vid - feeding kibble (ron2)

He normally eats about 1 to 1 1/2 cups but this is about 2 cups in the bowl.

My biggest concern is that if there is too much of the apples and cranberries or it's wrong in the mix that it would change his immune system response, like the Innova did  But he may not have any bad reaction at all.

It didn't look like there was any of his old food mixed in - any bad reaction could be due to the sudden switch or overfeeding. Shadow is a handsome boy hopefully his new food works out. Eagle Pack is in our rotation too. It's a great food by a company that seems to be as reputable as they come.

willowchow

Hi, Ron.  I liked seeing Shadow come to life.  He chews his food like Willow does--so cute.  And, she also likes eating outside--no matter the weather--although not sure how she'll be this year, she's lost so much of her coat due to her illness.  Speaking of coat, I've heard that Eagle puts a gorgeous coat on dogs so let me know if that is true, OK??

Actually, I wanted to answer you, specifically.

A few years ago, I met one of the members here, a guy who's handle is Schlep. Anyway, I met him at the Dog Days of Summer in Denton, Tx. He is a distributor of fine pet foods. And he had remarked on Shadow's coat and was a little surprised when I said that I fed Nutro. And he gave me some free samples of  EP Chicken and Rice and Solid Gold Wolf King.

I think one of the reasons lamb meat meal has done well is because it is fairly well stocked with linoleic acid, which is important for a good, shiny coat. Though if that formula didn't work I could always have used something else and supplemented with somehing like Nutricoat, which is high in lineolic acid and you literally just drizzle a few drops on food and most dogs like it because it is carob-flavored.

Actually, as far as coats go, now is the perfect time to switch him as he grows in his new winter coat, it gives one a chance to evaluate the performance of the food in that regard. Plus his caloric need will rise in winter because he's more active, spending more time outdoors, longer walks, etc.

CoBuHe

I recently switched to EP Holistic Lamb Meal too.  Everyone is doing great on it.  I wanted a bit more protein than offered in the EPH, so I mix in  some TOTW too.  Bruder can't handle that mix, though so he gets EPH strictly.

That's one way to do it. I tend to just give him meat, although it's an NILIF-ish sort of thing. Like last night. Munching on a huge atlantic salmon fillet and couscous. I put bits of salmon down for him to eat. He may have ended up with quarter of that fillet (baked not fried. and it was a quick bake, no more than 10 minutes). He has to sit or down to get anything, leave the cat alone to get anything. If he gets on the couch while I'm eating, he gets nothing. I let him on the couch but I will not allow him to get bits from me while he's on the couch. He can only get bits if he's on the floor. It's a rule thing, I don't want him thinking he's going to have easier access to my plate.

Gizmo83036

didn't look like there was any of his old food mixed in - any bad reaction could be due to the sudden switch or overfeeding

Good call. He normally regulates himself. In fact, I could leave the bowl full of food and he won't eat more than a nibble unless I am there. And then, he only eats the amount that he does. I've switched him cold turkey before. The Innova thing went on for two weeks. But, again, that does mean there's some sensitivity in his system or it wouldn't matter.

EP is fairly dense food and even for my dog the feeding guidelines match the amount that he will eat. So, in all, given the amount of food he will eat, this mix could certainly be better suited to matching his needs. The bane of Huskies is that they only eat so much at a time. So, you have to adjust the calories of the portion they will eat in order to increase nutrition. Or, decrease.

But he does get more than that. He gets bits of meat from me, for good behavior. And treats because he loves working for those.

ron2

And here's a pic of the emptied bowl.

 

ETA:

In the vid, he is chasing after the kong before he eats. This is how he likes. A little bit of exertion to sharpen the appetite. I also noticed after watching the vid that his red is coming back in. Starting in Sept., he starts growing his winter coat which is black, brown, red, and white and the white is mainly undercoat.

 

So he chews his food AND leaves kibbles in the bowl?  IDK ron, I'm starting to question the half lab thing..... 

 I think EP knows what they are doing when they include apples and cranberries.  Both are very good for hard working digestives systems - whether working dogs or large breeds.  Apples have pectin, which is a stabilizer and soothes overactive bacterial activity, and cranberries are good for the bladder.  Both are efficacious in pretty small amounts and when dried and cooked.  Berries of any kind are terrific for antioxidant properties but I prefer to feed them fresh as these properties lose a bit of their power when processed.

These are some of the few dibs and dabs (below the fat source) I go, "Oh goody!" when I see them in a kibble formula.  I'm like you, I don't like kitchen sink formulas. 

Yes, if you send it a You Tube link I'll be able to see it just fine, Ron.  I won't be able to open a .wmw directly though. 

I've got one hilarious video which I will NOT post.  In it, I asked PJ to follow me while I fed the dogs, because I wanted to show someone how I handled feeding time with high-value food and seven dogs inside, one of which was Min, the half-feral LGD recovering from her spay surgery.  PJ heard  me a little too literally and FOLLOWED me right at rear end level, so the star of the show was mostly my ample caboose, with little flashes of the dogs getting their food here and there.

Actually, I might dig that up and go ahead and post it for the comic value. 

If he gets on the couch while I'm eating, he gets nothing. I let him on the couch but I will not allow him to get bits from me while he's on the couch. He can only get bits if he's on the floor.

