# Which Kibble is better Eagle Pack or Solid Gold??



## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

I have had different views on both these dry dog foods. Some say solid gold is top of the line. I just want to find out from all you dog lovers out there what is your experience with these two dog foods. I do feed raw I alternate days but I just want to feed my dogs the best kibble I can find. Thanks so much.

Kim
NJ


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

Some Eagle Pack formulas have corn, others (the Holistic Select formulas) don't. Solid Gold and Eagle Pack Holistic Select are pretty comparable. A lot of people who feed raw prefer a high-protein grain-free formula such as EVO, Solid Gold's Barking at the Moon, Nature's Variety Instinct, Wellness CORE, Orijen, those are all I can think of.


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

A breeder down the street from me who feeds her dogs raw feeds her dogs Solid Gold Millennia but I was on a toss up between that and the Eagle Pack Holistic Select that you mentioned


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## GoldenShamus (Feb 26, 2007)

If you're buying it for a dog with allergies, becareful, Eagle Pack has a LOT of ingredients in it, which is one reason I opted away from it. 

I did feed Solid Gold to my guy as a pup, Wolf Cub, then around 10 months switched him to their adult line Wolf King...he didn't do well on it, so switched him to Solid Gold Hund n Flocken, which is a lamb formula.

All in all, my particular dog didn't do well on Solid Gold, but I believe it is b/c either the food was too rich for him or he has an allergy to certain proteins, and in truth it may be a little bit of both.

If you google Solid Gold, you may find some interesting articles from the 70's or 80's about the company and some trouble with the federal gov't. I don't really know too much about it or if it's anything to be concerned about now, decades later. But, it's interesting nevertheless.


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## Ardeagold (Feb 26, 2007)

Here's the best kibble I can find!!! (Geez....I've gotten to use this link twice in one day) :lol:

Orijen Pet Foods: About ORIJEN:

Of course, it's $70 for a 30 lb bag................


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

Wow thats alot for a bag of dog food!! Never even heard of the dog food you mentioned!!!

Kim


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

A million years ago, I fed Iams. The dogs did very well on it. When I got the Pointers, they were being fed Eukanuba (an Iams product). I was giving them 6 cups, twice a day EACH just to keep them in weight - whew! That added up FAST. I was talking to a pro handler who suggested I put them on ProPlan Performance. I did, and they maintained perfect weight, great condition, and shiny coats on 2.5 cups twice a day, each. I was so please with it I decided to start a Golden litter that I was just ready to wean on it. They did great. So, I switched my Bred-By Golden to it. In 3 weeks, he was in noticeably better coat and just looked better. I had him at a show, and my close friends said "Who is THAT?" When I told them, they were stunned, as they had just seen him 2 weeks prior at another show. He got back to back majors to finish at that show. I switched everyone to ProPlan when I got home. I stuck with the ProPlan for many years, until 2 years ago when I tried Solid Gold (the people who own the facility that I train for are distributors, so I grudgingly agreed to switch.) They did well for about 6 months, and then I saw a turn backwards. Coats went south, I was having bouts of diarrhea, and they didn't always seem to want to eat it. So, I switched back to ProPlan and will never change again. I like that it is consistent, and readily available wherever I am. I also like their breeders club incentives. Most importantly, the dogs love it, and look and feel great again.
There really is a reason that so many pros feed their top-winning specials ProPlan.


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## foreveramber (Feb 25, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> A million years ago, I fed Iams. The dogs did very well on it. When I got the Pointers, they were being fed Eukanuba (an Iams product). I was giving them 6 cups, twice a day EACH just to keep them in weight - whew! That added up FAST. I was talking to a pro handler who suggested I put them on ProPlan Performance. I did, and they maintained perfect weight, great condition, and shiny coats on 2.5 cups twice a day, each. I was so please with it I decided to start a Golden litter that I was just ready to wean on it. They did great. So, I switched my Bred-By Golden to it. In 3 weeks, he was in noticeably better coat and just looked better. I had him at a show, and my close friends said "Who is THAT?" When I told them, they were stunned, as they had just seen him 2 weeks prior at another show. He got back to back majors to finish at that show. I switched everyone to ProPlan when I got home. I stuck with the ProPlan for many years, until 2 years ago when I tried Solid Gold (the people who own the facility that I train for are distributors, so I grudgingly agreed to switch.) They did well for about 6 months, and then I saw a turn backwards. Coats went south, I was having bouts of diarrhea, and they didn't always seem to want to eat it. So, I switched back to ProPlan and will never change again. I like that it is consistent, and readily available wherever I am. I also like their breeders club incentives. Most importantly, the dogs love it, and look and feel great again.
> There really is a reason that so many pros feed their top-winning specials ProPlan.


purina, right? these people have been in the business for SO long..MUCH longer than most of these holistic blends. i believe they know what theyre doing! jake eats nutro, and its the "highest" quality food that doesnt give him the runs...anything more holistic or natural goes right through him...i know that sounds weird but its true. i really do want quality food for him. i may try proplan after hearing your input.


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

I emailed the breeder I am getting my new puppy from the other day. I asked her about food and she told me this: we feed our adults 2 kinds of dog food - depending on what they are doing - our maintance is Eagle Premium Holistic and for the show dogs they are on ProPlan Turkey/Barley. Our pups are on Eagle Holistic Puppy food and we do also feed raw. This was tanglewood goldens in NC that told me this. I was going to go with the solid gold but after reading Pointgolds post I am thinking about ProPlan once this bag is done.

