# what food are you switching your dog to?



## bear_42 (Feb 20, 2010)

Ok, this is my own dumb fault in not thinking this food was going to be recalled, but I there was still food on the shelves at the store, until now. So I was giving my dog Bear, 4health from Tractor Supply. The salon and potato's. What are people switching there dog's to?


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

I am still finishing up a 35 pound bag of 4Health Chicken and Rice. I am feeding Blue Buffalo Fish and Sweet Potato mixed in with the 4Health while switching over. Depending on what materializes between Diamond and other brand name dog foods will determine what I stay with. I really like 4Health. My dogs do well on it. I also love TOTW ... and so do my dogs. 

I like having rotation foods in their diet.

EDIT: I wanted to mention that while looking at canned dog food for Eddee ... as he favors these ... I was surprised to learn that Purina Pro Plan canned dog food is rated 4 stars on the www.dogfoodadvisor.com site. I may check it out for him. He will eat dry kibble ... but prefers canned.


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## bear_42 (Feb 20, 2010)

Taste of the Wild is part of the recall of dog food. I do like TOTW, and was going to that way, but I really can't afford to pay $50+ for a 30+ bag these days. Gas is soo expensive that I having to cut back on everything that I spend, even dog food. I even dropped Cable TV this year because we are doing lot more Sheep Herding training and can't afford to keep it.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

bear_42 said:


> Taste of the Wild is part of the recall of dog food. I do like TOTW, and was going to that way, but I really can't afford to pay $50+ for a 30+ bag these days. Gas is soo expensive that I having to cut back on everything that I spend, even dog food. I even dropped Cable TV this year because we are doing lot more Sheep Herding training and can't afford to keep it.


I understand that for sure! I feed not only my three but three other relatives dogs as well. ( I give my rescues away with a lifetime dog food agreement! Lol! ) 4Health is a great middle of the road or better dog food. The price is right too. I like it. I am just biding my time to see what TSC does.


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## nfedyk (Jan 14, 2012)

Wha a shame that TOTW is in the recall. I recently got several trial size bags from the company and was giving it to Oliver as treats to see if he likes it. He loved it so I was planning on adding it to his rotation. He has been on Wellness puppy food and we have been transitioning him over to Acana which he also loves. I also plan on adding Fromm into the rotatation as I have heard only good things about that company. I really feel for those of you with large dogs who eat alot. With everything being so expensive it is hard to pay even more for a brand of dog food. Oliver only eats 1/2 cup of food a day so price doesn't really become an issue.


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## georgiapeach (Mar 17, 2012)

I'm also glad I have 2 small dogs right now. I used to have a boxer, and a lab before that. I couldn't afford to feed either Acana or Innova Prime to those two!


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## Nialr35 (May 9, 2012)

After two weeks of research, I decided to leave TOTW and switch to Acana wild prairie, and then eventually rotate between all four Acana grain free formulas. It's working out great for my pups. Earthborn and Fromm are other great choices. I will stay away from any brand manufactured by Diamond because it's too much already. As much as my dogs loved TOTW, I'm glad I found another brand that is tolerated by their stomachs.


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

I'll be trying Earthborn once my two run out of their Taste of the Wild. The ingredients look really good.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

I just got my Earthborn sample yesterday - I haven't given it to her yet but I did open the bag and my god those kibble are TINY. Right now she's on Acana Pacifica after a cold switch - I believe she's doing well on it but won't know until the end of this week for sure. I like Acana over Taste of the Wild, actually. It's a bit more pricey, though. I'm going to throw in the Earthborn as a treat and then mix and switch once I know for sure that she's either okay on Acana or not. In a couple/few months I'll probably put Taste of the Wild back in my rotation especially if she doesn't take to either of these foods.


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

Niraya said:


> I just got my Earthborn sample yesterday - I haven't given it to her yet but I did open the bag and my god those kibble are TINY. Right now she's on Acana Pacifica after a cold switch - I believe she's doing well on it but won't know until the end of this week for sure. I like Acana over Taste of the Wild, actually. It's a bit more pricey, though. I'm going to throw in the Earthborn as a treat and then mix and switch once I know for sure that she's either okay on Acana or not. In a couple/few months I'll probably put Taste of the Wild back in my rotation especially if she doesn't take to either of these foods.


The Earthborn Great Plains Feast kibbles are pretty huge. Bigger than Acana.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

Jacksons Mom said:


> The Earthborn Great Plains Feast kibbles are pretty huge. Bigger than Acana.


: O I got the Coastal Catch and wow they're a little smaller than my pinkie fingernail . I though Acana's were smaller than Taste of the Wild by just a little bit - but they fit into Bella's treat ball that I got her (and she loves!) so I wasn't complaining. I think the Earthborn kibble (at least Coastal Catch) would fall right out of her ball.


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## bear_42 (Feb 20, 2010)

Some of my friends are going to try Flint River Ranch. The kibble looks really big. What do you all think?


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## WestieLove (Jan 29, 2012)

I am continuing to stick to feeding Royal Canin and Hills Natures Best/PVD DRM (in a switch). I have yet to have a problem. 

Dogs need specific nutrients, not specific ingredients. There is more to analyzing a dog food then just an ingredient panel. These websites that analyze and rate dog foods like the Dog Food Advisor have absolutely no nutrition training and there is usually contradicting information. The problem I find with a lot of these "top quality foods" recommended around here is they are formulated for all life stages. You can find this information easily in the AAFCO statement on a bag, most will also list this on their website in the product information and if it doesn't I would be getting this information before switching. Puppies, adults and seniors require different levels nutrients and I would not feed a diet formulated for "all life stages" because that means my adult or senior dog is more then what they should be (what would be needed for a puppy). There can be a happy medium with feeding a quality grain-free diet and get life stage nutrition. The companies do exist. That's just my two cents.


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## Nialr35 (May 9, 2012)

WestieLove said:


> I am continuing to stick to feeding Royal Canin and Hills Natures Best/PVD DRM (in a switch). I have yet to have a problem.
> 
> Dogs need specific nutrients, not specific ingredients. There is more to analyzing a dog food then just an ingredient panel. These websites that analyze and rate dog foods like the Dog Food Advisor have absolutely no nutrition training and there is usually contradicting information. The problem I find with a lot of these "top quality foods" recommended around here is they are formulated for all life stages. You can find this information easily in the AAFCO statement on a bag, most will also list this on their website in the product information and if it doesn't I would be getting this information before switching. Puppies, adults and seniors require different levels nutrients and I would not feed a diet formulated for "all life stages" because that means my adult or senior dog is more then what they should be (what would be needed for a puppy). There can be a happy medium with feeding a quality grain-free diet and get life stage nutrition. The companies do exist. That's just my two cents.


