# Iams/Purina/Eukanuba?



## Baylee-Belle-Mia (Mar 12, 2007)

I have a question about dog food... At my house, I have a 1 1/2 year old Boxer, and a 9 month old Doberman. Theyve both been eating Iam's Smart Puppy. I've been getting these coupons printed out at the register for Purina One. I bought a bag of the Purina One (Puppy) and a bag of their usual Iams Smart Puppy and i'm mixing them...thinking about switching them over to Purina One (Puppy). I just dont know which is better for them.

Here's something exciting(for me anyway):
So in the mail today, I got a little folder thing from Eukanuba for new breed-specific formulas they are making for a handfull of breeds. One happens to be for Boxers. In a few months my boxer will start on regular dog food. I'm not sure how Eukanuba is but i'm thinking if its a specific formula for Boxers, then it would be pretty good.

I guess my question is....for the 9 month old Doberman, is Iams Smart Puppy or Purina One Puppy going to be betterfor her? 
And for my Boxer, when she gets to 2 yrs, is the Eukanuba Boxer formula going to be best? Just looking for some opinions. Thanks!


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## 3212 (Feb 4, 2007)

Baylee-Belle-Mia said:


> I guess my question is....for the 9 month old Doberman, is Iams Smart Puppy or Purina One Puppy going to be betterfor her?
> And for my Boxer, when she gets to 2 yrs, is the Eukanuba Boxer formula going to be best? Just looking for some opinions. Thanks!


IMHO, none of those are very good foods. I'd look into something that is much healthier for both of them. There's a bunch of food threads on here that list some great foods, but as for a few suggestions I'd look into Canidae All Stages of Life or Natural Balance. They are much better and have no by-products or fillers.


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## Baylee-Belle-Mia (Mar 12, 2007)

I dont neccessarily agree that grocery store dog food is bad. My parents have a 12 year old lab that when she was at the vet's last they told my mom that she's the healthiest 12 year old Lab theyve seen. She gets fed Purina Dog Chow, which is what everyone calls the worst.(she's still around and well)
Growing up, we had a Brittany/Springer spaniel mix, he lived to 11 and was fed the same kind of food. Both of those dogs being larger dogs, i'd say they lived their lives. I'm not saying some brands may or may not be healthier for my dogs, but, I, personally dont have a problem with feeding my dogs grocery store brands.


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## Alpha (Aug 24, 2006)

The "breed specific" brands are really just a cop off.

I think there are even some higher end brands doing that, which is a little disappointing.

For the large and giant breeds, I can understand, but labs, boxers etc having their own formula? It's a way to make money. 

I agree with CrazyBrit, to be totally honest all of those foods are a little low end.

Canidae is a great reccomendation. 

IMO, puppy food isn't really neccessary either. As Brit mentioned most of the higher end brands including Canidae have foods for all life stages.

Out of those awful three, if I had to choose one, it would most likely be Eukanuba. That's if my dogs were starving and those were the only three brands in the world though 

ETA (posted at the same time)

I know a few people that eat McDonalds numerous times a week and appear healthy too


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## 3212 (Feb 4, 2007)

Baylee-Belle-Mia said:


> I dont neccessarily agree that grocery store dog food is bad. My parents have a 12 year old lab that when she was at the vet's last they told my mom that she's the healthiest 12 year old Lab theyve seen. She gets fed Purina Dog Chow, which is what everyone calls the worst.(she's still around and well)
> Growing up, we had a Brittany/Springer spaniel mix, he lived to 11 and was fed the same kind of food. Both of those dogs being larger dogs, i'd say they lived their lives. I'm not saying some brands may or may not be healthier for my dogs, but, I, personally dont have a problem with feeding my dogs grocery store brands.


You're not entirely wrong here as my parents 12 year old cow/lab mix has only eaten Pedigree and Purina Beneful and is AMAZINGLY healthy for a 12 year old, but IMO it's much better to be safe than sorry. I mean Bridgette has been eating Purina Benful since I've had her and she's healthy...but it's just the chance that it can be harmful that freaks me out...even more so with this recall! And when I found out that these really healthy brands are not much more expensive (and actually sometimes less or the same because you don't have to feed as much) I quickly switched.


