# Pedigree or Iams



## kdiman (Dec 31, 2007)

I am looking for large breed dog food. All i can find is Iams large breed puppy food. My vet recommanded Pedigree but i can't find any large breed puppy food from pedigree. What do you guys recommanded to get?

Kelly


----------



## Judi (Feb 26, 2007)

Precise Dog Food.


----------



## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Pedigree is about the lowest quality food there is. I would definitely go with the IAMS over that.


----------



## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

i wouldnt feed either.


----------



## kdiman (Dec 31, 2007)

Why would the vet recommanded it if it is bad or low quality?
Kelly


----------



## kdiman (Dec 31, 2007)

What would you guys recommand that i can get at orschelns, walmart, ot TSC??

Kelly


----------



## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

There are better foods at places like Petco/Petsmart..or is there a local feed and seed place by you? I wouldnt feed mine either of those either....


----------



## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

kdiman said:


> I am looking for large breed dog food. All i can find is Iams large breed puppy food. My vet recommanded Pedigree but i can't find any large breed puppy food from pedigree. What do you guys recommanded to get?
> 
> Kelly


I would look at Iams LBP before Pedigree.

If you have a feed mill nearby, you may want to look at Eukanuba LBP, Eagle Pack LBP or Pro Plan LBP. If the budget is a little tight you may want to consider PMI Exclusive LBP.


----------



## Judi (Feb 26, 2007)

kdiman said:


> Why would the vet recommanded it if it is bad or low quality?
> Kelly


I would like to know that too.


----------



## Judi (Feb 26, 2007)

I buy Prescise at Pet Depot.


----------



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

Judi said:


> I would like to know that too.


well my vet mentioned those types of foods when I asked...he's not a believer of the"premium" foods for non-working dogs.


----------



## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

kdiman said:


> Why would the vet recommanded it if it is bad or low quality?
> Kelly


because vets spend very little time in school studying canine nutrition, and get funding from certain brands of food that are quite unhealthy for dogs.


----------



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

Some vets think the holistic thought is more hype then helpful....and I know my vet doesn't trust those companies. He looks at the tried and true and tested. So it depends on your vet really, and their philosophy.....Pedigree is a lower quality food then Iams...but dogs thrive on it....


----------



## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

missmarstar said:


> because vets spend very little time in school studying canine nutrition, and get funding from certain brands of food that are quite unhealthy for dogs.


While the wholistic feeding fanciers like to believe that, it simply isn't true. Veterinarians learn a great deal about the nuts and bolts of nutrition, and they continue to learn and gain further experience in their practice. When Most Veterinarians encounter dogs that look good and exhibit optimum health, they will ask Owners what they're doing in terms of daily feeding and care. (I'll give you a little hint, the vast majority of them aren't feeding foods from the WDJ Top Ten List.) 

Whether the Wholistic Folks like it or not Iams, Science Diet, Purina One, Exceed and other mid-range products provide good nutrition for most normal healthy dogs. Although you may have more yard clean up to do if you feed them.


----------



## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Sure, dogs can thrive on lower quality food... just like people. I won't argue w/that. I'm living proof people can thrive on junk food 

I still don't know why you'd feed your dog a poor quality food, though, when you have so many better choices. To each her own


----------



## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

AquaClaraCanines said:


> Sure, dogs can thrive on lower quality food... just like people. I won't argue w/that. I'm living proof people can thrive on junk food
> 
> I still don't know why you'd feed your dog a poor quality food, though, when you have so many better choices. To each her own


Cost is one reason. My vet is another one that doesn't push high priced dog food. I know for a fact she feeds her dogs Beneful. I play golf with her husband and have seen it at their house. They have labs, a golden retriever, and mix breeds. They love them all. BTW, my brother had a lab live to be 18 and he feed her plain old Purina and Iams over the years. 

FWIW, I switched to Natural Balance in an attempt to solve some allergy problems my dog was having. But if your dog does well with Iams or something similar, I see nothing wrong with it.


----------



## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

True, and something like Blue's Wilderness is very pricey. But there are "Middle of the road" foods that IMO are pretty decent, and considering one feeds less, they work out to cost a similar amount to the really poor quality ones.

