Blue Buffalo dog food vs. 4 health dog food

[gritsar]

Quote:
At the TSC we were going to in Oklahoma it was. Like I said, doesn't matter now, as we found TOTW locally.
ETA: There was an $8 difference in the price of the exact same size bags of TOTW at two different feed stores, one being 30 minutes away and the other just east of town, 15 minutes away.

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:
It doesn't have to do with reputation, it has to do with the fact that corn is not a biologically appropriate food for dogs.

Well, I've got 5 slick, fit, shiny, happy, healthy, energetic dogs that appear to indicate otherwise.. We have 7 in total; Purina doesn't agree with one, and the other is actually on Purina despite the fact that she's morbidly obese and has a rough, dry coat and flaky skin.

Some might say that last one is definitely not doing well on Purina, and should be switched; reality is that she's been clinically diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Maybe different food would help her, but considering she only gets 2 cups of Purina a day...kinda doubt it.

BTW...have you ever tossed an ear of corn to a dog? I have. They don't look at it and go "What's this!?!" like, say, a goat would do if you tossed it a cheeseburger. No, the majority of dogs will immediately recognize the corn as a source of food and chow down on it -- cob and all, and sometimes even the shuck. Ya know how dogs cross their front legs over a bone to prop it up at an angle, then use their back teeth to knaw on it? Same thing...but instead of it being a bone, it's a corn cob.

Besides that, if corn were really as inappropriate as it's been made out to be in the very recent past, there probably wouldn't be any such thing as dogs these days. Wasn't very long ago AT ALL when any bagged feed you bought for a dog was primarily made of corn. The whole idea of grain-free dog food is a very, very recent development.

Just sayin.

 

[FourPawz]

"Besides that, if corn were really as inappropriate as it's been made out to be in the very recent past, there probably wouldn't be any such thing as dogs these days."

Commercial dog food was created by cereal companies to make use of that industry's by-products. Dogs can survive on corn-based dog food, but from my experience at least, my dogs tend to live well into their late teens and I switched from grocery store brands a couple of decades ago. It isn't that grocery store dog food won't directly kill a dog, it's that premium food can keep a dog healthier and may help a dog live longer.

A young dog might seem fine on a diet of grocery store brand food, but what is that dog's state of health at 12 years of age compared to a premium brand fed dog of the same or of comparable breed?

Not every dog can eat and thrive on every brand of dog food. One of my dogs didn't do well on the Salmon version of Taste of the Wild and that's a premium brand. She's now thriving on a different premium brand. Dogs, like humans, are individuals and what works for one may not be best for another.

 

[bock]

My dogs just had their first all Blue Buffalo meal!

They really love this food, and I think they are going to do great on it!

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:

It's true that bagged feeds are often the final resting place for human food's byproducts, but rest assured that bagged animal feed has been around longer than boxed cereal.

Dogs can survive on corn-based dog food, but from my experience at least, my dogs tend to live well into their late teens and I switched from grocery store brands a couple of decades ago. It isn't that grocery store dog food won't directly kill a dog, it's that premium food can keep a dog healthier and may help a dog live longer.

This may be true, but there are other things to consider as well..

For instance, it's my opinion that most dogs are WAY OVERFED in this country, leading to obesity.. And considering the level of vitamins and minerals -- as well as the levels, perhaps, of not-great stuff -- in dogfood are formulated based on target consumption, I suspect lots of dogs are being O/D'd on stuff other than simply the food itself.

There's no free-feeding in my house, except for the cats...and me.

Otherwise, we feed according to condition. If someone gets chubby, their ration is reduced. If someone gets too skinny, their ration is increased. We're constantly monitoring condition and adjusting feeding levels.

Can't help but think that if more people did that, they may not have NEARLY the problems they do with "cheap" dogfood. Take my brother, for instance.. His dogs ate free choice and were both FAT. They both also had coat problems, hotspots, itchiness, etc.. He tried several different things. I tried to tell him not to leave food out all the time, but to feed them a set amount twice a day....."Uh, yeah, I should probably....uh..." -- never did.

Well, he remarried recently and the dogs moved outside.

