# Is expensive dog food better



## sheltieluver4

Hi yall, i have a question, is expensive dog food better than the cheap genaric kind? {i know i spelled that wrong srry} Cause we r getting a new sheltie puppy soon and i want to spoil her but i want good tasting dog food 4 her not boring kind, maybe i should taste the dog food lol just kidding


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## ThxForNothing

Well, I guess that depends on the brand.

I know that the natural type food, which generally does cost more, has more to offer in it nutritionally so it lasts longer. Other cheaper brands put alot of Corn in their food, so, your dog needs to eat more of it to get the same nutritional value as the other food. In a nutshell, i'd say it's about the same if you think long-term.

Erm.. sorry, did that get confusing? *hits head* i'm going to stop now, maybe someone else can explain this better.. LoL.


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## Cheetah

Expensive is not necessarily better. Take Eukanuba for example lmfao... I'm paying less for Canidae and it's higher quality, contains no by-products, potentially harmful synthetic chemicals/preservatives, corn, etc.


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## sheltieluver4

*Oh*

Yeah ok its just that some dogs get boreded out with the same food, i really like purina brands, what do yall think about that


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## Cheetah

I think they're low quality. Here is a really informative website that can teach you what to look for and what to avoid in dog food:

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/


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## Texas2

purina is not something that i would feed a dog if i had a choice. I cant get some of the better foods right now so i feed nutro ultra. Its good but not the best. some of the ingredients in the purinas and olroys can cause alot of problems.


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## BUFFY

in my personal opinion. no. some might be, but you never know if they do animal testing or use chemicals. thats why you should researrsh the dog food if you know absolutly nothing about it. people tend to think that because it's more exspensive its better, which isn't always true.


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## sheltieluver4

*Oh*

Well could yall give me a little heads up on what yall buy yalls dog/puppy?  Thanks i kinda need ideas


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## choochoo2005

i wish choochoo wasnt picky *sigh*....it makes me frustrated *tear tear*......but we use kibbles n bits but he has also liked purina....purina i think is better


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## Cheetah

Kibbles & Bits is made by Purina. Hmmmm... yellow #5, red #40, yellow #6, BHA, and mystery meat... >@[email protected]<


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## 2BrownDawgs

I had Indy and Jasmine on Canidae at first. Jasmine did great on it, but poor Indy always had the runs. So after much experimentation, I found a food they both do well on- Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul. It's made by Diamond which makes me a bit nervous, but its of good quality and at a decent price ($31.99/35lb).


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## sheltieluver4

*Oh*

Well i need ideas plz on wat yall buy for your petz, what so bad about purina? Just wondering........... What can be harmful in it

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!plz

Thnx yall

O yeah 2browndawgs, i've seen that before, does it help your dogs? Like i mean make their coat shinnier, teeth,gums,skin,ect.? Cause thats what i was kinda looking 4 in a dog food brand, plus i want to get something healthy 2, since im getting a new puppy


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## OwnedBySix

_Let's take a look at Purina -_ 

PURINA BRAND DOG FOODS 
PART IPurina Puppy ChowPurina Dog ChowPuppy Chow Healthy MorselsPuppy Chow Large BreedPuppy Chow Balanced NutritionDog Chow SeniorDog Chow with Lamb and RiceDog Chow Little Bites Dog FoodGround Yellow CornCorn Gluten MealChicken By-Product MealCorn Gluten MealPoultry By-Product MealSoybean MealWhole Wheat FlourCorn Gluten MealSoybean MealGround WheatBeef And Bone MealChicken By-Product MealBrewers RiceGround Wheat*Beef Tallow With Vitamin E*Soybean MealBeef and Bone MealLambCorn Gluten Meal*Beef Tallow With Mixed Tocopherols (Source Of Vitamin E)*, Brewers Rice, Beef and Bone Meal, Beef, Sugar, Pearled Barley, Animal Digest, Dicalcium Phosphate, Sorbitol, Salt, Tricalcium Phosphate, Phosphoric Acid, Sorbic Acid (a Preservative), Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, Dried Carrots, Dried Peas, Calcium Propionate (a Preservative), Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Added Color (Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 2), Glyceryl Monostearate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin supplements (E, A B-12, D-3), Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Brewers Dried Yeast, Thiamine Mononitrate, Garlic Oil, Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Calcium Iodate, Sodium SelenitePearled Barley, *Beef Tallow With Mixed Tocopherols (Source Of Vitamin E)*, Beet Pulp, Animal Digest, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin Supplements (A, E, B-12, D-3), Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Garlic Oil, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium bisulfate Complex (source of Vitamin K Activity), Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite*Beef Tallow With Mixed Tocopherols (Source Of Vitamin E)*, Pearled Barley, Animal Digest, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Zinc sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin Supplements (A, E, B-12, D-3), Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Brewers Dried Yeast, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Garlic OIl, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite*Beef Tallow With Mixed Tocopherols (Source Of Vitamin E)*, Animal Digest, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, L-Lysine, Monohydrochloride, Choline Chloride, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin Supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Brewers Dried Yeast, Riboflavin Supplement, Added Color (Red 40), Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Copper Sulfa, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Calcium Iodate, *9% - a Source of FiberBrewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Added Color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2), Vitamin Supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, Choline Chloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Garlic Oil, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Citric Acid, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Calcium IodateDried Whey, Ground Wheat, Brewers Rice, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Dried Animal Digest, Calcium Carbonate, L-lysine, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamins Supplements (A, E, B-12, D-3), Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, Added Color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2), Choline Chloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Brewers Dried Yeast, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Garlic Oil, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Calcium IodateProtein = 27%
Fat = 12%
Fiber = 4%
Moisture = 14%Protein = 27%
Fat = 12%
Fiber = 5%
Moisture = 12%Protein = 27%
Fat = 12%
Fiber = 5%
Moisture = 12%Protein = 25%
Fat = 8%
Fiber = 7%
Moisture = 12%Protein = 21%
Fat = 12%
Fiber = 4%
Moisture = 12%Protein = 21%
Fat = 8%
Fiber = 4.5%
Moisture = 12%

PURINA BRAND DOG FOODS 
PART IIPurina Brand SeniorFit & Trim BrandHi Pro BrandGround Yellow CornGround Yellow CornBeef and Bone MealBeef And Bone MealSoybean HullsGround WheatSoybean MealCorn Gluten FeedGround Yellow CornCorn BranBeef And Bone MealBrewers RiceSoybean HullsBeef Tallow W/Vitamin ECorn Gluten Meal*Beef Tallow Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E)*, Soybean Meal, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, DL-Methionine, Vitamin Supplements (A, E, B12, D3), Soybean OiL, Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Garlic OiL, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisultite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Calcium IodateProtein = 16% 
Fat = 6.5% 
Fiber = 7% 
Moisture = 12%Protein = 14% 
Fat = 5% 
Fiber = 10% 
Moisture = 12%Protein = 27% 
Fat = 15% 
Fiber = 4% 
Moisture = 12%
_Now click http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients to see what to avoid in dog foods._

_Good luck!_


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## Curbside Prophet

I wouldn't buy it because it has Menadione Sodium.


