# the perfect dog food



## rictic (Feb 16, 2009)

after looking through all the food threads and the different options i am no clearer in my mind that i was before lol.

but it got me thinking.

for those of you that are a bit knowledgeable in the food / nutrition dept, what would be the perfect food for a dog?

if you could design the perfect food what would be in it?

forget any restrictions such as cost or manufacture, just go ahead and do it as an academic excercise.
i'd be interested to see what types of stuff go into it.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

This will be an interesting thread. Cant wait to read the results.


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

I would suspect it will be the same recommendations and debate we have seen in other food threads. What is the perfect dog food? I have no idea. :scratchch


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

BeauShel said:


> This will be an interesting thread. Cant wait to read the results.


You're more optimistic than I am. I'm hiding under a rock until it's over. Don't get me wrong: I'm really interested in what people have to say. I just know that folks get, um, passionate about what to feed.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Not dog food. Real food. Raw, fresh, real food would be the perfect food IMO, but it's expensive and scary to many to feed it.


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

AquaClaraCanines said:


> Not dog food. Real food. Raw, fresh, real food would be the perfect food IMO, but it's expensive and scary to many to feed it.



Agreed. I feed mine a well-balanced raw diet consisting of several different protein sources, raw tripe, fish, eggs, and whatever fruits I may be eating the dogs beg enough for. 

And as far as expense, I find its cheaper to feed them this diet than the most premium grain free kibble they'd have to eat in order to not display allergy symptoms. But I do buy for much cheaper prices in bulk.


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## LogansMama (Mar 7, 2009)

AquaClaraCanines said:


> Not dog food. Real food. Raw, fresh, real food would be the perfect food IMO, but it's expensive and scary to many to feed it.


I have to agree.... but I have to do a combo since "somebody" is pretty old and set in his ways....
I remember the first day I gave him some RMB.... he has this really confused look on his face like.... "What the heck is this crap?"


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## NuttinButGoldens (Jan 10, 2009)

It's no secret I'm a big fan of California Natural


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

The perfect dog food is whatever food your dog does well on. Even if you are not feeding one of the "premium" foods and your dog is healthy, active, has good stools, and a nice coat, then that is the perfect food for your dog. All dogs are different, just like humans. I can personally say that our German Shepherd, who is about to turn 10 years old in 2 months, has been eating Pedigree almost her entire life and she is in excellent health. We have never had any stool problems, her coat is strong and shiny, and her joints are in great shape for a senior large breed dog. We have tried her on some of the different premium foods in the past and she always got the runs and vomiting on most of them and stopped eating them, and we have always ended up back on the Pedigree. As long as our dogs are healthy, I don't care if the food they are eating is a "premium" food. We will stick with whatever works. The way I look at it is if it's not broken, don't fix it. Basically, if your dog is doing fine on the food you are feeding now, then there is absolutely no reason to change foods.


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

Well I am of the belief there are many "perfect" foods out there. Which is fortunate because as you can all tell just from reading this forum, no one food works for every dog, even the same breed. 
The "perfect" food is the one your dog(s) do best on over time, say 1 year. The reason for the time qualification is many dogs will do WONDERFUL when they are first switched to a new food. But 6 months to a year later they again are not florishing on it. 
I am a believer in the raw diet but have a 12 year old who after 10 plus years on it had to go onto, horror of horrors, a prescription kibble diet. If I had not switched her there is no doubt she would not have seen her 12th birthday. She is doing marvelous on it and I have come to the realiztion that if I had to feed her cardboad for her to do well, I would. Whatever works best is best and I really do not care what it is. The rest of my pack is still on a raw diet and will be unless "they" tell me it is not what is best for them.


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## perdie (Oct 30, 2008)

Raw. but im not that organised or knowledgable enough to implement it.


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## rictic (Feb 16, 2009)

aww it all went wrong lol.

i probably worded it wrong tho.

i'll get me coat.


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## Popebendgoldens (May 16, 2008)

I would have to say that the best food for dogs is a raw diet. I have been feeding a raw diet for 10 years now. I started out adding the veggies but after 3-4 years of pureeing the veggies, I got tired of it and now feed what is called a "prey diet". I buy in bulk so the price isn't high. I don't think I could ever feed "kibble" again.


