# dog food rant and such



## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Well, they may look healthy and shiny, and I don't doubt that, but how much more improvement to their appearance and health do you think would be visible if they were fed a higher grade food?


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## partial2poodles (Feb 11, 2010)

Foods that are NOT human grade are not fit for MY dogs. The meats are denatured with acids and peteoleum distillates. The carbodydrates are dusty, filthy fragments that are leftovers after the REAL whole grains are used for other things. Meat and bone meal are equivilent to crematory ashes. Corn is not little yellow kernals og Green Giant corn. It includes husks, cobs, silk, roots and stalks. What dog needs to eat corn stalks in its diet. Meats can range from cancerous cows to laboratory monkeys....its protein and its sold by the tonage to the BIG companies. The smaller companies are more conscientious about where their ingredients come from and they pay more for it in order to not subject their dlients dogs to KNOWN carcinogens etc. I am always on a rant about dog food. Check out my website page on dog foods. Www.barkingbeautiessalon.com


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## Rockporters (Jan 14, 2010)

The food thing drives me crazy too. Jasper came with Innova Adult, which I've not been impressed with so far. Today I got talked into EVO Herring & Salmon for the puppy. I have to wonder how healthy the high protein diet will be in the long run for a breed that can be prone to kidney issues. It also escaped me when reading the label in the store that it has Glucosamine and Chrondointin in it :-/. Back to the drawing board I think. Innova was low in protein for a puppy, so I was supplementing with cottage cheese or chicken and veggies. With the high protein foods, I assume even more protein isn't necessary?? Confusing!

Eukanuba is the only food that my Golden could tolerate. She suffered for so long while we tried to find a food that worked. Innova, Solid Gold, Nutro, California Natural, etc... caused her so much misery . Once we discovered that she tolerated Eukanuba well, there was no way any other food was allowed in the house. (couldn't risk her getting a bite of it!) At 15 our Toy is doing well on Eukanuba Senior so we won't be switching him.


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## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

Because my dog relies soley on me for his health and i take the responsibility seriously. I have the choice to eat crappy foods, he does not. I want him around for as long as possible too! It makes me sick what goes into some dog foods anyways that i could not consiously feed that to my dog.


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## frostfirestandards (Jun 18, 2009)

Rockporters said:


> The food thing drives me crazy too. Jasper came with Innova Adult, which I've not been impressed with so far. Today I got talked into EVO Herring & Salmon for the puppy. I have to wonder how healthy the high protein diet will be in the long run for a breed that can be prone to kidney issues. It also escaped me when reading the label in the store that it has Glucosamine and Chrondointin in it :-/. Back to the drawing board I think. Innova was low in protein for a puppy, so I was supplementing with cottage cheese or chicken and veggies. With the high protein foods, I assume even more protein isn't necessary?? Confusing!
> 
> Eukanuba is the only food that my Golden could tolerate. She suffered for so long while we tried to find a food that worked. Innova, Solid Gold, Nutro, California Natural, etc... caused her so much misery . Once we discovered that she tolerated Eukanuba well, there was no way any other food was allowed in the house. (couldn't risk her getting a bite of it!) At 15 our Toy is doing well on Eukanuba Senior so we won't be switching him.



Se thats what im wondering about. There are some dogs that only do well on things that are considered "Junk" by some owners. 

I have tried EVO, TOTW ect I wasn't thrilled at all. 
Dog food is beginning to be a really scary thing for me, I joke all the time that if I didnt have so many I would just cook for them. 

it seems like every week there is a new recall being announced, and then you hear of silent ones... I mean seriously, something we NEED for our pets...kills them!!?? 