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## sheltieluver4

*?????*

Ummm, i feel stupid asking this, but whats medadione sodium? What what do yall use for your dogz, i still kinda need ideas plzzzz 


Plz reply 2 this 1


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## OwnedBySix

sheltieluver4 said:


> Ummm, i feel stupid asking this, but whats medadione sodium? What what do yall use for your dogz, i still kinda need ideas plzzzz
> 
> 
> Plz reply 2 this 1


Only you can make that decision. There are many foods with varying prices and qualities. You will need to look at the dog food labels, and perhaps the link I posted earlier to make a good decision. I would almost always stay away from grocery store brands if your budget allows. You can find a better quality at a feed store. Nutro (Natural Choice, not Maxx), Canidae, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Wysong, Diamond (formulations without corn), Flint River Ranch. Those are just a few. But not every one will work for every dog. Drs Foster and Smith has a decently priced food as well, at an ok quality. No one can make this decision for you. You have to look at your budget and the dog food labels, and weigh your personal options. Is it better to spend an extra $20 a month for better ingredients? In my opinion, yes. In your case, with a sheltie, it would probably be even less than $20.


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## sheltieluver4

*Well......*

Well i mean i really Purina brand. M y past dogs have liked it, and they've been taking 2 it really well, but now that im questioning it, im so sure Well i was kinda thinking of trying the chicken soup for the dog lovers soul 1 what do yall think about that? 

Thnx


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## LabLady101

sheltieluver4 said:


> Well i mean i really Purina brand. M y past dogs have liked it, and they've been taking 2 it really well, but now that im questioning it, im so sure Well i was kinda thinking of trying the chicken soup for the dog lovers soul 1 what do yall think about that?
> 
> Thnx


Chicken Soup is a good food, but not all lines of Purina are bad. Pro Plan, for instance, is a great food and many champions have been raised on it. Is someone going to tell those breeders that have had years of success only feeding Purina products (including, GASP!, Dog Chow!) that they are all wrong? I'm not going to. Purina has put decades of research into their products and I doubt that the very tiny amount of this Menadione Sodium that's actually in the food (which is a very negligible amount as it's so far down the ingredients list) is harmful. If it were, you would hear of more cases of poisoning and Purina would have to pull all their products from the shelves.

Now, that being said, I believe you just have to feed what works for your individual dog. If your two are doing great on Purina's products, then leave them on them. Depending upon which line you're feeding now, you could possibly go with a higher-end Purina product. However, I do have to stress that you do not want to put your pets on the the "dogfood rollercoaster"- which involves switching from one brand to another to another, never giving your pets a proper period of adjustment to see results in-between. People who get on the rollercoaster seldom ever find their way off or even back to a good point. The end result of the rollercoaster ride is a dog that has reactions to just about everything.

Good luck!

Darcy


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## sheltieluver4

Yeah... I just have to wait and ask what the breeder says and what she feeds her dogs... all her dogs are show dogs so I want to feed Basil the same  

Thanks


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## dogluver101

Not all the time but Innova is very good food and it is not that badly priced either.


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## 2BrownDawgs

dogluver101 said:


> Not all the time but Innova is very good food and it is not that badly priced either.


I need to move to where you live!! A 33lb bag of Innova here is $45.00!


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## LDLegacies

*What i feed my shelties*

I have 7 Shelties all ranging in age from 11 years to 9 wks old. I feed Innova and Healthwise Puppy.
Expensive foods are not always good foods, Science diet is one that people think is great. It's high priced, the vets sell it, so it must be good, right? Not! The 1st ingredient on the back of the bag is Corn! Big No NO. You always want your 1st ingredients to be meat meals (Chicken meal, lamb meal so on) and then your veggie types .
Visiti www.naturapet.com and look at the ingredients of there food. They also have a page where you can compare what you feed to there food. BIG DIFFERENCE in quality. Not only that, But when you feed a crummy food, they have alot of fillers in it so the dog eats more of it. When you feed a high quality food, they get full and satified because its meeting there nutritional requirements and not acting as a filler. Therefor, feeding less and a bag is lasting longer than the cheap food. It may be more cost upfront initially, But in the long run, you will save!


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## NewfCrazy

A better food that they digest properly will also cut down on the amount of poop, and make the poop harder so that the anal glands stay clear. If a food lists a meat meal as a first ingredient, but then the next three are all types of grains/corn/rice - then the food is more filler than anything. Dog food is a very personal choice - I think it depends on your budget and definitely your dog. I used to feed my dogs Ol Roy, and one did very well on it - the other got fat, fat, fat. My first newf was fed Pedigree because that's what the breeder specified. When she passed away, I started researching dog foods before I got my next newf and chose Solid Gold.

With a better food (not necessarily more expensive) you'll see less ear infections, digestion problems and definitely less poop to clean up.


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## Kenya

my mom told me to never get foods that say they hav real chicken beef and vegtables because their lying. Its just coloring. Everytime i get a new dog food i et one first i just want to make sure i don't throwup. I tried the kibbles and bits and it tasted like a rotten egg. No kidding, a rotten egg. Ive never gotten it since then. now we use a sports dog food. Its chicken and lamb and its real. my dogs LOVE it. One of my dogs that i can not get weight started eating i and began to gain what. My overweight dogs bean to lose pounds. It was great!


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## OwnedBySix

They can't be 'lying'...they have to label what is in their food correctly.


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## opokki

I agree....not lying exactly but definately misleading by advertising those big read chunks of shaped soy protein with red dye that _resemble_ meat. There really is "real beef" in the formula....you can find it listed as the 19th ingredient just below all the plant protein and additives.  

Wouldn't it be funny to hear a company advertising like this:
"Your dog will love it! Chunks of real soy protein, rancid fats, lots of artifical colors, flavors, and it even contains preservatives!! You aren't spoiling your dog but he'll sure think you are when you offer him this tasty gourmet dinner"


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## Kenya

Im not saying they lie on the bag. Im saying they lie on televison. Beneiful for example. They say real beef and chicken and peas and carrots and wheat is in it. so not true on the bag it shows all of the dyes. Kibbles and Bits does the same thing. I just switched and now i use Diamond Chicken and rice. The stuff i great.


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## OwnedBySix

Kenya said:


> Im not saying they lie on the bag. Im saying they lie on televison. Beneiful for example. They say real beef and chicken and peas and carrots and wheat is in it. so not true on the bag it shows all of the dyes. Kibbles and Bits does the same thing. I just switched and now i use Diamond Chicken and rice. The stuff i great.


I'm sure there IS real beef and chicken and peas and carrots...there is just more filler. That is why learning to understand dog food bag labeling is so important.


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## Kenya

Whatever, thats what my mom said. NEVER trust labeling.


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## OwnedBySix

Please see http://www.fda.gov/cvm/petlabel.htm for FDA guidelines on pet labels.

If you KNOW how to read them, you will not be confused or misled.


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## Cheetah

Kenya said:


> Im not saying they lie on the bag. Im saying they lie on televison. Beneiful for example. They say real beef and chicken and peas and carrots and wheat is in it. so not true on the bag it shows all of the dyes. Kibbles and Bits does the same thing. I just switched and now i use Diamond Chicken and rice. The stuff i great.


They do use real chicken, peas, carrots, and all that (mostly the by-products lol and it says so on the bag). But they use those dyes along WITH the real stuff in an attempt to make the food more attractive to the owners. It also says made WITH real chicken etc. The word "with" makes all the difference. That means they add in a little bit of real meal and veggies, and the rest is fake crap. Dog food companies are VERY good with their word usage, but they don't lie (if you gain experience with reading the labels of some of these crappy brands, you can tell they're not lying because they include all their shoddy ingredients right on the bag lol; Menadione, by-products, dyes, ethoxyquin, BHA, etc.).


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## dogluver101

2BrownDawgs said:


> I need to move to where you live!! A 33lb bag of Innova here is $45.00!


Wow it is only about 30.00 to 35.00.