Kim


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## AtticusJordie (Aug 15, 2006)

*Types of ProPlan..........*



Pointgold said:


> A million years ago, I fed Iams. The dogs did very well on it. When I got the Pointers, they were being fed Eukanuba (an Iams product). I was giving them 6 cups, twice a day EACH just to keep them in weight - whew! That added up FAST. I was talking to a pro handler who suggested I put them on ProPlan Performance. I did, and they maintained perfect weight, great condition, and shiny coats on 2.5 cups twice a day, each. I was so please with it I decided to start a Golden litter that I was just ready to wean on it. They did great. So, I switched my Bred-By Golden to it. In 3 weeks, he was in noticeably better coat and just looked better. I had him at a show, and my close friends said "Who is THAT?" When I told them, they were stunned, as they had just seen him 2 weeks prior at another show. He got back to back majors to finish at that show. I switched everyone to ProPlan when I got home. I stuck with the ProPlan for many years, until 2 years ago when I tried Solid Gold (the people who own the facility that I train for are distributors, so I grudgingly agreed to switch.) They did well for about 6 months, and then I saw a turn backwards. Coats went south, I was having bouts of diarrhea, and they didn't always seem to want to eat it. So, I switched back to ProPlan and will never change again. I like that it is consistent, and readily available wherever I am. I also like their breeders club incentives. Most importantly, the dogs love it, and look and feel great again.
> There really is a reason that so many pros feed their top-winning specials ProPlan.


Pointgold--I hate to belabor this point--but is there any specific type of ProPlan that you would suggest for GR's (not show dogs) but dogs that are relatively sedintary--that have some general allergies?

And anything for GR's for weight maintenance?

SJ


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## mikekwok (Nov 23, 2007)

I feed Fomm for my dog. I think this is very good


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## Jersey's Mom (Nov 25, 2007)

Jersey is on the Eagle Pack Holistic that someone mentioned earlier. I'm no experert on kcal per cup, but I can tell you this: When we first switched to Eagle Pack (Jersey was originally on Innova large breed puppy, but when it was time to switch to adult my father had suggested the Eagle pack) we were using the Chicken and Rice formula. Jersey did very well on it, but went through a very picky eating stage... I think because it was winter and I was giving him more food than necessary. :doh: So I cut his food down and then switched to the Duck and Oatmeal to give him something different and hopefully peak his appetite a bit. He's done very well on it EXCEPT that with greatly increased activity levels this summer and being around a bitch in heat (his mother) he dropped a few pounds on me. And this isn't a dog that ever needed to lose weight. So we had to re-up his food. (double :doh When I checked the website I saw it had fewer kcal per cup than the original food I had tried. You may look through their website and compare the kcal per cup between the different blends (and with other foods you're considering) if weight is a concern. Also, there are things you can add to the food, such as green beans or pumpkin (not pie filler) to helpt he dog feel more full while you're trying to knock off a few pounds. I'm certainly no expert, and I'm not familiar with the other foods you and others have mentioned, but my experience with Eagle Pack Holistic has been great!


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

My breeder has her dogs on the Pro Plan Select.

Kim


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## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

I also feed Orijen its very good. I have also fed Purina Pro Plan NOT to be confussed with Purina Puppy Chow from Walmart this is by the same makers but not the same food at all. I fed the Pro Plan Turkery Barley or Chicken and Rice. With the Orijen I feed the Six fish and Original Adult. I like to switch it up for them. Bck to your Original Question though I would yake Solid Gold over Eagel Pack they have corn and pork in some of their formulas.


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## Chaucer and Mom (Feb 26, 2007)

I too used to feed all my dogs Eukanuba. After Webster died, I decided I'd feed a holistic brand and after many trials ended up with the Eagle Pack Holistic Fish. But I do know that one of the vets at the practice I use, swears by ProPlan. My sister uses it for her two viszlas and they look great. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

AtticusJordie said:


> Pointgold--I hate to belabor this point--but is there any specific type of ProPlan that you would suggest for GR's (not show dogs) but dogs that are relatively sedintary--that have some general allergies?
> 
> And anything for GR's for weight maintenance?
> 
> SJ


ProPlan does make a Weight Management forumla, which I use with success - my retired CH and his sister, who live with my late partner's husband, are fed this product - although they walk daily with Larry they are otherwise relatively sedentary, and I fear that Larry could inadvertantly allow them to become fat. On ProPlan Weight Management, they both maintain a good weight, and coats do not look like those of spayed and neutered animals - they do very well on it.
ProPlan does produce some specialized formulas - Lamb and Rice, Salmon and Brown Rice , and Sensitive Stomach are three. ProPlan is VERY good about helping you determine what the best product for your individual dog might be, and contact info can be found on their web site at:

http://www.proplan.com

Click on the "How Can We Help?" link at the bottom of the page.


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## AtticusJordie (Aug 15, 2006)

*ProPlan diets*



Pointgold said:


> ProPlan does make a Weight Management forumla, which I use with success - my retired CH and his sister, who live with my late partner's husband, are fed this product - although they walk daily with Larry they are otherwise relatively sedentary, and I fear that Larry could inadvertantly allow them to become fat. On ProPlan Weight Management, they both maintain a good weight, and coats do not look like those of spayed and neutered animals - they do very well on it.
> ProPlan does produce some specialized formulas - Lamb and Rice, Salmon and Brown Rice , and Sensitive Stomach are three. ProPlan is VERY good about helping you determine what the best product for your individual dog might be, and contact info can be found on their web site at:
> 
> http://www.proplan.com
> ...


Thanks so much for the help. You certainly are a wise one when it comes to proper feeding of our furrkids. I'll definately check out their website!

