# Food Snobbery Lesson Learned



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

AND.... whatever your dog does best on. Not all dogs thrive on the 5 star foods. I've come to think that while avoiding ingredients from China is a primary concern for our crew, much of the slick advertising is just that.... marketing.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Thank you both for well written, common sense posts!


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

Couldn't agree more. After our horror show with hemangio, I panicked and thanks to the wonders of Amazon Prime, ordered a 50-pound bag of the most high-end, schmancy no grain food I could find and switched our remaining three dogs over to it over two weeks.

Welll....turns out first, they hate it, and second, it gives two out of the three the runs. Back to the Purina One we went...problem solved. Now I just supplement with cooked vegetables and probiotics.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

Same thing here - I wanted to give Max the very best I could, but after trying to get him to eat stuff that he hated, and that gave him the runs half the time, I went to Blue Buffalo. Not the worst, not the best, he loves it and it doesn't give him the runs. 
And it ain't cheap, either!


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

I learned that lesson the hard way. I fed 100% raw (BARF) to my first golden starting when he was 4 years old. He died at 10 from hemangio just like the rest of them do. I was really a believer that this was the key to avoiding cancer. Not. Now my mantra is feed what you are comfortable with, what your dog does well on, and what you can afford.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I believe in a variety of foods. I think any animal that gets the same thing all the time doesn't build up a good resistance to bacteria or viruses. So mine get sometimes different kibble. Sometimes a variety of raw meat. Sometimes raw fish. And sometimes a variety of raw vegetables and fruit. Variety is the spice of life.


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## KeaColorado (Jan 2, 2013)

Tayla's Mom said:


> I started out years ago being very firm on what I wanted to feed my dogs. The best quality kibble I could find. Everyone should do the same I thought and said so. As the years progressed I did more and more food research, kept up with trends and finally started feeding raw and a super high quality freeze dried. Not bad with one big dog, but really pricey with two. Lily wasn't always doing well with the raw portion so I switched to a totally dehydrated food diet for them. First few months I noticed I was spending about $225 a month. By my 6th month I realized I just can't do that so I'm going back to part kibble, I'm trying Fromm and part Grandma Lucy's. My point in this is post is I've realized not to judge people. Everyone needs to feed the best quality food they can AFFORD. You should still do research. I envy little dog owners who can feed a bag of dehydrated food for 6 weeks when that same bag only lasts me 2 weeks! Hopefully, my girls will not mind the change to part kibble.


Thanks for this! I'm in the same boat now that we have a new puppy with a bottomless stomach pit  I am feeding him Fromm because it is what has worked well for his breeder and her lines for many years. I'm mixing in a little fresh food with it as well, and he's doing great!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Funny thing to share....  

When I go on trips with the dogs, I head over to the pet store to buy a 5# bag of food. Easier to travel with, food's better preserved in the bag, etc. 

The pet store didn't have the guys' regular food (Nutrisource) so I just went ahead and bought the 5# bag of Earthborn grain free kibble. It's about $20 for a small bag! But I thought I'd splurge. 

The thing I found out on the trip? Jacks ate it. But Jacks - early on was eating a different bag of food every other month, so he's not picky. He is my good boy who likes whatever I put in front of him.  

Bertie on the other hand..... he sniffed the food and walked away. :doh: And basically he did not eat that night or the next morning. Because absolutely REFUSED to eat the Earthborn kibble. 

Got home and dished out the combination of PPP and NS with extra helpings since he missed a couple meals, and he nommed it all down like he was starving. 

End of story - basically, I know that if they don't have Nutrisource at the store next month when I do this again, then I will just pick up a bag of Pro Plan. And stick with what I know the little bird eats. Considering the Pro Plan is about $10-11? per small bag, don't mind if I do.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

Brooks doesnt refuse anything, but my cat is another story. If i try to feed him the really wonderful, nutritious cat foods, he sniffs at them and walks away as if they were putrid.
So I have realized its's Fancy Feast he will eat (but I need to feed a different variety every time he eats or he will refuse to eat..and he eats 3 cans a day)


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

Noreaster said:


> Now I just supplement with cooked vegetables and probiotics.


Why? How does this supplementation help?


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I learned that lesson long ago and feed what my dogs' do the best on. Currently we have my older Golden on a prescription food that is ridiculed frequently on this forum, but guess what? He's thriving on it! It's the only food that hasn't given him runs...in 4 years! He's been able to gain back weight he lost from malabsorption of the "in" kibbles we tried and he's initiating play about half the time with our younger dog. He's even back to chasing the vacuum cleaner while I attempt to clean a room. 

