So whos feeding what?

[Maralynn]

FWIW Kenzi can't eat one of the Acana varieties (Ranchlands) but does alright with Grasslands and Pacifica. And regular Orijen if it's mixed with The Honest Kitchen.

 

The one "perfect" food I found for her is The Honest Kitchen Embark. When I fed the Ranchlands food she had horrid diarrhea. Fed her one meal of Embark and it cleared right up. Since then I've used it a few more times when she got something that didn't agree with her. It's worked better for her than the old standby of Pepto followed by chicken and rice.

[terrecar]

I used Purina O.N.E lamb & rice when I had multiple dogs and a tighter budget. They did fine on it. I lost my last Dachshund this past Sept at the age of 16 years and 2 months, so it couldn't have been too terribly bad (although I did switch her to a premium brand the last few years of her life). I have always fed premium food to Hannah though. I have her on Fromm now.

 

 

 

ETA: I've also fed ProPlan in the past with good results. Who would have thought?

[juliepoudrier]

Pro Plan is quite expensive for what it is. I talked to the Purina guy at the Bluegrass and he said he sells the 37.5-lb bag for something around $34. It's *significantly* higher at the feed stores around here. And really, not for significantly better ingredients.

 

I had all my dogs on Purina ONE for a short while, but I didn't like the look of their coats. Then again, some years ago I used Bil-Jac. The dogs did great on it, but it's another one with a premium food price but without premium ingredients. If I'm going to pay a higher price, I certainly want better ingredients! But as someone with mutliple dogs and a tight budget, I certainly won't be looking at super-premium and super pricey foods either. I just try to find one food that all (or most) of them will do well on (and that I don't have to drive miles and miles to get).

 

BTW, Purina claims they are the only manufacturer who has actually tested their feeds on dogs, FWIW.

 

J.

[geonni banner]

Wellness Super 5 Lamb, barley & salmon does the job for Sugarfoot. (plus raw beef or chicken backs) I get it from Smart-Pak and the nice UPS man brings it to my door.

 

She's done well on it for two years. She has a shiny coat, white teeth, small stools good muscle-tone and energy to burn.

 

$31.00 for 6 week's worth makes it a good deal for me too.

[Liz P]

BTW, Purina claims they are the only manufacturer who has actually tested their feeds on dogs, FWIW.

 

I don't know how they can claim that because it is absolutely not true. I've personally witnessed other food companies engaged in feeding trials and I know some of the vets who help conduct them.

 

Overall, I like Purina as a company. I would never feed their Beneful or some of their low end foods, but as a kid all our dogs ate Purina One and did great on it. I do like the Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach quite a bit (better than the Purina One equivalent formula).

[Gideon's girl]

I was feeding nutriSource and TOTW. After our local store got "new" TOTW in, I went to get a new bag and the distributor had given them more recalled food. That was the last straw. I mail order Brothers Complete now. It seems to be an amazing food, but it's to soon to tell for sure yet.

[gooddogs74]

One dog on Blue Buffalo Adult Chicken/Rice. Looks great. Other dog on Pro Plan Sensitive Skin/Stomach. Looks great too.

[ObeytheBC]

I am currently feeding Primal Raw and Evanger's Whitefish and Sweet Potato. This was probably the first in a long line of food attempts that my puppy would actually eat with gusto and continue to eat. Since this new diet regime, she is keeping weight on, looks great and is running into her kennel when I just pull out the food bowls.

 

My new dog came to me after eating a routine feed store performance food (that I would not personally choose to use) and has been loving his new meals. His coat is much softer and shinier (after only 2 weeks), he has dropped some of his extra weight off, and the condition of his teeth and breath are improving.

[Caity]

I feed Solid Gold Hundenflocken. My dog has grain allergies and a sensitive stomach (though she seems to eat "foraged" scraps fine, it's just kibble she used to puke up regularly, go figure). She has done well on this for 4 years. She came to me on Science Diet *cue crickets* and I got her switched over to Wellness CORE, but she still had allergic reactions while on that... Once we started Solid Gold her tummy redness and splotches disappeared and she maintains weight a lot better. I supplement with salmon oil for her coat, but that's all.

