Feed Store Dog Food

[Iceblink]

There really is no ONE RIGHT food for every dog. I could tell you the brand I feed MY dog, and gush about how great she is doing on it, but it may not work for YOUR dog.

Best advice, read the ingredients list, and weed out any that list lots of grain products, especially at the top. Dogs don't need carbohydrates, however cancer does. Switching to a low carb diet has been shown to reduce the growth of cancer in dogs. Also, dogs don't digest corn, so it just comes straight out the end. This is not to say that a no-carb diet is THE absolute way to go, as it does increase some dog's energy, and some owners don't want that.

Another thing to avoid is a food that lists animal by-products. Especially if it is not specifically identified by species. It is common for cheap brand dog foods to use ground up chicken feathers, products from a rendering plant, hides and other nastiness as their 'animal protien sources." There was a shelter where I used to live that sold all it's euthanized pet animals to a rendering plant who in turn sold the products to a pet food company. Yuck! It seems that most people are horified to find out what factory farmed animals are fed, but will blithely buy and feed their own pets the same thing in the name of saving money.

Bio-availibility is another consideration, for example, you can swallow a rusty nail, but your body can't digest and use the iron. Ground up chicken feathers, for example, are listed as 'chicken' or 'poultry by-product' are high on protien, but a dog can't digest and use them, so again, just more poop.

You can do a fun home test on cheap brand dog foods. Get a kibble, put it in a small container of boiling water and let it soften. After a while, mash it up and look at it closely. If you have a microscope, use it. Often you can see feather bits, hair (indicating hide use) and other undesirable things.

So bottom line, read the ingredient list. If you can't recognize the ingredients, your dog probably shouldn't be eating them.

That said, Beneful is a terrible brand. They actually include sugar to increase palatibility. Yes, it's on the label. SUGAR! Really!

 

[Sparklecoon]

I'll stay off my soap box. Personally, I feed the best food I can afford (Canidae) that meets my dogs nutritional requirements. I use my black dogs as a test of quality. If i'm feeding them food and their coat has no luster and dander has popped up out the food goes. Since switching to Canidae I've had nothing but wonderful comments on their coats and general health. They a sleek shiney and best of all dander free.

I won't lie, the smaller poops are awesome too when it comes time for cleanup. Especially, since my IW is the size of a small pony to begin with

 

[Frosty]

I used to feed my dogs Pedigree... I asked the vet about the fact that my dogs belly was bald (when I had the dog in because his recurring seizures were getting worse) and the vet said that it was like male pattern baldness. He did x-rays, turns out my dog has severe hip dysplasia and the vet though that he was just collapsing, not having seizures. The dog is a lab/australian cross, and at the time weighed 78 pounds. Vet said that if we took some weight off, it would help his hips. I swapped the dog to Eukanauba senior because it has glucosamine, he quit having what I think really were seizures (often he would come to me looking anxious before he collapsed) and most of his belly fur grew back in. The store that I got the Eukanauba at quit carrying it, so I got some Premium Edge (made by Diamond) and the rest of his belly fur grew back. The cats fed the dog some bread when DH left some bread out (they grabbed it and jumped to the floor, the dog took it from them) and his belly went bald again. Turns out, he has grain allergies (and seizures can be a symptom of that). It actually doesn't cost more to feed him the better food. It costs me $21 for an 18 lb bag. He is now at an ideal 68 pounds, and eats 3 cups of food per day. That 18 pound bag lasts me about a month. He is 11 1/2 years old, bright eyed, and runs like a puppy.

 

[WisconsinChick]

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[lorieMN]

dogs digestive systems are different then people,they are made to digest flesh,not grains and fiber,the cheaper foods use grains as a filler,tho corn isnt all that cheap anymore,and so that is why they poop more off cheaper feeds,and yes one company makes the food for several brand names,I use sprout ultra from mills fleet farms,love it,very good food,and like 20$ for 40lbs,I stay away from diamond,have heard lots of bad things about it and I tried it and the dogs had lots of poo and crappy coats,tuffys gold is another really good food,made right here in MN,and is available at many feed mills,I think it is like 26$ for 40lbs.I stay away from purina and pedigree,science and Iams only because I think they over charge for the name on the bag,I dont have a problem with the food but dont like paying for a name.Then again I know several dogs that do just fine off ol'roy and such,guess it just depends on what you are doing with your dogs,if you work them or hunt them alot,they will need more protien and calories,but the average pet doesnt need that and so can get by with a lower grade of food..

 

[gritsar]

After a quick glance at some of the responses, I'm gonna chime in here.
I used to feed "higher end" foods to my dogs and it would sit in their bowls. They'd eventually eat it if nothing else came their way. A 13 - 15 lb. bag would easily last me over two weeks for two large dogs, a border collie and an irish wolfhound mix. I recently switched to 'The Good Life' manufactured by Mars, Inc. It's roughly $14. a bag and they absolutely love it. A 15.5 lb. bag only lasts a week or so and neither one of them is getting fat. Well, my wolfhound mix is, but that's not from the food; it's from Daddy sharing too much of his supper with her. I no longer have to supplement the border collie's food to keep his weight up. They only like the chicken flavor, not the beef. So my opinion would be, what good are the premium dog foods if they won't eat it?
I had the same problem with Kitty leaving her food after only a few bites for the possums and other critters to eat. Turns out she loves the Good Life for cats. Now her bowl gets emptied too.

 

[Cats Critters]

Cassandra, we try but between the 13 cats and kittens theres no way we can keep there food away from the dog.

 

[rooster-red]

I used feed store brands with my large breed dog from the first day he could eat solid food, right up until the day he died.

Nutrition never became an issue, he was healthy and had a great looking coat.

He lived for 16 years, he passed a year ago this July.

 

[ZykloniaDark-GothikRanchr]

I don't have dogs or cats anymore (allergic!!!) but when I did, I fed them the store brand from wallyworld, and they were just fine. I do have a friend now who has a dog, and she makes her own food for her dog. She said it costs her very little, and she knows what is in it. She asks me for my culls, and eggs that have cracked. She plucks the culls and boils them til they are fully cooked, then throws the whole thing in a meat grinder (bone meal is good for animals) the only thing she removes are the gallbladder and intestines. then she mixes it with some wholeoats and some other things she has looked up, boils the eggs and pulverizes them in the blender with the shells on mixes it and breaks it into portions which she freezes. she uses everything, even the broth, and her dog is very healthy, and happy. I know we all have culls, and maybe excess eggs...why not use them to help yourself, and your pet!!! if you google pet food recipies, you can find other ingredients to add to the chicken, that is what my friend did.

 

[seedcorn]

depending on the age of the chicken, some chicken bones splinter and can cause severe damage. If not treated correctly, it can kill the dog. I know it hasn't happened just a word of warning.