# Low Cost Decent Quality Food?



## Chloe'sMom (Mar 21, 2008)

Hi There!

I'm sure this question has been asked about a million times, but I am looking for a dry food to feed my two dogs, Chloe - a 7month old hound/pointer mix and Clancey a 10month old lab/corgi mix. 

We are currently feeding them, Natural Balance and although they seem to do alright on it, we are looking for a lower cost food that will produce similiar if not better results. (Clancey tends to have softer poops on this food) I know all about the junk that is in foods such as Purina, Iams etc..and would love to be able to feed them super quality food such as Innova etc. however, at this time in our lives it is just not cost effective. We are saving for a house and making cuts wherever we can. 

Does anyone have any suggestions besides telling me I am a bad doggie parent, by not buying top shelf premium food? I have heard about a brand of kibble that is sold at Walmart called Maxximum Nutrition that has received a 3 star rating on the Dog Food Analysis website, is this a decent food to feed them for the time being, at least until we are more settled?

Thanks for any input you may have!

Chloe and Clancey's Mom!


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## Purplex15 (May 28, 2007)

dont judge dogfoodanalysis on ratings of the food alone. read the details on the pros and cons. its not a bad food, but i personally wouldnt feed it to my dog even if i was on a very strict budget. actually, i am on a strict budget (im 23, live in southern california, trust me, i have no extra money), and i dont feed it to my dog. 

the best option, imo, is canidae. you can get a 40 lb bag for 35 bucks. i believe the small bags are under 10 bucks. it is also an all life stages food so both dogs can eat it. 

if i were you, i would try and see where you can save a few extra bucks each month and get a good food, as oppossed to just giving them something average for awhile. its really not as expensive as you think, b/c the worse the food, the more the dog needs to eat, and the faster you go through it.


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## Chloe'sMom (Mar 21, 2008)

We have tried Canidae and they did not do very well on it, I think it was too rich for their systems, runny stools, gas etc. 

Any other suggestions, I really wish price weren't and issue, but in reality it is, I just need to find a decent food that we can feed them both that won't break the bank. 

Currently for Natural Balance we're paying like 37$ for 15 pound bag!


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

I would check out chicken soup here is the link- for the price and the quality, you woudl be hard pressed to beat it.. 
http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/


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## Max'sHuman (Oct 6, 2007)

Though I have not tried this brand myself, I have heard a lot of members here say a great food for those on a tight budget is Kirkland's, it's sold at Costco. I don't know the price per pound, but I think it's a really good food for the cost.


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## Sunshyne (Feb 5, 2008)

My Chloe was on Solid Gold for a few months and wasn't too into it. I used to pay $13.00 for a 6 pound bag at Petco. I now feed her Merrick Turducken (she loves it). I buy it at a local dog "bakery" kind of shop and I pay only $10 for a 6 pound bag. They just had a special on it and it was $6.99.

I was always kind of afraid to go into those specialty dog stores because I was unsure of the costs, but I was very surprised and happy to see that the food was less than Petco's cost and rated higher on the dogfoodanalysis.com website.


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## Wimble Woof (Jan 16, 2007)

Costco's Kirkland brand is a little over $20 (CDN) for a 40 lb bag.
I have recommended it to several people (friends and relatives) who were feeding Alpo pedigree and Purina and their dogs look 100 times better now.
One of my friends switched to it from Orijen (due to finances and what not) and her dogs still look good. 
Its grainy, but really not a bad food, especially if on a budget.


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## Franny Glass (Apr 23, 2008)

Have you looked into BARF (raw meat and bones)? If you shop around and learn how to handle and freeze it properly, it can be fairly inexpensive.


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

In my frugal days our dogs ate the Kirkland food and did fine with it.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

When I'm a little short on $$$, I go to Diamond Naturals Chicken and Rice. It's about $25 for a 40-pound bag. It's not the absolutely best quality, but my dogs do well on it, and it's not a bad food. Chicken Soup is one of the foods I feed them normally, and it doesn't cost too much, either. About $30 for a 35-pound bag.


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## Chloe'sMom (Mar 21, 2008)

I have heard about the Kirklands brand, however we do not have a Costco near us, only BJ's. 

That's why I wanted to know if anyone had tried the Walmart brand Maxximum, since Walmart is very convenient for us. I will look into Diamond and Chicken Soup to see if anywhere near us sell those.

Just went to each of the websites for Diamond and Chicken Soup and neither are sold anywhere near me! I am basically limited to Petco, Walmart, BJ's and Petsmart for food.


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## kenRC51 (Mar 7, 2008)

the cheapest premium food in my area would be Canidae ALS 30.99 for #40, and if you get the chicken its 27.99 for #33. I would think Canidae has one of the lowest price in the premium food list.



Chloe'sMom said:


> I have heard about the Kirklands brand, however we do not have a Costco near us, only BJ's.
> 
> That's why I wanted to know if anyone had tried the Walmart brand Maxximum, since Walmart is very convenient for us. I will look into Diamond and Chicken Soup to see if anywhere near us sell those.
> 
> Just went to each of the websites for Diamond and Chicken Soup and neither are sold anywhere near me! I am basically limited to Petco, Walmart, BJ's and Petsmart for food.


Kirkland brand are very cheap, a bag of #40 cost 19.99 but foodanalysist(how ever you spell it, im a bad speller) rate it a 3 star.

I used to feed kirkland dry dog food to Stitch long time ago.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Maxximum Nutrition is not terrible, you can certainly try it and see how your dogs do. The ingredients look OK to me---not great, but OK. The only reason I haven't tried it is because Chicken Soup is cheaper and I can't bring myself to pay more for lower quality  . If I couldn't get out of town, I would have to try it.....and considering gas prices, that might happen  .


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## kenRC51 (Mar 7, 2008)

ok i wouldnt see why someone would save as little as 10 bucks per bag of #40 and feed the lower quality food to their family (your dog). For example, kirkland (rated 3 star, nat bad) cost 19.99 and Canidae ALS (rated 5 star, great quality) 30 at most 40 per #40 bad. Do you think you dog is worth more then 10-20 extra bucks? Plus a #40 bag last Stitch(she weight 60lbs) 3 months if i were to get the cheaper bag i would on be saving 3 bucks per month. To me my dogs health is worth way more then that.


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

We used to feed Natural Balance. That's a great dog food. We switched from NB to Diamond Naturals chicken formula (similar formula as the Chicken Soup brand). Now we feed Costco's Kirkland brand food. I think, overall, the dogs did a tad better on the Diamond Naturals, but at this point we're getting ready to switch back to raw so I'm not going to switch everyone back to Diamond.




> ok i wouldnt see why someone would save as little as 10 bucks per bag of #40 and feed the lower quality food to their family (your dog). For example, kirkland (rated 3 star, nat bad) cost 19.99 and Canidae ALS (rated 5 star, great quality) 30 at most 40 per #40 bad. Do you think you dog is worth more then 10-20 extra bucks? Plus a #40 bag last Stitch(she weight 60lbs) 3 months if i were to get the cheaper bag i would on be saving 3 bucks per month. To me my dogs health is worth way more then that.


That is an AWFUL thing to say. Dog food is a complicated subject and not every dog does well on Canidae. We can't feed it because it gives diarrhea to 1/2 of our dogs. People who measure the amount of "love" an owner has or infer how "important" a dog's health is to it's owner based on the kibble they feed are pathetic. One has nothing to do with the other in most cases.

I know many dogs that have lived to be 15 years old on Ol Roy. I know dogs that have been fed Canidae that died at 7. What's your point exactly? Health and longevity in dogs is based on so many other things than dog food brand.

It's like me telling you that unless you feed your dogs a raw diet, you must not love them very much. After all, that's the most natural and healthiest diet for them to eat. Meanwhile you feed them prepared food made by someone you don't know in a place you've never been with ingredients you've never seen and have no idea where they come from. *Isn't your dog's health important to you?*

But of course I would never say that to anyone...b/c it's just bunk to judge anyone based on the food they feed. I tell people to feed the best food they can afford, that's reasonably readily available, that their dog does WELL on and that's really all you need to do. I know so many people who've fed their dog Canidae for months to over a year and finally gave up b/c they couldn't deal with the diarrhea and shedding and lethargy anymore. I'm always like HELLLOOOOOOOO?!?!? WHY would you do this to your dog for SO long? Their answers are generally in the realm of: Well, everyone told me this was the best food I could feed them and that feeding anything else might cause them to get sick or die younger. (I call it the "if you love your dog you'll feed them Canidae" syndrome).


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## Chloe'sMom (Mar 21, 2008)

Thank You, LoveMyGreys! 

I was very hurt by the comment too. I love my dogs with all my heart, I would forgo eating myself, if it meant they could have food. Fortunately we are not that bad off, just trying to stick to a budget and save money wherever we can, so we can buy a house for us and them! 

We have tried Canidae, they did not do well on it at all. We have fed Nutro, they did not eat it! We finally stuck with Natural Balance, as they did well on it and are eating it well. And based on my reasearch even though it costs more, in good conscious I cannot feed a lower quality food. So we will make cuts elsewhere and stick with the Natural Balance. 

Please, KenRC51 think before you post! If I had not cared about my dogs, I would not have posted this question, I would have just gone out and bought Alpo or whatever was cheapest, that was not the case!!

Thank you to everyone else who left helpful comments!


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

I am sorry all but some of these comments were IMO rather out of line. Alot of people are feeling a financial crunch now- gas prices beyond believe, groceries more money from rising transportation costs, even energy bills going up... People that never had the problem before do now.. The OP asked a good food the best " bang for her buck" so to speak- and making personal judgements against the OP is beyond my understanding..


