# What kind of food do you feed your dog?



## Jeanpapp (Dec 1, 2009)

I am searching for a new food with no corn, and the stuff that causes skin allergies. King has severe problems. 
What does everyone feed there dog?


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

Fromm is a very good food and the 4 star line is a single protein food. They are a long time family owned co. with their own manufacturing plant. My crew does really well on the duck. www.frommfamily.com You can order online at www.caninecuisine.com with free shipping if you can't find it locally. 

BTW, I forgot to welcome you in your other thread, so make this a big WELCOME TO THE FORUM. Hope you enjoy your time here and get some suggestions that will help your sweetie.


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

We feed California Natural Herring & Sweet Potato and have had excellent results with it. It's formulated for dogs with allergies and sensitivities.


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## grrrick (Sep 10, 2009)

I'm sure some will turn their nose at me for this but...

Our last Golden spent her entire life on Exceed Lamb and Rice from Sams. She lived 12 years-11 months. She was a low maintenance as they come. Every time I took her to the vet he would say, "I don't know what your feeding her, but her coat looks great and she looks wonderful. Don't change a thing."

Ironically, we spent 4 years in another city and had a different vet during that time. My girl was 7 years old and I took her to the vet. The LVT weighed her and she had put on about 8 pounds. I made a comment that she put some weight on. The LVT said that they do that at this age. I was a little puzzled and mentioned that she was 7 years old. She was surprised, as she didn't look that closely at her chart. She proceeded to try to sell me on Senior food. She was a field bred dog with minimal coat, not graying at all at the time, and still pounding the dirt while hunting. She did look young, even at that age.

At any rate, she lead a long, healthy, quality life on Exceed. She was NEVER overweight and her weight gain at that time was a result of the beginning of a thyroid issue. She was on Exceed until the day (or week) we lost her.

I'm not saying it's right for every dog, but she did great on it. She died 30 days shy of her 13th birthday.

Our current puppy is on ProPlan Puppy. I'm not exactly sure what direction we will take with him. But you can bet I will keep a very open mind.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

We've been feeding Eukanuba Premium Performance for a long time with great success. 

I'm not an advocate of switching foods willy nilly. If the dog has a potential problem, he is far better served by doing some testing to identify the actual problem(s). Once the actual problem has been identified, you can formulate a rational plan with which you can move forward.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

We use Horizon....it's manufactured here in Saskatchewan where we live. 

Here is a link: http://www.horizonpetfood.com/index.html


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Swampcollie said:


> We've been feeding Eukanuba Premium Performance for a long time with great success.
> 
> I'm not an advocate of switching foods willy nilly. If the dog has a potential problem, he is far better served by doing some testing to identify the actual problem(s). Once the actual problem has been identified, you can formulate a rational plan with which you can move forward.


Swampcollie's post is incredibly sensible, and I don't just say that because we feed the same foods.

Corn is an uncommon allergen, despite what people out on the internet sometimes say. Your better off figuring out exactly what your dog's intolerant to and ruling out thyroid issues before you skip around foods. You may want to switch to a limited ingredient food for the short term to see if that helps. If it doesn't, then you know it isn't a simple food allergy.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

I really like California Natural. It is a limited ingredient food that has been formulated for dogs who might have an allergy to certain grains. My dogs looked fantastic when I was feeding it. The only reason I am not feeding it now is because I have a local company that delivers a holistic blend of dog food that is very comparable to California Natural for a lower price.


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

grrrick said:


> I'm sure some will turn their nose at me for this but...
> 
> Our last Golden spent her entire life on Exceed Lamb and Rice from Sams. She lived 12 years-11 months. She was a low maintenance as they come. .


I don't belong to Sam's so never tried it. Just curious, what does it cost for a 40lb bag? I feed Iams.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

I would agree with Swampcollie and tippy on this one. 
If you already know that corn is the problem - great. If not, you could be in for a lot of trial and error which can create even more problems. 

That said, we went the trial and error route with Riley and were able to narrow his allergies/sensitivites down to chicken and/or turkey. But we got lucky. That's what I suspected and it just happened to turn out that I was right.

Riley is on a mix (about half and half) of California Natural herring & sweet potato and Fromm's 4-star duck & sweet potato. I had planned to switch him completely over to Fromm, but he's doing so well on the mix I'm leaving it alone. 

