Dog/Cat food recall

ORIGINAL: Ullr

Would you feed your children fast food everyday? [8|] 

 
I don't have kids but no I wouldn't because that's unhealthy and also much more expensive than home cooked meals. Also, I do care about my dog & I do love him but not all of us are rich. I'm not trying to pick a fight here but it seems like people act like if you don't buy the most expensive food possible you are a terrible dog owner who doesn't care about your dog. And I'm not even gonna bother posting in this topic again because I don't want any fights.

ORIGINAL: Ullr

Here's a hint: don't buy your pets food at PetSmartCoWal-type places. Premium food is not sold there.

Not true. Petsmart and Petco sell several good foods. Natural Balance, Solid Gold, Eagle Pack, Castor & Pollux, and Blue Buffalo are some of them. Even Wal-Mart has Maxximum Nutrition, which is very impressive considering it's a Wal-Mart brand.

Canidae and Chicken Soup are a couple of great foods that are easy on the budget. Maxximum is another one that may be easier to find.

ORIGINAL: Freereign82

I'm not trying to pick a fight here but it seems like people act like if you don't buy the most expensive food possible you are a terrible dog owner who doesn't care about your dog. And I'm not even gonna bother posting in this topic again because I don't want any fights.

I'm sorry that Ullr came on so strong. I wish people would go about educating a little more nicely.

Anyway, a lot of people are on a budget and it's totally understandable. My two suggestions for foods that are good AND affordable are Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul and Canidae. Chicken Soup is $29.99 for 35 pounds and Canidae is about $25 for 33 pounds. You also feed less of it than brands like Alpo because it's more nutriet dense. Both of those brands are usually available at small petstores and "feed n seed" farmer supply stores. Here are their websites if you're interested:

http://www.canidae.com/

http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/products/dogs/

Emily, I am also sorry for that post that was posted here.  Coming on and posting like that is never a good idea...even if they are trying to be helpful!

but not all of us are rich

Freereign i am far from rich,infact you could say i'm pretty damn poor!But my dogs still get the very best foods,plus raw and homecooked.I brought them into my home therefore it is my responsibility to give them the best.Infact part of the reason i'm still stuck in a crappy relationship with my OH is because i know if i left i would have to do without more than i do now to look after my dogs... So i stay [&o] So until i get a job and can leave, my dogs and kids will come before my comfort,possesions etc etc,they are worth the sacrifice. (Sorry didnt mean to lay a sob story on everyone,it's just that the "not all of us are rich" comment stuck in my throat)

Feeding more than just supermarket foods is not an extragavance IMO,it's being a responsible pet owner and knowing the basics of dog nutrition.You wouldnt afterall adopt a lion,for example, without first researching what you need to feed it to keep it in peak condition.Our dogs and cats are no different.

Also as someone else mentioned the premium foods may look more expensive at first glance,but you have to feed less of them than the cheap foods so most of the time it works out even and sometimes cheaper.

I don't have kids but no I wouldn't because that's unhealthy and also much more expensive than home cooked meals. Also, I do care about my dog & I do love him but not all of us are rich. I'm not trying to pick a fight here but it seems like people act like if you don't buy the most expensive food possible you are a terrible dog owner who doesn't care about your dog. And I'm not even gonna bother posting in this topic again because I don't want any fights.

  Please don't judge all of us based on someone who came on too strong; we know you love your dog or you wouldn't have taken the time to join this forum. Here's a good link to help you learn about ingredients in different dog foods and  why some are better than others;   [linkhttp://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients]http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients[/link]

I pay slightly under $30 for a 40 lb bag of Canidae.  It feeds SIX german shepherds breakfast for 8 days or so.  They get homecooked for dinner.
 
The "more expensive" foods, rarely ARE more expensive because they contain higher kcals than the cheaper brands.  That means more USEABLE calories.  That means you feed FAR less.  You also have far less to clean up because more of the food is able to be used by your dog.  More digested means less pooped out.  That really MATTERS with as many large dogs as I have! [&:]
 
I  wouldn't feed my kids fast food every day, nor would I eat it myself because I am concerned about my health and my wallet.
 
