# What is the best dog food?



## lacy_amy

I was recently reading somewhere that high priced dog foods such as Iam's are not good for your dog. I was very surprised about that, I just assumed that because it was more expensive it would be better for the dog. Which dog foods out there can buy from the grocery store that are reasonably priced and good for dogs? I am fostering so I am trying to get them the best food available but don't want to spend a small fortune.


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## LOVEisGOLDEN

We order our food from www.petfooddirect.com it is a great place to research foods, as it gives the complete label reading along with prices...


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## dannyra

lacy_amy said:


> I was recently reading somewhere that high priced dog foods such as Iam's are not good for your dog. I was very surprised about that, I just assumed that because it was more expensive it would be better for the dog. Which dog foods out there can buy from the grocery store that are reasonably priced and good for dogs? I am fostering so I am trying to get them the best food available but don't want to spend a small fortune.


The best dog food? The one that works for your dogs.
Price vs Quality is a very difficult line to walk. Sorry I have no advice on a specific food.


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## Jackson'sMom

There are many, many opinions about what is the best dog food. And of course, 'best' also has to reflect what your dog will eat and what it does well on. But in my opinion, you're not going to find a good dog food of any brand at the grocery store. Someone mentioned recently that the Kirkland brand of dog food from Costco is pretty good for the money.


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## jwemt81

There are definitely a lot of good quality pet foods out there, but I personally highly recommend the Purina ProPlan. We have our puppy on regular Purina Puppy Chow right now since that is what the breeder was feeding, but we plan on gradually changing him over to the ProPlan soon.


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## Lucky's mom

lacy_amy said:


> I was recently reading somewhere that high priced dog foods such as Iam's are not good for your dog. I was very surprised about that, I just assumed that because it was more expensive it would be better for the dog. Which dog foods out there can buy from the grocery store that are reasonably priced and good for dogs? I am fostering so I am trying to get them the best food available but don't want to spend a small fortune.


Iams is not a bad food. In my opinion its one of the better lower cost foods out there. Eukanuba and ProPlan are probably better then Iams...but I fed Iams most of Lucky's life span and he has done very well on it.

If you want to believe that the commercial companies like Purina and Iams have bad food then that's fine but if you haven't come to a conclusion then don't just take people or what they write verbatem. There are alot of untruths and hype out there....


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## Jackson'sMom

Check out www.dogfoodanalysis.com for more information and dog food ratings.


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## Lucky's mom

Here's another site that can help explain why iams may use ingredients that other companies don't. I know they are good about establishing Patents as well.
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/iamssym1.html


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo

Dog Food drives me crazy. I was trying a switch with my two, but it isn't going like I would like it to. 

I don't always believe everything a dog food company guarantees. Just as an example: A company can claim they don't use Ethoxquin in their foods. If they get their fish from a supplier and it's already been preserved (or whatever) they can still uphold the claim. Drives me crazy...


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## lacy_amy

I appreciate all of the good responses. I just want to get them the best food possible considering they are puppy mill dogs and have not been taken care very good. The older one especially is really thin so I would like to put some weight on her and nutrition would be good for her also. I was just thinking that maybe I should consider putting her on a doggy vitamin.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo

I'm thinking I may just keep my two on Canidae. I was trying to switch them over to Taste of the Wild and considered Eagle Pack Holisistic fish formula, but Tucker has been dry heaving since mixing the TOW. Shadow was dry heaving a week ago but has stopped. Don't know what is up with these two.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom

As others have stated, there are many quality foods out there. A good site to start learning about how to evaluate foods is http://www.dogfoodproject.com/ In most instances you want to look for a quality, named meat meal as your first ingredient ( and perhaps the first several). Remember that ingredients are listed by weight.... that being said there are lots of "tricks" that the manufacturers can use to make the food look more "meat rich" than it is. Meal is simply the meat with water removed, making it a more dense product that just the named meat ( chicken or turkey for instance). Also, you want to avoid preservatives such as BHA,BHT and ethoxyquin which are known carcinogens and banned for human consumption. A good book to read is "Food Pets Die For" by Ann Martin. And of course, you'll need to experiment a little to find a food your pet does well on and likes. I would suggest buying a small bag and transitioning slowly to see how they adapt. If you are interested in a whole food supplement, the wholistic pet has a wonderful canine product that adds some of the enzymes, probiotics, etc that the cooking destroys. http://www.thewholisticpet.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=40 These are all organic and you can get it with or without the joint support.


