# Best Dog Food?



## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

Hi, my vet keeps selling me some Hills Prescription Diet Large breed claiming it is very nutritional and such...

Anyways I seen reviews on the internet and they aren't very good. Should I stick with this diet my dog seems to love it, but his poo is yellow colored and I did switch him over to this food over a 7-day period.

Anyways what is everyone else feeding there dogs??

Is it safe to switch my puppy onto a BARF or raw meat and vegetable diet???

I'm looking forward to your opinions and replies, thanks.


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## blacklabel (Feb 12, 2007)

yes raw is the healthiest for your dog, but most owners arent willing to put in the time to prepare all the meals.
your vet is pushing hills because he receives incentives from the manufacturer. but the fact is hills is sh*t.


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

Are you kidding me dont do that RAW thing

Dry food is the best for your dog

I suggest trying Nutro


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## rhom40 (May 3, 2007)

I feed a special diat, because my dog is a compeitor- weight pulling champ-, his diat consist of ( Eukanuba protein 31% 4 days a week, the other three days raw shreded chicken mixed with RED CELL ).


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## jmax611 (Aug 6, 2006)

that dog looks like a beast


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## blacklabel (Feb 12, 2007)

coutl said:


> Are you kidding me dont do that RAW thing
> 
> Dry food is the best for your dog
> 
> I suggest trying Nutro


lol ummmmm..........no


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

Evrything good for your dog is in dry


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## blacklabel (Feb 12, 2007)

coutl said:


> Evrything good for your dog is in dry


dry food is made from the waste parts that are not deemed healthy for humans...such as cows with cancer and other diseases, lungs and pretty much all other organs...etc. even if you supplument with vitamins and minerals its still not half as healthy as feeding raw or barf...and a good diet will literally add years to your dogs life.


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

Yes, you should stick with it...but probably not prescription unless it's truly needed.

Hill's Science Diet is one of the best brands out there.
~Taylor~


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## rhom40 (May 3, 2007)

Dry is good,meat is also good, it depends on what your doing with your dog. house dog= dry, Competitor= meat/dry. The meat i feel gives a little more of somthing.


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## blacklabel (Feb 12, 2007)

hills, purina one, eukanuba, etc are all GARBAGE. i dont care what you people feed your animals but for everyone here saying that kibble is good for your dog IS JUST PLAIN WRONG. im not saying youre stupid but you are misinformed. if you want to feed kibble these are the best brands:

Abady
Aunt Jeni's
BURNS 800-983-9651
Back to Basics 800-219-2558
Go Natural 866-864-6112
California Natural 800-532-7261
Canidae 800-398-1600
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul (800-442-0402)
Eagle Holistic Select 800-255-5959
Flint River 909-682-5048 
Foundations 866-864-6112
Honest Kitchen -715-235-6502
Innova 800-532-7261
Karma (Natura Pet Products) 800-532-7261
Lifespan 800-359-4483
Newman's Own Organics (800-865-2866)
Pinnacle 800-255-4286
Prairie 888-519-7387
Wellness 800-225-0904
Wysong Synorgon 800-748-0188
VeRus 888-828-3787

and if you want to give your dog the healthiest diet you can, here is a 7 day menu for a 90lb dog. the bennifits of which you cant even immagine. your dog will have more energy, be much happier and look forward to dinner and the variety of food really adds to their quality of life. there waste will not smell, be smaller and will decompose in only a couple days. natural food passes through your dog much quicker, as their stomachs are not designed to digest processed foods. also youll notice their are no grains listed...this is because dogs dont need them. they are used it your vet-reccomended science diet because they are cheap.

Monday

One pound of chicken necks or backs or leg quaters
12 oz. Ground turkey, hamburger, beef heart or chicken hearts / gizzards 
One egg w/shell 
2 Mega Omega-3
1 tsp. Super C powder
400 units of Vitmain E

Tuesday

6oz. Liver (chicken, beef or pork) or kidneys 
8 oz. Chicken necks or backs of Leg Quarters
One egg w/shell 
1/4 cup of ground veggies 
2 Mega Omega-3
2 tsp. Kelp/Alfalfa mix
1 tsp. Super C powder
400 units of Vitamin E

Wednesday

One can of mackerel 
1/4 cup veggies 
8oz. Chicken necks or backs or Chicken Leg Quarters
1 tsp. Super C powder
400 units of Vitamin E

Thursday

One pound of chicken necks or backs or Leg Quaters
12 oz. Ground turkey, hamburger, beef heart or chicken hearts and gizzards 
One egg w/shell 
2 Mega Omega-3
1 tsp. Super C powder
400 units of Vitamin E

Friday

6oz. Liver (chicken, beef or pork) or kidneys
8 oz. Chicken necks or backs or Leg Quaters
One egg w/shell
1/4 cup of ground veggies
2 Mega Omega-3
2 tsp. Kelp/Alfalfa mix
1 tsp. Super C powder
400 Unites of Vitamin E

Saturday

One pound of chicken necks or backs or Leg Quaters
12 oz. Ground turkey, hamburger, beef heart or chicken hearts/gizzards
One egg w/shell
2 Mega Omega-3
1 tsp. Super C powder
400 unites of Vitamin E

Sunday

One can sardines
1/4 cup veggies
1 pound Chicken necks or backs or Leg Quaters
12 oz. Ground turkey, hamburger, beef heart or chicken hearts/gizzards
2 Mega Omega-3
1 tsp. Super C powder
400 Unites of Vitamin E

also, any of you spending money on giving your dog annual vaccinations are being taken advantage of.


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

^ is your dog a housedog??

thats seems crazy

omega vitamins??

400 vitamin e??


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## blacklabel (Feb 12, 2007)

coutl said:


> ^ is your dog a housedog??
> 
> thats seems crazy
> 
> ...


yes hes just a pet, but hes my boy so i dont mind taking a few minutes to feed him something good for him that he enjoys. just seeing him doing circles when i start making it makes it worth it.

omega is just fish oil/fatty acids its good for his skin and coat and helps with shedding

Vitamin E is an antioxidant and anticarcinogen. It helps to protect vitamin C and vitamin A from oxidation. It promotes circulation, healing of wounds, aids in arthritis, helps with normal functioning of the nervous system, improves athletic performance and prevents cell damage and may prevent aging.


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

BARF (bones and raw food diet) is the best if you can go that route. I feed my GSD Wellness. There are some pretty good dry dog foods out there, but they usually aren't the ones you see advertised on TV or in the Vet's office. I would only feed prescription pet food if there was a serious medical problem it was addressing. I'll try to PM you a PDF with a great article on selecting a dry dog food (having problems uploading it at the moment).