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

Popebendgoldens said:


> I don't think I could ever feed "kibble" again.


 
Even if your dog's health/life depended on switching off raw?


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## rictic (Feb 16, 2009)

sorry all what i meant to say was design the perfect dog food.

if money etc was no object.


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

Well, dogs have been scavengers and living on leftovers for thousands of years....maybe they need a little of this, a little of that....perhaps in the past the dogs that did well were the ones with the healthy eating owners.


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## diana_D (Jan 27, 2008)

AquaClaraCanines said:


> Not dog food. Real food. Raw, fresh, real food would be the perfect food IMO, but it's expensive and scary to many to feed it.



I couldn't agree more. 

I really do not understand all the scare with natural food. It's not like we take all our vitamin/mineral/etc intake from one meal...I believe dog food companies did a great jot to scare people they need to be rocket scientists to feed natural food. If we are perfectly capable of feeding ourselves, then we must be for our dogs, too.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

The perfect dog food is, as another member posted, whatever your dog does the best on. For my dogs, and many of the top winning dogs in the country, that food is Pro Plan.


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## sifuyono (May 8, 2008)

still search for the perfect food here also......

eaglepack - a lot of poop
acana - stinky poop
proplan - ended with completely lost appetite
next....


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## Popebendgoldens (May 16, 2008)

AmbikaGR said:


> Even if your dog's health/life depended on switching off raw?


It totally depends on the condition, that could cause that problem. And of course, I would be seeking out more than one vets opinion. Is there a specific condition you are talking about?


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

I have had mine on Fromm Surf and Turf (grainless)and have been really happy with it and they love it.... Cruiser was just at the vet yesterday with double ear infections.. both bact/yeast. Not sure now..... On a good note his heart murmur hasnt changed).


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

Popebendgoldens said:


> It totally depends on the condition, that could cause that problem. And of course, I would be seeking out more than one vets opinion. Is there a specific condition you are talking about?


 
I at one time felt the same as you about the raw diet. Then at the age of 11 1/2 one of mine had some very mysterious issues with diarrhea and vomitting. We did all kind of tests and all we coulld find was her liver values were somewhat off. We put her on some supplements to help with that, milk thistle and Sam-e. I would put her on rice and either boiled chicken or beef and she woulld do ok on it. Within 3 days of switching her back to raw it would all start again. I tried leaving her on the rice/beef/chix but she was losing weight. She went from a weight of 66 lbs down to 53 lbs. We tried a low fat (4%) kibble and she has been doing great on that for over 6 months now. I at first felt I was doing something wrong by putting her on the kibble but came to my senses and realized if it was going to keep her happy and healthy it was the RIGHT thing to do in her case. She has put on most of the weight she lost and is at 62-63 lbs. at this time. I really do not believe she woulld have made it had it not been for the switch to this diet. My other dogs are still on the raw diet and thriving on it, just as my old girl did for over 10 years. And no, we never did get a definitive answer as to what was the actual problem.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

AmbikaGR said:


> I at one time felt the same as you about the raw diet. Then at the age of 11 1/2 one of mine had some very mysterious issues with diarrhea and vomitting. We did all kind of tests and all we coulld find was her liver values were somewhat off. We put her on some supplements to help with that, milk thistle and Sam-e. I would put her on rice and either boiled chicken or beef and she woulld do ok on it. Within 3 days of switching her back to raw it would all start again. I tried leaving her on the rice/beef/chix but she was losing weight. She went from a weight of 66 lbs down to 53 lbs. We tried a low fat (4%) kibble and she has been doing great on that for over 6 months now. I at first felt I was doing something wrong by putting her on the kibble but came to my senses and realized if it was going to keep her happy and healthy it was the RIGHT thing to do in her case. She has put on most of the weight she lost and is at 62-63 lbs. at this time. I really do not believe she woulld have made it had it not been for the switch to this diet. My other dogs are still on the raw diet and thriving on it, just as my old girl did for over 10 years. And no, we never did get a definitive answer as to what was the actual problem.