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## NewfCrazy

Dog food manufacturer's have to follow the labeling laws - they can't lie. The thing is that you have to know what you are reading when you look at the dog food label. TV advertisements are definitely misleading - but then all advertising is. LOL

This site is really good for teaching you how to read labels:
http://www.doberdogs.com/menu.html


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## myrna

*dog food*

BilJac is a very good dog food for your puppy!


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## workingdog

We use chicken soup dog food and it is working great, our dogs have shinny coats and soft to. At frist their poops were soft but it was a change for them so we left them on the chicken soup to see if after they had been on it a while if their poops would get better. They have been on it for about 3 months now and every thing is good. I highly reccomend it. Before chicken soup our dogs were on purina one and their coats were corse, now they have soft shinny coats.


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## AndyVetra

NewfCrazy said:


> Dog food manufacturer's have to follow the labeling laws - they can't lie. The thing is that you have to know what you are reading when you look at the dog food label. TV advertisements are definitely misleading - but then all advertising is. LOL
> 
> This site is really good for teaching you how to read labels:
> http://www.doberdogs.com/menu.html


This would be the "laws" created by AAFCO which is basically a Who's Who of the pet food industry.

How can you truly know what you are reading on the labeling when there is so much that is "misleading". For example, my understanding is that for a product to be labelled "with lamb", it's wet weight has to have a minimum 1%!!! of "lamb product (anyone know what that is?)". 

How is it the FDA can spend billions legislating face creams yet we allow the pet food industry to regulate itself? Misleading doesn't come close.


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## MagicToller

> BilJac is a very good dog food for your puppy!


It's an OK food.. Many fillers and by-products though


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## 3212

Sorry if this has already been said, but...

'_expensive_' does not equal '_better'_....._'good/quality ingredients, no fillers, no by-products, etc_' equals '_better'_


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## AndyVetra

CrzyBritNAmerica said:


> Sorry if this has already been said, but...
> 
> '_expensive_' does not equal '_better'_....._'good/quality ingredients, no fillers, no by-products, etc_' equals '_better'_


Quite.

The list of recalled brands made by the same manufacturer should hopefully dispel that myth once and for all.


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## poodleholic

*Re: Oh*



sheltieluver4 said:


> Well could yall give me a little heads up on what yall buy yalls dog/puppy?  Thanks i kinda need ideas


Do your research and then decide what you want to feed your dog. 

I feed Innova EVO poultry (kibble)
Natural Balance Venison (kibble)
Natural Balance Food Roll - lamb, beef, turkey - grated over food, or cubed and given as treats during training.
Green Tripe 3 x wk.
Fresh ground meats: lamb, venison, sirloin, bison, all served poached, and mixed with brown rice, green beans, kale, asperagus, and spinach, mixed with their kibble. In addition, sweet potato, carrots, hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, peeled and cubed apple & pear, banana, watermelon, cantelope. 

Treats:
Raw Bones
Cheese
Braunswieger
dehydrated lamb lung
Liver

Filling for Kongs:
Peanut butter
kibble
carrot
apple/pear
braunswieger
cottage cheese
liver treats
cream cheese to seal openings

My dogs also enjoy an occasional baked potato, and share roasted meats, steak, and many vegetables. Green beans out of the can are an easy treat, as most of the time I steam fresh green beans. Their favorite treat in the world is PIZZA! (hold the onions)


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## 3212

*Re: Oh*



poodleholic said:


> Do your research and then decide what you want to feed your dog.
> 
> I feed Innova EVO poultry (kibble)
> Natural Balance Venison (kibble)
> Natural Balance Food Roll - lamb, beef, turkey - grated over food, or cubed and given as treats during training.
> Green Tripe 3 x wk.
> Fresh ground meats: lamb, venison, sirloin, bison, all served poached, and mixed with brown rice, green beans, kale, asperagus, and spinach, mixed with their kibble. In addition, sweet potato, carrots, hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, peeled and cubed apple & pear, banana, watermelon, cantelope.
> 
> Treats:
> Raw Bones
> Cheese
> Braunswieger
> dehydrated lamb lung
> Liver
> 
> Filling for Kongs:
> Peanut butter
> kibble
> carrot
> apple/pear
> braunswieger
> cottage cheese
> liver treats
> cream cheese to seal openings
> 
> My dogs also enjoy an occasional baked potato, and share roasted meats, steak, and many vegetables. Green beans out of the can are an easy treat, as most of the time I steam fresh green beans. Their favorite treat in the world is PIZZA! (hold the onions)



Hmm, I have been trying to come up with some new things to stuff Bridgette's cong with...braunswieger is an AWESOME idea! I will have to try that.


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## Captbob

*Re: Oh*



CrzyBritNAmerica said:


> Hmm, I have been trying to come up with some new things to stuff Bridgette's cong with...braunswieger is an AWESOME idea! I will have to try that.


The Natural Balance Food Rolls sliced up work great in the Kong and are healthy to boot. 

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/DFRolls.html


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## 3212

*Re: Oh*



Captbob said:


> The Natural Balance Food Rolls sliced up work great in the Kong and are healthy to boot.
> 
> http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/DFRolls.html


I am actually switching to Natural Balance food today so I plan to buy some of the Rolls too.  And I actually gave Bridgette pork last night...I think I might start up half RAW and half Natural Balance.


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## bearlasmom

kibbles and bits has been recalled. as has ol roy etc. 

the most expensive is not always better. If you want a SAFE HEALTHY DIET FOR YOUR DOG contact your vet and ask what they think would be best. Especially with the current issues and posioning. 2 more class action suits were added yesterday


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## luvntzus

bearlasmom said:


> If you want a SAFE HEALTHY DIET FOR YOUR DOG contact your vet and ask what they think would be best. Especially with the current issues and posioning. 2 more class action suits were added yesterday


Honestly, most vets have very little training in nutrition and are likely to recommend junk like Science Diet.


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## Ginny01OT

*Re: Oh*



poodleholic said:


> Do your research and then decide what you want to feed your dog.
> 
> I feed Innova EVO poultry (kibble)
> Natural Balance Venison (kibble)
> Natural Balance Food Roll - lamb, beef, turkey - grated over food, or cubed and given as treats during training.
> Green Tripe 3 x wk.
> Fresh ground meats: lamb, venison, sirloin, bison, all served poached, and mixed with brown rice, green beans, kale, asperagus, and spinach, mixed with their kibble. In addition, sweet potato, carrots, hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, peeled and cubed apple & pear, banana, watermelon, cantelope.
> 
> Treats:
> Raw Bones
> Cheese
> Braunswieger
> dehydrated lamb lung
> Liver
> 
> Filling for Kongs:
> Peanut butter
> kibble
> carrot
> apple/pear
> braunswieger
> cottage cheese
> liver treats
> cream cheese to seal openings
> 
> My dogs also enjoy an occasional baked potato, and share roasted meats, steak, and many vegetables. Green beans out of the can are an easy treat, as most of the time I steam fresh green beans. Their favorite treat in the world is PIZZA! (hold the onions)



Can Riley and I come to your house for dinner?


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## Bumper

Very interesting discussion, and thanks for the link on dog food labeling and deciphering ingredients. I've been trying to convince my husband we need to switch dog foods, this site will help. He's a science geek, he needs to SEE a reason before he'll change his mind. 

Yup, I feed science diet, and have been trying to switch for awhile. Damn that husband of mine is hardheaded!  

Bumper

Oh I forgot to add, I'm just about convinced to shoot a deer this fall and put the meat in the freezer for the dogs. I know venison is excellent for them and cheap for me. I haven't deer hunted since 1998, I'm usually way to busy bird hunting, but I think I'll start back up.

