# if you had to switch food, what would you switch to?



## kcapone (Jan 23, 2011)

Just for curiosity and to see what brands everyone uses, thought this might be a nice idea.
Post what you current feed, then what you would switch to if you had to switch to another brand. 

From Duck and sweet potato.................innova


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## JDandBigAm (Aug 25, 2008)

I switched from Candidae a good food to Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach. Jonah has no allergies or stomach problems but Pro Plan has made a big difference in his coat and overall appearance.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I am going to give Nature's Variety a try this winter. Feeding Orijen and TOTW right now.


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## Summer's Mom (Oct 20, 2010)

We want to try ProPlan Sensitive Skin and Stomach.. but no one will believe that.. it costs MORE than the Nature's Variety Salmon and Brown Rice she eats now!


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## Madigan (Nov 10, 2010)

A 33 lb back of Pro Plan Sensitive stomach cost us about $38 a bag when we bought 2 bags last month.


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

Maggie is on Fromm Salmon A La Vegie. Tried the grain-free Surf and Turf and she started the itch dilemma. Thinking it could be the peas, pea protein, pea flour? She is doing very well.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

I'm feeding both my Goldens Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach-had them on several varities of Blue Buffalo prior to switching a couple of months ago. 

Switched to PPP SS after reading one of the threads in this section. I was having trouble getting weight on my boy and his hair wasn't growing. My girl's coat had become dry and brittle and I had supplemented them both with Fish Oil tablets. Saw a huge improvement right away.......


I decided to give it a try, glad I did. I'm very happy with the results, my two look great.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

Currently feeding Nature's Domain. Thinking about feeding raw, at least once a day.


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## spruce (Mar 13, 2008)

been on Taste of the Wild for several months, but not liking their poop....going to try Fromm (think I found a fairly local vendor)


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

spruce said:


> been on Taste of the Wild for several months, but not liking their poop....going to try Fromm (think I found a fairly local vendor)


That was one of the problems I was having with my boy prior to switching to PPP SS. His stools were not as firm as they should have been and basically everything he was eating was going right through him. Within the first three days of switching him to the PPP SS, his stools were firmer and everything he ate wasn't passing through anymore. 

I adopted Remy from my County H.S., he was underweight when I got him, was put on several doses of antibiotics, dewormed several times, and also given a tablet to coat his stomach prior to eating-he still wasn't gaining weight until I made the switch.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

If I had to switch from raw, I'd go with Innova EVO red meat. Ranger did best on it and if I hadn't messed up my achilles tendon - rendering me inactive for 6 months - he'd still be on it. But it was too high calorie for a dog that went from 3 or more walks a day + 8 hours of hiking on weekends to being walked 3 times a week (by my mom, bless her). He gained weight, I cut his food down to 1.5 cups a day and he turned into a foodie drama queen.

So, EVO would be the way for us. I might try Acana Ranchlands or Grasslands, but he's never done too well with Acana though other dogs have.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Feeding Eukanuba Performance now. If I were to switch it would be to Pro Plan Performance.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

We feed our guys Orijen right now (50-50 raw & kibble). If we were to switch, I think we`d try either Fromm or TOTW.


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## Sophie_Mom (Jan 21, 2009)

I have often looked at/thought about trying Nature's Variety. We are on Fromm now, and we have always been really happy with it, but we wouldn't mind adding something to their rotation. The only hesitation I've had is this ingredient: Montmorillonite Clay. Does anyone know what this is? Why they add it? Good/bad? Thanks!!!


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

I feed PPP Sensitive Formula, I guess if I were to switch I'd switch over to Eukanuba's Lamb formula, or a salmon formula if they have it.


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## DaisyGolden (Jan 4, 2008)

Sophie_Mom said:


> I have often looked at/thought about trying Nature's Variety. We are on Fromm now, and we have always been really happy with it, but we wouldn't mind adding something to their rotation. The only hesitation I've had is this ingredient: Montmorillonite Clay. Does anyone know what this is? Why they add it? Good/bad? Thanks!!!


I have no idea what that is, but it sounds like some kind of dirt from space. :


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

We feed Merrick and Nutro Ultra right now. We switch the Merrick flavors every time buy a bag, but I gather that's not what you meant. 