He commented the other day that they were really benefitting from being outside for some reason...slimming down, coats improved, hotspots going away, etc.. I asked if he was feeding them inside..."Uh, yeah." So they're eating a set amount of food now..."Uh, yeah."

Hmmmm....WONDER WHAT HAPPENED?

A young dog might seem fine on a diet of grocery store brand food, but what is that dog's state of health at 12 years of age compared to a premium brand fed dog of the same or of comparable breed?

Not every dog can eat and thrive on every brand of dog food. One of my dogs didn't do well on the Salmon version of Taste of the Wild and that's a premium brand. She's now thriving on a different premium brand. Dogs, like humans, are individuals and what works for one may not be best for another.

We'll see, I guess.. Our dogs aren't old, but they're not pups anymore..

They still act like it, though.. Everyone told us our lab mix would be a puppy for two years and then become a footstool...and she did for a while. Then we cut her food back and slimmed her down. Now she's just like she was when she was 2 and she's....6, I guess?

And, ya, she's one of the 6 on Purina.

 

[halo]

Not to be argumentative, but heres the ingredients in Purina Dog Chow:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=1843&cat=all

And the ingredients in Taste of the Wild:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=1285&cat=8

Thats the beauty of having so many different dog foods; you have the choice of how you want to feed your pets. I prefer to feed the highest quality food that I can find. Thats just my choice. I wouldnt feel right feeding my little guys anything but what I consider the best that I can get for them. But I know a lot of people feeding Dog Chow or Old Roy, and their dogs are fine, so its just an individual choice.

 

[FourPawz]

"It's true that bagged feeds are often the final resting place for human food's byproducts, but rest assured that bagged animal feed has been around longer than boxed cereal."

Bagged animal (livestock) feed has been around quite a while I am sure, but the first commercially manufactured dog food was produced in 1860. The first processed dog food was introduced by James Spratt, of Cincinnati, Ohio who developed a biscuit made of wheat, beet root, vegetables and beef blood. His inspiration for this product came from watching stray dogs eat hardtack thrown away by sailors off ships in port. The name of this new product was called Spratt’s Patent Meat Fibrine Dog Cakes.

Dog food really began to catch on in the 1930's as people began to look for a cheaper way to feed man's best friend. Dog food preparations using less meat and more grain gave people the ability to save money.

Interestingly enough, the first boxed cereal product appeared in the 1860's, resulting from religious beliefs. The 7th Day Adventists promoted vegetarianism and the first cereals were designed to give people wanting to avoid meat a breakfast alternative. Cereal was also promoted for health reasons.

To change the subject back to the fact that many dogs are overfed in today's world, it certainly bears remembering that cattle are fattened for the table by feeding copious amounts of corn.

 

[Riocotesei]

What do you guys think of Petsmart brand Authority dog food? I bought some to try out and I think it's pretty good. They recently reformulated it, so it has better ingredients. I wasn't very impressed by eukanuba's products considering the prices. I like the canned food for Avoderm, it smells like chicken mixed with tuna fish. Which reminds me, has anyone ever smelled science diet puppy? It smells like french fries...
Anyways kind of random information, just thought I'd share.

 

[Wifezilla]

Breakfast cereal is also garbage, but that's a whole 'nother can 'o worms

A young dog will not show damage from eating corn based dog food. The damage is cumulative. It's when they get older that you see the actual result. Cancer, diabetes, liver disease (this is a biggie), hot spots, arthritis...all of these can be traced to a grain-based diet.

Commercial grain-based diets do have the vitamins and minerals down pat. It is the macro-nutrients where they fail.

 

[FourPawz]

Breakfast cereal is also garbage, but that's a whole 'nother can 'o worms

Man, isn't that the truth. My kiddo was never given the opportunity to eat the stuff they hawked to us on Saturday mornings (cartoons were not available 24-7 when I was a kid). I wouldn't buy her cold cereal (well, ok, maybe Cheerios). The stuff is just stuffed full of sugar.

Remember Gaines Burgers? Talk about the original canine Frankenfood! That stuff was sickeningly sweet. Don't ask how I know