FWIW, my son is a rep for Blue Buffalo.  He demo's at PetSmart...where the food IS sold.

ORIGINAL: Ullr

ORIGINAL: Freereign82

ORIGINAL: Edie

Freereign even though Alpo is not on this list, still doesnt make it a good food.It does usually appear on the lists of unhealthy foods NOT to feed your dogs.Your dog would be so much better off if you fed him a healthy food,and not a junk food like Alpo [:'(]

Donate your remaining cans to your local shelter []

Thanks! What do you suggest I should give him? It can't be something overly expensive because as much as I love my dog my budget doesn't allow extravagence.
Oh yeah..if it's not good for my dog then I wouldn't wanna give it to shelter dogs either..they deserve good food too.

Would you feed your children fast food everyday? [8|] 

Feeding your best friend the best food is not extravagant; it's the smart thing to do to ensure a longer life with better health overall. Don't you want the best for your dog? Make a few sacrifices elsewhere in your budget. It's worth it. You actually feed less with a premium food because more of the food is digested as opposed to filler ingredients that comes out in his stool. The benefits of paying more for the absolute best food far outweighs the cost of one less night on the town, one less internet purchase, etc. If you knew you could buy extra time for your dog to live, would you? Think about it.

Your dog is beautiful, BTW. He deserves the best.

Here's a hint: don't buy your pets food at PetSmartCoWal-type places. Premium food is not sold there. I'm amazed at the types of food that people on this forum are feeding their dogs! Do your research, get samples to find out what works best for your pooch, have bloodwork done to see what is missing (or is in excess) in his diet. You will be amazed at the difference in his coat, eyes, energy, stool, and overall well being.

Get your bag of dog food, bring it over to the computer, and start here: [linkhttp://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=intro]http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=intro[/link] 

What exactly is offensive about this post? I am straightforward and to the point. I did not bash anybody in particular, nor did I say hurtful things. This is the internet, and not everyone who posts in a public forum will sound like you or try to sugar-coat things. All voices and opinions and styles of writing should be accepted (aside from vulgarities or obscenities, but that is obvious). To suggest that I change my style of writing is caddy at best (posted on a different thread). Would it help if I did this and added a bunch of smileys afterwards [][][]? 

I find it odd how things I posted above were later repeated by longstanding members of the board, yet I was "coming on too strong". Are you folks this way to every stranger or new member who posts? Do you not hear that dogs and cats are getting ill or dying because of food that many people on this forum feed to their pets? Doesn't this affect you or bother you? Why be defensive about brand X or brand Y that is involved in the recall? Why not make a stance; boycott and change the dog food industry for the better? Oh, you got your feelings hurt because your brand of dog food is involved in the recall. Well, your dog does not care if brand X is 'premium' or not. All that matters is it tastes good and he feels good after eating it. Why is everybody so defensive when everybody should be grouping together to make a difference, to spread the word, to make the industry wake up and realize that a pretty package and marketing isn't the answer to helping pets live longer? There is no better time than now to stand up and make a difference. Make your voice heard. Support the brands that support your dogs' health. Ignore the brands that employ marketing schemes, including those that market a 'premium' food yet their wet food is bought from the company involved in the recall.

'Premium' food is not sold in PetSmartCos out west. Go into any good independent place that actually knows their stuff, though, and you surely will not find Nutro or Iams, either. Perhaps the level of what is considered premium food varies depending on geographical location. That would not surprise me, considering I can walk to Alfalfas, Whole Foods, and Wild Oats from my house yet there isn't a Kroger/King Soopers for miles. And regarding the holistic people-stores, I still wouldn't buy their dog food. Still too many fillers and junk.

This site is likely to be getting a bit more traffic in the next week or two- I found it, right? The good thing is that we all want the same, the best for our dogs. But I feel like some of you are banding against me, a new member. [sm=peace.gif]

I wasn't going to post in here anymore but I just wanted to say this..I had posted it under the give people a break but it should be said here too.
 