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

dang blacklabel you are a dog food king


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## JD7.62 (Apr 7, 2005)

I work at a LPS and have to take dog nutrition classes. I work in the fish dept. so I sleep through most of them but this is what Ive learned.

Science Diet's advertising is too vets, who then because that is all they hear about, suggests you use them. Science Diet is a medium grade at best. The best commonly found dry foods are Wellness, Eagle Hollistic, and Nutro.


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## akkr1 (Feb 27, 2007)

I totally agree with Blacklabel and Bioteach, raw diets are the best for a dog but make sure you do plenty of reading up on it first so you know what you are getting into. There are some really great dry dog foods out there too though. I rotate between, Wellness, Prairie, Solid Gold, Wysong, and Karma. But don't be surprised by the price tag on these dog foods! Be a label reader of the ingredients on dog foods and try to avoid anything with animal by products in them.

Wellness

Prairie

Solid Gold

Wysong

Karma


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

Thanks for your opinions and thanks to bioteach for the PDF, im still debating whether to buy one of the dry foods listed or feeding a barf.

And to whoever posted the pic of that pitbull can you please post another pic of him, he has bigger muscles than me.


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

JD7.62 said:


> I work at a LPS and have to take dog nutrition classes. I work in the fish dept. so I sleep through most of them but this is what Ive learned.
> 
> Science Diet's advertising is too vets, who then because that is all they hear about, suggests you use them. Science Diet is a medium grade at best. The best commonly found dry foods are Wellness, Eagle Hollistic, and Nutro.


Nutro


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## RB 32 (Mar 2, 2005)

*THE BEST IS NUTRO NATURAL CHOICE.*


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

RB 32 said:


> *THE BEST IS NUTRO NATURAL CHOICE.*


thats what I feed


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## RB 32 (Mar 2, 2005)

coutl said:


> *THE BEST IS NUTRO NATURAL CHOICE.*


thats what I feed :nod:
[/quote]
IT'S THE BEST


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## mulrooneyryan (Aug 13, 2006)

please dont post uninformed opinions that may be taken as fact! thats a personal opinion and not based on nutritional facts. natural choice is a medium grade dog food at best.

i completely agree with biotech and the others. a raw diet is by far the best and more natural if done properly, but for the average dog owner who may not have the time, knowledge or the means to prepare a raw diet, there are some good kibble diets as well. if i were to recommend a couple, they would be Innova Evo or a new product called Orijen. Both are top of the line foods right now and most closely mimic a dogs "natural diet.


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## KRS one (May 28, 2004)

NUTRO!!!! it i one of the best dry foods out there ive worked at many feed stores and pet stores, i also use it with my own dog there are many differnt types to choose from they also have the nutro natural and nutro max and when they had that recall they did not have a thing on it....


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## RB 32 (Mar 2, 2005)

I don't know what that guy is talking about....but nutro is a excellent dog food.


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## rhom40 (May 3, 2007)

Here's another pic of my boy at 10wks, before i received him.


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## SUS (Mar 10, 2007)

Has anyone heard or tried Blue, its carried by petsmart now. Made from all human grade ingredients.


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## RB 32 (Mar 2, 2005)

can we see pics of the dog in your avatar???



rhom40 said:


> Here's another pic of my boy at 10wks.


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

Ya Nutro didnt have any recall becuz its not made of the bad stuff like the other cheap dry brands


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

KRS one said:


> NUTRO!!!! it i one of the best dry foods out there ive worked at many feed stores and pet stores, i also use it with my own dog there are many differnt types to choose from they also have the nutro natural and nutro max and when they had that recall they did not have a thing on it....


There were a lot of dog foods unaffected by that recall. He didn't say Nutro was a bad food, just a medium food. Nutro has come a long way...I like some of their treats, but it isn't even close to being as good as some of the other foods mentioned when you look at the ingredients. Nutor is a "cheap" dog food when compared to those.


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

SUS said:


> Has anyone heard or tried Blue, its carried by petsmart now. Made from all human grade ingredients.


Blue (Buffalo) is a decent food.


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

I love your dog rhom40 plz more pics


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

Science Diet is crap. Its actually been theorized to cause cancer.

go here: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Do a search on whatever food you feed, find out the TRUTH about them.

I am currently feeding Eagle Pack Holistic food to my 7 year old BT, and all of my show dogs now eat Innova Evo.

REGARDING THE RECALL: yes Nutro wet did make the recall... a LOT of what we consider 'okay-ish' wet dogfoods were recalled, because they were made by the same places as the 'crap' dog foods- surprise, surprise. Veeeeeery few dry foods were recalled, I believe one or two senior diets & a few cat foods were found to contain a questionable ingredient.


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## Bawb2u (May 27, 2004)

If you really want to get knowledgable about dog foods read through this website, it'll educate you on what dogs need and how to properly read labels to make your own decisions.
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/

Most serious dog people suggest rotating foods on a regular basis on the theory that it helps to keep dogs in better health. Varying the types of protein (lamb, chicken, fish, bison, venison, etc) and the grain or vegetable content tend to make dogs less prone to food and skin allergies and promote better gut flora growth and since all brands have varying amounts of vitimins and mineral content you don't over-saturate or deprive your dog of any particular trace elements. I feed Canidae, Innova, Wellness CORE and Timberwolf Organics changing foods about every two to two and a half months.


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## Pacuguy (Apr 10, 2004)

My vet told me to get the most expensive food that you can afford.

http://www.doberdogs.com/menu.html


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## Bawb2u (May 27, 2004)

Pacuguy said:


> My vet told me to get the most expensive food that you can afford.


You need a better vet.


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## hitler (Jun 4, 2006)

when I had a dog a few years ago I fed my dog Iams.. I never really looked up what brand was the best before tho.


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

hitler said:


> when I had a dog a few years ago I fed my dog Iams.. I never really looked up what brand was the best before tho.


Iams is one of the bad brands


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

Some fantastic brands to consider....
Innova
Timber Wolf 
Orijen

The most common of the worst possible foods to feed your dog:
Beneful
Alpo
Hill's Science Diet
Biljack
Eukanuba
Iams
Kibbles & Bits
Pedigree
Precise
Pro-Plan
Purina ONE
Royal Canin Mini-Breed Foods


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## RB 32 (Mar 2, 2005)

Eukanuba IS one of the TOP worst foods...


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

whys eukanuba so damn expensive then?


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## RB 32 (Mar 2, 2005)

eukanuba is FULL of by- products...