And the only way to see which specific nutrients your dogs need are by reading the ingredients contained in that particular food. Otherwise how else are you supposed to know what nutrients you are giving your dog? For example if you see spinach as an ingredient, you know it's not only rich in calcium and iron but a rich source of vitamin A (and especially high in lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, folate, betaine, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. 

In my oppinion, all these "puppy" and "senior" dog foods are just marketing strategies created back in the 90s which is a great excuse to boost prices. There are a lot of so called "puppy" foods out there that have the same nutritional values that "Adult" dog foods do. 

If you think about it, do wolves, coyotes, jackals, dingos, among others have puppy food or senior food available to them? No; and they still manage to live healthy lives. It's all about marketing.


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

Nialr35 said:


> And the only way to see which specific nutrients your dogs need are by reading the ingredients contained in that particular food. Otherwise how else are you supposed to know what nutrients you are giving your dog? For example if you see spinach as an ingredient, you know it's not only rich in calcium and iron but a rich source of vitamin A (and especially high in lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, folate, betaine, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids.
> 
> In my oppinion, all these "puppy" and "senior" dog foods are just marketing strategies created back in the 90s which is a great excuse to boost prices. There are a lot of so called "puppy" foods out there that have the same nutritional values that "Adult" dog foods do.
> 
> If you think about it, do wolves, coyotes, jackals, dingos, among others have puppy food or senior food available to them? No; and they still manage to live healthy lives. It's all about marketing.


Agreed. And the body absorbs natural sources of vitamins/minerals much better than stuff that is synthetically added later.

Just because we post about liking or not liking a list of ingredients does not mean that most of us are not doing our research. Also, many of the high quality foods mentioned on here have a puppy formula. That said, both my dogs have been on All Life Stages foods for a good part of their lives... one of my dogs is 12 and still thriving. So obviously I'm not killing my dogs with the food I'm feeding them.

Also, this is still a good website to learn about dog food:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/
It's created by a certified nutritionist.


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## saitenyo (Sep 9, 2011)

WestieLove said:


> I am continuing to stick to feeding Royal Canin and Hills Natures Best/PVD DRM (in a switch). I have yet to have a problem.
> 
> Dogs need specific nutrients, not specific ingredients. There is more to analyzing a dog food then just an ingredient panel. These websites that analyze and rate dog foods like the Dog Food Advisor have absolutely no nutrition training and there is usually contradicting information. The problem I find with a lot of these "top quality foods" recommended around here is they are formulated for all life stages. You can find this information easily in the AAFCO statement on a bag, most will also list this on their website in the product information and if it doesn't I would be getting this information before switching. Puppies, adults and seniors require different levels nutrients and I would not feed a diet formulated for "all life stages" because that means my adult or senior dog is more then what they should be (what would be needed for a puppy). There can be a happy medium with feeding a quality grain-free diet and get life stage nutrition. The companies do exist. That's just my two cents.


Except most good nutritionists would tell you that reductionist thinking is not the best way to approach nutrition. Focusing purely on nutrients is risky because it assumes we know every existing nutrient out there (which we may not), and it ignores the fact that certain nutrients interact in specific ways- certain vitamins inhibit or help the absorption of other vitamins when paired in a food, the way certain vitamins and nutrients are found in food affects how they are absorbed, and soforth. There's a reason no good doctor in their right mind would tell you that you can stop eating food, and just take vitamin supplements to survive, arguing that people "need specific nutrients, not specific ingredients". When I go to the grocery store to buy food for myself, I don't walk over to the processed food section and start tallying up calcium, protein, vitamins, etc. That's an incredibly unnatural way to eat. Instead I try to incorporate a wide variety of nutrient sources in my diet (ex. "this week I'll buy some various beans, these different veggies, some bread, fruits, etc) and proper nutrition will follow suit. It makes sense to apply the same logic to pet nutrition.

Ingredients are most definitely important because they are the packages which deliver those nutrients and not all nutrient packages are created equal. And personally I'm far more comfortable feeding a dog food that gets most of its protein from meat rather than using so much high-glycemic grain to fill in those nutrient gaps.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I feel semi-silly because I said I wasn't going to switch. But I was looking for a non-Diamond food to put in my rotation anyway, so I ordered a bag of Whole Earth Farms off Amazon. If they like it and do well on it I'll keep it in the rotation.


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## bear_42 (Feb 20, 2010)

Ok, I don't understand this rotation business. Just a general question. Why?


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

If I fed kibble I wouldn't switch.. the foods are being recalled for making _people_ sick. Wash your hands after feeding and after scooping the yard and it'll be fine. Many of the brands recalled haven't even made anyone sick, and are voluntary recalls.


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## bear_42 (Feb 20, 2010)

I was at the store today and saw this brand called Merrick. I really like what they call "Cowboy Cookout". What do you all think?


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## Nialr35 (May 9, 2012)

bear_42 said:


> Ok, I don't understand this rotation business. Just a general question. Why?



It's only optional to rotate formulas within the same line of food/brand. I don't know what they are talking about. You should stick to one kind of dog food and change the formulas(flavors) if you want every two bags.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

bear_42 said:


> Ok, I don't understand this rotation business. Just a general question. Why?


You rotate different formula's and brands to help prevent your dog from developing allergies - also for variety. Would you want to eat the EXACT same thing, every day for 10+ years?


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Nialr35 said:


> It's only optional to rotate formulas within the same line of food/brand. I don't know what they are talking about. You should stick to one kind of dog food and change the formulas(flavors) if you want every two bags.


 It's "optional" to switch foods to whatever you want to switch it to. Why would it only be an option to stick to the same brand? I switch my dogs to a completely different brand with completely different proteins cold turkey all the time. No trouble for them.

It's under the general theory that no one food can possibly be perfectly balanced. So you switch to a different flavor/brand/protein every now and then to prevent possible imbalances or intolerances. And because eating the same thing for every meal every day is bo-ring!


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

Nialr35 said:


> It's only optional to rotate formulas within the same line of food/brand. I don't know what they are talking about. You should stick to one kind of dog food and change the formulas(flavors) if you want every two bags.