Thanks again!

SJ


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## Farley Rocks! (Nov 15, 2007)

I have not heard good things about ProPlan and have always associated Purina with cheap food. My pup is on Innova Puppy and Flint River but has REALLY bad gas so I may cut him down to just Innova with plain Yogurt. All my other dogs do great with the Flint River...Human grade ingrediants and its baked and not sold in petstores to ensure the food is fresh and not warehoused like a lot of other brands. www.*flintriver-pet-food.com* 
All Natural Dog and Cat Food for Optimum Pet Health/Wellness 
*NO *Wheat Gluten! *NO* Rice Gluten! *NO* Chemical Preservatives! 
No By-products or cheap "fillers" 
Delivered fresh to your door within 30 days of manufacture 
 Made in the USA 
*Flint River Ranch Manufactures their own products* 
Long Term Relationships with US Suppliers ONLY! 
High Quality, Human Grade FDA Inspected Ingredients 
_*Product tested every 15 minutes to ensure quality!*_ 
 I love it and will keep my other dogs on it but Farley is getting the Innova...my nose can't handle anything else!!

A quick look at reviews of ProPlan turned up this:

Chicken is the 1st ingredient, but in it's meat form is 80% water.
Once the water is removed the chicken would be more likely placed behind the Poultry by-product meal.
(Chicken meal should be the first ingredient as this is chicken with the water already removed).
Cheap foods will use the ruse of listing a Meat first to fool people who do not know the difference between "meats w/water", and "meat meals" without water.
Notice the poor ingredients are in meal form!
This actually moves these poor ingredients up the list and the chicken down the list.
This means that this foods true ingredents in weight order are more likely to be: Poultry by-products, corn, brewers rice, wheat, then chicken.
Poultry by-products are shipped to Purina because the slaughter houses need to get rid of the waste and Purina does not want to pay for real chicken meal. 
Poultry by-products are the necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines of unidentified poultry. This can be chicken, turkey, duck or geese.


Check out this site for the definition of dog food ingredients and the compare these ingredients to say Natures Variety dog food, or any of the foods in the top 20 listing at this site.
<http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring04/Perhach/PetFood/Ingredients.htm>
Please check out this site on how to read labels and choose a dog food:
<http://www.boxerworld.com/feeding/>


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## Farley Rocks! (Nov 15, 2007)

I stand to be corrected - The resident dog food expert says:

Pro Plan is actually a very good food, although not natural. It's still far better than most foods out there while not perfect. 
It's not bad enough to attack in a forum though. Here's some of what they'll argue back- Yes there's some fillers, but it's outweighed by the amount of animal protein. There are also arguments about the use of the ewww ingredients- If a dog were on a raw diet they'd be eating that stuff anyway. The use of the ingredients could also be claimed appropriate depending on what formula it is (diet, puppy, skin, adult, etc).
I used to feed my dogs Pro Plan with very good results.


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## kalkid (Feb 22, 2007)

Use this and draw your own conclusions. In the end it sometimes depends on the dog more than it does the food. It only takes one ingredient that disagrees with a sensitive dog to make it not a good food for that dog. Daisy's skin allergies went away when I switched from Nutro to Wellness however she got bad dirrehea that never went away. Switched to Evo and she's great. On paper it's hard to beat Evo, Orijen, Solid Gold [email protected], TimberWolf but again it only takes one ingredient that a dog is allergic to however since there are typically less ingredients and fillers in these foods it stands to reason most dogs that do have food allergies do better on them. The pro plans are in the 2 and 1 star category for what it's worth. To answer your question if it's the Barking at the Moon Solid Gold on paper it appears to be better than the Eagle Pack (6 star vs. 4). However most other Solid Gold products and Eagle Pack products are in the 4 star section so they're comparable ingredient wise.

Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

All one needs to do is see my dogs, look at their coats and overall condition, to see that ProPlan is a good food. If that weren't enough then speak with their vet who I am sure would confirm their records of good health and longevity.
I don't sell ProPlan. I am not being compensated by ProPlan to do a testamonial. I DO care about the health and well being of dogs, and when asked for a recommendation for what to feed, my answer is ProPlan. I can tell you that everyone that I have made the recommendation to who has switched, has been very pleased with the results. Please remember that when you do switch foods, no matter the brand, adequate time must be allowed before making an assessment as to it's efficacy.30 days, minimum. (Although I saw positive results with ProPlan in 3 weeks, that may not be the norm.)


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## kalkid (Feb 22, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> There really is a reason that so many pros feed their top-winning specials ProPlan.


Yeah they have a bunch of dogs to feed and would go broke feeding Orijen or some the others. LOL

There's a reason why vets suggest or carry only certain foods as well, it's called money (ie kick backs from Hills or whomever).

I definitely agree on the time frame comment from Pointgold. It took about 4 weeks for Daisy's coat to start clearing up and all the scratching/biting etc. to stop. Like I said it really depends on the dog. Some can do fine eating the worst crap on the market others don't.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

kalkid said:


> Yeah they have a bunch of dogs to feed and would go broke feeding Orijen or some the others. LOL
> 
> There's a reason why vets suggest or carry only certain foods as well, it's called money (ie kick backs from Hills or whomever).
> 
> I definitely agree on the time frame comment from Pointgold. It took about 4 weeks for Daisy's coat to start clearing up and all the scratching/biting etc. to stop. Like I said it really depends on the dog. Some can do fine eating the worst crap on the market others don't.