Bumper


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## Elijah

What is Braunswieger? I've never heard of it before...German sausage of some sort?


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## pupster

Well it depends because,
1. you could be getting ripped of
and
2. It could be very bad for your dogs


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## RonE

Elijah said:


> What is Braunswieger? I've never heard of it before...German sausage of some sort?


Liver sausage - usually used as a sandwich spread.

It's very useful for sneaking pills into your dog.


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## beagleowner5

I was naive at first and bought Kibbles and Bits because it was the cheapest thing. It caused a lot of build up and plaque on my dog's teeth. I now buy the more expensive stuff...the trick is getting him to eat it! We have spoiled him all along by mixing in wet food and are now trying to stop. Sometimes he'll go an entire day without eating because he is so picky. After I go to bed, I finally hear him in the kitchen eating his food!! I can't offer any miracle brands, but I just know that the cheap stuff is really bad for their teeth.


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## cshellenberger

*Re: Oh*



sheltieluver4 said:


> Yeah ok its just that some dogs get boreded out with the same food, i really like purina brands, what do yall think about that



Purina is Mcdonalds for dogs, very poor quality. You'd be better served with Kirklands Lamb and rice or Chicken and Brown rice or Natures Recipe, which runs the same price. If you want a truly great food, try a brand such as Solid Gold, Wellness, Natural Balance, Canidea, Eagle Pack (holistics) or Californa Naturals.


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## RonE

beagleowner5 said:


> We have spoiled him all along by mixing in wet food and are now trying to stop. Sometimes he'll go an entire day without eating because he is so picky. After I go to bed, I finally hear him in the kitchen eating his food!!


It's extremely unlikely that a beagle is going to maintain a hunger strike for long enough to hurt himself.

I had this same discussion with my vet when we got our big lab. "But Doc, he won't eat unless I mix some canned food in with the dry."

He told me the dog would eat when he got hungry. It actually took a few days, but then he ate dry kibble for the rest of his long life.


----------



## Airair

I think that it's better to find not very expensive food but quality. When we buy expensive food we pay for ads and prestige. But yes many expensive brands are good.


----------



## Wimble Woof

Really the only one i find way over priced for its content is Eukanuba... I mean that food is crappy with a capitol "Crap" especially the new " breed specific" formulas.
However there are some companies who charge alot for inferior products, not just Eukanuba.


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## broadwaybones

Please stay away from Purina. It is garbage!!! I would suggest Solid Gold, bBue Buffalo, Merrick, Timberwolf, Innova, California Natural. They are great dog foods that will add to the well being of your dog. Purina and other mass market dog foods are loaded with corn, soy, meat by product and chemical the in the long term can diminish the health of your dog. Price is not everything! Nutrtion is what you should base your purchase on!


----------



## Ginny01OT

Broadway, what about Nature's Variety?


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## vedo

I like to look at the first three or four ingredients...and want them to be meat (chicken, fish, turkey, beef, etc. then check the brand out on line


----------



## broadwaybones

Ginny01OT said:


> Broadway, what about Nature's Variety?


Nature's Variety looks to be a pretty good food. My only caution would be to watch your dogs intake of sugars. Canines can not process sugars the way humans do, and more and more foods and treats are using forms of sugars to entise dog to eat their product. FYI: Current vet research is showing a sharp increase in canine Diabetes. So just be careful!


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## Ginny01OT

Thanks I use their raw products---my dog is predominantly on a raw diet with some TO lamb and apples kibble--oh he also gets geen tripe daily


----------



## daryl shannon

Well I think you've oppened up a big can of worms with this question. I bet you wont get a straight answer at the end of the day. However, I will give my 2 cents. I feed my 7 1/2 year old Doberman Purina Pro Plan and have been since he was just over 1yr. I tried feeding him Nutro and was not impressed at all with that brand. I also tried Science Diet. I feel the same as most when talking about the down-falls of the "Fillers" in foods. Some may not like Pro Plan but the bottom line is that my dog loves it. He is healthy and never once, when someone asked how old my boy is, do they believe me. I think it comes down to a blance between what works for your dogs and ensuring that they can live a long healthy life.


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## DozerDogg

I generally (with some exceptions) go by the old adage, you get what you pay for. That isn't universal but it's a good rule of thumb. Of course being the most expensive doesn't necessairly make it the best. I try for the low end premium foods or brands that have a good reputation from consumers. I feed Diamond Lamb and rice meal right now and it seems to be good for my buddies, and it doesn't break me when I buy it.


----------



## UrbanBeagles

Cheetah said:


> Expensive is not necessarily better. Take Eukanuba for example lmfao... I'm paying less for Canidae and it's higher quality, contains no by-products, potentially harmful synthetic chemicals/preservatives, corn, etc.



ROFL  So very true! I'd been feeding Euk for years, its gone in the toilet bowl now, but when I last fed it, I was paying something towards the end of $48 for 40lbs. OUTRAGEOUS!!! And it was pure $*** by the time I washed my hands of it. So no, the more expensive a food is, does not necessarily mean its better.
OTOH, *generic* foods are not worth the packaging they come in. While you shouldn't have to mortgage your house to buy a bag of decent food, generic/economy foods use bottom of the barrel low quality ingredients & I'd never recommend them under any circumstances. 
Pro Pac is a basic, bland diet that has no preservatives, colors, by products & is about $23 for 33lbs. I feed Evolve, which is about $1 per lb. but gives me better results than Timberwolf Organics, which was double the cost ...


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## mrblackpants

im glad i ran across this thread. i have had some questions about what to feed my 7 mo old black lab, and they have not been answered by my vet. currently i feed him pedigree complete nutrition, and he loves it. however i know they use a lot of corn, and i am not a fan of fillers. thanks everyone for bringing some light on the subject!!!


----------



## TFTpwnsYou

On the subject of the using "real chicken" and all. I always found it funny how they can say "complete and balanced nutrition" or "give your dog the best". The Pedigree commercials kill me....lol. I think they should label them for what they really are "good enough to keep your dog alive".....lol.

I was feeding Bil Jac. Switched to Origen, and now I'm switching to Solid Gold Barking at the Moon. The Orijen is a killer to the wallet for me. 

Now on the subject of the original topic. Go with your gut on it. If you don't feel comfortable with what's in the food, don't feed it. Although the higher grade foods are much better for your puppy. There are quite a few better foods than Purina for you to look into. You also don't neccessarily have to feed what the breeder was feeding. I hope you find a food that fits your puppy well.


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## kratos88

i think kibbles n bits is about as low as u can go. i feed mine eagle pack. it is one of the best out there. the holistic select versions they have are awesome. i doesn't have any corn in it. and the ingredients are superior to Purina and for around the same price as like Purina pro plan.


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## JAYBO837

stay away from corn&wheat fillers, try to avoid dyes.take the time to read the labels.trust me ..you will be rewarded with your pets presence longer by feeding them correctly and perhaps spending a lil more$$$...but you wont be dissapointed in the long run.