Hey, good one.   Zhi has an annoying habit because she's little.  She gets up on the cushion next to me (we eat on a low table) and stares and stares.  Everyone gets the plate scrapings in the kitchen, and that works for everyone else.  They don't get too nosy and just scope out what's in the works, from the floor.  Zhi has absolutely no reason to consider the floor better than the couch, and several for finding the floor unpleasant (several reasons named Maggie, Lynn, Cord and Gus).  She's as persistent as a terrier, so my usual plan of putting her down over and over and over,wears ME out before she gets tired of it!

I might try backing everyone else up to the kitchen door and then feeding Zhi on the ground for a while until she gets out of the couch next to me habit. 

 lol ron!!!!  Thank you for the laugh

Normally, I'll put 2 to 3 cups in the bowl and he will eat about a cup to two cups, averaging about 1 1/2. This time, I think he was plenty hungry and it tasted good enough to him. Unlike most Labs, he doesn't always clean the bowl.

 I'm going to have to take a vid of my dogs eating kibble.  I just got a bag today since its starting to get a bit colder, meaning calorie requirements are going up and so it seems are meat prices.  Acana reformulated, and the dogs love it.  Neither lifted their head while eating.

brookcove

I think EP knows what they are doing when they include apples and cranberries.  Both are very good for hard working digestives systems - whether working dogs or large breeds.  Apples have pectin, which is a stabilizer and soothes overactive bacterial activity, and cranberries are good for the bladder.  Both are efficacious in pretty small amounts and when dried and cooked.  Berries of any kind are terrific for antioxidant properties but I prefer to feed them fresh as these properties lose a bit of their power when processed.

I think you are probably right. My concern with too much of the fruit bits stems from our less than stellar experience with Innova which, at the time, was king of the holistics. It's more likely that EP, while using the apples and cranberries does them right for large breeds considering their specific feed trial that focused on large breeds.

I have a file of a calcium overdose study. Medium breeds, like Beagles, don't suffer effects from too much calcium. Where as the giant breeds, like GDs can suffer a skeletal problem because the calcium overdose interferes with the parathyroid. Anyway, as I was telling DW, I can trust EP from the studies with Linda Arndt and our own Dyan, that this is a good food for large breeds. And, of course, you have become quite the fountain of info. I just hope they stay privately owned, which will keep the quality control up. I'll pay whatever price, even if I had to have it shipped, if it's the food that does well for him.

Though many may not agree with me, I can't help but think that the problems with Nutro are, in part, due to the buy-out from Mars. It also explains why you can find Royal Canin in Petsmart. Because they got bought out by a bigger company that has the money for box store distribution. From what I can determine, a food to be carried in Petsmart or Petco must fall into a certain wholesale price profile and sometimes the only way to do that is to change ingredients to cheaper substitutes and discontinue expensive or slow moving formulas. No thanks. I'd rather buy what we need than save 5 dollars.

Just as I have been eating better and healthier this year. It might a bit more expensive, maybe, but I've lost 36 lbs and I like that. I'm back down to my girlish figure at 217 lbs, 6' 6", 44 inch chest and 38 inch waist. I'm in better shape than I was in high school and it's from changing what I eat. I don't starve myself, I just eat real food without a lot of fat.

I haven't had much luck uploading to youtube. But I might try it again.

ron2

I just hope they stay privately owned, which will keep the quality control up. I'll pay whatever price, even if I had to have it shipped, if it's the food that does well for him.

Though many may not agree with me, I can't help but think that the problems with Nutro are, in part, due to the buy-out from Mars. It also explains why you can find Royal Canin in Petsmart. Because they got bought out by a bigger company that has the money for box store distribution. From what I can determine, a food to be carried in Petsmart or Petco must fall into a certain wholesale price profile and sometimes the only way to do that is to change ingredients to cheaper substitutes and discontinue expensive or slow moving formulas. No thanks. I'd rather buy what we need than save 5 dollars.

Geez Ron....don't scare me! I would hate to think they would sell out.   But you know...a few months back I believe they lost the fellow that founded EP company.    Yikes...never thought about them changing.............

Speaking of QC if you have any concerns about the ingredients in EP,,,email John..he answers email almost right away usually.

Speaking of writing to someone...I believe you said in a previous post that you emailed Linda Arndt...did she answer you?  I contacted her a few months back about Gibson......and she answered back pretty quickly. She had helped me with Ollie years ago...that is when I really got onto EP.  But then there are a lot of times she has a notice on her website saying she is not taking emails for a time...   Her website is my Great Dane Bible....even though it has lots of good information about other breeds and humans for that matter.

ron2

He normally eats about 1 to 1 1/2 cups but this is about 2 cups in the bowl.

Sheesh.....Gibson is eating 3 cups twice a day.   Thats more than full grown Bubby   ate.

dyan

Geez Ron....don't scare me! I would hate to think they would sell out.   But you know...a few months back I believe they lost the fellow that founded EP company.    Yikes...never thought about them changing.............

sarah_b

.............

WONDERFUL!

No wonder there are many things that changed...although I haven't noticed anything about the food itself that is different.  BUT, they took the coupons off the website that they always had..... that was probably about the end of 2007. They have added different foods and new overprice bisquits to their line... a much smaller bag at a much higher cost.  

Well I guess for me...I would like to know more about this change.