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

I wouldn't personally choose any of those. If those were all I had to choose from, I'd probably switch to raw (especially since my oldest dog has a corn allergy, and corn is the main ingredient in all those foods). Raw would be cheaper for me anyway, because I believe those foods are overpriced for their quality. You did ask for opinions.


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## Ginny01OT (Dec 3, 2006)

None are really good food, my standard poodle had wicked ear infections on Iams Smart Puppy Large breed food (came from the breeder on that). I since switched him and he is doing great. Additinally, all those dog foods were part of the recent recall (I believe Purina was a voluntary recall)--I know it was a specific ingredient in specific foods but that would be enough for me to switch .


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

Baylee-Belle-Mia said:


> I dont neccessarily agree that grocery store dog food is bad.


Why do people keeping asking for advice when they don't really want it?

Do your homework. There are resources on the forum for evaluating dog foods *objectively.* It takes some effort but your dogs are worth it, right?

Regarding dogs who appear to thrive on foods that are not so highly regarded: you can always find examples of that. My beagle lived - thrived, in fact - for 14 years living mostly on Gravy Train.

Nobody is suggesting those foods you mentioned are going to kill your dogs (disregarding, for the moment, the gigantic pet food recall going on right now) or even shorten their lifespans. Things you MIGHT notice with a better food are better coat and skin, more energy, healthier (and maybe more compact) stools, better breath, decreased flatulence - all wonderful things for the dogs and the families they live with.

All this is obtainable for not a lot of extra money since, with less fillers, it takes less food to meet the nutritional needs of the dogs.

And did I mention they poop less?


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## Captbob (Feb 2, 2007)

They are all bad.,... Dog Junkfood......


__________________________
This is a dog food rating system created to help people find a quality food. This is not concrete but to be used as a guide. This was created by Fredalina of the GDR.


Giving Dry Dog Food a Grade: 
Start with a grade of 100: 

For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points 


For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points 

If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points

For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points 

If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer’s rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points


If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points 

If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points

If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points 

If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points

If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points 

If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points

If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points

If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points 

If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to beef), subtract 1 point

If it contains salt, subtract 1 point 

Extra Credit: 

If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points 


If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points 

If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points 

If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points 

If the food contains fruit, add 3 points

If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points

If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points

If the food contains barley, add 2 points 

If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points 

If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point 

If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point 

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 "turkey" as 2 different sources), add 1 point


If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point

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

Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+

Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F

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

Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+

Natural Balance Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+

Hund-n-Flocken Adult Pet (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B

Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D

Innova Pet / Score 114 A+

Innova Evo / Score 114 A+

Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+

Merrick Grammy Pot Pie/ Score 118 A+

Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B

Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F

ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+

Purina Beneful / Score 17 F

Purina Pet / Score 62 F

Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F

Royal Canin BullPet / Score 100 A+

Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+

Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A

Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F

Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F

Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+

Wolf King Adult Pet (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

Some foods that have all ready been rated:


http://www.dogfoodproject.com/



Baylee-Belle-Mia said:


> I dont neccessarily agree that grocery store dog food is bad. My parents have a 12 year old lab that when she was at the vet's last they told my mom that she's the healthiest 12 year old Lab theyve seen. She gets fed Purina Dog Chow, which is what everyone calls the worst.(she's still around and well)
> Growing up, we had a Brittany/Springer spaniel mix, he lived to 11 and was fed the same kind of food. Both of those dogs being larger dogs, i'd say they lived their lives. I'm not saying some brands may or may not be healthier for my dogs, but, I, personally dont have a problem with feeding my dogs grocery store brands.


My uncle smoked 2 packs of cigarettes a day and lived till he was 82. I guess cigarette smoking is good for you then..........