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## Breeogie

Look, you get what you pay for...with everything in life, including your pet's food.
Check out this site for more info:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/


----------



## tippi

HERE GOES....
my dober boy has IBD . the only food he tolerates is (ug) PURINA ONE SALMON
dober girls eat purina one salmon with half home cooked fruit veggies and meat.daily.
now.....ive given the boy one TEASPOON for 3 days of the homemade puree. last night he was so gasious and in such discomfort . he and i stayed up all night with pumpkin and trips outside. by 6 a,m, he had calmed down and feels better now, seemingl.
i can afford a dollar a pound for 3 dobermans . is there a dry food that is corn free in that price range? 
and THEN what can i feed the boy to get him off purina one when he is so untolerant to almost anything? he cant even tolerate green beens. this breaks my heart!!!!
i live for my fur kids. they are my world. not even the vet has an ideas. at one time he had me given the boy PRESCRIPTION DIET. 
i welcome all help and ideas!
tippi


----------



## sheltiemom

I don't see the problem in keeping him on Purina One salmon...he is doing well on it and it's in your budget, right? I wouldn't worry about it just because someone(s) on the internet said Purina is yucky or corn is bad...unless there is some other reason you want to switch...


----------



## tippi

SHELTIEMOM i sure thank you for that post. yes its in the budget. plus all three dobermans have the shinniest coats!!!! i just wish the bigt boy could have change in his life like the girls can. i make an awesome CHICKEN DINNER for them lolol


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## HersheyPup

The fact that you care sooooooooo much for your furkids means more to your boy Dobe that what kind of food he eats! I am sure by your postings that all your dogs get plenty of attention.. Dogs don't taste their food as much as they smell it, so if the Purina One Salmon smells good to him and he eats it then everything is fine.  

Beats having an upset stomach, that's for sure! btw, I've compared the ingredients of Purina One Salmon and Purina ProPlan Sensitive Skin and Stomach and they are almost identical. 

I've fed ProPlan SS& S with good results and will probably feed it again some day. Lots and lots of people feed it with great reviews...and even some serious show folks!


----------



## flipgirl

tippi said:


> HERE GOES....
> my dober boy has IBD . the only food he tolerates is (ug) PURINA ONE SALMON
> dober girls eat purina one salmon with half home cooked fruit veggies and meat.daily.
> now.....ive given the boy one TEASPOON for 3 days of the homemade puree. last night he was so gasious and in such discomfort . he and i stayed up all night with pumpkin and trips outside. by 6 a,m, he had calmed down and feels better now, seemingl.
> i can afford a dollar a pound for 3 dobermans . is there a dry food that is corn free in that price range?
> and THEN what can i feed the boy to get him off purina one when he is so untolerant to almost anything? he cant even tolerate green beens. this breaks my heart!!!!
> i live for my fur kids. they are my world. not even the vet has an ideas. at one time he had me given the boy PRESCRIPTION DIET.
> i welcome all help and ideas!
> tippi



tippi, you might want to start a brand new thread if you want your question answered. this thread started in 2006.


----------



## DobManiac

HersheyPup said:


> The fact that you care sooooooooo much for your furkids means more to your boy Dobe that what kind of food he eats! I am sure by your postings that all your dogs get plenty of attention.. Dogs don't taste their food as much as they smell it, so if the Purina One Salmon smells good to him and he eats it then everything is fine.
> 
> Beats having an upset stomach, that's for sure! btw, I've compared the ingredients of Purina One Salmon and Purina ProPlan Sensitive Skin and Stomach and they are almost identical.
> 
> I've fed ProPlan SS& S with good results and will probably feed it again some day. Lots and lots of people feed it with great reviews...and even some serious show folks!


My handler has feed Proplan Sensitive Stomach and the Salmon formula to my male dobe in the past. He was in food heaven, and his coat and stool were great. I feed taste of the wild now, but it opened my eyes to proplan again. 

On a sidenote you might want to add some probiotics to his diet. It will improve the bacterial composition along his digestive tract. It is also a life savor for that fragrent doberman gas, so feel free to give it to your girls as well.

http://www.preciouspets.org/natursway/mse-products.htm


----------



## tippi

dobemaniac....thank you for your reply! 
if it aint broke , dont fix it? lol
their coats are glorious. they ahve great energy. i do feed the girls homemade mixed with the kibble daily. it just saddens me that my lucky boy has the same ole same ole. but hey, he is thriving!
i am going to have a litter next year. im doing tons of research on the EURO dogs. my bitch is right in the standard. its been over 20 years since i have had a litter. 
id love to know about your fur kids!
tippi


----------



## DobManiac

No, I understand not wanting to cause new problems. However, I would still keep track of that website incase his problems get worse. But as long as he is healthy and happy, you better stick with the status quo. 

I would love to talk about your dogs though. You mentiened they were eura dobermans. Are they imported or did you purchase from a breeder with those lines in the states? I have to confess I don't know a great deal about the european dog, but I do tend to like the cleaner look of the American version. I do envy the working drive in their dogs though. I am starting my own breeding program now and a big part of my goals is to breed drive into my dogs. 

Are you breeding your own male are will you be using a stud? If so who are you interested in?


----------



## tippi

dobmaniac.. my females are american. my male is half euro/american.
they have the sleek and gorgeous lines!!
i am looking for a euro male for stud
my male is not intact. he is my service dog.
yes i love the prey /working drive in the euros!! hey, that link you sent me didnt work. i do want to start adding what you suggested to luckys diet. 
by the way, ive seen some magnificant SERBIAN males!!


----------



## DobManiac

tippi said:


> dobmaniac.. my females are american. my male is half euro/american.
> they have the sleek and gorgeous lines!!
> i am looking for a euro male for stud
> my male is not intact. he is my service dog.
> yes i love the prey /working drive in the euros!! hey, that link you sent me didnt work. i do want to start adding what you suggested to luckys diet.
> by the way, ive seen some magnificant SERBIAN males!!


Are you trying to breed the euro dog with your females? Or are you just looking for a dog to show and possibly breed? What lines are you interesting in?

Sorry for the stream of questions, but we don't have a lot of Doberman people on this forums. I like you have 2 females and a male. Dawn is four years old and spayed. Dusk is 2 1/2 and a male. I am currently working on finishing him, but he won't be bred. Ollie is my little girl, she just turned 12 months. I hope to breed her in a couple of years if she passes all of her health clearances. 

She will be my first breeding. Luckily, I have several great mentors.


----------



## Patt

*Re: Oh*



sheltieluver4 said:


> Well could yall give me a little heads up on what yall buy yalls dog/puppy?  Thanks i kinda need ideas


Since you asked.....

I feed Innova or Wellness brands. As a pup Gracie was fed Innova puppy food, than later I switched her to the adult version. I rotate the foods, so now they are on Wellness Simple Solutions Venison. When they are finished with the bag I will rotate to SS Duck and than back to Innova again. 

The Dog Food Project is a very informative site. Also check www.dogaware.com

Good luck!


----------



## Nallah06

I personally do not agree with the statement that you are paying for marketing, packaging and a fancy name. 

I see little to no advertising or marketing for High End foods. I also tend to think they are a little more eco-friendly when they package their foods. Many are now using recycled materials. 

To me, quality ingredients is peace of mind in knowing that I can trust what I'm feeding my dog. That is worth the price.


----------



## LucyGoosy

I agree that I don't think we are getting advertising, a fancy name, etc only when we buy the higher end foods.

If that were true, we would be seeing more ads on TV and magazines for the higher end foods, rather than the grocery store brands.

Advertising is expensive--when did you last see a TV ad for Orijen, Innova, Wellness, Taste of the Wild, etc???? I've never seen one. But, I see ads for Pedigree, Iams, Purina, etc. (lower end foods in my opinion) all the time. 

That leads me to believe that I would be paying for advertising if I were to buy the store brands!


----------



## PureMutt

Come to think if it, you're right. I have never seen any ads for any of the premium foods. Not even Wellness.