I sometimes buy a small bag of kibble and mix it in with the main food. That's how I started feeding Merrick. If I get around to doing that again, I would try Earthborn. I talked with the sales guy at the petstore today and he did a very nice sales pitch job. And we both had a good discussion about the evils of corn.


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## daisysmam (Sep 5, 2010)

Sophie_Mom said:


> I have often looked at/thought about trying Nature's Variety. We are on Fromm now, and we have always been really happy with it, but we wouldn't mind adding something to their rotation. The only hesitation I've had is this ingredient: Montmorillonite Clay. Does anyone know what this is? Why they add it? Good/bad? Thanks!!!


Per the Nature's Variety web site...
Montmorillonite is a clay that is primarily colloidal silicate, which contains over 50 ultra-trace mineral compounds including Antimony, Barium, Beryllium, Boron, Bromine, Cadmium, Carbon, Cerium, Cesium, Chloride, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Dysprosium, Fluoride, Gadolinium, Gallium, Germanium, Iodine, Lanthanum, Lithium, Manganese, Neodymium, Nickel, Phosphorus, Rhenium, Rubidium, Samarium, Scandium, Silicon, Silver, Strontium, Sulfur, Tellurium, Thallium, Thorium, Tin, Titanium, Vanadium, Ytterbium, Yttrium, Zinc, and Zirconium. Feed studies by the Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Laboratory at Texas A&M University have shown that Montmorillonite clays can sequester (bind) aflatoxins contained in grains and oilseeds. 

I have been feeding Nature's Variety for about a month now. So far so good. Her coat looks fabulous and stools are small and firm. I'm hoping this lasts. She looked fine on TOTW but I couldn't take the gas any longer. Clearly something wasn't agreeing with her, and I know it wasn't agreeing with my nose LOL.


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

Sophie_Mom said:


> I have often looked at/thought about trying Nature's Variety. We are on Fromm now, and we have always been really happy with it, but we wouldn't mind adding something to their rotation. The only hesitation I've had is this ingredient: Montmorillonite Clay. Does anyone know what this is? Why they add it? Good/bad? Thanks!!!


It is a specific type of clay which Native peoples have used for centuries for healing and cleansing purposes. I've used it with the dogs for digestive upsets and diarrhea ( just mixed with a little water). I would give it a big thumbs up.


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## KatieBlue'sMidnightSky (Feb 22, 2011)

Currently: Orijen kibble + Nature's Variety Raw Medallions (rotating: Venison, Lamb & Beef) along with fresh fruits, veggies & Greek Yogurt.

Not sure what I'd switch to, but perhpas Fromm or Innova EVO Red?

Just too darn happy to change for now!


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I rotate between Canidae and Diamond Naturals. I guess if one wasn't available, I would just feed the other all the time.


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## Sophie_Mom (Jan 21, 2009)

Thanks for the info on the clay stuff - I think we might give it a try for rotation purposes. The salmon formula sounds great!


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

Debles feed the Nature's Variety salmon and is very pleased ( the prairie I believe).


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

Guess I didn't answer the question initially. Currently feeding Fromm Salmon, want to try Petcurean Go~ Salmon and Oatmeal in the future.


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## sifuyono (May 8, 2008)

mine rotate between pro plan performance and eukanuba performance

love to switch to totw or royal canin, but expensive:doh:


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## Sandy's Dad (Aug 20, 2011)

I am currently feeding Purina Pro Plan, but I think I'm going to be switching. I'm surprised to see its really popular - I'm guessing because it's one of the higher quality brands available at places like petsmart and its not too expensive? It only gets a 2/5 rating on Dog Food Advisor: Purina Pro Plan Dry Dog Food | Review and Rating

I'm not particularly having problems with it, but that review of it worries me, and she does have itchy feet and tummy issues (vomiting) that may or may not be food related. I work at a vet so I can get food just over wholesale cost so I figured I'd try a higher quality brand. I've heard good things about Taste of the Wild, Fromm, Acana, and Orijen. My vet sells Wellness and a lot of people there use it (although I dont think I've heard it mentioned here), and the Wellness Core line of dry food gets 5/5 on dog food advisor, so I'll probably try that.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Sandy's Dad said:


> I am currently feeding Purina Pro Plan, but I think I'm going to be switching. I'm surprised to see its really popular - I'm guessing because it's one of the higher quality brands available at places like petsmart and its not too expensive? It only gets a 2/5 rating on Dog Food Advisor: Purina Pro Plan Dry Dog Food | Review and Rating
> 
> I'm not particularly having problems with it, but that review of it worries me, and she does have itchy feet and tummy issues (vomiting) that may or may not be food related. I work at a vet so I can get food just over wholesale cost so I figured I'd try a higher quality brand. I've heard good things about Taste of the Wild, Fromm, Acana, and Orijen. My vet sells Wellness and a lot of people there use it (although I dont think I've heard it mentioned here), and the Wellness Core line of dry food gets 5/5 on dog food advisor, so I'll probably try that.


