Dog Community

Opinions on this food?

Posted : 6/24/2006 2:07:10 PM

You all know a lot of which dog food brands are good so I wondering if you all could tell me your opinion on this one. Here are the ingredients:

Lamb meal, cracked pearled barley, oatmeal, ground rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), lamb digest, tomato pomace, sodium tripolyphosphate, flax seed, potassium chloride, taurine, minerals (zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), vitamins (vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphospate (source of vitamin C), inositol, niacin supplement, vitamin A supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, beta-carotene, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, menadione sodium bisulfate complex, vitamin D3 supplemnt, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), choline chloride, yucca schidigera extract, rosemary extract. AD07. 1307.

Wow, that was a lot to type! Not sure if those numbers at the end are actually part of the ingredients but I typed them anyway. This food is called Nature's Recipe.

So what do you think? I've had my dog on a couple different foods but she keeps getting bouts of diarrhea. I thought it might be a senstive stomach (I had a post here about it) but I'm not sure any more. The last food I tried was Blue Buffalo. Where I live the options of good dog food are minimal. I'm pretty much limited to Petsmart. I bought Nature's Recipe this time because it says "Easy to Digest" in big letters on the bag, and also it said "No beef, no corn, no wheat, no by-products or fillers, no articficial preservatives." She's been on it for a couple weeks and has diarrhea once.

Your thoughts?

shamrockmommy

Posted : 6/24/2006 2:17:25 PM

Looks ok as a whole. Although if she has something like a chicken allergy, it has chicken fat in it, which would continue her symptoms. I also don't care for the flax seed, since that makes my dogs itch- but your dog might not be bothered by it.
It also contains menadione, which bothers some people since it's a synthetic form of vitamin K. It's in the food I feed and I don't ahve a problem with it.

You could try it and see how your dog does on it. Keep a notebook and write down the good/bad effects you see in your dog to help you decide to continue using it, use in your rotation (if you rotate) or eliminate from use again.

Good luck

Melissa Camiel

Posted : 6/24/2006 2:21:17 PM

Have you had her tested for parasites? If she keeps getting diarrhea then maybe she has an underlying health problem or something like that. I would ask your vet about that.
As far as the food goes, it seems fine to me (except for the lamb digest, and menadione). You could try it and see if it helps your dog's diarrheah, and if not, try another brand.
I think you should try California Natural dog food. It comes in either chicken and rice or lamb and rice. It is very mild and bland and supposedly good for dogs with digestive upsets.It doesn't have other grains or protein sources.
You can also try Natural Balance Allergy formulas with duck/potato, venison/rice, or fish/sweet potato.(www.naturalbalanceinc.com) Those are also limited to one protein and one carb.
Unfortunately, these are not at Petsmart. You can order them online though, or through a pet catalogue.

This catalogue has natural balance: jeffers pet catalogue
This one has california natural: only natural pet store catalogue
You can go to their website and request a free one.

I'm not trying to push these products on you or anything, but I just really think they would help. It seems to me that your dog has some food intolerances.

determinedX2

Posted : 6/24/2006 2:53:51 PM

Have you had her tested for parasites?

When we first got her, almost a year ago, she had 3 kinds of internal parasites (she came from a bad situation and her former owners were both neglectful and absusive.) She was treated as soon as we got her. Last winter I took her back to the vet for minor stomach/ stool problems and the fecal test was negative.

I used the store locator and there is a pet store that sells California Natural dog food that's 15 minutes away from me (according to mapquest.) I think I will check it out. If they have this kind they might have other good kinds too (any other recommedations?). I didn't even know this place existed.

shamrockmommy: Thanks for telling me about the couple questionable ingredients. Perhaps it's one of those that's giving her diarrhea sometimes.

Luvntzus

Posted : 6/24/2006 4:37:47 PM

I second the recommendation for California Natural. I just started my Shih Tzu on it. I'm pretty sure he's allergic to chicken so I got the lamb and rice formula. I have no idea what else he could be allergic to, so I wanted to get the simplest food possible. Plus it occured to me that although I love the ingredients in foods like Timberwolf Organics, maybe a simpler food is better for a dog's system.