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## K8IE (Apr 28, 2008)

I have found that sometimes store locators on websites are not always accurate, so you might want to actually run around and check some of the feed stores and co-ops to see what they have. Chicken soup is a great option and inexpensive, and a lot of times feed stores or others will order it for you if they carry Diamond brand foods! Never hurts to ask!  Also, ask around for places that offer "buy so many bags, get one free" type deals. Our local place has deals where they do buy ten bags, get one free, or deals where you buy a 15 pound bag and get a 5 pounder free. Nutro's Ultra formulas (not sure if someone already mentioned it) are pretty decent quality as well, and Nutro usually offers incentives with a punch card. Hope this helps and good luck!


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## SpudNZasha (Apr 25, 2008)

I'm 23 also, and a student without a whole lot of extra cash.. I feed my dogs Whole Foods brand (365) Maintenance dog food. They love it. It's like $14 for a 20 pound bag that lasts my husky and shepherd a little over a week and a half. So - if you have a Whole Foods market near you, check it out.


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

Purplex15 said:


> if i were you, i would try and see where you can save a few extra bucks each month and get a good food, as oppossed to just giving them something average for awhile. its really not as expensive as you think, b/c the worse the food, the more the dog needs to eat, and the faster you go through it.


That's not always the case. While it is usually more true with the ultra low-end foods that require you to feed a lot more than higher end foods, Once you get in the middle-to-upper range (quality-wise, not price-wise), you really don't need to feed any more or significantly more that would negate the price difference. We feed the same amount of Kirkland (and Diamond Naturals) that we did with Natural Balance. (The ingredient list between Natural Balance, Diamond Naturals, Kirkland and Chicken Soup are all nearly identical last I checked).

To the OP - I'm not sure if they still do it, but Natural Balance used to have a buy 10 bags, get one free deal (Petco also had/may still have a buy 10/get one free program)


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## UrbanBeagles (Aug 13, 2007)

kenRC51 said:


> ok i wouldnt see why someone would save as little as 10 bucks per bag of #40 and feed the lower quality food to their family (your dog). For example, kirkland (rated 3 star, nat bad) cost 19.99 and Canidae ALS (rated 5 star, great quality) 30 at most 40 per #40 bad. Do you think you dog is worth more then 10-20 extra bucks? Plus a #40 bag last Stitch(she weight 60lbs) 3 months if i were to get the cheaper bag i would on be saving 3 bucks per month. To me my dogs health is worth way more then that.



Oh brother ... I am so SICK and tired of seeing stupid, meaningless LABELS beign placed on processed *dog* feed  First of all, the dogs come in second to my families physical needs - you better believe I don't purchase processed junk food for my family. Occasionally, we'll buy cheaper food items (such as those 5 packages for $1 noodle soups) if the budget is a shoestring that month. I'd like to eat nothing but fresh, whole foods 100% of the time, but in the real world, us working class people have to stretch to make ends meet. 

You can bet your butt with the way food prices are I am not made of money and can't afford to buy a bag of food that has a purchase price of $30-40+. I think that is insane, truly insane, ehen you have a human family to think about. My PETS are just that. Pets and hunting dogs. They don't rank anywhere near my family anf there are surely not my child substitutes. So I don't feed them like they were my children, and don't appreciate comparisons between dogs and human family members. 

This Top 10, 5 star food rating system is complete bologna. It's just another way these manufacturers are ripping off customers of their hard earned money. Flame away, but these foods that are advertised to look like a restaurant meal are nothing but marketing gimmicks - my mentor in the breed calls them "yuppie" foods, lol, and sometimes I think he's right. They don't work any better than basic dog feeds - not bottom of the barrel foods, but plain feeds that won't win any prizes for ingredients and certainly don't rip off the purchaser. I pay $18 for 34 lbs of feed - $11 when I have my Pro Club breeder rebate checks. The feed is digestable, leaves firm stools, velvety & shiny coats that barely shed at all. Their eyes are bright and clear. The dogs are healthy, active, and in great overall condition - meaining they are at perfect weights with very little fat and mostly muscle mass. It's very difficult to get a dog food to give muscle mass in lieu of fat ... I do not feed tham any more than with other feeds, my 65lb dog gets 2cups per day, slightly more if I take him on morning jogs. He's 7yrs old and was NOT in good shape before we went to "cheap" feed. But he is now getting compliments again on his beautiful coat, muscle tone, and you should have seen the look on another dog owner's face when they found out how old he was  ROFL! He thought Thunder was a pup! 

What makes a food 5 star are the RESULTS, not the ingredient panel. I see many people recommending Canidae/Chicken Soup for lower cost foods ... I tried both and Canidae was a nightmare. My dogs went to pot on it. Chicken Soup, half wouldn't eat, the other half got diarrhea  

Sorry but I've had my "grocery store garbage" food do miracles for my dogs so that, in my book, is a 5 star food. Make comments about the ingredients all you like, but my dogs are healthy, my pups grow well, bitches are coming into heat on time and the two I've bred recently are expecting large litters and are themselves in top shape. Go ahead and knock the cheaper feeds, becuase I'm laughing every time I see someone wanting to switch to the higher end feeds that makes the dog have bloody diarrhea or colitis or dry skin ... Some pwople just never learn. ugh.


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## Chloe'sMom (Mar 21, 2008)

It seems I have caused quite a stir around here. LOL. That was certainly not my intention. 

I have done more research and found a brand of food called Premium Edge it received a 4 star rating, and is found at my local feed store. It is also 30$ for a 35lb bag vs. Natural Balance which is 42$ for a 35lb bag. 

I have listed the ingrediants below: This is for the Chicken and Rice puppy formula, since they are both still pups 7 months and 10 months. 

Ingredients 
Chicken, chicken meal, egg product, cracked pearled barley, ground rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), millet, potatoes, tomato pomace, natural chicken flavor, ocean fish meal, flaxseed, salmon oil (source of DHA), choline chloride, dried chicory root, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, L-Carnitine, Enterococcus faecieum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Saccharomyces cerevesiae fermentation solubles, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid. 

Looks pretty good to me, aside from the tomato pummace, which I hear is a non needed filler. But still pretty good.

Does anyone feed this? And if so, what have your results been?

Thanks!!


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## K8IE (Apr 28, 2008)

Chloe'sMom said:


> It seems I have caused quite a stir around here. LOL. That was certainly not my intention.
> 
> I have done more research and found a brand of food called Premium Edge it received a 4 star rating, and is found at my local feed store. It is also 30$ for a 35lb bag vs. Natural Balance which is 42$ for a 35lb bag.
> 
> ...



Stir?? What stir?? LOL.  The ingredient list looks pretty decent, much better than some of the really low grade foods. I bet your dogs will do fine on it. Try it out and see. Unless your dogs have some previous sensitivity to any of the ingredients you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Good luck!


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## kenRC51 (Mar 7, 2008)

i'm not saying that everyone should feed their dogs Canidae. That is just the food i feed my dog. Im just saying that there are other better quality food out there and I understand that all dogs are different and not all dogs do well on Canidae. Some might do better on cheaper food like Ol Roys. Im just saying that i would try one of the higher rated food first.

Sorry if i offend anyone, but it was not my intention.


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## Chloe'sMom (Mar 21, 2008)

Thank you again everyone. I think I will try the Premium Edge once we run out of our Natural Balance. Hopefully they do well on it, for the price and seemingly good quality, it seems like a pretty good fit for our family (if it was 10$ cheaper that'd be okay too.) LOL

If anyone has used this food, please let me know how your pups have done on it!

Thanks everyone!

ALPO RULES!!!! 

Just kidding!


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

The Premium Edge looks pretty good. Let us know how it goes!


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## Franny Glass (Apr 23, 2008)

Tomato pomace is "filler", as it's just fiber with no other nutritional value, but it's nothing to worry about. All dry dog food has filler fiber. I've never fed Premium Edge, but I wouldn't cringe at the idea of feeding it if half my dogs weren't allergic to chicken. 

And, for the record-
Before I adopted my chicken allergic dogs and had to learn something about canine dietary needs, my dogs ate either Purina One or Pedigree. Sometimes IAMS, too. I can't say it did them any harm, as they all led healthy and happy (and long) lives.


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## Molly&Jack (May 18, 2008)

At our local pet food store, I was suprised to find that the great quality food brands are about the same price (reasonably) as brands such as Pedigree (grocery store dog food). The 8lb. bag of Candiae was actually a dollar less than the 8lb. Pedigree.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

That's because most of the higher-quality brands do not advertise. The only higher-quality brand I've seen ads for is Solid Gold, and the ads look like they were translated from Swedish using Babelfish......almost unintelligible. Oh, and I've seen ads for Blue Buffalo, too. But that's it.


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## ACampbell (Oct 7, 2007)

I'm going to be flat out honest here. I've tried the 5 star foods (I am definetely on a budget with a 60 mile commute every at $4 a gallon) and I did not have any luck with them. Diarrhea, shedding, poor coats...etc.
My puppy gets Purina One puppy chow...she's doing good on it (upgraded from Pedigree which her breeder swore by) while my adult dog is eating "cheap crap brand" that I won't name (I don't need a witch-hunt on me now do I?) and he has finally gained weight and looks like a dog, not a skeleton. 

I think it all depends on the dog, just like people. One person might thrive being a vegetarian, while another starves to death on that kind of diet...different animals = different metabolism.
So my theory, feed what does well for them that you can afford.


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

ACampbell said:


> I'm going to be flat out honest here. I've tried the 5 star foods (I am definetely on a budget with a 60 mile commute every at $4 a gallon) and I did not have any luck with them. Diarrhea, shedding, poor coats...etc.
> My puppy gets Purina One puppy chow...she's doing good on it (upgraded from Pedigree which her breeder swore by) while my adult dog is eating "cheap crap brand" that I won't name (I don't need a witch-hunt on me now do I?) and he has finally gained weight and looks like a dog, not a skeleton.


