dog food ?

I'm afraid that your vet is showing his lack of nutritional education.  Beneful is not one of the better foods and really isn't OK.  The reason your pup is having bowel issues on Ol Roy is that this is the equivelent of feeding him cerearl...too many grains that his body just can't use.
 
If cost is an issue you need to do some research into the better (and more costly) brands and understand that once you get over the sticker shock of say $40 for a 33 lb bag of food, you are actually NOT spending more if you are able to feed LESS.  I doubt that you will FIND the kcals on either food you are feeding....kcals are USEABLE calories.  Innova, for example, has in excess of 500 kcals per cup.  IF Ol Roy has 100 (and I have no idea what it does have) then you have to feed FIVE TIMES as much Ol Roy to achieve the same result.  So what you are saving up front, you are spending over time, and not providing your pup with adequate nutrition in the meantime.
 
I have always used the all life stages Innova for pregnant mom's and pups.  OK, not always, but since I learned a little about nutrition.  An excellent quality all life stages food is all you really need.

Oh, boy......I suggest you go over to the Health/ Nutrition thread and get some basic information.
This question you posted will start a crap storm in a paper cup.

The two brands you mentioned are the worst one can imagine, and I am trying to save you from some attacks on here.

I feed Canidae and Innova canned, also, Sensible Choice for my almost 14 year old due to stomach and skin issues.

I know you don't know any better, so please, hop over to the other thread and get info......then I am sure you will find out quickly what you need to feed.[]

thank you for the info I actually was checking out the nutrition thread and was taking some notes.  I think I'll go out today and get a brand that you all mentioned such as Innova.  I am hoping that the dog food center we have here in town carries it because if not then it will have to be a 45min trip to columbia to get some.  I have no problem with the trip as long as he is getting the best nutrition that's why I wanted to come here and ask.  It would just be a nice time saver if it was carried at a retailer that was local.  One more question:  Is it bad to only feed dry food or should I also be giving them both some canned food for variety?  Thanks again

One more question: Is it bad to only feed dry food or should I also be giving them both some canned food for variety?

It's cheaper just to use fresh food for variety. You can give them stuff that your kids leave on their plates. Fresh meat and veggies are great for dogs, just like they are for people!

Are you talking about a PetSmart?  If so, probably the best that they will carry is Natural Balance, maybe, or Blue Buffalo.  I've not TRIED Blue so I can't recommend it persay, but the ingredients look really nice.
 
The foods I have used that did really well for my crew are Innova and Canidae.  Tried Eagle Pak Holistic and didn't like the stool, same with Timberwolf Organic.  Also used Royal Canin years ago....not worth the price IMHO.
 
Fromm is supposed to be a VERY nice food, and I've heard good things about a number of other foods, but can't really speak to those since I've not tried them.
 
IF you are using an excellent quality canned that is primarily meat, that's a nice addition.  Otherwise I'd rather see you add fresh REAL food to their kibble.

Make some phone calls to the local feed stores and you might be able to save yourself some traveling.  By feed stores I mean hay, oats, grain kind of stores...they are typically the places that carry the "good" stuff.  And most close early on Saturdays.
 
Snownose brought up a good point.  Lets ALL think before we start to bash.  I'll be the first to admit that I fed Purina products and Pedigree for YEARS.  Pedigree primarily because I really liked their program of helping the shelters.  And, when I got the shepherds and the VET said Purina large breed puppy, thats what I bought.  When I came to THIS forum, I got some kind and gentle guidance into what I was actually feeding my dogs and KIND people here really opened my eyes  I would NOT have listened to a thing said if people had been snarky and rude to me.  I was soooo excited, after absolute hours reading labels to come home with RC....and then I got told, nicely again, that it was a middle of the road food with a huge pricetag.  And, in fact, those folks were right....I could buy Innova for LESS than RC and the ingredients are ever so much nicer.
 
But, folks.....NICE MATTERS.  And we'll catch a whole lot more flies with HONEY than with vinegar, so please be nice in your posts here.

"Purina One" used to be the so called "Superior Food" for me, and before that "Pedigree", only after talking to someone did I find out about "Harvest Baked ", and hey....that wasn't the best either.....actually after coming to this board did I start feeding Canidae, Innova, Chicken Soup for my senior and now Sensible Choice for my senior.
 
We all had to learn, and sometimes I am really shocked over the attacks that take place when it comes to kibble.
 
This poster came on here to get information and learn....I say yay and bravo.....[sm=clapping%20hands%20smiley.gif]
 

I actually mix Fromm with Eagle Pack and it's perfect for Sofia. Fromm alone her stools were too small and she was straining. The Eagle Pack bulks it up just enough that it is healthier for her.

