**DOG FOOD - The Owners Tell All**

I have to say I've leared a lot about nutrition from when I first adopted Giz.  I wish I could go back and change a few things but I feed what I thought was the best at the time.  Also where I lived I was limited what foods I could buy.
 
Iams Puppy- Was the best food (I thought) at the time I could find in a small town for a 6 week old puppy, right off the back she had runny poo.

Purena Puppy- No more runny poo but she didn't like it that much.

Beniful - Super runny poo and her skin turned a bright red, she didn't last long on that.

Purena Dog Chow -same as purena puppy.  Living in a small town Purena was the best food I could buy from the store without having to travel 70 miles to get something different.

Eukanuba Lamb and Rice- Best food I could buy from the vet, still had horrable anail glad problems.

Eukanuba Large Breed- I swiched to this when I found out about gizmo's hips and this had glucosimine in it.  She had less of an anal glad problem but I still felt like I could do better.

Nutro Natural Choice Lg Breed-Much better then Eukanuba and also has glucosimine in to.  I finaly decited the 70 mile drive was worth it for better food.

Natural Balance-Tried this for a short time and she did well on it but I needed something with joint support in it so swiced back to Nutro.

Nutro + Home cooked- This is by far the best I have yet.  I choose the foods and suplements that work best for her and add that to kibble.  In the future I may just swiched to only home cooked.
 
I'm stll loking for something better than nutro that has the joint support and won't create a problem with her glands, I'm having a hard time finding that.

There are more but I can not remember the names or why I didn't like them much but it was hard finding what worked for her.

I have had different dogs so please bear with me.
 
Chinook-
Iams puppy- was what he was started with, was ok but he soon quit eating it
Kibbles and Bits- was on this for years, was the only thing he would eat
Benniful- last food he was on before he died, he really liked it when he did eat food
Nutro NC Lamb Pouches- near the end this was all he would eat. Can't say anything about it because he wasn't on it long enough.
 
Shadow-
When I got her she was on (don't cry too hard) Kroger FMV brand dog food. She was also 25lbs underweight and had a dull coarse coat. She also refused to eat because the food was so bad.
Pedigree- marked improvement. Her coat got a little softer and somewhat shinier. She ate it, but then again she eats anything.
Benniful- she was switched when Chinook came to live with us. She loved this! But it made her overwieght fast.
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Senior Lamb and Rice- I love and adore this food. Her coat is as soft as silk, it is so freaking shiny, and she eats it and loves it. I will probably keep her on this as her energy has skyrocketed and she is acting like she is 5 instead of 10.
 
Buck
Iams Puppy- his coat was dull, he was slightly underweight and didn't like the food very much
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy Lamb and Rice formula- He LOVES this! He has put weight on, his poop quickly disappears into the ground, his coat is so soft and he is shiny. Lots of energy and it just works.
 
Both Shadow and Buck get supplemented by the Nutro NC Lamb pouches. These are left over from Chinook when that was the only thing he would eat.

Lets see if I can remember them all:
 
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy- When I first brought Bentley home I began feeding him this. I don't remember what his stool was like, he wasn't too crazy about it, and it made him itch.
 
Diamond Puppy Food- I then switched him to Diamon (this was before I knew about this board, or even really about nutrition). Initially he really liked it, but it didn't take long for that to stop. Can't remember what his poop was like, still itchy.
 
iVet dog food- Got this from the vet. Don't remember what the formula was, but I believe it was corn, wheat, by-product free and supposed to be good for dogs with allergies. Bentley wouldn't eat it....he was such a picky eater as a pup.
 
at this point I was pretty frustrated as he was still itchy. Vet said "must have allergies" : no beef, poulty, wheat, corn or rice. I searched and searched and searched.....found
 
Wellness Whitefish and Sweet Potato: Bentley immediately turned his nose up at this stuff. I refused to budge and he didn't eat for 2 days. Finally he broke down and ate it. He seemed to like it ok once has started eating it and realized that he wasn't getting anything added to his food....nice poops and NO ITCHING!!!
 
He stayed on Wellness for quite a while, until I got my pup from Poland. She wasn't doing well on Wellness and I wanted something that all of them could eat. I'm not sure about the order we tried them, but we tried:
 
Eagle Pack Holistic Select Anchovy and Sardines: Bentley got goopy ears on EP...and after a few months started getting a little itchy. The rest of the dogs did fine, seemed to like it ok, and poops were ok.
 
Solid Gold Wolf King and Wolf Cub: All dogs loved this! Their coats became softer (they all had nice coats when on Wellness, but they got really, really soft). Stayed on this for a few months but they were eating tons of it and it was getting pretty expensive. Bentley's ears still didn't clear up.
 
