help me choose: which of these are "better" (janetmichel3009)

I don't know what the first one is, but in a choice between Science Diet and Eukanuba I'd feed the Eukanuba.  :)

 Agreed, as far as ingredients in the US go. I think they  are different in other countries, though

yeah.. that's why i added the country of production. lemme research the ingredients and post them here... maybe that would help you to give me a suggestion. i for one don't know much about nutrients in humans, let alone dogs...

optima:

Chicken
Chicken by-product meal*
Rice flour*
Ground corn*
Ground grain sorghum*

eukanuba:

science diet: (i THINK this is the one they carried....)

Chicken, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Ground Whole Grain Wheat, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Corn Gluten Meal, Brewers Rice, Chicken Liver Flavor, Soybean Oil, Dried Egg Product, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), DL-Methionine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

eek. sorry. i had to translate this page and got confused in the process. here it goes:

Chicken by-product chicken, flour, maize flour, whole grain sorghum ground, flour of fish (fish oil source), rice of brewers, fat of chicken (conserved with tocoferoles mixed, a vitamin source and and citric acid), whole grain barley ground, pulp of dehydrated beet (once retired the sugar), digesta of chicken, dehydrated egg product), levedura of dry beer, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, potassium, salt, vitamins [vitamin supplement and, ascórbico acid, beta-carotene, acetate of vitamin To, pantotenato of calcium, biotina, supplement of B12 vitamin, mononitrate of tiamina (source B1 vitamin), niacina, supplement of riboflavina (source B2 vitamin), inositol, hidrocloruro of piridoxina (source B6 vitamin), supplement D3 vitamin, fólico acid], linen flour, hexametafosfato of hatred, calcium carbonate, hill chloride, minerals [ferrous sulphate, zinc oxide, manganese sulphate, copper sulphate, manganoso oxide, potassium iodide, cobalt carbonate], DL-metionina, extract of romero.

Just saw this and thought I'd mention I have a dal with allergies. Most dogs with allergies are allergic to chicken and corn is a filler. From what I understand, chicken-by-products are feet ,heads, beaks, unborn,feathers,etc.  Not good!Corn has sugar,translating to the allergies. Usually lamb or fish is recommended for allergies. No beet pulp either. The less ingredients, the better.

well moca was on a special prescription diet that was not containing either for 2 months without change. i still dont know the source, but i am trying, giving her different water for now. but if it's the food, then it's definately not the common stuff..

     *PLEASE* be careful with Eukanuba. I fed Euk for several years, was a member of their breeder program, but finally had to pull the pack off this brand this past February. The company had changed the formula at least 2x from Dec '05 - Dec'06. I immediately noticed a decline in quality not long after the first formula change, but dogs still did well, and I really didn't trust other diets to keep my brood bitches/litters on. I cannot express with words the nightmare my dogs & myself went through due to the half @$$ed changes made to cheapen the cost of producing that food (while increasing the purchase price). First of all, Euk used to have an ideal Omega 3:6 ratio - the best on the market! They lowered their ratio of fatty acids, omitted vitamins such as dicalcium phosphate and replaced it with the cheaper, less bioavailable calcium carbonate, ect.
     My dogs became incontinent, unable to hold their urine for more than an hour or two, and would frequently urinate on themselves while sleeping. Needless to say, with several dogs, most of whom were housed indoors, I am STILL paying for repairs to my home from urine damage. Their coats dried out, their behavior altered. These dogs were "on edge" 24/7. They couldn't sleep at night, were constantly fighting (and this was a major turnaround in behavior, because my Beagles were so easygoing I had ones that allowed intact male dogs in their whelping boxes ...) and just displayed such nervous, high strung, anxious behavior. They chewed EVERYTHING and were off the walls. This was not hpw my dogs had previously acted. I hunt them, so they had always been lazy, laid back lumps in the house.
     I didn't make the connection that the food was harming them until I ran out in a snowstorm and the best food I had access to was actually Purina Dog Chow "Naturally Complete" of all things!!! As mediocre as that food is, my dogs changed practically overnight. The incontinance stopped, the anxious behavior was much more managable after only a few days onthe new food. I also called one of my puppy customers who had been having mysterious housebreaking/incontinance problems with her pup, whom she'd kept on Eukanuba. Like my own dogs, her pup had a urinalysis that tested negative. I told her to switch the food - she went to Wellness, and no more problems, not a single one. This pup has not urinated on himself since February.
     I also have a friend who owns S&R GSDs and a Lab, eating Euk for 15+ years, SAME PROBLEMS. Dogs are off Euk and on Nutro now.
     Euk's Veterinary diets are also effected. I am trying to get a neighbor to pull her dog off the Euk Veterinary diet for her black Lab. This poor animal is fly biting, acting nervous/aggressive, and having bathroom problems (diarrhea & incontinance). His health has been going down the toilet since Euk's first formula change 18 months ago - its not a coincidence. I am so worried about this poor old guy
     If I was in your position, I would go for the Science Diet, or if possible Purina or even better, if IVD makes a formula you can use, definitely check into that. I am a staunch hater of SD, but under the circumstances, I do not believe Eukanuba/Iams is making a safe product. Their canned foods were recalled, but I don't believe their dry foods should not have been recalled. Thats JMHO. I know the Euk has the better ingredients over the other foods, but I would never trust it for my dogs again ...

In dealing with allergies, it can be so many things. No wheat,no dyes in biscuits, no rawhides,dairy,eggs beef,pork soy dairy products,the list goes on and on. It's trial and error. some even say fish, but for our dal, that seems to be the only one that is fairly good.  there's Wellness, California natural,they are all more costly, but in the long run it's worth it.

and of the ones i stated above, which one would you use? i'm sorry, but telling me about food, i can't get here, doesnt help me...     the opinions seem to vary and i'm still unsure of what might be best...