Actually, the pros use ProPlan because it works. Their dogs win on it. They are all about the winning, as their bottom line depends on it. Their dogs must be in absolutely top condition to win at that level. Food plays a huge part in that. If it took $70 a bag food to do it, they'd be feeding it. Money is usually not an issue with the big players, as expenses are split among their clients. Th annual budget for a top dog out with a handler would shock you.

As for the vets, yes, they do get "kickbacks". And not many vets are all that up on nutrition - they leave that to their techs, if they are interested, otherwise, they just sell Science Diet/Hill's products and really don't care all that much.

I think that the dogs that "do fine on the worst crap on the market" aren't really doing "fine", but rather not suffering - and if switched to a quality food the difference would be clearly apparent.

I am of the school that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". If your dog is truly thriving on the food he is eating, great. And don't switch frequently because you think he's "bored" or "likes a variety". It does more harm than good.


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## arcane (Sep 18, 2007)

i just bought the Proplan chicken & rice puppy for the babies ..i don't usually feed puppy food at all, but these guys need a bit extra and I have found the adult food I do feed sometimes gives my pups loose stools ...so I am going to raise these babies on the PP puppy and then recommend puppy owners do a gradual switch at about 6 mos old...I let you know how I like it...


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## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

I see food as something that will help dogs in the long run, not just in the now. My golden was fed Purina One by her former owners, and she had a beautiful coat, no skin problems, etc. I switched her immediately when I got her to Evo, which I feed my other dog. I didn't switch her because of her physical appearance, because she was a beautiful dog. I switched her because in the long run, crappy food can harm their insides, which is what really counts. My dad fed our rottweiler, that he had from before I was born until I was about 8, Pedigree, which I consider bottom of the barrel, down there with Old Roy. That dog was beautiful, shiny coat, no skin problems. I look back at his pictures and am amazed at how good he looked. But he died of cancer at 8 years old. COuld it be because of the food and the cancerous preservatives in it? Who knows. But I will not feed my dogs anything that I could not eat myself, and that includes the kibble I feed them. Food is not skin deep, it goes much further than that.

Ingredients for Pro Plan Performance formula:
*Chicken(not chicken meal, just chicken, so mot much protein)*, *corn gluten meal (EW)*, *brewers rice(cheap filler)*, *animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols(the type of animal is not specified, so it could have come from anywhere* (form of Vitamin E), *poultry by-product meal(double EW)*(natural source of glucosamine), *whole grain corn(cheap filler)*, *corn bran(cheap filler)*, *fish meal(all fish not for human consumption is preserved with ethoxyquin, which has been shown to cause kidney, thyroid problems and cancer)* (natural source of glucosamine), *animal digest(**cooked-down broth made from unspecified parts of unspecified animals)*, fish oil, dried egg product, potassium chloride, *salt(for what?)*, calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, Vitamin E supplement, choline chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite. 
S-4461


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

_I was looking at the Proplan site and found the ingredients for the Proplan select. Which from my observation seems better than regular proplan. I am not an expert that is whay I am asking for advice. So what do you guys think of these ingredients. Apparently my breeder uses the Proplan select on her show dogs. Or is the select just as bad as the proplan?_

_*Ingredients:* Turkey, brewers rice, pearled barley, chicken meal (natural source of glucosamine), corn gluten meal, oat meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), dried egg product, fish meal (natural source of glucosamine), pea fiber, dried beet pulp, fish oil, animal digest, calcium phosphate, potassium chloride, salt, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, calcium carbonate, dried tomatoes, blueberry pomace, dried sweet potatoes, Vitamin E supplement, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, choline chloride, ferrous sulfate, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), niacin, copper proteinate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite. *Guaranteed Analysis:* Crude protein (min) 27%, crude fat (min) 17%, crude fiber (max) 4%, moisture (max) 12%, linoleic acid (min) 1.4%, calcium (min) 1.0%, phosphorus (min) 0.9%, vitamin a (min) 15,000 IU/kg, vitamin e (min) 460 IU/kg, ascorbic acid** (min) 70 mg/kg, docosahexaenoic acid (dha)** (min) 0.15%, eicosapentaenoic acid (epa)** (min) 0.15%, glucosamine** (min) 600 ppm, glutamine** (min) 1.0%, omega-3 fatty acids** (min) 0.4%, omega-6 fatty acids** (min) 2.0%._
_** Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles. _


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

Never mind. After reading the ingredients over a couple times I answered my own question.

Kim


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## AtticusJordie (Aug 15, 2006)

chesneygirl007 said:


> Never mind. After reading the ingredients over a couple times I answered my own question.
> 
> Kim


So what did you conclude?

I'm just curious....

SJ


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

My conclusin was both proplan proformance and select had basically same stuff. I just want a good food for my dogs to be on. I am kinda towards eagle pack. My new puppy will already be on eagle when I get him. Right now I have my dogs on Kirkland but looking for something much better. I only feed them the kibble on off days otherwise they get raw.

Kim


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## AtticusJordie (Aug 15, 2006)

Thanks chesneygirl007----and everyone else.

You've given me a lot to think of--and it's 'muchly appreciated'!

SJ


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

*kibble?*

I'm just totally confused. I am liking the eagle pack, also solild gold and the orijen and the candiea is good too. Orijen isnt really convient to get as the place that sells it isnt close by if I needed food. The place that sells the candiea is just down the street. But I also have a place I pass on the way home from work that does carry most the good pet foods. I am just not real sure wht would be the best.