My Gunner is on 2/3 Wellness Core ocean formula and about 1/3 California Natural herring. The Core is lower in protein than some of the other grain-free foods, but personally, I like to cut it a bit more.


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## Murphysmom (Nov 2, 2009)

I do agree with everyone else saying you should find out the source of your dogs allergies.

However, I feed Murphy California Naturals Puppy food. He does extremely well on it and his coat and skin is in very good shape.


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## Cooper's Dad (Apr 29, 2009)

msdogs1976 said:


> I don't belong to Sam's so never tried it. Just curious, what does it cost for a 40lb bag? I feed Iams.


44 lbs = $29.00 Cooper loves it.

Lamb and Rice Members Mark brand Sams Club


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Mine were on Blue Wilderness. Now I am trying some Taste of the Wild. My dogs don't get sick from changing, and I like providing them with various protein sources. They have small, non-offensive stools. They only itch if they eat grains (the ones that do itch, that is). All are healthy and happy, active, and extremely fit. I was/am happy with both these foods!


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

My boys eat Nature's Variety Prairie Salmon. Their coats are luxurious and soft.
Gunner was allergic to sweet potato when we tried a different food. His hair fell out and he lost 15 pounds.

Here he is yesterday.


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## NuttinButGoldens (Jan 10, 2009)

G-Man is on Castor & Pollux UltraMix, with some other items tossed in as well (yogurt, cottage cheese, raw hamburger, bone meal depending on the meal and what day it is).


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Ranger was eating eating Iams for the week he was with his rescue group. I kept him on it long enough to make a change over to Orijen fish. I thought maybe he had slight allergies (and that's why I went with orijen) but soon realized all the nose rubbing on carpets and couches after eating is just what he does. Since he's been on Orijen he's had way more energy and his coat is gleaming. The only downside is he gets really gassy if we don't go for our daily 1-2 hour walks. And since it's been so cold...let's just say scented candles are my friend!

I just started putting a pro-biotics/fiber powder in his food to try to lessen the stinkiness. It's definitely helping! He also gets a raw egg once or twice a week to help with winter dry skin.


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## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

I feed my girls Blue Buffalo. Dory gets the Large Breed Puppy formula, and right now Lucy's on Large Breed Adult Chicken and Rice, but she also really likes the Fish and Sweet Potato formula. I imagine I'll rotate the varieties but keep her on Blue Buffalo. Since she's been on BB, she's had very firm stools for the most part, and she actually demands to be fed her food. Before while on Purina One, she could have cared less for it. It's all Dory has really known since we've had her. You just have to make sure you have the portions right, or too much will cause blow outs because it is so rich.


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## jenlaur (Jun 24, 2009)

After a couple of tries, Acana.


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## rappwizard (May 27, 2009)

Eukanuba Adult Natural Formula Lamb and Rice

When Mac was a puppy, it was a combination of the Eukanuba adult and Purina Pro Plan Puppy Chicken and Rice.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I feed Canidae and periodically mix it up with EVO or Innova. I really like the Canidae but my dogs do not have sensitive stomachs or allergies, so the multiple protein sources is a good thing for them.

I do agree that if you suspect allergies, testing or a strict elimination diet is your best option.


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

Alternate between Innova and Healthwise (although I like Innova better).


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## GRZ (Dec 4, 2008)

I use Wellness Simple Rice and Lamb. I mix in a little Wellness grain free canned salmon or lamb (these are 95% meat, 5% water for processing).

I have had problems with staph infections, loose stool and an itchy dog. But over the past few months Ziggy's skin - especially in his groin area - has cleared up nicely, his coat is shiny and full and not a single staph infection!

He's still a bit itchy at times but NOTHING like it was before. I think he has a problem with poultry and/or grain.

I'm actually thinking of switching to the Simple rice and salmon formula. I LOVE Wellness.


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## MillysMom (Nov 5, 2008)

I feed Fromm Surf and Turf. It works for Milly, but I'm planning on trying a different food with my next dog. It's taken a lot of figuring out to get a handle on her allergies - some corn, but not all and some chicken, but not all is the general consensus between my vet and I. I think it has to do with processing for the chicken.


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## Stircrazy (Nov 30, 2009)

when you guys switch foods, how long does it take to tell if it is causing less itching and such? the reason I ask is I am almost through switching my puppy from medi-cal to Orijen regional red and he already seams to be itching less and I am still mixing the foods.

