# Looking for feedback on a few foods



## GoldenPuppy (Mar 20, 2010)

Never heard of any of those, but ask your vet which foods he/she reccomends


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## Goldilocks (Jun 3, 2007)

Blondie said:


> I'm looking to switch my 16 week old Maggie to adult food. I am looking for some feedback, thoughts and/or opinions on the following:
> 
> 1. Innova - seems to be a basic all around food with all the right nutrients and such.
> 2. EVO - a good grain free choice, although a bit high on the protein( isn't high protein bad for the kidney's? It is in humans.) and high in the calcium/phopherous panel, but seems to get really high ratings from what I've read.
> ...


If it were me, I would go with the Innova. It's a very good food made by a reliable company and it is a "traditional" food in that it contains grains. I would stay away from EVO and Orijen until your pup is over a year old. These high calorie grain free foods are not for growing large breed puppies.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

We use Horizon Complete....our dogs have done well on it. I would be inclined to lean towards the Innova if Horizon wasn't available.

Here is a link if you would like to take a look at it:

http://www.horizonpetfood.com/


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

We feed California Natural Herring & Sweet Potato and it has done wonders for Tucker's food allergies. We are also starting the process of switching Tyson over to it from his Pro Plan puppy formula. It's a limited ingredient food, which is great for dogs with allergies and sensitivies. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it at all. It's an excellent food.


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## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

Honest kitchen , i have found dogs love it, they lick, and lick the bowl!


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## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

Goldilocks said:


> If it were me, I would go with the Innova. It's a very good food made by a reliable company and it is a "traditional" food in that it contains grains. I would stay away from EVO and Orijen until your pup is over a year old. These high calorie grain free foods are not for growing large breed puppies.


Orijen is actually fine for all size puppies, the calcium/phos ratio is well within the limits. EVO, on the other hand, is not recommended for puppies that will mature to 50 lbs. and over.


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## MILLIESMOM (Aug 13, 2006)

Millie had food allergies and my vet recommended California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato. Her coat was absolutely beautiful. Pearl does very well on this food also. It is a little fishy smelling I keep it in a container with a snap lid.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Goldilocks said:


> If it were me, I would go with the Innova. It's a very good food made by a reliable company and it is a "traditional" food in that it contains grains. I would stay away from EVO and Orijen until your pup is over a year old. These high calorie grain free foods are not for growing large breed puppies.


I agree.

Honest Kitchen is also a good product, but I find it lower in protein than I prefer, and if I fed it I would feed it along with some extra meat.


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## Doodle (Apr 6, 2009)

We use CN lamb and rice and it's been great for Brady's allergies. It's the only food that doesn't give him soft stools.


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

I feed EVO and my golden is doing great on it, but as others mentioned, it's not made for young pups. I fed Innova when I fostered puppies and didn't have any issues.


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Just wanted to add, if you're pup is doing great on ProPlan puppy why not switch her to the adult version. Pups can have different reactions to food and what one might think to be a really high end might leave one pup thriving and another battling loose stools. After cleaning up more than my fair share of loose & runny stools, I don't like to play around with food changes unless necessary.


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

I was given some small sample bags of EVO, now I'm wondering what to do with them? Do you think I could use the EVO for treats? Just a couple at a time for training and rewards? I was also given California Natural samples. It seems everyone who uses California Natural Sweet Potato formula absolutely rave about there dogs coat! Do you ever rotate foods from the same manufacturer if your dog can tolerate it? For example seasonally, Spring: Innova, Summer: Evo, Fall: California Natural, Winter: Innova, Red Meat version. This would be intended for an adult dog of course. I've heard it's good to change things up a bit and not feed them the same thing all the time. Then there's always the flip side saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

We feed acana and have had good result with it. Jack has firm stools, which he didn't have on his puppy food, and seems to be thriving. He has a nice coat and overall is doing well. He also loves the food, which is a plus. We haven't had a problem with availability at all, we've been ordering from doggiefood.com and it comes within a week usually. All those foods seem great though. EVO and Orijen are a bit too high protein for my taste for a puppy. That's why we went with Acana. The others on your list were all contenders for us though...so I doubt you can go wrong. It's just about what agrees with Maggie


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## kgiff (Jul 21, 2008)

I think it's too early to switch her to Evo?

I feed my guys Evo and Orijen/Acana (I flip back and forth based on what I can get my hands on). 

Not all foods work the same for all dogs (hence why I feed multiple foods). I have one with allergies who does horrible on Evo and one with stomach sensitivities that the only thing we've found that works is Evo. 