Yeah, me too. We've had some unexpected money issues that just keep coming one after the other....my boys are eating Purina One lamb and rice and I'm happy with it. Two of the three did ok on Canidae, and I know the price is comparable, but an hour round trip to the feed store and still having to feed the third dog a different food just isn't happening right now. Coats look nice, no one has the runs, I'm satisfied that no one is going to keel over from grocery store food and I'm not worrying about it. For the record, the kids and I are eating our fair share of Ramen too, so I'm not exactly skimping on dog food so the rest of us can eat 5 star meals.


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## Darkmoon (Mar 12, 2007)

lovemygreys said:


> .
> 
> To the OP - I'm not sure if they still do it, but Natural Balance used to have a buy 10 bags, get one free deal (Petco also had/may still have a buy 10/get one free program)


Yes Petco still has that deal. Want to know something funny? I'll never get my 11th bag free! 

I feed Solid gold, and go through 1 44lb bag ($44) ever 2 months. Their buy 10 get 1 free is only for 1 year. I only buy 6 bags a year lol....

But because of the good quality food, I'm only spending $22 a month on my food. Something to think about when you go to a lower quality/price food.


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## 5 s corral (Dec 31, 2007)

hi 
i feed premium edge to my shelties and gsd 
have had good luck with it i also do wellness 
never had good luck with canidae 
good luck in whatever you decide 
jamie


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## ACampbell (Oct 7, 2007)

Yeah, it definetely depends on how much you feed as to what is considered "affordable" - 

My one adult dog is very large, he eats a LOT (even of the premium - we're talking 4-5 cups a day for maintenance weight, and he eats more since he is thin - has been wormed etc...and is now gaining weight on "crappy brand" dog food) I go through a 50 lb bag fairly fast...at least 1 a month. I imagine I'll go through more once Lily is older...but for now she gets the smaller bags.
When I had 4 large adult dogs (2 bassets, Smokey, and a mutt that got dumped on me) I went through 50 lbs in a matter of 2 weeks...needless to say I did not feed a premium.
Also, 5 star family meals for my human family isn't happening either, lol, we buy meat by the lb at Sam's Club - so I'm not just frugal to the dogs!


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## Wimble Woof (Jan 16, 2007)

Honstly, if the dogs are eating, thats fine by me.
If someone wants to "upgrade" or learn about foods, excellent, if not, thats their choice.
I too was quite taken back by those comments about paying the extra for your pets, or you dont love them (basically) and I got to thinking at that point... Why on earth would that particular poster not be feeding Solid Gold or Orijen then? I personally feel they are far more superior to Canidae or Chicken soup?!?!?
By that logic, I guess there is still more loving to go on for those dogs.

Amount of money you can afford to spend on your dogs (from purchase price-burial options) DOES not indicate how much a person cares for them.
That just makes no sense.

To the OP.
Good luck with the brand you found. I hope you get good results off of it, keep us posted.


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

Molly&Jack said:


> At our local pet food store, I was suprised to find that the great quality food brands are about the same price (reasonably) as brands such as Pedigree (grocery store dog food). The 8lb. bag of Candiae was actually a dollar less than the 8lb. Pedigree.


A lot of the more 'premium' food brands also require LESS food per serving than the cheaper brands... so either way you're actually saving money in the long run.


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

Can you access Taste of the Wild, or Solid gold in your area? Around here, atleast, these two are cheaper than Natural Balance, and are both Excellent foods...might be worth a try if you decide to try a different food  

Which Canidae did you try? Sometimes the 'red meat' types of foods DO cause issues, where areas the Chicken forumulas won't...you might try one of the other types of Canidae too; just be sure that when you DO switch over you allow ample time for the dogs to really make a switch, which means atleast a month or two on the food... 

When I first got my Border mix, it took a long time for her to really get used to better food; and the 'better' the food got the more time it took for her to get used to it; most shelters don't give quality foods, because they can't...so she lived her first 6 months on really poor quality foods. 

Now, however, she can switch back and forth easily on the foods I give her; I switch between Chicken Soup, Solid Gold, and have now added Taste of the Wild to the mix... I also supplement with Raw bones, and Natural Balance rolls.


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## Criosphynx (May 15, 2008)

My dogs were on natural balance when we tried the Costco food. 

After about a week or so , Scooters hair started falling out in huge wads (he normal doesn't shed) The new hair had no shine to it at all and all the dogs started itching themselves almost raw. There were firm, but much more frequent stools.
Their demenors just seemed overall dulled as well. Switched back and all is well again.

The Maxximum cat food worked fine for me years ago, don't know about the dog food tho.


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## luv4gsds (Jul 27, 2006)

Chloe'sMom I know of a lot of dog owners that feed their dogs Maxximum Nutrition. At less this kibble doesn't have animal by-product. From what I can see from the chicken formula it isn't all that bad.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Wimble Woof said:


> Amount of money you can afford to spend on your dogs (from purchase price-burial options) DOES not indicate how much a person cares for them.
> That just makes no sense.


Absolutely! I do like to do research into pet foods, and so there are some brands I would not feel comfortable feeding my dogs. But, if a certain brand is all someone can afford, then that's all there is to it. 

I DO NOT like to see people feeding their dogs store-brand foods (Hy-Vee, Pamida, Country Fare, etc.), because I've seen what they do to dogs. I think they're nothing more than flavored sawdust. But if they're feeding a name-brand food (Purina, Alpo, etc.), and their dog is doing well on the food, then I see no problem. And Purina Dog Chow does not cost that much more than Hy-Vee food.

I would only think ill of a dog owner feeding a cheaper food if the dog is not doing well on the food, they can afford something better, but they refuse "because it's just a dog". Or if the family is eating expensive foods, buying a new plasma TV and a Nintendo Wii, with a hot tub and a Jet-Ski, but they still feed their dogs Hy-Vee food. Ugh. I used to babysit for a chiropractor who did that. They could afford a hot tub, but they couldn't even buy Purina for the dogs?!?!? Some people.


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

I figure this article might be an interesting read for some folks here. The guy is very opposite of a lot of popular opinions, but he always makes me think.


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## UrbanBeagles (Aug 13, 2007)

Darkmoon said:


> But because of the good quality food, I'm only spending $22 a month on my food. Something to think about when you go to a lower quality/price food.



It's not true that dogs will inherently eat less on a holistic food, because they're touted as being more nutrient dense & high calorie. If the food is not digestable, it's money down the toilet. Case in point - I tried Timberwolf last year, the SW Chicken formula. All but one of my dogs lost significant amount of weight on this, even though I bought it thinking the purchase price would be offset by less fed. Not so. My dogs were looking half starved on it. We only have one dog out of TEN that did well with it. Obviously not enough for me to continue feeding it. 

I spend $36 on dog food per month, on average. This amount will increase during the winter & when I have pups - if we have a litter I'm buying at least 3-4 bags of food per month. I go through a 35lb bag every 2 weeks or so on the adults. It doesn't matter what I feed, they more or less eat the same amount. Even the foods they do eat less of, the bag will not last more than 2-3 days longer. My 65lb mutt eats 2 cups of food on Purina, and the Beagles eat anywhere from 3/4 cup to 1.5 cups depending on the size. That is not an extraordinary amount, and I have not found we've saved at all on food bills by feeding less of the holistic foods ... because we usually just don't feed much less of them, and as I mentioned with the TWO, I fed all the dogs so much more that the bag only lasted about 9 days


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## Chloe'sMom (Mar 21, 2008)

So I tried the Premium Edge, has been two weeks or so now, and major hunger strike going on. They are refusing to eat it! I've tried mixing it with wet and NB dog rools and still, they kinda sniff take a few bites and walk away. 

So back to the drawing board, for the time being my roomate feeds Dog Chow and I have been sharing her bag. They both love the Dog Chow funnily enough and I don't have to add anything to make them eat it. I am at my wits end!! I refuse to waste any more money on dog food, to end up donating the bag to the shelter and nothing more. 

Now in the past I have tried Canidae (chicken and rice) Merrick (grammy's pot pie & wilderness blend) Taste of the Wild (High Prairie) Nutro Ultra Holistic and Natural Balance. All of which they either barely ate, or gave them the runs. They are both healthy dogs up to date on all they're shots, so nothing medical is going on here. 

I would like to give my dogs the best foods, however, I just cannot afford to buy a bag of food hoping they will eat it, only to find out they won't and ending up donating it. And I really do not like switching their food so often, they just haven't done well on anything I've tried for them for any length of time. 

So I guess I'm at a draw right now, I'll continue feeding the Dog Chow for now and hopefully if I hear about a food that dogs really love to eat that is healthier I will try that. 

I have heard that Nutro Maxx is a better quality food, but has more flavor (similiar to a dog chow) does anyone know anything about this food. The holistic I fed Chloe when she was a pup for a few months, until she started getting the runs.


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## JeanninePC99 (Jul 24, 2007)

Check out the cost breakdown between a grocery store brand and a "premium" brand.

http://www.dogster.com/forums/Food_and_Nutrition/thread/522883

If you don't have an attention span:


> Orijen – Beneful
> 263.89 – 162.49 = $101.40 per year, or $8.45 per month.
> 
> To feed my dog one of the MOST EXPENSIVE FOODS it’ll only cost me an extra $8.45 per month. I understand that some people do not have an extra 9 bucks a month, but those people don’t have to feed one of the most expensive foods either. You can find a great food without ugly chemicals that you can afford! I swear!


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Beneful is insanely overpriced, and has the exact same ingedient list as regular Dog Chow (except for some random veggies WAY down the ingredient list). I think they should be shot for marketing Beneful like it's better. Purina has been around for a long time, and they do a lot of research. It isn't going to kill your dogs to eat Purina, unless they're allergic. You can do better, but you can also do MUCH worse. Store brand dog foods are terrible, don't fall into that trap. 

