Purina One? & how much?

[BeccaB00]

is purinaOne dog food a good brand? It looks really good, but then again

Im always really worried about commercial dog foods

My dogs like it, especially my hound who isn't that crazy about the 'lower'

quality dog foods. If it is, and if I continue to feed this, how much exactly

would be best to feed a 32 pound border collie?

thanks.
Becca

 

[bock]

Anything you can buy at the grocery store is pretty much terrible. There are exceptions, but Purina One is not any exception. Instead of looking at that fancy label they put on the front, read the ingredients in the ingredient list. Do the ingredients sound like something a carnivore should be eating? If not move on. Some great foods are Wellness Core, Taste of the Wild, and Blue Wilderness. They are all 6 star foods. Purina One is a 1 star food, unfortunately. Dogfoodanalysis is a great place to start.

Here are the Purina One review: (not sure what one you are using)

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=258&cat=7

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=259&cat=7

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=257&cat=7

Here are the Taste of the Wild Reviews: (what I feed my dogs)

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

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=1287&cat=8

Here is the Wellness Core review:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=1291&ca=8

Here is the Blue Wilderness review:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=1328&cat=8

Better foods do cost more, but I think it is worth every cent for my babies.

However, RAW is still the best food you could ever give your dog, but not everyone has the time for that. Good luck on your dog food quest!

 

[Mugen]

I like Costco's Kirkland branded dog food.

 

[reveriereptile]

I've noticed that hardware stores usually sale the good brands of dog food but with a big price tag. Usually $45 for a 20lb bag.

 

[MustLoveHens]

Quote:
Let me preface by saying this, I used to be in the pet food industry both as a feed/pet store owner and as a sales rep for a pet food distribustion company that had sold and distributed 8 lines of food from Iams/Eukanuba to Merricks, Nutro, and Blue Buffalo among others.

Now, what I would always tell my customers at my store was this: If it's not broke dont fix it. You stated that your dogs like Purina One. Then I'd say right on! Then stick with it.
The thing to remember is that neither you or me have to eat it. Since your dogs do, then they should have the most say so. They next biggest "influence" in your decision is price. No matter how great the food is, and how many people tell you need to feed better food, if you cant afford it, you cant afford it. Some dog food can get very expensive. Natural Balance's Bison and Sweet Potato, which is grain free and a limited ingredient diet goes for abour $55.00 for a 28# bag of food. Orijen goes for about $60 for a 28# bag and I saw California Natural's new Venison formula for $70 for a 28# bag. These are considered some top of the line brands and dont include tax!
So, what I would do is research how to read a dog food panel correctly (Dr's Foster and Smith's website has a great article on how to read them), go to the companies websites, and start looking around to see what stores in your area offer. Then plan a budget that you can stay in on a consistent basis and find the best food that you can afford to feed. The "best" food is all subjective and pet food companies spend oodles of money of marketing and misdirecting the consumer. The "best" food to me is the one my dog likes, eats well, does well on it and is one that I can afford no matter where I buy it.

As for me, I have eight dogs, and from being in the industry, I was able to feed the" best" but cost now is a big factor. Im lucky enough to belong to Costco and feed Kirkland adult ( lamb) dog to 4 of them it is $25 for a 40# bag. Three are small guys and have trouble with the larger kibble and I was able to feed Kirkland's small bite/small breed until I moved and since my new Costco does not carry the small bite, the little guys get Natural Balance Ultra in Small Bites. My other two have sensitive skin and one of those has a sensitive stomach. They were getting Natural Balance Bison & Sweet potato, but since I can't afford to feed that any longer, Im lucky enough to get a grain free through my Coscto. Nature's Domain Salmon Formula. It is $32 bucks for a 35# bag and Costco just got in the turkey formula that as $27 for 35#'s.
IMHO, Costco's dog food is the best for the price. It "reads" extremely well and the price is very affordable.
I will note here that Diamond maufactures Costco's food and Taste of the Wild is Diamonds "High end" range of food. Diamond also makes other foods labled Diamond, and Premium Edge. The Premuim Edge label are similar to Costco's and Diamond can be found at feed stores as well. Diamonds Chicken Formula and Lamb Formula's are both quite decent and a good bang for your buck.
As for foods that I can recommend to look at are:

Sold Gold-Hund-N-Flocken (great food), Natural Balance (one of the best and most consistant on the market), Taste of the Wild (unique flavors), Artemis, Merrick's, Halo, Blue Buffalo ( I will note here that in my experience, while Blue Buffalo is a great food, the palatability is not that great unless you feed the grain free line), Ziwi Peak, Honest Kitchen, Wellness ( Im on the fence with this line-mostly cost vs. ingredients), I'll throw this one out-Canidae, but I have real issues with this food and it's company. It used to be a real decent food, but the company has changed and while it's ok and Costco and Diamond and it's brands make a better food for much cheaper. I also have seen great results from dogs on Iams and Science Diet. Dont waste your time with Eukanuba. They want way to much for what they offer. Tractor Supply has one called 4health-I think it's "their" label and it reads nicely and is easy on the pocket book ($25 maybe $30 for a 35# bag) compared to some of the ones I named.

Hope this helps you out and to your question as to how much to feed your Border Collie, with any food, follow the companies feeding guidelines on the label.

 

[BeccaB00]

Thankyou We have 3 dogs, and we just cant afford

the '6 star' dog foods. I was also asking how much to

feed my border collie, because she will bite you to get to

food. And she eats so fast some of my family are asking me

if I under feed her. My answer is always "I feed what the bag says".

 

[dewey]

How does your dog look? I feed another brand but Kirkland brand is cheap and comparable to higher end brands if you add an egg to it. I'd go by the condition of the dog and not the labels. If you press lightly and can count ribs by feel, all's good normally. You shouldn't be able to see any bones, just feel them with light pressure applied. Some dogs are gobblers and practically inhale their food, lol, but a dog that attempts to bite humans for food would seem to need basic NILIF instruction. Sometimes it's really more economical to feed home cooked if you can get things like chicken on sale or use your own, or use other by products of livestock you raise combined with cheap produce or what you can get from your garden.

 

[redhen]

I go on how my dog does on the food. We fed Purina One (large breed), for years...
But my male saint bernard was getting ear infections and skin hot spots and chewing his feet... year after year...
But my female did FINE on Purina One..
So... i'm now trying Taste of the wild to see if it helps my male out some...
Its only been a month or so now... and i do think i see a difference in his ears and energy level. He just seems "better" to me.
But again... Purina One was FINE for my female. So.. my opinion? Just.. Feed what you can afford to feed. Give Purina One a try... see if it works... its all you can do.

 

[MustLoveHens]

Quote:
I too have an fast eater a cou[le actuall!. My Aussie could give Lab lessons in how to eat the most in the least amount to time. He's that fast! There are a few things you can try. One is to invest in a type of food bowl designed to slow down fast eaters-a slow down bowl. Another thing you can try is to add green beans in to her diet. These are great because the add bulk to the meal without adding other stuff that the dogs don't need. It helped my Aussie tremendously. He also was not quite to hungry all the time since he was getting "more food". They can be frozen (thaw them first) or canned or fresh but they do need to be the no salt added variety. My Walmart has the Butter Kernel label for 56cents a can. Green beans are also great for dogs that need to loose weight and you have to take kibble away to get them to lose it. You could also try rice or oatmeal and they are chep. I have used rice when I have run out of green beans and have not had a problem and the dogs like rice.
I also would suggest that on her next physical with her vet, discuss her ravenousness with her vet. Sometimes being so ravenous can be an indication of an underlying health issue. My two Aussie both have Thryoid problems. Im not saying your girl does have a problem or there is something wrong, but it is good to check her out and rule out any problems or address any issues that she might have.
I know another poster mentioned home cooked meals which can be tons of fun to do. I have nothing against home cooking and it can be cheaper HOWEVER, please please please make sure you add a supplement to balance her diet. There are some companies on the market who sell them. I know Wysong is one and they have two products, Call of the Wild and AddLife.

 

[bagendhens]

ive seen alot of great results form fast eaters with bowls like http://www.brake-fast.net/

i used to work alot with great danes and of course there prone to bloat which can be agrivated by fast eaters, a common remidy was to add large clean rocks to the dogs bowl to force them to work around the rock and slow down...
these break fast type bowls are a new take on that old idea and seem to work realy well!