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

ok


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## Bawb2u (May 27, 2004)

coutl said:


> whys eukanuba so damn expensive then?


Because it's sold side by side with cheaper crappier foods so unknowing people think, "Hey, this is more expensive, it must be better".

Oh yeah and just so you know, the best places to find premium and super premium dog foods aren't generally pet stores, it's usually easier to find and cheaper to buy at feed and grain stores like Agway.


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

Bawb2u said:


> whys eukanuba so damn expensive then?


Because it's sold side by side with cheaper crappier foods so unknowing people think, "Hey, this is more expensive, it must be better".

Oh yeah and just so you know, the best places to find premium and super premium dog foods aren't generally pet stores, it's usually easier to find and cheaper to buy at feed and grain stores like Agway.
[/quote]

thanks for info


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## SUS (Mar 10, 2007)

Has anyone tried Eagle Pack? I am feeding my dane Blue Buffalo right now and am starting to think its not great, it was also part of the recall.


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## Jiam Ji Girl (Sep 7, 2006)

Wow.. interesting stuff ppl.
Thanks for sharing this with me. My puppy currentl eats Iam puppy fod ebcause that is what the breeder was feeding her, but I will continue to read up on what is best for my pup.

Before though, my vet told me Nutro was good also.


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

SUS said:


> Wow.. interesting stuff ppl.
> Thanks for sharing this with me. My puppy currentl eats Iam puppy fod ebcause that is what the breeder was feeding her, but I will continue to read up on what is best for my pup.
> 
> Before though, my vet told me Nutro was good also.


Nutro is crap... your vet probably sells it. Iams is terrible too

www.dogfoodanalysis.com - i'd say feed a minimum of 4 star foods or higher. ESPECIALLY since you have a daschund and early nutrition is important for proper bone growth in those little guys.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

After reading all of this I decided to go with Eagle pack holisitic aswell.


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## haitwun (Dec 30, 2003)

Read the label of your dog food and ask yourself, would I eat this? You can experiment too to find the best food for you dog because every dog is slightly different. Vets receive incentives from pet food companies to promote their products. Many of my friends in vet school receive gifts all the time from companies in exchange for promises to sell their products in their clinics. Here are the brands I've fed my dog and what I found out about them.

Science Diet: total crap
Eukanuba: can potentially make your dog sick
Purina Pro Plan selects: can potentially make your dog sick
Avoderm: nothing wrong with it
Natural Balance: my dog will not eat it
Nutro: my dog won't eat it. heck, even the ants don't want it
Merrick's: my dog will not eat it and she spends hours picking out the freeze dried vegetables
Innova: makes my dog sh*t rocks
Wellness: gives my dog diarrhea
Blue Buffalo: nothing wrong with it
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul: nothing wrong with it
Drs.Foster and Smith: nothing wrong with it


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## jasert39 (May 1, 2003)

btw, if you are going to switch a puppy's food do is slowly over a period of a week/weeks easier on its digestive system.

general rule of dog food...if you can find it in a grocery store, dont even think about it.

that dog food analysis is a great site for people considering switching foods.


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## Defuser (Jul 27, 2007)

Hard crunchy dog food, the bigger the kibble the better! Canidae is a great choice for smaller breeds nutro lg breed for big dogs


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## Bawb2u (May 27, 2004)

Defuser said:


> Hard crunchy dog food, the bigger the kibble the better! Canidae is a great choice for smaller breeds nutro lg breed for big dogs


*Nutro is not a good food, flat out, end of story, it's one of the lowest rated dog foods on the market.*
My dog, is considered to be a large breed, highly active dog, a 26", 70lb German Wire Haired Pointer and is on Canidae and has no problems with the small kibble size. The only problem with the Canidae is it's high calorie content so when my dogs not getting his usual daily exercise due to extremely hot weather he tends to put weight on so I have to feed less.


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## Steelrain (Apr 22, 2006)

Canidae 
Visit CANIDAE Website


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## ESPMike (Mar 23, 2005)

coutl said:


> *THE BEST IS NUTRO NATURAL CHOICE.*


The best at Petsmart...Yes, but not the best.


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

if you got a sick or failing dog give him liver for a raw diet.... i dont know whats in it but it give my boy the strength to fight back to health,, i dont even know what happened to him vets couldnt even help me.. he lost 18-20 pounds in 2 weeks from not eating then he smelt liver,,, and you would belive it but liver is actualy cheeper than most good dog food


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## ESPMike (Mar 23, 2005)

Bawb2u said:


> Hard crunchy dog food, the bigger the kibble the better! Canidae is a great choice for smaller breeds nutro lg breed for big dogs


*Nutro is not a good food, flat out, end of story, it's one of the lowest rated dog foods on the market.*
My dog, is considered to be a large breed, highly active dog, a 26", 70lb German Wire Haired Pointer and is on Canidae and has no problems with the small kibble size. The only problem with the Canidae is it's high calorie content so when my dogs not getting his usual daily exercise due to extremely hot weather he tends to put weight on so I have to feed less.
[/quote]

True. My dog is almost 100lbs now and LOVES Canidae and is doing GREAT on it. I originally had him on Natural Choice which he did pretty good on, but the difference since isincredible. He's thickened out muscle wise quite a bit (we always had trouble getting weight on him), he's more active and generally much healtheir. The first day we started mixing the two brands, both of my dogs picked out every piece of the Canidae and ate it first. I had Natural Choice all over the floor. Thats not bullshit dead serious about that. Canidae is designed for all breeds and all sizes and all ages. Dogs in the wild eat the same thing no matter how old they are or what breed they are, why should domestic breeds be any different.


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## 94NDTA (Jul 14, 2003)

rhom40, your dog is ripped.


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## ESPMike (Mar 23, 2005)

coutl said:


> Ya Nutro didnt have any recall becuz its not made of the bad stuff like the other cheap dry brands


Thats not true at all. ALOT of Nutro was recalled, as was the Nutro Natural Choice Wet Foods. That played a large part in my switch to Canidae.


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

cueball said:


> if you got a sick or failing dog give him liver for a raw diet.... i dont know whats in it but it give my boy the strength to fight back to health,, i dont even know what happened to him vets couldnt even help me.. he lost 18-20 pounds in 2 weeks from not eating then he smelt liver,,, and you would belive it but liver is actualy cheeper than most good dog food


liver is actually veeeery rich and can be very bad for an ill dog with a sensitive stomach. go for muscle meats when it comes to nursing back a sick dog... ground hamburger works well.


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## rhom40 (May 3, 2007)

Good thing, lets drink to that.