Steve


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I noticed a difference within a few weeks while switching to Orijen. I had to go way longer than the recommended 10-14 days of easing new food into the system as Ranger's poops would get really really runny without the "filler" food. I ended up having to mix the food for 2 months before he was okay. Definitely noticed a difference within the first 3 weeks of mixing the food though. More energy, more mental alertness (our obedience sessions went from 10 mins - 30 mins with no mental "shut downs"), shinier/glossier coat and more muscle tone. It's a great food - I feed the fish variety.


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## zeke11 (Jul 21, 2009)

One week into the Blue Buffalo transition, my 12 week old Duffy has horrid diarrhea. So I'm going to try Pro Plan, hopefully it will agree with him. 

Kris


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## 2golddogs (Oct 19, 2009)

I've been feeding taste of the wild and mix it up with canidae no grain. Kosmo had been on a food with corn and was always getting gunky ears. He's been on grain free for a year and hasn't had ear problems since. Jackson didn't tolerate grains well as a young puppy which sent me searching for no grain food. Both have soft shiny coats and lots of energy. Been happy so far with these foods.

Deb - that was a beautiful picture of Gunner in the snow!


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## maquignon (Dec 23, 2009)

Most common allergies are not food allergies. Most common, of course, is flea saliva, next grass and pollen or other air-borne allergens. If its one of these, no change of food will help.

If its a food, most common are corn, wheat, soy, yeast, chicken and beef. So many people keep switching brands, looking for something that suits their dog. This seems silly to me. I say find a good brand that has no corn, wheat, soy or yeast and then try different protein sources.


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

maquignon said:


> Most common allergies are not food allergies. Most common, of course, is flea saliva, next grass and pollen or other air-borne allergens. If its one of these, no change of food will help.
> 
> If its a food, most common are corn, wheat, soy, yeast, chicken and beef. So many people keep switching brands, looking for something that suits their dog. This seems silly to me. I say find a good brand that has no corn, wheat, soy or yeast and then try different protein sources.


What if your dog is allergic to barley and the foods you keep alternating (because they are different protein sources) all contain barley? It would be a simple solution to switch to a food that has oatmeal instead, rather than simply switching protein sources.

There are also foods out there that are specifically designed for dog with allergies such as Healthwise, California Natural, and Natural Balance. Those foods would be good to try if all else fails. Not necessarily because they have different protein sources but because the ingredient list is much shorter and simpler.

Just something to think about.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

My HOney gets Taste of the Wild High Prairie and loves it. However, she also gets some home cooked. She gets 3/4 cup of dry TOTW in the morning and at night another 3/4 cup plus 1./ cup of home cooked chicken stew for 5 nights, then salmone or mackeral for 3 nights, then back to the chicken stew. I crock pot cook it using chicken thighs, necks, an organ meta--either chicken gizzards cut up or beef liver cut up--, sweet pototaes, apples and vary between frozen green beans, frozen spinach, fresh green & yellow squash. I freeze it in containrs enough for 5 meals. She loves it. 

Now she has never had any kind of allergy, ear or eye problems, skin problems, nothing. But I just wanteed her to have grain food.


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## goldengirl09 (Jul 23, 2009)

Harvey was having loose stool on Wellness and Wolf Cub Large Breed Puppy and it was time to switch him to adult, so I tried Natural Balance L.I.D. Sweet Potato and Fish. Things have firmed up and he's doing great. I'm not sure if 21% protein is ideal though- he had been at 26% before. Actually, I think I'll start another thread and ask  

Either way, good luck. Allergies are a pain. I think you can have an allergy panel done or something but I don't know how much it is- other than that, I think you just have to play around and see what works. Hope you find something good!


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

Hank's on Innova LBP, I'm so happy with how he's doing that I plan to keep him on Innova when I switch to the adult formula.


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## Wendy427 (Apr 4, 2009)

Taste of the Wild - Salmon. Lacey loves it! I also mix @1/2 cup of canned green beans in with her food. Only get the "no salt added" green beans!


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

My girl was on Ol Roy at the puppy mill and was hooked on the sugar--ears were gunky, some itching, but her coat was in pretty good shape. I fed her TOTW while I fostered her & due to the stress from all of the changes & wanting sugar, she barely touched it. Her first adoptive home fed her kibbles n bits giving into her sugar desires just so she'd eat. When she was returned, she came back with gunky ears, I adopted her & feed her EVO, it's no longer a battle to get her to eat & her ears are spotless, coat shiny & no itching. She's doing great on it & I love the small/firm poops (I call them her "Easter eggs").