Kim


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Taz Monkey said:


> I see food as something that will help dogs in the long run, not just in the now. My golden was fed Purina One by her former owners, and she had a beautiful coat, no skin problems, etc. I switched her immediately when I got her to Evo, which I feed my other dog. I didn't switch her because of her physical appearance, because she was a beautiful dog. I switched her because in the long run, crappy food can harm their insides, which is what really counts. My dad fed our rottweiler, that he had from before I was born until I was about 8, Pedigree, which I consider bottom of the barrel, down there with Old Roy. That dog was beautiful, shiny coat, no skin problems. I look back at his pictures and am amazed at how good he looked. But he died of cancer at 8 years old. COuld it be because of the food and the cancerous preservatives in it? Who knows. But I will not feed my dogs anything that I could not eat myself, and that includes the kibble I feed them. Food is not skin deep, it goes much further than that.


My "long run" has been -
Ch Lyric - died at 16, no cancer, not a lump or a bump on her, simply old age.
Ch Dave - died at 14, no cancer, not a lump or a bump on him, simply old age, and older than both his parents and the rest of his siblings.

Ch Michael - died at 13, no cancer, not a lump or a bump on him, some complications from a viral infection.

Roxanne - died at 15, no cancer, not a lump or a bump on her, not ill, simply old age.

Sabre - died at 13, no cancer, not lump or a bump on him, was dysplastic when imported from England, never symptomatic.

Drummer - Died at 14, no cancer, no lumps or bumps, did lose his eyesight...

Taylor - died at 13.5, no cancer, no lumps or bumps...

There are more. These are dogs that were fed Iams or ProPlan exclusively, save for the short time that I fed Solid Gold.

I'm not trying to persuade anyone to switch to anything, but I do take exception to anyone suggesting that I am not doing right by my dogs in regards to what I am feeding them. Longevity is very important to me, and not just having a dog live as long as I can keep it alive, but to have in good health, happy, and comfortable.

I might add that I wouldn't feed my dogs most of what I eat. Conversely, I would likely not eat what I feed my dogs, but not because I do not think it is healthful, but rather because they are dogs and I am not, and our diets are not meant to be interchangeable.


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## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

what I meant by "I would not feed it to my dogs if I won't eat it" was, I will not feed them animal by products, or parts that come off the cutting room floor. I will feed them meat from known sources, and know that they are eating the meat, not beaks, claws, innards, and who knows what else, which is what by-products are. I will feed them fresh vegetables (or as fresh as it can be in a dry kibble), fruits, and stay away from cheap fillers that do nothing for them, which many foods are full of.


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## kalkid (Feb 22, 2007)

I don't think you can go wrong with the Eagle Pack or the Canidae, the All Life Stages. The Canidae rates slightly higher and in my over researched (read overly nerdy engineer) ways in my humble opinion Canidae looks to be about the best performance to value of any of the foods. I would be feeding it and did try to for 2 months except there are still grains in it (just brown and white rice). Obviously my girl is allergic to rice, along with other grains which seems to be an extreme case. There are tons of users on this forum that use Canidae and swear by it. If it's close to you and readily available I'd certainly try it or recommend you try it but that's just my opinion not that the Eagle Pack or others might not be fine. I've spent 6 months reading about dog food and it gets hard to find true unbiased info, one of the negatives of the internet in my opinion. The only constant I've learned is that as I said before is that each dog may be slightly different so there really isn't one perfect food. The only other thing I've learned about dog food is every discussion leads to different opinions, which leads right back to each dog being different and our own experiences, and usually a fair amount of confusion is involved. It's like asking everyone who plays golf which balls or clubs are the best, yeah right. Of course you have to think of your family or your own situation as well. If you're swimming in debt it doesn't make a lot of sense to spend $70 a bag on Orijen especially if your dog would do fine on Canidae at half the price (not that I'm implying you are swimming in debt).


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## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

Exactly. How food works differs from dog to dog. Innova is a great food, but my lab mix does not do well on it, although my beagle mix does. My golden has done well on everything I've fed her, and I think she would do well on Old Roy or Pedigree. Thats just how her genes are. But I have had a lot of luck with Evo, which is what I feed the lab mix and the golden. I had my beagle mix on Canidae Platinum to try to get some weight off, and it worked like a charm. When I fed my dogs Eukanuba, my beagle mix got horrible dandruff, which changed almost immediately after switching to a higher quality food. My aunts golden now, and her previous golden and chocolate lab who have now passed on, were all fed Purina for their whole lives. The chocolate lab had skin issues her whole life, which changed as soon as she switched them both to Canidae.


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

I so agree with you TazMonkey and KalKid. For us, I've gone to The Honest Kitchen dehydrated raw and occasionally some EVO or frozen Natures Variety. I started about a year ago being obsessed with their diet / health after adopting our immune compromised springer, Cody ( who has AIHA ). One of the books I read was a real eye opener.... "Food Pets Die For" by Ann N. Martin. Bottom line for me, I don't want them ingesting ( or me paying for ) ingredients that have no nutritional value much less that that is potentially toxic.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> I so agree with you TazMonkey and KalKid. For us, I've gone to The Honest Kitchen dehydrated raw and occasionally some EVO or frozen Natures Variety. I started about a year ago being obsessed with their diet / health after adopting our immune compromised springer, Cody ( who has AIHA ). One of the books I read was a real eye opener.... "Food Pets Die For" by Ann N. Martin. Bottom line for me, I don't want them ingesting ( or me paying for ) ingredients that have no nutritional value much less that that is potentially toxic.


 
So, you would have me believe that the food that I feed my dogs has no nutritional value, and is potentially toxic?

