# Now what do I feed my dogs?



## Jenne5 (Mar 14, 2007)

Guys I need help. It seems like the choice of foods is slowly dwindling. I have a black lab and a black golden retriever. 

I have switched their foods and ended up with Blue Buffalo while back believing their claims of healthy food. It was so expensive and I feel duped.

My lab had started having stomach problems and now I am wondering if he was having trouble with the blue buffalo.

I swear if one more of these scandals comes out.. My cats are also on blue buffalo. Honestly I am half tempted to start researching and see what the data is on deaths by expensive foods vs non expensive foods(not purina though). I am tempted to just switch to meow mix which is what every cat was on in the past! Now I am not doing it..but I think I might research it. 


The article I just read about dog foods really had me thinking. A lot of the claims are marketing ploys. 

I know Merrick used to be good but they were bought out by Purina. I know to stay away from food made in china. I had no idea blue buffalo was basically a business guy and he has other companies make the food(some ingredients came from China).

So now what? What are you guys feeding your dogs?


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Right now, Pro Pac Ultimates made by Midwestern Pet Foods. I also like their Sportmix Wholesomes line available at Tractor Supply and for a grain free option, Earthborn Holistics and I will probably try their new Pro Pac grain-free line just because.

When hunting season starts, I will probably switch back to RealTree (if Tractor Supply carries it again this year; it is online though for $43 for 33 lbs) which is the retail version of Inukshuk 30/25 (30% protein, 25% fat). Made by Corey Pet foods in Canada.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

My dog will eat sticks and rocks and he wouldn't touch those Blue Buffalo "Life Source Bits". He's doing really, really well on Acana, which is grain free and comes in a number of chicken-free varieties, including lamb, fish, pork and duck. Taste of the Wild is a good lower price option, as is 4Health.


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## Foxes&Hounds (Jun 7, 2014)

I've just moved mine over to Acana too. So far so good!

Might be a bit different over here, but in general, I tend to go for brands that aren't heavily advertised. Money is better spent on good ingredients than marketing lol


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## Hiraeth (Aug 4, 2015)

I feed Kirkland Signature because it's available at Costco and is $38 for a 40lb bag. Between my dogs and my dad's dogs, I was paying to feed 490 lbs of dogs at one point (in exchange for rent since I moved home to afford doggie surgery and chemotherapy), so a balance of cost efficiency and quality is important to me. 

Kirkland Signature isn't the *best* food (it gets 4/5 stars on most review sites), and I will most likely transition to Acana once I'm down to feeding only one or two dogs.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

> I feed Kirkland Signature because it's available at Costco and is $38 for a 40lb bag.


Oof! It's only $27 here. I wonder why the difference. 

I'm currently feeding my dogs a rotation of Kirkland and Sportmix Wholesomes (from Tractor Supply). Those are both decent foods that aren't too expensive. 4Health is good too.

Don't feed your cats Meow Mix! That's seriously one of the lowest-quality name-brand dry cat foods available (Alley Cat and Kit 'n' Kaboodle are worse). If you can shop at Tractor Supply, I'd recommend 4Health. Also look into feeding at least some canned food. . .cats need the moisture. Even low-quality canned is OK.


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## Jenne5 (Mar 14, 2007)

Im not really going to feed them meow mix. But I truly wonder sometimes if we have all been duped. We spend the money on these supposedly healthy foods only to find out they are not. Does anyone know why Meow mix is considered low quality and why? Who is telling us this? I honestly want to research it. I know what is said about it..but I guess i am looking for proof . Im not arguing with anyone...I just wonder . With these companies charging outrageous prices for dog/cat food...and then finding out they lie. What do you do? 

Also there is so many different views out there. Some of you feed Kirkland and I heard that was a horrible food? So how do you truly know? 

I have heard good things about Acana . I will look into that one. I don't know what tractor supply is.?


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## Foxes&Hounds (Jun 7, 2014)

Jenne5 said:


> Im not really going to feed them meow mix. But I truly wonder sometimes if we have all been duped. We spend the money on these supposedly healthy foods only to find out they are not. Does anyone know why Meow mix is considered low quality and why? Who is telling us this? I honestly want to research it. I know what is said about it..but I guess i am looking for proof . Im not arguing with anyone...I just wonder . With these companies charging outrageous prices for dog/cat food...and then finding out they lie. What do you do?
> 
> Also there is so many different views out there. Some of you feed Kirkland and I heard that was a horrible food? So how do you truly know?
> 
> I have heard good things about Acana . I will look into that one. I don't know what tractor supply is.?


