Best Dog Food

carpediem111

Update,  Well I went to the pet store today.  Spoke with a lady and she recommended Nutro Max, I didn't get it and went with Natural Balance instead. 

 Natural Balance is a nice food,definitely better than Nutro Max,and way beter than SD.

carpediem111

I will also begin supplementing his food with vitamin E or fish oil.

Did you mean VitE AND fish oil. If giving Fish oil you should also give vitE,as the fish oil depeletes the system of E,or something like that  Dont give one without the other.

hello, i think the problem arise,not only for feeds, more urgent is her health problem, is she always itching, i supposed she got skin infection, is beter for u to call the vet immediately ,so that she have a well cured. and meanwhile, u also can get some useful and more scientific suggestions for feeds, cos i think they are quite expert on the ingestion for pup, they can balance the feeds for your pet, like the some essential ingredient, calcium,vitamins and so on. and i also hope your kid will get well soon and find the feeds go well with her.

We use the Nutro large puppy breed.  My neighbor uses the Nutro Max for her lab.  He has some serious skin and itching issues and this cleared him right up!

 Hope your new stuff works!

Natural Balance is excellent for skin issues.  My allergy cocker absolutely glowed once I got her on NB.  Poor little girl had some of the nastiest hot spots I'd ever seen before that....and NB cleared them right up.

SOME vets may be a good source of nutrition information.  Sadly that is not the case with all of them.  The vet we had when Thor and Sheba were pups insisted on Purina Large Breed Puppy.....heavy on corn.  Good gosh it looked like I was running horses in my back yard the poop was so big!  I have found few vets that will recommend the really excellent foods like Fromm, Innova, Canidae, Blue, etc.

My personal opinion on Chicken Soup isn't great.  I have fed that product and my dogs did really well on it.  However, it is made by Diamond who has time and time again shown that they have some heavy duty quality control issues, and don't seem to really care if the ingredients are pure and wholesome.  After the last recall I absolutely won't recommend anything made by Diamond.  That is only my personal opinion.

Even the very BEST food isn't so great if it doesn't work for your dog.  Many folks here swear by Timberwolf Organics and Eagle Pack Holistic.  EP gave my guys enormous poop, TWO gave them soft and dark stools.  Now if you have ONE small dog, maybe that doesn't matter, but with SIX large dogs, size really matters!  Royal Canin gave them dry, harsh coats.  We had less than stellar results with some of the others.

I look at several factors when I decide if a food is working or not.  Poop size, consistency and color is at the top of the list.  Skin and coat health comes next, along with weights and muscle tone.  Some foods don't keep weight on my dogs, especially in the winter.  And since I keep them on the lean side, it matters if they drop a couple pounds in the cold weather.  They can't keep warm when they are out playing and will burn even more body fat....and they don't really have any to spare.  Some folks might want to consider the enjoyment of the food....with my dogs, they don't hesitate to eat what they are given, when they are given it.  I don't have picky eaters so that isn't a consideration for me.  My dogs like everything.....except a few raw veggies!

I rotate foods and my rotation includes Innova, Blue Buffalo and Canidae.  Kibble is for breakfast, dinner is either homecooked or raw.

I like Natural Balance for my dog.  He likes it and has a healthy glow.  He was getting Science Diet when we got him from the vet, but I'm not crazy about it.  

Brewster's Mom

I have been doing alot of research on the subject of dog food. I have recently started my dog on Chicken Soup for the puppy lover's soul. There is an adult version also. The main thing with Iams, Purina, & Science Diet is that they use corn products in there formulas. Lots of dogs are allergic and that could be the cause of your skin problem. Good luck, I hope you find a better dog food.

 

It's nice to see that you're trying to research dogfoods but there is MUCH MUCH research out there .  I've been researching for almost 5 years and am STILL learning more and more every day. The main thing w /Iams, Purina, etc is NOT that they use alot of corn... it's that they use ingredients that are UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.... OR ANIMAL CONSUMPTION for that matter.  They use whatever the USDA does not approve for human use because it is #1   RANCID ,  #2...MOLDY, # 3 ... DISEASED,  # 4... CANCEROUS OR TUMOROUS,  includes roadkill, restaurant grease,  euthanized zoo animals, service animals and pets , etc.  Get the picture here ??   The difference between high quality and holistic products and products you buy from Petsmart, your local grocery store or discount store is like NIGHT and DAY... APPLES and ORANGES.. you CANNOT compare them because they are NOT comparable.  You're trying to compare chemically adulterated RENDERED waste products with REAL FOOD. This is what they do to the ingredients found in those poor quality meat "flavored" CEREALS hyped up by expensive,  fancy, false advertising campaigns.... ( an excerpt from one of th articles below )

Before the meat even arrived at the rendering plants, it has already been saturated with chemicals. To comply with government regulations, all meat rejected by slaughter houses must be "denatured" - a procedure designed to make it unpalatable to humans, thus ensuring it cannot be resold as human grade meat.