Those dog food reviews are... skewed, at best. The person reviewing it often has an agenda to prove, and doesn't have any statistics to back it up. The moment they can show me hard evidence that dogs improve on a 5 star food once taken off of one of their supposed 2 star foods, I'll believe them.

If your dog is doing well on PPP, why switch? You mention itchy feet and vomiting - that may indicate a problem with the food, in which case, by all means try switching foods. But don't base your switch off of an unsubstantiated claim made by some nobody on a dog food rating site.

Sorry if this sounds chastising in any way, I just really dislike those dog food rating sites. I too once believed in them and switched my poor dog through a bunch of "4-5" star foods: Orijen, Solid Gold, Blue Buffalo, Wellness... she had horrible colitis from all of them and it was just a disastrous experience. I finally, per my vet's advice, switched her to a PPP and never looked back. She no longer struggles with diarrhea unless she eats something that is truly bad for her.

I guess what I'm getting at is you really need to choose the food for your dog, not for you. That said, Wellness Core may be the perfect food for your dog, and I hope it is!


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## Summer's Mom (Oct 20, 2010)

Madigan said:


> A 33 lb back of Pro Plan Sensitive stomach cost us about $38 a bag when we bought 2 bags last month.


I know.. I am all the way across the world in Singapore!!

Unbelievably, a bag that size would cost at LEAST $120. And most foods cost around there.. The cheapest you can get is $80-90 from some other brands.. Eukanuba costs $102 for the largest bag. :uhoh:

I found a supplier that does Nature's Variety 15lb bag at $69.. buy 2 bags get 1 free. That is what we're on... :bowl:


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## OldeEnglishD (Aug 21, 2011)

Currently on Fromm Gold and Fromm Pork & Applesauce. If I had to switch I would give Merrick a try.


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

kdmarsh said:


> Those dog food reviews are... skewed, at best. The person reviewing it often has an agenda to prove, and doesn't have any statistics to back it up. The moment they can show me hard evidence that dogs improve on a 5 star food once taken off of one of their supposed 2 star foods, I'll believe them.


Agree with the above. I currently feed Euk Maintenance, but I am considering Diamond Naturals. Most reviews from actual users of the product are good and you can't beat the price. It's $16 a bag/40lb cheaper than Euk in my area.


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## HudsensMama9 (Dec 17, 2009)

We recently switched from Fromm 4-star to Acana. Hudsen is currently halfway through his second bag (Ranchlands) and is doing fantastic...poops are small, coat looks great, and he is gobbling it all up! I LOVE Fromm. Unfortunately, I loved it more than Hud Bud did. I was tired of having to try everything under the sun to get him to eat it. I'd switch flavors every month or so, and he still was picky. He liked the grain-free flavors best, but after a bowl or two from a new bag, he'd refuse to eat it. I was tired of having to think of new things to mix in. By the end of June, he would go an entire day without eating any kibble. We finally switched to Acana and he is doing great! I might give Fromm another shot one day, but for now, we're happy with Acana Ranchlands or Pacifica.


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

Been using Canidea ALS Grain Free for years. I love it. My dogs look great, beautiful healthy coats. No health problems, no gas, no loose stools, etc. They only thing I don't like is the price is starting to creep up. That will make me sad the day I can't reason with the price.


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

I feed TOTW. If I had to switch, it would be to Acana or Orijen.


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## Casey and Samson's Mom (Sep 24, 2011)

We are on Fromm Large Breed gold...Would go back to origen in a minute if it were not so expensive for feeding 2 dogs!


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## desi.n.nutro (Mar 18, 2011)

I am on NATURAL CHOICE LB. I love the guarantee to improve the skin and coat and have less shedding. I also like that it is all natural and has Glucosamine and Chondroitin. They love it. I love the price. If I were to switch I would go to ULTRA but one of my dogs really gets sick with lamb.