Well, that makes sense to me. A raw diet depends on a healthy immune system and GI tract. I can imagine an older dog's GI tract not working quite as well or immune system not responding robustly. She could either be reacting to the kinds of bacteria present in raw meat or the higher fat content or both. She would need something blander and lower fat.

Don't get me wrong: I'm definitely not against raw feeding. I don't choose to feed that way because it's not practical for our lifestyle and because my dogs have been exceedingly healthy and happy on kibble. But there are lots of GI and immune issues that would make raw the wrong choice for a few dogs. Kudos to you Hank for not letting ideology get in the way of common sense.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

PS - my ideal dog diet is, I think, what we do. We feed quality kibble and then supplement with portions of the things we cook that are dog-appropriate. For example, Comet will get some chicken meat (no skin or bones) when I roast a chicken, but he eats just kibble if I make eggplant parm or something slathered with onions. 

In a perfect world, I'd be able to source all the kibble's ingredients much more locally and have control over mistakes or abuses in the process. I'd also be 100% organic and local with both the dog's food (and ours, while I'm at it!). I'd also cook at home every night we didn't go to a favorite restaurant, so Comet would get more of the food we eat ourselves. 

I guess I like that a good kibble provides a varied enough nutritional profile to keep a dog healthy. I think of it as the core of his diet. Comet could certainly survive on just kibble and have his bright eyes, shiny coat, and the energy for long hikes and agility courses. I try to give him a little more of this or that so he gets the nutritional variation, but if I left him for a few weeks with my folks and they just fed him the kibble, I wouldn't worry one iota about it.


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## cassie1 (Mar 12, 2009)

*Trouble in paridise*

:wave:I'am new to this forum. I have a 3 1/2yr Golden she is my best friend. I've been feeding Purina One for about 1yr. She has been doing fine until about a month ago, she has statred to eat grass, never spit up just ate the grass, until the other day. I think she is missing something in her diet. I feed her natural treats. I also got her a bloat bowl. She eats way to fast. She also seem depressed!!! My boys are always hugging and playing ball with her. She does fine until you stop and have to go something, like cook dinner or clean,She'll lay her head down and follow you with her eyes. I'am really concerned. We have appt with our vet on Monday. I would like to change her food, to see if that helps. Cassie's Mom


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Of course I would not feed raw if I had a dog that couldn't eat it, just as I would not breast feed a baby that had an intolerance of breast milk. That wouldn't mean I don't think breast feeding is, ultimately, better though


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## olik (Apr 13, 2008)

whatever works best for your dog and you.


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## TonyRay (Feb 5, 2008)

a good quality kibble and some food scraps or veggies from dinner at times..


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

cassie1 said:


> :wave:I'am new to this forum. I have a 3 1/2yr Golden she is my best friend. I've been feeding Purina One for about 1yr. She has been doing fine until about a month ago, she has statred to eat grass, never spit up just ate the grass, until the other day. I think she is missing something in her diet


Hard to say. Mine has always nibbled at grass. And she has had different brands over the years. She has been on Natural Balance the last couple of years but still nibbles at grass. But I'm not concerned about it. She appears healthy and checks out well at the vet.


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

AquaClaraCanines said:


> Of course I would not feed raw if I had a dog that couldn't eat it, just as I would not breast feed a baby that had an intolerance of breast milk. That wouldn't mean I don't think breast feeding is, ultimately, better though


I think in both cases it's a matter of figuring out what the core problem is. If a dog can't handle the raw meat itself I'd likely cook for them but do the same sort of diet - no kibble. Bender is 11 and has had a few issues with certain things, so I omit them from her bowl or give her a smaller amount. For the last few years I've struggled with keeping weight on Storee, but I've stuck with the raw and overall she's fine - just not a big girlie and she may never be. I don't know that kibble would have made a difference anyway in that - she's eating a lot of raw and just burning it off.

For humans...
I've never heard of a baby being 'intolerant' of the breastmilk, but they can react to what the mom ate. For me that means I can't have a lot of citrus - I can have a 1/4 of an orange or a bit of OJ, but I can't go wild and eat a bunch of it, or Allie gets a diaper rash the next day. I also watch how much dairy I eat. It's important to me that I breastfeed, did with my first despite the challenges we had at the time. 