There is no reason why you should stick to one food, though it probably isn't a big deal if that's what you want to do. It absolutely will not harm your dog to change as often as you like, though, so long as they can stomach it. Sometimes dogs that are kept on the same food for years and years have difficulty handling other foods (or they can develop an allergy to an ingredient in the food due to overexposure) so switching it up frequently can help give your dog and "iron stomach" where they don't handle food changes badly. 

Anecdotally, our lab ate Beneful for his whole life and got diarrhea if he ate anything else (even after a week of transition). In contrast, my current dog has eaten a different food almost every bag since she was a pup and can pretty much eat anything and switch cold turkey with no problems.


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## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

I'm not switching. My dogs do well on TOTW, and the factory that makes the food in OK wasn't in the recalll. No 
Taste of the Wild was found to have contamination, but they pulled multiple formulas to be safe. Salmonella is something that is always likely to be a problem when handling raw meat. It's the common cause of stomach flu in humans, and seldom causes serious problems for dogs (who have a short gut so it passes through before they have time to get sick)


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

Nialr35 said:


> And the only way to see which specific nutrients your dogs need are by reading the ingredients contained in that particular food. Otherwise how else are you supposed to know what nutrients you are giving your dog? For example if you see spinach as an ingredient, you know it's not only rich in calcium and iron but a rich source of vitamin A (and especially high in lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, folate, betaine, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids.
> 
> In my oppinion, all these "puppy" and "senior" dog foods are just marketing strategies created back in the 90s which is a great excuse to boost prices. There are a lot of so called "puppy" foods out there that have the same nutritional values that "Adult" dog foods do.
> 
> If you think about it, do wolves, coyotes, jackals, dingos, among others have puppy food or senior food available to them? No; and they still manage to live healthy lives. It's all about marketing.


Exactly.......


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## bear_42 (Feb 20, 2010)

I have had over 10 different dogs over the years. Most are rescue that I have since adopted out, but I have never done a rotation as expressed on here. I have always done a summer food and a winter food because of the snow and less activity. I do like the idea of helping them get a stronger stomach, but most of the time, I am just trying to find something that they will eat well. This is something I will have to really think about. Thanks.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Well, the summer food/winter food thing is a kind of rotation. They weren't eating the exact same food for years and years with no variety. You don't have to rotate with every bag. I don't think rotating is necessary but I do think it's a good idea. Plus *I* get bored with buying the same brand all the time .


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## BluesGuy (May 9, 2009)

Not gonna change from TOTW....I like it....my dogs like it.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Yeah put me in the non-switching boat.


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## Mama Of 3 (Feb 29, 2012)

I wasn't going to switch because North Dakota wasn't in the recall area with the SC plant. We use TOTW and 4Health kibble. 

But now that a second diamond plant has been compromised I'm wondering if more foods won't be recalled like with the first. It all started with a recall of one type and then it snowballed into a whole list of them. I have to wonder if the some won't happen to the second plant since they just recalled one food so far, and it's just been one day! 

I also have to be very careful about coming in contact with illnesses myself because I had my spleen removed this past fall due to pancreatic cancer surgery. I'm the one who feeds the dogs in our house so I have to be careful myself and I don't want to put myself at risk. 

I really hope this mess gets fixed because I really like TOTW because it's grain free and it's affordable. I rotate with 4Health to make it a little easier on the pocketbook as well along with the fact that the large breed formula has the extra glucosamine to help with joint issues that my golden retriever is prone to just because of her breed. So I hope in the future we can go back to it IF they clean up their act for good! 

As far as what I'm going to switch to....... I have NO idea yet. That's why I'm here looking for some ideas so if anyone has any feedback I'd love to hear it. I know I'll have to order online just because I live in a very rural area. I can get blue buffalo life protection formula in TSC if all else fails. Ella doesn't have issues with switching cold turkey and doesn't have any issues with any particular ingredients. I do want to have 2-3 protein variety options as were currently usuing TOTW high prairie as well as the wetlands along with 4Health large breed which gives her 3 protein varieties along with the proteins she gets with the canned food that is added with her kibble.


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## Daenerys (Jul 30, 2011)

We're switching to Earthborn since its similar to TOTW. I chose to switch to Earthborn because it's similar in price and quality. Also I wasn't concerned with the salmonella recall but I'm worried that with Siamond's apparent lack in quality control that something worse might happen in the future. Also I was getting bored with buying the same dog food. Earthborn bags are a lot more colorful and I like their UPC for Trees thing. Yes, the bag does make a difference to me, but don't worry, it's the last thing on my list to consider. It's just the one thing I get to enjoy when buying the dogs' food. I don't get to eat it, so why not? Haha. And only one store here sells it and I love this store so much more than where I bought their TOTW.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

I agree about the "something worse" as a possibility in the future. Still ... I bought 4Health canned dog food. I love the product. My dogs do great on it. I am still finishing up a bag of 4Health Chicken and Rice and having no issues even though it has the "MA" on it.

I was at TSC yesterday and all their 5 pound bags of dog food were on sale for $4.99 each. I almost bought a bag .... still just biding some time to see how the company is going to handle this. The recall list was posted.

When the recall back in 2006 that killed all those animals ... I was never so glad that I was feeding "Beneful" ...


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## StellaLucyDesi (Jun 19, 2008)

I wasn't going to switch at first because the Natural Balance Alpha I was feeding wasn't even made at a Diamond plant, but I do recommend their LID diets often and they are made by Diamond.....I guess I'm boycotting Natural Balance until they get rid of Diamond forever. Their LIDs are generally used for pets with compromised immune systems, whether by allergies, stomach issues, pancreas issues, etc. You would think they would do it quicker rather than not because these animals might be affected by salmonella, not to mention all the owners. So.....I just don't feel right about it at all. I decided to switch and maybe rotate with the following: Pinnacle, Avoderm, Acana's new Duck & Pear. We've gone through a bag of Pinnacle's Salmon & Pot. and are now using Pinnacle Trout & Sweet Pot. I have some dogs with mild stomach issues, so a more limited ingredient diet is in order. I also plan on trying Earthborn's Ocean Fusion and can't wait until their new wet food is available.


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## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

I am in the process of switching Aidan from TOTW to Acana's Grasslands.


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## Leila Miah (Apr 15, 2012)

Timberwolf Ocean Blue Grain Free or Orijen 6 Fish. I looked at everything they are probably the best foods available. I will rotate every few months with one of their other formulas. Both are great foods and neither are made at Diamond.


