# Worst foods



## KeaColorado (Jan 2, 2013)

I saw this on a friend's facebook wall the other day and thought I'd share since I see a lot of talk of the best foods on this forum.

Top 7 Worst Dog Food Brands - Holistic And Organix Pet Shoppe

Corn is the first ingredient in all of them...but I guess they try to make it sound better by calling it whole grain corn : I don't necessarily agree with ALL the ingredients to avoid listed at the bottom though. 

So, food for thought and friendly discussion (pun intended), which ingredients do YOU avoid in dog foods?


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

I avoid gluten for sure-I started because I have celiac disease and its easy to contaminate myself-but now know its not great for them either!
I also avoid corn and soy and by-products
I pretty much feed them as I do myself-it needs to recognized as real food!

Kenzie says "Hi" to auntie Kea!


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

Bleck, yeah, I'd never recommend any of those foods. Unfortunately, so many people think Beneful is a great food from the commercials, and we see SO many dogs with issues on it (though, I can say the exact same thing for Blue Buffalo, actually).


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## bonacker (Jun 30, 2009)

KeaColorado said:


> I saw this on a friend's facebook wall the other day and thought I'd share since I see a lot of talk of the best foods on this forum.
> 
> Top 7 Worst Dog Food Brands - Holistic And Organix Pet Shoppe
> 
> ...



Thank you for passing this on. I have done tons of research on dog food (while looking for answers on the horrible high incidence of cancer in our Goldens) and the benefits of the more premium brands over the popular advertised store brands. Unfortunately, if you don't do the research, you assume what you are feeding your dogs is good nutrition based on what the media is cramming down our throat in advertising. I bookmarked the article since it is a good synopsis of what I have learned and will share it with others when I get into conversations about the benefits of feeding our dogs good foods.


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## KeaColorado (Jan 2, 2013)

Rainheart said:


> Bleck, yeah, I'd never recommend any of those foods. Unfortunately, so many people think Beneful is a great food from the commercials, and we see SO many dogs with issues on it (though, I can say the exact same thing for Blue Buffalo, actually).


I have quite a few pet sitting clients who feed beneful. Anecdotally, I've noticed smelly dogs, chronic ear infections and unscrupulously large quantities of poo. I must say there are some good marketing tactics with all those tasty veggies and meats on the bag...of course that's what makes the red, brown and green morsels, right?! 

I'm reading a really good book right now by Lew Olson, PhD, called Raw and Natural nutrition for dogs. I like that it's not a bible thumpin' my way or the highway sort of read, and she offers suggestions for raw, homecooked, integrating kibble, and finding what works for you and your dog, as dogs are individuals and a one size fits all strategy isn't always effective.


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

I have no ax to grind for or against any of the foods listed (though I have serious reservations about several). Just want to say that I believe this website has its own agenda and their choices and ratings should be just one piece of information considered when making food choices.


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

I wouldn't feed the mice in my house any of that garbage!


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## KeaColorado (Jan 2, 2013)

OutWest said:


> I have no ax to grind for or against any of the foods listed (though I have serious reservations about several). Just want to say that I believe this website has its own agenda and their choices and ratings should be just one piece of information considered when making food choices.


I completely agree, information like this should most definitely be taken with a grain of salt, as with a lot of information on the Internet. I feel the same way about the dog food advisor website. Luckily, my breeder and my vet are both great sources of info on nutrition. I generally try to avoid corn, some of the harsher chemical preservatives and artificial colors because in my experience my dogs have been sensitive to these things.


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

KeaColorado said:


> I completely agree, information like this should most definitely be taken with a grain of salt, as with a lot of information on the Internet. I feel the same way about the dog food advisor website. Luckily, my breeder and my vet are both great sources of info on nutrition. I generally try to avoid corn, some of the harsher chemical preservatives and artificial colors because in my experience my dogs have been sensitive to these things.


As natural as possible and as the exchequer can support is my philosophy. :


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## KeaColorado (Jan 2, 2013)

Well I'm just really glad I didn't see rabbit turds on that list because Kea eats a lot of those. Phew!