Innova Large Breed Adult and Innova Adult: Found this board and tried Innova.All seemed to like this. Poops and coats were good. Bentley's ears were still really goopy. No irritation, just lots of ear wax. Would eventually like to feed EVO when my youngest turns 2.....but worry about Bentley's ears getting goopy again. .
 
Timberwolf (various formulas): Switched from SG to TWO. All dogs loved TWO.. My youngest didn't do to well as she has a sensitive tummy. Didn't really notice much difference in coats. Dogs were again eating this stull like crazy and I was having some problems with it being shipped her in a reliable time, so stopped feeding it (If a store in the area -by area I mean in about an hour's drive- would carry it, I would probably feed it).
 
After Innova, went back to Wellness. Bentley's ears cleared up almost immediately once back on Wellness. This is the only food that I can get reasonably close (within 30 minutes) and they all seem to do well on it and like it.
 
I am having some financial problems and would like to switch to something a little less expensive for a while, but I do worry about Bentley.  Not sure what I will do at this point...I know some people have mentioned Canidae...but it doesn't seem like many people feed that here. I would also have to drive an hour one way to get it..which was another issue when I was feeding Innova, SG, and EP.

Not sure what I will do at this point...I know some people have mentioned Canidae...but it doesn't seem like many people feed that here. I would also have to drive an hour one way to get it..which was another issue when I was feeding Innova, SG, and EP.

ddbsr4me- I fed canidae and actually would probably never have taken JJ of of it if it weren't for him develping allergies to rice. I actually like their product a lot and know lots of folks who have had good luck with it. The price IS much cheaper than TWO (In my area more than $20 cheaper per bag). If this is within the price range you are looking for and don't mind the drive, then this may be something you want to try out???
good luck! []

Cheap food at grocery store (10 weeks-6 years) - dull coat, stinky poop, soft poop. I can't give a solid evaluation because back then I thought he looked normal, since I hadn't yet seen how he'd do on a good food.
 
Nutro Natural Choice - shinier coat, better poops
 
Natural Balance - coat got dull and flat (not to mention THIN), weight loss, poop was still good
 
Sensible Choice - for the first month or two, his coat was BRILLIANT, his poops were amazingly firm and there was NO smell to them AT ALL. Then just as quickly as he got to that point, he went downhill. Coat turned flat and dull (and greasy and brittle feeling), poops stunk to high heaven, the worst they've ever smelled, and poops were soft.
 
California Natural - coat got shiny again, poops were firm and there was NO smell to the poops. He spent his first couple of months on the Chicken formula, then developed allergies and was switched to Lamb. His body image stayed the same, it was just the itchiness that was the problem.
 
Innova EVO - same as California Natural (minus the allergy issue, lol)
 
Canidae - I tried it for only a month, and that was because I needed to feed Jake something while I waited for Timberwolf Organics to arrive
 
Timberwolf Organics - have been feeding this since January or February, and I'm SO high on it. Jake's coat is at it's peak (nice and full, not to mention shiny), poops went through a stage where they smelled a little bad but now they're back to normal (and they're good and firm), energy is great, and best of all, he hasn't limped at all for the past 5 months or so (he tore his ACL and developed arthritis at about the same time last year, so he was on Glucosamine for a while until I got lazy and stopped feeding it, and realized he wasn't limping anymore). Jake will stay on Timberwolf Organics until the company goes out of the business, lol

Thanks jjsmom.
 
I actually drove (an hour) yesterday to pick up some samples of Canidae and my dogs loved it! Though they usually do go gaga when I bring samples home. They act like its Christmas.
 
The Canidae is about $2 more per bag than the Wellness, but it is also a 40lb bag vs the 30lb bag of Wellness. Canidae also has more kcals per cup than Wellness, so I think I may give it a shot.
 
Everyone keeps talking about Kirklands Lamb and Rice, which I would consider, but don't know if a Costco in my area......and I am somewhat skeptical since it is made by Diamond, I believe (I think I read this in another post....if I'm wrong, I apologize).

Natural Balance - coat got dull and flat (not to mention THIN), weight loss, poop was still good

Which Natural Balance were you feeding him?  I'm trying to find a good bland food for my dog who seems to have a sensative system.  I just bought the Natural Balance Duck & Potato.  I like that it doesn't have a so many ingredients.

How can we make this a sticky?

Great thread idea - I only read the first couple of pages, I can't to read everything![]
 
Pedigree - Had to feed insane amounts of kibble, Dodger pooped constantly, bad gas.  Wasn't on it long enough to notice any other bad effects.
 
Eukanuba -  Dodger hated the taste, pooped like crazy, coat was what I thought was "normal".  MAJOR gas.
 
Pro Plan - YUCK.  MAJOR gas, MAJOR poop, MAJOR doggy smell. Ugly coat.
 
Costco Kirkland Brand - Major poop/gas/doggy smell/ugly coat - Dodger hated it!
 