Its crazy and I personally will go nuts if I dwell on it for too long, it litterally makes my head hurt thinking about what I should or shouldn't feed them. 
The best I can do by them, is provide something that agrees with their bellies, and provides good nutrition


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## frostfirestandards (Jun 18, 2009)

partial2poodles said:


> Foods that are NOT human grade are not fit for MY dogs. The meats are denatured with acids and peteoleum distillates. The carbodydrates are dusty, filthy fragments that are leftovers after the REAL whole grains are used for other things. Meat and bone meal are equivilent to crematory ashes. Corn is not little yellow kernals og Green Giant corn. It includes husks, cobs, silk, roots and stalks. What dog needs to eat corn stalks in its diet. Meats can range from cancerous cows to laboratory monkeys....its protein and its sold by the tonage to the BIG companies. The smaller companies are more conscientious about where their ingredients come from and they pay more for it in order to not subject their dlients dogs to KNOWN carcinogens etc. I am always on a rant about dog food. Check out my website page on dog foods. Www.barkingbeautiessalon.com


MMMM ashes and silage sounds tasty :wacko:

and monkeys? thats it, Im cooking for them:scared: I freaking hate monkeys!


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## LuckyPoodle (Dec 20, 2009)

I try and feed the best food I can afford and that will work for my pet. My Miniature gets TOTW, but I am currently switching her over to BB. On the other hand - the other 3 poodles are on not so good foods, however they are healthy and happy. Zoe is 5 years old and has been on Hills I/D since she was 1.5 - no other food will agree with her super sensitive tummy. Sammi, who is 8 is on Hills R/D and has been since he was about 3 years old. He needs to stay on this food due to gall bladder diease. Spanky who is now 15 years old is on Purina and has been on it his who life - he is a very picky eater plus that is the only food that will agree with him. All of these dogs are healthy, happy, and with nice coats. However, even with them doing well on these lower grade foods and if they were able to eat a different food I would definitely try them on something better such as Innova, TOTW, BB, Wellness, etc.


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## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

I think what really sealed the deal for me was the last big recall of dog foods (including some brands I had previously held in higher esteem). I had no idea that so much of the filler was coming from China. 

We had a chihuahua when I was a kid who lived to be about 13-14 years old. She was fed Ken-L-Ration (remember those patties that looked kind of plastic-y?). That was all we could get her to eat, so we let her eat it.

I feel very good feeding Wellness and I don't mind paying extra for it. If Teddy were to get sick from contaminated dog food, I would be devastated.


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## trj602 (Nov 27, 2009)

Nutrition is very important... I feed raw. I feed raw not only for less smell and smaller poops but also for better nutritional quality of the foods that my Spoos receive. There are several raw food co-ops and grocery stores that supply food at very economical prices. I feed whole foods as opposed to ground products.


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## artsycourtneysue (Jul 21, 2009)

I never knew that higher quality food means smaller poos?!?! I just switched from pedigree (ick!!!) to royal canin and I noticed much smaller/less poos...didn't realize that was typical


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

artsycourtneysue said:


> I never knew that higher quality food means smaller poos?!?! I just switched from pedigree (ick!!!) to royal canin and I noticed much smaller/less poos...didn't realize that was typical


There is a lot of filler in some brands of dog food and it's not something they need nutritionally so it comes right back out. Corn is an ingredient that not even humans can digest so there's no reason to have corn in the diet of a dog.


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## Purple Poodle (May 5, 2008)

Dog food has come along way since we first had companions.

I think you have to feed the best you can afford. My cousins had two Golden mixed that lived for 14 years on nothing but Ol'Roy. They were active and healthy until the day they died. Now would I ever tell people to feed Ol'Roy if they asked? No. But I am not beyond buying a bag if that's all I can afford. In fact I had two bags of Ol'Roy donated to me for my foster dogs. Did I tell these people no because its Ol'Roy? Hell no its dog food, they get to eat and I get to save money to help rescue more dogs.

I have been feeding Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice for about 3 years now and all of my dogs do very nicely on it. If I could afford it they would be on Taste Of The Wild. Why? Because I think its better for them to have less filler and more whole meats but I won't break the bank when what I can afford now is doing just great.


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## taxtell (Sep 17, 2009)

trj602 said:


> Nutrition is very important... I feed raw. I feed raw not only for less smell and smaller poops but also for better nutritional quality of the foods that my Spoos receive. There are several raw food co-ops and grocery stores that supply food at very economical prices. I feed whole foods as opposed to ground products.


I'm with you, only three weeks in and I can already see the benefits for BOTH of my dogs.


