# 4 health vrs beneful



## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

I know beneful is not very high on the quality food list. It surpasses Ole Roy and Gravy Train and I'm hoping Purina Dog Chow. It is however the best I can do on my budget with two dogs.

So I go for the first time to tractor supply and I come across this grain free food called 4 Health. Here is a link with the information on the food:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/pet-ca...ormula-for-adult-dogs-dog-food-35-lb--5149621

The really neat thing is that it is only a few dollars more per pound than the Beneful I buy. I am thinking this is a better food for sure - grain free being a good thing! How much better I don't know. What do all you great food buying owners think of this food? Let me know!! Is it worth switching to it?


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

It sounds good, but I still trust a company that been around and that has a reputation to protect. 

Purina Dog chow AND Beneful cut corners with the addition of soy and Corn glutin for the protien....but I still trust the brand. I actually just went through a bag of Purina Dog Chow...bought it when we ran out and I had to run to the grocery store. Lucky gained some weight....and yesterday finally went back to my weight-control Iams.

Good luck on finding the right food at the right price...I know its tough.


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

If the price is about the same for the two, I'd definitely try the 4 Health one. Switch slowly over the course of a couple weeks to ease any tummy upset. The ingredients are about 1000x better than those in Beneful IMO.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

I agree with Marlene. Here is their website: http://4healthdogfood.tripod.com/index.html It will be a higher protein food, so transition slowly.


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

It's funny that you posted this because I saw this food at the Tractor Supply the other day. I can't ever go into a store without going down the pet aisle. I noticed that 4Health had a pretty good ingredient list and a good price point. I have never heard of it before, but I think you should try it!  I just did a quick search and found some positive remarks by customers.


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

I would chose the 4 health over the beneful for sure. Do you have a Costco that you can get to? Their signature brand chicken and rice is under $25.00 US for a 40 pound bag.


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## Packleader (Nov 27, 2007)

I wouldn't say that "any" food is better than Beneful but you would have to work pretty hard to find one that is worse. As a groomer I can tell which dogs are fed Beneful without even having to ask the owner. Their skin and coat gives it away no matter which breed or mixed breed I am grooming.


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

4health is made by Diamond. That would be all that I need to know. They have been notorious for using ethoxyquin in their foods and have had massive recalls in the past.

If you want to stay in that price range, I would actually go with something else. There are a lot of really good foods in that price range. Pro Plan is the first that comes to mind.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I don't trust any food made by Diamond, whereas I have a fair amount of trust in the Purina Company overall.
If you are looking for an inexpensive food of decent quality, try Purina One. A lot of dogs do very well on it.




jwemt81 said:


> 4health is made by Diamond. That would be all that I need to know. They have been notorious for using ethoxyquin in their foods and have had massive recalls in the past.
> 
> If you want to stay in that price range, I would actually go with something else. There are a lot of really good foods in that price range. Pro Plan is the first that comes to mind.


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## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

Okay thanks for the tips. The recall thing is pretty scary. Next time I go to that store I'll see what else is in my price range and post them here.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

While I'm not a fan of Diamond foods (to put it mildly), the ethoxyquin is found only in fish meals and this new food has none. If the alternative was Beneful, I'd still take this Diamond food.


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## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

so you're saying that if this diamond food had ethoxyquin in it, it would for sure be listed? I don't want to take a chance of poisoning or hurting my dogs. If it's true that they have to list it in their ingredients, then this product should be safe right?


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## Nicole74 (May 30, 2009)

I've been thinking about changing too. We have purina pro plan. I have no idea which one to get. Bailey is so picky and is not a fan of dry dog food. She barely eats it because she is hungry. This is the third brand we have given her, so I think it's dry dog food in general.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Only fish is preserved with ethoxyquin, so if you feed a food that does not contain fish or fish meal it will not have ehoxyquin.


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## Enzos_Mom (Apr 8, 2010)

If you decide to go the Purina One route, I noticed when I was at Target the other day that they have it for less than PetSmart does. At Target, it was $18 for an 18 lb bag (I didn't look at the bigger bags because they only had large breed puppy in the 18 lb bag and that's what I was checking out). PetSmart charges $13 for an 8 lb bag.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I've been feeding Diamond Naturals to Creed and Bindi, and they have been doing really well on it. I switched because the Diamond Naturals has no corn, wheat or soy and is very reasonably priced-$28 for 40 pounds. Of course, now that I'm employed again  I am going to revisit switching back to Canidae.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

I would definitely take 4 Health over Beneful. As another poster suggested, if you have the option of a Costco nearby, their Kirklands Premium has good ingredients for a good price.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

momtoMax said:


> so you're saying that if this diamond food had ethoxyquin in it, it would for sure be listed? I don't want to take a chance of poisoning or hurting my dogs. If it's true that they have to list it in their ingredients, then this product should be safe right?