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## wagondog

Kimm said:


> I'm thinking I may just keep my two on Canidae. I was trying to switch them over to Taste of the Wild and considered Eagle Pack Holisistic fish formula, but Tucker has been dry heaving since mixing the TOW. Shadow was dry heaving a week ago but has stopped. Don't know what is up with these two.


Kimm
We just went from Nutro Lamb and Rice to Canidae All Life Stages. I guess the reason was we were out of food on the day I happened to read the posts and newspaper about the Nutro recalls. I am mixing in a little Triumph wet just to make it a little more palatable for Harley. He seems to like the Canidae.
Jerry & Harley


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## Lego&Jacub

My personal feeling is: If it comes from a grocery store it's not a good food. 

I fed my pups Innova & Canadae. If you are looking to save money however and still get a pretty good kibble, I would suggest going to Costco and getting some kirkland brand dog food.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo

wagondog said:


> Kimm
> We just went from Nutro Lamb and Rice to Canidae All Life Stages. I guess the reason was we were out of food on the day I happened to read the posts and newspaper about the Nutro recalls. I am mixing in a little Triumph wet just to make it a little more palatable for Harley. He seems to like the Canidae.
> Jerry & Harley


My two did fine on Canidae for a number of years, so I'm going to keep them on it. I'll finish up this bag of TOW and go with what wasn't broken. I still have enough of both formulas of the Canidae left. I thought something with a little more protein would be good and with all the complaints about the new formula I thought this might be the time to give a new food a try. I need to just go with what has worked for 5 years, including having Tucker on a weight maintence food, even though he was young when he started it. He'll be a senior soon anywho...


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## Swampcollie

What's the best food? :doh: 

That's like asking Orville and Bubba what the best beer is.


If you're stuck with only going to the grocery store, Iams or Purina One are probably your best options. 

If you have a feed mill nearby you may want to look into Native, Exclusive or Loyall. If you have a few more pieces of change in your pocket take a look at Pro Plan Performance, Eukanuba Performance or Eagle Pack Power Formula.


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## Shining Star

*My Girl did fine on Timber Wolf until they change there formula. Then*
*I had to switch to Canidae she did fine on that until they changed there formula .*
*Then we had to switch again .*
*Now she is on ( Fromm Surf & Turf ).*
*I hope they don't change there formula.*
*I can always tell when the formula is changed she will start to*
*scratch and itch.*
*I guess the dog food Co. like everything needs to pass on the higher*
*cost of there ingredients to the buyer.*


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## Charlie06

I've become a little obsessed with dog food and have tried many different brands. I think we've finally found 2 foods that we are going to stick with, EVO and Wellness Core. We just tried a bag of Orijen and he really likes it but he's been pooping 3X a day instead of his normal 2X. I don't really know if that's a good thing or bad thing....lol


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## Popebendgoldens

Have you thought about feeding your dog a raw diet? I haven't fed any kibble in over 9 years and will never feed my dogs any kibble ever again. I know that my dogs food is grown and harvested in Texas (where I live). It is human grade food so it will be ok for them to eat. My dogs are also much healthier and happier eating a raw diet. If you are interested in feeding a raw diet just google raw pet diet and there is more than enough information on feeding a dog a raw diet

Pat


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## mspantherina

Lego&Jacub said:


> My personal feeling is: If it comes from a grocery store it's not a good food.
> 
> I fed my pups Innova & Canadae. If you are looking to save money however and still get a pretty good kibble, I would suggest going to Costco and getting some kirkland brand dog food.


Costco is a type of grocery store. I would strongly advise not feeding your dog Kirkland dog food. 

Stick to organic dog food. There are plenty of brands available. Please see list below for suggestions.

