What kibble are you feeding?

[beeniesmom]

Beenie and Frankie are eating Nutro Lamb and Rice small kibble Dry and Merrick wet or Newmans own wet.

That is.... when I'm not feeding them homemade stews....

[elizabethann]

Fenway gets a mixture of the following kibble:

Merricks Grammy's Pot Pie
Fromms
Nutro Small Bites
Innova

I think I will be eliminating the Nutro once he's done with this mixture. Not sure if I'll be mixing anything else or just sticking with the 3 other foods.

For can, Fenway gets Merrick, Innova and I just picked up some cans of By Nature manufactured in Londonderry NH. It has organic chicken & turkey in it. So far, he won't touch it! Grrrrrrr.....

And I cook him up some omlets once in awhile.

Quick note, a friend of mine has started making her own dog food. She says her dogs have a TON of energy now.

[Suki Wingy]

Iams my mom won't let me buy Niño's food because she is afraid I'll forget to one time and she doesn't want me putting him on Timberwolf Organics because they are so expensive but they deliver. We were about to swich to Blue Buffalo until that was recalled too. My neighbor has been feeding her viszla something that delivery called Natural something or natures something, I'll have to ask her again.

[wolfsoul]

Normally I feed raw, but my dogs get a ton of exercise and therefore need ALOT of food -- they are skinny and it's getting expensive -- so I've started adding California Natural Lamb and Rice Puppy Food to their meals to keep up their weight (it has more fat and caloric density than any of the other foods I can find here, but I found a place in town that might have Acana and I'd really like to try their Extreme formlua -- really high in fat and calories). They have no problems eating kibble and raw together. It's been good so far, Solo has already gained a pound since I started last week.

[M&M's Mommy]

Innova Evo Red Meat Formula.

[Glacier]

I found a place in town that might have Acana and I'd really like to try their Extreme formlua -- really high in fat and calories.

Acana has a retailer locater thing on their website...http://www.championpetfoods.com/StoreLocator.aspx

I feed the Extreme formula in the winter to my working dogs who are hard keepers. Pacer and Ozzy in particular loose weight incredibly quickly. I've been very impressed with it. Even the Performance formula is higher in fat and calories than most pet foods(that's what most of my dogs eat). They also offer a buy 12 get the 13th bag free program at most of their retailers. I buy in bulk so I can't get that deal, but they knock 3 bucks off a bag when I order by the pallet(45 bags at a time).

[wolfsoul]

Thanks Glacier, that's where I found the place in town that may sell it -- though I have never seen it there so I'm going to have to call and ask. I bet they probably wouldn't have that formula (not alot of working dogs around here) but maybe they could order it for me.

I know what you mean about them losing weight fast. My dogs are so hard to keep weight on. At one point I was feeding Solo 16.5 pounds of raw food A DAY. Otherwise in perfect health. The vet says it just must be the amount of exercise they get as neither one had worms or anything. Since I'm now doing the raw and mixing in the kibble and feeding them each three meals a day and tons of treats in-between, Solo has gained a bit of weight, Visa still hasn't but I'm hoping she will. What can ya do...intact working Belgians with high metabolisms. My excuse: They says that underweight dogs live longer. Atleast it's true.

[sammy101]

Mine get Nutro Natural Choice Lamb & Rice formula. I've been watching the recalls closely to make sure that one doesnt get on the list too..hopefully it doesnt.

[Cinder & Smoke]

I buy in bulk ...
they knock 3 bucks off a bag when I order by the pallet (45 bags at a time).

<gasp>


45 Bags at a time!??
OMG!

And just how many days / weeks / months does that Last?

[Cincy'sMom]

Cincy is still getting a mix of Nutro Lite and Science Diet Lite. It has been what works for her, and so far, netiher has been recalled.

Sadie and Spot are getting eagle Pack Holistic

[Glacier]

I know what you mean about them losing weight fast. My dogs are so hard to keep weight on. At one point I was feeding Solo 16.5 pounds of raw food A DAY. Otherwise in perfect health. What can ya do...intact working Belgians with high metabolisms. My excuse: They says that underweight dogs live longer. Atleast it's true.

Wow! That's alot of food! That's why you'd be hard pressed to find a serious musher who feeds exclusively raw. It's just too hard to get enough fat and calories into a working dog. I supplement heavily with raw--mostly wild game, but the hard keepers especially, need the kibble too. I always giggle a bit when people say you can't mix the two. Every musher I know does it, usually in the same meal, without any problems.

I had to take Pacer to the vet this morning. They made me weigh him 3 times. He's lost 11 pounds since his last trip. The last trip was made in the off-season. This one he's just coming off his working season and is at his lightest weight.

I don't even have the intact excuse! All my dogs are altered and I still can't keep weight on some of them!

[Glacier]

<gasp>


45 Bags at a time!??
OMG!

And just how many days / weeks / months does that Last?

It comes in 55 pound bags. One bag equals 3 meals in the summer. 2 in the winter. I do a bulk order twice a year.

[wolfsoul]

Wow! That's alot of food! That's why you'd be hard pressed to find a serious musher who feeds exclusively raw. It's just too hard to get enough fat and calories into a working dog. I supplement heavily with raw--mostly wild game, but the hard keepers especially, need the kibble too. I always giggle a bit when people say you can't mix the two. Every musher I know does it, usually in the same meal, without any problems.

Totally -- I have tried and tried to keep with just raw, and it just isn't working to keep their weight up with their activity. Took me a while to realise that wolves in the wild running however many miles daily may eat only raw but they also eat an entire deer LOL.
As for mixing the two, I always used to be afraid of it -- you hear the "kibble may keep the raw back and the bacteria in the raw will make the dogs sick" theory. But my dogs tend to have loose stools when I feed them kibble, so the way I look at it, it's the raw keeping the kibble back! Dogs are dogs -- they will eat rotten things covered in bacteria and not get sick (my garbage hound is living proof). So I don't see the big deal mixing kibble and raw.

[Cinder & Smoke]

One bag equals 3 meals in the summer; 2 in the winter.

I do a bulk order twice a year.

<double GASP>


45 Bags x 3 Meals = 135 Days per Summer Pallet
45 Bags x 2 Meals = 90 Days per Winter Pallet

So that's at LEAST 3 Pallets a year ... wow!

Does the Dawg Food come like the Wood Pile does - via Tractor Trailer?

[lv4dogs]

All of my crew still gets raw, but due to other circumstances their diet varies more so lately. Some of it is related to special diets needs, time and financial reasons.
When not feeding raw Kaige gets fed EVO (a mix of the WM & RM). I occasionally mix about a quarter can of a decent brand (usually something with venison, rabbit, etc.. in it, the brand varries but the quality doesn't). And when not fed raw Raustyk gets a mix of her special diet (cooked hamburg, bread, rice, eggs, & vitamin supplements) with some Wellness senior along with more supplements & meds. She will also sometimes get a partial can of canned food.