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

what you guys think of Beneful? by purina? after my boxer got back on his toes hes been eatin it since and doin well


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

cueball said:


> what you guys think of Beneful? by purina? after my boxer got back on his toes hes been eatin it since and doin well


crappiest crap.. seriously.

INGREDIENTS:
Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), rice flour, beef, soy flour, sugar, sorbitol, tricalcium phosphate, water, animal digest, salt, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, sorbic acid (a preservative), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, dried peas, dried carrots, calcium carbonate, calcium propionate (a preservative), choline chloride, vitamin supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), added color (Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, zinc sulfate, glyceryl monostearate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, manganese sulfate, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, biotin, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite. 
F-4090

In ANY dog food, the first 5 ingerdients are the most important!

1. GROUND YELLOW CORN: is the #1 dog food allergen, it is also hard to digest
2. CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL: literally, ground up feet, beaks, guts, etc. 
3. CORN GLUTEN MEAL: see 'ground yellow corn'
4. WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR: the #2 dog food allergen. 
5. BEEF TALLOW: beef fat... yeah.... thats just nasty.


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## pioneer1976 (Jan 14, 2007)

im probably going to use innova evo or wellness or blue buffalo


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## zippa (Apr 29, 2005)

I personally feed Eagle Pack Holistic..In my opinion it is one of the top foods on the market but be ready to shell out some $$ if you are feeding a large dog.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is really interesting and educational. This was posted to another board that I am on and I had to share it.

*How to grade your dog's food: (Some brands are done at the very bottom] *

Start with a grade of 100:

1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points

2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or 
fat) reference, subtract 10 points

3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points

4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source,subtract 5 points

5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five 
ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer's rice", "rice flour" are 
all the same grain), subtract 5 points

6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats 
in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points

7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points

8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points

9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points

10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 
points

11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic 
to other protein sources), subtract 2 points

12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points

13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to 
wheat), subtract 2 points

14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to 
beef), subtract 1 point

15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:

1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points

2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or 
nutritionist, add 5 points

3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points

4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points

5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points

6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points

7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points

8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points

9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points

10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point

11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point

12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than

the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source 
but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point

13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point

14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free 
add 1 point

94-100+ = A 
86-93 = B 
78-85 = C 
70-77 = D 
69 = F

*Here are some foods that have already been scored. 
Dog Food scores:*

Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+ 
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F 
Canidae / Score 112 A+ 
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+ 
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F 
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B 
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A 
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+ 
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+ 
Foundations / Score 106 A+ 
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 D 
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D 
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+ 
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+ 
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+ 
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B 
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B 
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F 
ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+ 
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F 
Purina Dog / Score 62 F 
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F 
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+ 
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+ 
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A 
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F 
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F 
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+ 
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

Tinkerbelle said:


> what you guys think of Beneful? by purina? after my boxer got back on his toes hes been eatin it since and doin well


crappiest crap.. seriously.

INGREDIENTS:
Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), rice flour, beef, soy flour, sugar, sorbitol, tricalcium phosphate, water, animal digest, salt, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, sorbic acid (a preservative), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, dried peas, dried carrots, calcium carbonate, calcium propionate (a preservative), choline chloride, vitamin supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), added color (Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, zinc sulfate, glyceryl monostearate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, manganese sulfate, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, biotin, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite. 
F-4090

In ANY dog food, the first 5 ingerdients are the most important!

1. GROUND YELLOW CORN: is the #1 dog food allergen, it is also hard to digest
2. CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL: literally, ground up feet, beaks, guts, etc. 
3. CORN GLUTEN MEAL: see 'ground yellow corn'
4. WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR: the #2 dog food allergen. 
5. BEEF TALLOW: beef fat... yeah.... thats just nasty.
[/quote]
those thang all sound like normal healthy foods all but the beef fat i guess,,,
i thought this was funny-->2. CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL: literally, ground up feet, beaks, guts, etc. man my dog is raised around hunters and bird famers um shure hes had them flavors befor lol when your cleaning your game you hunted he can be alittle sneek...duck hides are his fav, at least a few times

so what your sayin tink is one of the most costlyest purina dog foods is the worst for him?

i say as long as its not made in china GO FOR IT ,,, ITS JUST A DOG FOOD ....beats the hell outa the wolf days when thay had to hunt there prey now all thay gotta pick is dry or soft..lol

whats this age old wize tail about dog food being made of ground horse meat? is that bull? dad used to alway tell me thats what thay did when horses die he was always pullin ma leg i guess

ok now that ive give up Beneful um goin shopin at the super market monday,,, whats a good dog food i can get (not at the vets) that cost to much,,,,a normal healthy food ,, the most bang for my buck

ok now that ive give up Beneful um goin shopin at the super market monday,,, whats a good dog food i can get (not at the vets) that cost to much,,,,a normal healthy food ,, the most bang for my buck

is iams good? theres a milion flavours of that at our market i might check that out lam and rice it is


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

It is not just dog food man. I made this thread because A friend of mine has a rottweiler just like mine and has been feeding him the same hills crap that I was, and its coat was dull and flaky, and the dog had diarrhea on and off. And sooner or later my rotti was experiencing the same things but not as harsh. Before this incident I thought feeding any old package of IAMS or Beneful would be 100percent fine and healthy.

I never heard of Eagle pack holistic until people told me about it on this website. Every since my rotti has started to eat this food he is back to his old shiny coat self. Even though the food I am using is more expensive I am more than happy to work a little harder so my pet is healthier.

Anyways enough about that. Dont know about the horse thing but cost wise feeding a BARF diet and buying it in Bulk seems pretty cheap to me according to my local prices. But it will give u hell of a lot more work.
As for Normal foods that you find at a grocery store they are supposedly all crap diets. in the end it depends on your dog i think.


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## dennq (Mar 20, 2007)

This is what I feed...

http://www.royalcanin.ca/products/tc/nb/adult_en.php


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## Bawb2u (May 27, 2004)

cueball said:


> ok now that ive give up  Beneful um goin shopin at the super market monday,,, whats a good dog food i can get (not at the vets) that cost to much,,,,a normal healthy food ,, the most bang for my buck


In my opinion the best bang for the buck is Canidae. It's about a buck a pound around here as opposed to most of the other super premium dog foods that can cost up to$3.00 a pound. Try looking in feed and grain stores for food, most of them carry good quality foods.


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## mulrooneyryan (Aug 13, 2006)

i dont think that youll even find a decent food at a regular grocery store


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## rhom40 (May 3, 2007)

What ever works for your program.