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## Nialr35 (May 9, 2012)

I switched my dogs from TOTW to wellness and after I found out they are both manufacture by Diamond, I switched to Acana. BEST decision ever.

I just don't trust Diamond at all anymore. Even though dogs are not vulnerable to Salmonella, elderly people and children are. I have two boys and I would not put their health at risk. They way I see Diamond is a snowball going down the Swiss Alps, getting bigger and bigger and bigger, eventually causing a huge disaster. From what you can read in the report, this company is just nasty. So why would I pay close to $50 for a bag of contaminated food, coming from a contaminated ghetto plant when I can pay an extra $8 and get top notch quality from Acana who has never had recalls as far as I'm concerned. Just my 2 cents.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

I'm probably going to get a bag of Earthborn because I found a really good price on it. I have no qualms about going back to TOTW though if it doesn't work out for whatever reason. She's been eating it through all of this time without any problems. I have no way of telling whether she had an affected bag because I threw it away when I poured the food into an airtight storage container.


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## jfinner1 (Mar 4, 2009)

Hey all! According to my local pet supply store (and the only place that sells TOTW within a reasonable drive) I don't have any choice about switching. I bought the last bag of the TOTW cat food they had, and they said they would probably not be getting more in stock for 3-4 months. They had 2 bag's of my dog's food left, but honestly, I don't have the money to stockpile dog food, lol. So, I'm going to be switching him. I'm not sure what to go with. I've never heard of Earthborn, I'll be looking it up, but I was wondering what your opinion on Blue Buffalo is? I was looking at their wilderness formulas today, and it looks comparable to the TOTW, plus it's about the same price. I don't really know much about the Blue Buffalo food, so I'm looking for some input. Thanks!


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

I switched to BB. The dogs seem to like it and it is a good quality. BB has also has recalls in the past .. but not this many from what I understand ... and I believe it was from adding too much of a vitamin that made some dogs pretty ill ... not sure of deaths. I really had not much of a choice ... I live pretty far from the high priced pet stores and my local TSC only had BB available and the shelf for the BB was almost bare. I bought the last bag of Fish and Sweet Potato they had. :/

I feel confident that BB has since gotten everything straightened out. Any food can be at risk from a foodbourne illness. Much of it is about food safety at home also. Washing your hands and the dogs bowls daily ... also counters and utensils used. We cannot control what the manufacturers do ... but we can at home for sure! 

I sometimes wonder if the reason the lesser quality foods do not have so much of an issue is that they use preservatives and have less meat product in them ... just a personal opinion and observation. 

Anyways ... I have no issues feeding BB ... and I personally feel it is a good food if that is what is available to you.


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## melaka (Mar 31, 2010)

Before all of this started I switched my dog from TotW to Annamaet. We first tried one of their grain-frees but I think it was too much protein for my dog (my parents feed her a few meals a week and aren't good with reducing the amount of kibble to make up for the extra calories). Now I'm trying one of their grain-inclusive formulas (Option), and she seems to be doing good on it so far. It's only been about two weeks.

I switched because I didn't mind paying a few extra dollars per bag to feed my dog a food where the company was based locally and that's made in a smaller plant that sounds like it has much better quality control than Diamond (this was before any of the recalls). Also, Buffy didn't seem to really like the taste of the TotW, though she'd eat it eventually (she loves Annamaet). I also heard the owner of Annamaet speak at a small event, and I liked what he had to say about his food.


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## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

Abbylynn said:


> I switched to BB. The dogs seem to like it and it is a good quality. BB has also has recalls in the past .. but not this many from what I understand ... and I believe it was from adding too much of a vitamin that made some dogs pretty ill ... not sure of deaths. I really had not much of a choice ... I live pretty far from the high priced pet stores and my local TSC only had BB available and the shelf for the BB was almost bare. I bought the last bag of Fish and Sweet Potato they had. :/
> 
> I feel confident that BB has since gotten everything straightened out. Any food can be at risk from a foodbourne illness. Much of it is about food safety at home also. Washing your hands and the dogs bowls daily ... also counters and utensils used. We cannot control what the manufacturers do ... but we can at home for sure!
> 
> ...


I would be more concerned about messing up the formula than I would be about possible salmonella contamination.


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## meggels (Mar 8, 2010)

StellaLucyDesi said:


> I wasn't going to switch at first because the Natural Balance Alpha I was feeding wasn't even made at a Diamond plant, but I do recommend their LID diets often and they are made by Diamond.....I guess I'm boycotting Natural Balance until they get rid of Diamond forever. Their LIDs are generally used for pets with compromised immune systems, whether by allergies, stomach issues, pancreas issues, etc. You would think they would do it quicker rather than not because these animals might be affected by salmonella, not to mention all the owners. So.....I just don't feel right about it at all. I decided to switch and maybe rotate with the following: Pinnacle, Avoderm, Acana's new Duck & Pear. We've gone through a bag of Pinnacle's Salmon & Pot. and are now using Pinnacle Trout & Sweet Pot. I have some dogs with mild stomach issues, so a more limited ingredient diet is in order. I also plan on trying Earthborn's Ocean Fusion and can't wait until their new wet food is available.



Not *all* Natural Balance formulas are made at the Diamond plant. Only the bison, lamb and venison.


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## meggels (Mar 8, 2010)

I haven't fed Diamond products for several months because I was leery about them, and now, I definitely won't be using them. Between a second plant being included, and the FDA report on the conditions at the SC plant, they are not a company to be trusted. They got huge, got greedy, and quality control suffered. 

A friend who owns one of the largest premium pet food retail stores in the northeast might not even carry Diamond products anymore.


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## bear_42 (Feb 20, 2010)

meggels said:


> I haven't fed Diamond products for several months because I was leery about them, and now, I definitely won't be using them. Between a second plant being included, and the FDA report on the conditions at the SC plant, they are not a company to be trusted. They got huge, got greedy, and quality control suffered.
> 
> A friend who owns one of the largest premium pet food retail stores in the northeast might not even carry Diamond products anymore.


That is news to me that a second plant has a recall. Do you know what they were making there?


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## bear_42 (Feb 20, 2010)

kafkabeetle said:


> I'm probably going to get a bag of Earthborn because I found a really good price on it. I have no qualms about going back to TOTW though if it doesn't work out for whatever reason. She's been eating it through all of this time without any problems. I have no way of telling whether she had an affected bag because I threw it away when I poured the food into an airtight storage container.