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

desi.n.nutro said:


> I am on NATURAL CHOICE LB. I love the guarantee to improve the skin and coat and have less shedding. I also like that it is all natural and has Glucosamine and Chondroitin. They love it. I love the price. If I were to switch I would go to ULTRA but one of my dogs really gets sick with lamb.


Ugh! More spam from Nutro. Please tell everyone how much glucosamine/chondroitin is in your Nat Choice and offer any data that shows this small amount has any clinical value WHATSOEVER.


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## LaylaBauer1718 (Sep 25, 2011)

We just did the switch for both Layla and Bauer from Nature's Recipe to Nutro Natural Choice for Large Breed puppies. It's a growth control food that our vet recommended because if large dogs grow too fast in the early stages, it could lead to joint strain and other problems.

Natural Choice is great so far- 35 lb bag for $45 at Petsmart, which isn't bad for quality food. So far, we've noticed their coats look shinier and their digestive systems are better on track.

I recommend this brand- at least for the puppy stages.


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## LaylaBauer1718 (Sep 25, 2011)

artbuc said:


> Ugh! More spam from Nutro. Please tell everyone how much glucosamine/chondroitin is in your Nat Choice and offer any data that shows this small amount has any clinical value WHATSOEVER.


Sorry, I didn't read your post until after I had posted. I don't see anything wrong with Nutro Natural Choice. I already see a difference in my dogs by switching to it. They love the taste and if it has healthy ingredients and great benefits, why not buy it?


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## Heidi36oh (Feb 27, 2007)

I feed my crew Blue Buffalo Lamb and brown Rice, we switched in spring and it got Chloe thought the summer without any hotspots.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

We'd been on Eukanuba Adult Maintenance (except for a short, failed experiment with ProPlan.) Our vet wants us to switch back to Fromm, so.... switching back to Fromm 4-star.


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## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

If I had to switch the girls from Blue Wilderness, I would switch them to Fromm.


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## newport (Aug 8, 2011)

I do a half cup each of Evenger's grain free and EVO in the morning. At night I just feed Lola raw meat( Usually Bravo brand) and vegis. She gets lots of supplements( I work in a health food store and run the pet section)


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

Ike's was on ProPlan chicken/rice but itched himself into repeated ear infections. We switched to Merrick's Wilderness Blend and the itching stopped, his coat became glossier, and he loved the taste. He tends to get bored with his food, so I do switch between Merrick WB, Evo Red Meat, The Honest Kitchen, and now Blue Buffalo fish/sweet potato. He's done well on all of them and (knock on wood) can switch between them without tummy upset or loose stools.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

paula bedard said:


> Ike's was on ProPlan chicken/rice but itched himself into repeated ear infections. We switched to Merrick's Wilderness Blend and the itching stopped, his coat became glossier, and he loved the taste. He tends to get bored with his food, so I do switch between Merrick WB, Evo Red Meat, The Honest Kitchen, and now Blue Buffalo fish/sweet potato. He's done well on all of them and (knock on wood) can switch between them without tummy upset or loose stools.


I love Merrick's kibble. 

I stress out about his coat not being as nice as it was when he was strictly on Nutro, but he's done really great on it.


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

The girls are doing great on Timberwolf. We do rotate occassionally so if we had to switch, it would probably be to Wellness CORE... another they do well on in their rotation.


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## Benita (Oct 12, 2011)

Ljilly28 said:


> I am going to give Nature's Variety a try this winter. Feeding Orijen and TOTW right now.


Those are the ones I give Matt. We started with Evo, TOTW then to Fromm but I did not like the poop at all. It was almost yellow and way too soft. Changed his Food to Orijen red meat but going back to TOTW after that. 

Besides that I would always make sure that the Food is Grain and Corn free and that Meat is the first ingredient.


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## Sosoprano (Apr 27, 2011)

I feed Canidae ALS and Pippa's doing well on it. I do think her poops are larger than they ought to be for her size, but I'm kind of thinking that if it ain't actually broke, I shouldn't fix it. As to what I would go to--Fromm, Orijen, Merrick? I used to think TOTW, but I think there's some suspicion that they've changed their formula (though they haven't said so). Bottom line: I don't know!!


