Dog Food...opinions please

what does everyone think about these ingrediants, I think they are really good..


Additional InformationIngredients
Chicken meal, chicken, brown rice, oatmeal, dehulled barley, brewers rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols – source of Vitamin E), pea fibre, tomatoes, natural chicken flavour, salmon oil (source of DHA), whole dried egg, flaxseed, brewers yeast, herring meal,whole sweet potatoes, whole carrots, whole blueberries, whole cranberries, whole apples, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, sodium chloride, chicory root, choline chloride, vitamins & chelated minerals (vitamin A, vitamin D#, vitamin E, Niacin, vitamin C, inositol, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, beta carotene, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, vitamin K, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulphate, iron proteinate, zinc oxide, copper proteinate, copper sulphate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), probiotics (lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus casei, enterococcus faecium, bifidobacterium thermophilum), glucosamine, dl-methionine, yucca schidigera, chondroitin, l-carnitine, dried rosemary.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of all the grains listed in that.

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brown rice, oatmeal, dehulled barley, brewers rice

Really it's the oatmeal and barley, the brown rice is OK. I read somewhere's that brewers rice is not that great for them. In reality, dogs can't digest the grains enough to get the nutrient benefit so the only thing they are really there for is fillers.

I'm having one heck of a time with both cat and dog food at the moment. Peaches is deathly allergic to any sorts of grains and she cannot handle any "rich" foods (high protein, red meats it seems, etc.) She gets a formula that is basically peas and chicken. Boring as all get out and tastes disgusting - I tried it. But it's better than the alternative. I thought for a while I'd never get the smell out of my house

As far as dog food, grain is not something they need and I am trying to get away from I'm almost at the point of going to the raw diet since there is a company in Truro that sells prepackaged meals as well as suitable whole meats and bones. That diet has not a grain in sight, only meat, fat, bones, organs and tripe with the option of some fruit and veggie puree. Duke is so thin and I cannot find a food that he will eat consistantly. He will devour raw meat so I know he will do good on that diet.

It is really hard to find something good that doesn't cost a fortune. I refuse to feed the stuff that I used to. So many health issues are linked to the crap in most foods.

dog and cat food is one of the most difficult things to buy, especially if we are looking for good ingredients..I cannot believe all the brands that have corn listed has the first indgredient..The brand listed in this post is the best I could find, and the best of it is its a no name brand. Presidents Choice...

The President's Choice Nutrition First? I agree it is the best thing you will find in the grocery stores by far. I was feeding that but Duke soon lost interest, he is very picky. For what I'm paying now for even better stuff I could switch to a raw diet.

My mom still thinks that Iams is the best food ever... her poor dog is grossly overweight, has chronic ear infections, horrible gum disease and rotten teeth, and is full of lumps, most likely cancer :(

I feed the PC food to my cats. It seems good considering it is a grocery store food. I am anti pet food. My dogs are fed raw. I tried the cats on the raw diet but they went on a hunger strike. Do you have a Global Pet Foods near you Baylee?

The breeder I got my Parson from also sells a raw diet SD. http://www.trumphillkennels.ca/dog%20food.html

the closest Global is 3 hrs away...I cannot put my dog on a raw diet, anything besides her dog food makes her sick..

If I didn't have 180pds of dog to feed I would definitly feed real meat and bone..if you feed raw for a small dog you you could make hamberger patties mixed with veggies freeze them individually and throw one outside every morning..from freezer to patio...they love it but since I know your a little afraid of raw meat...cook some hamberger or whatever meat is on special put in crockpot with some water for gravy some vegetables and voila you'd probably have some for a week..dogs do not get sick from *real food* they get sick from food that they're stomach is *not accustomed to* or table scraps that contain salt and pepper and onions and all the other goodies we throw in ours..our dogs throw up bile why ..because they stomach acid is made to digest RAW bones

Raw hamburger, or any ground meat really isn't the best thing to feed. Its ok once and awhile but grinding meat causes it to loose a lot of nutrients and key things that dogs need in their diet. Feeding whole pieces of meat with bone is the best.

It can take a bit of time for a dog to adjust to any new diet, but you have to give it time. If your interested in trying raw, find things that she likes and introduce slowly. What have you tried her on so far? And why are you afraid of raw meat?

Rude, I don't know what kind of dog food your feeding but I can feed my dogs cheaper raw then I can with a good quality dog food. My Mom feeds her lab Orijen and its costing her roughly $90/month. I feed my 5 dogs (2 Dalmatians and 3 JRT's) for about $150 raw. We get raw bones for free and there is a market that sells chicken and pork for less then $1.50/LB. You'd be surprised how little they eat on the raw diet, much less then kibble.

This is what a dog meal looks like in my house. Each dog gets:

-One main piece of raw meat (bones in) to make up the largest portion of the meal (Chicken thigh, cut up pork roast, a pork steak, hamburger, beef, etc)
- 1 Raw egg
- A small portion of cooked organ meat (they will not eat raw organ meat). Usually liver, but I feed whatever I can get.
- Cooked potato or rice
- Occasionally they get cooked veggies.