1.) Karma
2.) Castor & Pollux Organix 
3.) Natural Balance Organic 
4.) Humane Choice Organic 
5.) Newman's Own Organics
6.) Blue Organics
7.) Nature Organics
8.) Verve Dehydrated Raw Dog Food
9.) PetGuard Organics
10.) Taste of the Wild Wetlands

Organic = Healthy

Link suggestions:
http://naturalbias.com/7-major-reasons-to-go-organic/
http://www.mofga.org/tabid/166/Default.aspx

Organic crops must be produced without pesticides (including herbicides), synthetic fertilizers, sewer sludge, bioengineering, or radiation. Organically raised animals must be given organic food and be free of growth hormones and antibiotics. Organic farm animals must have access to the outdoors, including pastureland for grazing.

If a food has a "USDA organic" label on it, it contains at least 95% organic ingredients. A government-approved expert must inspect the farm where it is produced to make sure the farmer follows all USDA requirements.


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## Ranger

Make sure you do the switch really slowly and gradually, especially if you're switching from a grocery brand (Iams, Purina, etc) to a higher quality, "rich" food (Orijen, Innova, etc). I swapped Ranger from Iams to Orijen and it took about 2 months of mixing Iams/Orijen for him to get used to the higher quality food. Now that he's used to a higher protein food, though, I had no problems at all when switching straight over to Innova Evo this past month. No upset stomach, no loose poops...nothing.

Also, when switching from Iams to Orijen I noticed a difference very shortly. Ranger had a ton more energy, more mental focus and his coat became incredibly glossy. He wasn't doing poorly on Iams, but he certainly blossomed with the Orijen six fish.


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## jillybean

How come no one has mentioned Wellness? My dog loves it, mind you he would eat anything I'm sure! I am always looking for a good food as well. Our last golden was on Iams and he lived healthy up to 12 years of age. Now with all these foods I think there is better than Iams now, but years ago Iams was pretty good. Is grain free better for them?


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## pensgirl

Man 'O' Man the dog food debate. I am soooo confused. Several dog owners at Petco recommended Blue Buffalo. So that is what I bought. The breeder had her on Purina Puppy Chow, which I was told is not a good food. So I am slowly switching her to the BB. Then I asked the vet to recommend a food. He recommended any good quality food, but would not suggest a brand. He said he could not give me advice on BB since he has no information on it. She seems to be doing well with the transition, but I haven't had any luck finding out if it is a good quality. Please all of you experts let me know if BB is bad for my baby. If so, I will switch to something else. :bowl:


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## typercy

Jackson'sMom said:


> Someone mentioned recently that the Kirkland brand of dog food from Costco is pretty good for the money.


That is also what I have found in the research I have done.


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## jillybean

I am no expert but my vet did say to make sure the brand has been around a while, I did have him on Innova and that was good too, way to many to choose from! I wouldn't have him on purina though, I think there is better out there for them.


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## TheGoldenDream

Foodfoodfood...I wish they could just tell us which ones bothered them.  

About six months ago we switched to Wellness CORE (the fish) and they all *seemed* to be doing really well....but of course, 3 months in I noticed the food no longer smelled the same. Along with the peculiar smell came some very weird looking coats. (This was around winter when they would normally be growing their winter coats. Instead they were thin and patchy.) I attributed this to the food and immediately switched to Orijen. Anyway, recently we seem to have picked up some kind of stomach bug, which has successfully hit all three doggies. :doh:

Off to the vet we go...and a couple hundred dollars later we end up switching their food, AGAIN. They are now on Taste of the Wild and doing fantastic. I hope it lasts! *crosses fingers*


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## oakleysmommy

awwwee poor guys!! i hope they feel better and do well on TOTW..seems alot of people on here use it and the dogs do really well on it..keep updates!


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## oakleysmommy

pensgirl said:


> Man 'O' Man the dog food debate. I am soooo confused. Several dog owners at Petco recommended Blue Buffalo. So that is what I bought. The breeder had her on Purina Puppy Chow, which I was told is not a good food. So I am slowly switching her to the BB. Then I asked the vet to recommend a food. He recommended any good quality food, but would not suggest a brand. He said he could not give me advice on BB since he has no information on it. She seems to be doing well with the transition, but I haven't had any luck finding out if it is a good quality. Please all of you experts let me know if BB is bad for my baby. If so, I will switch to something else. :bowl:


BB is a very good food..switch very slowly its a rich food and feed alittle less if you can. digestive enzymes are great to add to any diet. i use Natures Farmacy Dogzymes. you can also google Blue Buffalo dog food reviews.