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## taxtell (Sep 17, 2009)

bigpoodleperson said:


> Because my dog relies soley on me for his health and i take the responsibility seriously. I have the choice to eat crappy foods, he does not. I want him around for as long as possible too! It makes me sick what goes into some dog foods anyways that i could not consiously feed that to my dog.


Perfectly put!


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## Savannah (Jan 15, 2010)

Everyone here has really good points, and it's key to remember that all dogs are individuals-- what works great for one might be horrible for another.
My personal concern is longevity. As a groomer, I see a lot of old dogs, and some of them are so decrepit it makes me want to cry. Of course I have no solid scientific evidence to back it up, but I always wonder if those dogs would be healthier now of they'd been fed better from the beginning.

I've seen dogs that always did just great on cheap food- then they get old, their hair falls out, their skin is a shambles, they have rotting teeth, can barely move, etc. There's a whole host of complaints that are just considered normal for aging animals.

I personally want one of those dogs that stays very healthy right up until the end. I've met a few of those, too, and the difference usually seems to be higher quality food (and of course regular vet care). I believe that most "normal" problems are actually a result of long-term poor nutrition.


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## Poodle Lover (Mar 24, 2008)

I believe in feeding my guys the best quality food that I can afford. I really wish I could feed them raw at all times, but it gets really pricey (and yes, I did the math) and my female standards really, really, really hates raw.  She must be the only dog I know. She will only eat raw beef, preferably ground. She used to like chicken backs, turkey and chicken necks, but she now refuses it.  Bugsy, my havanese loves chicken breast, chicken gizzards and necks and my home cooked. Romeo is my easy child, just bring on the food. lol To make things simpler, once a day they get kibble with either home cooked, raw or occasionally canned and at night everyone eats raw.


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## PaddleAddict (Feb 9, 2010)

What an interesting thread! This is timely for me since I have been researching foods for the new puppy. 

I found it disappointing that Royal Canin puppy formula list corn gluten meal as the third ingredient.

My brother-in-law's Chihuahua mix eats Royal Canin Chihuahua formula. It has no corn listed, but has only one real protein source listed in the first 7 ingredients and lots of grains. 

For how expensive the food is, I’m surprised at its content.

I decided to go with Wellness puppy formula and it was actually cheaper than the Royal Canin at Petco. It has no corn and three meat protein sources in the first five ingredients.


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## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

well I'm just stoked to even HAVE a decent food available in NZ now; orijen came to NZ a year ago, and is the ONLY 6 star food we can get here so far. I'd rather that than crap.


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## Savannah (Jan 15, 2010)

I love Wellness food! That's a company I trust. The only reason I don't feed it to Flash is that he's terribly picky and he just won't eat it. Silly spoiled spoo. 
my cats eat Wellness, though, and they've never looked better! Shiny coats and a LOT less shedding. Which is a major bonus for me because I hate shed hair--that's a large part of the reason I chose a poodle.


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## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

And this is exactly why I feed raw. I know what my dogs are eating. It doesn't have to be more expensive to feed raw. A local grocery store had hindquarters on sale for 39 cents/pound - you had to have a coupon and could only get two 10# bags. I ended up getting four coupons and went to a couple different stores and ended up with 80 pounds of chicken for $31.20. I watch the local grocery ads and wait for veggies, fruits, meat to go on a really good sale and stock up. 

Some of the foods at our clinic run as much as $3/pound. When I used to feed kibble - years ago - the really decent food ran about $1/pound.


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## Buck (Oct 22, 2009)

bigpoodleperson said:


> Because my dog relies soley on me for his health and i take the responsibility seriously. I have the choice to eat crappy foods, he does not. I want him around for as long as possible too! It makes me sick what goes into some dog foods anyways that i could not consiously feed that to my dog.


Very well said...DITTO


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

TQ is my easy girl and, like I've said before, would eat cardboard and glass if I put it in her bowl. She loves food, period. So I try to feed her the best food I can afford... because lord knows what else she eats when I'm not looking!

