IAMS dog fooddddddd?

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yeah, as I said better to feed something than nothing at all. My younger SD is a wacko. She feels like her dogs should only be fed a high quality food, but she can't afford it so she feeds them nothing at all, for days at a time.

I don't know about other parts of the country, but at the Atwoods store nearby Diamond Naturals is actually alot cheaper than the Iams.

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
Yeah, as I said better to feed something than nothing at all. My younger SD is a wacko. She feels like her dogs should only be fed a high quality food, but she can't afford it so she feeds them nothing at all, for days at a time.

I don't know about other parts of the country, but at the Atwoods store nearby Diamond Naturals is actually alot cheaper than the Iams.

Its at my feedstore they can order in whatever type I want.

 

[Diamond Wire Farms]

A good low cost alternative is Costco's Kirkland dog food brand.
All three formulas are corn free and the food is made at the Diamond Factory.

 

[melodie_a]

I wish we could feed our dogs something other than premium! My german shepherd has such a sensitive stomach that anything other than Canidae Grain-free messes him up. It wasn't such a big deal until we got a second dog and those bags really add up! We did Blue buffalo for a while and he had such bad gas... it was terrible, then we switched to Taste of the Wild and he had issues with that one too. The problem is that nobody in our town stocks the canidae so I have to drive 45 minutes to get it from a natural pet health store and it is PRICEY!


I do have to admit though that our golden retriever bless her heart survived for her whole life on Kibbles n' bits!

and that is about the worst thing you can possibly feed them. We might as well have fed her nothing but doritos everyday.... oh well live and learn. We know better now.

I agree with the other posters, feed the best that fits in your particular budget. Try to avoid corn as much as possible and do what you feel is right for you and your dog.

 

[Longhorns&Chickens]

I feed the Diamond brand now and I can't believe the difference I see in my dogs!! I was feeding the cheap store brands and had nothing but trouble with one of my girls, and I talked to a few other American Bulldog owners and they recommended Diamond. I tried Iams for a while and wasn't impressed with it.

 

[bock]

We used to feed Purina, and before that Kibbles and Bits *cringe* . We just didn't know any better. Our lab mix had suffered from allergies ever since we rescued her. She would obsessively chew her feet until they were raw, I refused to put her on steroids (this was before we found a holistic vet). So I began researching causes of allergies.

Once I began learning about nutrition, I switched to 4health. Not a great food, but better than Purina. However, she still had allergies, so we try Blue Buffalo. That food was WAY too pricey for us. Finally, we started feeding Taste of the Wild. $32 bucks for the big bag at our local feed store, and no more allergies! Both of our dogs have more energy, softer, shinier coats, and tiny poo! We also supplement with raw (the ultimate diet, by the way) and they like canned Wellness Core. They also LOVE raw eggs, sometimes mixed with some Lifeway Kefir for probiotics. I wish I had the time and money to go 100% raw, but I just don't right now. We just hatched out 7 chicks, and any roos will be butchered for the dogs.

The way I feel, allergies or not, I would not sacrifice nutrition for my dogs. The only thing that would keep me from feeding quality food is if we hit really hard times, then it's understandable. I know how great I feel eating a primarily raw (vegetables, fruit, and nuts), grain free, and almost dairy free (I drink kefir) diet
. It makes a huge difference. Grains aren't so great for people either, so it definitely isn't good for carnivores. Don't even get me started on our disaster of a food pyramid. But that's a different story, just my 2 cents.

 

[dainerra]

some dogs do great on Iams. Especially the prescription formula. But, sometimes people are 100% healthy even though they eat crappy food all the time. Get the very best food you can afford, that your dog does well on, and don't worry about it.
For instance, my dogs were HORRIBLE on TOTW. Just constant pudding poops. Blue Buffalo was better, but still not what it should be. Now they are eating Nutri-Source Grain-free. Fabulous! Not as good as when I was feeding RAW, but the closest I've ever come feeding kibble.

People will often cringe at the price, but it's more than made up for by the benefits.

Less waste = less time cleaning the yard/kennel
Less waste = eating less because more of the food is actually digested
Less shedding = less time grooming (I have GSDs and the difference is astounding if I switch food)
Less allergy issues = less vet visits
Less tummy trouble for sensitive dogs = less vet visits

When you add all that up, I'm actually paying less for 2 dogs on quality food than I was 1 dog on cheaper food.

 

[carolinagirl58]

If I am not mistaken, the OP has a small dog....Lasha or something like that? With a small dog, the cost of the food shouldn't even really be an issue. Even with the most expensive food on the market, it's not going to cost much to feed that little dog.

 

[Orchid]

Quote:
I thought I was the only one in the world who fed NutriSource Grain-free. Seriously, you are the first person I've "met" who has ever even mentioned it!

We feed it to our Lab/basset mix and he is so shiny and beautiful and best of all NO gas. He could clear an entire level of the house when we first brought him home from the humane society.

To me it is WELL worth the price.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
I agree. The digestablity is important for my animals, I want them to eat but poop less and be able to maintain their weight as well. If your dog eats everything in his bowl, gets gassy, poops and pee alot then it is justifiable to say the food isn't what he can utilize from. Yes it may be a bit pricey but in the long run, its cheaper. I feed my cat on Blue Buffalo and she did very well on it. No vomiting, no issues with allergies if any, and she poops less. Her coat is just so beautiful and so soft, not like the cheapo foods she was on, her coat was coarse and dull and not much energy.

When I had my dogs, I had them on ProPLan, it was great stuff but its been a little over 14 years since I had dogs so the ingedients may have changed since then.