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

Pretty much no major chain grocery stores stock ANY decent food.

IF YOU ARE CURIOUS ABOUT -ANY- BRAND... GO HERE: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

1) Type the brand name into the search box (ex: Purina, Iams, Pro-Plan) & click search

2) Scroll down and locate the specific type of food

3) Read the review. If there are NO 'pros'... JUST SAY NO! Look at the first 5 ingredients. If one is a 'by-product' JUST SAY NO! If the rest of the ingredients contain by-products it can be considered. If ANY of the ingredients are corn, corn gluten, wheat, or wheat gluten? Run, don't walk, away from the dog food.


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## Lifer374 (Dec 5, 2003)

I'm an "Innova" guy hands down


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## ALLIGATORMEX (Aug 28, 2003)

check_ya_self said:


> Hi, my vet keeps selling me some Hills Prescription Diet Large breed claiming it is very nutritional and such...
> 
> Anyways I seen reviews on the internet and they aren't very good. Should I stick with this diet my dog seems to love it, but his poo is yellow colored and I did switch him over to this food over a 7-day period.
> 
> ...


i always use on my dogs eukanuba for the pups ... i use royal canine maxi jr for the young guns... and for my adlut grown dogs i use proplan


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## rhom40 (May 3, 2007)

OK.....


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

ALLIGATORMEX said:


> Hi, my vet keeps selling me some Hills Prescription Diet Large breed claiming it is very nutritional and such...
> 
> Anyways I seen reviews on the internet and they aren't very good. Should I stick with this diet my dog seems to love it, but his poo is yellow colored and I did switch him over to this food over a 7-day period.
> 
> ...


i always use on my dogs eukanuba for the pups ... i use royal canine maxi jr for the young guns... and for my adlut grown dogs i use proplan
[/quote]

3 not-so-great foods.

Eukanuba Puppy.... Has CORN as the 3rd ingredient, and the FISH MEAL is not stated as ethoxyquin-free... this is a preservative chemical that in humans is KNOWN to be carcinogenic!!!!


> Lamb, Brewers Rice,* Corn Meal*, *Fish Meal *(source of fish oil), Dried Egg Product, *Ground Whole Grain Sorghum*, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Ground Whole Grain Barley, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E, and Citric Acid), Natural Chicken Flavor, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins....., Minerals....., DLMethionine, Monosodium Phosphate, Marigold Extract (source of lutein), Flax Meal, Rosemary Extract.


Royal Canin Maxi Puppy.... Has both CORN MEAL GLUTEN, and CHICKEN FAT as the first 5 ingredients- note that the chicken fat is preserved with CITRIC ACID- if you add water to this you risk your dogs getting bloat, VERY badly! 


> Chicken meal, rice, *chicken fat (naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract and citric acid)*, brown rice, *corn meal gluten*, chicken, dried egg powder, natural chicken flavor, dried beet pulp, brewers yeast, powdered celluslose, sodium silico aluminate, salmon oil, potassium chloride, canola oil, chicory extract, L-lysine, sodium chloride, monosodium phosphate, brewers yeast extract (Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation solubles), choline chloride, taurine, Vitamins [dl-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of Vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, d-calcium pantothenate, niacin, pyroxidine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), folic acid], DL-menthionine, glucosamine hydrochloride, Trace Minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, calcium iodate], chondroitine sulfate, marigold extract.


Pro Plan... TWO of the first 5 named ingredients are known high-allergen foods. Also, later in the list there is fish meal that is not noted to be ethoxyquin-free.


> Lamb, brewers rice, *corn gluten meal, whole grain wheat*, chicken meal, oat meal, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), pearled barley, fish meal, dried beet pulp, natural flavors, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, salt, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, vitamin supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), zinc sulfate, ascorbic acid (source of Vitamin C), ferrous sulfate, brewers dried yeast, riboflavin supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, biotin, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite.


As someone breeding working dogs (i.e your pitbulls), I'd assume at this point you'd consider better foods? Seriously, the three you listed are very poor quality foods and could be affecting your dogs and you dont even know it.


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## Defuser (Jul 27, 2007)

Diamond is really good food for the price, not the highest quality but about as good as science diet and cost 10 bucks less for a 40 lb. bag. Great for someone on a budget


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

Defuser said:


> Diamond is really good food for the price, not the highest quality but about as good as science diet and cost 10 bucks less for a 40 lb. bag. Great for someone on a budget


Diamond is crap. Forget 'not the highest quality'... try no quality whatsoever. It gets a rating of 0/1 on www.dogfoodanalysis.com

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_re...t=7&ppuser=

ready for this one?



> Chicken by-product meal, whole grain ground corn, wheat flour, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), brewers rice, beet pulp, fish meal, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganese oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, menadione dimethylpyrimidinol bisulfite (source of vitamin K activity), riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid


The top 5 ingredients and what they mean...
1. Chicken by-product meal... Necks, feet, underdeveloped eggs, intestines.
2. Ground corn... #1 known allergen in dog foods
3. Wheat flour... #2 known allergen in dog foods
4. Chicken fat.... When found within the top 4 ingredients it has been known to cause bloat in large breeds. 
5. Brewers rice... The rice left over after it has been used in alcohol production. A filler- no known nutritional value. VERY low quality.


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## zippa (Apr 29, 2005)

Tinkerbelle said:


> Diamond is really good food for the price, not the highest quality but about as good as science diet and cost 10 bucks less for a 40 lb. bag. Great for someone on a budget


Diamond is crap. Forget 'not the highest quality'... try no quality whatsoever. It gets a rating of 0/1 on www.dogfoodanalysis.com

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_re...t=7&ppuser=

ready for this one?



> Chicken by-product meal, whole grain ground corn, wheat flour, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), brewers rice, beet pulp, fish meal, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganese oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, menadione dimethylpyrimidinol bisulfite (source of vitamin K activity), riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid


The top 5 ingredients and what they mean...
1. Chicken by-product meal... Necks, feet, underdeveloped eggs, intestines.
2. Ground corn... #1 known allergen in dog foods
3. Wheat flour... #2 known allergen in dog foods
4. Chicken fat.... When found within the top 4 ingredients it has been known to cause bloat in large breeds. 
5. Brewers rice... The rice left over after it has been used in alcohol production. A filler- no known nutritional value. VERY low quality.
[/quote]

Actually Diamond large breed 60+ is rated pretty good..Most of diamonds foods are rated very low and I would not consider them but the 60+ has a rating of 99 out of 100 based on the rating system I posted earlier in this thread...Here are the ingredients in the 60+....Even so I will be sticking with Eagle Pack Holistic..
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ingredients 
Chicken, chicken meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, white rice, rice bran, beet pulp, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, chondroitin sulfate, beta carotene, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, L-Carnitine, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.