A good, inexpensive food with no wheat, corn, or beef is Nature's Recipe. Those with a tight budget and an allergy dog might consider that one. It is available at Petsmart.


----------



## Jazzys Mom (Mar 13, 2007)

If you look at the ingredients in these foods you will see a distinct difference in what goes into the premium brands against brands such as SD, Pedigree, Iams, etc. Pedigree is still preserving their foods with BHA & BHT which are known carcinogens! I THINK SD does too but am not completely sure. I agree, people can thrive on junk food but why would you give that same food to your child? IMO its like picking between 2 milk brands to give to your human child - brand #1 is $3.99 a gallon but has been pasturized where brand #2 is only $1.50 a gallon but has not gone through the pasturazation process. So, you buy the cheap milk and risk your child's health?

Just MHO

Jazzys Mom


----------



## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Exactly my point


----------



## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

AquaClaraCanines said:


> Sure, dogs can thrive on lower quality food... just like people. I won't argue w/that. I'm living proof people can thrive on junk food
> 
> I still don't know why you'd feed your dog a poor quality food, though, when you have so many better choices. To each her own


It all depends upon how you define and measure "Quality".

I measure "Quality" upon the results a product delivers when fed to real working dogs, not the ingredient list. I want to see dogs that have lots of energy, nice coats, clear eyes, outstanding health and stamina with low incidence of injury. 
If a food doesn't deliver that, it doesn't measure up and isn't a "High Quality" food.


----------



## Hali's Mom (Oct 5, 2006)

It is my understanding some vets get "kick backs" from food companies. I believe I heard that about science diet. Maybe Petigree does the same. Try
over the internet if you want convenience. "DoggieFood.com" is my favorite. Tony is WONDERFUL


----------



## our_gomez (Nov 29, 2007)

Gomez gets pedigree.. its what i was told he was on. i didnt know it was such bad quality. I'm most def. doing to be switching him over to something better.. now i feel like a bad momma to gomez.


----------



## Bailey & Bentley (Feb 25, 2007)

Food is always a controversial subject. I think that Iams is a better food than Pedigree. I feed my dogs Nutro right now. I may have to step them down to a cheaper food in the near future though.

I know many people who give Purina, Pedigree and Iams, and all of their dogs are extremely healthy. I think it is a personal preference what you want to feed your dog, and what you want to spend. My vet seems to think that Purina Large Breed dog food is the way to go. She tells me not to worry about all of the by-products in them, big deal she says. I don't know, I would go with what you feel comfortable with, and if you have any doubt you can always research natural foods, vs. cheaper foods, and find your own conclusion.

Good luck, it is very confusing.....:bowl:


----------



## Bailey & Bentley (Feb 25, 2007)

our_gomez said:


> Gomez gets pedigree.. its what i was told he was on. i didnt know it was such bad quality. I'm most def. doing to be switching him over to something better.. now i feel like a bad momma to gomez.


You are not a bad mom. At least you feed your dog, think of all the neglected dogs out there. Don't beat yourself up....


----------



## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Agreed, you're not a bad mom! You live and learn, and you may even decide he's doing best on that food. You will likely experience less clean up, though, if you switch. Always a plus!


----------



## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

SC, I think it depends on the dog, too. I do agree with you that quality can be defined different ways.

My Golden is a companion and a working service dog in training. She is also exercised far, far more than most pet dogs are. In every way but coat, she seems fine on nearly any food I have tried. However, her skin doesn't do well on anything with corn. She doesn't chew or get hot spots, but she is itchy when you pet her. Remove the filler grains and she's 100% fine, and the itch goes away. Now does that mean foods with corn are poor quality? Well, no... but I personally believe they often are.

Over and over again I take in foster dogs with crappy coats, bad ears, and so forth. I switch them to what I feed. I start running them hard every day. Within weeks they are nearly different animals. I used to believe it was just the diet, but I now believe the most important factor is conditioning. IMO, spare allergies to grains or similar, exercise makes the biggest single difference in a dog's appearance and condition and health (and indeed behavior) than any other one factor, including what brand of food is fed. Food is important! But don't forget conditioning.


