where do you get them and how do you know what and how much to give?