Seeing this thread reminded me of something I saw recently- how to make your own dog food bag tote: DIY Tote from a Dog Food Bag | The BarkPost. It caught my eye for a couple of reasons, but I also wondered if this thing got popular if dog food arguments would break out in stores and other public places! I did a Google image search and found this one on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/115003694/recycled-dog-food-bag-tote,







which would be my favorite, but I'm not brave enough to take it in public for fear I'd be accosted by the food nazis trying to convert me!


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

Artbuc, I supplement with lightly cooked vegetables because I have two seniors and a dog who needs to lose five pounds, so it's for weight control, fiber, and for variety. I add the probiotics to my oldest dog's food because as we all get older, our digestive processes don't always work as well and I know his don't, because he vomits bile in the mornings (he's 12 going on 13 and a big boy). With the probiotics, he doesn't vomit and his appetite is better.


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

Fruits and veggies have always been a part of any feeding I do. My dogs love everything from squash, green beans, broccoli, carrots, etc. to melons, apples, pears, blue berries, and others.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

I understand wanting to feed the 'best' food out there, but there simply is not a 'best one.' There are SO many foods dogs can thrive on, and as long as they do well (and like you said, can afford it) I don't see a reason to change. Beamer does amazing on Proplan ALS 26/16 Performance. Will I recommend Proplan to future clients, yes! Will I recommend other foods, too? Of course. There are some that I won't touch with a 10 foot pole... but if the animal isn't thriving, I definitely always look into what food they are feeding and I'd say a good amount of the time, it has to do with diet. Thanks for your post, hope your pups do great on the kibble ^^


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## brianne (Feb 18, 2012)

A great thread. "Feed a good quality food that your dog does well on and that you can afford." My previous dogs ate a very plain, non-designer food and lived pretty long, healthy lives. I didn't know much of anything about canine nutrition.

Chum eats Fromm and I had never heard of it before I adopted him. The rescue group feeds that because they believe that many of the dogs they take into rescue might not have been fed an adequate diet before. He thrives on it and I have been impressed by everything I have read about it, so I continued him on it.

The only time I turn into a "food snob" is when I see someone buying a bag of Ol' Roy, but I try to keep my thoughts and opinions to myself because if may be the only thing they can afford


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

Only time I give my opinion(except here ) is when I'm asked for it. Lots of people can only afford the super cheap stuff.


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## Ruby13 (Dec 28, 2013)

msdogs1976 said:


> Only time I give my opinion(except here ) is when I'm asked for it. Lots of people can only afford the super cheap stuff.


So true...And, with all the starved rescues out there, I have to be thankful that they are feeding them at all...Even the 'bad' food is better than no food at all. I don't judge, just glad they are taking care of them the best they can, and I would certainly never say anything. 

We feed Taste of the Wild, mainly because I want everyone to eat the same thing, and Pedro has to have it due to skin/food allergies. I've tried numerous brands and this is the only one he does well on, and with two other dogs who tend to over eat and put on the pounds, higher protein is necessary in our house. If it weren't, I'd probably go with Purina One - it is the one I use to transition new dogs over onto the Taste of the Wild. 

I've been through the raw thing with my little dogs, when we were trying to determine Pedro's allergies. They were never overly excited about it, and I sure wasn't. (I have a thing about raw meat ever since I looked at a piece of steak under a microscope years ago...) But I tried it, for their benefit.


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## samralf (Aug 11, 2012)

Ruby13 said:


> So true...And, with all the starved rescues out there, I have to be thankful that they are feeding them at all...Even the 'bad' food is better than no food at all. I don't judge, just glad they are taking care of them the best they can, and I would certainly never say anything.
> 
> We feed Taste of the Wild, mainly because I want everyone to eat the same thing, and Pedro has to have it due to skin/food allergies. I've tried numerous brands and this is the only one he does well on, and with two other dogs who tend to over eat and put on the pounds, higher protein is necessary in our house. If it weren't, I'd probably go with Purina One - it is the one I use to transition new dogs over onto the Taste of the Wild.
> 
> I've been through the raw thing with my little dogs, when we were trying to determine Pedro's allergies. They were never overly excited about it, and I sure wasn't. (I have a thing about raw meat ever since I looked at a piece of steak under a microscope years ago...) But I tried it, for their benefit.


What did you see under the microscope???