TPFKAP is harder... he has a VERY sensitive tummy, and can't tollerate much. I fed EVO for a little bit about a month, and it was TOO good for him... better food, smaller, dry poop? True... however it was so dry that he couldn't even poo it out... so he is on royal canin for sensitive tummies. It isn't crap food, but it isn't awesome food, but it does agree with him. That's all that matters to me, is that he is happy and healthy. (He DOES love raw chicken/eggs/beef, but he is so little, I'm afraid to try and switch him to raw. His entire meal would be a mini chicken leg, lol.)


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## julievmk (Feb 4, 2010)

Wondering if anyone else here feeds Kirkland? Its so inexpensive and did wonders for both my cats and dogs. 

Also wondering if anyone knows whether any of their ingredients come from China?


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## julievmk (Feb 4, 2010)

Wondering if anyone else here feeds Kirkland? Its so inexpensive and did wonders for both my cats and dogs. 

Also wondering if anyone knows whether any of their ingredients come from China?

From what I can find online, Diamond uses rice from China in some of their brands, but not in Kirkland.


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## Bella's Momma (Jul 26, 2009)

Well, I feed my human family members as best as possible. We buy organics whenever we can and try to avoid things we cannot. We try to steer towards whole grains, and as little fillers or processed things as possible. Our fluffly family member is no different. We originally did green tripe and grain-free b/c that is what the breeder fed her, and the breeder as well as a friend with unrelated standards both remarked their dogs not doing well with grains.

Clearly, this diet had a limited time frame for our girl, so now we're going to try something else - but staying within our family philosophies.


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## Bella's Momma (Jul 26, 2009)

Rockporters said:


> It also escaped me when reading the label in the store that it has Glucosamine and Chrondointin in it :-/.


This is bad for dogs? 



Marian said:


> We had a chihuahua when I was a kid who lived to be about 13-14 years old. She was fed Ken-L-Ration (remember those patties that looked kind of plastic-y?). That was all we could get her to eat, so we let her eat it.


LOL. Those were a treat for my lab/golden/??? dog! I used to love feeding her those b/c they weren't as nasty to my senses as the canned food. Does anyone know Avo-derm? That is what we fed her, she had life-long itchy skin and for some reason my parents thought avo-derm helped, or at least it was the last choice so didn't try anything else. I noticed they still sell it!

I truly liked the idea of making my own raw food for her, but then there is enough nay-saying around me from local poodle-owners, plus the new vet who freaked out about the tripe that I just don't know what to do. I respect people choosing it for sure, I just have to feel really confident if I'm going to do it. Especially since this latest vet was accusing raw tripe (parasites) as maybe a cause of her tummy troubles. (I'm going back to the holistic one after the spay post-care is through!)

I had intended to feed Wellness before she came home on Natural Balance. And now I will basically be trying to find whatever works.


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

Savannah said:


> My personal concern is longevity. As a groomer, I see a lot of old dogs, and some of them are so decrepit it makes me want to cry. Of course I have no solid scientific evidence to back it up, but I always wonder if those dogs would be healthier now of they'd been fed better from the beginning.
> 
> I've seen dogs that always did just great on cheap food- then they get old, their hair falls out, their skin is a shambles, they have rotting teeth, can barely move, etc. There's a whole host of complaints that are just considered normal for aging animals.
> 
> I personally want one of those dogs that stays very healthy right up until the end. I've met a few of those, too, and the difference usually seems to be higher quality food (and of course regular vet care). I believe that most "normal" problems are actually a result of long-term poor nutrition.


You can't really say that it's not genetics that makes these dogs the way they turn out in the end either. If you look at humans for example, some just age better than others. Eating is very important for an animal's well being but that's not the only thing that makes it live longer and look well until the end.


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## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

I decided to try another food today, so I gave Teddy Merrick's Puppy Plate. He gobbled it down (he seemed to like it more than he likes his Wellness Core--and I didn't have to doctor it up with shredded cheese to get him to eat it). I assume that the Merrick is just as good for him as Wellness. The ingredients seem to be good. I think I might switch him over for good. 