No, the ethoxyquin doesn't have to be listed. However, it is used to preserve fish MEAL ( not whole fish) so if there is no fish meal listed in the ingredient list, there is no ethoxyquin.


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## Packleader (Nov 27, 2007)

I was wondering besides dog food analysis, and the dog food project, has any of you looked at the http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/. With all the research I seem to always be doing this is the first time I have come across this site.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

I'm really anxious to read Dr Nestle's new book on pet food due out this month. Here's her bio..... this is one voice I'll put great faith in. http://www.foodpolitics.com/about/


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## MyRealMcRoy (Dec 17, 2008)

We did OK on ProPlan Puppy - goopy eyes, and one itchy episode over the course of a year but his coat looked great and he was basically healthy so I thought maybe it could be environmental who knows??? When we switched to adult food at 12 months (ProPlan Shredded Blend) the itching got worse. Thought it might be the soy in the shredded blend. We figured what the heck, the ingredients list looks good, if we're going to be switching foods anyway why not give the 4Health a try. We will NOT be buying another bag. His coat is thin and rough looking (spring shedding maybe???). He acts like he is 'starving' all the time, begging for people food has gotten MUCH worse. He's constantly chewing his feet, scratching and rubbing on the carpet - just miserable itchy. He chewed one spot on his back until a hot spot developed. We caught it early and it wasn't too bad. Thank goodness we have not had any problems with his ears. :crossfing 

So now I don't know what to do! We live in a really rural area so if you can't get it at Walmart or Tractor Supply you've got to drive 1.5 hours to the nearest city to get it. Tractor Supply carries TOTW. I'm debating between that and ProPlan Performance. Anybody have any other suggestions?? 

Wish I could have given you a better review of 4Health - it might be fine for ya'll but it didn't work for us! :doh:


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

At our local feed store is one brand called, Precise. It got good reviews from what I've read, even though it has grains in it. It's made in Texas. Just an option to check out if you chose.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I would not give my dog something formulated by people who cannot spell. Maybe I'm just a giant snob, but if they can't proofread their own material before they put it online, how can I trust them to have any idea what they're putting into the food? From their website, it appears that this dog food is made by people who threw together a bunch of stuff that sounded good.

The actual listing at tractorsupply.com tells a totally different story, where the food is listed as "chicken and rice" even though there's more cracked barley than rice, and there's no whole rice in the food at all. The ingredient list reads like any other mass market, inexpensive food.

Plus, there is fish meal in the chicken blend, which, if you're worried about ethoxyquin, is a fairly likely culprit.

How's Max doing on Beneful? Is there a reason to change other than the guilt of seeing it slammed online by people who aren't canine nutritionists?


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## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

Ugh. Now, see I went and bought a bought a big bag because I thought it would be better.  He was itchy and he doesn't have fleas so I was thinking food allergy. The odd thing was, since the groomer bathed him he hadn't been itchy for a week but now he's starting to lick and chew again. I thought that might also be due to the fact that he's been in puddles and getting dirty again. I have a huge bag of the chicken formula. I've given them a little with their beneful. There shouldn't be fish...if there is, that stinks. Sigh.


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

momtoMax said:


> Ugh. Now, see I went and bought a bought a big bag because I thought it would be better.  He was itchy and he doesn't have fleas so I was thinking food allergy


You got it so try it. The ingredient profile looks better than a lot out there. If you dog becomes itch free, you will look like a genius. Let us know how it goes.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

msdogs1976 said:


> You got it so try it. The ingredient profile looks better than a lot out there. If you dog becomes itch free, you will look like a genius. Let us know how it goes.


LOL, so true. It seems silly to waste it, and I highly doubt it'll hurt the dog. It's got an AAFCO certification on it, right?