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## rhom40 (May 3, 2007)

Does all of that come in a singal dog food.


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## zippa (Apr 29, 2005)

rhom40 said:


> Does all of that come in a singal dog food.


If you mean all of these ingredients then yes they all come in the Diamond Large Breed 60+.

Ingredients
Chicken, chicken meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, white rice, rice bran, beet pulp, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, chondroitin sulfate, beta carotene, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, L-Carnitine, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.


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## rhom40 (May 3, 2007)

I will check this food out.


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## blacklabel (Feb 12, 2007)

Bawb2u said:


> ok now that ive give up Beneful um goin shopin at the super market monday,,, whats a good dog food i can get (not at the vets) that cost to much,,,,a normal healthy food ,, the most bang for my buck


In my opinion the best bang for the buck is Canidae. It's about a buck a pound around here as opposed to most of the other super premium dog foods that can cost up to$3.00 a pound. Try looking in feed and grain stores for food, most of them carry good quality foods.
[/quote]
i agree with bawb2u. something like innova evo is a hair better, only because they use actual chicken or whatever as opposed to canidaes chicken meal, however its 20 bucks more for the big bag of innova evo which 1)doesnt way as much as the bag of canidae and 2) has a max moisture of 10%, while canidaes max moisture is 4%. so not only are you getting a larger bag of food, there is also more actual food mass as opposed to water weight, for 20 bucks cheaper. if that makes any sence...


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## jasert39 (May 1, 2003)

i have a picky boxer...going to try canidaes now. ive have read most reviews on the analysis site and hope this one works for me.


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## adestef (Mar 13, 2007)

I am a veterinarian. Trust me, BARF diets are not that great. There are some benefits, but in the long run there are less benefits than things that can go wrong. E.Coli, Salmonella, etc. Lack of nutrients. As hard as you try you won't be able match the nutritional balance in commercial dog food. Hill's Science Diet is a great food. But I prefer Purina Proplan. Any specific questions please pm me.


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## Bawb2u (May 27, 2004)

bigdog2478 said:


> I am a veterinarian. Trust me, BARF diets are not that great. There are some benefits, but in the long run there are less benefits than things that can go wrong. E.Coli, Salmonella, etc. Lack of nutrients. As hard as you try you won't be able match the nutritional balance in commercial dog food. Hill's Science Diet is a great food. But I prefer Purina Proplan. Any specific questions please pm me.


Have you actually taken any nutrition classes or just the seminars from pet food companies? The two foods you claim to be good are two of the LOWEST rated foods available.


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

bigdog2478 said:


> I am a veterinarian. Trust me, BARF diets are not that great. There are some benefits, but in the long run there are less benefits than things that can go wrong. E.Coli, Salmonella, etc. Lack of nutrients. As hard as you try you won't be able match the nutritional balance in commercial dog food. Hill's Science Diet is a great food. But I prefer Purina Proplan. Any specific questions please pm me.


Really.... I mean REALLY? Because My vet and I have gone over this at length and she is a nutritionist specialist and she just can't believe ANY vets recommend Science Diet with its terrible ingredients. Proplan is as bad if not WORSE!

BARF diets are fantastic. Dogs digestive systems are actually set up to be able to kill E.Coli and Salmonella- I mean c'mon, how do you think wolves managed to survive all those years in the wild? Don't even start feeding me the crap about domestication either- the digestive tracts of a wolf and a dog have been PROVEN to be no different. The acidity of the stomachs only differ because of diet, and once you transfer a dog onto a BARF diet properly, the acidity of the stomach increases to deal with the bacteria introduced.

There are lots of nutrients found in BARF diets not found in regular dog food! There are loads of fillers found in regular dog food that are unneccissary, and in some cases found to be CARCINOGENIC (Okay mr. vetrinarian you know what that means right? Cancer causing!)

BARF diets have specifically been proved to be efficient with many illnesses in dogs as well. I have a friend with a dog that was diagnosed to be diabetic- the vet put him on a Science Diet specialized food and a high insulin dosage... I asked my friend to put the dog on a carb-free raw diet and guess what? The dog is completely non-symptomatic of his diabetes. What was the problem...?



"Hill said:


> *Ground Whole Grain Corn*, *Powdered Cellulose*, *Peanut Hulls*, *Chicken by-product Mea*l, *Chicken Liver Flavor*, Soybean Meal, Soybean Mill Run, Dried Egg Product, Soybean Oil, Corn Gluten Meal, Iron Oxide, Choline Chloride, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Potassium Chloride, preserved with BHT, BHA and Ethoxyquin, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, DL-Methionine, L-Tryptophan, L-Carnitine, Beta-Carotene.


So really, what's the problem you're asking? Well. I couldn't have said it better than www.dogfoodanalysis.com did... Here goes:



"www.dogfoodanalysis.com said:


> The first ingredient in this food is Corn. Corn is a difficult to digest grain, which limits its nutritional value for dogs. We consider this to be a low quality ingredient. It is also commonly associated with allergy and skin problems.Corn appears a second time on the ingredient list as corn gluten meal. This is the "dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm". In plain English, that which remains after all the nutritious bits have been removed. Powdered cellulose is further filler - more commonly known as sawdust. Peanut hulls are the ground outer casings of peanuts, and an utter waste product.
> 
> This food uses by-products as the sole meat-related ingredient. Chicken by-product meal - a very low quality ingredient. This is defined as "consisting of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice".
> 
> ...


So before you 'recommend' anything else? Do the research. You could be KILLING someone's dog with irresponsible advice.


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## Bawb2u (May 27, 2004)

Tinkerbelle said:


> Really.... I mean REALLY? Because My vet and I have gone over this at length and she is a nutritionist specialist and she just can't believe ANY vets recommend Science Diet with its terrible ingredients. Proplan is as bad if not WORSE!


Tink, he's not a vet, he just plays one on the internet. Check his profile and past posts.


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

Bawb2u said:


> Really.... I mean REALLY? Because My vet and I have gone over this at length and she is a nutritionist specialist and she just can't believe ANY vets recommend Science Diet with its terrible ingredients. Proplan is as bad if not WORSE!


Tink, he's not a vet, he just plays one on the internet. Check his profile and past posts.
[/quote]

I had a feeling... Well, PM sent ^_^


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

I'm impressed...a vet at the age of 19? Really?