Is it true that you shouldn't change up a dog's food often, like you can with a cat? (I heard it would make dogs finicky). I like to give my cat tuna one day, then chicken, then maybe salmon or liver, etc. You know, so meals won't be boring (like my cat even cares, probably! LOL). I noticed that Merrick's has a ton of varieties, and I was wondering if anyone buys more than one flavor of their dog food and do they alternate what they feed? And is that really valid advice anyway, or an old wives tale?


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## Poodlelvr (Mar 13, 2010)

I've fed my dogs Merrick canned. They seemed to like it and had no problems switching between varieties. I liked the ingredients and that it's made in the USA. They also have great dog chew treats. Currently, I'm using Canine Life which comes from Canada. That's a balanced base to which I add ground meat, vegetables and apple. I mix everything and bake it kind of like a meatloaf. I like knowing exactly what goes in it and where it came from. I have no problem using Merrick with that to stretch times between baking batches.


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## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

Good to know. Thanks for the input.


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## partial2poodles (Feb 11, 2010)

I buy tripe at my Wal-Mart super center. I cook it in the crock pot. It stinks up the house and it smells like manure but the dogs love it. My new bather's sister works in a high end restaurant and brings me frozen chcicken trimmings. They trim breast filets to be evenly sized and bag up the rest for her dogs. I hope she keeps bringing me this easy to serve high quality meat......I am leary of any dog food products out of Canada. 

Has anyone read the book called "Food Pets Die For" by Ann Martin?


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## wishpoo (Sep 12, 2009)

> Foods that are NOT human grade are not fit for MY dogs. The meats are denatured with acids and peteoleum distillates. The carbodydrates are dusty, filthy fragments that are leftovers after the REAL whole grains are used for other things. Meat and bone meal are equivilent to crematory ashes. Corn is not little yellow kernals og Green Giant corn. It includes husks, cobs, silk, roots and stalks. What dog needs to eat corn stalks in its diet. Meats can range from cancerous cows to laboratory monkeys....its protein and its sold by the tonage to the BIG companies. The smaller companies are more conscientious about where their ingredients come from and they pay more for it in order to not subject their dlients dogs to KNOWN carcinogens etc. I am always on a rant about dog food. Check out my website page on dog foods. Barking Beauties Salon & S'Paw for Dogs - Home


This is absolutely true. 

If the origin of the ANY ingredient is not specific - it really can be "anything" and it is not a joke ... Protein can come from any dead animal - including cats and dogs from shelters. Now if you do not believe this - than one should only remember how cows actually GOT a Mad Cow Disease ! They were fed HUMAN remains (in a powdered form, of course...) that came for India to UK ...but that is another story for another forum.

What I am trying to say is that if origin of the protein or grain , or fats is not specified - you "add your own name" to it :wacko: !!!! "meal " can be milled beaks, feathers, hooves... eyewwwwwww :scared:

Bottom line - it is a personal choice. Same as some people prefer to eat this or that even though they know it is not the best choice. And yes, there are some homeless people who live of scraps of all kinds and never have a coronary (but most do) and some "uber green" people who exercise daily and get a heart attack at 35 - but they are both an exception IMO.


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## flufflvr (Mar 20, 2010)

My favorite site from the Animal Protection Institute that tells what really is in pet food and how to read food labels: 
What's really in pet food

I used to feed Canidae until the ingredient switch. Now Liberty is on Wellness Core, and has been for about a year and a half. Her eyes are less goopy, her nose is better hydrated, the pads on her feet don't get as scratchy, and she isn't as gassy and doesn't get as many rumbly tummies. It's really expensive but it's sooooo worth it. Cosita is on Natural Balance fish and sweet potato. She has food allergies, so it's vital that she stays on this. No scratching, hotspots, or dermatitis. Woohoo!


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## shalynn (Mar 18, 2010)

with our shepherds we feed sience diet but since i got my poodle puppie i have switched over to purina, not only is it affordable but he is doing really good on it, his brother is being fed some cheap stuff from a feed store and is 20 ols smaller than my boy and personally i think its the quality of the food.


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## Olie (Oct 10, 2009)

I feed Blue and it seems to be doing fine. I strive for the healthiest dogs as well but I do wish they seemed a bit happier eating their food. When I tried TOTW - my dogs did not care for it AND I seen an increased amount of eye gunk in each dog. 