I will also add apple cider vinegar with the mother, olive oil, etc but not everyday. Each dog has its own preference too. The Dalmatians will eat anything, anytime really. Little Girl will not eat raw chicken or raw egg alone, but she will eat raw egg if its mixed in her rice or potato...and probably won't touch the rice or potato if the egg isn't mixed in it...she's really fussy! The other terriers also won't eat their rice/potato without the egg mixed in, but will eat raw egg alone. I try to feed fish as often as I can but its expensive. None of them will eat raw fish so I just bake it lightly on a cookie sheet in the oven and feed bones and all.

Once a week they get large beef bones filled with marrow to chew on and that is the only thing they get on that day, no regular meal (these bones are filling, they chew them for hours. Great for teeth!). We do feed leftovers as well, but its limited.

I tried the raw diet with Mishka when she was around 5 years old, she got really sick...Throwing up, and diareha (sp)..After 2 weeks of her being sick, the vet told me to pur her back on hard dog food....A few weeks ago she got into the some raw chicken legs, well, she was sick for 4 days...She just cant handle anything else but dry dog food....When I tried the raw diet, I also had a German Shepard ( Rex), he was the reason I started the raw diet, he did really well on it..

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What have you tried her on so far? And why are you afraid of raw meat?

I am not afraid of raw meat, I wish I could feed it...I have tried a variety of things, The diet I fed the most was chicken/turkey...I also made a mess of meals with eggs, vegies, fish, moose meat, beef......I tried quite a few things, we had some weird smells in my house.. :)

There are many concerns when feeding a raw diet which include zoonosis (this is the transfer of disease from raw meats to people), pet health (this is the transfer of disease from raw meats to pets), and nutritional inadequacy. A lot of people don't balance their diets properly with the needed minerals and vitamins that our canine companions need. There have been an increasing number of scientific publications documenting both the human health and pet health hazards of raw food diets, and nutritionally related medical issues. So my stand and that of my vet clinic is to stay far, far away from raw diets.

I am sure we all get confused from time to time because pet food packaging can be confusing to read, and it may be difficult to decipher what percentage each ingredient is present in the diet. By law, food manufacturers are required to list ingredients by precooked weight in descending order. Often times, fresh meat or other water-rich ingredients are at the top of the list. However, this is usually not the main source of nutrients in the diet.

For example, lamb is a meat with high water content. So even if lamb is the first ingredient listed (because its precooked weight represents 25% of the recipe), it actually only nets out to 4% or 5% lamb protein after all the water is cooked away. If the same food also contains 20% corn, 20% rice, 15% dried fish, 10% poultry fat and 10% vegetable oil, the manufacturer is still allowed to write "Lamb" as the first ingredient even though other ingredients will be the main contributers of nutrients in the end product.

Your pet’s diet like a jigsaw puzzle, where each of the pieces represents a different group of nutrients. It is important that the proportion, quantity, quality and variety of nutrients in a diet are balanced so that each piece of the puzzle fits in place. Nutrients are simply the building blocks of ingredients. In other words, ingredients are vehicles for the essential nutrients required in the diets of cats and dogs. Each nutrient plays a unique role in helping your cat or dog’s body function properly.

So don't get hung up on the list of ingredients, think more about the quality of nutrition, and level of nutrients your dog would be getting.

Baylee since your in Moncton...try stopping at a pet store there...they are a lot more variety than we have here..like my neighbor feeds this awsome dog food called "go natural"

Barefoot_Horsegirl wrote:

and 3 JRT's) for about $150 raw. We get raw bones for free and there is a market that sells chicken and pork for less then $1.50/LB. You'd be surprised how little they eat on the raw diet, much less then kibble.

Once a week they get large beef bones filled with marrow to chew on and that is the only thing they get on that day, no regular meal (these bones are filling, they chew them for hours. Great for teeth!). We do feed leftovers as well, but its limited.

that's what it would cost me also at 2% $ 152 at $1.50/lb ..where is ti you get your bones ..the stores around here couldn't be bothered.

If you are in Moncton Baylee, go to the Global Pet Foods, there is one in Dieppe right by the Mikes Restaurant (near Champlain mall) and one on Mountain Road too. They have lots of options and the employees are really helpful. Another 'mid line' food is the Kirkland brand that Cosco sells. Corn free and has meat products as the first ingredients, its not too expensive either (I would say its the same as the Nutrition 1st PC sells).

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There are many concerns when feeding a raw diet which include zoonosis (this is the transfer of disease from raw meats to people), pet health (this is the transfer of disease from raw meats to pets), and nutritional inadequacy. A lot of people don't balance their diets properly with the needed minerals and vitamins that our canine companions need. There have been an increasing number of scientific publications documenting both the human health and pet health hazards of raw food diets, and nutritionally related medical issues. So my stand and that of my vet clinic is to stay far, far away from raw diets.