----------



## puppylove42

I think that the most important things when it comes to food are

1) SAFETY - the food must be 100% safe. The regulations and controls on pet foods must be tighter.
2) Quality

Everything else - I don't care. I also would pay premium $$ to make sure the food is safe and that it contains what it says it contains.


----------



## Moonshadow

MagicToller said:


> It's an OK food.. Many fillers and by-products though


Actually Bil Jac is a very nice food. All ingredients are fresh, the chicken is not ever frozen and from the time the chicken is clucking to the time it's in Bil Jac is less than 24 hours. They do use by-products but only organs and corn really isn't a problem unless your dog is allergic to it. However...much depends on how the corn is processed as to if the dog can tolerate it or not and I know MANY dogs who's allergy tests state they are allergic to corn who do super on Bil Jac.

I don't currently use the food but I have and if something happened to the company that makes the food I am using I would not hesitate to go back to Bil Jac.


----------



## Brandnewmom

Hi there. I am a brand new mom to a black lab mix. I rescued him last night and went straight to Petco. I did my research first on puppy food. Most vets will tell you that the first ingredient should be Chicken or Turkey. Beef can tend to cause allergies. We purchased Cesar Millan's food. It is all organic, no by products and it have the essential fish oils they need. It was expensive, 17lbs for 39.99 but it was buy one get one free. I had a dog many years ago and used Nutro. I tried 3 different types of food before I had to succumb to Purina. I do not like Purina because of the poor quality and will stick with Cesar's food. I hope this helps. I am so glad to be a part of this forum.


----------



## rosemaryninja

Brandnewmom said:


> Hi there. I am a brand new mom to a black lab mix. I rescued him last night and went straight to Petco. I did my research first on puppy food. Most vets will tell you that the first ingredient should be Chicken or Turkey. Beef can tend to cause allergies. We purchased Cesar Millan's food. It is all organic, no by products and it have the essential fish oils they need. It was expensive, 17lbs for 39.99 but it was buy one get one free. I had a dog many years ago and used Nutro. I tried 3 different types of food before I had to succumb to Purina. I do not like Purina because of the poor quality and will stick with Cesar's food. I hope this helps. I am so glad to be a part of this forum.


There is a lot of hype surrounding Cesar Milan's food, just as there is a lot of marketing hype around any product endorsed by whatever "hot celebrity" there is in the industry at the time. There are a lot of other foods that will provide you with the same level of quality as Cesar's food, but for a lower price. $39.99 for 17 lbs is ridiculous, especially with a Lab.


----------



## flipgirl

You could always get Rachel Ray's dog food called Nutrish (I think). Don't know the cost or where to get it but it's another celebrity food. They should have one named after Oprah. At least she doesn't add an 'ish' to every single word she says. And, I would venture to guess that if Oprah did endorse a dog food, some of the proceeds would go toward stopping puppy mills.


----------



## heat_2008

Yes the more expensive the better. I have a bag of dog poop on sale on ebay for $10,000. So what it's dog poop, it cost $10,000 so it must be some great stuff right.


----------



## Moonshadow

rosemaryninja said:


> There is a lot of hype surrounding Cesar Milan's food, just as there is a lot of marketing hype around any product endorsed by whatever "hot celebrity" there is in the industry at the time. There are a lot of other foods that will provide you with the same level of quality as Cesar's food, but for a lower price. $39.99 for 17 lbs is ridiculous, especially with a Lab.


I agree it's VERY expensive but if it's certified orgainc (not sure if it is but I think it may be) then it's not that far out of line with the other organic kibbles. I've fed some of them and Karma (by Natura) is more expensive I think.

I don't eat organic so I gave up trying to feed it to my dogs but if someone is looking for that type of food I don't think the price is that bad.


----------



## John Lee

I can't believe people are saying No. The question is where expensive is better. I think if that's the only thing you are going by, you have to say yes. Brands like Timberwolf, Orijen, Evangers... among many others are more expensive, and YES--they are better than Iam's or whatever they have at Petco or Petsmart.


----------



## heat_2008

John Lee said:


> I can't believe people are saying No. The question is where expensive is better. I think if that's the only thing you are going by, you have to say yes. Brands like Timberwolf, Orijen, Evangers... among many others are more expensive, and YES--they are better than Iam's or whatever they have at Petco or Petsmart.


Uh no, price has nothing to do with the quality of the food. Some higher priced foods are good, some are not.


----------



## Erick Aguilar

heat_2008 said:


> Yes the more expensive the better. I have a bag of dog poop on sale on ebay for $10,000. So what it's dog poop, it cost $10,000 so it must be some great stuff right.


Or alot of Poop, plus.. it's ebay what you speak of, people buy the strangest things there..


Honestly, i do agree that sometimes you buy the brand instead of the food, BASING my agreedment on how the mexican economy works.. the most expensive foods, sometimes tend to be the must sucky (I.E. Pedigree, Purina) are extreamly expensive here, and seen like the top dawgs, which is obviously not true.


----------



## technotask

sheltieluver4 said:


> Hi yall, i have a question, is expensive dog food better than the cheap genaric kind? {i know i spelled that wrong srry} Cause we r getting a new sheltie puppy soon and i want to spoil her but i want good tasting dog food 4 her not boring kind, maybe i should taste the dog food lol just kidding


not at all.... there are amny brands offering beeter quality food for less price... nd afterall its all about the healthy food...


----------



## bigbadjohnsmom

What about Origen Large Breed Puppy? Is this good?


----------



## ValtheAussie

My dog's breeder swears by Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover's Soul, however, the woman is a whack job; I found this out, too late, by dealing with her after the sale of my puppy to me.

Now I am using a combo of Orijen Puppy and CSFTPLS which my Aussie seems to love it a lot and is doing well on it. I add some plain yoghurt or cottage cheese to the mix for a little extra calcium.

Could I get away with something cheaper? Well, I did try Nutro Puppy Max for a bit, and the puppy didn't seem to enjoy his food at all.


----------



## InkedMarie

*Re: What i feed my shelties*



LDLegacies said:


> I have 7 Shelties all ranging in age from 11 years to 9 wks old. I feed Innova and Healthwise Puppy.
> Expensive foods are not always good foods, Science diet is one that people think is great. It's high priced, the vets sell it, so it must be good, right? Not! The 1st ingredient on the back of the bag is Corn! Big No NO. You always want your 1st ingredients to be meat meals (Chicken meal, lamb meal so on) and then your veggie types .
> Visiti www.naturapet.com and look at the ingredients of there food. They also have a page where you can compare what you feed to there food. BIG DIFFERENCE in quality. Not only that, But when you feed a crummy food, they have alot of fillers in it so the dog eats more of it. When you feed a high quality food, they get full and satified because its meeting there nutritional requirements and not acting as a filler. Therefor, feeding less and a bag is lasting longer than the cheap food. It may be more cost upfront initially, But in the long run, you will save!


I agree with everything you said and have to say, I think I'd love your house. I love shelties, have two of them and my husband's dream dog is a Bernese!


----------



## ValtheAussie

*Re: What i feed my shelties*

Berner's have a cancer gene and they don't live much past 7 to 8 years; heartbreaking.


