Finding the right dogfood?

[Amelioratione]

grrr! I had a whole post typed out and I accidentally pressed the backspace, and now it's gone! Time to retype.

After a few posts and a bit of lurking, I've come to find out most of you guys know a lot about the health of animals - and if not at least know where to find information concerning it.

I'm trying to find a healthy, and Organic dog food at a reasonable price for my doxie. (he's a red long-haired and his name is Bama [after the state haha!]) He's currently almost a year old and he is on Royal Canin for dachshunds. I'm not quite sure how to research my dog food or if it's even "good."

After searching the forums i found that a few users were using blue-buffalo. I've also heard that Nutro was a good brand to use as well. I figure, if I'm trying to be a healthy person, all of my pets should be healthy too. (They're probably healthier than me!)

[paula.m.moore]

I feed my dog Merrick - Merrick Pet Foods
It is sourced in the US and they use organic chicken in their Grammy's Pot Pie dry formula.

If you feed canned only (which I do) you'll be ultra impressed with Merrick's variety.

Some other good choices are:
Wellness - WELLNESS® - Healthy Dog and Cat Food
Evangers - Evanger's Dog and Cat Food Company
And really any of these brands - The Healthiest Pet Foods in the World – Natural & Organic Pet Food – Natura Pet Products

There are also lots of options for making your own food, which I did until my princess began turning her nose up at everything I cooked for her. This website Dr. Richard Pitcairn has some awesome info, and he has a book that explains all the benefits of raw food and a holistic approach to animals.

[alm_nin]

I have been trying to do a lot of reading about the quality of dog/cat foods, and a few really good ones seem to be Eagle Pack (especially their Holistic variety), Solid Gold, Innova, Wellness, and Canidae. I have fed my dogs both Solid Gold and Wellness in the past and thought they were great, but I'm currently feeding them Eagle because it seems to be just as good of quality but isn't quite as expensive (where I live anyway). I know of a good link about dog/cat food, but I'm new to this forum and I don't know if I'm allowed to post links?

[babybunny]

Both my cat and puppy are on Blue Buffalo at the moment. The only con I have with the product its self is that I need to mix it with some olive oil to avoid dandruff with them both. It could be because of the dryness of my climate though that they need that extra oil.

[Amelioratione]

Thanks for the links and opinions! I'll definitely give all those links a nice reading when I'm not getting ready to hurry off to work.

I'm not sure if this matters, but I only feed him dry food also. Occasionally he gets some treats here and there. And...my future husband gives him table scraps! grrr. Not the good kind either! it's one thing if it's organic chicken and it's another if it's some ruffles. bad finace! bad!

Also, alm_min I believe (but don't quote me!) newbies can post links provided they coincide with the beliefs of the cavy spirit website, and well aren't missinformational.

[AnimalHouse36]

My 60 pund labrador retriever is currently on Blue BUffalo. SHe goes potty less but she also farts more.

[guineapigluver1]

Our three cats are eating Blue Buffalo (the only downside is that I cannot find it anywhere but PetSmart and PetCo), it's great! I know that some other good brands are, Canidae, Nature's Recipe (when we had our dogs that's what we fed them), and I'm pretty sure Nutro Ultra is good too.

[StrawberryField]

Right now I'm feeding my 13 year old yorkie Wysong. It's a good food as far as nutrition goes. Although nothing compares to the nutrition your dog could get from a home cooked meal. I've done quite a bit of research on it and may go this route soon. The link that was posted above has a lot of good info, but there are also a ton of books on the subject as well as some "cookbooks". I'll find links to some if you're interested. But one of the reasons I chose Wysong was because it does not "test on laboratory animals". There are quite a few other good dog foods that refrain from this as well. Such as:
Halo, Purley for Pets - Natural Pet Care Products from Halo
Holistic Blend - Holistic Blends - Natural Pet Foods & Pet Treats
Natural Balance - Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance® Pet Foods :1 (which has an organic formula)
Newman's Own - NEWMAN'S OWN ORGANICS -- The Second Generation Web Site
Wysong - Healthy Natural Pet Food for Cats Dogs Ferrets and Human Health Products

[Jenni_Feathers]

Nutro is an okay food, but there is much better out there, also some for a better price. I feed my dogs Canidae, currently but we have also fed Chicken Soup brand dog food and Taste of the Wild, which are both also very good foods that I highly recommend.

