# Looking for a quality kibble without too much legumes or potato



## Louiepoodle (Feb 11, 2020)

Hi!
Because of the FDA investigation, I've been trying to find good quality kibble that isn't grain free. Here in Finland though most dog food brands have either potato or sweet potato and legumes in the ingredient list. My mini poodle Louie is 2,5 years old and is allergic to chicken. He got stomach issues with Acana Wild Prairie (didn't know about the FDA investigation back then) and the vet suggested to switch to hypoallergenic food till Louie feels better. I switched to Golden Eagle (UK brand) Hypoallergenic Duck and Potato and Louie has been doing great on it (I also mix the kibble with rice and ground beef meat). The stomach problems are gone so now I can switch to other kibble. I've been thinking these brands:

Golden Eagle Holistic Duck

Ingredient list:
Duck meal (>25%), Wholegrain Brown rice, Wholegrain White rice, Oatmeal, Refined chicken fat (preserved with vitamins), Whole linseed, Tomato pomace, Beet pulp, Egg (>3%), Peas, Carrot, Lucerne, Salmon oil, Chicken liver gravy, Monosodium phosphate, Salt (natrox), Potassium Chloride, Seaweed, Yucca, Dried apple, Joint care pack, Cranberry, Selenium, Beta Carotene, L'Carnitine, Minerals, Vitamins.

More info in Golden Eagle's web page.

The ingredients look good, peas aren't in top ingredients but the kibble has 22 % protein which my friend said is too little (although Louie isn't very active). Also not sure if duck meal is a good thing.

But Golden Eagle has a kibble that has fresh meat, which is Farm Formula 35/18

Ingredient list:
41% Duck, 22% Turkey, Sweet Potato, Potato, Peas, Lentils, Dried Egg, Beet Pulp, Linseed, Lucerne, Duck Stock gravy, Coconut Oil, Salmon Oil, Minerals, Vitamins, Prebiotic, FOS, MOS, Probiotic, Apple, Carrot, Tomato, Yucca, Seaweed, Cranberry, Glucosamine, MSM, Chondroitin Sulphate, Peppermint, Thyme, Oregano, Sage, Marjoram, Basil, Parsley.

More info in Golden Eagle's web page.

I asked about legume percentage and they said it's below 5 %. But the sweet potato seems to be top ingredient which worries me. Do you know which percentage of sweet potato and legumes is safe in kibble? The protein is 35 % which seems a bit too high for Louie.

Mainly I've been thinking of switching to Golden Eagle since the hypoallergenic food Louie is eating is the same brand but I also found a Portuguese brand named Naturea, which suits for dogs who need hypoallergenic food.

Ingredient list:

Fresh duck: 26%
Duck meal: 22.74%
Purified chicken fat: 6.34%
Hydrolysed chicken liver: 3%
Sweet potato: 26.49%

Duck (includes fresh deboned duck & duck meal), Sweet Potato, Purified Chicken Fat, Pea Protein, Brewer’s Yeast, Hydrolysed Chicken Liver, Lucerne, Linseed Oil, Mannan Oligosaccharides (MOS), Inulin (source of FOS), Glucosamine (min. 200 mg/kg), Chondroitin Sulphate (min. 200 mg/kg), Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) (min. 200 mg/kg), Pumpkin, Carrot, Parsley, Red Beets, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Fenugreek, Ginger, Sunflower Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Caraway, Seaweed, Blueberries, Blackberries, Pear, Birch Leaves, Figs, Papaya, Basil, Dill, Anise, Spinach, Marigold, Curcuma.

More info in Naturea's web page.

It has high percentage meat which is good but it has really much sweet potato too. The percentage of pea protein is about 6,30 %. It has 29 % overall protein which isn't super high.

Sorry for super long post, what do you think of these kibbles? I know home cooked food is probably the best but I don't have that much time and I'll be worried if it has the right amount of vitamins or other important things. But I'll mix ground beef meat with the future kibble too (about 10 % of a kibble portion)

Thank you in advance!


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Lots of us use Purina Pro Plan. I use Purina sensitive stomach.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

We received a sample of this food the other day and Peggy loves it. It's made in Italy:









FARMINA N&D Ancestral Grain Lamb & Blueberry Medium & Maxi Adult Dry Dog Food, 26.4-lb bag - Chewy.com


Buy Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Lamb & Blueberry Medium & Maxi Adult Dry Dog Food, 26.4-lb bag at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!




www.chewy.com





*Key Benefits*

The #1 ingredient in this high protein, limited carbohydrate, and low fiber all life stage dog food is lamb.
90% of protein is from quality animal sources.
It's a low glycemic formula so it's a great option for pets that need a food that won't spike blood sugar.
Contains no whole peas, legumes, meals or by-products.
Food vitamins retain their freshness through a coating system that allows them to be included post cooking.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Protein is 28%.

From your list, I'd go with the first food, simply because of the current concerns with peas and lentils.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

When I used to feed kibble I used Farmina N&D. If I needed to again for any reason I would probably feed the one Peggy mentioned. It is a very good brand and I find the prices reasonable.


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## Dogs4Life (May 27, 2018)

I currently feed grain inclusive Farmina to one of my dogs (my other dog had stomach sensitivity to it). So far she has tried the fish, lamb, and chicken, and loves them all (but she is not picky). I also like Purina, and have used the kibble for sensitive stomachs. Farmina is a little pricey.

I am sorry, but I do not know much about the Golden Eagle brand. I only like to recommend a food if my dogs have tried it, but I am sure others on the board might know more about it.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Hi and Welcome!

Starting with an fyi, the FDA is more collecting reports than actually investigating anything. This doesn't mean there isn't a correlation so I'll add some info which may help you find a food for Louie.

AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) has some consumer info, hopefully relevant regardless of your location:





The Association of American Feed Control Officials > Consumers


The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is a voluntary membership association of local, state and federal agencies charged by law to regulate the sale and distribution of animal feeds and animal drug remedies.



www.aafco.org





The WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association) site has various guidelines:
Global Guidelines – WSAVA

And this detailed article has excellent information on the whole DCM/Grain Free issue:

Excerpt:
"Grain-free diets represented 91% of the products implicated in the reports; 93% contained peas and/or lentils. Potatoes and/or sweet potatoes were present in 42% of the products. These numbers are far more intriguing.

The inclusion of peas, lentils, chickpeas, and other legume seeds have reached some sort of critical mass in recent years with pet food manufacturers. Though they’ve been present in many pet foods for at least a decade, in recent years, the percentage of their representation in formulas has grown. We wouldn’t worry unduly about one of these ingredients appearing on an ingredients panel in a minor role – 6th or 7th or lower on the list, say. But if there is more than one of these ingredients on the list and/or one in one of the top five or so positions on the ingredients list, for now, we’d look for another product to feed our dogs."

For now, we would strongly recommend avoiding foods that use peas – including constituent parts of peas, such as pea starch, pea protein, and pea fiber, and especially multiple iterations of peas (such as green peas, yellow peas, pea protein, etc.) as major ingredients. If any one of these appears higher than the 6th or 7th ingredient on an ingredient list, for now, we’d switch to foods that do not display this trait.

Same goes for chickpeas (may be referred to as garbanzo beans), any other type of bean, and lentils.
We’d switch away from any foods containing more than one of these ingredients (peas, beans, or lentils)."









Update on grain-free diets and DCM cases in dogs - Whole Dog Journal


Whole Dog Journal‘s mission is to provide dog guardians with in-depth information on dog food, training, behavior, health, and more.




www.whole-dog-journal.com






One more link which has additional info re ingredients to reconsider:





Grain-Free Dog Food Q & A's - | CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets


Due to the overwhelming response we received from our Facebook Live Stream with Dr. Steven Rosenthal, we have compiled these Q & A’s to better help you understand the possible link between grain-free dog foods and heart disease. Please continue to refer back to this page as we will update it as...




www.cvcavets.com





So, sorry, I don't have specific recommendations but the additional nutritional guidelines should help you search ingredients lists.

FWIW, originally I hadn't deliberately chosen grain free kibble for my mini boys, it just worked out that way. On many recommendations from PF members, and looking over the info above and more, I switched to Purina Pro Plan for my poodudes. They really like it .


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Louiepoodle said:


> I switched to Golden Eagle (UK brand) Hypoallergenic Duck and Potato and Louie has been doing great on it (I also mix the kibble with rice and ground beef meat). The stomach problems are gone so now I can switch to other kibble. I've been thinking these brands:
> 
> Golden Eagle Holistic Duck
> 
> ...


I am puzzled that I can't find Golden Eagle on the DogFoodAdvisor website. I always check out their reviews.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

duplicate


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

kontiki said:


> I am puzzled that I can't find Golden Eagle on the DogFoodAdvisor website. I always check out their reviews.


Maybe because it's a UK brand. I'm not sure it's even available in the U.S. I don't see any American retailers when I do a google search.


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## Louiepoodle (Feb 11, 2020)

Thank you very much for all the replies and I’m very sorry for the very late reply, I thought my email would’ve notified me for the new messages but it didin’t.
I’ve checked the Farmina one and it does look good, only con would be that there is no Ancestral Grain line in my country, only the ones with legumes.

You are also right that I maybe shouldn’t worry too much about FDA investigation since there has only been reports in the US and poodles aren’t in the risk group.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Have you looked at Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Rabbit Freeze-Dried Raw Coated Dry Dog Food ? It features 71% real animal ingredients and nutritious oils, plus 29% fruits, vegetables and other wholesome ingredients.

It does have chick peas, but it seems lower in legumes that most grain free ones. It is really hard to find good kibble if you are used to either a raw diet or home cooked, that is for sure.
---
Most of the Purina Pro Plan kibbles have wheat, corn, or soy and peas depending on which of them it is.


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## Johnny.Doe (May 25, 2020)

We have an 11 week Mini poodle that was loathing at Eukanuba Puppy kibble given to us by his breeder and was not eating it well. He would just grab a few nibbles during the day and we tried a few methods to spruce it up to no real success. 

We just weaned him over to Origen Puppy. He scarfs down his 1/2 cup 3x daily and is a completely different pup! We also give him nutri-cal once a day for supplement and zuke mini salmon training treats for some extra omegas during his lessons. 

Looking up different foods can be exhausting. Our neighbor has a full size poodle and recommended this food. His girl is one of the prettiest and healthy poodles I've seen. 

Grain free can be somewhat of a marketing fad but a healthy ingredient list overall is what I care about the most. 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


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## Louiepoodle (Feb 11, 2020)

Thanks again for the suggestions! Yeah, Orijen is a good brand  Kontiki, that brand isn’t available here but it does look good. I’m gonna try an air dried dry food called Wonderboo, let’s see if it fits Louie well.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Interesting, a couple of years ago I bought a bag of Origen, not the puppy one and I can't remember exactly which one, and he kept throwing it up. So I had to give the bag to the shelter and go back to 100% raw.

I am currently giving him Wellness CORE Grain Free once a day, with raw for the other meal. 
Next week I will try something different.


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## Louiepoodle (Feb 11, 2020)

Yeah, every food doesn’t fit everyone. For example I gave Acana for some time, which many dog owners had suggested, but Louie got stomach issues of it. I hope you’ll find the right dry food for your pup!


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