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## Sosoprano

I did a lot of research on food before bringing Pippa home three weeks ago. I raised our previous Golden, Boswell, on Eukanuba, and I was surprised that it turned out to be not as good as I thought it was. Maybe the formula changed over time (wouldn't be surprised). 

The site I liked best was dogfoodadvisor.com. You can search by type of food, brand name, and food for dogs with special requirements. Then you get a complete profile where each ingredient of that particular food is discussed--briefly, and in layman's terms --and a rating in stars.

Taking quality, cost, and local availability into account, I settled on Taste of the Wild, and she seems very happy with it.


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## oakleysmommy

WOw so many people on here use TOTW!! i use Fromm's LBP and very happy with it after a rough road of transitioning too quickly. But all is good now. maybe one day in the future if Fromm's isnt working for him anylonger i will look into TOTW.


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## Florabora22

Carmella was fed Iams for the first.. 8-9 years of her life, I think. She ate Solid Gold until she died at the age of 14.5. Good genes? Sure. But I also can say with confidence that feeding her Iams probably didn't shorten her life span any. If your current foster dogs are eating Iams happily and doing well on it, then there's no need to change. I would change your dog's food only if they're showing signs that it's disagreeing with them - diarrhea, lusterless coat, lack of activity, etc. Othewise... why fix something that ain't broke?


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## tippykayak

Sosoprano said:


> I did a lot of research on food before bringing Pippa home three weeks ago. I raised our previous Golden, Boswell, on Eukanuba, and I was surprised that it turned out to be not as good as I thought it was. Maybe the formula changed over time (wouldn't be surprised).


Nah, it's still a great food. It just doesn't fit with the new "grain free" fads and the popular bias against certain ingredients.


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## TheGoldenDream

They definitely love TOTW and so far so do their stomachs! I did learn one other thing, which now seems like a DUH?! moment...but for what it's worth: We've started buying smaller bags of dog food... that way we can be sure it stays fresh. With all of the new "natural" foods out there, the lack of preservatives can allow some mold to form at the bottom of the bag. YUCK!!


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## oakleysmommy

good idea because i bought a 33 lb bag of Fromm's in March! i store it in a Vittles Vault which is airtight so i am sure its fine. but next bag will be smaller.


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## msdogs1976

Sosoprano said:


> I did a lot of research on food before bringing Pippa home three weeks ago. I raised our previous Golden, Boswell, on Eukanuba, and I was surprised that it turned out to be not as good as I thought it was. Maybe the formula changed over time (wouldn't be surprised).
> 
> The site I liked best was dogfoodadvisor.com. You can search by type of food, brand name, and food for dogs with special requirements. Then you get a complete profile where each ingredient of that particular food is discussed--briefly, and in layman's terms --and a rating in stars.
> 
> Taking quality, cost, and local availability into account, I settled on Taste of the Wild, and she seems very happy with it.



I'm sure TOTW is fine. As far as dogfoodadvisor.com goes, I just can't understand the love for this site. The guy that runs the site is a dentist. Nothing to do with animal nutrition. But he does consider himself an expert on reading and advising on ingredients. I guess thats something.

About the Dog Food Advisor


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## pensgirl

oakleysmommy said:


> BB is a very good food..switch very slowly its a rich food and feed alittle less if you can. digestive enzymes are great to add to any diet. i use Natures Farmacy Dogzymes. you can also google Blue Buffalo dog food reviews.


 
Thank You Very much!!! I did research many brands before we brought her home, but when the vet was unwilling to give me specific brands and did not comment on BB I was getting worried. It is a very slow transition. We are at about 50/50 and we have had her 2&1/2 weeks. She had some stomach upset but I think that was from the interceptor meds for heartworm prevention. She is very active when awake and sleeps about 18 hrs per day. Thanks again


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## fostermom

tippykayak said:


> Nah, it's still a great food. It just doesn't fit with the new "grain free" fads and the popular bias against certain ingredients.


I think that many of us who feed grain free do so because we feel it's the best food for our dogs and not because it's a fad. Which is the exact same reason you feed your dogs the food you feed them. You really come across as very condescending in many of these food threads because you like to denigrate those of us who feed different foods from what you feed. I'm not really sure why you feel it's necessary to do so.