Have you considered feeding raw?

[fuzzworth]

Wysong is overpriced for the quality some of their formulas contain lots of grain and they have a high sugar content thanks to the cane molasses in some of their formulas. I am also concerned that they would promote vegan diets for carnivores.

Nutro I would just stay away from...run in the opposite direction as fast as I could. not only are the ingredients sub-par (heres an excerpt from the ingredient list :Chicken Meal, Wheat Flour, Ground Whole Wheat, Corn Gluten Meal, Rice Bran, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Ground Rice, Chicken) but there have been hundreds of reports of health problems related to the food its self (not relating to the pet food recalls) stay far far far away from this one its death in a bag.


Good foods to go on are:

Artemis
Blue buffalo
Canidae
Chicken soup for the dog lovers soul
Hund-n-flocken
Innova
Innova Evo
Merrick Pet foods
Natural balance
Solid gold Mmillennia
Organix
Wellness

you want the first 3 ingredients to be meat sources or have many meat sources in the top 3 (by products are a no no!) as the top ingredients...grains you want to be low to none and run from foods that contain wheat or corn both are junk fillers and allergens. By products are a no no and beet pulp is a stool stiffener. Run from any foods that contain BHA or BHT or ethoxyquin.

[paula.m.moore]

I agree with fuzzworth - I wouldn't feed Nutro for anything. This is a good site - really informative: Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble

[guineapigluver1]

I know, but Nutro is better than Iams (or some others), so if you couldn't feed the WAY better ones, Nutro would be better than the other junkier ones.

[Amelioratione]

Alright, these are the ingredients in the royal canin dog food that I buy for my dachshund. How does it stand up you think?

Ingredients: Chicken meal, brown rice, rice, oatmeal, wheat gluten, corn gluten, chicken fat, chicken, natural chicken flavor, dried beet pulp (sugar removed), rice hulls, salt, anchovy oil (source of EPA/DHA), soya oil, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, cellulose, fructo-oligosaccharides, choline chloride, hydrolyzed vegetable oil (CLA), sodium tripolyphosphate, taurine, Vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), inositol, niacin supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), D-calcium pantothenate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A acetate, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], borage oil, Trace Minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, calcium iodate], glucosamine hydrochloride, L-carnitine, tea (green tea extract), chondroitin sulfate, preserved with natural mixed tocopherols (source of Vitamin E) and citric acid, rosemary extract.

According to the website, it also contains the following products especially for dachshunds. Do you think those extra products actually matter? or you think it's more-so a load of bull?

-Reduces Tartar
Sodium tripolyphosphate and specialized kibbles help to reduce dental plaque and limit tartar formation.
Healthy Joints
Supplemental levels of Glucosamine and Chondroitin may enhance joint mobility.
-Antioxidant Supplement
Optimal levels of Vitamins E and C and green tea extracts help inhibit cellular deterioration. Because Dachshunds are so long-lived, you may gradually notice some signs of aging: loss of energy, a dull coat or even the appearance of white hairs.
-L-Carnitine - Burns Fat
Helps burn fat and promotes a lean muscle mass. His popularity owes much to his characteristic body shape and very short legs. However the shorter an animal's legs, the less ability they have to absorb shock. An optimal bodyweight can reduce strain on the vertebrae.

EDIT: okay, I just did some more research and I found out this dog food SUCKS. As far as the quality of dog food. I cannot believe I spending my money on this junk! I'm so disappointed. I kind of feel like the extra additive they put in for joint etc. I not worth it. But I could be wrong. Some input would be great.

[fuzzworth]

Originally Posted by Amelioratione

Alright, these are the ingredients in the royal canin dog food that I buy for my dachshund. How does it stand up you think?