 I haven't been able to find Earthborn in a store. Where can I find it? Is it internet only?


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## meggels (Mar 8, 2010)

bear_42 said:


> I haven't been able to find Earthborn in a store. Where can I find it? Is it internet only?




You can go to the website and put in your zip code. Many stores are beginning to carry it. I can find it at three that I can think of within a 25 minute drive.


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## bear_42 (Feb 20, 2010)

jfinner1 said:


> Hey all! According to my local pet supply store (and the only place that sells TOTW within a reasonable drive) I don't have any choice about switching. I bought the last bag of the TOTW cat food they had, and they said they would probably not be getting more in stock for 3-4 months. They had 2 bag's of my dog's food left, but honestly, I don't have the money to stockpile dog food, lol. So, I'm going to be switching him. I'm not sure what to go with. I've never heard of Earthborn, I'll be looking it up, but I was wondering what your opinion on Blue Buffalo is? I was looking at their wilderness formulas today, and it looks comparable to the TOTW, plus it's about the same price. I don't really know much about the Blue Buffalo food, so I'm looking for some input. Thanks!


 I have been feeding my dog Blue Buffalo because of the Fish and Potatoes. He has been liking it which is good news. I wasn't sure if he was going to like the change but he does.


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## Little Wise Owl (Nov 12, 2011)

I used to really like foods like Chicken Soup and Canidae but now I know which brands I'll be avoiding. I fed Acana in the past (and still would if needed) but I now feed raw and I think I'm going to stick to it. Prey model with The Honest Kitchen's "Preference" as a weekly supplement.

I know these aren't dogs but my cats were fed Felidae and have since switched to Acana Grasslands and raw whenever they quit being picky.


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## Sangaris (Jun 2, 2011)

I was torn between Earthborn Ocean Fusion and Nature's Variety Prairie Lamb and Oatmeal. We went with NV. At first it seemed like it was a little too rich for her but now she seems fine.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

Abbylynn said:


> I am still finishing up a 35 pound bag of 4Health Chicken and Rice. I am feeding Blue Buffalo Fish and Sweet Potato mixed in with the 4Health while switching over. Depending on what materializes between Diamond and other brand name dog foods will determine what I stay with. I really like 4Health. My dogs do well on it. I also love TOTW ... and so do my dogs.
> 
> I like having rotation foods in their diet.
> 
> EDIT: I wanted to mention that while looking at canned dog food for Eddee ... as he favors these ... I was surprised to learn that Purina Pro Plan canned dog food is rated 4 stars on the www.dogfoodadvisor.com site. I may check it out for him. He will eat dry kibble ... but prefers canned.


Abbylynn have you looked into freeze dried raw for eddee? I also have a dog (josefina..... Buddy would eat rocks if you put them into his bowl & told him it was food lol) she doesn't really like kibble either, I feed natures variety instinct beef formula with their freeze dried (frozen) raw 'medallions' they are called. They come in a big bag that lasts like three weeks or so (I'm stil on thr bag I bought like... 2 wks ago or so) she is hard to keep weight on & this has helped immensely. Plus NVI is sprayed with a costing of their raw food blend after cooking so she will eat the kibble by itself (if mom is a doob & forgets to thaw the medallion ... They need thawing about an hr before feeding).

If I had to choose btw 4 health & BB I would choose BB, even tho mars owns them & all, they also make great home style recipes in canned. Good luck with your boy, he sure is cute


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

dogdragoness said:


> Abbylynn have you looked into freeze dried raw for eddee? I also have a dog (josefina..... Buddy would eat rocks if you put them into his bowl & told him it was food lol) she doesn't really like kibble either, I feed natures variety instinct beef formula with their freeze dried (frozen) raw 'medallions' they are called. They come in a big bag that lasts like three weeks or so (I'm stil on thr bag I bought like... 2 wks ago or so) she is hard to keep weight on & this has helped immensely. Plus NVI is sprayed with a costing of their raw food blend after cooking so she will eat the kibble by itself (if mom is a doob & forgets to thaw the medallion ... They need thawing about an hr before feeding).
> 
> If I had to choose btw 4 health & BB I would choose BB, even tho mars owns them & all, they also make great home style recipes in canned. Good luck with your boy, he sure is cute


Thanks dogdragoness ... I have thought of feeding Eddee something different because of him being so little. I do not want to feed him raw. I worry about choking and all that stuff since Leeo ...... I know I am still overwhelmed and all ..... 

I am looking into something else for him as he is not very fond of dry kibble (even moistened or completely soft) and loves canned. I tried some canned 4Health and he turned his nose up at it! Lol! He never ate it. I had to throw it out.  He wanted that Alpo stuff?! :/ He did however eat the pro plan in the cans.

The other two are happy with whatever I give them basically. Blu Boy is a tad more picky ... but I have ways around that for him with a bit of boiled chicken added to his food or maybe a tad of tuna once a month.  Abbylynn is a garbage disposal! Lol! Those two need the corn and wheat out of their diet.

I want to get the BB chicken in a small bag and use it as a rotation food ... I had to get the fish and s. potato last time in a 30 pound bag because the shelves were bare and it was all they had left! :/ I don't have much of a choice around this area other than dollar stores and 1 star rated foods unless I go to TSC.  I only get to town about 35 miles away once a week and it is high dollar pet stores.

I would like to stay under $100 a month on dog food if possible. I usually spend around $70 or so on it a month for my three.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

meggels said:


> Not *all* Natural Balance formulas are made at the Diamond plant. Only the bison, lamb and venison.


Yeah... All the ones I would have wanted to feed :/ well that's how it goes lol. 

Abbylynn>> stella & chewy's also makes freeze dried raw, it's not 'whole' raw, it's kind of the consistency of canned food (no prices or shards, things or bones like 'real' raw has) without all the processed stuff, it's full of organ meat, here is the site for all the formulas:http://m.naturesvariety.com/InstinctRaw/dog/all - you can click on each one where it says 'read more about this product'.

I also feed the instinct kibble (I have this thing about being matchy matchy.... It's my personal thing) here is thr site for the kibble: http://m.naturesvariety.com/Instinct/dog/kibble/all

The instinct is kinda pricy but thy make a really good grain inclusive line called prairie: http://m.naturesvariety.com/Prairie/dog/kibble/all

You don't have to feed this stuff lol..... Just trying to help


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Freeze-dried and frozen raw are 2 different things. Freeze-dried is dried, very light, can be fed dry or rehydrated. My dogs like them as treats. Frozen raw is, of course, frozen . If you get a commercial raw food you woudn't have to worry about choking because it's ground up. Sort of like canned food. Some brands are pasteurized so you wouldn't have to worry about raw meat germs (not that I'm saying it's a problem, but some people worry anyway). If it's something you want to try I'm sure that any pet store that sells the products would have a sample size. 