Cats are carnivores.
This is the ingredients list for meow mix:

_Whole Ground Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Whole Wheat, Animal Digest, Calcium Carbonate, Phosphoric Acid, Salmon Meal, Turkey By-Product Meal, Corn Syrup, Glycerin, Titanium Dioxide (Color), Potassium Sorbate (Used As A Preservative), Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, L-Lysine, Calcium Sulfate, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Taurine, Dicalcium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Red 40, Dl-Methionine, Yellow 5, Blue 2, Natural White Meat Chicken Flavor, Bha (Used As A Preservative), Rosemary Extract, Celery Extract. _

Compared to a higher quality dry food. Off the top of my head, Eden:
_Chicken, 23% (from Dried Chicken), Chicken 19%, Salmon 15%, Herring 12% (from Dried Herring), Potato 11%, Chicken Fat 6%, Duck 4% (from Dried Duck), Whole Egg 2% (from Dried Egg), Chicken Gravy 2%, White Fish 2%, Lucerne, Minerals, Vitamins, Pea Fibre, Carrot, Spinach, Apple, Seaweed, Rosehips, Camomile, Burdock Root, Aniseed & Fenugreek, Cranberries, Fructooligosaccharides (460mg/kg), Glucosamine (340mg/kg), Methylsulfonylmethane (340mg/kg), Chondroitin Sulphate (240mg/kg), Oregano, Marjoram, Sage, Parsley, Thyme_


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Hmm, the UK version must be better than the US version. This is what I got for the Original: 

Ground Yellow Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Beef Tallow (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Animal Digest, Calcium Carbonate, Turkey By-Product Meal, Salmon Meal, Ocean Fish Meal, Phosphoric Acid, Choline Chloride, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Titanium Dioxide (Color), Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Source of Vitamin B1), Riboflavin Supplement (Source of Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Source of Vitamin B6), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement], Minerals [Ferrous Sulfate (Source of Iron), Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite], Taurine, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 2, Rosemary Extract.

So yeah. All that corn is just not the thing for an obligate carnivore. And a lot of cats have tummy trouble with food coloring so even if someone has to feed a cheap food I always recommend something dye-free like Cat Chow Naturals. 

Tractor Supply Co. is a farm supply store. But, along with the usual cheap farmdog food, they also carry a surprising variety of higher-quality foods. If there's no TSC in your area (there's a store locator on their website), other feed stores might have the same options. Feed stores are usually a lot cheaper than pet specialty shops. 

As for Kirkland---it is made by Diamond, which is a company with a history of a lot of recalls. So a lot of people prefer to avoid Diamond-made foods (which is really quite a few; you can Google for a list). But as far as ingredients go, it's not bad at all.


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

I have fed 4Health in the past but currently feed Annamaet and Farmina. Not sure what "expensive" is to you but I find them really inexpensive compared to the quality that I had fed our last dog. Expensive can depend on how big a dog you have to feed and how much. I feed our 33lb dog 1 cup of food a day and there are approximately 4 cups of food per pound in the food she gets so it costs between $0.32 - $0.46 a day for me to feed better quality food.

For Annamaet I get the Extra formula for about $35 for 20 lbs and Farmina Chicken grain inclusive for about $48 for 26.4 lbs. I was paying $35 for 15 lbs of Nutro Natural Choice for our last dog about 4 years ago. 4Health is a little less costly as is Diamond Naturals about $1 per pound.

Edit - I remembered that Dr Tims is cost effective and so is Victors. Victors may be bought at a feed store, I see that it is in some Agway stores around me. All the brands except for 4 Health as far as I know have never been recalled as well. I think 4Health was part of a Diamond recall a few years back.


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## Jenne5 (Mar 14, 2007)

Thanks for the info on the ingredients. I appreciate it. Its just so frustrating. Way back when , we fed our cats purina one. My cat went into renal failure out of the blue. Then all that nonsense came out and I believe purina killed my cat. So I switched and researched better foods. I would find one and bam. recall. or scandal. They are still on blue buffalo until I can find them a switch. It just makes me so angry I guess. 

Dog person..that's interesting. I will check out farina or Annamaet. I was paying $45 for 15 lb bag of Blue buffalo. Spending a lot for lies. I have 2 large dogs 80-100 lbs. Your in NJ..me too. Where do you get your food?


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

I buy all of my dog food from Chewy.com. If I order it on a Friday night or Saturday it is usually at my door on Tuesday. If you have never used Chewy you should give it a try.

Locally, I do have a dog food store that sells Annamaet but the last time I bought a 20 lb bag from them the "fresh by" date was only that a few months away ... 20 lbs gives me 80 days worth of food; I get the food from Chewy that's about a year away. I work around the Atlantic City area and have bought Victor at Butterhof's feed store. For a Tractor Supply (4Health food) there's a few in NJ depending on where you live.