Ingredients: Chicken meal, brown rice, rice, oatmeal, wheat gluten, corn gluten, chicken fat, chicken, natural chicken flavor, dried beet pulp (sugar removed), rice hulls, salt, anchovy oil (source of EPA/DHA), soya oil, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, cellulose, fructo-oligosaccharides, choline chloride, hydrolyzed vegetable oil (CLA), sodium tripolyphosphate, taurine, Vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), inositol, niacin supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), D-calcium pantothenate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A acetate, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], borage oil, Trace Minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, calcium iodate], glucosamine hydrochloride, L-carnitine, tea (green tea extract), chondroitin sulfate, preserved with natural mixed tocopherols (source of Vitamin E) and citric acid, rosemary extract.

According to the website, it also contains the following products especially for dachshunds. Do you think those extra products actually matter? or you think it's more-so a load of bull?

-Reduces Tartar
Sodium tripolyphosphate and specialized kibbles help to reduce dental plaque and limit tartar formation.
Healthy Joints
Supplemental levels of Glucosamine and Chondroitin may enhance joint mobility.
-Antioxidant Supplement
Optimal levels of Vitamins E and C and green tea extracts help inhibit cellular deterioration. Because Dachshunds are so long-lived, you may gradually notice some signs of aging: loss of energy, a dull coat or even the appearance of white hairs.
-L-Carnitine - Burns Fat
Helps burn fat and promotes a lean muscle mass. His popularity owes much to his characteristic body shape and very short legs. However the shorter an animal's legs, the less ability they have to absorb shock. An optimal bodyweight can reduce strain on the vertebrae.

EDIT: okay, I just did some more research and I found out this dog food SUCKS. As far as the quality of dog food. I cannot believe I spending my money on this junk! I'm so disappointed. I kind of feel like the extra additive they put in for joint etc. I not worth it. But I could be wrong. Some input would be great.

OK let me pick this apart somewhat for you. There is only 1 ingredient that is a meat source in the first 3. You have 5 sources of grain, 2 of the sources aren’t even a whole grain it’s a grain by-products. Corn is strictly a cheap filler. Wheat and corn are very common allergens for cats and dogs. This can cause loose stools, itching, and loss of fur, ear infections, and gas.

Beet pulp is a stool stiffener, this is the reason they have firm poos on food like this. What alarms me about beet pulp is that traditionally when fed to horses and such it needs to be soaked to make it edible and prevent choke ( choke is where the esophagus is blocked and a horse can breathe but cant swallow). I attribute it to the fact that beet pulp swells up so much and in dogs like mine which are prone to bloat I am not going to risk my dogs health and life by feeding something that expands in their digestive system. Take a good kibble and a crap food kibble and soak them in water. Premium foods swell little to none at all while the cheaper foods packed with fillers will double or triple their size with water. If your dog needs fiber like my dog does for his medical issues, give pumpkin, its easy to add dogs typically love it and more healthy fiber alternative. Rice hulls are also a cheap filler and fiber additive…does this make you think why they need so many ingredients to ensure a firm poo?

Salt is a big no no and it is pretty high up in the list. Dogs do not need salt additives in their food at all in fact they don’t process salt well if at all so can cause kidney issues in their senior years or if they were prone to kidney issues all ready can just exacerbate the problem. Soya oil is from soybean plants also another allergen. fructo-oligosaccharides refers to a short chain of sugar molecules found mostly in fruits and vegetables. hydrolyzed vegetable oil is a trans fat, this dog food has trans fats not good in humans why would it be acceptable for dogs?

As for the join supplements, the FDA limits the amount of glucosamine and chondroitin allowed in pet foods, the dog would have to eat something like a pound in a single sitting to get a correct dose of joint supplement from the food. If your dog needs it or you want to offer it you are better off with a human grade supplement (wal-mart usually has a decent deal) taken in the correct dosage for your dogs weight. Cosequin is also a great pet join supplement.

[Amelioratione]

Originally Posted by fuzzworth

OK let me pick this apart somewhat for you.....

Wow! Thank you so much for breaking it all down for me! I really appreciate it. I now have even more proof to switch my dog food. I first explained the idea to my fiance and he was kind of 'so-so' about the topic, now that I've done the research, he's more into the idea of changing our dog food. With you're post I'm sure I can win him over 100% Again, thank you so much.