Again I believe in a dog being healthy BUT I also don't want to deprive them so I may be mixing in some other tastier foods soon- (but remaining with the Blue) I want them to be happy too. 

Just a Note: The two foods I WOULD NOT FEED my dogs are: Science Diet and Iams. Eukinuba was OK - but on the lower of my list of reasonably priced dog foods. All had horrible poops and smells and GAS from SD and Iams.


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## kanatadoggroomer (Jan 24, 2010)

My vet explains dog food in basic english to clients that "most" dog foods are like feeding your kid McDonald's every day - sure they'll survive, but not flourish. She feels that dogs fed "most" dog foods that are on the market will drop dead at 10 or 11, but that dogs fed better quality food live longer. I myself don't know.


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## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

I have personal issues with the science diet/eukanuba brands, let alone the (crap) food they make! haha. I don't much like Purina anything anymore either, though I was feeding purina proplan, for lack of anything else better!!! My 11 year old foxy has lived her life on whatever I fed her, which did include supermarket food for the majority of her life!!! She's now on Orijen, but I dunno what difference it'll make to any life span she'd already have.... Paris was fed crap for her first 3 years too and is now on Orijen, so hopefully the good stuff will make a difference for her.....


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## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

I have never seen Teddy gobble up food like he does the Merrick's Puppy Plate. It looks and smells so good, I might have to try it.

Actually, the girls at my pet store told me that a guy who used to work there would eat Merrick's Wingaling flavor for lunch every day. They weren't joking either. LOL


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## Mister (Sep 10, 2008)

I dont agree with the Science Diet or Purina "perscription" diets, its all a load of crap imho! My dog Osita got Pancreatitis and had to be hospitalized for two days on IV fluids, the whole nine yeards. The vet then told me that she had top be on a low fat food the rest of her life. She then recommended her disgusting Purina that was corn, corn and more corn, oh and dont forget about the chicken by products!!!
She has been on Natural Balance Venison and sweet potato (grain free also!) since then and its been about 3 years and she is perfectly fine. Its 10 percent fat and there are a lot of foods out there that meet this criteria. No reason to feed your dog crap, do your research find out why its a special kidney or sensitive tummy formula and then find a better version of it.

I am a firm believer in human grade ingredients and no grains what so ever. Not even in treats. Dogs are carnivores and dont need to the grains! Yeah the food can be pricey but in the long run its worth it because my dogs are healthy. Good teeth, less vet visits, no ear infections, bad breath, etc. Oh and a BIG plus, they will out live the average dog!

I honestly believe that if Osita had stayed on her diet before i inherited her (she was a family dog and when i was old enought o understand the whole food thing i got her on a better food not the atta boy my parents were feeding) she would not still be alive. She has been on a better diet since she was probably 8 or so and she is turning 15 this April 8th! She's still going strong and should be around for a few more years.

Oh and if you ahve multiple dogs and cant afford to feed them properly or a high quality food then i personally think you should rethink how many you have. I know that sounds mean but its true to me. I have three dogs and they are all feed 5 star foods.


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## poodleholic (Jan 6, 2010)

I've fed EVO for several years now, rotating the red meat and poultry, and adding fresh meats (poached ground lamb/sirloin/buffalo, & chicken breasts), sardines, salmon, eggs, and so on. Once or twice a month I'll make a pot roast w/baby carrots and little red new potatoes, and give them that. They love their meat balls (made in the oven) in red sauce with pasta, as well as a meatloaf I make for them. On the weekend, I make them omelettes with spinach and French Mountain Cheese. I've added the EVO fish formula now that it's available. As far as I know, there hasn't been any recalls on Innova foods, or anything from Natura. 

Annual bloodwork is done, and everything's good. Maddy and Beau are both 8yrs. old, soon to be 9 yrs. (in May and August), and both are healthy, lean, good muscle tone, nice white teeth (have never been cleaned by the vet, just brush and use PetzLife Gel). We've had no reason to go to the vet for years other than for annual bloodwork and tests. 