----------



## dmfla (Aug 1, 2007)

My senior has been on IAMs for a very long time, the food works for her. She's alert active as she can be with bad hips, and has just in general done well with it. Now the other two are a different story, Maya wont eat anything but the WellnessCore, and Zander is on Proplan. So i'd agree with SC on ths one whatever works best for your dog is what you should feed.


----------



## Hali's Mom (Oct 5, 2006)

Had a lab mix that ate plain old Purina and lived to be 17 yr. Have PB golden from a very reputable breeder started out on Eukanuba, didn't like the coat, switched to IAMS as that is what the breeder fed (She got Eukanuba samples for her puppy families for free which is why we started there) After alot of issues -hot spots, hair loss and major itching, switched to Solid Gold ,Barking at the Moon. Issues resolved, currently trying Purina Pro Plan Selects salmon and rice-cost issue, seems to be working. If this experiment doesn't work going back to the Solid Gold-the H**l with the cost verses vet bills and meds.
Gotta try to see what works for every dog. Guess some can handle the "junky" stuff better than others. In my opinion it is the dog's health verses the vet bills in the long run. Good luck


----------



## Bailey & Bentley (Feb 25, 2007)

I agree that it does depend on the individual dog. I was feeding Natural Balance which I believe is a better food than Nutro, and neither of my boys did good on it. So quality sometimes isn't always the better choice. You will just have to try what you pick and see how it goes.


----------



## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

I agree its what works best for your dog but they are likely to do better on a better quality food. I had my dogs on an expensive grain free food for months they looked ok but not great. I recently switched to another brand I guess you could say its viewed by others as being a lesser quality food then what I was feeding before oh and cheaper. They look much better and I pleased with then. So in my case the really good "expensive" food was not the best. Canidae is a good food that LOTS of dogs do well on maybe ordering online is something to think about.


----------



## banana (Jul 19, 2006)

Iams do hideous invasive unnecessary tests on animals:

http://www.uncaged.co.uk/iams01.htm

(Can be upsetting if you click on this)


----------



## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

banana said:


> Iams do hideous invasive unnecessary tests on animals:
> 
> http://www.uncaged.co.uk/iams01.htm
> 
> (Can be upsetting if you click on this)


 
Animal Testing is essential to understanding what is safe and what is not safe for your pet. Yes, some animals will be sacrificed during the process, however millions upon millions of pets have benefitted from the knowledge gained, allowing them to live longer healthier lives.

Animal testing is a good thing.


----------



## banana (Jul 19, 2006)

As an animal lover I cannot condone tests that are needless - which is what Iams do!

An example of the tests they carry out is feeding a cat or dog to mobid obesity and then starving it for weeks to see what happens.. another is to cut large pieces of intestines out, sew the ends back together to see the effects of then feeding their products to the test subject.

How any right minded human being that can see this as essential is beyond me!

I feed my pets Royal Canin, the ONLY animal tests they do is to put the bowl in front of a cat or dog when the product is completed to see if they like it.

There is NO need to run invasive tests on animals for food produce in this day and age!


----------



## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

I too use Pro Plan. The breeder uses and recommends it. They have a large breed formula for puppy and adult. So far, Ike has thrived and looks wonderful.


----------



## Sophie's slave (Jul 1, 2007)

Amen, Banana. Iams and Eukanuba, both Procter & Gamble companies, does far too much unnecessary animal testing. I do believe that some animal research and testing is necessary, however they take it over the line.


----------



## AmyinAr (Feb 26, 2008)

I use Canidae 

dogfoodanalysis.com, rates foods by stars, you might find it helpful =) for what it's worth, I fed Pedigree until I learned how low quality it was, I have seen a huge difference in Bailey since the switch (for the better)


----------



## historicprim (Nov 24, 2007)

I also think it depends on the dog. I recently tryed the blue buffalo, 1st time the sweet potatoe and fish, second time the lamb and rice. I took back both bags, my dogs just didnt like it and I didnt like the way their stools looked after I got them to eat it. I'll stay with my regular brand even though it is not the most popular. (Iams/eukanuba)


----------



## winewinn (Jan 7, 2008)

historicprim said:


> I also think it depends on the dog. I recently tryed the blue buffalo, 1st time the sweet potatoe and fish, second time the lamb and rice. I took back both bags, my dogs just didnt like it and I didnt like the way their stools looked after I got them to eat it. I'll stay with my regular brand even though it is not the most popular. (Iams/eukanuba)


Iams/Eukanuba happens to be one of the most bought brands out there. They have come a long ways in their animal testing over the years.

http://www.iamsagainstcruelty.com/iac/jsp/factsHistory/iamsAnimalResearch.jsp


----------



## historicprim (Nov 24, 2007)

winewinn said:


> Iams/Eukanuba happens to be one of the most bought brands out there. They have come a long ways in their animal testing over the years.
> 
> http://www.iamsagainstcruelty.com/iac/jsp/factsHistory/iamsAnimalResearch.jsp


I meant not popular on many boards.


----------



## starr2669 (Dec 19, 2007)

why not feed iams?


----------



## starr2669 (Dec 19, 2007)

i feed iams large breed to my golden an she is fine i starting hwe with pedigree she started itching serverly an she got ear infections so i switch to the iams an she is fine


----------



## Samaliners (Mar 24, 2008)

Have you looked at Purina One? We have done Iams for the past 7 or so years with our Sammy.... and we almost lost her about 6 months ago... We switched her to Purina One and with about a week or two she looked better! Her coat was shinny, she was happy, her breth smelt better... She did not scrach any more... and we got an extra 6 month with her. 

just an idea....


----------



## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

Purina One Lamb & Rice Formula....they are all pretty much the same - Pedigree, Iams and Purina One.


----------



## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Katiesmommy said:


> Purina One Lamb & Rice Formula....they are all pretty much the same - Pedigree, Iams and Purina One.


How can you make such a statement? :doh:

Purina One Lamb and Rice uses Lamb as it's main protein source. Iams uses chicken as it's primary protein source. They are completely different food designs. :no: They are not even remotely close to being the same.


----------



## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

Swampcollie said:


> How can you make such a statement? :doh:


Because I am trying to be helpful thats who I am 

I'm talking QUALITY of food. As opposed to really crappy brands of food. When I was at the store a week or so ago I was asking the lady what is the differance between all this stuff and she said not much. The brands that I mentioned might not all be the very best but they are pretty much comparble to each other and they have worked for me.


----------



## Bailey & Bentley (Feb 25, 2007)

I would buy Iams over Pedigree. It does have better ingredients. If you are willing to spend a little more on dog food there are better choices as well, but it is all preference. I feed my boys Nutro Max, but that is only because they had problems with thier digestive systems on other brands of food. It is a little more costly, but they do great on it. 

If you don't want to spend more, than Iams is fine.


----------



## T&T (Feb 28, 2008)

My selection criteria
- no artificial preservatives, no artificial flavors/colors
- no added sweeteners ( they come in different forms ! )
- no meat/poultry *by products*
- meat/poultry meal must be first on the ingredient list
- whole grains, veggies OK but not first on the ingredient list and no corn
- origin of "fat" must be specified, as "animal fat" could = just about anything ...
Also, my understanding is that meats listed as just "lamb" or "chicken" "beef" etc = whole meat = a lot of water by weight whereas "lamb meal" "chicken meal" "beef meal" = w/o or less water = more protein 

As for the Vets, I don't believe they are nutrition experts & yes they do get sponsored by food companies.


----------



## T&T (Feb 28, 2008)

Here's an easy to read *DOG FOOD COMPARISON CHART *
YOU be the judge !
http://www.feedmypet.com/dog-food-comparison.html


----------



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

T&T said:


> Here's an easy to read *DOG FOOD COMPARISON CHART *
> YOU be the judge !
> [URL="http://www.feedmypet.com/dog-food-comparison.html"]http://www.feedmypet.com/dog-food-comparison.html[/URL]


That chart is pretty shocking !!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Dalton's mom (Apr 5, 2008)

If you think that last link was shocking, you've got to check this out.
How to grade your dog's food: 