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

I was looking at the Beneful original the other day at Walmart and while looking at the list of ingrediants, observed that propylene glycol is the 11th ingrediant on the list. They say this is a "safe," ingredient in anti-freeze. I know that ethylene glycol is the toxic anti-freeze, however, it's the principle of the thing. Also, I just about welled up with tears reading that Beneful lable and all of the crap in it, realizing that even though I have put so much time, effort and blood, sweat and tears into this puppy of mine, I'm thankful for learning all that I can and this forum.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Blondie said:


> I was looking at the Beneful original the other day at Walmart and while looking at the list of ingrediants, observed that propylene glycol is the 11th ingrediant on the list. They say this is a "safe," ingredient in anti-freeze. I know that ethylene glycol is the toxic anti-freeze, however, it's the principle of the thing. Also, I just about welled up with tears reading that Beneful lable and all of the crap in it, realizing that even though I have put so much time, effort and blood, sweat and tears into this puppy of mine, I'm thankful for learning all that I can and this forum.


While propylene glycol may sound scary, and it's definitely a more processed ingredient than I generally like to eat or give to my dogs, it's also entirely harmless.


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## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

Blondie said:


> I was looking at the Beneful original the other day at Walmart and while looking at the list of ingrediants, observed that propylene glycol is the 11th ingrediant on the list. They say this is a "safe," ingredient in anti-freeze. I know that ethylene glycol is the toxic anti-freeze, however, it's the principle of the thing. Also, I just about welled up with tears reading that Beneful lable and all of the crap in it, realizing that even though I have put so much time, effort and blood, sweat and tears into this puppy of mine, I'm thankful for learning all that I can and this forum.


 
It's the other ingredients that I know are lower quality but it costs more than purina dog chow, alpo, gravy train, ole roys, etc. Due to the price increase, I consider it a step up and until recently, the only one I could afford.

The thing about beneful is that it's really smelly. This new food is not smelly at all. Max doesn't really seem to want to eat it and my other dog isn't too crazy about it either. Is there anything I can add to their food to make it seem more yummy and interesting to them? It's frustrating and amusing to give Max a kibble see him move it around his mouth and then send it flying a few feet. Reminds me of cowboys and spitoons. I am hoping that he's eating some of it in the mixture I'm giving him!!


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## elh1232 (Feb 20, 2010)

I feed Morgan 4Health, she seems to like it & hasn't had any problems with it. It is in my price range, some of the other high quality foods are just too expensive. I think it depends on the dog on whether they have a bad reaction to the food.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

The store might exchange it if the dogs won't eat it.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

You can always add a little water and put it in the microwave for 20 seconds. Slightly wetting and warming stuff can make it much more aromatic. Just be careful to stir it carefully and not to nuke it for more than a few seconds. You don't want to create a pocket of heat that might burn the dog's tongue. That'll put him RIGHT off that food.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I had a very picky border collie for years. To entice him to eat his food, we'd do like tippykayak said a few days of the week except we'd boil the water and then add it to his food so it'd get all mushy and wait about ten minutes before giving it to him. Make sure you stir it around and test the temperature throughout the bowl before giving it.

I also cracked a raw egg into his food (shell and all) or added the tuna/salmon juice from a can into his food. Eventually, after he got older and his teeth started bothering him more, he'd get 2-3 tbp of wet dog food to his kibble and he'd gobble it down like we'd never seen! One can of wet dog food would last him about a week since we were barely adding any...until he got real old, at which point he primarily got wet food.


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## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

Max pretty much eats anything. But this food that is!!  So we went to work today and they had left only the new food peices on the floor and everywhere. So no new food for them this AM. I just came home and see that they got hungry enough to eat it if not like it. Feeding them again right now, same mix. 

I will though for sure try maybe a warm water thing to the food and nuking it to make it smellier. I think Max likes smells more than anything!!


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## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

How do we feel about adding chicken stock to the food? Not such a good idea?


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Sounds like a great idea to me. I'd probably go for low-sodium stock.


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

Here is a website that can help you with dog food reviews: http://dogfoodanalysis.com/ You can go by review or on the home page click on index on the bottom left for an alphabetical listing. Some are updated more often but it gives you a good start.

I use Canidae ALS Grain Free. My dogs look fantastic on it. The truth about dog food is if it lists fish in the ingrediants then it has ethoxyquin in it. This is mandated by the US as a presevative for fish. It is how much is in their finished product that may be the question if you have fish as an ingredient. Canidae does not add it it comes that way. The amount present is how they cook it. I would call the individual companies for information. Good Luck

I emailed Canidae about their use and here is a copy of our conversation:
*Thanks for contacting us. An operator will be with you shortly...*