Jennifer

Posted : 6/24/2006 9:43:09 PM

[linkhttp://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html#supplements]http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html#supplements[/link]

[linkhttp://www.nhratterriers.com/goodfood.htm]http://www.nhratterriers.com/goodfood.htm[/link]

ron2

Posted : 6/25/2006 9:11:35 AM

maybe a simpler food is better for a dog's system

And you have learned what I have learned, both of us the hard way, what is good for my dog. For him, the simpler food seems to work better, regardless if the food looks good enough for me to eat, or not.

shamrockmommy

Posted : 6/25/2006 1:58:23 PM

ORIGINAL: ron2

maybe a simpler food is better for a dog's system

And you have learned what I have learned, both of us the hard way, what is good for my dog. For him, the simpler food seems to work better, regardless if the food looks good enough for me to eat, or not.

I Agreeeee

Edie

Posted : 6/25/2006 5:21:03 PM

My question on the above ingredients is "Where's The Meat"??? Personally i wouldnt feed it because of the lack of meat [&:]

If the store near you carries CN,you can almost bet they'll carry the other natura lines,such as innova and EVO and probably other healthy pet foods.

John Marsman

Posted : 6/26/2006 2:10:57 PM

We have had great success with our Eagle Pack Natural Formula and the Eagle Pack Anchovy Fish Formula, along with our Holistic Solution powder.

mudpuppy

Posted : 6/26/2006 2:36:18 PM

it's got three different grains after the lamb meal. That means it has more, probably much more, grain than meat in it.
Are you SURE your options for food sources are limited? any feed stores around? small privately run stores? maybe folks I know around here are astounded to hear from me that they routinely drive past three or four local sources for good foods on their way to Petsmart.
The best food at Petsmart is probably the Nutro Ultra line.
Also, if a dog is on the same food every day, and is only having intermittent episodes of diarrhea rather than constant soft stools, I'd question whether something else is causing the diarrhea- treats? stress? randomly consumed environmental items?

Margaret Tyler

Posted : 6/26/2006 4:47:01 PM

ORIGINAL: jettasmomma

I think you should try California Natural dog food. It comes in either chicken and rice or lamb and rice. It is very mild and bland and supposedly good for dogs with digestive upsets.It doesn't have other grains or protein sources.
You can also try Natural Balance Allergy formulas with duck/potato, venison/rice, or fish/sweet potato.(www.naturalbalanceinc.com) Those are also limited to one protein and one carb.
Unfortunately, these are not at Petsmart. You can order them online though, or through a pet catalogue.

I agree with these recommendations, but I think you can find Natural Balance at Pet Smart, or maybe I'm thinking Pet Co. Try one of your small farm feed places in the area or even go to Natura's (the makes of California Natural) or Natural Balances website for retailers near you.

jenhuedepohl

Posted : 6/26/2006 5:02:40 PM

Has your vet checked her blood chemistry? Chronic diarrhea isn't always food allergies. It can be from colitis or mild pancreatitis.

My Dalmation had a couple bouts of "garbagecanitis" after gorging himself too many times on rich foods. (The big doofus ate 3 pounds of bacon in about 30 seconds once!). Different natural diets didn't help much because his digestive enzymes were too messed up for rich food. He did very well on Eukanuba Low Residue. Unfortunately, it's only available by prescription from a vet.

You can also try Wellness or other natural diets that have added probiotics, or get a probiotic powder/enzyme supplement to add to his food.

Another solution may be canned food. (High quality - NOT grocery store!) Some dogs can digest it better because it is higher in moisture and lower in carbohydrates than most dry foods because the manufacturing of dry foods requires a minimum amount of carbohydrate.

Good luck - digestive problems can be so tricky.

Luvntzus

Posted : 6/26/2006 6:27:58 PM

ORIGINAL: ron2

maybe a simpler food is better for a dog's system

And you have learned what I have learned, both of us the hard way, what is good for my dog. For him, the simpler food seems to work better, regardless if the food looks good enough for me to eat, or not.

Yup, it's true. [

]

determinedX2

Posted : 6/26/2006 9:20:19 PM

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Has your vet checked her blood chemistry?

Not lately, but she doesn't have chronic diarrhea, just random bouts. Like once every couple weeks maybe.

Also, if a dog is on the same food every day, and is only having intermittent episodes of diarrhea rather than constant soft stools, I'd question whether something else is causing the diarrhea- treats? stress? randomly consumed environmental items?

I was thinking that too... that's why I said I wasn't sure it was a senstive stomach anymore. I doubt it's treats since she gets 1 or 2 bite size a day and she doesn't get the diarrhea everyday. I don't think it's stress.... Maybe she's eating stuff I don't know about.

Are you SURE your options for food sources are limited?

I'm going to the

et store I just found out about that's 15 minutes away. The food might not be the problem but I want to try something like California Natural food just to be sure.

Thanks again everyone.