If you have a Whole Foods store they have a brand of frozen pet food (they aren't allowed to call it raw because it's heat pasteurized, but it's not fully cooked) that's pretty good. Country something. . .I forget the exact name. It comes ground up in chubs in the freezer (looks like a chub of ground beef). Might be something he'd like .


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## StellaLucyDesi (Jun 19, 2008)

meggels said:


> Not *all* Natural Balance formulas are made at the Diamond plant. Only the bison, lamb and venison.


Well.....it's semantics really. I just feel that a company like Natural Balance shouldn't even consider using Diamond when making limited ingredient diets, or any diets for that matter. But, especially the limited ingredient ones. Like I said before, they are usually used for dogs that have some kind of issue, whether allergy, stomach, liver, etc. So, salmonella might not be good in that case especially. So, until Natural Balance goes away from Diamond I'm not buying.


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## WalterDog (May 25, 2012)

melaka said:


> Before all of this started I switched my dog from TotW to Annamaet. We first tried one of their grain-frees but I think it was too much protein for my dog (my parents feed her a few meals a week and aren't good with reducing the amount of kibble to make up for the extra calories). Now I'm trying one of their grain-inclusive formulas (Option), and she seems to be doing good on it so far. It's only been about two weeks.
> 
> I switched because I didn't mind paying a few extra dollars per bag to feed my dog a food where the company was based locally and that's made in a smaller plant that sounds like it has much better quality control than Diamond (this was before any of the recalls). Also, Buffy didn't seem to really like the taste of the TotW, though she'd eat it eventually (she loves Annamaet). I also heard the owner of Annamaet speak at a small event, and I liked what he had to say about his food.


Only other experts in canine nutrition really know who Robert Downey is. You made a great choice in picking that food. Food developed by a nutritionist and not a marketing department.

The fact that it is small doesn't mean he hasn't influenced people all over the world. He developed the first performance food and it is the most copied formula on the market.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

Thanks dogdragoness and Willowy .. I am going to see what the pet store has available this coming weekend when I get to town. I am not going to have Eddee live on canned ... well ... Lol! :/


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

Cool, keep us posted .


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

I currently have Hawkeye on Native level 4, I am switching Lark from her last bag of puppy food to Native level 3 and I am keeping Kechara on Diamond Naturals Chicken and Rice.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

bear_42 said:


> I haven't been able to find Earthborn in a store. Where can I find it? Is it internet only?


I actually haven't checked the store yet. Some places carry it but my understanding is it's a fairly small and newer company so it can be hard to find in stores. I bought ithere. The shipping has been fluctuating daily from free to like $10 so you have to watch and snap it up when the shipping is free. I've actually noticed the shipping change twice in one day.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

Petsmart carries Earthborn.


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## meggels (Mar 8, 2010)

Niraya said:


> Petsmart carries Earthborn.


I don't think they do...


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

meggels said:


> I don't think they do...


Earthborn Holistic? Petsmart out here in PA around me do - it's the only place I can go to get it which is why I got samples from them to see how Bella did.


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## meggels (Mar 8, 2010)

Really??? I used to work for Earthborn in PA and the biggest chain that had it was Pet Supplies Plus.

And they don't list it on the site as being sold in PA Petsmart's...only Pet Valu or Pet Supplies Plus


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

meggels said:


> Really??? I used to work for Earthborn in PA and the biggest chain that had it was Pet Supplies Plus.
> 
> And they don't list it on the site as being sold in PA Petsmart's...only Pet Valu or Pet Supplies Plus


Ah! You're correct! Pet supplies plus was it. I apologize  that's the one up here and what I meant ! Thank you for correcting me


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## meggels (Mar 8, 2010)

I used to work out of the PSP in Phoenixville  We didn't have samples back then, huge pain in the butt lol. That's one of the best ways to get new customers.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

Phoenixville isn't that far from me! The samples are pretty awesome. They sent me out a two pound sample bag that I still have simply because I haven't been giving Bella any lol but I was planning on putting them into my rotation if she can stomach it.


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## Mama Of 3 (Feb 29, 2012)

Yay I just got confirmation that my order shipped with the dogs new food! Until it arrives we will be using Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken (which we will continue to use) and the lower fat canned options that I have that are TOTW and BB Homestyle. 

The bags of the TOTW that we were using are going to my brothers house tonight since they use that for their dogs. The bags I have are not part of the recall so it's safe for them to use them up. I just can't see the point of using them up myself for our dogs because they are higher in fat when our one dog really needs the change NOW. So I'm glad they won't be wasted. 

Wellness Core grain free Reduced Fat Kibble

and for a little variety to add other proteins some lower fat/cal canned varieties..... 
* Wellness Beef Stew
* Wellness Venison and Salmon Stew
* Merrick Harvest Moon
* Merrick Turducken 


Wellness was having one of their puppy kibbles on the recall list that was made by diamond but they state they will NO longer be doing business with the diamond company! 
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/news.aspx
"WellPet no longer purchases any products from Diamond Pet Foods."


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## bettydavis (Aug 25, 2012)

Many good brands listed on this thread. I personally feed my dogs pet food from independent producers that source food locally. I feel that I'm getting my more value this way. I figure that some of the cost of dog food must be in advertising and takes away from the quality of the food. My current food, Sunshine Farms is an independent based out of salinas, California. Just my two cents. 

Betty


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Nialr35 said:


> In my oppinion, all these "puppy" and "senior" dog foods are just marketing strategies created back in the 90s which is a great excuse to boost prices. There are a lot of so called "puppy" foods out there that have the same nutritional values that "Adult" dog foods do.


Totally agree. We were looking at several ACANA varieties the other day, and the only difference we could see between the "Lite and Fit" and "Senior" varieties was... the packaging.

Thanks for the explanation of why there is spinach, beets, marigold, etc. in dog food. I was wondering that, even though I know natural sources of things are better than their inorganic counterparts. D'oh!