In Canada, the chemical used to "denature" is Birkolene b. In Natural Pet Magazine, Ann Martin writes "According to the Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant and Health, the composition of this chemical cannot be disclosed." In the US, there are a variety of other methods that can be used:

"In my time as a veterinary meat inspector, we denatured with carbolic acid (phenol, a potentially corrosive disinfectant) and/or creosote (used to preserve wood or as a disinfectant). Phenol is derived from the distillation of coal tar, creosote from the distillation of wood. Both substances are very toxic. Creosote was used for many years as a preservative for wood power poles. Its effect on the environment proved to be so negative that it is no longer used for that purpose. According to federal meat inspection regulations, fuel oil, kerosene, crude carbolic acid, and citronella (an insect repellent made from lemon grass) are the approved denaturing materials."

"

Remember...THIS is the stuff Purina, Iams, Science Diet, Eukanuba, etc are all making their pet food from. 

Here are some links I think anyone who is learning about petfoods should read :

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0106-04.htm

http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/petfood2.html

http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/petfood1.html

http://www.dogfoodsecrets.info/violations.html

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/jesse.htm

http://www.newstarget.com/012647.html

http://marimaykennels.bizland.com/ffrdogfooduck.htm

MAKE SURE YOU READ THIS ARTICLE : http://jivdaya.org/rendering_plants.htm

 http://leda.law.harvard.edu/leda/data/784/Patrick06.html

These are just a tiny handful of articles from the extensive "library" I've put together  over the years.   What I have found studying this forum is that most crucial information just falls on deaf ears.  I find that al ot of people in this forum just do not WANT to accept facts and information that's offered to them no matter how much research, evidence,  studies, professional opinions or cold hard facts there are to back it up so they can justify feeding the poor quality foods they do.  Others still think that the only difference between  the utter "garbage" companies like Purina call "food" ( and that is a VERY loosely used term ) and what  QUALITY companies like Timberwolf, Wellness, Innova,  etc manufacture is  PRICE.    You can't get more WRONG than that.   We are LITERALLY talking about the difference between feeding your pets  DISEASED, REJECTED, RANCID, MOLDY , RENDERED ingredients pumped full of chemicals and questionable additives to  companies that use HEALTHY , FRESH, WHOLE, QUALITY, HUMAN GRADE, NATURAL, UNADULTERATED ingredients that you and I would eat ourselves.   HOW on earth can you even begin to make a comparison here ???    The terms  " YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT" and " YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR" definitely apply here.     

   For Jessie, who is nine years old, the best dog food right now is a puppy food, and one that isn't considered "holistic". It's Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Lamb and Rice. I've been having problems with her weight for several months (she's getting her thyroid tested at the derm vet in a few weeks). There are good high protein, low fat foods for adult dogs with weight problems but they have chicken and she's allergic to it; the Nutro is 27% protein and 13% fat and she is doing great on this food and is losing about 2 pounds a month. It also has high amounts of zinc and linoleic acid. According to a study published in the June ' 07 issue of the JAVMA this combination provided the best results for improving skin and coat condition. Although Jessie's always had a shiny coat, she has had problems with dandruff; allergy dogs lose more water through their skin than normal dogs. This food has cleared up her dandruff and her coat looks great. Once she's at her ideal weight I'll probably switch her to Nature's Variety, a food she has done well on in the past.

   I don't worry about the food not having fruits or vegetables in it because I always supplement her kibble with cooked food; she's been getting a stew of bison, potatoes, and several vegetables this week;  next week it will be turkey and sweet potatoes with veggies, sticking with low fat meats. I have doubts about how much nutrition is left in a blueberry or carrot after they've been processed enough to be put into kibble and think that if you want your dog to benefit from these sources of nutrients you need to prepare them yourself.

What I have found studying this forum is that most crucial information just falls on deaf ears.  I find that al ot of people in this forum just do not WANT to accept facts and information that's offered to them no matter how much research, evidence,  studies, professional opinions or cold hard facts there are to back it up so they can justify feeding the poor quality foods they do.  Others still think that the only difference between  the utter "garbage" companies like Purina call "food" ( and that is a VERY loosely used term ) and what  QUALITY companies like Timberwolf, Wellness, Innova,  etc manufacture is  PRICE.    You can't get more WRONG than that.   We are LITERALLY talking about the difference between feeding your pets  DISEASED, REJECTED, RANCID, MOLDY , RENDERED ingredients pumped full of chemicals and questionable additives to  companies that use HEALTHY , FRESH, WHOLE, QUALITY, HUMAN GRADE, NATURAL, UNADULTERATED ingredients that you and I would eat ourselves.   HOW on earth can you even begin to make a comparison here ???    The terms  " YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT" and " YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR" definitely apply here.