The first five foods you listed would make my short list (I haven't looked into Honest Kitchen). A lot of it comes down to what is available in your area, price, and how your dog does on it.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

FWIW, I feed Innova Large Breed Puppy and am very happy with the results. Hank's been on it since he was 6 weeks old. Great energy, firm stools, healthy weight and his coat & skin are beautiful. I'm planning to keep him on Innova when I switch to the adult formula.


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## Goldenmomma (Oct 15, 2009)

Why are you switching to adult food so soon? I kept both of mine on puppy large breed until after their first year (per my vet).


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

Goldenmomma said:


> Why are you switching to adult food so soon? I kept both of mine on puppy large breed until after their first year (per my vet).


Switching to an adult formula between 4 and 6 months of age is best to slow down growth, which is of great benefit to a puppy's bones and joints. A lot of people don't even feed puppy formula and go right to an adult or ALS formula at 8 weeks old. We switched Tucker to adult food at 6 months and we're now just getting ready to switch Tyson, who is just over 4 months old. Staying on puppy food for a year is much too long, IMHO.


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## IowaGold (Nov 3, 2009)

Blondie said:


> 2. EVO - a good grain free choice, although a bit high on the protein( isn't high protein bad for the kidney's? It is in humans.) and high in the calcium/phopherous panel, but seems to get really high ratings from what I've read.


High protein is not hard on healthy kidneys. At one time it was believed that it was, but studies have shown that it causes no harm to healthy kidneys. If the kidneys are diseased you need to watch the amount of protein (or more importantly the quality of the protein).


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

IowaGold said:


> High protein is not hard on healthy kidneys. At one time it was believed that it was, but studies have shown that it causes no harm to healthy kidneys. If the kidneys are diseased you need to watch the amount of protein (or more importantly the quality of the protein).


Yup, that's what I was told as well. A healthy dog will not have an issue with higher protein, and a dog with kidney issues needs a better quality protein. They may need lower protein for a while to heal things but can't 'thrive' on low protein for long term. 

Lana


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## bwoz (Jul 12, 2007)

I fed Calif Nat Chicken and Rice and also EVO. They're both great foods, but for Banner he still had some itching and a dull coat on both. In all fairness I've come to learn he's not good w/a higher grain or potato content. For me, I was also a little bit concerned about the high protein to be honest. Don't know enough about it to be totally comfortable either way. I was going to try Honest Kitchen but am not comfortable with raw at this point. I figured for the price I was paying I'd try home made dog food. I actually found Freshpet and that's what we're using now. Awesome results. The trick is finding out what type of food you feel comfortable with, kibble, raw, cooked, then finding a product within that choice that works best for your pup. That's all :uhoh::. Good luck, with some time you'll find it.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

My experience with a few of the foods is based on an older dog...Ranger was 9 months when I first started feeding Orijen six fish. He did really well with it (glossy coat, lots of good energy, etc) but it took him awhile to get used to it even with a gradual switch. After orijen changed its formula, he started doing poorly over the last few months. Coat was dry and brittle, he was BRUTALLY gassy...so I switched him to Innova EVO red meat. His coat has improved dramatically in just a few weeks and there's no gas. His energy has leveled off a little bit but he still has the stamina to go for 6-8 miles hikes with no lagging. 

My brother switched his puppy to Acana large puppy and his dog did AWFUL. The runs for 2 months straight and he lost a bunch of weight. Trips to the vet and plain diet for a few weeks and then as soon as they put him back on the Acana, he got the runs. They switched him to Orijen at 5 months and he's been fine ever since.


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## kaysy (Jan 9, 2010)

I think Innova is a good food and may be easier to find.


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## embreeo (Aug 19, 2006)

jwemt81 said:


> Switching to an adult formula between 4 and 6 months of age is best to slow down growth, which is of great benefit to a puppy's bones and joints. A lot of people don't even feed puppy formula and go right to an adult or ALS formula at 8 weeks old. We switched Tucker to adult food at 6 months and we're now just getting ready to switch Tyson, who is just over 4 months old. Staying on puppy food for a year is much too long, IMHO.


I totally agree! My rule of thumb is one large bag of puppy food from when you bring the pup home, then switch to a high quality adult food.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Actually, if you follow Rhonda Hovan's slow growth recommendations, she recommends slowing the pups growth between birth and about 4 months, and then allowing for "normal" growth. She suggests weaning directly onto an adult food or a large breed puppy food. At 4 months, she suggests switching to a premium adult food.

http://www.jrsgoldenangels.com/slowgrow.html

I generally wean directly onto an ALS food, and keep the puppies on it for the rest of their lives.


