Which Dog Food Do you Use and Why?

[Grizhicks]

Iams, Large Breed, Weight Control (blue bag with light blue label). Best I can recall is about $30 for a 40# bag. I know there is better stuff out there, but she has done well on it; poop is fairly large, but normally solid (makes for easier clean up). -- Greg

 

[MrsGungho]

Iams Large breed puppy food. Once they are both adult dogs I will switch them to Iams Lamb and Rice.
My vet recommends and uses both, yes I trust my vet. He's old school, gruff and if you don't know him well, let's say you won't go back to him because of the bedside manner.

 

[pjcalla]

Blue Buffalo. I think its about $45 per 30lbs (goes on sale for $40). Pricey, but the dogs like it, and their coats are smooth and shiny.

Blue Buffalo - Healthy Dry Dog Food for Puppies, Small Breed, Large Breed, Adult and Senior Dogs.

I used to use Iams, but then they started putting something in it that made dogs loose their hair (I think they changed this now). Then switched to Eagle Pack. Now on Blue.

 

[IndyBeerman]

I suppose that depends on your level of trust with your vet, then. Ours took several minutes to explain why she thought Eukanuba or Science Diet would be good for Kitty, and it definitely did kill his gas problem when we switched from whatever grocery store brand we were feeding him to the Eukanuba Sensitive Stomach.

They may get perks and such from the different vendors, but it's still their job to make sure your pet is well cared for.

Bingo on the level of trust you have on a vet. Our vet is Dr. Bob at Mooresville's St. Francis Pet Center. In my personal opinion he is the man when it comes to our pets. He more than takes the time to explain things, is a great surgeon and cares for our pets, you see it in his actions.
We will see no other vet, period.

He has our Border Collie on Science Diet C/D because she has microscopic crystals in her urine and this prevents her from developing any stones. Great food, plenty of nutrients and provides a shiny coat.

Only two things wrong with it.......

Only available from a vet, and cost, 75.00 for a 40# bag.
But it keeps her healthy and prevents urinary tract problems from sneaking up.

 

[slacker]

Natural Balance sweet potato and fish for my lab.

All ingredients that I can pronounce, he likes the taste, a bag lasts a month and his fur is sooo soft

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=2]Sweet Potatoes, Salmon, Salmon Meal, Canola Oil, Potato Fiber, Natural Flavor, Sodium Chloride, Salmon Oil (a source of DHA), Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Methionine, Choline Chloride, Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid.

[/SIZE][/FONT]

 

[MinuteMan47]

I use the Nutro in the dark green bag...since the switch I noticed my dogs don't smell as bad (even though they still stink...haha) and I also spend less time in the yard picking up their "mess"

 

[Redskinsfan]

Me too

I used to feed Purina dog chow, until I realized what I was feeding him (think the movie super-size me). I now feed him Nutro in the dark green bag. Not to get too graphic, but much of his gassyness went away and waste is definitely better if that is possible. Also his coat has improved greatly as well.

The nutro made a huge improvement in my female Golden Retriever's coat so I usually give them that. When I can't make it to the store that has it I substitute Purina.

Terry

 

[Dirk]

Independent food analysis if anyone's interested: Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost

Because of our dog's heart condition (possible DCM creaping it's ugly head) we feed a raw diet consisting of beef liver/heart/kidney/tail/neck/roast, chicken quarters, turkey necks/drumsticks, and just about anything I can get for less than $1.50/lb. Only poops once per day and because of the particular diet, the poop disintegrates due to the bone meal.

A REAL vet will tell you a raw diet is the ultimate diet for any dog experiencing health problems. Why pay $75/bag of dog food when you can get all the needed ingredients without all the unhealthy and unnecessary additives? Unnecessary additives = unnecessary large piles of poop.

 

[norman428]

Blue Buffalo, little expensive but very good for your dog.
Or raw chicken/beef/lamb Raw, uncooked meat is best because its more natural for the dogs, and has no fillers. I know many people who do this, its recommended by many different places.

 

[CoyoteCreekGuns]

Great replies from everyone, and hey thanks for the input. So far, Natalie (our new Great Pyreneese) is doing...well...GREAT! as for dog food we had narrowed it down to two:

- Kirkland from Costco (Lamb & Rice Formula) and

- 4Health from Tractor Supply (Chicken & Rice formula)

Drum roll please













4Health wins Why?


We went with 4Health Chicken & Rice for a couple of reasons. First and foremost is cost, at $25.00 - $29.00 for 35lbs. we're not going to break the bank. Second was quality which in this case is actually really good, not the best but really good. It has no wheat, corn or soy products in it, the first ingredient is chicken, the second is chicken meal and then are the whole grains. Last but not least our decision came down to cost to acquire the food. In this case Costco is just too far north (as we're in Nashville, IN) and we don't have a membership there. Not the case with Tractor Supply which we already go to for chicken feed, bedding and a few other things.