     Here's another link to add to what you have posted;     

http://cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Meat_and_Poultry_Inspection/pdfs/79-016A.pdf;

INEDIBLE PERMIT APPLICATION
I hereby make application for a permit for the removal of inedible and / or condemned material in accordance with
Chapter 5, Section 19380 of the California Food and Agricultural Code and Title 3, Section 1180.40 of the California
Code of Regulations. Application for a permit is made with the understanding that any carcass, or parts, or products
of animals, which are not intended for use as human food shall, prior to their being offered for sale or transportation,
be denatured or otherwise identified as prescribed by regulation to prevent their use as human food (Section 19346,
California Food and Agricultural Code).

Please Print
Custom Exempt Establishment (Check here if you are operating a Custom Exempt Establishment)
U.S.D.A. Meat Establishment Number
U.S.D.A. Poultry Establishment Number
State Meat Establishment Number
State Poultry Establishment Number

 
Name and location of rendering plants, pet food plants, or collection stations, through which denatured, condemned,
and / or inedible material is to be disposed (if sending inedibles to more than two destinations please list the others on the back of
application

Description of Inedibles                         Description of Inedibles
Trans. Company                                   Trans. Company
Type of Business                                  Type of Business
Address                                               Address
1. Name                                               2. Name
:
Signature of Plant Official Date
Name of Plant Official
(if different)
Telephone Number FAX Number
Location Address
Mailing Address
Establishment Name

I declare under penalty of perjury that the information provided on this application is true and accurate to the best of
my knowledge.
If destination(s) listed above are not licensed by the State of California, please give a complete explanation below as
to why your establishment is not using a State licensed destination

  I was unaware of the process of denaturing until I saw your post and am hoping that named meat meals are from sources that don't go through this process but haven't found information to confirm that so far. Do you have sources that confirm that named meat meals from companies like Natura, etc., are not denatured?
 

I feed the boys Avoderm Natural. Ginger, who has megaesophagus and has to be on canned, and who also has to be on a somewhat bland formula, gets Natural Balance Duck and Potato canned.  The vet had had her on a prescription duck and potato, but Natural Balance is the same cost (it would be cheaper for the general public, but I work at a vet's, so the cost for me is the same) and without the by-products that are in the prescription formula. 

 All of my pets have good coats, no dry skin issues (which is a big deal..Jules gets dry skin easily from certain foods) and no excessive poops.

jessies_mom

I was unaware of the process of denaturing until I saw your post and am hoping that named meat meals are from sources that don't go through this process but haven't found information to confirm that so far. Do you have sources that confirm that named meat meals from companies like Natura, etc., are not denatured?
 

Oh.. .I'm sure I can dig something up if I look hard enough. Companies like Natura, Innova, Wellness, etc use USDA inspected HUMAN GRADE ingredients. Why on earth would they need to be denatured ? Why do  companies like Purina, Iams, Hills, etc NEVER even attempt to make the claim  " USDA inspected", "human grade", "human quality" etc  ??? Because they CAN'T.   Quality companies DO NOT get their ingredients from rendering plants and do not use food industry "cast offs" and waste.  They purchase and use the same ingredients that would be destined for human consumption and purchased at any supermarket or butcher shop.  THAT is the main reason why QUALITY pet food costs so much more. And when you think about it... does anyone REALLY think that $2 a lb for healthy , wholesome food to feed the pets that you supposedly love as part of your family is a lot ????  If so... then I'd be willing to bet that  those are the same people that would feed mac n' cheese and spam over a baked potato and fresh chicken ***. Most people don't realize that feeding HEALTHY is CHEAPER than feeding UNHEALTHY in more ways than one. I realized that whenI gave up junkfood, processed food, etc and went to the  "so-called" more expensive organic / holistic food that it was actually CHEAPER  because once I cut all the heavily hyped GARBAGE out of my diet and stuck to fresh , wholesome food, I didn't have to shop as much, didn't impulse buy and didn't have cupboards overflowing with canned and boxed  heavily preserved and adulterated food loaded with things like trans fats, msg,  propylene glycol, artificial colors, flavors, and who knows what. Am I healthier ?? YOU BET !!!  Am I broke because I buy more expensive food...  JUST THE OPPOSITE. I have MORE money to spend and spend LESS of it.  Am I wrong ??

 Ok Update again, tracker has been eating Natural Balance for almost a week now.  He is doing pretty well, had a little bit of soft serve pooh initially and I was worried.  However, that has seemed to clear itself up.  He is still itching a bit but I will give it a few more weeks before I make a judgement.  When I took him to the vet of his annual exam, I mentioned the itching and she couldn't find anything wrong with him.  So I got no answers from her.  I have noticed his skin clears up lots after a bath so I am getting suspicious that he might have allergies to grass or sagebrush.  Thanks everyone for your input. 

 No one else mentioned this but I LOVE Solid Gold Hundenflocken...as does my holistic vet. I have three dogs and the poop-scooping in our yard has never been better. In fact, Last check up the vet asked me "What are you feeding her???"

We have been feeding our pug Life's Abundance.  It is made with human-quality ingredients that are well balanced to support her health.  The ingredients include chicken, catfish, fruit and vegatables.  No chemical addities or preservatives.  The food is made by the batch in Palm City Florida.  They ship the food right to our house. The website is www.SmartDiet1.net