Every dog is different, Tammy, so what works for one may not work for yours.

Another thing to consider is that it takes four to five weeks for a dog's digestive tract to get used to a food. It's quite common for a dog to have HORRIBLE FARTS for a couple weeks when you change foods! Just a word to the wise! [8D]

That being said, I've used Nutro and my son still does, as to get Eagle Pack is a big long drive for him. Nutro is a decent, mid-grade food that is a bit more available.

The places to find Innnova and Eagle Pack and Fromm and other good brands are generally feed stores. And if you go to the specific web site of the brand you want, they often have a link that will local retailers who carry that food.

Good luck!

I think that things like Nutro and Chicken Soup cost about the same as Beneful, too. That stuff is expensive! Canidae is in a similar price range, here. The regular Natural Balance food is a lot less expensive than the allergy formulas, as well. I just realized that, last night. I did a double take. A 35 pound bag of regular was $10 less than a 28 pound bag of Sweet Potato and Fish. 

A note about Poo.
 
No, it is not normal for the dog to strain overmuch when moving his bowels.  A little straining is OK, it means that the anal glands are likely to be expressed properly by the bowel movement as nature intended, meaning you or your vet won't have to do it for him - good news!  Nor is it normal for the poo to be sloppy, mucus-y or contain blood or signs of worms.
 
A healthy poo should be quite firm, easy to scoop and leave a small residue behind.  The odour should not be overly offensive.
 
A little blob of natural yoghurt can help to encourage natural flora in the gut and help to recover from tummy upsets.

If you are looking for a food that is pretty inexpensive yet still really good quality, I would suggest Canidae or Chicken Soup.
 
Here a 40 pound bag of Canidae is about $25-30. And a 35 pound bag of Chicken Soup is $27. And it will last much longer then Benefiul because you feed so much less

Thank you all sooo very much.  I have done lots of research since posting and I have actually gone to the new pet boutique that just opened her in town.  I did notice there that they sell the chicken soup brand food and actually to be quite honest had never heard of it before then and thought it was kinda funny being that I used to red those books LOL.  If I purchased that brand would it be a much better quality for them? Also I don't remember seeing a puppy version but is there anyway that I can purchase one brand of high quality food and feed it to both of them without it doing any real damage to their insides.  I know these are probably silly questions but I just wanted to make sure.  The reason I ask about one brand is that they have a tendency to "share" their food if you know what I mean.  Once again thanks for the input.

If I purchased that brand would it be a much better quality for them?

Yes. Here's what they make (they do have a puppy formula): [linkhttp://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/products/dogs/dry_food]http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/products/dogs/dry_food[/link]

You can also often order food online. If you're interested in Timberwolf Organics ([linkhttp://www.timberwolforganics.com/]http://www.timberwolforganics.com/[/link]), they ship for free on orders more than $15.

And here's a great link to learn about different dog foods and their ingredients:
[linkhttp://www.dogfoodproject.com/]http://www.dogfoodproject.com/[/link]

Using that website (and other information of course, always good to use multiple sources!) you can look at the ingredient list for any dog food and figure out how good it is. Of course, the best food is what works best for you and your dog, so after a few months if your dog doesn't seem to be doing that well on whatever food you choose, don't be afraid to try something else. (Just do it gradually so he doesn't get a horribly upset tummy, and give many weeks so you can really see the effects of the food.)

Wet food is fine and great to mix in with dry dog food. So are things like yogurt, or vegetables, or plain meat (not seasoned of course). My little dog really loves the Solid Gold wet foods, particularly the one with whitefish. When he wasn't eating for a while a tablespoon or so mixed in with his kibble would make it irresistable and he'd gobble it right up!

wait wait.. hold the train!!!  lol.. I'm a pedigree feeder mostly because my dog has eaten it for almost 13 years now and he's extremely healthy.  My vet always tells me he's healthier than dogs 1/2 his age... I've been hearing about this Canidae food for a couple weeks from one of the guys at the club we train at and we're talking about switching... now... my old guy is avg 50lbs, he gets roughly 3 1/2 to 4 cups a day, dyna avg 75lbs gets a little more maybe 5 cups but not much she's spayed and we have to watch her weight.  Brutie avg 100-115lbs gets about 7 or 8 cups a day... so we're burning through a 40 lb bag a week.  Even though the Canidae food is more expensive.. someone tell me the average amounts to feed these dogs so I can compare (just for sh*ts and giggles) I'm curious at what it's going to cost us because if it equals out the same..... It's a good switch.  If I can get my old guy to eat it.  he's funny like that.