Please tell me, then, what exactly it is that is keeping my dogs healthy, sound, in beautiful coat and condition, and long-lived?

Just curious... Because, if it is NOT the food, I'll just stop buying it altogether and use the money spent for other things.


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## arcane (Sep 18, 2007)

well guys I did feed Raw for a # of yrs, and expensive kibble, and now feed a good quality mid-priced kibble...My guys did well on all but the really expensive kibble (Innova) but I don't want to get into the great food debate...I am of the thinking if it ain't broke don't fix it (or try tooo) ...if your dogs are thriving something must be working!!!


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## kalkid (Feb 22, 2007)

Pointgold your dogs look beautiful to me and I'm sure that is a function of the food they get, the exercise they get, the grooming they get and the no doubt endless supply of love you give. As you and I have both said if it ain't broke don't fix it and obviously your dogs are doing great on the ProPlan and personally I wasn't implying to you that you were doing something wrong and hopefully you haven't taken it that way. That being said I'm sure if you had a dog like mine that wasn't doing well on a certain food even your ProPlan and you know it was the food you care enough about your dogs to try something else. I'm just offering up the ridiculous amount of info I've run across in hopes that someone else won't have to waste all the time I did on it, LOL. It's funny we all get passoniate about slightly different things. I know I've taken a few verbal beatings on having my girl sleep in the garage, just goes to show you I guess we should all keep an open mind on what's working for others and try not to get to judgemental or try not to take things personally which is difficult I find with written communication as opposed to verbal. Again your dogs look great to me, not that you needed me to tell you that I'm sure you already know that and hear it all the time.


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

Pointgold said:


> So, you would have me believe that the food that I feed my dogs has no nutritional value, and is potentially toxic?
> 
> Please tell me, then, what exactly it is that is keeping my dogs healthy, sound, in beautiful coat and condition, and long-lived?
> 
> Just curious... Because, if it is NOT the food, I'll just stop buying it altogether and use the money spent for other things.


WOW !! Pointgold I was just agreeing with the two posts ahead of mine that were saying that each dog is different..... as you can see, I feed differently from either of them and was certainly not making a judgement on ANYONE!!!! For my immune compromised boy, I feel most comfortable feeding him less processed food...... just like for my diabetic husband I feed a specialized diet.....


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## Farley Rocks! (Nov 15, 2007)

I had my 9 yr old son test the Flint River food....he did not like it....but his hair was quite silky and soft and it appeared to be good for his teeth


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## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

Like I posted before, my golden would most likely look beautiful on Old Roy, but I will not feed it because I know what is in it. I will not feed by products, cheap fillers, etc. I will feed a food where I know what the ingredients are, and what part of the animal they came from.


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

*dog food*

Well I decided to try my dogs on the candiae dog food. As soon as I am done with the dry food I am on I am going to pick up a bag. I will probably go price it donw the street this weekend.

Kim


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Taz Monkey said:


> Like I posted before, my golden would most likely look beautiful on Old Roy, but I will not feed it because I know what is in it. I will not feed by products, cheap fillers, etc. I will feed a food where I know what the ingredients are, and what part of the animal they came from.


And I am happy with the results I get feeding the evil kibble that I do. and not just that my dogs "look beautiful", but are HEALTHY and enjoy longevity. If a dog is allowed to feed on a dead animal carcass, he will eat parts unknown. Dogs are not humans. This is not to say that you are wrong in your beliefs, but the fact that my dogs do very well on food that you wouldn't allow yours to eat, and in fact, mine do better than many of my friend's dogs who eat a combination of raw and ultra premium holistic/natural foods, cannot be denied. Again, the fact that many breeders/exhibitors/competitors in several venues, where health and soundness, vigor, as well as appearance, can mean the difference between winning or losing, feed the foods that you wouldn't let your dogs eat, and feed it to generations of dogs with great success (an longevity) indicates that there is something right with the products.

Feed what your dog does best on. And don't knock what others choose to feed theirs, if it is obviously working for them.


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## kalkid (Feb 22, 2007)

Slight subject change but Pointgold I was browsing through your pictures and along with your beautiful dogs it looks like you live on/in a beautiful area of property. Kind of reminded me of home. Just curious where you're at if you don't mind.


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## Charlie06 (Feb 10, 2007)

*Feed what your dog does best on. And don't knock what others choose to feed theirs, if it is obviously working for them.*
*_________________________________________________*

I totally agree. I use Canidae, Merrick and Innova. But my 2 little dogs ate whatever was on sale at the grocery store and they're almost 14. They eat what Charlie does now but that only started a little over a year ago. When I was a kid we had a mixed breed that was kept outside...  that ate Alpo and he lived to be almost 18. Oh, and he also ate Gaines burger patties..


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## riddle03 (Jun 9, 2005)

I totally agree with Point gold. My Tanner was diagnosed with allergies about 2-3yrs ago. Bad ears, ct scan, ear flushes, the whole nine yards. We went through many food trials. He has literally been on just about everything. The one that we found that worked for him and restored his beautiful coat was ProPlan. Both of my boys have been on Iams/Eukanuba most of their lives until the ugly allergies came. I have since switched both of them to ProPlan and Tanners ears look great. It has almost been 3 years and no nasty ears. To each his own I guess. But it works for us. Being a vet tech. and taking nutrition classes I am very comfortable feeding what I do. I have had talks with one of the top nutritionists in the country and he is fine with ProPlan. (no kickbacks) I work down the hall from him at the university. So I do agree with you Point gold.