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## Makino82 (Oct 23, 2009)

Been on Orijen Large Breed Puppy until about 8 months, now on Orijen adult and she's almost 1 year. She's in excellent condition! I attempted to switch to Innova at one point as I was unsure of the protein content originally, but there was something in it that just didn't agree with her. You may have to experiment with a few of the brands you like, as not every food works the same with every dog.


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

Thanks everyone for your valued opinions. Lots to think about and consider. I'm in the process of switching my Maggie to Innova adult. She seems to be doing well. I will consider the grain free formulas when she is older. I like having a few options to consider as a back up plan and as she gets older, along with some new tastes to try. I understand it's all trial and error. Thanks a bunch.


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## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

GoldenPuppy said:


> Never heard of any of those, but ask your vet which foods he/she reccomends


Anything made by Natura (Innova, Evo, Ca. Nat.) is great.
If I asked my vet what she recommended, as much as I love her, my dogs would be eating Science Diet. And that won't ever happen. Vets seem to know next to nothing about canine and feline nutrition.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Taz Monkey said:


> Anything made by Natura (Innova, Evo, Ca. Nat.) is great.
> If I asked my vet what she recommended, as much as I love her, my dogs would be eating Science Diet. And that won't ever happen. Vets seem to know next to nothing about canine and feline nutrition.


Lol, they're either clueless about nutrition or they're the exact opposite. My new vet is already subtly making hints to me that I should feed Flora raw, which is incredibly weird to hear that coming from a vet. :


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## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

Blondie said:


> Thanks everyone for your valued opinions. Lots to think about and consider. I'm in the process of switching my Maggie to Innova adult.


Please watch her weight...Innova is packed with calories, (504/cup), much higher than almost any other food, including the grain free foods. It can add weight very, very quickly.


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

kwhit said:


> Please watch her weight...Innova is packed with calories, (504/cup), much higher than almost any other food, including the grain free foods. It can add weight very, very quickly.


 

When we cycle Innova, I use the large breed....... less calories ( in the high 300 range) and also more protein. Remember that to a large extent all of the senior, large dog, etc names are nothing more than marketing.


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## Rctriplefresh5! (Mar 24, 2010)

Blondie said:


> I was given some small sample bags of EVO, now I'm wondering what to do with them? Do you think I could use the EVO for treats? Just a couple at a time for training and rewards? I was also given California Natural samples. It seems everyone who uses California Natural Sweet Potato formula absolutely rave about there dogs coat! Do you ever rotate foods from the same manufacturer if your dog can tolerate it? For example seasonally, Spring: Innova, Summer: Evo, Fall: California Natural, Winter: Innova, Red Meat version. This would be intended for an adult dog of course. I've heard it's good to change things up a bit and not feed them the same thing all the time. Then there's always the flip side saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."


howd you score samples of the evo???? i wantsz me some!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

Taz Monkey said:


> Anything made by Natura (Innova, Evo, Ca. Nat.) is great.
> 
> I 100% agree. Don't forget to throw Healthwise in there as well.


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

Thanks for the tip Karen. I had been thinking about the calorie total and thought I'd adjust things to give her 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup, for her morning meal, this would come to 420 calories total. Then for her evening meal, I'd cut back to 3/4 cup which comes to 378 calories, for a total of 798 calories. Her puppy food was 400 calories a cup, and she got 1 cup in the morning and 1 cup in the evening. I hope you'll agree this is a reasonable amount. It seems a the higher quality nutrient dense food, requires smaller servings. I do give a mid-day snack of either carrots, apples and/or blueberries. I also give Kong treats on occassion to include: yogurt or banana(with yogurt and wheat germ), or peanut butter. Not every day of course, but a couple times a week, especially when I need to leave her for a few hours. She is a lean, active and fit female and I want to keep her that way. My neighbor up the street doesn't have a clue and kept their female GR on puppy food for a year and now she's 10 pounds overweight. Plus I NEVER, did I say NEVER see them outside with her walking or anything!

Just ask for samples of premium dogfood at holistic/specialty pet food shops, they should have plenty of samples available! I get them from all the places I visit. They each encourage their own opinion of what they think is the best. I'll listen to what they have to say, consider it, do my homework, ask my friends here on the forum(by the way, whose opinions and wisdom I highly respect). I too want that picture of health, gorgeous healthy golden retriever with the beautiful coat and beautiful smile!


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Ranger was getting 2 cups a day of Orijen six fish from July 2009 to February 2010 and his weight ranged from 70-75 lbs. He got a little plumper in the winter when our activity decreased but I've switched him to EVO and kept him at 2 cups and he's actually losing weight. He's much leaner looking on EVO even though he's getting more calories at the same amount of food. Anymore than 2 cups though and he plumps up like nobody's business!


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