I also think that Purina puts some kind of attractant in their foods....my cats are wild over Purina Cat Chow. I use it for treats. I tried to feed them Cat Chow and/or Purina ONE as their regular food, but the litterbox odor was so bad I had to switch to Chicken Soup.

Chloe'sMom----most pet stores/feed stores have free sample bags. You might try asking for free samples of their better foods, that way you won't be wasting money on buying a bag of food they won't eat.


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

A lot of times they put lots of sweetener and salt in the lower quality foods, and I think that's why often pets like them so much. Just like, if you had grown up on very sweet, salty things then switched to 'healthier', less seasoned food, it would taste bland for a while until you got used to it.


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## Malkuth (Jan 19, 2008)

Surprised alot of you are finding Chicken Soup for so cheap. The only place around these parts that have it is Local Kennel Shop. And they have gone up to 40 bucks for 30 pound. 26 for 18 and 14 for the 8 pound bag.

Of course they also never have it in stock now, so I had to switch to Canidea


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Malkuth said:


> Surprised alot of you are finding Chicken Soup for so cheap. The only place around these parts that have it is Local Kennel Shop. And they have gone up to 40 bucks for 30 pound. 26 for 18 and 14 for the 8 pound bag.
> 
> Of course they also never have it in stock now, so I had to switch to Canidea


Ack! I hope they aren't raising their prices. My feed stores (both of them!) recently raised the price of Canidae to $38.99-$40.99 for a 40-pound bag---it used to cost $33.99-$35.99 (one store is cheaper, but they're way out in the sticks, so the savings is negated by the gas used to get there). But Chicken Soup is still only $30.49 for a 35-pound bag.


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## Kibblelady (May 6, 2008)

Hmm decent lower priced foods... here is my list


Blackwood Pet Foods
Diamond Pet Foods
Regal Pet Foods
Exclusive Brand Pet foods
PetGuard Pet foods (Petco brand)
Kirkland Pet Foods (found at BJs wholesale clubs)
Excel Pet Foods

And.... watch the Petco and Petsmart circulars for specials on Pro Plan....


Cherri


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## SMoore (Nov 9, 2007)

I know some places have free samples like already mentioned.

Also though if you want to try Blue Buffalo, probably the best brand of food sold at Petsmart my dogs really liked it. Also, I used to work at Petsmart and they will take anything back that a pet doesnt like, at least my store did and from what i've seen in various stores i've been in they all seem to share that philosophy.

If a bag of food is open and you bought it there, bring it back for a full refund, even without a receipt they'll give you a gift card.

I had a dog chew up one of their "indestrutable" tire toys and was able to get a refund and ended up getting kongs instead. 

I also returned an old dog collar I have had for over 3 years, the buckle finally wore out. I took it back, no receipt got a gift card and bought a nice leather collar.

They don't sell very many high quality foods in my opinion but Blue Buffalo isnt bad and my dogs love the wilderness, my cats love it as well!

I believe it's also a 5 or 6 star rated food on dogfoodanalysis.com


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## Criosphynx (May 15, 2008)

Price is never an issue for me.... thats why i own small breeds. A 40lb bags seems to last forever.....


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## Chloe'sMom (Mar 21, 2008)

Thanks kibblelady, I will look into some of those choices as well. Still feeding them the Dog Chow for now, until I find something better that they will actually eat! 

I'm a bit worried though, this morning both Chloe and Clancey vomited a yellow frowthy bile, which I'm thinking might mean this food is not keeping them full and satisfied until their next meal. 

I've always heard Blue Buffallo is a good food, I have a friend who feeds the Wilderness one, but they are both too young I think for that high amount of protein. Especially Chloe as she's 50 pds at 8 months. I hear that it is a very pricey food though.


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## SMoore (Nov 9, 2007)

They also have a puppy formula and maybe even a large breed puppy formula which would be best.

I also really like Natural Balance all life stages foods, they sell it at petco and i think it's around the same price of Blue Buffalo. The dogs like that as well.


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

Criosphynx said:


> Price is never an issue for me.... thats why i own small breeds. A 40lb bags seems to last forever.....


I know, it's really nice! =)


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## Chloe'sMom (Mar 21, 2008)

So went to Petsmart during my lunch break yesterday, just kinda poking around at food brands/prices/ingrediants what have you. 

Came across Authority Harvest Baked, ingrediants looked good and 35$ for a 35# bag, about a buck a pound. I bought a small 5# bag just to try it out and mixed a little with their kibble last night, they ate it. So we'll see. Again, this probably isn't the BEST out there, but it's fairly affordable and I feel better about these ingrediants. 

Here's the Top 10

Chicken, Whole Ground Wheat, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Barley, Canola Oil, Carrots, Salmon Meal, Dried Egg Product, Spinach, Tomatoes

(Fred's Mom) I gave them both a little extra food at dinner time last night and each a cookie before bed, and no bile vomit this morning!


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## doggymommy (Jun 5, 2008)

borzoimom said:


> I would check out chicken soup here is the link- for the price and the quality, you woudl be hard pressed to beat it..
> http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/


I agree! I have been feeding that, large breed puppy for 2 months now and my 11 month old Gsd ( who had been scratching a lot on Eukanuba) is not itchy at all anymore.

The feed stores here carry it and it is 32.99 for a 35lb bag. Purina one just raised their prices and cut the 37lb bag to 32lbs and kept the price the same at 27.00. 
Purina is a lot of filler and corn, so for my money, I would rather have my dogs on a food that is not mostly filler. 

Here are the ingredients for Chicken soup for the Pet lovers Soul (large breed puppy)

Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, ocean fish meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, white rice, oatmeal, millet, potatoes, egg product, tomato pomace, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), duck, salmon, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, salmon oil (source of DHA), choline chloride, dried chicory root, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, L-carnitine, Enterococcus faecieum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Saccharomyces cerevesiae fermentation solubles, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, vitamin E Supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Again, what works for 1 dog may not work for another. IMO this is the best dry food I have ever tried except for Innova's Evo, which is 50.00 for a 30lb bag. 
If you use the scoring system for dry food (located in another topic under this thread,) Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul ( large breed puppy) scored 106 points, which makes it A+.

Again, just one woman's opinion.


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## 2puppimsmom (Mar 16, 2008)

Lovemygreys, I agree with you about the bad comments about what people feed their dogs determines how much they love their dogs. That is so cruel to say that. But some people should try to find out more about the dog food recalls and why they were recalled. A lot of the cheaper brands have been known to have Phenobarbitol in them. That is what they euthanize dogs and cats with. It has been said some dog food companies get dead animals from rendering companies. Some of those animals are from animal shelters. I read recently that this is still going on. So some dog foods don't determine what kind of meat is in their food They just say meat meal or meat and bone meal. I read Ol Roy is on that list. And people should decide if they would pay a cheaper price for their pets food and risk health problems that might cause vet bills or a shorter life for their pets. I'm on a fixed income and with the price of everything going up, it is harder to buy the more expensive food. But I would rather pay more for our dog's food than pay expensive vet bills. And as other's have said here, I don't have to feed as much. The better foods fill them up better.


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

Chloe'sMom said:


> So went to Petsmart during my lunch break yesterday, just kinda poking around at food brands/prices/ingrediants what have you.
> 
> Came across Authority Harvest Baked, ingrediants looked good and 35$ for a 35# bag, about a buck a pound. I bought a small 5# bag just to try it out and mixed a little with their kibble last night, they ate it. So we'll see. Again, this probably isn't the BEST out there, but it's fairly affordable and I feel better about these ingrediants.
> 
> ...


I tried the Authority food (well, my dogs did...) and thought it was fine, the only issue I noticed was they had huge poops while they were on it. Otherwise ok.


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## guy0677 (May 13, 2008)

Chloe'sMom said:


> Hi There!
> 
> I'm sure this question has been asked about a million times, but I am looking for a dry food to feed my two dogs, Chloe - a 7month old hound/pointer mix and Clancey a 10month old lab/corgi mix.
> 
> ...


I think the best value brand that is all natural and high in protein is probably Dave's Simply the Best. Another good brand that isn't so expensive is Evolve. They aren't as expensive as the Innova's and Orijens, but the ingredients are high quality. I know Dave's is a private label of a retailer in the northeast. The food is made by one of the big natural names without the label. I live in the northeast and I can go the Dave's Soda and Pet Food City store to get them. I think you can buy on their website, but I'm not sure. I also know that www.communitypetsupply.com sells the food. Hope that helps!


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## Chloe'sMom (Mar 21, 2008)

So the Authority brand did not last long...Clancey started having loose poos on it..But I finally think I have come up with a solution, I bought a small bag of Walmart's Maxximum...and they love it, I'm transitioning over from the Dog Chow slowly and adding some Natural Balance Food Roll grated on top for some extra meat..so far so good, they eat every bite enthusiastically..poos are solid and no more yellow frothy bile in the mornings. I think we have a winner!! Thanks everyone for your opinions & comments..But this seems to be working for my kids and works for my budget too.


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

Keep us posted on that one...I've seen it at Walmart and thought about trying it, but they are always out of the big bags. They also have a food there called Lamaderm that looks ok.


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## poodleaddict (Jun 13, 2008)

I feed my cats the canned natural life food from wal-mart sometimes. It's inexpensive (at 70 cents a can) and contains no by-products and my kitties usually love it. They have natural life dry and canned dog food at the wal-mart we go to as well. I think it was like $20 for a 20 lb bag, which is roughly the same price we would pay for Canidae by us, and feeding requirements are the same as Canidae as well. Was that available at your wal-mart? I know I haven't seen it at all of the wal-marts but it's starting to be more available.


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## Kibblelady (May 6, 2008)

guy0677 said:


> I think the best value brand that is all natural and high in protein is probably Dave's Simply the Best.