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## Lacy Licksalot (Nov 13, 2007)

Okay... I am going to open another can of worms here.... what about Science Diet... I was told that it was good food. Without starting a war here is it good or should I be looking for something else? I have Lacy on SD Puppy and Dixie on SD weight maintenance... since I just figured out she was packing on a few too many pounds. I have noticed that Dixie's coat isn't as shinny as it once was, but that was about the time that Carey went to the bridge and Dixie didn't want to eat there for a few days.


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

*candae*

Anyone who has their dog on the candae how are the dogs coats?

Kim


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Lacy Licksalot said:


> Okay... I am going to open another can of worms here.... what about Science Diet... I was told that it was good food. Without starting a war here is it good or should I be looking for something else? I have Lacy on SD Puppy and Dixie on SD weight maintenance... since I just figured out she was packing on a few too many pounds. I have noticed that Dixie's coat isn't as shinny as it once was, but that was about the time that Carey went to the bridge and Dixie didn't want to eat there for a few days.


The only dogs that I have ever seen do well on Science Diet were actuall a few GSD's. Ope a bag, run your hand along the inside of the bag, and notice the oily residue that gets on your hands. They spray the stuff with some sort o "flavor enhancer". Personally, I think it is awful stuff. I've seen dogs have very soupy stools, and a lot of scurfy dander, as well as a very waxy coat. And they do gain weight on it, because it is very greasy/fatty food. I think it really smells funky, too.


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

To evaluate food, go to www.dogfood analysis.com. THere you can see ratings for different foods and also all the ingredients are listed for you to do your own analysis. My opinion of Science diet is not high.... if you look at the list of ingredients, in alot of the formulas a protein source is not listed as number one. They are very grain heavy. This website can be a good source of info as to what to look for in ingredients and what to avoid.


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## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

I don't like Science Diet. I think it is horrible and its horrible for vets to reccomend. I would feed darn near anything over that exept for the obvious. Here is a site I used when picking a dog food. I found I found it awesome when I was on the search for a great food Food Yeah its a boxer site but food is food. I think eveyone should grade their foods.


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## Farley Rocks! (Nov 15, 2007)

chesneygirl007 said:


> Anyone who has their dog on the candae how are the dogs coats?
> 
> Kim


Mine had a great coat but don't buy into the feed them less because its higher quality. Great food...but my dog ate the same amount as with Nutro. They have a date on their bags too....look for that when you shop and you will know how old it is


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

Ash said:


> I don't like Science Diet. I think it is horrible and its horrible for vets to reccomend. I would feed darn near anything over that exept for the obvious. Here is a site I used when picking a dog food. I found I found it awesome when I was on the search for a great food Food Yeah its a boxer site but food is food. I think eveyone should grade their foods.


I had never seen that site, but the rating idea is a good one. Too bad they don't take it a step further and explain the whys and wherefores. However, if it gets people reading labels that will be a good first step. The Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble does do ratings and their evaluation explains their position of what is good about the food and not so good. People that are interested could probably learn alot by studying that site too. I know when we were so concerned about our springer with hemolytic anemia I read every book re: nutrition I could find, talked to several different vets (both traditional and holistic) and even a nutritionist so I could make informed choices for him. I really think that his nutrition contributed to his return to health. Since all the scares with food last spring, I really hope that people take the time to research what's best for their fur baby. It is one aspect of their well-being that we can control..... IMO. Now, off the soapbox. LOL


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

I personally think those rating sites aren't credible and aren't backed up by hard data. It really helps to do some research beyond them...including the research done by the commercial companies. Ultimately its results that matter......

I would surely love to see a long-term study on comparing dogs fed holistic and those fed commercial. But no company seems to want to do that.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

riddle03 said:


> I totally agree with Point gold. My Tanner was diagnosed with allergies about 2-3yrs ago. Bad ears, ct scan, ear flushes, the whole nine yards. We went through many food trials. He has literally been on just about everything. The one that we found that worked for him and restored his beautiful coat was ProPlan. Both of my boys have been on Iams/Eukanuba most of their lives until the ugly allergies came. I have since switched both of them to ProPlan and Tanners ears look great. It has almost been 3 years and no nasty ears. To each his own I guess. But it works for us. Being a vet tech. and taking nutrition classes I am very comfortable feeding what I do. I have had talks with one of the top nutritionists in the country and he is fine with ProPlan. (no kickbacks) I work down the hall from him at the university. So I do agree with you Point gold.


Thanks. I do not take feeding my dogs lightly. I've not had an ear infection since feeding ProPlan, either, and none of the dogs eat stool on it (they did the short time they were on the Solid Gold food). 
I am very happy with the results we've gotten with ProPlan. I will never switch again.


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

I think the rating sites are a good start to learning about the differences in dog food. I really wish that every one committed to having a dog would learn about 1. how to read the ingredient labels and really what they mean....... 2. what different terms are used ....... by-products, grain fractions, meal v meat etc etc etc and what they all mean. Then I think there would be much less confusion. It's just like educating yourself regarding human food..... had to do that years ago when my hubby was dx with Type I diabetes. I was amazed then at all the additives and hidden sugars found in our food...... and there's much less regulation with the food we feed our pets.


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

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> I think the rating sites are a good start to learning about the differences in dog food. I really wish that every one committed to having a dog would learn about 1. how to read the ingredient labels and really what they mean....... 2. what different terms are used ....... by-products, grain fractions, meal v meat etc etc etc and what they all mean. Then I think there would be much less confusion. It's just like educating yourself regarding human food..... had to do that years ago when my hubby was dx with Type I diabetes. I was amazed then at all the additives and hidden sugars found in our food...... and there's much less regulation with the food we feed our pets.


