# Dog food questions



## pieces of arzt (Jul 30, 2011)

Looking for opinions on dog food. I know there are probably a wide variety of opinions, and we don't even have our dog yet, but I still want to get a feel for what's out there. 

There's a lot of info out there. Grain free, not grain free, etc. Some say a meat should be the first ingredient, others say a meat meal (like chicken meal). I'm also not sure what a puppy should be eating versus an adult. 

Any suggestions on what to look for or specific recommendations are appreciated.  I know many here do the raw diet, and I've done some reading on it as well. Right now though I just want to know about kibble. Thanks in advance!


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## CurlyDog (Aug 20, 2008)

I stick with the grain free kibbles. A couple of my favorites are:

Fromm's Surf and Turf
Orijen

Check out dogfoodanalysis.com

There's a ton of information there.


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## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

we feed wellness. my dogs are thriving on it.


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## pieces of arzt (Jul 30, 2011)

CurlyDog said:


> I stick with the grain free kibbles. A couple of my favorites are:
> 
> Fromm's Surf and Turf
> Orijen
> ...


Thanks for the link--looking at it now. What is the reasoning behind feeding grain free?


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

The reasoning behind grain free is that a) many dogs have sensitivities to grain and, b) dogs do not need grains.

Acana and Orijen are my favorite kibbles.


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## pieces of arzt (Jul 30, 2011)

ChocolateMillie said:


> The reasoning behind grain free is that a) many dogs have sensitivities to grain and, b) dogs do not need grains.
> 
> Acana and Orijen are my favorite kibbles.


I know dogs are carnivores, but why does this mean they don't need grains at all? Sorry if my questions seem basic...still learning!


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

pieces of arzt said:


> I know dogs are carnivores, but why does this mean they don't need grains at all? Sorry if my questions seem basic...still learning!


Do Dogs and Cats Need Grains? 2/5/05

She can explain it better than I can! 

Dogs' bodies are designed to process meat, bone and organ. They may graze on small amounts of plant matter but would have very little to no grains in their diet.

Personally, I like to feed grain free (when I feed kibble - I am mostly a raw feeder) because there are still carbohydrates in grain-inclusive diets. I would prefer those carbohydrates not be grains.


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## pieces of arzt (Jul 30, 2011)

ChocolateMillie said:


> Do Dogs and Cats Need Grains? 2/5/05
> 
> She can explain it better than I can!
> 
> ...


I think in my mind I keep assuming if there are no grains, there will be no carbohydrates, but I know that's not right. In general, in grain-free foods, where do the carbohydrates come from? Vegetables and fruits?


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

pieces of arzt said:


> I think in my mind I keep assuming if there are no grains, there will be no carbohydrates, but I know that's not right. In general, in grain-free foods, where do the carbohydrates come from? Vegetables and fruits?


I don't know nearly as much about kibble as I do about raw, but I just looked at the ingredients of a popular grain free kibble:

Fresh boneless chicken*, chicken meal, fresh boneless salmon*, turkey meal, herring meal,* russet potato, peas, sweet potato,* fresh boneless turkey*, fresh whole eggs*, fresh chicken liver*, fresh boneless lake whitefish*, fresh boneless walleye*, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fiber, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), organic kelp, *pumpkin*, *chicory root, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, blueberries*, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium.

I highlighted some of the carbs in this grain free kibble.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

Raw feeder here, going on 15 years now. Plenty of information out there if you'd like to explore that form of feeding; I highly recommend it!

As far as kibbles, there are some decent ones out there, but if you're going to pay the price for 'em, I say might as well feed raw, with all its benefits. And you are correct, dogs have no biological need for grain at all. My four have all spent their entire lives without it. (Well, okay, the pizza crusts....  )

--Q


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## papoodles (Jun 27, 2011)

I also feed grain free, supplemented by raw, including raw meaty bones to help keep teeth and gums in good condition.
I feed Wellness CORE, Ocean or turkey(?), or Acana Pacifica. Just don't be shocked at the prices as
they are quite a bit higher;on the other hand, you need to feed less kibble, so it evens out.
I did notice that their fur became so much shinier on grain free- and they love it.


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## sneakers012 (Jun 2, 2011)

So, as a reasonably poor grad student who spent solid time asking abo and reading up on foods for my going-to-be-super-large Spoodle pup, I tried the Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice LB Puppy food- he hated it. Spat it out, would rather eat Pedigree Maintenance/no food any day of the week, wouldn't touch it until I doctored it, hated it.

Now he's on Chicken Soup for the Soul LB Puppy, which got higher reviews on dogfoodanalysis.com than Blue's LB (Compare 5 to 4 stars!), and he eats it without topper! I also found CSS's food to be cheaper- buying on Amazon, I got 5 lbs. more for $10 less, and when I bought the CSS topper instead of the Wellness Just for Puppy, it was $3 more for 2x as many same-size cans with free shipping! (OH yeah, totally drank the Kool-Aid. LoL)


I would recommend looking at the dogfoodanalysis.com website 1st for basic ingredient list and recs, then come on here and surf around a bit, ask questions, etc., then go to amazon and price shop and read reviews. Good luck!


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## DonnaM (Aug 1, 2011)

*Dog Food*

That's fantastic that you're researching dog food before welcoming your new family member instead of just giving into tv ads. I don't know where you're from but here in Canada only the garbage pet foods are advertised on tv. The Dog Food Analysis link that someone provided is a great place to start. There's much information on-line...read...read...read, there's alot at stake and the things they put in kibble and canned food is really scarry. Neither Canada nor the US has anything worth calling pet food regulations. After many years with other dogs and numerous digestive issues including digestive system cancers, I have been cooking my own dog food. (I cook a few week's supply at a time and freeze in containers for convinience). Whatever you decide on, please ensure you've really looked into the dog food manufacturing process. My motto is..if it's labeled not for human consumption...then how could it possibly be okay for my dog?


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## pieces of arzt (Jul 30, 2011)

DonnaM said:


> That's fantastic that you're researching dog food before welcoming your new family member instead of just giving into tv ads. I don't know where you're from but here in Canada only the garbage pet foods are advertised on tv. The Dog Food Analysis link that someone provided is a great place to start. There's much information on-line...read...read...read, there's alot at stake and the things they put in kibble and canned food is really scarry. Neither Canada nor the US has anything worth calling pet food regulations. After many years with other dogs and numerous digestive issues including digestive system cancers, I have been cooking my own dog food. (I cook a few week's supply at a time and freeze in containers for convinience). Whatever you decide on, please ensure you've really looked into the dog food manufacturing process. My motto is..if it's labeled not for human consumption...then how could it possibly be okay for my dog?


Thanks. I haven't ever bought any "advertised" dog food, though I recall my parents buying it when I was a child! My husband and I bought one of the Innova brands for our previous dog (and I had some peace of mind when I just saw on the dog food analysis link the other day that it had a very respectable, though not top-of-the-line, rating).


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