----------



## wcolin54

Expensive is not always best
here is a good way to rate the food 

Dog Food Rating (Kirkland is the Costco brand and is $30 for a 40lbs bag)


Start with a grade of 100: 
1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points 
2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or
fat) reference, subtract 10 points 
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points 
4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source,subtract 5 points 
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five 
ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer's rice", "rice flour" are
all the same grain), subtract 5 points 
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats 
in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points 
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points 
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points 
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points 
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2
points 
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic
to other protein sources), subtract 2 points 
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points 
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to
wheat), subtract 2 points 
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to 
beef), subtract 1 point 
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point 
Extra Credit: 
1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points 
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or 
nutritionist, add 5 points 
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points 
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points 
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points 
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points 
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points 
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points 
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points 
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point 
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point 
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than 
the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source 
but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point 
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point 
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free 
add 1 point 
94-100+ = A 
86-93 = B 
78-85 = C 
70-77 = D 
69 = F 
Here are some foods that have already been scored. Dog Food scores: 
Dog Food scores:
Alpo Prime Cuts / Score 81 C
Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy / Score 114 A+
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Authority Harvest Baked Less Active / Score 93 B
Beowulf Back to Basics / Score 101 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice / Score 83 C
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice / Score 106 A+
Burns Chicken and Brown Rice / Score 107 A+
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Diamond Performance / Score 85 C
**** Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
**** Van Patten's Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice / Score 106 A+
**** Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
EaglePack Holistic / Score 102 A+
Eukanuba Adult / Score 81 C
Eukanuba Puppy / Score 79 C
Flint River Senior / Score 101 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Innova Large Breed Puppy / Score 122 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Member's Mark Chicken and Rice / Score 84 C
Merrick Wilderness Blend / Score 127 A+
Nature's Recipe / Score 100 A
Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Venison and Rice / Score 116 A+
Nature's Variety Raw Instinct / Score 122 A+
Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice / Score 81 C
Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy / Score 101 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Max Adult / Score 93 B
Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice / Score 98 A
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free / Score 86 B
Nutro Natural Choice Senior / Score 95 A
Nutro Ultra Adult / Score 104 A+
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
Premium Edge Chicken, Rice and Vegetables Adult Dry / Score 109 A+
Pro Nature Puppy / Score 80 C
Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach / Score 94 A
Purina Benful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Purina One Large Breed Puppy / Score 62 F
Royal Canin Boxer / Score 103 A+
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Solid Gold / Score 99 A
Summit / Score 99 A
Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry / Score 120 A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A


----------



## Love's_Sophie

*Re: Oh*



sheltieluver4 said:


> Well could yall give me a little heads up on what yall buy yalls dog/puppy?  Thanks i kinda need ideas


I rotate Chicken Soup Puppy, Taste of the Wild, Solid Gold. I also feed a partial RAW diet.


----------



## TomN

sheltieluver4 said:


> Hi yall, i have a question, is expensive dog food better than the cheap genaric kind? {i know i spelled that wrong srry} Cause we r getting a new sheltie puppy soon and i want to spoil her but i want good tasting dog food 4 her not boring kind, maybe i should taste the dog food lol just kidding


Better in what way? 

Many dogs will react differently to different feeds, expensive or not. Plenty of dogs out there that may not tolerate some of the expensive holistic feeds out there. And I'm sure you will find some owners that will swear by the cheap grocery chain foods. Find a good premium food that you can afford and that your dog likes and does well on and stick with it. Research dog food ingredients and read ingredient labels before you buy. To put a blanket statement that the more expensive the feed the better is not necessarily true.


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## tmch

Hi, If you really want to spoil your friend I would strongly suggest miss autumns barkery dog food. I havebeen feeding my 2 boston's all three types for close to a year know and they have never been healthyer. My vet told me that this food is the best on the market. This company will send you a free sample if you go to their web site.The food actually looks like real food. they do not have a dry yet but they are working on it. This is truly people food made for dogs.If you try it and like it tell others because there is so much junk out there we really need to identify the good ones for our pet sake.

lisa


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## jaytuk

*Re: Oh*



sheltieluver4 said:


> Yeah ok its just that some dogs get boreded out with the same food, i really like purina brands, what do yall think about that


I usually use purina to feed my dog. Seems to work just fine.


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## Cesare Borgia

*Re: Oh*

If more expensive is better than by all rights, Science Diet should be right at the top of the list...........


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## boon4376

tmch said:


> Hi, If you really want to spoil your friend I would strongly suggest miss autumns barkery dog food. I havebeen feeding my 2 boston's all three types for close to a year know and they have never been healthyer. My vet told me that this food is the best on the market.


There isnt much protein in that stuff... 8-11%  and no added vitamins or minerals, are you feeding your dogs anything else?

this stuff correct? http://www.missautumnsbarkery.com/products.php

I'd be worried that my dogs were deficient in many nutrients and vitamins with such a small variety of ingredients and no supplemental vitamins listed.

And at $5.00 and $6.00 a jar it would be MUCH cheaper to buy a food processor and turkey breast rice peas and carrots at the grocery store.. You could make and package 10 jars yourself in a matter of an hour for less than $10.00.. you could also add things that are lacking in those ingredients.


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## RonE

Boon, tmch blew in here 4/27/09, posted a single spam message (which wasn't deleted because there were no links or redirects) and then disappeared forever. 

I wouldn't waste a lot of time agonizing over the quality of Miss Autmen's Bakery Dog Food.

A note to spammer wannabees: This thread seems to be a magnet for spammers and the moderators tend to watch it closely. You and your posts will normally disappear before anybody has had a chance to read them and line to buy your product.


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## boon4376

RonE said:


> Boon, tmch blew in here 4/27/09, posted a *single* spam message (which wasn't deleted because there were no links or redirects) and then disappeared forever.


Damn i should have caught that


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## SaveStrayDogs

I don't know what makes a dog food cheap and what expensive.
But if we compare two foods with different prices we could see big differences on the ingredient list too.
For example:
ForPals Med.Breed Adult - 15kg/40-45euros:
Chicken meat meal(min26%), rice(min26%), corn, sugar beet, refined chicken oil, oats, whole egg powder, herring meal, dried brewers yeast, whole linseed, salmon oil, yucca extract, minerals, mannan and fructo-oligosaccharides, glucosamine sulphate, MSM, chondroitin sulphate, green tea extract, grape seed extract, vitamins(the explain all the vitamin levels in the company brochure).

Royal Canin Medium Breed Adult 15kg/60euros:
Dehydrated poultry meat, wheat flour, maize flour, maize, wheat, animal fats, hydrolysed animal proteins, dehydrated pork protein, beet pulp, fish oil, soya oil, yeasts, minerals, yeast extract (source of manno-oligo-saccharides), egg powder.

If i would read only the ingredients i would choose the first one!!!
So,does the price make the difference?


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## championlab1

LabLady101 said:


> Chicken Soup is a good food, but not all lines of Purina are bad. Pro Plan, for instance, is a great food and many champions have been raised on it. Is someone going to tell those breeders that have had years of success only feeding Purina products (including, GASP!, Dog Chow!) that they are all wrong? I'm not going to. Purina has put decades of research into their products and I doubt that the very tiny amount of this Menadione Sodium that's actually in the food (which is a very negligible amount as it's so far down the ingredients list) is harmful. If it were, you would hear of more cases of poisoning and Purina would have to pull all their products from the shelves.
> 
> Now, that being said, I believe you just have to feed what works for your individual dog. If your two are doing great on Purina's products, then leave them on them. Depending upon which line you're feeding now, you could possibly go with a higher-end Purina product. However, I do have to stress that you do not want to put your pets on the the "dogfood rollercoaster"- which involves switching from one brand to another to another, never giving your pets a proper period of adjustment to see results in-between. People who get on the rollercoaster seldom ever find their way off or even back to a good point. The end result of the rollercoaster ride is a dog that has reactions to just about everything.
> 
> Good luck!
> 
> Darcy