I agree they should be taken in consideration. But when it comes to dog food ingredients and what they mean, much of it is simply opinion, not fact. So its good to do research beyond those sources to get a better picture.


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

I agree that research is the key......that's why I said that the rating sites are a good START to learning about different foods. Further research is needed for most of us so that we can decypher the ingredient lists and nutritional analysis provided on the packages. I think we owe it to our pets to know what they're ingesting just like we ( I ) analyze what we buy for ourselves. I learned a tremendous amount not only by reading various books, but talking to numerous vets, and even a nutritionist at the med school where my son was in school !!!! I credit with helping our AIHA springer .. and for that I am thankful every day !!!!


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## Lacy Licksalot (Nov 13, 2007)

I just got back from the pet store... I was there so long reading labels that my husband got worried about me. After reading so many labels and making myself totally nutso and confused, a very nice clerk came and helped me out she was able to give me the pros and cons of each food and the nutrition values. I kind of got a crash course.... the crash part being my brain. I chose to go with the Eagle Pack Holistic Select adult for Dixie and put Lacy on the Holistic Select Puppy. Hope I didn't mess up too bad. I guess time will tell if it works for them. Right now I think according to the ingredients this stuff has to be better than the science diet they are on now.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Lucky's mom said:


> I agree they should be taken in consideration. But when it comes to dog food ingredients and what they mean, much of it is simply opinion, not fact. So its good to do research beyond those sources to get a better picture.


Many lists, including the one referenced in this thread, are onpions based upon how well a particular food adheres to the authors personal philosophy regarding petfood. It is not based in the nuts and bolts of nutrition (molecules of protien, fat, carbohydrates, amino acids and essential amino acids).


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

Farley Rocks! said:


> Mine had a great coat but don't buy into the feed them less because its higher quality. Great food...but my dog ate the same amount as with Nutro.



its not just that higher quality = less food to feed.. if you look at the calories/cup of food on the bag, there are generally quite a few more calories in the higher quality foods than the low quality. so just for example:

innova adult has 557 kcal/cup
science diet has 365 kcal/cup

so as you can see, you can feed almost half as much of the innova and have the same amount of calories being fed to your dog. you just have to pay attention to those numbers on the bag and figure out what your dog needs.


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## AtticusJordie (Aug 15, 2006)

*So many dogfoods to choose from.....*

That's what has been driving me crazy over the past several days. After looking at several of the websites--such as dogfoodanalysis.com--a lot of the reviews are "1" in number, i.e.: the editors, and they totally trash many of the dogfoods and only seem to like just a few. :yuck:

Having NO background in nutrition (let along knowing what a dog really needs to be healthy and try to reduce potential allergies), I'm just getting more and more confused. :doh:

My vet yesterday said Atticus, our dog w/ the heart ailments can really stay on Iams but suggested that we consider adding a fish oil supplement ("EX?"). As for Jordie, our slightly overweight GR, she recommended Eukanuba Weight Control. She highly recommended the Eukanuba. Both of these dogfoods were trashed by the several websites we visited.:uhoh:

We were originally going to try Canidae (which several of the websites REALLY liked)--and to be truthful, the ingredients 'seemed' to be better overall than Eukanuba, etc---but one of the people on this Forum mentioned that after researching Canidae--they recommended NOT to give their product to their dog with a heart problem...........

We may still try Canidae for Jordie-since they have a weight-control dogfood that 'seems' pretty good, nutrient-wise. 

As for the Canidae for Atticus--if anyone else has any experience or data on that food (or other dogfood) vs pre-existing heart conditions, I'd LOVE to know! PM me if you like. Either way.

SJ


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

I would suggest you listen to your Vet!


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

I must have missed that post.... my vet researched it said Canidae was fine for Cruiser who has the heart murmer....


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## Farley Rocks! (Nov 15, 2007)

My vet said Ella could only have a Rx Science Diet because of her permanent kidney problems (from eating the tainted dog food)...but after looking into foods...told my vet sorry NO-CAN-DO! I would not feed my dogs SD or Eukanuba...even my friend who is a vet tech said she would not feed them to her dogs and either does the vet she works for! The vet offices just get free samples and a cut from food sales. At our local Dog Expo Iams was being boycotted for animal cruelty steming from some of their testing procedures...but I have not looked into those allegations as I don't buy their food anyway.


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## tcww (Oct 3, 2007)

*Avoderm*

I've tried to switch The Murph to Avoderm with no success. He gets the runs even when I add just a few pieces.

Right now he's on Flint River, and he loves it, but I was looking to start using something that's available locally.

Pointgold's comments on ProPlan Performance look promising.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

I do think if you are lucky enough to have an corn allergy free dog Proplan can be a wonderful food. Whippets in particular (of my two breeds, Whippets and Goldens) seem to thrive on Proplan and other Purina products, including my own at various times in their lives. Although I don't know about my current two Goldens, as I have never fed them Proplan, many of my past Goldens could not eat any Purina product bc of the corn ingredients.

Solid Gold, however, makes EVERY DOG I have ever given it to sick. I would never use this food- it makes my dogs have loose stools, lose weight, and fart to the point I wanted to clear the house!!!!

If you want a premium food I'd suggest Innova or Blue or something over Solid Gold just on my personal exerience, which mirror's PG's experience with Solid Gold.

I also have never had great luck with Iams which I fed back in the day when it was considered a good food.


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## goldenmsc (Aug 1, 2007)

Corn allergies with my two goldens.
ProPlan and many others with corn products not doable.


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