I wanted to agree and say I love Dave's food. I love that it is made at Ohio Pet Foods and I like any product made at that plant...but I would not say that Dave's food is on the economical side.... I only had one place in the area I could get it and they went out of business . I have talked with Dave a few times (owner) nice guy....it is a nice product and highly digestible.


Cherri


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

poodleaddict said:


> I feed my cats the canned natural life food from wal-mart sometimes. It's inexpensive (at 70 cents a can) and contains no by-products and my kitties usually love it. They have natural life dry and canned dog food at the wal-mart we go to as well. I think it was like $20 for a 20 lb bag, which is roughly the same price we would pay for Canidae by us, and feeding requirements are the same as Canidae as well. Was that available at your wal-mart? I know I haven't seen it at all of the wal-marts but it's starting to be more available.


They have it at the walmart here...the Lamaderm is the allergy version of Natural Life.


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## svovi01 (Jul 5, 2008)

SpudNZasha said:


> I'm 23 also, and a student without a whole lot of extra cash.. I feed my dogs Whole Foods brand (365) Maintenance dog food. They love it. It's like $14 for a 20 pound bag that lasts my husky and shepherd a little over a week and a half. So - if you have a Whole Foods market near you, check it out.


I do not necessarily trust 365 brand for pet food, although it would be great if I could. A few weeks ago I was at Whole Foods talking to one of their checkers about her cat who had chronic urinary tract infections and had to have the surgery. I asked her what she was feeding him that caused the problem. She was embarrassed to say 365. It had high ash, or something like that. Now she feeds Natural Balance, Nutro, or Wellness. I guess it is a pay now or pay later kind of situation.


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## T.J.K. (Jul 5, 2008)

New here everyone 

Anyway, I was reading through this and it made me think of a post I saw on a different forum one time. I thought I would post it here.

How to grade your dog's food:
Start with a grade of 100:
1) For every listing of "by-product"
, subtract 10 points
2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat,
meal
or fat) reference, subtract 10 points
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethox yquin, subtract 10 points
4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5
points
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first
five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewerâs rice", "rice
flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2
meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2

points
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is
allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isnât allergic

to wheat), subtract 2 points
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isnât allergic
to
beef), subtract 1 point
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point
Extra Credit:
1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist,
add
5 points
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6) If t! he food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3
points
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2
points
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2
points
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the
first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein
source, but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are
pesticide-free, add 1 point
94-100+ = A 86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D <70 = F

Dog Food scores:
Alpo Prime Cuts / Score 81 C
Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy / Score 114 A+
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Authority Harvest Baked Less Active / Score 93 B
Beowulf Back to Basics / Score 101 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice / Score 83 C
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice / Score 106 A+
Burns Chicken and Brown Rice / Score 107 A+
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Diamond Performance / Score 85 C
**** Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
**** Van Patten's Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice / Score 106 A+
**** Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
EaglePack Holistic / Score 102 A+
Eukanuba Adult / Score 81 C
Eukanuba Puppy / Score 79 C
Flint River Senior / Score 101 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Innova Large Breed Puppy / Score 122 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Member's Mark Chicken and Rice / Score 84 C
Merrick Wilderness Blend / Score 127 A+
Nature's Recipe / Score 100 A
Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Venison and Rice / Score 116 A+
Nature's Variety Raw Instinct / Score 122 A+
Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice / Score 81 C
Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy / Score 101 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Max Adult / Score 93 B
Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice / Score 98 A
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free / Score 86 B
Nutro Natural Choice Senior / Score 95 A
Nutro Ultra Adult / Score 104 A+
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
Premium Edge Chicken, Rice and Vegetables Adult Dry / Score 109 A+
Pro Nature Puppy / Score 80 C
Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach / Score 94 A
Purina Benful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Purina One Large Breed Puppy / Score 62 F
Royal Canin Boxer / Score 103 A+
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Solid Gold / Score 99 A
Summit / Score 99 A
Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry / Score 120 A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A


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## StarStruck (Feb 23, 2008)

Just wanted to chime in here...

I am feeding my Miniature Pinscher and American Pit Bull Terrier Natural Balance...both have loose stools. My terrier mix won't touch the NB, nor will one of my Shepherd/Huskies (he did at first, and he wasn't gaining any weight on it, didn't matter how much he ate and we all know over-feeding is not a good practice!). The other Shepherd/Husky eats it fine, and I see no bad effects on her, at all.

The terrier mix and the other shep mix are now on Maxximum, and they love it. The shep mix gained around 10 lbs on it (vet said he NEEDED the extra weight), and I was/still am feeding a normal amount of it.

My grandparents feed my dogs back home Purina One. The oldest, an almost 9 year old American Pit Bull mix, is doing great. All of them are, really.

A friend of the family is also using Purina One for their 4 dogs, and they're all doing well, too.

I love the Natural Balance, and I really wish my dogs did better on it. It's really disappointing, since I thought I was picking "one of the best." Now, I'd love to try the Kirkland...looks like I'm going searching for a Costco on Monday! I'm glad it was suggested here, or I never would've remembered it existed. A person I talked to a long while ago on another forum was feeding it, and they and their dogs enjoyed it, but I completely forgot the name.


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## Messykat (Mar 2, 2008)

One I didn't see mentioned here is Iams Healthy Naturals. No, this isn't a perfect food, but it did get decent ratings from a couple sites and it's very reasonable - you can get it at Walmart. It's kind of a kicked up version of their regular stuff. 

All the dogs in my family eat it now and love it - well, except mine! But the vet and I think he's got allergies. Here's the main ingredients: Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Natural Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product


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## GreatDaneMom (Sep 21, 2007)

Messykat said:


> One I didn't see mentioned here is Iams Healthy Naturals. No, this isn't a perfect food, but it did get decent ratings from a couple sites and it's very reasonable - you can get it at Walmart. It's kind of a kicked up version of their regular stuff.
> 
> All the dogs in my family eat it now and love it - well, except mine! But the vet and I think he's got allergies. Here's the main ingredients: Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Natural Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product


i think there are many much better quality foods than that that you can get for cheaper.


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## gale (Sep 11, 2007)

Chloe'sMom said:


> It seems I have caused quite a stir around here. LOL. That was certainly not my intention.
> 
> I have done more research and found a brand of food called Premium Edge it received a 4 star rating, and is found at my local feed store. It is also 30$ for a 35lb bag vs. Natural Balance which is 42$ for a 35lb bag.
> 
> ...


I know this is an older thread. Anyway we have been feeding Premium Edge since about last winter (that's when we switched off puppy food). Our dog has done really well on it. Lots of energy (not sure if that's always a good thing. lol) normal stools, very shiny coat. People have commented on how good she looks. We are switching to Calif Natural only because I have to drive an hour to get the premium edge. The calif natural is more expensive but once I figure in gas money it's the same and I'm saving time by not having to drive to get it (I was getting 2 bags at a time, which last about 2 mos each) and not having to worry in the winter about driving all that way in possibly bad weather. The Calif Natural is just a couple miles from us. Anyway we never had a problem with premium edge.

eta: sorry, I somehow missed page 3 of this thread. I'm sorry it didn't work for you. I think we are lucky that our dog will eat pretty much anything we put in front of her so far.


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## Chloe'sMom (Mar 21, 2008)

So my husband has gotten a promotion and a decent raise, so we are not as much in a financial bind as we were (thank goodness) so now, I'm still trying to settle on a food for them. We are currently still feeding them the Dog Chow as they seem to eat it readily. And although they seem okay on it, I would really like them on something a little higher in quality. 

The only problem is Clancey seems to be very sensitive to richer foods such as canidae etc...and he gets loose stools very easily (Vet work done, no medical reason) So I'm wondering if some grains are necessary for him as a stool hardener..

I was talking to a blue buff rep at Petco this past weekend and although she was very pushy...it seems like a good food, but I've read on several forums that some dogs have very loose poos on it as it's a richer food. 

I'm at a loss. I'm thinking of Pro Plan maybe...ingrediant wise it's not the greatest I realize, but result wise the consensus seems to be great..I dunno


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## Don152 (Jan 31, 2008)

Above list sorted by scrore. I would sure not go by this list alone, but it might be a good place to start:
Merrick Wilderness Blend 127 A+
**** Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium 122 A+
Innova Large Breed Puppy 122 A+
Nature's Variety Raw Instinct 122 A+
Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry 120 A+
Authority Harvest Baked 116 A+
Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Venison and Rice 116 A+
Chicken Soup Senior 115 A+
Artemis Large - Medium Breed Puppy 114 A+
Innova Dog 114 A+
Innova Evo 114 A+
Canidae 112 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables 110 A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken 110 A+
Premium Edge Chicken, Rice and Vegetables Adult Dry 109 A+
Burns Chicken and Brown Rice 107 A+
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice 106 A+
**** Van Patten's Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice 106 A+
**** Van Patten's Duck and Potato 106 A+
Foundations 106 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult 106 A+
Nutro Ultra Adult 104 A+
Royal Canin Boxer 103 A+
EaglePack Holistic 102 A+
Beowulf Back to Basics 101 A+
Flint River Senior 101 A+
Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy 101 A+
Royal Canin Bulldog 100 A+
Nature's Recipe 100 A
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula 99 A
Solid Gold 99 A
Summit 99 A
Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice 98 A
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice 97 A
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold 97 A
Nutro Natural Choice Senior 95 A
Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach 94 A
Authority Harvest Baked Less Active 93 B
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold 93 B
Nutro Max Adult 93 B
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice 92 B
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free 86 B
Diamond Performance 85 C
Member's Mark Chicken and Rice 84 C
Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice 83 C
Alpo Prime Cuts 81 C
Eukanuba Adult 81 C
Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice 81 C
Pro Nature Puppy 80 C
Eukanuba Puppy 79 C
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium 73 D
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies 69 F
Bil-Jac Select 68 F
Diamond Maintenance 64 F
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ 63 F
Purina Dog 62 F
Purina One Large Breed Puppy 62 F
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice 23 F
Purina Benful 17 F
Purina Come-n-Get It 16 F


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## Pasofino (Apr 10, 2008)

Chloe'sMom said:


> So my husband has gotten a promotion and a decent raise, so we are not as much in a financial bind as we were (thank goodness) so now, I'm still trying to settle on a food for them. We are currently still feeding them the Dog Chow as they seem to eat it readily.