Grain free foods tend to be more expensive then grain inclusive, Zoey doesn't need grain free but the Victor food I fed her was grain free/white potato free as I was fighting ear infections and thought Victor would help ... it didn't!

What's nice about the foods I mentioned is that their proteins tend to be largely from named meat or named meat meals/dehydrated meat. Victor is 75%, Farmina is like 90%, I don't know what Dr Tims and Annamaet percentages are.


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

I feed most of my dogs Sportmix Wholesomes Chicken and Rice and am very happy with it. I don't need grain free food and in fact my husky mix girl can't eat it, if she doesn't have rice in her food she winds up pretty sick. The Sportmix is the first food shes done really well on. I feed Lad Muenster Naturals, either Large Breed Chicken or Chicken and Pork. There is a Grain Free but again, he doesn't need it so I see no point. It isn't insanely more expensive though. I really like Muenster, the customer service is great, the quality has been great, the company has a good record.


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

You might be able to get away with feeding crappy foods to some dogs (some dogs do great on Pedigree and all sorts of other brands), but please, absolutely do NOT do this with your cat!!

Cats are obligate carnivores and you WILL see them suffering on the long run. One of my cats developed FLUTD and urinary crystals on kibble. Do NOT skimp on food for cats. Instead, learn to make informed decisions. Wet food is always better than kibble (higher meat content), so if you really want to try a cheaper brand, at least feed a cheap wet food... Also note that many grocery store companies that make fish based pet foods use slave labour to catch the fish that goes in the food.


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## kadylady (Sep 23, 2010)

Skye is currently finishing up her last bag of Fromm puppy and I am most likely going to switch her to the adult version. I've been really happy with Fromm so far and she's done well on it and I think it's reasonably priced.

Luke and Zoey are on Dr. Garys Best Breed GF Salmon. First kibble Zoey has ever had consistently solid stool on.


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## DaveInChicago (Jan 27, 2015)

Do your own research. There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about dog food (as well as human food).


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## Jenne5 (Mar 14, 2007)

taquitos said:


> You might be able to get away with feeding crappy foods to some dogs (some dogs do great on Pedigree and all sorts of other brands), but please, absolutely do NOT do this with your cat!!
> 
> Cats are obligate carnivores and you WILL see them suffering on the long run. One of my cats developed FLUTD and urinary crystals on kibble. Do NOT skimp on food for cats. Instead, learn to make informed decisions. Wet food is always better than kibble (higher meat content), so if you really want to try a cheaper brand, at least feed a cheap wet food... Also note that many grocery store companies that make fish based pet foods use slave labour to catch the fish that goes in the food.



I wasn't going to feed my cats crappy food. I was just verbalizing my frustration with the dog food industry . I am frustrated that I pay high prices (which isn't easy to do) for pet food and then come to find out it isn't any better than the six dollar bag of meow mix.


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## Jenne5 (Mar 14, 2007)

DaveInChicago said:


> Do your own research. There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about dog food (as well as human food).



Another part of my frustration. I did research..which is why my pets were on the food that they were on. ...So I like to ask others and see what they are having success with. Of course it's different with different animals. One of my cats refuses wet food but the other loves it.


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## Jenne5 (Mar 14, 2007)

kadylady said:


> Skye is currently finishing up her last bag of Fromm puppy and I am most likely going to switch her to the adult version. I've been really happy with Fromm so far and she's done well on it and I think it's reasonably priced.
> 
> Luke and Zoey are on Dr. Garys Best Breed GF Salmon. First kibble Zoey has ever had consistently solid stool on.


 Thank you..I will look into that one also if the Farmina doesn't work out. That is one of the issues my dog had on the Blue Buffalo. Very loose stool and very stinky gas. haha. But I was always told it's a "lab thing" but we will see after I switch up the food


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## fourdogs (Feb 3, 2014)

Fromm (any of their lines- classic, gold or four star depending on my budget), Precise Naturals (not the holistic line- less nutrition for more money and a few fancy herbs), Hill's Ideal Balance (yes really! Jack my poodle, in particular, does very well on it), Purina Beyond (again, really! LOL). I've tried many, many foods for my guys and these are the ones I like best. I used to swear by PetGuard Lifespan as well, but they just did so poorly the last two times I put it in my rotation that I've sworn it off completely. 

Hope this helps. If I had to choose just one food, though, It'd be Fromm Gold Adult.