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## tippykayak

fostermom said:


> I think that many of us who feed grain free do so because we feel it's the best food for our dogs and not because it's a fad. Which is the exact same reason you feed your dogs the food you feed them. You really come across as very condescending in many of these food threads because you like to denigrate those of us who feed different foods from what you feed. I'm not really sure why you feel it's necessary to do.


Hey, sorry, you're right. I really should not have put it that way. Rereading it, it certainly sounds a lot more rude than I intended. I'm sorry.

I just mean that there's a huge amount of "grain free" talk out there on those dog food sites, and lots of it is based in a kind of pseudo-science that really bugs me.

If individual dogs are doing well on particular foods, I think that's great. I nothing against foods that don't have any grains. What I'm against is this huge advertising push by food manufacturers and less-than-scientific websites.

But again, sorry. You are 100% right that my tone was condescending, whatever my intent.


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## oakleysmommy

i believe certain foods have better ingredients. with that said ProPlan, Eukanuba and Science Diet have been around alot longer. i personally feed Fromm's i feel the ingredients are better than lets say Eukanuba. Would i feed Eukanuba, ProPlan if my pup began having issues on the Fromm's? Absolutely, they have done more research and so many dogs have been fed it for years and lived long happy lives. Its what each of us feel comfortable with feeding and we have our reasons for doing so..Do i agree with the whole "grain free" foods? personally i dont. In my opinion it hasnt been around long enough to be trusted. in my opinion, the high protein diets dont sit well with me, as a competitor in the bodybuilding world i know all too well what high protein diets do to a body and mind!! even the good high proteins over work the kidneys and for humans we cannot live without grains/carbs. Too much of anything isnt good either.


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## fostermom

tippykayak said:


> Hey, sorry, you're right. I really should not have put it that way. Rereading it, it certainly sounds a lot more rude than I intended. I'm sorry.
> 
> I just mean that there's a huge amount of "grain free" talk out there on those dog food sites, and lots of it is based in a kind of pseudo-science that really bugs me.
> 
> If individual dogs are doing well on particular foods, I think that's great. I nothing against foods that don't have any grains. What I'm against is this huge advertising push by food manufacturers and less-than-scientific websites.
> 
> But again, sorry. You are 100% right that my tone was condescending, whatever my intent.


Thank you for that. I know that people feel very strongly about dog food, it's almost as divisive as politics!


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom

oakleysmommy said:


> i believe certain foods have better ingredients. with that said ProPlan, Eukanuba and Science Diet have been around alot longer. .


 
Just fwiw, Fromm has been producing pet food since the 1940's..... longer than at least ( if not all) of the foods you mentioned. It has also been held by the same family all that time. Fromm Family Foods - History of Pet Food


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## oakleysmommy

You are right!! i didnt really think of that


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom

oakleysmommy said:


> You are right!! i didnt really think of that


 
No frowns needed. I just wanted it out there that they are a long time, singly held co. with a LONG history, not some new "fly by night" company with no history or experience behind them. Smile... it's good.


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## oakleysmommy

i really like the company as well they are so friendly and nice to talk to on the phone..


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## marshab1

We are in the process of switching from Acana Wild Prairie to Blue Buffalo Wilderness chicken. So far so good, it's only been a couple of days and we started a 50/50 switch. It seems to be agreeing with her so far. We feed the grain free foods because I bought a bag by accident and the itching and licking stopped. So that made it a winner for us. Add to it that it agrees with her, her coat always looks great, and probably most importantly she eats it. She's a fussy girl.


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## Feldenak

We've been feeding Isabel the Fromm Large Breed Puppy Gold. I don't see any reason to change from that label. It's nutritious and she loves it. A win-win scenario.


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## oakleysmommy

Feldenak said:


> We've been feeding Isabel the Fromm Large Breed Puppy Gold. I don't see any reason to change from that label. It's nutritious and she loves it. A win-win scenario.


 I sent you a private message


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## JustDaisy

This thread has been very good reading. The whole 'which food is best' discussion always makes me crazy.