 

Eventually I'd like to feed raw but just don't have the time/resources at the moment to do so. Maybe in the future.

[dsmbc]

my two adults are still eating canadae grain free and the pup is still eating TOTW puppy since the recall didn't impact us here. They are all doing well on it.

[juliepoudrier]

I don't know how they can claim that because it is absolutely not true. I've personally witnessed other food companies engaged in feeding trials and I know some of the vets who help conduct them.

Liz,

The whole reason I used the word "claim" was because I did not to any research to determine the veracity of that claim. And yet they claim it, as recently as last month when I talked to the rep. I'm sure your personal experience trumps any claims made....

 

J.

[scullywags]

After years of feeding TOTW I switched to Acana at the beginning of May.

 

Soft stools, to the point that when Ouzo was boarded for 4 days at the animal hospital they treated him with metronidazole and switched his food to something else. I've just returned from 3 weeks of vacation and found out my husband switched him to Purina One in my absence - before I had a chance to blast him for giving him crappy supermarket food I found out his running stools have been solved. Hmmm....

 

I think the grain free foods are not agreeing with him, must continue the quest for the perfect food for a picky eater and serial soft stooler

 

 

I was told the Acana was giving mine soft stools from feeding too much and no fiber ! so I added some green beans and small amount of Castor Pullox to it it helped but I think the amount of stool produced by my pup is way too much so I really want to find another feed.

 

We have a whole foods in Winston Salem so may try that but I hate to just keep flooping around but hes at a stage where nutrition is so important and my little dog needs proper nutrition for his agility training

 

my recouping BC is also in need of protein for the muscle mass we are trying to rebuild

the more I try to educate myself on feeding the more I am not sure whats best.

[Liz P]

I know you used the word claim, but I still can't figure out how a rep can expect to say something like that without risking legal action against the company. All you have to do is read the literature to see how many feeding trials have been done by various pet food companies. You don't have to go to their testing facilities and see the trials in action.

 

Maybe he got his information crossed somehow. I know Purina does lifelong feeding trials (birth to death). That is quite rare for pet food companies and may in fact be unique to Purina. I know other companies have done trials that have lasted for years but may not have been lifelong. It's possible that is what he meant when he said their company was the only one that did (lifelong) feeding trials.

[Carson Crazies]

I went back to Healthwise this month (Natura's budget line). I'm not thrilled that P&G has bought out Natura, but the folks at my store said so far there's not been any change that they can tell. I was feeding Costco's food about the time of the recall, and around that time switched to Canidae. I hate that it's made in Diamond's plant, but the truth is that it's a good bang for my buck and my dogs do well on it. I'll probably go back to Canidae in a few months.

[juliepoudrier]

I know you used the word claim, but I still can't figure out how a rep can expect to say something like that without risking legal action against the company.

Who's going to bring legal action over a one-on-one conversation? Me? You, because I repeated a conversation to you? He didn't hand me written advertising making any claims. He probably did mean lifetime feeding studies. Maybe *I* misremembered--it's been a month since the conversation and I really wasn't paying that close attention because I think Purina is a decent company, so he didn't need to sell me on it. It's really not that big a deal, IMO.

 

J.

[Jo&Tex]

We use a powdered supplement called "Hilary's Blend" which we get from the vet to top dress the home cooked diet.

 

We use mostly eggs and ground up farm animals (pork, lamb, poultry, beef bones and organs, goat)along with veggies and either rice or oatmeal. Spot is fine, WaggyMaggy and Loki stay a bit too thin and Wren keeps a bit slick on this diet. Wren is very picky and it is a challenge to get her to eat at all.

 

Tex did well on the black label presidents choice food for years until we switched to home cooked.

[scullywags]

After years of feeding TOTW I switched to Acana at the beginning of May.

 

Soft stools, to the point that when Ouzo was boarded for 4 days at the animal hospital they treated him with metronidazole and switched his food to something else. I've just returned from 3 weeks of vacation and found out my husband switched him to Purina One in my absence - before I had a chance to blast him for giving him crappy supermarket food I found out his running stools have been solved. Hmmm....