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## newport (Aug 8, 2011)

Lola only gets Fromm dry and raw meat. Lots of raw chopped kale and carrots, supplements, dried mushrooms, NOTHING junky. Why would anyone feed a Costco or Walmart brand dry dog food.... WHY have a dog if you can not afford to feed it.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

Rainheart said:


> Bleck, yeah, I'd never recommend any of those foods. Unfortunately, so many people think Beneful is a great food from the commercials, and we see SO many dogs with issues on it (*though, I can say the exact same thing for Blue Buffalo, actually*).


Why? What ingredient/s in Blue Buffalo do you feel are bad?


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

KeaColorado said:


> I generally try to avoid corn, some of the harsher chemical preservatives and artificial colors because in my experience my dogs have been sensitive to these things.


Corn and soy are good to avoid imo unless they are organic. They are just completely messed up foods anymore due to Genetic Modification and heavy heavy pesticide/herbicide usage. I'm personally relieved to finally see some research coming out about how toxic roundup is, especially when used on a food source. I too plan to start doing more than the basic "good food" for our pups. Any advice on organic dog food?



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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

The BEST food made is the one your own dog does the best on. The WORST food made is the one your dog doesn't do well on.
Period.


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

Willow52 said:


> Why? What ingredient/s in Blue Buffalo do you feel are bad?


She said that pups have issues on those food, but the same (the issues) happen to pups on BB. A lot of dogs get soft, runny stools on BB. Bear was very very itchy on BB. Not so much now that we switched foods. 


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## bailey46 (Jul 12, 2013)

I agree.

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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

Speaking from experience, the most expensive food is not always the food your dog will thrive on. Selling a food a higher price point does not make it superior if my dogs don't do well on it. 


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I've probably posted this 20 times, but here it is again.
I board dogs for a living. In the past 14 years, I have boarded a lot of really, really old dogs. Just thinking quickly, a 16 year old rottweiler, a 17 year old lab mix, a 19 year old beagle mix, a 22 year old American Eskimo, a 20 year old American Eskimo, 2 schnauzers over 20 years old, 2 goldens over 15 years old, my own golden over 16 years old, and a lot more.
EVERY one of them ate a traditional kibble, and NONE of them ate organic/holistic/grain-free kibbles. Purina was heavily represented, mostly Purina ONE, not even the top of the line, Pro Plan, although my old golden gets Pro Plan. The other one that was heavily represented was IAMs. Not Eukanuba, plain old IAMS. Not a one of the dogs, as I can recall, ate anything other than Purina or IAMS foods. 
This is not internet conjecture, it's not a website with an agenda, it's just personal experience. 
The point being, feed your dog what works for you. If you think something in a food is "garbage", despite the fact that thousands of dogs live very long, healthy lives eating it, then by all means don't feed it to your dog. If you can't afford a real expensive food, don't feel guilty, there are lots of excellent lower priced foods available.
And finally, unless you are talking to a certified canine nutritionist (there are only about 35 of them in the US, you have to be a DVM with a PhD in small animal nutrition), don't believe a lot of what you hear or read about dog foods.


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## Bumpers (Jun 21, 2013)

I avoid lentils and "pea protein", any food that does not use animal fat as the primary fat and any food with high mineral content, phosphorous especially.


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

I much prefer an "agenda" promoting healthy foods, especially info on the food sources, to a mega corporations agenda of mass selling their major brands. 


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

Willow52 said:


> Why? What ingredient/s in Blue Buffalo do you feel are bad?


It's nothing about the ingredients, it's just we see lots of dogs with issues on this food.


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## olliversmom (Mar 13, 2013)

I am feeding Olliver Canidae as he came from breeder eating that. He's doing great on it. I like a more healthy food with less fillers, but I try not to put too much emphasis on feeding choices as being only good or bad.