I would say there is an increasing number of publications proving how beneficial the raw diet is as well. Basically, find what works best for you and your pet. My dogs don't do well on kibble. Since switching they have been healthier then ever and ailment free. When being fed processed dog foods they were plagued with ear infections, hot spots and allergies. I've been feeding this way for over 4 years and know of many professional breeders who are going this route too. Safe food handling procedures are very important, but its not rocket science, nor is the diet for that matter. Provide a variety of different meats to make up most of the diet, bones and organ meat and that's all it really takes. I strongly believe that processed feeds are killing our pets....AND us! You cannot buy a dog food today without a list of 20 ingredients that dogs really don't need. It would be nice to have the option of a basic dog food instead of all these blueberries, peas, etc that dogs may eat in limited quantites but everyday? Its not normal.

Rude, contact your local butchers for bones. I have a couple that I deal with. They kill on certain days of the week and have bones available for pickup. I show up and they give me a couple cardboard boxes full of fresh bones that I bring home and freeze.

Mine get Actrium Holistic Large breed

Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Potatoes, Rye, Millet, Chickenn Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of Vit E), Chicken, chicken Cartilage(natural source of glucosamine), natural flavour, tomatoes, salmon meal, salmon oil (a natural source of DHA), whole dried egge, flaxseed, kelp, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, diacalcium phosphate, lecithin, sodium chloride, chicory root extract, cranberries, alfalfa, spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, apples, blueberries, pears, bananas, Vitamins and Minerals: Vit A, Vit D3, Vit E, Niacin, Vit C, Inositol, D-Calcium, Pantothenate, thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Beta Carotene, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vit K, Biotin, Vit B12 supplement, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulphgate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Proteinate, Copper sulphate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite.Probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus casei, enterococcus faecium, bifidobacterium thermophilum), Yucca schidigera extract, dried rosemary, cinnamon, turmeric, capsicum, chamomile, dandelion, paprika, garlic.

They like it, and I don't find the problems with their coats as bad since being on it. My pit has awful skin problems and my husky gets dandruffy, but I don't find them as bad on this stuff. It's only 36ish $ a bag for the massive bags. I don't know if it's the greatest but I find it decent for the money. They also get leftovers, like mashed potatoes, noodles, veggies and raw meats. Both of them like whole carrots and apples as a treat.

I fed my Rottweiler a mix of Raw, taste of the wild and some crazy vegetarian stuff. He went from being on death's door with bone cancer to making a full turn around and lived 11 additional months with no medication aside from a pain pill morning/evening and glucosamine (to help with his arthritis). It certainly didn't cure cancer but the difference in him was unbelievable. I would go to the butcher's and get the 'throwaway' bits (spines, necks, hocks, and all attached meat) for free. A friend of mine works in Super Value and when he butchered the cuts and removed all the fat and such he'd save those for me. He got fresh eggs and stuff as well. I'd happily feed the same diet to my current dogs, but I just can't afford it with the scores of animals I have now. Was much easier with just one.

I'm quickly becoming a believer in a more natural diet (and not just for the animals). What Horsegirl says is true, processed foods are killing us. I see it with members of my own family, human and fur.

Here is some reading for those who are interested

http://www.positivepetzine.com/salmonella

http://rawfed.com/myths/

http://vonhapsburg.homestead.com/petfood.html

The first article addresses the studies about risk of disease. There are a lot of things in this world that stakeholders will protect fiercely, medical drugs, oil, right on down to pet food. Yes, there are better, healthier, cheaper alternatives but that would mean huge financial loss to some. Not trying to sound like a conspiricy freak but it's only common sense.

Dogs (and cats) were meant to eat meat and bones, same as horses were meant to forage large parts of the day on grasses. We don't dispute what will happen to our horses if we removed all grass/hay from their diets, yet we think that an animal that has evolved as a carnivore will be okay eating corn gluten, wheat and recycled leather???? Yes, they can survive on our modified diet, but they will not be healthy.

Raw diets are natural to dogs. They supply them with 100% of what they need. This issue about getting the balance of minerals and vitamins right is really not an issue. If the dog is given a variety of meats, bones, organs and offal (or tripe), he will be getting a balanced diet. Cooked diets can become imbalanced because the act of cooking meat will destroy some vitamins and minerals.

I'm sure this topic could be debated just as much as training methods for horses, but as long as it gets people 'thinking' about what they are feeding their pets, then it's a good thing.


ETA: Fiere, just a word of caution about mixing raw and kibble. Raw food is digested and passes through the dog much quicker than kibble. If a dog is given some raw food it should be on a empty system. Kibble can 'back things up' so to speak and that's when you could run into problems with the raw meat upsetting them. It is mean to be passed quickly. .

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I'm sure this topic could be debated just as much as training methods for horses, but as long as it gets people 'thinking' about what they are feeding their pets, then it's a good thing.

I agree 100%


No worries with the kibble, Tyson was only given the mix as a ration balancer to make sure I got all of his needs, the mix was not every meal, it was like 2 days a week he got kibbles and 3 days he got raw. The hardest thing imo is making sure the animal is getting everything they need, takes a bit of playing around with. I was very happy with the result. The current poochies get a little raw before supper, I then cook, eat, and they are given their kibbles (with some cooked in it usually) so I feel it is safely passed through them enough to feed the dry. The dogs are fed one meal a day so the raw they get hits their empty systems quick. Thanks for the tip though, I knew raw was to be fed without kibble but never knew why!