Kudos to you for trying to find the "perfect" food for your pups!

I, personally, am very passionate about canine health and nutrition....(as was mentioned on a previous thread!)

At any rate, all you have to really do is feed what you can afford and make sure it is healthy for your dog.

Both needs can be met.

I read on this thread that once switching to a higher end food, the dogs started "losing their hair", or losing weight", or not liking the food, etc.

Two things...

First, most lower end dog foods must add sugar, salt or flavoring to get the dogs to eat it with such vigor that the OWNER will buy it again, thinking that the dog must love the food, regardless of it's nutritional value.

Second, if your dog is not doing well on it after the first week, give it at least a month. It will take at least that long for all the toxins to be flushed from your dog's system. All the preservatives, colors, fillers and such are not present in the higher end dog foods, so when they eat, they get fuller faster, due to REAL nutrition. 

They do not need as much food at each meal. After their bodies are used to it and not looking for that sugar or salt fix, they will thrive and look great.

My personal favorite is Blue Buffalo, not the Wilderness, (although I do mix it in with the Senior) and my dogs love it.

I have 9 rescues and I switch each week from one HIGH end dog food to another...as long as I stay in the same nutrition range, they are fine.

So, buy what you can afford, that has no soy, corn, filers, by products or grain in the first 3 ingredients and see how they do.

Chicken Soup is a great food, not too expensive and a great start in getting away from the low end foods.

OK, of my soap box!


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## Wimble Woof (Jan 16, 2007)

Pasofino said:


> Second, if your dog is not doing well on it after the first week, give it at least a month. It will take at least that long for all the toxins to be flushed from your dog's system. All the preservatives, colors, fillers and such are not present in the higher end dog foods, so when they eat, they get fuller faster, due to REAL nutrition.


Alright... so what would your suggestion be if after well over a month actually closer to 2.5 months, the dog still doesnt do well?? Keep feeding it something that is not agreeing with it?




> My personal favorite is Blue Buffalo, not the Wilderness, (although I do mix it in with the Senior) and my dogs love it.


http://www.bluebuff.com/products/dogs/lp-senior-chick.shtml

Seems a bit grainy no? Granted the grains listed are decent grains, but still remove the water from the chicken as it is based on a precooked weight...
The top ingredients would now be as follows.

Whole Ground Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Whole Ground Barley, Chicken Meal, Rye, Rice Bran, Tomato Pomace (natural source of Lycopene), Whole Potatoes, Natural Chicken Flavor, Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries and ect... ect...

So, that being said and seeing as though your dog(s) are now eating a primarily grain food... I think you yourself could get more bang for your buck on this one.




> I have 9 rescues and I switch each week from one HIGH end dog food to another...as long as I stay in the same nutrition range, they are fine.


Something HIGH end for you... isnt for others, so really this food in particular in my honest opinion is not the best thing you could be feeding.



> So, buy what you can afford, that has no soy, corn, filers, by products or grain in the first 3 ingredients and see how they do.


The food you just suggested is a grainy food



> OK, of my soap box!


yeah, same here


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## Pasofino (Apr 10, 2008)

You are right wimbel, on some points....

If it had been 2.5 months, I probably would not stay with that food, but still try a food with no preservatives, corn, soy ..OR, make homemade foods to try to eliminate the allergy source.

Something would be upsetting the dog's stomach and I think my goal would be to find it...food should not be upsetting any dog....so finding out why may help.

I mix the Wilderness (42% protein) with the BB to make it more of a meaty source. 

I also did not mention, but I feed one meal of kibble, the other meal is fresh fruits and vegetables...raw. So the kibble is the only neat source and I try to make it a whole meat source, not meal and definitely NOT by-products. I do switch feed every few weeks. IMO, most dogs need to be switched just to get a balanced source of protein and other nutrients.




> I have 9 rescues and I switch each week from one HIGH end dog food to another...as long as I stay in the same nutrition range, they are fine.
> 
> Something HIGH end for you... isn't for others, so really this food in particular in my honest opinion is not the best thing you could be feeding.


You are right...it is not the best, but in my remote area of the world it is what is available to me other than on line, so if I need dog food, I need to get it within a 50 mile radius of my farm...

Also agree, what is high end for me, is not necessarily high end for another...but I do think it needs to be chemical and preservative free!




> So, buy what you can afford, that has no soy, corn, fillers, by products or grain in the first 3 ingredients and see how they do.
> 
> The food you just suggested is a grainy food


"Grainy"is not so bad, as long as it is not corn, soy or fillers...WHOLE grains are OK.....


Again, there is the argument, "do dogs even need grains?"

Who knows! I have read enough on both sides to make me question it....

That is a whole other thread!


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## Wimble Woof (Jan 16, 2007)

indeed it is.

Please dont think i am picking on your posts either, I just realized that the main replies have been to your stuff, nothing personal, but this is also a passionate topic for me.

As for protien sources being the culprit, trust me I have changed them up as much as the foods, its not a protien allergy or intolerance either. Its just a mystery as to why grainy "lower end" food works for this situation.

Feeding animals or even people for that matter isnt something that comes out of a mould, it would be nice, but sadly it just doesnt work that way sometimes.
While most dogs would be true to the mould for feeding, there are always some exceptions to everything in the world. Such as the general rule is a liquid shrinks when frozen, except for water...) not everything fits as it is supposed to


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## Pasofino (Apr 10, 2008)

Wimble Woof said:


> indeed it is.
> 
> Please don't think i am picking on your posts either, I just realized that the main replies have been to your stuff, nothing personal, but this is also a passionate topic for me.


No offense taken at all, I thoroughly enjoy an intelligent (UNheated)discussion on most topics!

While I do feed my dogs what I consider a high end food, I also supplement their diet with fresh veggies and fruits...daily.

So I think I go against the norm, because while they are not vegetarians, they do get more carbs than most dogs. I am not sure if that is good, or bad...

Either way, they seem to thrive on it and I am sure there is a lot of controversy on that subject!

I also agree, that whatever dog food works for your dog, keep it up ... to each their own.

I also dislike fast foods/packaged foods for humans, but that doesn't mean people don't eat that and thrive on it as well.

It all boils down to a personal choice, either based on economics, convenience or knowledge....


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## Chuckles (Sep 20, 2008)

I am glad Costco's Kirkland brand has such a positive review. I went to Costco just last week and looked it over and didn't buy it because.... it was so CHEAP! I was afraid something might be off about it even though Kirkland brand mostly has quality products in my experience. My beagle mix currently uses Science Diet and I am definitely switching off of it after reading some of the comments on the forum.

I will go back tomorrow and take a closer look at the content and nutrition info of the Kirkland stuff. This is might be a keeper!


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## lizalots (Aug 29, 2008)

Any update on the Kirkland?

I've been trying different foods. My two have been on Canidae for two months now, but I am way not impressed. I feel like most of it ends up coming out the other end. And I had to increase the amount I feed Spike because he was all ribs after a few initial weeks on it. It seems like they did just as good on Nutro as Canidae.


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## LeRoymydog (Feb 25, 2007)

I've tried a whole assortment of foods, too. All the "more expensive foods", tend to cause gas and very loose stools. Today I went and bought a "cheaper" type food. I'm going to try it out. It's called Purina One NAtural Blends with Vitamins and MInerals.

It got to the point where LeRoy lost so much weight on the higher spectrum foods, I thought there was something medically wrong. He was skin and bone. The vet thinks he digests the leaner meats (bison and salmon) too quickly and so he needs to eat more fattier foods.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

lizalots said:


> Any update on the Kirkland?
> I've been trying different foods. My two have been on Canidae for two months now, but I am way not impressed.


I haven't tried KIRKLAND, exactly, but I use Diamond Naturals, which is the same thing (bot not Costco branded). My dogs do great on it. Worth a try, anyway.



LeRoymydog said:


> Today I went and bought a "cheaper" type food. I'm going to try it out. It's called Purina One NAtural Blends with Vitamins and MInerals.


Many dogs do well on Purina ONE. Hope Leroy does well on it!


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## gracieANDpixie (Nov 26, 2008)

I tend to be wary of the low-end foods after reading through info about mass market foods at DogFoodDangers (scary). Interesting that several of you had problems with your dogs rejecting Canidae. My Dachshunds like it (of course I add 1 teaspoon of hot water and 1 teaspoon of cottage cheese to help with digestion). If some of you are just dumping the dry food in a bowl, that may be the problem.


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## LeRoymydog (Feb 25, 2007)

I gradually change. It takes about a month for them to get all of the new food. My AB did horrible on Canidae. That's one of the foods I won't try again in the future. I'm not, by any means saying it's a bad food. I'm just saying it didn't work on my dog.

I was gonna add that when I got CHina she was on Purina Dog Chow and didn't have any flare-ups or gastic probs. I switched her to the higher end foods and she has hot spots on her legs and itching terribly on her feet. Go figure.


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## noisebug (Nov 22, 2008)

I may be crazy, but around here alot of the crap foods cost as much as the premium foods like orijen. Maybe $10 more, which I would spend anyday to give them better quality.

If $10 really is all that important to you, see if you can compromise other parts of your spending... entertainment? restaurants? etc?