Can we call you Doogie?


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## Lifer374 (Dec 5, 2003)

bigdog2478 said:


> I am a veterinarian. Trust me, BARF diets are not that great. There are some benefits, but in the long run there are less benefits than things that can go wrong. E.Coli, Salmonella, etc. Lack of nutrients. As hard as you try you won't be able match the nutritional balance in commercial dog food. Hill's Science Diet is a great food. But I prefer Purina Proplan. Any specific questions please pm me.


How can you claim something like this? As Tink stated, a canines stomach is made to break that stuff down. A vet would know that. The two brands you listed are total garbage.


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## Lifer374 (Dec 5, 2003)

Has anybody here heard of Nutri Source? New brand of dog food at pet store near me is promoting and I haven't had time to check dogfoodanalysis yet.


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## chomp chomp (Oct 28, 2003)

I started with eukanuba, then wellness (chicken) and now Pinnacle duck formula. It is not cheap for 2 boxers but I feel that their health is worth it..


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## Snake_Eyes (Jun 14, 2006)

My roaches seem to like Ol' Roy.


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

As a completely unqualified observer, I would have to say that Ol' Roy is a great roach food, but I find that you don't really need to feed them at all.


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## Snake_Eyes (Jun 14, 2006)

But then they would eat each other...


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

Oh, wait, are you seriously _keeping_ roaches? _Mea culpa_...I thought you meant that you just had them running around and were joking about that! Yes, definitely feed them if you're keeping them contained!


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## Snake_Eyes (Jun 14, 2006)

Yeah I raise Blaptica dubia as feeders for my inverts.

One of my females.


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

Tango374 said:


> Has anybody here heard of Nutri Source? New brand of dog food at pet store near me is promoting and I haven't had time to check dogfoodanalysis yet.


3 star rating. Not bad actually- not great, but not bad. I checked the lamb/rice one... The only real con is that while the 1st ingredient is a named meat source, the next 4 are ALL grains/starches (no corn/wheat/soy though- yay!)

A side note: here is a FANTASTIC article about Dog Food & understanding the ingredients: http://www.5stardog.com/dog-food.asp


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

Snake_Eyes said:


> My roaches seem to like Ol' Roy.


i'm not sure i'd even feed it to roaches if you were in turn using those roaches as a food source for a beloved pet....



> Ground yellow corn, soybean meal, ground whole wheat, corn syrup, poultry fat, Meat and bone meal (Animal Fat Preserved with *BHA* and Citric Acid), Chicken by-product Meal, Rice, Animal Digest, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin D and E Supplement, Niacin, Copper Sulafate, Manganous Oxide, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Meadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex Source of Vitamin K, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Folic Acid


It has BHA in it which is carcinogenic









Forget even feeding it to a dog... I mean, the first named meat source (and its a BYPRODUCT) is 7th on the list.


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## skubasteve! (Feb 14, 2007)

Ive been skimming through this thread and it seems that we have a LOT of very knowledgeable people here. My sister has two labs and has been feeding pro-plan from when they were months old, they are now about a year and a half. My question is, what food should I recommend to her that is very reasonable, that she will be able to find locally, and that is obviously good for her dogs? She doesnt want to be ordering offline, and cant afford some of these highly expensive foods. Any good recommendations? Thanks in advance!


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

skubasteve! said:


> Ive been skimming through this thread and it seems that we have a LOT of very knowledgeable people here. My sister has two labs and has been feeding pro-plan from when they were months old, they are now about a year and a half. My question is, what food should I recommend to her that is very reasonable, that she will be able to find locally, and that is obviously good for her dogs? She doesnt want to be ordering offline, and cant afford some of these highly expensive foods. Any good recommendations? Thanks in advance!


Eagle Pack Holistic is pretty good bang for the buck- I believe their website has a store locator: http://www.eaglepack.com/retailer_search/. Dick Van Patten's food is made by Old Mother Hubbard (I believe) and is now being carried by petsmart or superpetz. Its also a high quality food and relatively good for price vs. quality.

If you can't find either of these, consider this: The ingredients list of a high quality food should EXCLUDE:
Corn, Wheat, ethoxyquin, BHA, BTA, by-products, unnamed meat sources (poultry, 'red meat'), dyes.

Things it should INCLUDE:
Named meat sources including meals (meals include bone which is beneficial). More than just Lamb as a meat source unless it is exclusively a lamb food. Taurine as an addative.

Bonuses:
Organic meats & veggies, antioxidants (natural ones like blueberries!), vitamins, acedophelus (aids in digestion)

EDIT: since your sisters dogs are a large breed that has been known to bloat, please make sure she knows that if she goes with Eagle Pack Holistic she should NOT wet the food before feeding since it is preserved with natural citric acid.


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## Jiam Ji Girl (Sep 7, 2006)

i dont knwo if this was done or mentioned already.. but maybe we should have a poll?


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

Jiam Ji Girl said:


> i dont knwo if this was done or mentioned already.. but maybe we should have a poll?


what kind of poll... a 'what do you feed' or 'what do you think is the best dog food'??? i'll start one with the most popular brands i can think of, as well as the better brands.


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## Lifer374 (Dec 5, 2003)

Tinkerbelle said:


> i dont knwo if this was done or mentioned already.. but maybe we should have a poll?


what kind of poll... a 'what do you feed' or 'what do you think is the best dog food'??? i'll start one with the most popular brands i can think of, as well as the better brands.
[/quote]

"what do you feed"


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

Tango374 said:


> i dont knwo if this was done or mentioned already.. but maybe we should have a poll?


what kind of poll... a 'what do you feed' or 'what do you think is the best dog food'??? i'll start one with the most popular brands i can think of, as well as the better brands.
[/quote]

"what do you feed"
[/quote]

http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.ph...=0#entry2013315

there we go!


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## skubasteve! (Feb 14, 2007)

Thanks for your help Tinkerbelle. It is much appreciated.