Bottom line - Dogs are carnivores, they NEED protein, not the fillers and crap you find in most of the dog foods. I may pay more for EVO than for, say Eukenuba, but not that much more, and the EVO is by far a much better food. Not only that, they stay healthy, and no vet bills to pay.


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## wishpoo (Sep 12, 2009)

> Once or twice a month I'll make a pot roast w/baby carrots and little red new potatoes, and give them that. They love their meat balls (made in the oven) in red sauce with pasta, as well as a meatloaf I make for them. On the weekend, I make them omelettes with spinach and French Mountain Cheese.


Poodleholic - LOL - NOW I AM HUNGRY !!!!! Thanks for making me have a "midnight snack" LMAO :bounce:


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## jak (Aug 15, 2009)

When we first got Saffy we were feeding Purina food, and weren't that impressed, we then moved onto Eukanuba/Purina Proplan and now have finally gotten Orijen! The dogs seem to be going really well on it, but sadly I don't think mum wants to continue with it because it is slightly more expensive than the other food we can buy :doh:
It's only like an extra $17 a bag, for a kilo or so less!! 
And it's not like that will even matter to them...:doh:


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

*anecdotal*

My pup came from the breeder with a free supply of Royal Canin and Pedigree foods, which I immediately threw away. 

I had him on James Wellbeloved kibble & pouches at first, then eventually switched to Orijen and Naturediet once my local store started stocking them.

He has loads of energy on the latter diet, and oddly his ears are in much better shape. Before, I had to be diligent about cleaning them thoroughly at least once a week, or they really bothered him. Now I do a quick check/swab every couple of weeks and never get the mucky gunk that I got before. Not sure if it is diet related, but could be, I suppose.


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## Sparkle&Spunk (Jan 26, 2010)

flyingduster said:


> well I'm just stoked to even HAVE a decent food available in NZ now; orijen came to NZ a year ago, and is the ONLY 6 star food we can get here so far. I'd rather that than crap.


that's what we just switched to in the last 9 months! I'm happy with it!

plus I think I've said on here before that I give them raw frozen diet also (lamb based) from Natures Varieties or something like that

plus I give cranberries, yogurt, cottage cheese, broccoli, carrots and other yummies on the side

check out the articles, I really like them:
_Remember the #1 Rule- you are what you eat!_ Our dogs are carnivores, not omnivores like we are...


*The Value of Feeding Premium Pet Food*
It is certainly true that the body can only build tissues (muscle, bone, brain, etc.) and maintain function based on the raw materials with which it is provided.
*Lying Labels*
 *Why Feed Raw Pet Food*
*What Vets Learn About Nutrition*
*As Fresh as it Gets (benefits of a Raw Food Diet)*
When you consider the significant health benefits a raw diet can offer your animal, and learn that many of the fears surrounding raw meat are exaggerated, you may change your mind. Hint! Find a meat supplier you can trust and stick with them.
*Top 14 Veggis and Fruits for your Pet*
Good Fruites & Veggies, plus their Health Benifits; and what to stay away from.
*Be a Label Detective*
If you're seriously concerned about good nutrition for your dog or cat, you need to learn how to read and interpret pet food labels.
*Diet and Disease; What's the Connection?*
Common disease & conditions such as obesity, diabetes, allergies, FLUTD, arthritis and cancer are rampant amoung dogs and cats these days.
*Dog Food Analysis*
*Rate your Dog Food*


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## taxtell (Sep 17, 2009)

kanatadoggroomer said:


> My vet explains dog food in basic english to clients that "most" dog foods are like feeding your kid McDonald's every day - sure they'll survive, but not flourish. She feels that dogs fed "most" dog foods that are on the market will drop dead at 10 or 11, but that dogs fed better quality food live longer. I myself don't know.


Well, I can say from personal experience...
Almost all of our client's dogs are on kibble.
I would say that 80% (no joke) of the dogs that come in are overweight if not obese and have horrific teeth. :/

I think your vet is spot on.


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## partial2poodles (Feb 11, 2010)

I am alot like poodleholic....except I don't do annual bloodwork. But if I suspect anything, I do bloodwork right away. Im surprised that a bloodtest showed that my 21 year old had a little bleeding that might have come from something teeny tiny in her intestines. She was put on doggie Zantac and antibiotic and she's fine now. But hy husband is always confused when I'm cooking...he says "Is that for US or for THEM?"