*[Canidae]* Hello Gail
*[Canidae]* How may I help you?
*[Me]* Hello Sara, I was doing some reading on dog food. I was wondering if Canidae uses or has any ethoxyquin present in your foods?
*[Canidae]* We do not use Ethoxyquin in any of our products. We use a combination of Vitamin E and NaturOx. However. the FDA requires that ALL fish that are caught in U.S. Coastal waters, which are intended for use in pet food be preserved with an Antioxident.
*[Me]* Do your suppliers use ethoxyquin?
*[Canidae]* The only antioxident that is approved is Ethoxyquin. We test all our food down to .05 parts per million. The FDA approves food that test up to 75 parts per million
*[Canidae]* Any pet food that is manufactured in the United States will have fish with the antioxident already applied before we even purchase it. This is to prevent rancidity in the fish, which would be sure to cause a myriad of issues throughout the industry.
*[Canidae]* As of now, there is now way for us (pet food mfg) to get around this law
*[Canidae]* but we are trying to change it.
*[Canidae]* So any product with Fiah will have trace amounts of the antioxident in it.
*[Canidae]* sorry, Fish
*[Me]* I feel I am a big avocate for Canidae and of course when it comes back to me trying to support these are the questions I get. Many of us use www.dogfoodanalysis.com and other testers for support. I was wondering why Canidae just doesn't list some kind of notice of how it comes prepared and how it is cooked down as a public statement.
*[Canidae]* I would love to be able to do that...TRUST me! I get this question several times a day. For now though, the owners of CANIDAE have decided to hold off on a written statement on the web because it can cause more problems. Instead they would rather I answer your questions with as much info as possible.
*[Canidae]* We want to be as open and honest about our products and the industry as a whole, that way we can all make improvments for the better
*[Me]* The ethoxyquin statement is holding you back.
*[Canidae]* I know.
*[Canidae]* I ask them everyday when we are going to release it...
*[Me]* How can other brands state they do not use or have ethoxyquin in any of their fishes.
*[Canidae]* Thats the sad part, they DO have it. We tested EVERY manufacture on the market and every single one had trace amounts of E. Even those that were imported.
*[Canidae]* Some had twice the amount they would verbally admit to
*[Canidae]* we want accountability with these other mfgs. too
*[Canidae]* If we admit it, then they have to, or we will losse business
*[Canidae]* Sure CANIDAE will look good, to those that understand and love us...but the majority of our customers will see ETHOXYQUIN and run.
*[Me]* I agree but right now I need accountablility for Canidae since this is my food of choice. I breed golden retrievers and recommend this food to all my puppy families. My goal as a breeder is for good health and longevity. I feel their diet is part of that.
*[Canidae]* I understand. WE understand. Which is why we are trying to get the regulations of the FDA to change. Until then we cannot do anything about the fish, unless we farm our own or import from another country (i.e. asia). We will not import. Fish farming is not lucrative. So, we have our hands tied.
*[Canidae]* The easiest way around it is to use a product that contains NO Fish. Therefore it has no E.
*[Me]* Which one of Canidae has no fish?
*[Canidae]* Our Lamb & Rice and the Chicken & Rice


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

momtoMax said:


> How do we feel about adding chicken stock to the food? Not such a good idea?


Regular chicken stock isn't much more than salt and flavorings. Which is ok but I wouldn't do it long term. If you want to make stock though, get a bunch of chicken backs, livers, gizzards, some carrots, celery etc. (no onions!) and simmer, drain and remove the bones. You can then put the veggies and meat/skin into the blender, add that back to the liquid and you'd have a great add on for the dry food that's healthy and has nutritional value.

Or, get a good quality canned food, put blobs of it on waxed paper and freeze and use that with hot water as a broth.

Another 'trick' is to take meat drippings and freeze them in a container, add boiling water to the frozen fat, let it sit for a minute them pour off onto the food. It melts just enough of the fat to make a yummy smelling broth and you just place the drippings back into the freezer.

You can also get salmon oil and add that to the food with water, or fish body oil, etc... (here in Canada you can get 'marine' oil which is seal oil, it's great too).

Lana


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

MGMF said:


> Here is a website that can help you with dog food reviews: http://dogfoodanalysis.com/ You can go by review or on the home page click on index on the bottom left for an alphabetical listing. Some are updated more often but it gives you a good start.
> 
> I use Canidae ALS Grain Free. My dogs look fantastic on it. The truth about dog food is if it lists fish in the ingrediants then it has ethoxyquin in it. This is mandated by the US as a presevative for fish. It is how much is in their finished product that may be the question if you have fish as an ingredient. Canidae does not add it it comes that way. The amount present is how they cook it. I would call the individual companies for information. Good Luck
> 
> ...


