# best adult food for 8 mo old



## macklea93 (Aug 11, 2017)

So my girl is on Hills Science Diet Large Breed Puppy lamb meal and rice. It’s about time to switch her to adult food and need help!
I’ve spent countless hours researching what food to put her on and once I think I figured it out I get stumped again!

I’ve read about all the studies out there regarding grain free foods having low taurine and causing DCM. However, according to Dog Food Advisor all the 4 or 5 star foods are usually grain free. I’ve looked at the Wellness Core and Wellness Complete foods and know that majority of the, are grain free, but looking at the ingredients Taurine is listed? Does that mean they would be okay to feed her? 

I just want to pick the best dry food for her that’s high-ish quality and will allow her to live a long and healthy life!

Advice?


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

If she's doing well on the puppy food, I would just move to the Adult version of the same brand.


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

There is really no specific food that is "best." Every dog is different. What may work well for some dogs may not work for others. That being said, it is absolutely best to avoid any grain-free foods. Many of them have recently been discovered to be very nutrient deficient, especially in taurine, and causing dilated cardiomyopathy in a study conducted on Golden Retrievers by UC Davis. Grain-free diets were/are a very dangerous fad. Many people have had the best results with foods like Pro Plan, Purina ONE, and Eukanuba. They have been around for many decades and have extensive scientific research behind them.


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## Willow2017 (Dec 30, 2017)

Get her off any form of Science Diet. Stay away from ANY kibble that you find in your grocery store or local feed store. After having many large breed dogs, including dogs with ACL tears, I've learned the best food is a high grade kibble, beyond feeding raw, is Fromms or Zignature or Orijen. Supplement the kibble with meats such as pork, chicken and beef. Add in veggies. For overall health inside and out, add in Answers Kefir, Goats Milk, and Fish stock. If you do, no need for added probiotics or vitamins. For her overall coat condition, give her 1 teaspoon of coconut oil for every 10 pounds of body weight.


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## macklea93 (Aug 11, 2017)

I want to switch her off Hills once she goes to adult food because of the reviews and ratings of the Hills adult food
I want to keep her off any food with by-products and “meat meal” personally.


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## macklea93 (Aug 11, 2017)

Willow2017 said:


> Get her off any form of Science Diet. Stay away from ANY kibble that you find in your grocery store or local feed store. After having many large breed dogs, including dogs with ACL tears, I've learned the best food is a high grade kibble, beyond feeding raw, is Fromms or Zignature or Orijen. Supplement the kibble with meats such as pork, chicken and beef. Add in veggies. For overall health inside and out, add in Answers Kefir, Goats Milk, and Fish stock. If you do, no need for added probiotics or vitamins. For her overall coat condition, give her 1 teaspoon of coconut oil for every 10 pounds of body weight.


I really don’t have the time or money to feed raw haha even thought I would love too! I’ve looked into Origen but it is very expensive. I’m looking to stay below $70 for a ~30ish lb bag. I’ll have to look into Fromms again. Any other recommendations that don’t require adding in extra food?


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

Byproducts are PERFECTLY safe. It is completely false that they are low-quality or harmful to dogs. The byproducts that are used by pet food companies are AAFCO approved and provide many nutrients, especially glucosamine, which is essential for bones and joints. Oriejn is actually one of the grain-free foods in the study done by UC Davis that was found to be severely taurine-deficient. Blue Buffalo, Acana, and 4-Health were some of the others. Grain-free is VERY dangerous and there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with foods that you can buy at your local grocery store.

"A by-product is any ingredient that is produced or left over when some other product or ingredient is made.
Broths and gelatin are examples of meat by-products in human foods.
By-products in pet foods that meet Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelines come from clean animal parts other than meat, such as liver, kidneys and other organs.1
Purina purchases all by-products from USDA-inspected plants. They must meet stringent criteria for nutrient content, production and quality assurance."


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

For reference. Also, check this out for further information about byproducts: https://www.purina.ca/quality-nutritions/the-facts-about-animal-by-products-in-pet-food/


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## macklea93 (Aug 11, 2017)

jwemt81 said:


> Byproducts are PERFECTLY safe. It is completely false that they are low-quality or harmful to dogs. The byproducts that are used by pet food companies are AAFCO approved and provide many nutrients, especially glucosamine, which is essential for bones and joints. Oriejn is actually one of the grain-free foods in the study done by UC Davis that was found to be severely taurine-deficient. Blue Buffalo, Acana, and 4-Health were some of the others. Grain-free is VERY dangerous and there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with foods that you can buy at your local grocery store.
> 
> "A by-product is any ingredient that is produced or left over when some other product or ingredient is made.
> Broths and gelatin are examples of meat by-products in human foods.
> ...



Hmm okay. Thank you for the info! I’m gonna have to do some more research haha


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

macklea93 said:


> Would you recommend the Eukanuba Excel large breed dog food?


Absolutely! Eukanuba is a very solid food choice! I know several people who have fed Eukanuba for many, many years and have had excellent results. In fact, our GSD lived for nearly 13 years eating Eukanuba Large Breed for almost her entire life.