We're finishing up our bag of Kirkland Lamb & Rice and we're going to try Nature's Domain (mostly because they have a Salmon and Sweet potato flavour, which is Snowball's favourite flavour of anything). I would honestly love to afford to feed Snowball ACANA or Orijen (yay, feeding local!) but we're both going back to school this fall and its honestly just not an option for us right now. Maybe once we finish school and are both making 6-digit salaries.


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

gingerkid said:


> Totally agree. We were looking at several ACANA varieties the other day, and the only difference we could see between the "Lite and Fit" and "Senior" varieties was... the packaging.
> 
> Thanks for the explanation of why there is spinach, beets, marigold, etc. in dog food. I was wondering that, even though I know natural sources of things are better than their inorganic counterparts. D'oh!
> 
> We're finishing up our bag of Kirkland Lamb & Rice and we're going to try Nature's Domain (mostly because they have a Salmon and Sweet potato flavour, which is Snowball's favourite flavour of anything). I would honestly love to afford to feed Snowball ACANA or Orijen (yay, feeding local!) but we're both going back to school this fall and its honestly just not an option for us right now. Maybe once we finish school and are both making 6-digit salaries.


LOL a 6-digit salary still can't buy you much in this province kiddo, sometimes not even good quality dog food! Unless your feeding a Chihuahua...LOL


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

PackMomma said:


> LOL a 6-digit salary still can't buy you much in this province kiddo, sometimes not even good quality dog food! Unless your feeding a Chihuahua...LOL


But TWO 6-digit salaries are pretty alright.  Plus we already own our cars AND property - no wasting money on rent for us! Plus, Snowball doesn't eat THAT much - he'd be on about 3/4 C. of most of the ACANA and Orijen varieties and we don't really eat out or party... which is actually one of the largest wastes of money for people our age. (I still can't figure out how people making the same as I am can afford to party and spend $100+/night two nights a week at the bar). We also don't have any kids, so I'd say 2 6-digit salaries in your mid-20's is doing pretty okay.


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

gingerkid said:


> But TWO 6-digit salaries are pretty alright.  Plus we already own our cars AND property - no wasting money on rent for us! Plus, Snowball doesn't eat THAT much - he'd be on about 3/4 C. of most of the ACANA and Orijen varieties and we don't really eat out or party... which is actually one of the largest wastes of money for people our age. (I still can't figure out how people making the same as I am can afford to party and spend $100+/night two nights a week at the bar). We also don't have any kids, so I'd say 2 6-digit salaries in your mid-20's is doing pretty okay.


Haha yup sounds like your own the right track then . I'm mid twenties too.. my hubby is a lil older... we are also DINKS and own our vehicles, our house and a few rental properties... both work in the 'industry' so we do alright, but its still stupid expensive to live here, and I'm a pretty cheap arse nowadays.. you have to be.. lol.. too many people in WAY too much debt here, especially the young ones who like to spend their money as fast as they make it!

So yeah, I started to really pay attention to costs of dog food per month.. much like everything else, cuz we like to be conservative with our money, and realizing how much I was spending to feed the partial raw (which was a commercial pre-made) and high quality kibble each month was ridiculous, I could have been paying a monthly payment on a new snowmobile!!! yikes.. So, switching to the full raw, and feeding primarily prey model, with still a little of the commercial premade for convenience purposes (I get %10 discount on it anyway) I'v eprobably cut the costs almost in half.. and i get more food for less, and I can stock up for 2 months and sometimes I still have stuff that lasts well beyond that. Plus I find the dogs don't need to eat as much.. so that might save a little too. It wasnt huge savings by any means, but every little bit helps! Throwing money away on processed foods that I often question how good they really are.. well just didn't seem worth it really, on both the wallet and my dogs health/well being, when raw is generally a little cheaper (if you do it right), and much better for the dogs 

Hey, by the way, did you post pictures of Snowball anywhere yet?


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

PackMomma said:


> Hey, by the way, did you post pictures of Snowball anywhere yet?


Raw is something I'm interested in trying - I'd never really heard of it before DF, but I'd also not been around many dog people, and the only dog that's been in my life for a while is mostly vegetarian (for health reasons). The cost of raw is less of an issue right now than the work... and the space. We're in a condo and only have a small deep freeze, and most of my mom's family owns cattle so that would be a likely source for a good portion of it anyway. We also have friends that hunt, and of course any excuse to visit T&T is a good one in my books. 

There was a Poll/Survey thread in either the General or the First-Time Owners boards... I can't remember which. Anyway, I posted a pic of Snowball on there, but here's another one. I haven't figured out how to removed the "green-eye" from pictures yet - my photo editing software only recognizes red-eye!


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

gingerkid said:


> Raw is something I'm interested in trying - I'd never really heard of it before DF, but I'd also not been around many dog people, and the only dog that's been in my life for a while is mostly vegetarian (for health reasons). The cost of raw is less of an issue right now than the work... and the space. We're in a condo and only have a small deep freeze, and most of my mom's family owns cattle so that would be a likely source for a good portion of it anyway. We also have friends that hunt, and of course any excuse to visit T&T is a good one in my books.
> 
> There was a Poll/Survey thread in either the General or the First-Time Owners boards... I can't remember which. Anyway, I posted a pic of Snowball on there, but here's another one. I haven't figured out how to removed the "green-eye" from pictures yet - my photo editing software only recognizes red-eye!


If cost is no issue but convenience/space is, I would recommend looking into premade raw diets. Some, like Darwin's are frozen so you would at least need the freezer space for how much you want to buy at a time. But then some come in freeze-dried/dehydrated forms. Some have to be rehydrated like Stella and Chewy's but some, like Ziwipeak can be fed just like kibble. Those are both nice because you can store them like you would kibble, which eliminates the space issues created by more perishable types. If you go with premade raw, I recommend offering raw bones at least once a week in addition so you can still get the dental benefits of raw as well.

I was feeding exclusively raw for a few weeks and it became clear quickly that in my area it was not financially viable. So now I've switched back to kibble, but have tried to stay with the lowest carb, higher end ones (which don't seem as expensive now as they used to, LOL). I wanted to feed exclusively Ziwipeak, but it worked out to about $120 per month and I just can't stomach that at this point. In contrast, I can feed Orijen or EVO for like $15 a month o_o. I can't believe I used to think that was expensive. Now I feed Ziwipeak as treats, provide a kibble diet as a staple and offer extras a couple times a week-- usually eggs, sardines and raw meaty bones.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I'm curious gingerkid--how is the dog in your life mostly vegetarian? A meat-free kibble, or a homemade low/no-meat diet? What kind of health reasons? How is he/she doing? I know that some people feed their dogs a meat-free diet, but I don't know the details. And those I've seen personally look kinda scraggy. So I'm interested in hearing from someone with personal experience!