 
I would take with a grain of salt the ratings of dog food analysis. They are not animal nutritionists, and their ratings are pretty much a reflection of valuing only grain free products. 
As to the ethoxyquin, a friend of mine who is a canine nutritionist has done research and has found that Naturox IS allowable for fish meal by the US Coast Guard ( the issue is only with fish MEAL... not whole fish) and some manufacturers pay more to have their meals preserved in this manner. And, yes, all Diamond products do have ethoxyquin. I would believe what Canidae had to say if it was in writing on their website. Certainly if they had taken the time and money to test EVERY product on the market, they would want to use it in their marketing scheme.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

There is a special provision for requesting alternatives to ethoxyquin. http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/tex...iv8&view=text&node=46:5.0.1.1.4.1.6.3&idno=46

And, from the Fromm site,


> 15Does your food contain ethoxyquin?No, Fromm Family Foods recipes do not contain ethoxyquin. All of our ingredients and final products are free from artificial and industrial preservatives. Additionally we pay more for our fish, whitefish, and salmon to not be treated or preserved with ethoxyquin.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

From some earlier threads about E. 

http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/more-on-ethoxyquin-preserved-fish-meals.html

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/showthread.php?t=58772&highlight=ethoxyquin+fish+meal


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

I don't use dog food analysis as the final rule. I do think it is a good start. Research must be done by the individual consumer and how well the dogs respond to it. Dog food research can make you crazy. We need this...not that....to much this....not enough that..... We do our best and hope we made the right choice.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Isn't that the truth! And about the time you're sure you've got a good fit, they change the recipe! SO frustrating. Speaking of that, I have noticed before that the dog food analysis site doesn't always have the latest ingredient listing/nutritional analysis. I've gone to just checking the co websites.


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

I know they don't update all the time but like I said it is a good start. I think it is very helpful to owners who buy brands because they look good in a commercial. Then they research it and see it it is pure junk. Everything needs to be research. The review does have good definisions to help them learn about ingredient such as meat vs. by-product, good grains and bad, additives. No food is perfect but all I can hope for is that the dog food companies can be honest in what they say about improving their foods so our kids can live a long healthy life.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

fostermom said:


> I would definitely take 4 Health over Beneful. As another poster suggested, if you have the option of a Costco nearby, their Kirklands Premium has good ingredients for a good price.


 
Question: Does Diamond still manufacture all of the Kirland Brands of dog food for Costco?


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

That's the last I'd heard Anne. They also manufacture Canidae and TOTW among a ton of others.


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## Stumpjumper (Feb 22, 2012)

Man, I just switched my 12 year golden from Pedigree to 4health and my golden pup from PPC to 4health Puppy...

The review site gave it a 4 star rating compared to the 1 star I had been feeding... I thought I was making a good investment for the furballs till I read this thread.. Geez what a waste of $60!!???


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

MyRealMcRoy said:


> We did OK on ProPlan Puppy - goopy eyes, and one itchy episode over the course of a year but his coat looked great and he was basically healthy so I thought maybe it could be environmental who knows??? When we switched to adult food at 12 months (ProPlan Shredded Blend) the itching got worse. Thought it might be the soy in the shredded blend. We figured what the heck, the ingredients list looks good, if we're going to be switching foods anyway why not give the 4Health a try. We will NOT be buying another bag. His coat is thin and rough looking (spring shedding maybe???). He acts like he is 'starving' all the time, begging for people food has gotten MUCH worse. He's constantly chewing his feet, scratching and rubbing on the carpet - just miserable itchy. He chewed one spot on his back until a hot spot developed. We caught it early and it wasn't too bad. Thank goodness we have not had any problems with his ears. :crossfing
> 
> So now I don't know what to do! We live in a really rural area so if you can't get it at Walmart or Tractor Supply you've got to drive 1.5 hours to the nearest city to get it. Tractor Supply carries TOTW. I'm debating between that and ProPlan Performance. Anybody have any other suggestions??
> 
> Wish I could have given you a better review of 4Health - it might be fine for ya'll but it didn't work for us! :doh:


I have only had positive experiences with Proplan especially the Proplan performance with my Goldens. I do know that Proplan Naturals has no soy, wheat, or corn. All of which could be allergens for you dog. I don't know if they sell it at your tractor supply but many places will order in for you if you ask or you can get it delivered.

Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Formula - Products - Purina® Pro Plan®

I tied TOTW with my yorkies they would not eat it after a few weeks luckily my previous Golden Lucky could eat anything and it did not bother his tummy as long as it was mixed with his kibble. He could not tolerate straight TOTW but he was a life long Proplan dog.