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## Willow2017 (Dec 30, 2017)

My golden suffered an ACL tear and was overweight at the time. Because of her large size, they recommended TPLO surgery but she had to lose weight first. My vet put her on science diet low cal. She lost weight but she also lost muscle and her coat looked awful. She lacked energy and overall poor health. In an attempt to avoid surgery, I took her to a holistic vet. She reviewed her x-rays and said she could avoid surgery BUT I had to do two things - take her off of Science diet and put her on a high quality kibble with homemade additions of fresh meat and veggies. I also had to avoid any more vaccinations. I did both. She went through hydrotherapy, acupuncture and laser treatments and a homemade, high quality kibble diet. She flourished. In 3 months, her eyes, her coat, her muscle tone - all excellent. She could run again. I avoided surgery altogether. I did my research and found that YES grocery store kibble is garbage. READ YOUR FOOD LABELS. Do the homework and you will see, grocery store foods are not healthy and lead to cancers and other health issues. Blue Buffalo, Diamond Foods, Science Diet, Purina, all have recall after recall for a reason. Read your food labels, check for ANY recalls, learn where the food is made. Check out Dr. Becker on YouTube. Educate yourself. Read the research of Dr. Ronald Shultz. Please.


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## macklea93 (Aug 11, 2017)

Willow2017 said:


> My golden suffered an ACL tear and was overweight at the time. Because of her large size, they recommended TPLO surgery but she had to lose weight first. My vet put her on science diet low cal. She lost weight but she also lost muscle and her coat looked awful. She lacked energy and overall poor health. In an attempt to avoid surgery, I took her to a holistic vet. She reviewed her x-rays and said she could avoid surgery BUT I had to do two things - take her off of Science diet and put her on a high quality kibble with homemade additions of fresh meat and veggies. I also had to avoid any more vaccinations. I did both. She went through hydrotherapy, acupuncture and laser treatments and a homemade, high quality kibble diet. She flourished. In 3 months, her eyes, her coat, her muscle tone - all excellent. She could run again. I avoided surgery altogether. I did my research and found that YES grocery store kibble is garbage. READ YOUR FOOD LABELS. Do the homework and you will see, grocery store foods are not healthy and lead to cancers and other health issues. Blue Buffalo, Diamond Foods, Science Diet, Purina, all have recall after recall for a reason. Read your food labels, check for ANY recalls, learn where the food is made. Check out Dr. Becker on YouTube. Educate yourself. Read the research of Dr. Ronald Shultz. Please.


Which non grain free food would you recommend? Aside from Fromm and Orijen


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

Willow2017 said:


> READ YOUR FOOD LABELS. Do the homework and you will see, grocery store foods are not healthy and lead to cancers and other health issues.


This is completely untrue. In fact, it is the starches, especially legumes and potatoes, that are used in many of the so-called "high-quality" foods that lead to cancer development. We have been feeding the "oh so dreaded" Purina and Eukanuba products for many, many years with outstanding results. Our German Shepherd lived to be just shy of 13 eating Eukanuba for nearly her entire life and was never at the vet for anything more than yearly exams and vaccinations. Currently, our oldest Golden is nearly 10 and has been eating foods like Pro Plan and Purina One his entire life and also has never been to the vet for anything more than yearly exams. All of our dogs have absolutely beautiful coats, have never had a single ear infection or hot spot, and have perfect muscle tone and energy levels, and guess what? They eat Pro Plan. There is a reason why so many of the top show and performance dogs eat foods such as Purina and Eukanuba. They produce results in overall body condition and health. Foods like Eukanuba and Purina have decades and science and research behind them, which is not the case for so many of these other food companies that have been popping up over the last 10-15 years claiming to be "holistic" and what you need to be feeding your pet.


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

macklea93 said:


> Which non grain free food would you recommend? Aside from Fromm and Orijen


Pro Plan and Eukanuba are my top two. I have also heard good things about Royal Canin.


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## macklea93 (Aug 11, 2017)

jwemt81 said:


> Pro Plan and Eukanuba are my top two. I have also heard good things about Royal Canin.


Thoughts on Nutro Ultra? Isn’t grain free and doesn’t contain legumes 

Chicken, Chicken Meal (source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate), Whole Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Rice Bran, Whole Grain Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Salmon Meal, Lamb Meal (source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Whole Flaxseed, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid (preservatives), Dried Coconut, Whole Chia Seed, Dried Egg Product, Tomato Pomace, Dried Kale, Dried Pumpkin, Dried Spinach, Dried Blueberries, Dried Apples, Dried Carrots, Zinc Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin E Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Selenium Yeast, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.