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## UrbanBeagles (Aug 13, 2007)

noisebug said:


> I may be crazy, but around here alot of the crap foods cost as much as the premium foods like orijen. Maybe $10 more, which I would spend anyday to give them better quality.
> 
> If $10 really is all that important to you, see if you can compromise other parts of your spending... entertainment? restaurants? etc?




Why would you automatically assume that a cheaper food is "crap" quality? I haven't found that more expensive = better quality, just better marketing. I also fed LESS of Dog chow than I did with Timberwolf. Ten bucks a bag REALLY adds up, especially for people with large dogs or for someone like me, who is already on a shoestring budget & needs to buy two bags of adult and 1-2 bags of puppy food per month. I can't afford to eat out regardless of what brand of food I'm feeding, lol, and my extra $ quite literally goes to the dogs, not on movies, dining out, new clothes, etc. I can't see spending $50 a bag on "better" quality feed when it's just not better, really, and when that extra $10+ can go towards what the people in the household need - not want - NEED. Like groceries & gas money. 

My adults are on Purina ONE L&R at the moment, my pups are on Wellness. Quite honestly, there was not one iota of difference between how they were doing on Purina Puppy Chow then how they now do on Wellness! No difference at all. And they ate the same amount of food on both brands. Only reason I switched was due to a formula change when Purina lowered the size of the bags towards the end of the summer


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## Bellasmom (Aug 14, 2008)

noisebug said:


> I may be crazy, but around here alot of the crap foods cost as much as the premium foods like orijen. Maybe $10 more, which I would spend anyday to give them better quality.
> 
> If $10 really is all that important to you, see if you can compromise other parts of your spending... entertainment? restaurants? etc?



Not everyone has the luxery of being able to spend the extra money you seem to think we should be able to come up with. I dont go out to movies or eat out. I am on a fixed budget. So I dont have anywhere to pull from.

I used to feed the "better" quality brand puppy foods ( they ate better than my family ) and they had loose stools and upset tummies all the time. I switched to puppy chow due to finances and guess what?! They have firm stools and are thriving. It just goes to show you "quality" foods are not for everyone. I think puppy chow is a quality food. By the way its $20 a month I save by switching. Over a year thats $240. Thats clothing money for my kids.


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

I don't know anyone who switched foods just because they couldn't come up with 10 extra bucks...most everyone I know of, myself included, switched to a food like Purina One because of soft poo, gas, trouble keeping weight on, etc, and found the lower price and convenience to be a bonus. It gets pretty old driving an hour and paying top dollar for one food after another, only to continue to be unimpressed with the results. I would never feed my dogs a food they weren't doing well on, whether it's "premium" or "crap".


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## noisebug (Nov 22, 2008)

Whoa, sorry I didn't mean to insult anyone or assume anything. 

I don't think I've ever been in a situation where $10 was life or death, so fair enough. If that's you, than naturally if you can save money that's great.

I think I used the wrong terminology in my initial post. Instead of crap food I should have called it non-organic grocery store food. I realize the "premium" foods aren't for everyone, all I meant was that the premium foods seem like such a better value for the extra money due to higher quality ingredients and potential health benefits. Obviously if your dog can't handle it than that's that. The only reason why I factored money into the equation is because the initial poster mentioned they are partially doing this to save money.


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## txcollies (Oct 23, 2007)

Bellasmom said:


> Not everyone has the luxery of being able to spend the extra money you seem to think we should be able to come up with. I dont go out to movies or eat out. I am on a fixed budget. So I dont have anywhere to pull from.
> 
> I used to feed the "better" quality brand puppy foods ( they ate better than my family ) and they had loose stools and upset tummies all the time. I switched to puppy chow due to finances and guess what?! They have firm stools and are thriving. It just goes to show you "quality" foods are not for everyone. I think puppy chow is a quality food. By the way its $20 a month I save by switching. Over a year thats $240. Thats clothing money for my kids.


I also am on a very tight, fixed budget. So yes, there are some of us ouy there. I can sympathize others in that situation. But hey, life doesn't stop just because money is tight. 


Kirkland is supposed to be good. 

I have been feeding "Exceed" for years and love it. My older/retired dogs get the Lamb & Rice and the others get the performance formula. The cost is about $27 a bag. And you can get it at Sams Club.



Chloe'sMom said:


> Hi There!
> 
> I'm sure this question has been asked about a million times, but I am looking for a dry food to feed my two dogs, Chloe - a 7month old hound/pointer mix and Clancey a 10month old lab/corgi mix.
> 
> ...


Maxximum Nutrition is very good. I have fed it in between trips to the big city where I buy my normal food. And if they sold it in larger bags down here, I'd put my guys on it. 

I like their performance formula the best.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

txcollies said:


> I have been feeding "Exceed" for years and love it. My older/retired dogs get the Lamb & Rice and the others get the performance formula. The cost is about $27 a bag. And you can get it at Sams Club.


I wondered about that brand. I don't have a Costco, just a Sam's Club, so I've considered it. Looks to be better quality than Iams, anyway. Toby is allergic to corn, so I can't use it, but I may recommend it to some friends who suddenly find Science Diet to be too expensive  .


txcollies said:


> Maxximum Nutrition is very good. I have fed it in between trips to the big city where I buy my normal food. And if they sold it in larger bags down here, I'd put my guys on it.


I've considered recommending that one , too. But the Wal-Mart here doesn't sell the big bags! Whats up with that?


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## chienslover (Dec 1, 2008)

I have been feeding Cody with ProSeries , a Canadian food for the last 6 month. It is a really great food and really good value for your money. It is $40 for 33lb , a really decent price and it is made with fish and chicken as first ingredient! Cody used to have hotspots and he is really doing better with proseries: www.proseriespet.com.


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## Chloe'sMom (Mar 21, 2008)

Wow...this post has lasted a long time. Just an update, we have been through alot of foods, some good, some not so good. And I think we've finally hit a winner. 

We are currently using Pro Plan Shredded Blends. We were using Avoderm for awhile, but our local store stopped carrying it due to lack of general interest in the food...I think we were the only people who bought it. From what I've heard from alot of doggie owners...Pro Plan seems to give great results. And so far I am very pleased. Both my kids, eat with passion and are excited every meal time, we have firm poos and shiny coats and eyes..


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## txcollies (Oct 23, 2007)

Willowy said:


> I wondered about that brand. I don't have a Costco, just a Sam's Club, so I've considered it. Looks to be better quality than Iams, anyway. Toby is allergic to corn, so I can't use it, but I may recommend it to some friends who suddenly find Science Diet to be too expensive  .
> 
> I've considered recommending that one , too. But the Wal-Mart here doesn't sell the big bags! Whats up with that?


I *love* Exceed. And there are a lot of breeders/ competitive people who feed it. It's a great all life stages food. 

My older/non breeding/showing dogs are feed the Lamb & Rice formula.

My babies, young dogs, etc are on the Chicken Performance formula. 

And I've never had a problem with this food. 

Re: Maxximum Nutrition. I don't know why they don't sell the big bags anymore. If I remember correctly, they used to sell large bags of it, but now all you can get are the small bags. It's a good food, though and something I'll use if I'm out of Exceed.


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## dinki2 (Nov 16, 2008)

I have been feeding our 6 y/o female GSD Maxximum for about a week now, I had read so much about how purina/alpo ect are bad for a dog it made me feel bad, I know that Maxximum isnt the greatest "top of the line" food but she likes it alot and seems a bit more active and stuff after she went on Maxximum.

I dont have the money some people do to be buying these 50$ 20+ pound bags for their dogs and the "refigerated" type food that they mix in it so I went with a solution I thought might work, I know it isnt the best food but im sure its alot better than purina/alpo ect.

And the place down here sells the Maxximum nutrition for cats/dogs/puppies in the 20 lbs bag and the 8 lbs bag I think.


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## txcollies (Oct 23, 2007)

If she's doing fine on the Maxx. Why worry about it? You are doing the best you can do. 

I never had any problems on Max.

And my food is only about $27 for a 44# bag. That's as high as I'm going to pay right now.


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## GenuineGoldens (Feb 24, 2009)

*Bumping*

I realize this is an old thread. I came across it while doing a search on google. I was wondering if I switch to a "crappy" brand of food that my dogs stools will straighten out...seems to be the case with many within this thread.

I have a kennel of dogs, all eating Diamond Naturals. One of my pups was recently hospitalized (not due to the food) and when he came home two days later, his stool was normal for the first time in 4 months! He was still on the same meds, but while at the vet was fed Science Diet. When he came home his stool stayed firm and solid for the first day and half, and slowly transitioned to his "normal" poop: loose to pudding consistenty. The only difference was that he went straight from eating Science Diet back to my Diamond Naturals. I cannot afford Science Diet. From what I've gathered at looking at the ingredients, it's very comparable to Puppy Chow. I'm seriously thinking of switching to Puppy Chow or at least trying it out to see if it firms up all of my dogs' stools. It's one thing when you have a dog with loose stools, but another when you have 8 to clean up after...it's impossible to clean quickly and effeciently anymore! I guess if low-quality food "fixes" them, that' it!

Just wanted to bump it up in case anyone else is in a similar situation.


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## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

Goldens, what other brands of food have you tried? 

I think if nothing else is working for you, brands like Purina are certainly worth a try, as long as you know to switch off if they don't yield any results.


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

Goldens, that's the decision I had to make a year or so ago...I know people in "real life" who feed premium foods and live with soft serve poop, and it doesn't seem to bother them...not so coincidentally all of them have short haired dogs...my dogs had alot of poop problems on various premium and middle of the road foods, and certain ones also gave them gas and my high energy dogs shed pounds they didn't need to shed. As far as the soft poo, as it sounds like you know, with multiple long haired dogs it gets real old real fast...I felt like I didn't have the luxury of waiting a month to see if the poop firmed up, it was disgusting and a huge chore to clean. I finally went to the store and picked up a bag of Purina One, and voila, no more poop issues, no gas, all four are keeping weight on...price and convenience are a bonus, but weren't a deciding factor in the switch. It's been something like a year now, and coats look good and there have been no health issues.