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## squirt1968 (Feb 19, 2007)

*CRZYBRIT* I was feeding beneful and my dog began shedding real bad. her tail is sad looking. I have swithced to wellness but it has not been long enough to see a difference but I expect it to enable her to once again have a pretty tail as she does parade her tail. Karen

anyone know what I may have done that the words crzybritt had the wording instead or being red in my last post? Karen


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## 3212 (Feb 4, 2007)

squirt1968 said:


> *CRZYBRIT* I was feeding beneful and my dog began shedding real bad. her tail is sad looking. I have swithced to wellness but it has not been long enough to see a difference but I expect it to enable her to once again have a pretty tail as she does parade her tail. Karen
> 
> anyone know what I may have done that the words crzybritt had the wording instead or being red in my last post? Karen


Yeah after I did some research on Beneful I quickly changed to Nutro which is considerably better than Purina...but not that great food. Now that I know we can get all the premium products here (Natural Balance and Canidae, plus some others) I have switched to Natural Balance and RAW.


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

I agree w/the previous poster who said Eukanuba and Iams are overpriced for what you get. Purina...I have no idea what that costs and I'm not familiar with the ingredients off the top of my head. When I first got my greyhounds I fed Eukanuba. They did quite well on it, but I got married and we switched brands when we blended our packs. I have brands I like and recommend, but that's based on my experience with how my own dogs have done on various foods. Keeping in mind we are feeding 14 dogs, I've had the best luck with Natural Balance and Diamond Naturals. I've had horrible luck with Nutro and Biljac I will always prefer to feed a raw diet over any kibble.

We have a small boarding kennel, and when dogs come to stay I always like to play the "kibble guessing game" when they arrive...this is based on their general appearance, feel of their coat and my overall impression. I like to see how accurate I can be at guessing whether or not the dog eats a "premuim" or "crap" kibble before I open the container and find out. I'm usually right about 80% of the time...dogs on a poorer quality kibble tend to show it, especially when compared to dogs on a better kibble. Though I have been surprised from time to time. Right now we have a GORGEOUS chocolate lab that's 9 years old and doesn't act a day over 2. He eats Pedigree and has his whole life. Go figure! ....I've come to the unscientific conclusion that it's best to find a kibble that meets your dog's daily nutritional requirements and gives them a nice healthy coat and overall healthy appearance...bright eyes, good energy...those sorts of things.


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## mellotune (Mar 11, 2007)

Purina One Healthy Puppy Formula = 64 F
Purina One Natural Blends Chicken & Oat Meal Formula = 65 F

I'm surprised this pretty Natural Blends line isn't any better than the regular Purina One line.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

Baylee-Belle-Mia said:


> I dont neccessarily agree that grocery store dog food is bad. My parents have a 12 year old lab that when she was at the vet's last they told my mom that she's the healthiest 12 year old Lab theyve seen. She gets fed Purina Dog Chow, which is what everyone calls the worst.(she's still around and well)
> Growing up, we had a Brittany/Springer spaniel mix, he lived to 11 and was fed the same kind of food. Both of those dogs being larger dogs, i'd say they lived their lives. I'm not saying some brands may or may not be healthier for my dogs, but, I, personally dont have a problem with feeding my dogs grocery store brands.



Well, these are the brands that are killing dogs and cats because of their ingredients, and where they buy them from. Considering they use dead, dieing, and diseased animals, even without the recent recall, not a choice I would consider.


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## LatinaC09 (Feb 20, 2007)

poodleholic said:


> Well, these are the brands that are killing dogs and cats because of their ingredients, and where they buy them from. Considering they use dead, dieing, and diseased animals, even without the recent recall, not a choice I would consider.


yikes with with these popular brands? i used to think they were so good...


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

All these brands also contain corn, which is not digestable for dogs and ends up as waste in your yard, Wheat and Soy which tend to be allergens. 

By buying a higher quality food such as Wellness, Solid Gold, Natural Balance, California Naturals and Innova, you spend more, but the dog needs less to get the nessesary nutrition and you have less waste.


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## Wimble Woof (Jan 16, 2007)

My thought...

If you are considering dishing out the money for Eukanuba ( which is friggen expensive for what they offer) you really should look into at the very least Canidae. Its a much better food with much better ingredients.


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