Grain is bad.
Raw is best.
Chicken is bad.
Corn is bad.
Rice is better.
Potatoes are even better.
Cheap is bad, expensive is good.

I, along with so many others, have chased the 'best food' for my dogs.

My golden lab was fed Purina Puppy. When I got him, I switched to Blue Seal. Eventually I went to Kirkland. He has done amazing well. No itching, no hot spots, skin and coat is beautiful (people always remark on how soft his fur is) poops are solid and not smelly. His weight is perfect.

Whatever your dog does best on is my advice. What is best for one dog may not be the best for another. When you find the right one, stick with it.


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## oakleysmommy

i have done my share of chasing the best food and thought i found it...didnt work out.


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## mba3boiz

I used Fromm for my older dog, and got it for my puppy. My older dog tolerated it very well, but my 8 month old puppy had very loose stools. I finally switched him to TOTW, and he is doing very well.


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## A1Malinois

I switched from Pro Plan to Acana (which is made by Champion pet foods which also makes orijen) and my dogs poops are smaller, hes not itching nearly as bad as he was on Purina, he has more energy and muscle. 

I really like the food. Im not one to feed grain free just because its grain free. I dont mine a tad bit of grain (oatmeal) but I dont like seeing the majority of the food made up of grain


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## Rockypointers

We did some research before we chose and found that Taste of the Wild High Prarie Blend was the best choice for us. Stay away from foods that list Corn as their first/first few ingredients. It's a cheap filler that has little nutritious value for our pups.


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## tippykayak

Rockypointers said:


> Stay away from foods that list Corn as their first/first few ingredients. It's a cheap filler that has little nutritious value for our pups.


While corn shouldn't be the main ingredient of a dog food (and neither should potato, oatmeal, or any of the other less vilified starches), there's no merit in the statement that it has "little nutritious value."

I can't for the life of me figure out why people think a "grain free" food that uses potato as the starch is automatically "more nutritious" than a food that uses corn as the starch.


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## Rockypointers

tippykayak said:


> While corn shouldn't be the main ingredient of a dog food (and neither should potato, oatmeal, or any of the other less vilified starches), there's no merit in the statement that it has "little nutritious value."
> 
> I can't for the life of me figure out why people think a "grain free" food that uses potato as the starch is automatically "more nutritious" than a food that uses corn as the starch.


Thanks tippy, perhaps I needed to be more clear. As a main ingredient, corn has little nutritious value, especially when side by side with other protiens/ingredients that are primary in many foods. Sure, as a starch it has merit....but as the #1 ingredient? Hardly.


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## newport

I use both Evengers grain free chicken and EVO low calorie chicken. I trade these two off-one meal... and do totally raw the other meal( breakfast/ dinner) I like Lola to have the best of everything.... and she seems to enjoy the variety. Occationally I throw in a can of water pack/ salt free sardines into the dry.


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## tippykayak

Rockypointers said:


> Thanks tippy, perhaps I needed to be more clear. As a main ingredient, corn has little nutritious value, especially when side by side with other protiens/ingredients that are primary in many foods. Sure, as a starch it has merit....but as the #1 ingredient? Hardly.


Absolutely. Corn doesn't seem to work well for dogs (or people, for that matter) as the primary ingredient in a diet. As a source of vegetable starch and vitamins, it's no better or worse than other vegetables and grains. Just different.

Too much of anything is bad. That's why it's too much.


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## Rockypointers

tippykayak said:


> Too much of anything is bad. That's why it's too much.


Touche! Well said!


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## MikaTallulah

Mine are on FROMM now. They seem to love it.

I used to be a supporter of Proplan. But never again Purina continues to sell poisonous jerky treats for the oh mighty dollar instead of during a voluntary recall. I can't support a company that does not care.


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## Aspen's Mom

I don't know if there is any truth to this, but supposedly Canadian dog food brands are supposed to be a good choice. Apparently, their standards are higher and have stricter guidelines. I did quite a bit of research and settled on Orijen Large Breed Puppy formula for our pup. It's expensive, but I feel strongly about giving her a great start with the healthiest food I can find.


