I need to switch dog foods. Help on brands?

[vicki2x2]

I too had to switch to something a little cheaper. I am now feeding Diamond Naturals, Lamb & Rice. Normally I prefer a chicken based, lamb tends to cause gas, but the lamb ingredients were just a little better, so I tried it. My one dog who had horrible gas no matter what I fed him, is cured! Another has had skin problems since birth, looks better than ever. I am definitely impressed. I have always fed a premium brand, so it is not like they have been fed the cheap stuff.

I personally wouldn't trust anything Peta says. I agree, some companies are better than others, but Peta is not where I would get my info.

When looking at labels, the first ingredient is what is the highest percentage in your bag. So basically the first 5 or so ingredients are the most important and makes up the majority of the food. Anything that says "by-products" is not good, "meal" is better. If it says chicken, remember meat has a lot of water in it, so when cooked down, probably isn't the main ingredient. Chicken meal (or lamb, etc) is the meat already cooked down, so pure protein. There are many other key words, try a dog food comparison chart. They should tell you how to read labels.

 

[vicki2x2]

I posted and got an error message, said it was not sent. Then I posted again and realized it had posted both, even though I got an error message both times. So I am editing this one to explain.

 

[Hobbley_Farm]

I seond pedigree for an inexpensive alternative. We were buying a food that cost 45$ for a 40lb bag and had to stop that. But my dogs get a lot of table scraps that I think fill in any gaps. I also have deer scraps and deer bones that I give them for treats. Funny thing, since I have been feeding them cheaper dogfood and table scraps, their coats are so much softer and glossier. You can tell a lot about your pet by the way their fur and skin is. What ever we're doing is working for us!!!

 

[Hobbley_Farm]

double post

 

[MrsCountryChick]

Quote:

When we had our female Rottie yrs ago we used to feed her Walmart brand dog food, she was so picky it was nutts.

But we feed Kibbles N Bits for our Large male Rottie & Collie. On occasion when Walmart or Kmart are out, we get the closest style of dog food to that brand....but they can't eat Anything with those vegie kibble pieces (gives them diarrhea).

But it's about $19.00 for approx. 40lb bag.

 

[Redfeathers]

I'm feeding Diamond brand Lamb and rice. It's a reasonable price and I am happy with the reviews it gets. I do add flax oil or ground flax seed because my dogs have long coats that I have to keep glossy for showing.

 

[TerriLaChicks]

I mostly cook for mine. I buy chicken on sale, boil it down, debone it, add brown rice, carrots, peas, broccolli or spinach, eggs, zucchini--whatever's in the garden or I can find on sale--freeze it in 3 day portions.

When I do feed kibble, it's Wellness Superfive Chicken--I get it at our feed store & it's cheaper in the large bags.

Also feed salmon, tuna, or ground round in the form of a 'meatloaf'- bake & freeze those a couple times a month.

Cottage cheese or ricotta or plain yogurt mixed w/bread and scrambled eggs--they love it.

Everybody comments on how shiny my dogs' coats are & how healthy they are.

 

[TerriLaChicks]

I mostly cook for mine. I buy chicken on sale, boil it down, debone it, add brown rice, carrots, peas, broccolli or spinach, eggs, zucchini--whatever's in the garden or I can find on sale--freeze it in 3 day portions.

When I do feed kibble, it's Wellness Superfive Chicken--I get it at our feed store & it's cheaper in the large bags.

Also feed salmon, tuna, or ground round in the form of a 'meatloaf'- bake & freeze those a couple times a month.

Cottage cheese or ricotta or plain yogurt mixed w/bread and scrambled eggs--they love it.

Everybody comments on how shiny my dogs' coats are & how healthy they are.

 

[conroy]

We have been using the Kirkland brand dog food (Cotsco) - Lamb and Rice- for about 13 yrs. My dogs are picky as well but hey love it. My shep mix lived til he was almost 13 and ate this food since he was about 5 months old. He was big, beautiful and healthy. A mass on an inoperable area of his spine is what he died of but otherwise he was always healthy and happy.

 

[Appytaz]

I have a boxer/ husky mix. I feed her the Pedigree canned in the morning and Pedigree Puppy in the evenings. Puppy food seems to do better for keeping weight on if they are active. Also, Be careful with the Ole Roy brand from Walmart. I was feeding that dry and my girl was throwing it up. When I was at Walmart checking the feeds to get a different one- one of the employees told me to get off the ole roy immediately. Her dog was doing the same thing. The canned Pedigree is more expensive, but I know my picky eater is getting at least one good meal a day and then if she is really hungry in the evening she will munch on some dry food. Another way we get her to eat her dry food is by filling her treat dispenser with it. It is a bubble gum looking machine that has a bone shaped handle on it. When she pushes the handle down it dispenses some food. We cheer - she grins - eats the food - and it all starts again