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## pioneer1976 (Jan 14, 2007)

if you dont have local places that carry a food you want this place give free shipping on orders over $50 just thought id let u know
k9cuisine.com


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## ESPMike (Mar 23, 2005)

BlackLabel said:


> ok now that ive give up Beneful um goin shopin at the super market monday,,, whats a good dog food i can get (not at the vets) that cost to much,,,,a normal healthy food ,, the most bang for my buck


In my opinion the best bang for the buck is Canidae. It's about a buck a pound around here as opposed to most of the other super premium dog foods that can cost up to$3.00 a pound. Try looking in feed and grain stores for food, most of them carry good quality foods.
[/quote]
i agree with bawb2u. something like innova evo is a hair better, o*nly because they use actual chicken or whatever as opposed to canidaes chicken meal,* however its 20 bucks more for the big bag of innova evo which 1)doesnt way as much as the bag of canidae and 2) has a max moisture of 10%, while canidaes max moisture is 4%. so not only are you getting a larger bag of food, there is also more actual food mass as opposed to water weight, for 20 bucks cheaper. if that makes any sence...
[/quote]

Chicken meal simply means the ingredient is already dried chicken when it is added. Meal is MUCH better then just chicken in a dry food. Pure proteins like that are approx 70% water, all of which gets cooked out when the food is cooked and turned into dry kibble. Meals on the other hand are already dried, and the same content remains after cooking. Thats a trick alot of companies use to make the ingredients look better, and its obviously working.


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## blacklabel (Feb 12, 2007)

ESPMike said:


> ok now that ive give up Beneful um goin shopin at the super market monday,,, whats a good dog food i can get (not at the vets) that cost to much,,,,a normal healthy food ,, the most bang for my buck


In my opinion the best bang for the buck is Canidae. It's about a buck a pound around here as opposed to most of the other super premium dog foods that can cost up to$3.00 a pound. Try looking in feed and grain stores for food, most of them carry good quality foods.
[/quote]
i agree with bawb2u. something like innova evo is a hair better, o*nly because they use actual chicken or whatever as opposed to canidaes chicken meal,* however its 20 bucks more for the big bag of innova evo which 1)doesnt way as much as the bag of canidae and 2) has a max moisture of 10%, while canidaes max moisture is 4%. so not only are you getting a larger bag of food, there is also more actual food mass as opposed to water weight, for 20 bucks cheaper. if that makes any sence...
[/quote]

Chicken meal simply means the ingredient is already dried chicken when it is added. Meal is MUCH better then just chicken in a dry food. Pure proteins like that are approx 70% water, all of which gets cooked out when the food is cooked and turned into dry kibble. Meals on the other hand are already dried, and the same content remains after cooking. Thats a trick alot of companies use to make the ingredients look better, and its obviously working.:laugh:
[/quote]oh. nevermind then. i knew meal had bone in it and i thought thats why it might have less good protein than chicken. i dont really see why innova evo would be better than cannidae now that you cleared that up.


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

BlackLabel said:


> ok now that ive give up Beneful um goin shopin at the super market monday,,, whats a good dog food i can get (not at the vets) that cost to much,,,,a normal healthy food ,, the most bang for my buck


In my opinion the best bang for the buck is Canidae. It's about a buck a pound around here as opposed to most of the other super premium dog foods that can cost up to$3.00 a pound. Try looking in feed and grain stores for food, most of them carry good quality foods.
[/quote]
i agree with bawb2u. something like innova evo is a hair better, o*nly because they use actual chicken or whatever as opposed to canidaes chicken meal,* however its 20 bucks more for the big bag of innova evo which 1)doesnt way as much as the bag of canidae and 2) has a max moisture of 10%, while canidaes max moisture is 4%. so not only are you getting a larger bag of food, there is also more actual food mass as opposed to water weight, for 20 bucks cheaper. if that makes any sence...
[/quote]

Chicken meal simply means the ingredient is already dried chicken when it is added. Meal is MUCH better then just chicken in a dry food. Pure proteins like that are approx 70% water, all of which gets cooked out when the food is cooked and turned into dry kibble. Meals on the other hand are already dried, and the same content remains after cooking. Thats a trick alot of companies use to make the ingredients look better, and its obviously working.:laugh:
[/quote]oh. nevermind then. i knew meal had bone in it and i thought thats why it might have less good protein than chicken. i dont really see why innova evo would be better than cannidae now that you cleared that up.
[/quote]

The bone is actually very good too- it includes calcium and the good stuff out of the marrow.


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## Snake_Eyes (Jun 14, 2006)

Tinkerbelle said:


> My roaches seem to like Ol' Roy.:laugh:


i'm not sure i'd even feed it to roaches if you were in turn using those roaches as a food source for a beloved pet....



> Ground yellow corn, soybean meal, ground whole wheat, corn syrup, poultry fat, Meat and bone meal (Animal Fat Preserved with *BHA* and Citric Acid), Chicken by-product Meal, Rice, Animal Digest, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin D and E Supplement, Niacin, Copper Sulafate, Manganous Oxide, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Meadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex Source of Vitamin K, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Folic Acid


It has BHA in it which is carcinogenic









Forget even feeding it to a dog... I mean, the first named meat source (and its a BYPRODUCT) is 7th on the list.
[/quote]
Interesting, looks like I'll be switching to something else...thanks.


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## JAC (Jan 19, 2004)

Reading this thread has made me very concerned, none of the "good" brands you mention are available in my country







.

I have an English Bulldog and a Miniature Schnauzer, we usually feed them pedigree or purina dog and puppy chow, I tried eukanouba but I didn't like it, I also tried one called nutrience or something like that.

What can I do? (besides making the food myself which is something I don't have time for).


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

JAC said:


> Reading this thread has made me very concerned, none of the "good" brands you mention are available in my country
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You can always try requesting that a store carry a brand. I was having trouble finding Eagle Pack Holistic around here and was driving about an hour out of my way to get it- ended up going to this place about 15 min. down the road that carries other top brands and asked if they'd like to start carrying it and about 2 months later it popped up on their shelves.


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## JAC (Jan 19, 2004)

Yeah, sadly things don't work like that around here :s , next time I visit my pet store Ill write down the names of all the brands so you can tell me if any of them is good.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

BlackLabel said:


> hills, purina one, eukanuba, etc are all GARBAGE. i dont care what you people feed your animals but for everyone here saying that kibble is good for your dog IS JUST PLAIN WRONG. im not saying youre stupid but you are misinformed. if you want to feed kibble these are the best brands:
> 
> Abady
> Aunt Jeni's
> ...


I know this is an old thread....but I was looking at the BARF diet for my AB....
Anyone have a typical weeks expense of feeding a program similiar to this...my AB weighs just about 90 lbs


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

I Know a store in Toronto sells Complete Chicken Barf Meals with added fruit/veggies supplement for $1.70 per pound....So your AB could be fed for 2 bucks a day.. not that expensive if you have businesses who sell barf.


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## Mattones (Jul 9, 2006)

Owning a Great Dane we feed her Raw chicken. and dry food. Shes amazingly healthy. The vet tried to sell us that sh*t or something like it when she was around 6months. Your just putting more money in their pocket.


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