I'm very sorry for what happened. I do think that I was overly sensitive and realize that Ullr was just trying to be helpful. We've been able to work things out through pm and she's actually ended up helping me a lot. So the give people a break can go both ways..I also need to give other posters a break and realize that not all are criticizing me some are trying to help.

ORIGINAL: glenmar


FWIW, my son is a rep for Blue Buffalo.  He demo's at PetSmart...where the food IS sold.

 
Blue Buff is only sold at Pet Smart and online retailers, because it is PetSmart's brand. I was told this a few years ago by an employee before the brand was officially launched. I have yet to see this line sold at any independent retailer. I am not saying it is bad food, but it it my understanding the sourcing of their foods comes from many different facilities, so I have to question their quality control. I'll see if I can dig up any sources. The good news is they no longer use Vit K supplement, which caused bad diahreah in many, many dogs at the time of the product launch.
 
I think one of the factors in defining a premium brand is to be able to trace the source of all ingredients, of all it's brands, that are marketed under different names.

Bue is NOT a Petsmart brand.  Authority is, and it is affected by the recall.  Blue is not.  I happen to have seen the "inside" scoop on this company and I would not hesitate to feed Blue to my crew.  In fact, we are slowly adding it into the rotation.  But, I honestly don't think it's worth the price if I didn't get some coupons.  However, I'll not stand by and let someone misrepresent a food either.
 
Just for the record, Nutro IS considered a premium food.  Innova is a SUPER premium.  If we are going to cut down every food and every store, lets at least get the terms right.
 
I personally hate PetSmart...don't shop there for anything, but they DO carry some good foods and that will vary from area to area.

saving money by buying cheaper foods is one of those "penny wise dollar foolish" decisions. Price per pound of food tells you nothing about how economical it is to feed. I once calculated it would cost me more to feed Iams at $1 a pound than to feed timberwolf organics at $1.50 a pound-- you feed much more of the $1 a pound type foods per dog per day than the so-called more expensive foods. Nutro for example, moneywise, is a complete rip-off.
 
Plus you have to consider "auxillary" costs related to feeding lesser quality foods-- more poop bags, dirtier teeth, allergies, possibly more expensive vet visits as your dog gets older.

[color=#6600cc]Would it help if I did this and added a bunch of smileys afterwards [][][]? 

[/color]
 
NO!  Not where I am concerned.   I'm glad you guys got this worked out...but posting like that right out of the box is not good...in any way. 
For me ,,,as soon as you started with "would you feed your children fast food everyday" I was offended for everyone!
Straight forward is good! Nice is good too!

ORIGINAL: Ullr

ORIGINAL: glenmar


FWIW, my son is a rep for Blue Buffalo.  He demo's at PetSmart...where the food IS sold.

Blue Buff is only sold at Pet Smart and online retailers, because it is PetSmart's brand. I was told this a few years ago by an employee before the brand was officially launched. I have yet to see this line sold at any independent retailer. I am not saying it is bad food, but it it my understanding the sourcing of their foods comes from many different facilities, so I have to question their quality control. I'll see if I can dig up any sources. The good news is they no longer use Vit K supplement, which caused bad diahreah in many, many dogs at the time of the product launch.

I think one of the factors in defining a premium brand is to be able to trace the source of all ingredients, of all it's brands, that are marketed under different names.

Actually they sell Blue Buffalo at my local feed store. My mother-in-law who lives in Massachusetts, gets Blue Buffalo at her local pet food shop (private owned)

So far I have not seen any posting that are too strong or bullyish.  Maybe its because I have been subjected to far worst.  Sometimes directness is good.
 
Anyway, in January I switched from Pedigree dry and canned food to Merrick's dry and canned food.  For two months, the stooles never got solid, close but not solid and they all lost weight.  For March, they are back on Pedigree, solid within a couple of days and weight coming back on.  Now I was told by this forum that Merrick is number one so I went with it.  Give me your next choice and only one choice.  Obviously menufoods are out.  I don't care to look at ingredience and price.  I just want to do good for my dogs.  These dogs are Danes and medium size shelter dogs.