Feed Store Dog Food

[Cassandra]

How does feed store dog food measure up-nutrition wise?

Having worked in a vet for a while, they really pressure you to buy premium dog food. I always try to buy at least Purina (they really push that Science Diet and Eukenuba, Iams, etc...)

Well, today, I just broke down and bought 20# of maintenance dog food from the feed store. (For my two small dogs) I don't even know what brand it was--something VERY generic sounding like "High Quality" lol.

Is that stuff as good for them as the expensive stuff?

Cassandra

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

I have always fed my dogs pedigree but with the increase in price I decided to try feed store food. We switched to showtime 21 It has the exact same ingredients as pedigree and is only 15.50 for a 50lb bag so check the label it probabally is just as good. Micki

 

[greyfields]

The big thing is to look at the protein source. If corn is listed in the first 3 ingredients, the food is garbage.

I can get Diamond brand pet food at the feed store which is animal protein rather than corn.

 

[Wynette]

I've got a .pdf chart that is a questionnaire that REALLY helps in picking a good dog food. I had to do a ton of research into dog foods (if you are really intersted in doing right by your canine friends, read the book: Foods Pets Die For), and found this chart tremendously helpful, and actually quite fun! If you'd like it, e-mail me and I'll forward to you.

Lots of the food out there is junk. There are a few brands that I really trust, and IMO are worth the extra cost, as I feed less of it (I have two Great Danes and a Bouvier), and they poop less because there are more "usable" ingredients. I like Solid Gold, Merricks, Natural Balance, Avo, and Wysong....there are lots of good ones out there, but sometimes you do have to really search for them!

 

[rooster0209]

Check out the ingredients. Watch how your dog looks and acts after being on the food for a while. I have found that a dog will poop alot more on garbage pet food.

I feed Purina One for Seniors to my doxies and Pedigree to my big dog. Clip coupons and watch for sales! The net is also a good place to get coupons for pet food. check out the pedigree site.


I tried diamond dog food and my freddie had runny stinky poop for the entire bag. He woke me up in the middle of the night w/it too. It was bad for him. Which is why I say...watch how your dog looks and acts..each dog is diffrent.

 

[arlee453]

I am 'guilty' of saving money on my dog's food too. I most often buy Ol' Roy in the red bag at Walmart, or the basic "retriever" brand at TSC. I have read a lot of the pros and cons of dog food ingredients, and know about the supposed benefits of avoiding the cheap proteins, too much corn, etc in the cheaper foods.

Having said that, I have fed the cheaper food to my dogs for over 10 years. I have three collies out there that won't die to show for it.

I know several other people with collies that show them, out of the same blood lines as mine. (one of my guys is a retired champion AKC and my girl would have probably finished too if she weren't a sable merle) I swear they are always so glad if their dog makes it to 10 yrs old on that expensive 'designer' food. My girl is over 15 and my boy is 11 going on 12 and they are just going strong. I have a sheltie that is 15 also and just keeps ticking too on the Ol Roy. So, I know what the 'experts' say, but I can't complain about the results I get from feeding the cheap store brand food.

I refuse to feel guilty about feeding the cheaper food to my dogs. Obviously it hasn't harmed them in any way. I'm not knocking the more expensive brands, by any means - just saying that I have had very healthy and happy dogs feeding the walmart brand.

 

[fullhouse]

Quote:
I use Diamond for our 3 big dogs. I am very happy with it.

 

[penelope77]

i use retriever puppy food and i have used diamond. i don't have complaints about either one but it depends on the dog. my dogs get raw stuff too though. i also get the beat up name-brand discount bags at walmart and mix with the cheaper food.

 

[cluckychick]

I also use Ol'Roy dog food. I feed the kind that's like kibbles and bits. Same ingredients. I have one cat that always throws up and I was feeding him food that was 18.00 for an 8lb bag but after the 2nd bag he started throwing that up to so I went back to the meow mix.

 

[Wynette]

I probably would still be feeding inexpensive food for my dogs, too, to be perfectly honest (I have horses & donkeys, lots of critters to feed, and not a lot of $ to stretch), except that I had a major gas problem with one dog!!! I searched and searched for a food that would not give my Arnie the terrible gas that would wake me up in the middle of the night, it was so bad! With feeding an ultimate brand (and ULTIMATE in all ways, including the price!!!), we were able to get his gas to stop completely! And, get a full nights' rest!