In both cases the less processed the better, for me anyway.

Lana


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Bender said:


> I think in both cases it's a matter of figuring out what the core problem is. If a dog can't handle the raw meat itself I'd likely cook for them but do the same sort of diet - no kibble. Bender is 11 and has had a few issues with certain things, so I omit them from her bowl or give her a smaller amount. For the last few years I've struggled with keeping weight on Storee, but I've stuck with the raw and overall she's fine - just not a big girlie and she may never be. I don't know that kibble would have made a difference anyway in that - she's eating a lot of raw and just burning it off.
> 
> For humans...
> I've never heard of a baby being 'intolerant' of the breastmilk, but they can react to what the mom ate. For me that means I can't have a lot of citrus - I can have a 1/4 of an orange or a bit of OJ, but I can't go wild and eat a bunch of it, or Allie gets a diaper rash the next day. I also watch how much dairy I eat. It's important to me that I breastfeed, did with my first despite the challenges we had at the time.
> ...


You know me Jenna. Breast milk all the way.

It seems more and more , babies are experiencing Milk Soy Protein Intolerance. When a mother has alot of dairy or soy, the protein does not break down enough in the breastmilk and the baby develops "colic" symptoms. Some, like my grandson, develop colitis. He had bloody stools. Instead of stopping breastfeeding, which would have been the worst thing for him, my daughter went off dairy, soy, nuts, wheat, and citrus untill they could figure out what his main intolerance was. That is true mother love in my book. It would be worse on formula, since most are made with dairy or soy.

Sorry I hijacked the dog food thread. An ideal food for my dog would probably be a mix of raw and kibble but I can't afford both and not able to buy in bulk to do it. I commend those who do.

My boys are doing fine on Nature's Variety but if the price continues to go up, we'll need to search for something else for them.


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## acquila (Dec 24, 2008)

I think it depends on what dog, I mean my JRT did wonderful on Beniful, tried it with my goldens and they had gas, were constantly hungry, so it didn't work for them, they are doing awsome on large breed pedigree lamb & rice. they are very healthy, the vet says they look wonderfull, Ive had no health problems. and the only time they have gas is when i feed them store bought treats ( i try to make my own). so one food could be the best for one dog and the worst for another.
If i had enough money, I would feed raw.


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## California Blonde (Mar 13, 2009)

*Try ( GREAT LIFE GRAIN & POTATO FREE ) dog food*


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## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

Depends on the dog. My dogs are all fed Acana (new formula) right now. Not unlike Laura I keep a bin of puppy, a bin of adult, and a bin of sport. They have a weight managment but I don't use it. I am very happy with my dogs overall health and condition - they have a great breeder program and its a good food at a reasonable price. Taste of the Wild was good too but they had NO breeder program and was getting quite expensive i.e $325 a month for food ALONE - no treats, chews, canned food, tripe NOTHING just food.


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## Suzie G (Jun 29, 2008)

Hi, Suzie G. here

Whole deer and a couple of whole rabbits a week.


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## Traz (Jan 19, 2009)

No such thing. What is good for one dog may not be good for another.


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## Desert Rat (Dec 18, 2008)

cassie1 said:


> I'am new to this forum. I have a 3 1/2yr Golden she is my best friend. I've been feeding Purina One for about 1yr. She has been doing fine until about a month ago, she has statred to eat grass, never spit up just ate the grass, until the other day. I think she is missing something in her diet. I feed her natural treats. I also got her a bloat bowl. She eats way to fast. She also seem depressed!!! My boys are always hugging and playing ball with her. She does fine until you stop and have to go something, like cook dinner or clean,She'll lay her head down and follow you with her eyes. I'am really concerned. We have appt with our vet on Monday. I would like to change her food, to see if that helps. Cassie's Mom


My two goldens have been grazing grass as far back as I can remember. In particular, my 6 year old loves to eat tall grass. I think he believes that I cruelly starve him, so he supplements his diet with what he can find in the back yard. I have never noticed any ill effects from their grass consumption. Though, they do look at me with sorrow in their eyes when I mow the lawn......sort of like "hey.....you're ruining our food!"


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