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## dogsbestfriend (Jul 21, 2007)

Mine is currently eating Diamond Naturals Lamb and Rice, which I switched to after someone telling me what a great food it is. However, lately I've been noticing that her breath is getting a little stinky, which I never had a problem with when I was feeding her Iams (previously). Anyway, I'm thinking of switching her back to Iams and maybe feeding her half kibble and half raw to see how that works out. Then maybe feeding her all raw eventually. Anyone feed raw or partial raw???


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

dogsbestfriend said:


> Mine is currently eating Diamond Naturals Lamb and Rice, which I switched to after someone telling me what a great food it is. However, lately I've been noticing that her breath is getting a little stinky, which I never had a problem with when I was feeding her Iams (previously). Anyway, I'm thinking of switching her back to Iams and maybe feeding her half kibble and half raw to see how that works out. Then maybe feeding her all raw eventually. Anyone feed raw or partial raw???


About as close as I get to raw is adding a few sardines per week to his kibble. Just for a little extra protein. He does well on Iams and will keep him on this as long as it agrees with him.


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## DCPakaMOM (Feb 15, 2009)

For what it's worth, after playing around and around with food over the past several years - was happy with Blue Buffalo (until their stupid mass email about supporting HSUS) and the fact they have no buying incentives and their costs (at least here continues to escalate) --- Currently VERY happy and pleased with Chicken Soup adult food. The youngster has a great coat, my picky Ridgeback has a happy stomach, and a shinny coat - All are doing terriffic on it.

As a side, growing up we had German Shepherds and Corgis - all were fed Purina High Protein food, 50# bags and none ever had any problems at all. I used to be a ProPlan feeder until they started monkeying around with their forumlas. 

Tried the Costco food which people have said worked good for them as I am very conscious on how much my dog food bill is each week -- the ridgeback threw up on it several times until she finally just refused to eat it. 

Chicken Soup - $35/35# - fits us just right.


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## zeke11 (Jul 21, 2009)

DCPakaMOM said:


> For what it's worth, after playing around and around with food over the past several years - was happy with Blue Buffalo (until their stupid mass email about supporting HSUS)
> .


What is HSUS?

Kris


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## Nutmeg (Oct 27, 2009)

Hello,

I thought I would put my two cents in.

I have switched my dogs' food a few times and I am still not sure that I am satisfied with the results. At first, I started feeding Nutro Large Breed Adult dog food, but after further research about dog food, I realized the ingredients had corn gluten meal in it. Dogs do not digest corn very well, thus it is simply a cheap filler and not adequate protein. 

After researching more, I came to find out that the first five ingredients are the most important in a dog food because they are what it mainly consists of. Also, wheat, corn, or other grains should never be the number one ingredient in a dog's food...dogs are omnivores, but in the wild, they feed mainly on meat as a number one protein source. 

Another thing to steer clear of are any animal by-products or animal meals that do not specify what kind of animal it is. By-products are any leftovers that are not good for human consumption and is another product cheap pet foods use because it is cheap. 

I am not trying to put down anyone's dog food, I am simply stating what I have learned. 

I also firmly believe that almost all vets should not be consulted on what type of pet food is appropriate because they usually have little experience or education when it comes to pet nutrition and are biased towards the pet food that they prescribe. 

As previously stated, I switched from Nutro when I realized it had corn gluten meal in it. Then, I found out about Canidae. This was a great alternative to me because of their awesome ingrediants. However, in October of 2008, Canidae switched their ingrediants and did not mention this to any of their customers (huge list of customers claiming their dogs became sick on http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/canidae.html). All of my dogs became sick and had diarrhea because of Canidae. 

Now, I have tried several other foods. Most recently, I found Fromm dog foods and I was very satisfied with their products! The only problem was their price  They are a great food, but I continue to look for a cheaper product of similar quality. I found Nutri Source, but I am unhappy that they have corn gluten meal in their large breed puppy formula. However, my adult dogs seem to love the lamb meal and rice adult dog food. 

Are there any suggestions about another high quality dog food that is reasonably priced?


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

Nutmeg said:


> Hello,
> 
> I thought I would put my two cents in.
> 
> ...