All in all I feel it's been a great decision and one that Natalie is happy with as well.

 

[bogus]

Check this link out. Stay with the 4 and 5 star stuff and you're good to go. You'll spend the same or less money by not needing to feed as much for the same calorie intake. Plus get the added benefits of less vet bills due to poor diet or grocery or discount store brands which have tons of fillers or are mostly corn. Personally, I'm currently using Wellness. I have used Eagle Pac, Innova, Canidae, and a few others with great success.

Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost


The 4Health sounds like a good deal. The first four ingredients are the primaries in most kibble. The meat meals are actually the most beneficial as "pure" meats such as deboned-chicken are high moisture content. Meals are concentrated.

By the way, Pets Plus on County Line in Greenwood is where I shop. Huge selection and very good prices.

 

[tom]

diamond lamb rice

I feed diamond to my dogs, they seem to do well on it. I would reccomend the large breed that supports joint growth . They have detailed feed measurements that help you with not overfeeding.

 

[IndyGunSafety]

Solid Gold

No fillers, made with fresh lamb, fish meal, millet, barley, and brown rice. It's all natural, highly rated and highly recommended. Not highly priced though! The fillers are a big deal.

Barney aka The Barnusaurus.

 

[IndyGunSafety]

Check this link out. Stay with the 4 and 5 star stuff and you're good to go. You'll spend the same or less money by not needing to feed as much for the same calorie intake. Plus get the added benefits of less vet bills due to poor diet or grocery or discount store brands which have tons of fillers or are mostly corn. Personally, I'm currently using Wellness. I have used Eagle Pac, Innova, Canidae, and a few others with great success.

Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost


The 4Health sounds like a good deal. The first four ingredients are the primaries in most kibble. The meat meals are actually the most beneficial as "pure" meats such as deboned-chicken are high moisture content. Meals are concentrated.

By the way, Pets Plus on County Line in Greenwood is where I shop. Huge selection and very good prices.

Thanks for the link. You will note Iams is 1 star. The stuff we use (Solid Gold) is 5 star. What really surprised me is the price. It is not expensive..

 

[Fletch]

Check this link out. Stay with the 4 and 5 star stuff and you're good to go. You'll spend the same or less money by not needing to feed as much for the same calorie intake. Plus get the added benefits of less vet bills due to poor diet or grocery or discount store brands which have tons of fillers or are mostly corn. Personally, I'm currently using Wellness. I have used Eagle Pac, Innova, Canidae, and a few others with great success.

Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost


The 4Health sounds like a good deal. The first four ingredients are the primaries in most kibble. The meat meals are actually the most beneficial as "pure" meats such as deboned-chicken are high moisture content. Meals are concentrated.

By the way, Pets Plus on County Line in Greenwood is where I shop. Huge selection and very good prices.

Thanks for the link, I've saved it, but that is the most godawful organization I think I've ever seen. They need to make the data more accessible.

 

[Benny]

Check this link out. Stay with the 4 and 5 star stuff and you're good to go. You'll spend the same or less money by not needing to feed as much for the same calorie intake. Plus get the added benefits of less vet bills due to poor diet or grocery or discount store brands which have tons of fillers or are mostly corn. Personally, I'm currently using Wellness. I have used Eagle Pac, Innova, Canidae, and a few others with great success.

Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost


The 4Health sounds like a good deal. The first four ingredients are the primaries in most kibble. The meat meals are actually the most beneficial as "pure" meats such as deboned-chicken are high moisture content. Meals are concentrated.

By the way, Pets Plus on County Line in Greenwood is where I shop. Huge selection and very good prices.

Wow, I can't believe Eukanuba is only 2 star...I always thought that stuff was nicer than that...Same with the 2 and 1 star Iams.

Thanks for the link. You will note Iams is 1 star. The stuff we use (Solid Gold) is 5 star. What really surprised me is the price. It is not expensive..

How much is a 40 lb bag of Solid Gold?

 

[LotsofGlocks]

for Science Diet

 

[public servant]

Which dog food do I feed him??

Whatever he wants.

 

[bogus]

Wow, I can't believe Eukanuba is only 2 star...I always thought that stuff was nicer than that...Same with the 2 and 1 star Iams.

I was surprised when I started researching dog food my dogs as well. You can basically pay the same price for premium foods which are meat based as those that are corn based. Dogs will eat anything, but they are primarily carnivores. Kind of makes sense to feed them something that is mainly meat to me, but that's just my humble opinion. Some believe the exact opposite. Different strokes for different folks. To each his own.

 

[bogus]

Here's one of the links I ran across awhile back that really got me to thinking about what I was feeding to my pet. Some of you might be interested as well. I never really thought about where the ingredients of some of the major marketed pet foods originated from.

What’s Really in Pet Food