Crude Protein	23.0% min
Crude Fat	12.0% min
Crude Fiber	4.0% max
Moisture	10.0% max
Calcium	1.0% min
Phosphorus	0.9% min
Zinc	250 mg/kg min
Vitamin E	80 IU/kg min
Chondroitin SulFate	200 mg/kg min
Glucosamine	80 mg/kg min
Omega-3 Fatty Acids	0.4% min
Omega-6 Fatty Acids	2.5% min
Taurine	0.05% min


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

macklea93 said:


> Thoughts on Nutro Ultra? Isn’t grain free and doesn’t contain legumes
> 
> Chicken, Chicken Meal (source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate), Whole Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Rice Bran, Whole Grain Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Salmon Meal, Lamb Meal (source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Whole Flaxseed, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid (preservatives), Dried Coconut, Whole Chia Seed, Dried Egg Product, Tomato Pomace, Dried Kale, Dried Pumpkin, Dried Spinach, Dried Blueberries, Dried Apples, Dried Carrots, Zinc Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin E Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Selenium Yeast, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.
> 
> ...



We've never used Nutro, so I don't have any firsthand experience with it. I think it used to be a fairly popular food back in the day. The fruits and vegetables in there aren't really necessary since dogs are naturally carnivores and have no need for them (although they can't really hurt). I personally would still choose either Pro Plan or Eukanuba over Nutro.


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## Willow2017 (Dec 30, 2017)

Regardless of what you think or believe, please read the food labels and do the research on food ingredients and where food is made. The research speaks for itself. If you are fortunate enough to have had dogs live long lives on poor quality kibble, that is wonderful. Consider yourself fortunate. If you wish to feed poor quality kibble filled with by-products and product recalls, that is your choice. The hope is that every dog lives a long and healthy life.


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

Willow2017 said:


> Regardless of what you think or believe, please read the food labels and do the research on food ingredients and where food is made. The research speaks for itself. If you are fortunate enough to have had dogs live long lives on poor quality kibble, that is wonderful. Consider yourself fortunate. If you wish to feed poor quality kibble filled with by-products and product recalls, that is your choice. The hope is that every dog lives a long and healthy life.


Sorry, but I wholeheartedly disagree, as will many other longtime members on this forum, including many outstanding, highly respected breeders and show handlers. There have been so many food companies popping out of the woodwork over the past decade or so that have brainwashed people into believing that dogs must eat their "holistic" and "higher quality" foods. Before all of that ridiculous hype started, dogs were living significantly longer and healthier lives and were eating foods straight from the grocery store. Have you even seen the study conducted by UC Davis last year on grain-free foods being linked to taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy? You couldn't pay me to feed these foods to my dogs. As I said before, foods like Purina and Eukanuba have been around for DECADES and have the science backing them. These other foods do not. Believe what you want, but I feel very confident in my knowledge, experience, and results seen in my dogs over many years and will not feed anything but the foods that you deem to be such "poor quality." At least they are not causing life-threatening cardiac conditions in my dogs.


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## Willow2017 (Dec 30, 2017)

As I said, that is wonderful that you have had great results in your pets. All dogs should live long and happy, healthy lives. That is everyone's goal and hope. However, I have not been brainwashed. I would not eat by-products or food that has been recalled, manufactured in plants that have had previous health violations, or food that has been sitting on grocery store shelves or warehouses for far too long. That's just me. I only feed high quality, whole, fresh and recall-free foods to my dogs. That is what is important to me as a dog owner. I wouldn't give them anything I would not feel good about eating myself. Period. For anyone seeking information on what to feed their golden, do your homework and do what you feel comfortable for you and your pet. If it is grocery store foods, and that is what has worked best for you and your dog, then do what you feel is right and continue to do so. I am simply sharing what I have learned over the years, and also what has worked really, really well for my dogs.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

macklea93 said:


> I want to switch her off Hills once she goes to adult food because of the reviews and ratings of the Hills adult food
> I want to keep her off any food with by-products and “meat meal” personally.


There are so many you can choose from. Pro Plan does have a long history of good results.


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## Jnoel21 (Sep 20, 2017)

I’ve pulled my hair out for the years that I have had my own dogs and I think doing your own research and coming to a conclusion on what YOU think is best for the dog is important. There’s a section on her dedicated to food and food recalls that you could spend hours on but again, it comes back to what you’d like to feed & spend on your dog food. From your posts above it looks like you are looking for a quality grain-free food that isn’t too expensive? Regardless, I would get a chewy.com account because food is much more affordable on there and it gets delivered to your door step. My dog really enjoyed Earthborn Hollistic, it’s affordable and made her coat silky and beautiful. We also had good luck with zignature. I tried the wellness core because it gets great reviews but my dog snubbed her nose at it. She’s probably just picky though. We changed to Anneamet because our breeder recommended it. It’s local (to us) and was created originally for dogs who sled race. I dont care about all the fancy stuff but this stuff is great quality. & it comes in 40 pound bags so that works for two dogs. Again, it goes back to what you think is best. Same goes for people. Some people swear by all organic diets and some eat fast food everyday!


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## Borisdog (Jan 18, 2018)

I agree with mylissyk, try her on Hill's adult. We feed our 3 yr old Chappie due to his sensitive stomach, although I dread when the fish flavour comes around!


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