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

*Something wrong with Glucosamine and Chrondointin?*



Rockporters said:


> Today I got talked into EVO Herring & Salmon for the puppy. I have to wonder how healthy the high protein diet will be in the long run for a breed that can be prone to kidney issues. It also escaped me when reading the label in the store that it has Glucosamine and Chrondointin in it :-/.


Just curious - what's wrong with Glucosamine and Chrondointin? It's been recommended that I give my mini this as a supplement to keep his patellar luxation from getting worse.


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## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

> Just curious - what's wrong with Glucosamine and Chrondointin? It's been recommended that I give my mini this as a supplement to keep his patellar luxation from getting worse.


Glucosamine/chrondointin is very good for joints, and i have my dog on it as well. It is useless in dogfood though. There are not high enough levels to do anything, and just an excuse to increase price on food.


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## TracieSkaggs (Mar 25, 2010)

*Dog foods*

I fed my toy poodle the food I ate, and 9 lives cat food because she would not eat anything else. She lived 16 and a half yrs, and never once had digestion, or any kind of stomach problems. She passed away from old age. Im not saying its good for all dogs, but it didnt hurt mine. I have a new 7 wk old toy poodle now, and she wont eat the hard foods the vet recommended either, so we buy her canned dog food, and she eats it fine


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## partial2poodles (Feb 11, 2010)

you will be sorry.....at 7 weeks she has only had TEETH for the past 2-3 weeks, so give her a chance to USE them. I have 2 week old standard puppies. They are eating the same food as the adults but theirs has to soak on the counter about 10 minutes. I used to soak it 20 minutes but I am lessining the soaking time so eventually they will learn to CHEW. Please don't make the mistake of giving nothing but canned at this age. She will be one of those ones that refuses to eat, gets brown teeth by the age of 15 months and has foul breath. If you read the label on your canned dog diet, you'll see that its about 70% moisture anyway....so find a nice healthy kibble and add your own water to it....and I use clear de-fatted chicken broth with chicken, vegetables, parsley and I soak the babies food with THAT and extra water.


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## TracieSkaggs (Mar 25, 2010)

*Food*

We tried for almost 2 days to get her to eat hard food, and she refused, she would stand by it and cry. I have even tried soaking it, and she still refused. Our vet said put it down for her for 15 min, and then put it up, then in 30 min try again, but even that didnt work. I cant stand the thought of her being hungry. I have started mixing her hard with her dry, and she picks through it lol. Shes a smart baby. I want her healthy and happy, but she actually cries when I give her plain hard food, even if it is soaked. Would it help to soak it in broth?


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## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

TracieSkaggs said:


> We tried..................
> 
> but even that didnt work...................
> 
> Shes a smart baby............


she sure is smart, and she has you wrapped around her lil paw!!!


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## TracieSkaggs (Mar 25, 2010)

*Food*

I meant I mix her dry with the can food. And yea she does have me whipped lol


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## icecannons (Nov 15, 2009)

I have two dogs and my smaller dog does very well on Orijen, whereas my Spoo puppy does not. My Spoo was originally on Canidae (made by Diamond pet foods) but would vomit her meal after every few days. I've tried Acana (also made by the makers of Orijen--Champion Petfoods) Pacifica (grain-free) and she has been on it for about 5-6 months now and I'm slowly transitioning her to another brand as it's too rich for her and causes her to have gas. I also supplement her meals with canned pumpkin as well. 

The point is, some dogs do well on high-protein and zero grain diets and others do not. If your dog does well on Purina or Iams and is very healthy on it, I wouldn't try to fix something that isn't broken unless necessary. I try to do the best I could as all dogs are different. 

On a side note, my Spoo puppy did well on fish as she was allergic to chicken. Before we decided on Acana, we looked into TOTW, Natural Balance, and Solid Gold, but found out it was made by Diamond pet foods and that their fish ingredients was preserved with ethoxyquin, a cancer-inducing preservative.


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