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

With apologies to the moderators....

Isn't it sad that one of the most important decisions we make, where we often seek help, has become a battlefield with posters making snarky mocking comments full of hyperbole?

Trying to find users' experiences in a thread is nearly impossible without having to wade through egotistical self described "experts" bashing people's choices with pseudo scientific hyperbole and mocking. Makes the continuing search for the optimal food for our dogs to do well on, and real life experiences, a rather distasteful exercise. 

A review of this subforum reads like a bunch of chest thumping gorillas trying to outmacho the opposition. 

Really......I want to discuss, not be ridiculed and pummeled into submission by a show of self serving attempts at erudition. 

I recently asked for an opinion on phosphorus/calcium ratio for a puppy food and got smacked with being told the food I was asking about was nothing more than "starchy breakfast cereal" by someone who keeps spamming the forum with his food of choice.....oh please....spare me....

(If this results in some sort of negative action against me, mods, I accept your decision. I just got tired of having to wade through a pond of knee deep steaming mess.)


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

Alaska7133 said:


> I believe in a variety of foods. I think any animal that gets the same thing all the time doesn't build up a good resistance to bacteria or viruses. So mine get sometimes different kibble. Sometimes a variety of raw meat. Sometimes raw fish. And sometimes a variety of raw vegetables and fruit. Variety is the spice of life.


I agree here and my pups are on a good rotation. So far, they never get bored of their food, and they are doing very well on their diets.

All the treats I give them, are 100% natural which are fruits, vegetables and cooked meats. I don't buy store treats (sometimes dried lamb lungs), and I like knowing that my pups are getting good stuff.


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

Lilliam said:


> With apologies to the moderators....
> 
> Isn't it sad that one of the most important decisions we make, where we often seek help, has become a battlefield with posters making snarky mocking comments full of hyperbole?
> 
> ...


Hear, hear! (Meaning, I agree). I just don't engage with the negatives anymore. I state my piece and leave it alone.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Funny, the food and puppy expert nazis basically drove me from no longer posting much on this forum. I wonder how much collective info is lost by others leaving and refraining from posting because of these types jumping all over posters just looking for general information.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Lilliam said:


> With apologies to the moderators....
> 
> Isn't it sad that one of the most important decisions we make, where we often seek help, has become a battlefield with posters making snarky mocking comments full of hyperbole?
> 
> ...


I've seen a lot of this on food threads, but this particular one doesn't have any of that so I'm not sure why it prompted your post??


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

mylissyk said:


> I've seen a lot of this on food threads, but this particular one doesn't have any of that so I'm not sure why it prompted your post??



Because being titled food snobbery and dealing with individuals who feel the need to browbeat those whose opinions did not align with theirs on what is the optimal food, I added my recent experience.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Lilliam said:


> Because being titled food snobbery and dealing with individuals who feel the need to browbeat those whose opinions did not align with theirs on what is the optimal food, I added my recent experience.


I thought this title was perfect for your post actually!


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

Dallas Gold said:


> I thought this title was perfect for your post actually!



Yah I didn't want to open a new thread but I just HAD to get that off my chest. 

Look at the first six threads on the subforum today and you'll see plenty of examples once they get going. 

Makes me not want to ask anything. You'd think what I am feeding is Gravy Train to hear some people.


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## Test-ok (Jan 15, 2015)

> You'd think what I am feeding is Gravy Train to hear some people


lol..I don't know. I can pretty much eat anything if it's got gravy on it.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

I can tell you this, I have not seen any where close to the rudeness, hatefulness, etc about dog food on here as I did on the old mixed breed forum I was on. Was the first forum I found after losing Hunter to ProHeart6 way back in 2003, and that lead to many others.

There was one girl on there with a chow chow with horrible stomach issues and was on Science Diet for that problem and doing well. BUT the high handed ones actually accused her of "killing her dog by feeding her Science Death" and kept telling her to try this and try that if she really loved her dog. The poor girl would try these high end foods and the dog would get very sick. I felt so sorry for her being brow beaten like that and being convicne3d she was killing her dog--when in truth it was those snobs that were doing it. 

I also know a couple that left because of them. I was feeding Pro Plan and was told if I truly loved my dogs I would change. I said no, they were doing great on it. THEN I WAS TOLD I WAS TO OLD TO LEARN ANY BETTER. I was 58 at the time. I tell you, so many then spoke up about feeding their dogs Pedigree, Purina dog Chow, Science Diet for medical problems, etc, etc. They had not spoken earlier becaue they didn't want to be beat up over it, but after such rudeness, they did. And that person that posted that about me was kicked off along with a couple more who had been rude to me and a couple of others who didn't feed as they felt we should.