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## PureMutt (Feb 6, 2009)

Kirkland dog food from Costco is very decent brand for the money, people have mentioned getting a 40lb bag for 15 bucks.


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## Qsk50 (Feb 16, 2009)

I had recently switched my lab who was eating Pedigree to Natual Balance.
He had very loose tools for 3 weeks. Someone recommended Blue Buffalo and I am on the 3rd day of that and still....extremely loose stool. I did the slow transition of 25,50,75 and finally all Natual Balance. Didnt work.
When he was on Pedigree, no problems at all.
So who has the answers?
I switched to a "premium" food but it didnt work for him 
I guess all dogs are different.


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## txcollies (Oct 23, 2007)

Don't let it bug you. My Irish Setter mentor feeds part of her kennel Pedigree, and the dogs have never looked better.


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## HersheyPup (May 22, 2008)

I've been riding the Dog Food Roller Coaster and to be perfectly honest my dog seems to do best on Science Diet. 

Some people say that this food is horrible, but my dog NEVER has gas while on it (even the canned food...which has always been a problem with every other kind she's tried), she loves the dry food, she has a beautiful shiny black (long) coat and she isn't bouncing off the walls with an excess of energy that I hear happens when you feed your dog a food with corn.

I resisted trying Science Diet after hearing that their company was based on advertising and was the worst thing you could feed your dog. However, after dealing with excessive gas and inconsistant poop on what was supposed to be the Best food(s) to feed your dog I wavered and gave SD a try.

Now, I do still supplement my dog with raw meat, but she mostly eats dog food.

My dog does better on SD (which I guess is considered a sub-par food) than she did on MANY super premium and premium brands. The only super premium brand that her body handled very, very well was Timberwolf. She just doesn't love it, though. My friends dogs are the constant recipient of my dogs leftovers...they love TWO!

Every dog is different...if your dog does best on Purina or Pedigree than don't worry about it. If you feed a cheaper food and your dog is itching itself raw, or pooping mountains of undigested matter...than stop feeding that food!


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## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

Qsk50 said:


> I had recently switched my lab who was eating Pedigree to Natual Balance.
> He had very loose tools for 3 weeks. Someone recommended Blue Buffalo and I am on the 3rd day of that and still....extremely loose stool. I did the slow transition of 25,50,75 and finally all Natual Balance. Didnt work.
> When he was on Pedigree, no problems at all.
> So who has the answers?
> ...


That's a LOT of different switches in a short amount of time. Pedigree to Natural Balance to Blue Buffalo? It's quite possible that the different switcheroos made his digestive system go a little wonky.

I'm not suggesting that premium foods are the only option; I know that if a so-called lower-quality food works for your dog, then all power to you. It's just a suggestion.


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## PureMutt (Feb 6, 2009)

I'm telling you, get an enzyme and probiotics supplement like Sold Gold Seameal. This stuff works so good, you won't even have to transition your food. I never do, and my dog's stomach never has any complications nor runny stools.


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## GenuineGoldens (Feb 24, 2009)

I've even did the probiotic and enzyme thing. Changed nothing on my dogs. I will continue to buy and use the probiotic for when they are sick/stressed/on medication, but will finish out the enzymes and no longer buy it. Just a waste of money and time IMHO. 

Buying Puppy Chow today, wish me luck!

I'm going to leave them on the puppy/dog chow throughout March. If poop doesn't firm up and/or coats and condition (they are excellent right now) go downhill, I'm going to give Exceed from Sam's Club a go. I'll give that a month as well and go from there. Wish me and all my dogs luck!


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## deege39 (Dec 29, 2008)

I'm feeding_ Nature's Recipe_ from PetSmart.
http://www.naturesrecipe.com/

This is the brand I'm feeding Donatello as we speak:
http://www.naturesrecipe.com/recipe_detail.aspx?id=454

If you read the reviews on it, you'll see others with picky eaters and others that have allergies _love_ this food.

I have to say it's doing wonders for him. Typically his stool his solid, he's not abnormally gassy, and where his fur was falling out it's now filling back in. I really think this is a good brand, granted their five pound back is $9.99, but that lasts Donatello nearly three weeks. I also found their dog treats as well; They're corn free, which is a bonus for Donatello, and they're also pretty small and easy to chew, another bonus for Donatello who has a severe under-bite.

I remember asking last year what type of dog food I should go with, and I remember getting several positives replies; But I also remember some scoffing at feeding dogs Purina or Iams, and some have even mentioned they wouldn't feed their dog Nature's Recipe either... *Well, if it's in your budget, and your dogs are thriving on it, keep it!*


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## Bellasmom (Aug 14, 2008)

Good luck GenuineGoldens! I hope it works out for you!


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## Lolas_Dad (Apr 28, 2008)

I feed Lola Nutro Natural Choice lamb and rice. It is $32.00 for a 17 pound bag but with her being 10 pounds it last's a long time. She is fed 1/3 a cup two times a day. She is in perfect health and when I told the vet-tech that she was being fed Nutro she did not try to push me on the Science Diet garbage.

One time I was in PetSmart and there was a rep from Science Diet. She was giving free 2 pound bags and after I asked her if it had meat-by-products she said it did but that the only by-product was chicken liver. Sounded more like bull to me than chicken liver.


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## wolfsnaps (Apr 27, 2007)

I know, why don't they just say chicken liver on the bag instead of by product


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## CorgiKarma (Feb 10, 2009)

My dog does really well on Blue Buffalo. I tried the Nature's Recipe but they didn't care for it and I don't like "animal digest" as an ingredient. So far, we have had the best success with Blue Buffalo Weight Management. It is a little pricey though at $15 for a 6 lb bag but contains no corn, no soy, no wheat, no gluten and no animal by-products.


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## GenuineGoldens (Feb 24, 2009)

Just an update: I slowly transitioned (took over 10 days) my dogs to Purina Dog Chow and my puppies to Purina Puppy Chow, and even though they've only been eating it straight for about a week now, stools are already firm again.

I've now thrown most of what I know about dog nutrition out the window and now believe:

"If your dog's doing good on a food, leave it alone! In other words, If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"


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## Qsk50 (Feb 16, 2009)

My lab tried Natural Balance and Blue Buffalo and on both has had soft to pudding poops...yuk!

Im putting him back to his Purina Pro Plan where he was.
After reading all the posts....
ALL dogs are different and what works for one may not work for the other.
To those that feed Blue and Natural...I wish my dog did well on either.
I was happy feeding them a little better kibble.
I feel bad putting him back on Purina but his poop was much better on
that...and Im sure his rear end will be happier 

My 1 year old Catahoula is doing great on Natural Balance.
I wish my lab was too


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## WoodLark (Mar 16, 2009)

When I first adopted my two girls, I started them on one of the major brand name foods (I don't remember which). One of them did ok, but the other had terrible diarrhea. Our vet recommended Iams Lamb/Rice which did work for them. At some point I switched them to Maxximun Lamb/Rice and they have thrived on it now for four years. I like that it has no artificial flavors/colors. Unfortunately, the local Wally World seems to be out of stock quite often in recent months.


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## kosmeds (Mar 21, 2010)

* i were to get the cheaper bag i would on be saving 3 bucks per month. To me my dogs health is worth way more then that.*

This would be funny if it weren't so tragic. 

Fact is that none of these super premium dog foods have been shown to extend lifespan or anything like that. Most vets are not on the super premium bandwagon for good reason--insufficient evidence to justify their use.

All we have is very limited studies on their amino acid, fatty acid, vitamin, mineral, and calorie requirements. There is NOTHING suggesting that they have to eat meat, or that more meat is better than less meat. As far as grains being "bad" or "unnatural" it's only bad if the animal has an intolerance or sensitivity. And all that high fat and high protein is probably doing more harm than good if it's in large excess of what is required.

We know that calorie restriction is good as long as nutrient requirements are met. And we know that foods meeting nutrient requirements can be acceptable as long as the overall formulation meets the bill. Another thing we know is that adding vegetables can be healthier. One more thing we know is that whole foods diets lead to fewer cancers and longer lifespan than purified foods (at least, in mice, pretty sure this would also be true for humans and dogs as well).

But to imply that somebody is a bad pet owner because they don't feed their dogs super premium food is just wrong. There are still many questions regarding optimums. Seems to me that these companies are preying on the emotions of typical owners, which is not a good thing to me.

My plan is to get a moderately decent formulation and to supplement with sardines and vegetables. I have no plans to spend more than $1/lb. I have three beasties and one day all three of them will be big and I do not support the idea that only wealthy people should have dogs.

I do support that there should be increased standards in affordable formulations, however.

Personally I am leaning towards Diamond Naturals, Chicken Soup, and 4Health. They are all the same company, pretty much. They are affordable. They are not great but not that bad. I can add greatness to them!


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## oldhounddog (May 31, 2010)

Kosmeds ,

Very good post and my feelings exactly....................................

Best , oldhounddog


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

Yes, it was a well thought-out post, though it was tacked on to a 2-year-old thread and most of the people in the original discussion are no longer here.

Recently, I've had two dogs that did very well on Purina One lamb and rice, but a third (Molly) who developed a chronically dry, flaky coat. Within a few weeks of switching to Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul (a decent, though unfortunately-named kibble) her coat improved dramatically. The price is about the same as Purina One. I've seen no change in Esther, who could probably live off the land and thrive.

The bottom line to me is that there is no one best food, for any price, for every dog. It's not that simple.


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## doggies5 (Apr 21, 2011)

if you have a tractor supply co. in your area you might check out 4health dog food.


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