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## desi.n.nutro (Mar 18, 2011)

LaylaBauer1718 said:


> Sorry, I didn't read your post until after I had posted. I don't see anything wrong with Nutro Natural Choice. I already see a difference in my dogs by switching to it. They love the taste and if it has healthy ingredients and great benefits, why not buy it?


I am a big fan too. I have been feeding it for 10 years and have included it in for 12. I have worked for NUTRO for 8 years and love that too. I have said this a thousand times, "NUTRO has done everything for my dogs and cats that it claimed it would." If it has good results for your puppies then .

I think Artbuc is worried about Glucosamine and Chondroitin being of benefit to animals and how much it takes and natural or synthetic? I've heard this debate before. I am not a scientist so I just keep reading on the subject trying to decide who's study is accurate. 

I probably should count myself lucky but for 5 Goldens and one Royal (110 lbs) Poodle I have had no joint issues. G&C? Good nutrition? Luck? Last week my 5 year old got injured and broke toes and got her hip and elbow cut up when she was run over by the farrier. I have been giving her Hip & Joint (G&C and green lipped mussel) and it helped with the swelling and the pain. So my proof is also in the results.


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

I think what he was saying is that the amount of glucosamine and chondroitin in food (ANY food) is not enough to be considered of therapeutic value. http://www.nutro.com/natural-dog-food/natural-choice-dog-food/large-breed-adult-dog-food-dry.aspx According to the guaranteed analysis, there is 250 mg of glucosamine in a kilogram ( which is 2.2 lbs). As a comparison, there is 600 mg of glucosamine in 1 cosequin DS pill.


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## desi.n.nutro (Mar 18, 2011)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> I think what he was saying is that the amount of glucosamine and chondroitin in food (ANY food) is not enough to be considered of therapeutic value.


 
Agreed. Not therapeutic at all. In NUTRO, they help _*maintain*_ healthy joints.


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## Aria (Jan 21, 2010)

Aria was on the ProPlan Salmon and Rice and over the last winter gained a lot of weight. On the vet's recommendation we put her on Royal Canin Satiety Support to try to shed pounds. Over the summer she has lost quite a few pounds and now is looking much better. She is a large golden and will never look skinny. The Royal Canin was very expensive so now we have moved to Natural Choice LB Weight Management which is half the price! We noticed her coat deteriorated over the summer while she was on the special food. So we are hoping the new food will improve her coat too. That seems to be what others are saying about this food. Let's hope it works.


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

I feed a partial raw diet, BARF with Core and lots of supplements. Honestly, I have no idea what I would use as an alternate at this point. It would be all natural (no grains) and there would still be some raw and veggies mixed in. Needless to say the supplements would stay too.


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

Aria said:


> Aria was on the ProPlan Salmon and Rice and over the last winter gained a lot of weight. On the vet's recommendation we put her on Royal Canin Satiety Support to try to shed pounds. Over the summer she has lost quite a few pounds and now is looking much better. She is a large golden and will never look skinny. The Royal Canin was very expensive so now we have moved to Natural Choice LB Weight Management which is half the price! We noticed her coat deteriorated over the summer while she was on the special food. So we are hoping the new food will improve her coat too. That seems to be what others are saying about this food. Let's hope it works.


Just find a good food. It is how much you feed not what you feed. You con't need a special food to keep them fit. How much were you feeding her when she was on the regular food?


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## Aria (Jan 21, 2010)

MGMF said:


> Just find a good food. It is how much you feed not what you feed. You con't need a special food to keep them fit. How much were you feeding her when she was on the regular food?


She was getting 3 1/2 cups a day. If you give less food, she would get less calories, but I would worry that she might not be getting sufficient essential nutrients.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Aria said:


> She was getting 3 1/2 cups a day. If you give less food, she would get less calories, but I would worry that she might not be getting sufficient essential nutrients.


You can cut back to 2 cups a day.


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

Your dog needs less calorie. My girls only eat 2 cups a day and maintain a really healthy weight. 3 1/2 cups is to much if your dog is overweight. Do not feed your dog according to the bag they are usually wrong about proper amount. You should feed the amount according to how your dog looks. I sometime adjusts up or down according to their activity level but it usually only by a 1/2 cup or so. You will still be giving your dog the proper nutrients if they eat less. Just make sure it is a good food. I would rather feed a good regular food at a smaller portion then a diet food. Being overweight is so unhealthy for your dog as it can take years off their life and they don't have enough as it is. You have the control to help her.


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

Acana would be at the top


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