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## Max's Dad

Max was eating Puppy Chow from the breeder. Our vet recommended Science Diet, but Max did not do well with it and had very soft stools. I did research and found that Eukanuba large breed puppy had a solid nutritional basis, so we tried it. Max thrived on it until he was about 18 months old. We did research a couple of dog food review web sites, and learned that Kirkland (Costco) was very highly rated, same as Blue Buffalo. 
We use the Chicken and rice formula for large dogs. Max has done very well for about 5 months so far. 
We also like the Kirkland chicken and lamb biscuits.


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## artbuc

Aspen's Mom said:


> I don't know if there is any truth to this, but supposedly Canadian dog food brands are supposed to be a good choice. Apparently, their standards are higher and have stricter guidelines. I did quite a bit of research and settled on Orijen Large Breed Puppy formula for our pup. It's expensive, but I feel strongly about giving her a great start with the healthiest food I can find.


This article is 5 years old so maybe things are better now. I feed Orijen but am looking for a USA made alternative.


CBC News In Depth: Consumers

Looks like things may be better now. Canada has regulatory body for pet food which aims to comply with AAFCO. So I don't know how you could think Canadian standards are better than USA's.

http://www.pfac.com/learn/industry/index.html


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## MyBentley

artbuc said:


> This article is 5 years old so maybe things are better now. I feed Orijen but am looking for a USA made alternative.
> 
> 
> CBC News In Depth: Consumers
> 
> Looks like things may be better now. Canada has regulatory body for pet food which aims to comply with AAFCO. So I don't know how you could think Canadian standards are better than USA's.
> 
> Pet Food Association of Canada — Learn More About Pet Food — Industry Regulations


I agree that Canada has played catch-up to the U.S. in having any sort of regulatory body. Unfortunately, oversight and implementation are lacking even in the U.S. as evidenced by the Diamond manufacturing recalls.

It leads me to think that choosing a specific company first may be more important than choosing the country first.


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## goldenboymurphey

A lot of people may not like it, but I feed Sportmix Lamb and Rice....Murphey seems to be doing good on it and it seems to have good ingridients.


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## Wendy427

*Excellent book about Pet Food*

Re-activating this thread, since I just saw a FB post about this book:

Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food: Ann N. Martin, Shawn Messonier: 9780939165568: Amazon.com: Books


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## saab95conv

what does anyone think of Petfresh?


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## SILVACO

bump ~ we are using taste of the wild...but thinking of switching to Orijen...any thoughts? just looking at the ingredients it seems like Orijen's blend is alot more diversified...


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## Melfice

I am using Acana for Rusty, and he is very happy on their foods. Acana is made by the same company as Orijen, and it's their top line product. Since I changed Rusty over, his coat and muscles are nice and fit. His poops are small and I'm having no issues for far.

I plan on adding Orijen to the rotation soon, but based on my exp with Acana...I'm very happy with their dog foods. My cat does eat Orjien dry food for a change of pace (he eats wet foods 90% of the time), and it's great for him too.


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## MrsKuhn

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## CharlieBear80

SILVACO said:


> bump ~ we are using taste of the wild...but thinking of switching to Orijen...any thoughts? just looking at the ingredients it seems like Orijen's blend is alot more diversified...


We use TOTW. I used Orijen when my guy was a pup at the recommendation of his breeder (something about calcium and magnesium ratios and not wanting him to grow too quickly being that he's a larger breed and all... even though he grew up to be a squirt!) but it's so expensive! If you have the funds to pay for it and are happy with Orijen though, why not? It's a fantastic food.


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## Melfice

Yeah Orijen is a great food but costs alot indeed. Acana is my main dry food with Orijen is mixed in (about 25%) each meal. It helps saves some money, and the dogs are doing great on it


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## msdogs1976

Mrskuhn said:


> http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I5ZeNLUEHKY
> 
> http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aTWHxvjI_as


She sounds smart. But I have read numerous times on here that vets know nothing about nutrition. Am I to believe her just because shes not recommending the traditional products they normally recommend like Science Diet and IAMS? 

Actually my vet doesn't say not to feed the boutique brands, she just says that she doesn't feel most of those formulas are necessary unless the pet has special requirements. She says she has fed the more common brands to her dogs over the years and they have all lived long healthy lives and has seen the same in her practice. So who's right? I think the answer is there is more than one way to skin a cat.


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