Royal Canin Holistic Blend and Maxi - Dodger loved the food and different sized kibble.  Bad gas, less poop but softer![] "Normal" coat.
 
Solid Gold/Go! Natural - Lots of poop and gas, doggy smell, good coat on Go! but not SG. Didn't like SG as much.
 
OH and Dodger's teeth were really bad on kibble - he obviously has a weakness there but he is doing much better now!
 
BARF - Dodger is now on raw.  No doggy smell, no gas, tiny poops, glossy coat and his teeth are better.  I don't think there was an increase in activity but he certainly added muscle mass. He's also lost a couple of pounds, not that I thought he needed to! The only "downside" to BARF is that Dodger doesn't get to use his treatball anymore - it was donated to a rescue - very sad day for him!

I hope that I am not off-topic here since I don't have much input on what foods I have tried in the past. I am actually trying to learn which food is the best for my two Goldens (8-1/2 months old about 80 lbs each).  There is obviously alot to consider, but I am trying to narrow my choices down to a few.  I think (from what I learned here) that I am going to try/rotate EP Holistic Select, Solid Gold and Innova (all kibble).  A few things I am trying to figure out though, is whether I go with the Puppy or Adult formula, and also whether I should go with the Large Breed or normal adult/puppy.  Any suggestions will be appreciated.
thanks!

When I first got Ace he was on Iams Large Breed Puppy.  He had very loose stools all the time, and terrible, room-clearing gas.
 
Switched to Chicken Soup.  Stools were a bit firmer but still kind of loose (and lots and lots of volume, he was like the incredible pooping dog), gas was better but still pretty bad.  His coat improved and was shinier. 
 
Tried Eagle Pack Holistic Fish formula.  He was allergic to something in it and immediately got very very itchy all over, so we discontinued it after just a few days.
 
Now he's on Eagle Pack Holistic Chicken.  It is working very well for him.  His poop isn't super-hard, but it's firm enough that it's no trouble to pick up.  Coat is very shiny and his shedding has decreased.  And on this food supplemented with yogurt, his gas is gone! 
 
He's an eager eater and usually licks his bowl clean, so I don't have any comments on taste/palatability.  BTW he is a lab/husky mix and right now he's 2. 
 

Manny started out on Science Diet Large Breed.  He ate it as soonas it hit his bowl.  He itched a lot, pooped a lot and was too skinny.  When I increased the amount I was feeding him he threw up.
  Switched to Ultra large breed puppy.  He eats it as soon as it hits his bowl, poops a lot less, and stool is more firm.  He is starting to look more like a healthy weight for his size.
  I was overwelmed with all of the information on dog foods and nutrition so I spoke with my vet about dog foods, and she directed me to her collogue who is an animal nutritionist the recommendations were:
 
Highly Prefered
Wellness
Merrick
Solid Gold
Chicken soup for the (pet) lover's soul
Canidae
Blue
Petguard
 
 
Somewhat Prefered
Nutro
Authority
Pro plan extra care natural
 
Not Preferred
Anything with meat by-products, gluten meals, soy, artificial colors or flavors, or chemical preservatives such as BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin.

Aaron, the Natura product line (Innova, California Natural, and Healthwise) is worth checking out, too. 

Roxie loved Nutro Ultra Large Breed Puppy, too.  It's just overpriced for what you get in the dog food, though.  There are much better foods with lower price tags, like Canidae and the aforementioned California Natural and Healthwise products. 

I just brought my first dog home, and I'm eager to learn, so feel free to tell me if I'm stupid for feeding Marty what I do!
 
At the Samoyed rescue, he was being fed some variety of Diamond.  He had diarrhea so badly it scared me.  I did some research and I heard that the Eukanuba Naturals Adult Large Breed  Lamb and Rice formula was pretty good, so I bought him a little bag and he seemed to like it.  I went ahead and got a huge bag, and he just loves mealtimes.  He doesn't have diarrhea anymore, and he doesn't fart.  He does burp and hiccup, but I think that's because he scarfs it so fast.
 
I'm worried about it though, because the rescue told me that he was a year old, and my vet said no way.  The best guess is nine months.  Should I still be feeding him puppy food?

First of all, no one should ever call you stupid for trying to care for and love your dog.  While some may not agree with what you do, I don't think they would go so far as to call you stupid.  People come here to learn more about nutrition, training, and more; I certainly did, and it has benefited my dog so much.  Don't feel stupid for actually caring enough to do research and better your dog's life.  That's pretty smart to me.  [sm=wink2.gif]

Second of all, I'm not a nutrition expert, so I cannot tell you about the puppy food vs. adult dog food and be 100% correct.  I do know that there are all life stage foods out there, like Canidae.  Those can be feed to puppies and adults.  I wish I could be more helpful.  You could use the search box and maybe find the puppy food vs. adult food thread (there was one a while back).