Blue Buffalo dog food vs. 4 health dog food

[bock]

I was wondering if you guys know of any other good dog foods that are more reasonably priced and are sold at TSC. My parents were already very hesitant about buying $50 bag of dog food.

Oh yeah, and now my dogs have bad gas, which they never had b4 either. I am starting to think this dog food is bad news.

Would it be bad for them to change foods 2x in one week? Thanks!

 

[FourPawz]

When you switched, did you gradually increase the ratio of old to new? Switching food can make a dog somewhat sick. Also, if the food is really high in protein, you may need to switch to a lower protein premium like Avoderm. I had to do this with the German Shepherd in my avatar. I had her on Taste of the Wild salmon and it was just too much for her. She broke out in huge hot spots about 3 months after she was on the salmon kibble. I put her on Avoderm chicken & rice and her coat is thick and luxuriant and her stool is normal.

Sometimes you have to do some experimentation to find the right food for your dogs. Good for you for getting them onto food that isn't full of waste products.

 

[bock]

Thanks.

I was switching them according to the directions on the bag. I am still going to switch them to a different food though, my dad just found out he was getting another pay cut

, and we just can't spend that kind of money on dog food. I still want to get good quality food, but with a more reasonable price.

 

[BLaBauve]

If you could go to a smaller pet store you'd have better luck. Oh, and Blue buffalo has a line called "basics", it's made for allergies and sensitive stomachs. Just read your ingredient labels on the back of the bag. You'll want at least the first 1-3 ingredients to be a type of protein such as chicken, beef, lamb, etc. Followed by whole grains such as oatmeal, brown rice, barley, etc. Avoid any wheat, corn, by-products, food coloring, BHA, BHT. Make sure you would eat all of the ingredients listed. You can find foods that are good quality for under $50. I would avoid grain-free until stomach issues are resolved. I personally feed a raw diet, but my dogs stomachs have been trained well. Your kids need something bland to start with. If you can tell me what brands your local store has I can make specific recommendations.

 

[BLaBauve]

If you have a costco near you, their Kirkland brand is the best low cost food I've seen.

 

[bock]

Quote:
Thanks.

I was hoping to buy their food from Tractor Supply because we already buy our chicken, duck and pigeon food from there. If you go to Tractor Supply.com you can type dog food in the search box and see what kind of food they sell. Thank you! You are a GREAT help, I don't know what my dogs and I would have done without you.

 

[Wifezilla]

Does Tractor Supply carry Taste of the Wild? It's a little cheaper than Blue Buffalo in my area. My cats love it. So do the ducks. They will steal it given the opportunity

 

[bock]

Quote:
I just checked, and they do sell it. I might switch to that, it seems like it has good ingredients. I am going to check out some of their other brands.

 

[BLaBauve]

No problem, I sell dog food for a living; this is what I do all day.

Their best brands are blue buffalo and nutro ultra. Both run $50 for a big bag. A tier below that is natural choice and eukanuba, still both around $50.


Natures recipe and the Diamond foods are around $30-$40 a bag and decent foods. They aren't top tier but they are good enough. All of the other foods are pretty awful. I would try to go with a lamb based formula if they've been on chicken. And again, mix very very slowly. If at anytime during the transition they get diarrhea, stop adding more of the new food and stay at that mixture until the diarrhea ends. I hope this helps!

 

[BLaBauve]

Taste of the wild is a great food. Most dogs I see switch to it do well. Just keep in mind it's grain free... You're dogs have been eating grains so it's harder to switch to a grain free. It's more of a shock to their system. That doesn't mean your dogs wouldn't do well on it. The bags should be around $40 for a large bag, but the weight is less than some brands. Does TSC give out samples? I hand out lots of samples at my store to make sure the dogs like/can handle it.