Start with a grade of 100: 
1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points 
2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points 
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points 
4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points 
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer’s rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points 
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points 
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points 
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points 
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points 
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points 
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points 
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points 
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points 
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to beef), subtract 1 point 
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point 
Extra Credit: 
1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points 
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points 
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points 
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points 
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points 
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points 
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points 
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points 
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points 
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point 
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point 
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point 
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point 
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point 

94-100+ = A 86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D <70 = F 

Dog Food scores: 

Alpo Prime Cuts / Score 81 C 
Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy / Score 114 A+ 
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+ 
Authority Harvest Baked Less Active / Score 93 B 
Beowulf Back to Basics / Score 101 A+ 
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F 
Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice / Score 83 C 
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice / Score 106 A+ 
Burns Chicken and Brown Rice / Score 107 A+ 
Canidae / Score 112 A+ 
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+ 
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F 
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B 
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A 
Diamond Performance / Score 85 C 
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+ 
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice / Score 106 A+ 
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+ 
EaglePack Holistic / Score 102 A+ 
Eukanuba Adult / Score 81 C 
Eukanuba Puppy / Score 79 C 
Flint River Senior / Score 101 A+ 
Foundations / Score 106 A+ 
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B 
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D 
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+ 
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+ 
Innova Large Breed Puppy / Score 122 A+ 
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+ 
Member's Mark Chicken and Rice / Score 84 C 
Merrick Wilderness Blend / Score 127 A+ 
Nature's Recipe / Score 100 A 
Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Venison and Rice / Score 116 A+ 
Nature's Variety Raw Instinct / Score 122 A+ 



Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice / Score 81 C 
Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy / Score 101 A+ 
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B 
Nutro Max Adult / Score 93 B 
Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice / Score 98 A 
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B 
Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free / Score 86 B 
Nutro Natural Choice Senior / Score 95 A 
Nutro Ultra Adult / Score 104 A+ 
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F 
Premium Edge Chicken, Rice and Vegetables Adult Dry / Score 109 A+ 
Pro Nature Puppy / Score 80 C 
Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach / Score 94 A 
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F 
Purina Dog / Score 62 F 
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F 
Purina One Large Breed Puppy / Score 62 F 
Royal Canin Boxer / Score 103 A+ 
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+ 
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+ 
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F 
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F 
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A 
Solid Gold / Score 99 A 
Summit / Score 99 A 
Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry / Score 120 A+ 
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+ 
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

I feed Canidae All Life Stages.


----------



## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Dalton's mom said:


> If you think that last link was shocking, you've got to check this out.
> How to grade your dog's food:
> 
> Start with a grade of 100:
> ...


You left out the most important part, what are the ratings based upon? Actual measured nutritional efficiency or conformance to a theological philosophy?


----------



## Jazzys Mom (Mar 13, 2007)

Wow! That list is really eye opening! I feed Canidae All Life Stages too, mixed with Raw foods

Jazzys Mom


----------



## Dalton's mom (Apr 5, 2008)

It's (dog food grades) about nutrition & not fillers & known allergins: corn, wheat, soy & I think the last one is beef. That's a well known food grading chart, it is not my creation. Use google if you want to research dog food grades for yourself. A lot of Goldens have allergies & that can lead to ear problems among other things. I think this info. is important & since it was shared with me, I feel compelled to share it with others. 

A wise person once told me, "Feed your dog the best food that you can afford."


----------



## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Judi said:


> I would like to know that too.


I'm just guessing here, but I think it might have to do with sponsorship dollars.

(The original question being, why do vets recommend Pedigree if it's generally not considered to be a high quality food.)


----------



## T&T (Feb 28, 2008)

FlyingQuizini said:


> I'm just guessing here, but I think it might have to do with sponsorship dollars.
> (The original question being, why do vets recommend Pedigree if it's generally not considered to be a high quality food.)


*Here's a well known canine nutritional consultant's comments ...*
http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/puppy_guidelines.htm


----------



## arcane (Sep 18, 2007)

FlyingQuizini said:


> I'm just guessing here, but I think it might have to do with sponsorship dollars.
> 
> (The original question being, why do vets recommend Pedigree if it's generally not considered to be a high quality food.)


Why do vets push Hills prescription diets??? kickbacks I'm sure. I cringe when I hear of another dog being fed these diet on a long term basis.


----------