And not to put down what you have 'learned', but I wish I had a $1 for every negative post I have read concerning corn, by-products, grains, and how ignorant vets are concerning nutrition. I would be a multi-millionaire. :


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

msdogs1976 said:


> And not to put down what you have 'learned', but I wish I had a $1 for every negative post I have read concerning corn, by-products, grains, and how ignorant vets are concerning nutrition. I would be a multi-millionaire. :


Seriously. It was like every myth about dog food from the whole internet, condensed into one post.


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## Traz (Jan 19, 2009)

Nutmeg,
I think it is great you take the time to learn about foods & products rather than just using whatever the breeder or vet says. Too often people use something just because someone else said it was Okay. 
My first Golden had a lot of medical problems, I can't say for sure if they were hereditary, food related or environmental, but with my current Goldens I too am always looking & learning to make the best choices for them.


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## T&T (Feb 28, 2008)

It's good to see consumers researching ingredients
The pet food industry being "self regulated" is NOT a myth
More & more pets suffering from various diseases & allergies is NOT a myth
A consumer not sharing your views/beliefs on ingredients or food criteria does NOT make them ignorant
Some replies sure come across this way


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

T&T said:


> A consumer not sharing your views/beliefs on ingredients or food criteria does NOT make them ignorant
> Some replies sure come across this way












Yeah, sometimes many of us have a tendency to come across this way.


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## T&T (Feb 28, 2008)

Please point me towards a post where I would've been condescending so I can apologize.
Sorry you do not like/appreciate the content of the links/documentaries I post.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

I would suggest that you have an allergy test done done on your dog. To me it is harder on a dog to change foods trying to find the right one and can turn him into a picky eater. If the new foods dont agree with him it can cause him to have diarrhea or you can be playing the switch game for months trying to find the right one. It is a long process a couple of weeks or longer to see if the new food agrees and if you are making alot of changes that can be months of him having problems. Not only the cost of finding the right food but him suffering longer. So paying the cost for a allergy test would be faster and less hard on him.

While there are alot of great "high quality brands" out there, not all brands work for all dogs. Some brands are too rich for some dogs. Mine are on ProPlan all life stages and are doing great. I trust the food and all mine are very healthy. My dog Beau was on Purina his whole life and he lived to be 13. 
And with this economy not everyone can pay $40-higher for a bag of dog food. 
While we would all like to think our food is the best, it may not be the best for another dog. So please consider that when giving your opinion.


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## OriJames (Jan 23, 2009)

Not to look into the previous sort of conversations that seem to be going on in this post. But I am shocked, personally. There's actually an ellergy to corn for some dogs? Oh dear, I think I'm glad Ori doesn't have that, I was feeding him Pedigree for a while (Not premium I know) Just today, I've decided to switch him over the course of 10 days to a week on something the vet recommended for his size, breed, engery levels, and need called Royal Canin, which I haven't heard about before today. 

I'm not exactly sure how it's going to affect him, but if he had any allergies at all, would I know by now from Pedigree so I shouldn't need to keep an eye on him too much?

Apologies for getting off topic.


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## LeeMedic (Jan 7, 2010)

*Innova*

I had problems with Wellness causing loose stools. I thought of feeding Sergeant Spot's Stew, but heard is lacked meats.

I am now trying him on Innova LBP, and changing the food as cause loose stools. I hope this will pass.

I must admit though, his GAS is killing us! LOL


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## hgatesy (Feb 14, 2007)

We feed a mix of California Natural Herring & Sweet Potato and Evo.


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## nellie'smom (Dec 27, 2007)

As of right now she is doing very well on the Merrick dry foods. Turducken currently.


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## bwoz (Jul 12, 2007)

We've had issues with grain heavy foods. Currently I feed Gaea for kibble and add wet and whole foods for variety.


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## alanckaye (Feb 7, 2009)

*dog food*



fostermom said:


> I really like California Natural. It is a limited ingredient food that has been formulated for dogs who might have an allergy to certain grains. My dogs looked fantastic when I was feeding it. The only reason I am not feeding it now is because I have a local company that delivers a holistic blend of dog food that is very comparable to California Natural for a lower price.


can I ask where do you get California Natural? I live in Florida and I've never seen it in any pet stores.


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

alanckaye said:


> can I ask where do you get California Natural? I live in Florida and I've never seen it in any pet stores.


Here is a link to locate a pet food store in your area that carries Natura products (California Natural, Innova, EVO, Healthwise)

http://www.naturapet.com/where-to-buy/


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