The thing is you should feed what you can afford and what your dog does best on. Maybe you can't give them the best food in the world , but you sure as blazes can give them the best love in the world. and I think they will like that more than the best food. 

Our two gets 4Health grain free, and we change it each bag. They also get a little home made turkey stew each day (boil ground turkey, fresh cut up sweet potatoes and apples and bag of green beans or peas and carrots). Give them each 1/2 cup a day. Freeze it in 2 cup containers which will last two days. I make the pumpkin treats using 1 can of pumpkin, 3/4 cup cream of wheat or cream of rice (dry) and 1/2 cup dry powdered milk, mix together, drop by spoons on lightly greased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper instead of spray) and bake at 300 for 15-12 minutes deepening on how large you make them. I also boil chunks of sweet potatoes for treats. Both are stored in fridge. Not the highest dollar food, but they do great on it, as did Honey. We had feed Honey & KayCee Taste of the Wild before having to survive on Social Security. Had to go lower on price of food, but not on maount of love.


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## ktkins7 (Jul 20, 2013)

Personally I think feed whatever your dog does best on that you can afford. Ella isn't on inexpensive food, but I tried other expensive foods and either she didn't like them or she didn't do well on them. I experimented until I found what works for her. In our case it's Nature's Variety Raw Instinct in the morning and Acana dry food at night. I rotate proteins. I'll probably try to rotate the dry food brand in case of recall as long as she does well with it. Right now it isn't a stretch for me to afford her diet. I considered all raw but the cost would be pushing it more than I'm comfortable with and I want dry food as a backup in case of travel or if someone else has to watch her for some reason.

I don't agree when people start bashing others that are doing the best they can. The keys are that they are providing for their dog the best they can and giving them a good loving home.


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## Test-ok (Jan 15, 2015)

I second the Taste of the Wild, my dogs love it along with our leftovers mixed in,
Has anyone tried Ellen DeGeneres Halo dog food line?


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## ktkins7 (Jul 20, 2013)

Ella did well on TotW by she didn't like it. Would only pick at it. 

Ellen Degeneres has a food line?


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

ktkins7 said:


> I don't agree when people start bashing others that are doing the best they can. The keys are that they are providing for their dog the best they can and giving them a good loving home.



Agreed. The bashing is unnecessary. 

My dogs did great on Innova and even better on Evo. But because of the recalls I had to try something else and I tried Orijen. Max actually went in a hunger strike. So I tried Wellness and they both are doing great on it. 

Don't need to hear someone who's spamming the boards with his own choice in every food thread telling me that mine is nothing more than breakfast cereal full of carbs. That really got a burr under my saddle.


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

ktkins7 said:


> Ella did well on TotW by she didn't like it. Would only pick at it.
> 
> Ellen Degeneres has a food line?



Yes, Halo. Haven't tried it.


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

Test-ok said:


> I second the Taste of the Wild, my dogs love it along with our leftovers mixed in,
> Has anyone tried Ellen DeGeneres Halo dog food line?



Haven't tried this one. Thinking about it.


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## SunnynSey (Jan 17, 2015)

Fromm has a wonderful economic line at about $1/lbs and it doesn't seem to skimp on quality. I found it when I was searching for a "cheap" quality food for my parents rescue (my dad was feeding Beneful and with the recent stories on the news about poisoning he finally agreed on a switch) and I feel good that the company has never had a recall.


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## T&T (Feb 28, 2008)

But is it ok to share research/studies on nasty ingredients, no matter the kibble ? Because sometimes I wonder ... IMO there's no such thing as the perfect kibble (processed food with added synthetic / GM vitamins ) And no I don't feed raw, except for treats, I rotate kibble all the time & try to feed as much real food as possible. Sad that consumers are so divided ... instead they should unite & keep on top of pet food giants.


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

T&T said:


> But is it ok to share research/studies on nasty ingredients, no matter the kibble ? Because sometimes I wonder ... IMO there's no such thing as the perfect kibble (processed food with added synthetic / GM vitamins ) And no I don't feed raw, except for treats, I rotate kibble all the time & try to feed as much real food as possible. Sad that consumers are so divided ... instead they should unite & keep on top of pet food giants.



It's all about the delivery. How the question or information is worded.


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