 

I think the grain free foods are not agreeing with him, must continue the quest for the perfect food for a picky eater and serial soft stooler

 

I ordered Victors yesterday so will be trying that after researching

I am tired of the stools I am getting from the Acana

I think they are expending and awful lot consideringt he small amount of food they are being given.

 

[Ooky]

Odin has been doing fantastic for 2 years now on a base of Natural Balance L.I.D. which we alternate between buffalo, lamb, and venison varieties. And then he gets about 1/2 cup every night of food scraps from our dinner - he will eat any cooked meat, pasta, peas, cooked carrots, pan sauce, breads, and cheese of any kind. He does not eat fruit or most veggies. And then whatever snacks he gets off the floor, including spilled milk from sippy cups. It sounds horrible but his stomach and coat and teeth all look great, plus he's at the perfect weight.

[Chesney's Girl]

I have been having a hard time keeping weight on Chesney and being able to afford quality meat for feeding exclusively raw so I've gone to supplementing raw with kibble. I was supplementing with Acana but with the increased activity level he's experiencing with stockwork and just running and swimming with me, I've been having a hard time getting him to maintain weight without rediculously increasing the kibble I give him (1.5# meat with 1-1.5c of kibble). I looked for a kibble with more fat that I was happy to compare to Champion Pet Food products and I went with Natures Variety Instinct Rabbit. It's 35/22 with a good amount of calories/cup so we shall see if it helps him keep his weight without feeding him ALOT of food.

[Maralynn]

FWIW, Natures Variety gets their rabbit meat from a supplier in China

[Runzbarrel]

I feed Acana Grasslands as well. We had a problem with soft stools also and now add an 1/4c of Fromm to it and VOILA! No more soft stools. I'm very happy with the Acana and Fromm combo.

[D'Elle]

I am still feeding TOTW, as I buy the food from my vet's shop and all labels were checked; none of the recalled food came here. Only one of the dogs really needs the grain-free food, (it seems to help a lot with her arthritis), but I have the impression that most dogs should be fed grain free.

 

BUT, I am having a hard time paying that much for dog food! Currently I have 3 BCs in my home, and no steady job. I wish that there were a really good, worthy dog food that I could more reasonably afford to feed.

D'Elle

[Sue R]

I am still feeding TOTW, as I buy the food from my vet's shop and all labels were checked; none of the recalled food came here. Only one of the dogs really needs the grain-free food, (it seems to help a lot with her arthritis), but I have the impression that most dogs should be fed grain free.

 

BUT, I am having a hard time paying that much for dog food! Currently I have 3 BCs in my home, and no steady job. I wish that there were a really good, worthy dog food that I could more reasonably afford to feed.

D'Elle

If I was in your position, I'd have no problem feeding Purina One. My daughter fed (may still feed) it for some years and her dogs have done very well on it.

 

I am of mixed emotions about the grain-free advice for Border Collies, at least those from working lines. Shepherds did not feed their dogs with meat-based diets but largely with grain-based diets that included meat scraps, dairy products, and other readily-available, inexpensive alternatives.

 

While wheat was probably not a staple like rolled oats may have been, I know that many shepherds (in the British Isles) have long fed dog diets high in corn.

 

What it really comes down to is what your dog does well on, and it's obvious from topics like this that that varies for different dogs and in different situations.

 

I hope you find something that works well for all your dogs!

[Chesney's Girl]

FWIW, Natures Variety gets their rabbit meat from a supplier in China

 

Dang... We'll see how this bag goes then I'll decided if I'll continue or not. Is it just their rabbit? Or are all their meat sources?

[Carson Crazies]

I am of mixed emotions about the grain-free advice for Border Collies, at least those from working lines. Shepherds did not feed their dogs with meat-based diets but largely with grain-based diets that included meat scraps, dairy products, and other readily-available, inexpensive alternatives.

 

For what it's worth, if I feed my working dogs a grain free it's all I can do to keep weight on them, and even moreso when they're getting a lot of work. On the occasion that I feed a grain free I find myself supplementing with oatmeal... which sort of defeats the purpose.