I recall, in 1970, my first Golden "Buffy" ate one can of Alpo per day, heated in the can on the stove. No kibble, no treats, just that canned food. She loved that stuff and lived until she was almost 15, no vet visits ever except annual shots. Was she the exception? I seem to recall loads of old dogs in the neighborhood. Who knows what they were eating back before Merrick came to town. Whatever it was, they lived long time.

Lol, my 98 year old grandma, right up to her last few months, would garden for hours, then cook big pieces of beef in oil on the stove and drink a snifter full of something at noon, she kept in the pantry. So much for cholesterol. She died cause they stuck her in a bad nursing home and she lost her will to live.


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## Michele4 (Oct 28, 2012)

newport said:


> Lola only gets Fromm dry and raw meat. Lots of raw chopped kale and carrots, supplements, dried mushrooms, NOTHING junky. Why would anyone feed a Costco or Walmart brand dry dog food.... WHY have a dog if you can not afford to feed it.



You don't have to spend $60 or more on a bag of dog food to own or LOVE a dog. I do not feed any of these dog foods to any my animals but I know people who do, believe it or not their dogs are healthy and are thriving. To each his own.


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## darcylee (Jun 28, 2013)

Oliversmom - do you feed Merrick? Our puppy is currently on Wellness puppy for large breeds but seems to be having trouble with it. He got shots last Monday, wormers on Thursday, and has been having digestive issues. We fed him chicken, rice, and yogurt until he evened out, then started incorporating his regular food again. It went straight back to runny. So I'm guessing the Wellness is giving his tummy issues? I was looking at trying Merrick.

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## olliversmom (Mar 13, 2013)

darcylee said:


> Oliversmom - do you feed Merrick? Our puppy is currently on Wellness puppy for large breeds but seems to be having trouble with it. He got shots last Monday, wormers on Thursday, and has been having digestive issues. We fed him chicken, rice, and yogurt until he evened out, then started incorporating his regular food again. It went straight back to runny. So I'm guessing the Wellness is giving his tummy issues? I was looking at trying Merrick.
> 
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No Merrick, altho I know a few people I pet sit for do and love it.
We have Olliver On Canidae All Stages Lamb and Rice. He is doing very well with it. I also give him a frozen pumpkin stuffed kong with his mornings nap. He loves it and good for tummy


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## darcylee (Jun 28, 2013)

olliversmom said:


> No Merrick, altho I know a few people I pet sit for do and love it.
> We have Olliver On Canidae All Stages Lamb and Rice. He is doing very well with it. I also give him a frozen pumpkin stuffed kong with his mornings nap. He loves it and good for tummy


I have pumpkin for him as well. He also responds well to some yogurt. I might have to look into changing his food. We're going to slowly transition from the rice, chicken and yogurt diet back to the wellness he has been on and see how he does. I'm hoping I won't have to change it, but time will tell. I am glad to read that other golden puppies have grown out of their sensitive tummies. 


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

Feed whatever works best for you and your furrbutt. Mine eat FROMM kibble because it works for them and I feel safe feeding it. I lost one of my yorkies to tainted treats made by a big name company so product safety is a big thing for me.

My 1 cat Mika at 15 is becoming a picky eater so I am willing to feed her food I may not feed the others.


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## jimla (Oct 9, 2008)

KeaColorado said:


> Well I'm just really glad I didn't see rabbit turds on that list because Kea eats a lot of those. Phew!


Deer and elk poop are a real delicacy for our two!


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

jimla said:


> Deer and elk poop are a real delicacy for our two!


Mine call them "Nature's Raisenettes!" :uhoh:


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## KeaColorado (Jan 2, 2013)

jimla said:


> Deer and elk poop are a real delicacy for our two!


Delicious! We had our first experience with moose poop a few weeks ago. Surprisingly it wasn't as enticing as those darn rabbit turds. Horse manure is apparently pretty tasty as well. Especially when it's fresh and steaming. LOL! 

Me: "NO! Bad dog. Come here!" <as I fumble to pull a few dried up treats from the treat pouch> I get a look that says, "Booooorrrrr-ing. I'll stay right here at the all-natural earth-friendly all-you-can-eat buffet, thankyouverymuch" :yuck:


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