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## Jenne5 (Mar 14, 2007)

Dog Person said:


> I buy all of my dog food from Chewy.com. If I order it on a Friday night or Saturday it is usually at my door on Tuesday. If you have never used Chewy you should give it a try.
> 
> Locally, I do have a dog food store that sells Annamaet but the last time I bought a 20 lb bag from them the "fresh by" date was only that a few months away ... 20 lbs gives me 80 days worth of food; I get the food from Chewy that's about a year away. I work around the Atlantic City area and have bought Victor at Butterhof's feed store. For a Tractor Supply (4Health food) there's a few in NJ depending on where you live.
> 
> ...


My mom orders from Chewy. She really likes them. She told me they have excellent customer service. I am going to try the Farmina so thank y ou so much!! Im not going grain free. I am going to try the ancestral(if chewy has it). I was telling my mom about what I was finding out since she was switching also. She has some picky cats and has tried everything. She researched a lot so I know she is very informed. I mentioned farmina and she went and researched it. She liked the ingredients and ordered some for her cats. All three love it. She said that has never happened before!

Im so excited to try this food. I looked up my bb and it was a 15 lb. bag for $47. With Farmina it is a 24 or 26 lb(I can't remember) bag for same price. So I am saving a bit! Thank you thank you!

Is it still he consensus to mix the food or just go cold turkey? I have heard both.


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

Chewy does have the grain inclusive. I just ordered it 2 weeks ago but it took longer than a couple of days - about a week. I guess they didn't have it in stock or were getting a shipment in.

Be aware that this food smells strong and is a little greasy and gritty on the outside - not necessarily a bad thing but a different thing. I not only bought the 26 lbs of chicken I also bought the 5 lb bag of the cod to try ... I can't wait to open up that bag and see how it stinks ... my wife is going to love that, LOL!!  Also, these foods may not be as calorie laden as BB so keep an eye on the dog's condition. I think Farmina is about 360 Kcals/cup so you may need to adjust.

I guess if your dog doesn't eat the other food then cold turkey is fine but there may be poop issues.

I hope it all works out OK.

Edit - as far as Chewy's customer service - it is top notch!!! I recently bought 3 bully sticks (with the above order) and they sent them separately in a envelope. The envelope came in ripped, the bully sticks were exposed and I was not going to use them. I used the online chat, explained the situation and they sent me 3 more bully sticks without any proof of my problem.


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## Jenne5 (Mar 14, 2007)

I did find the grain inclusive in medium. Oh that is good to know. My lab had lost weight by us reducing his food because he was getting heavy awhile back(years ago) . And now he is perfect (According to the vet). Everyone else tells me that i need to feed him more because they aren't used to seeing a thin lab. I will have to figure out how much to feed him then. Does it give a range on the bag? Or it is trial and error? We have a measuring cup that I fill up twice a day. 

My lab can have poop issues..so I guess I will try to mix. I am out of food now so I have to get BB anyway. I just ordered from Chewy so think that will come in a couple of days.


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

Jenne5 said:


> I will have to figure out how much to feed him then. Does it give a range on the bag? Or it is trial and error? We have a measuring cup that I fill up twice a day.


If your happy with what your dog weighs then take the BB food, find the calories (expressed in Kcal usually by cup) multiply it by 2 and divide by the calories of the Farmina = how much to feed. I feed Zoey both Annamaet and Farmina , Annamaet is about 420 Kcal per cup where Farmina is about 360. I have noticed that Zoey seemed to lose weight on the Farmina feeding the same amount (1 cup a day) which makes sense. It is possible that Zoey got a little less food as the Farmina is rather large vs the Annamaet so it doesn't pack as well. Also Farmina may have less carbs then BB (it has slightly less then Annamaet) and possibly more protein (it has slightly more then Annamaet) so you may need to adjust for that as well. There are feeding guidelines on the bag but that is a starting point and you already have an idea on how many calories you need to feed. I was actually thinking of feeding Zoey slightly more Farmina due to it having a little less calories.


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## doglovelost (Oct 12, 2016)

I fed my dog mainly cooked chicken and he lived over 18.5 years. He didn't like veggies. He would snack on only natural treats he really liked the duck jerky treats and liver treats. Sometimes would even make him a nice steak. I think the cooked food helped him live so long and he was still very mobile until the last couple of months.


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## parus (Apr 10, 2014)

I know an elderly lady who lived to be ancient mainly on peanuts and lemon drops, but I don't know that I'd recommend it to the average person as a balanced diet.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

I feed Acana but I also live about an hour from where it is made (so it's cheaper here, comparatively, than in other places) and I also get it at a significant discount for being a shelter volunteer.

We previously fed Horizon Legacy and Nutrience Sub-Zero, and I rotate them in if I find a discounted bag.


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