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

momtoMax said:


> It's the other ingredients that I know are lower quality but it costs more than purina dog chow, alpo, gravy train, ole roys, etc. Due to the price increase, I consider it a step up and until recently, the only one I could afford.
> 
> The thing about beneful is that it's really smelly. This new food is not smelly at all. Max doesn't really seem to want to eat it and my other dog isn't too crazy about it either. Is there anything I can add to their food to make it seem more yummy and interesting to them? It's frustrating and amusing to give Max a kibble see him move it around his mouth and then send it flying a few feet. Reminds me of cowboys and spitoons. I am hoping that he's eating some of it in the mixture I'm giving him!!


You could try mixing a few tablespoons of wet food into the kibble or cooked veggies. Buddy used to eat Dog Chow before I got him and it is much smeller than the Proplan I feed him. As long as it put a few spoonfuls of wet dog food or mix some veggies into his kibble he will clean the bowl.


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

I would never feed Beneful. We dont have the 4health stuff here so I have no idea whats in that. I do know Costcos brand is good. I would try to buget a more quality food (IMO Beneful is the equivelant of feeding your kid McDonalds every day). The lower the quality the more you feed so the more you need. 

This is Beneful Original 
Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), rice flour, *beef*, soy flour, sugar

I underlined the only ingredient that is good IMO in this food. I feed Pro Plan by Purina and a 20lb bag lasts me a month where if I fed Beneful I would need 30-40lbs a month. 

I dont feed wheat, corn, soy and by products are my no no's. I can slide on rice and a couple others. I am on a tight budget and this is the best I can feed in my budget. Also, feeding a higher quality food means less vet bills though I cannot vouch for that as mine basically lives at the vet from his poor genetics.

Not sure if you have Presidents Choice around you or if its just in Canada but the food for a 35lb bag is $33. http://www.presidentschoice.ca/LCLOnline/products.jsp?type=details&catIds=42&productId=prod540503. They have other formulas I just copied the one


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

Edit: nevermind


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

I saw this on another site and thought it was interesting. People could save a lot of money if this guy is correct.

_"Many dog owners these days splurge on expensive dog foods, thinking they are buying the best for their dog. But when it comes to quality, price isn’t a good guideline, says Joseph Wakshlag, DVM, PhD, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.“I’ve seen ‘all-natural, holistic’ dog foods that perform really poorly in dogs, and I’ve seen some dog foods that you might not want to feed your dog, that perform better,” Wakshlag says. “I don’t think you get what you pay for.”

"There's no scientific evidence that any food is better than the next," says Joseph Wakshlag, D.V.M., Ph.D., an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Pets can thrive on inexpensive food or become ill from pricey food. If your animal is active and healthy, the food is doing its job. A higher price could mean better ingredients and better quality control during and after manufacturing. But you might also be paying for pretty packaging, marketing, or a fancy name._


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

msdogs1976 said:


> I saw this on another site and thought it was interesting. People could save a lot of money if this guy is correct.
> 
> _"Many dog owners these days splurge on expensive dog foods, thinking they are buying the best for their dog. But when it comes to quality, price isn’t a good guideline, says Joseph Wakshlag, DVM, PhD, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.“I’ve seen ‘all-natural, holistic’ dog foods that perform really poorly in dogs, and I’ve seen some dog foods that you might not want to feed your dog, that perform better,” Wakshlag says. “I don’t think you get what you pay for.”
> 
> "There's no scientific evidence that any food is better than the next," says Joseph Wakshlag, D.V.M., Ph.D., an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Pets can thrive on inexpensive food or become ill from pricey food. If your animal is active and healthy, the food is doing its job. A higher price could mean better ingredients and better quality control during and after manufacturing. But you might also be paying for pretty packaging, marketing, or a fancy name._


I think posters have made somewhat similar observations here on the forum, when they have had a dog who lived a long healthy life but was fed a food which is not (supposedly) a high quality food.


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## Stumpjumper (Feb 22, 2012)

My oldest golden is 12 and he has eaten Pedigree his whole life. However he has bad skin allergies..


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

Stumpjumper said:


> My oldest golden is 12 and he has eaten Pedigree his whole life. However he has bad skin allergies..


The food could very well be causing the skin allergies...


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## Stumpjumper (Feb 22, 2012)

I think it probably is.. That is why I switched to 4health. No noticable effecvts yet but he likes it and his stools are normal. It's definitely better than the Pedigree..


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