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

kafkabeetle said:


> If cost is no issue but convenience/space is, I would recommend looking into premade raw diets. Some, like Darwin's are frozen so you would at least need the freezer space for how much you want to buy at a time. But then some come in freeze-dried/dehydrated forms. Some have to be rehydrated like Stella and Chewy's but some, like Ziwipeak can be fed just like kibble. Those are both nice because you can store them like you would kibble, which eliminates the space issues created by more perishable types. If you go with premade raw, I recommend offering raw bones at least once a week in addition so you can still get the dental benefits of raw as well.
> 
> I was feeding exclusively raw for a few weeks and it became clear quickly that in my area it was not financially viable. So now I've switched back to kibble, but have tried to stay with the lowest carb, higher end ones (which don't seem as expensive now as they used to, LOL). I wanted to feed exclusively Ziwipeak, but it worked out to about $120 per month and I just can't stomach that at this point. In contrast, I can feed Orijen or EVO for like $15 a month o_o. I can't believe I used to think that was expensive. Now I feed Ziwipeak as treats, provide a kibble diet as a staple and offer extras a couple times a week-- usually eggs, sardines and raw meaty bones.


Yup premade raw is good if space and convenience is an issue, we have plenty of good ones here in Alberta. I personally use Carnivora and Spring Meadows, but I've also tried Nature's Premium, Arusha and Farm Fresh Pet Foods too. We have a pretty huge variety of commercial premade here that is all fairly good quality and decent prices. They are generally still more expensive than feeding kibble though, you pay for the convenience.

I too, only have an apartment sized freezer... between my hubby and I and the two dogs, both the little chest freezer and the fridge freezer are pretty full, but I can get enough frozen meat and goods in them to last us all a couple months... the prey model meat for the dogs and raw meaty bones and all our meat ( I buy whole pork and beef loins from costco and butcher them into steaks/chops and vaccuum seal them ) as well as a bulk package of chicken breasts, all goes into the small chest freezer, and then the commercial premade raw, and some of my pre-packaged PMR meals along with some random miscellaneous stuff for the dogs goes on the bottom shelf of the fridge freezer, and our frozen veggies, fruit, icecream, bread, etc goes on the top shelf.. don't ask me how I do it.. but I do lol. 

Kafka... $15 a month to feed Orijen or EVO??? Wow.. What size bag is that? Because, in comparison, a 5lb bag of Orijen or EVO here is $22 last time I bought.. and I'm not sure how long that would last because I've never fed just kibble diet, but I'm curious what kind price difference it actually is. Anyway, I've found that when I fed kibble, any brand I'd usually buy would be over $20 for a 5lb bag.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

PackMomma said:


> Kafka... $15 a month to feed Orijen or EVO??? Wow.. What size bag is that? Because, in comparison, a 5lb bag of Orijen or EVO here is $22 last time I bought.. and I'm not sure how long that would last because I've never fed just kibble diet, but I'm curious what kind price difference it actually is. Anyway, I've found that when I fed kibble, any brand I'd usually buy would be over $20 for a 5lb bag.


lol, the bag isn't $15...it's around $40-45 for a 15 pound bag, and it lasts her about 3 months. It definitely pays to buy the largest bag you can use before it goes bad.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Willowy said:


> I'm curious gingerkid--how is the dog in your life mostly vegetarian? A meat-free kibble, or a homemade low/no-meat diet? What kind of health reasons? How is he/she doing? I know that some people feed their dogs a meat-free diet, but I don't know the details. And those I've seen personally look kinda scraggy. So I'm interested in hearing from someone with personal experience!


Blondo is my FI's aunt's dog. He's a 10yo Golden, was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was <1year - way before I met my FI. Apparently it was quite severe; when he was younger (And even on meds) he was having seizures several times a week. So they upped his seizure meds, and put him on a couple of other things too because of side effects of the seizure meds (I don't know what specifically, just that he gets 2 other meds in addition to phenobarb). Unfortunately all the meds are/were hard on his liver and especially his kidneys. I'm not a physiologist so I'm not exactly sure of the mechanism... but if I had to guess, I think his liver has a hard time breaking down animal proteins which then stay in his blood and put extra stress on his kidneys? (Is that physiologically reasonable?). Something to do with his liver and kidneys, anyway. He pees a TON.

The meds were starting to really affect his mobility (as in, his back end had pretty much stopped moving). It was heartbreaking. But, he's been seizure free for 2 years so his vet lowered the phenobarb, and he's doing much better; he can even go up the stairs on his own again. He's not on a strict vegetarian diet anymore, they just try to limit animal products. He gets occasional treats from the table and sometimes liver-based cookies. He absolutely loves food in all forms though. He LOVES berries which makes it super easy to give him his meds - just shove them in side a raspberry and pop it in his mouth. He's such a sweetie.


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

kafkabeetle said:


> lol, the bag isn't $15...it's around $40-45 for a 15 pound bag, and it lasts her about 3 months. It definitely pays to buy the largest bag you can use before it goes bad.


Okay gotcha.. makes sense lol. Really then, the price difference isn't that huge. I don't know what the 15lb bags are worth here since I never bought them. I didn't feed enough kibble to justify buying large bags at that time and I liked to rotate every month, but it sure seemed to be getting pricey for what and how much I was feeding.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

PackMomma said:


> I too, only have an apartment sized freezer... between my hubby and I and the two dogs, both the little chest freezer and the fridge freezer are pretty full, but I can get enough frozen meat and goods in them to last us all a couple months... the prey model meat for the dogs and raw meaty bones and all our meat ( I buy whole pork and beef loins from costco and butcher them into steaks/chops and vaccuum seal them ) as well as a bulk package of chicken breasts, all goes into the small chest freezer, and then the commercial premade raw, and some of my pre-packaged PMR meals along with some random miscellaneous stuff for the dogs goes on the bottom shelf of the fridge freezer, and our frozen veggies, fruit, icecream, bread, etc goes on the top shelf.. don't ask me how I do it.. but I do lol.


We do the same! Buy meat at costco and break it down. Although, I haven't had the courage to break down whole beef loins yet.

For reference, 15lb bags of Orijen are ~$50 at Global? The RED is always so much more expensive than the others! Apparently Global Pet Foods also has their own store-brand!?


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