Pedigree Canned

I think you are doing just fine.

Not too long ago, I got to help a dog named Shadow, of all names. He is a young, grossly overweight Rottie. And he is on Iams Weight Management (?). Anyway, before anyone says "ugh," sometimes that is necessary. Even the finer brands of food, such as Eagle Pack, resort to less direct meat and fat and will use a grain first. Grains still provide proteins but the general idea is to reduce protein and fat intake. That is because whatever protein or fat is not burned up gets stored as fat. You can overfeed a dog by either too much food or too rich a food.

The reason this doesn't happen with some raw feeders and homecookers is because they are following specfically designed recipes that include only the proper percentage of meat in a diet per pound of dog weight. As oppose to some of the foods on the market that brag about being so high in protein and fat and so much like a wild dog would eat. And it would be fine for a wild dog that is hunting and goes a couple of days to a week between good meals. I imagine that a wolf that got to eat every day like they do on one good hunt would also get obese. So, how does one manage the weight of a housepet that is fed every day? By controlling the amount of protein and fat.

So, I think you are doing what you should be doing, even if it's not the most expensive holistic food on the market.

I'm not grain-phobic.     Prancer's Wellness includes grains and she does well on it.    Today we went back to the Wellness and she was her perky little self.     There's really no evidence that grains have a detrimental effect on dogs.        Apparently the Pedigree included some ingredient that didn't agree with her .... could have been anything including the type of supplement used.       The lesson learned is that the particular flavor of Pedigree doesn't work and if I want to be 'safe' I need to make sure I have at least a weeks worth of her normal food on hand --- and if I run out to stick with her normal supply of fresh foods.   She'll go without the 90 calories from the wet food for a day - won't be the end of the world and I won't have to run around with a roll of paper towels trying to clean up !! LOL

Don't forget -  you also have the option of just whipping up something in an emergency.  It will never hurt a dog to have you cook something you know she'll tolerate.  A lean breast of chicken, boiled and the fat skimmed, with whatever carb you know she'll tolerate (I/D uses potato and white rice), and a scrambled egg for just the right amount and kind of fat to add back in.  Most dogs don't need the fat all taken off but that's to balance the fat and provide a well-tolerated source.  For a dog with IBS, I'd add a dab of pumpkin and jicama or chicory root to replicate the prebiotic fiber in I/D, assuming it's tolerated.

You can freeze that in ice cube trays or yogurt cups (spray with cooking spray first so the portions slide out.  Once it's solid, repack these portions in gallon bags ready for any emergency. 

brookcove

Don't forget -  you also have the option of just whipping up something in an emergency.  It will never hurt a dog to have you cook something you know she'll tolerate. 

Yep.  I keep I/D on hand as hurricane food mostly.     Its in my evac case.    After "the season" I use it in case of stomach upsets so that its used up before the next hurricane season.   Shelf live on the can is about 12 months.   I buy about 6 cans a year.      Yesterday and today she's had well cooked overly hydrated rice and well cooked chicken thighs.     She hasn't pooped yet and she's on the way to the vet with my husband.   I do have to wonder if its the raw chicken hearts.  I keep them in the freezer, defrost them in the fridge, but they were in there for a couple of days.    I've now cooked them (lightly boiled) - I've probably destroyed the taurine but dogs can make their own.   Its still a nice treat (and a great place to hide the Vit B tablet ! LOL).