Re: your thoughts on purina and menadione.. 1st purina like every other dog food company is 1st and for most interested in the bottom line..$$$..if they werent, 30 yrs ago they would of started a transition to a more grain free approach to there products.. not to single out purina..all the major dog food companies are subsideraries of global food processing companies, and there ingredients are the by products, of the human food grade industry.. enough said on that... 
as for the menadione..... consider this.... do they make lead based paint any longer...no.. why.. because the public became concious of the effects to there children, and the poisioning that ran rampet.. forcing class action suits that made it no longer economical for paint companies to produce lead base paints...... asbestos........the same......... how about cigarettes, and the cancer we all know it causes.... tobacco lobbists still have the product on the market, due to extreme fiscal clout... would you have your children smoke, because they can still purchase tobacco.... its really only in the last 5 yrs, that consumers have taken action against dog food companies.. and in time.....these manufacturing companies will remove the menadione from there products....not by ignoring it as you suggest.. rather by the public renouncing these practices, forcing a severe drop in sales from the violators, forcing these companies hands where it hurts.....there pocket books..... so before you dismiss there inclusion of these harmful ingredients understand there only there to optimize profits.....with no concern to you canine companions health... the only onther explaination is incompedence..is that the kind of company you would want to purchase anything from?..


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## Dozi

sheltieluver4 said:


> Hi yall, i have a question, is expensive dog food better than the cheap genaric kind? {i know i spelled that wrong srry} Cause we r getting a new sheltie puppy soon and i want to spoil her but i want good tasting dog food 4 her not boring kind, maybe i should taste the dog food lol just kidding


Yes... I've noticed that more expensive brands keep your dog full for longer and they poop less due to better quality ingredients. 
Yes... poop less... cheaper brands make your dog poop more due to the lack of nutrition that can be absorbed out of the food. (meaning less of the food gets absorbed - more gets disposed off by the body - cheaper food has less nutrition and more filler than more expensive brands)


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## Junior

So much info in this thread my head is spinning. I home cook and buy the occasional bag of Fromm's duck and sweet potato. My fussy girl will munch on this as a snack on occasion.. any thoughts on Fromm's? 


 Please click my eggies and my hatchies


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## JSporty1

My dog was being fed Purina One at the humane society. She had nothing but trouble with that food, and we switched her to the Dog Whisperer puppy food once we realized that the problems were mostly due to her food. That was a decent puppy food, and unless anyone has any better puppy-specific ideas, I recommend that for puppies.
Now that she's an adult, she gets Innova EVO red meat large bites. She LOVES it, and she's never been healthier. Her coat is incredibly soft and shiny now, and she's got tons of energy. EVO is pricey, but it's worth knowing that my dog is getting proper nutrition.


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## Ludo the Monster

I've always heard that the more expensive food isn't really more expensive because you feed less.

As with many things: not the case with Ludo. In fact, he eats almost twice as much of Orijen, Blue Buffalo and B.G. as he does when he is fed Iams. Where a 17.5 bag of Iam lasts about three and a half weeks, I am lucky of a 17lb bag of the others lasts a week and a half. 

Now, that said, it is worth the added expense to know he isn't getting grains. I hate that he is on a grain diet right now but he will be switching soon.


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## ValtheAussie

My dog doesn't want to eat Iams. He gets Blue Buffalo. He eats the amount that I give him for his age and weight.


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## tefobuch

Wow, great post! Lots of excellent info here. Thanks guys!



> Filling for Kongs:
> Peanut butter
> kibble
> carrot
> apple/pear
> braunswieger
> cottage cheese
> liver treats
> cream cheese to seal openings


One more idea to add to this list. I stuff the kong with yogurt and then freeze it! Lasts much longer, and it's great for teething puppies too. I've also added a variety of fillings to the yogurt such as peanut butter and even experimented with all natural baby food, apple puree, etc. 

(Nah, my doggie's not spoiled rotten .... 



> This would be the "laws" created by AAFCO which is basically a Who's Who of the pet food industry.
> 
> How can you truly know what you are reading on the labeling when there is so much that is "misleading". For example, my understanding is that for a product to be labelled "with lamb", it's wet weight has to have a minimum 1%!!! of "lamb product (anyone know what that is?)".
> 
> How is it the FDA can spend billions legislating face creams yet we allow the pet food industry to regulate itself? Misleading doesn't come close.


Exactly! Little dumb old me ... took me quite a while to wake up to what really goes on behind the scenes ... it's SHOCKING!!!

Oh btw, "with" has to be 3% min I believe. It's the "flavor" rule ... ie "Lamb _flavored _ yummy-yum doggy food" that has to have just a *TRACE* of lamb! Anyone know what a "trace" is????!!! 

This is a very good site that really digs beneath all the *#@! and explains everything very simply.. I've learned sooooo much from it. 
http://www.dogfoodscoop.com/index.html 
It's got all the dirt on how to tell a good dog food from the junk just by a quick glance at the label. Also about the "so-called" agencies who ummm "regulate" the pet food industry.

Another thing I found out recently ...  ... is that dog food companies can't be forced to recall products. It has to be *voluntary*!!!!! Has anyone heard that one!!!


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## chames

We had allergy problems with our female Miniature Schnauzer. The vet recommended some Science Diet Ultra for her. A large bag was really expensive... over $80. But we noticed her losing a lot of weight, and becoming lethargic. I did a bunch of investigating on the internet for dog food and found the dog food rating site rated the expensive Science Diet Ultra a 1 out of 6 (with 1 being the lowest rating, and 6 being the highest). Its main reason for the low rating was the food used a lot of fillers including "Powered Cellulose" (otherwise known as sawdust). So expensive isn't always better. Anyway, we switched all 3 of our Miniature Schanuzers to Orijen, and have had good luck since then. Today we switched them to the new Orijen product called Regional Red, which is Orijen's first red meat product.


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## AnnaO

I read an interesting article the other day about the more expensive dog food brands tayloring their products to humans instead of the animals that actually eat it. As humans we prefer to think of eating a steak rather than eating cow intestines and livers. Dogs, however, prefer these "less desirable" parts which are actually full of good nutrients. The incredient labeled "meat byproduct" is refering to those parts of the animal that humans will not eat. According to this article, at one time Alpo quit making a type of food that dogs loved because the owners thought it smelled bad. That makes me think that all those expensive brands are more worried about satisfying the owner than anything else. Every pet I've ever had has always eaten Purina (cats and dogs) and they have all lived long healthy lives. I would recommend it as a quality dog food for an affordable price. If you can afford the more expensive stuff, then go ahead and spring for it, but if you don't, I'd say Purina is just fine.


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## Labsnothers

Ah, a refreshing bit of logic. In the one thread about domesticating dogs, I found myself wondering when we quit eating offal and started feeding it to our dogs. 

I will say if you move up from Purina to Purina 1 or Iams, you have smaller, firmer stools to clean up. It won't mean ____ to your pets.


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## canteloupe

AnnaO said:


> I read an interesting article the other day about the more expensive dog food brands tayloring their products to humans instead of the animals that actually eat it. As humans we prefer to think of eating a steak rather than eating cow intestines and livers. Dogs, however, prefer these "less desirable" parts which are actually full of good nutrients. The incredient labeled "meat byproduct" is refering to those parts of the animal that humans will not eat. According to this article, at one time Alpo quit making a type of food that dogs loved because the owners thought it smelled bad. That makes me think that all those expensive brands are more worried about satisfying the owner than anything else. Every pet I've ever had has always eaten Purina (cats and dogs) and they have all lived long healthy lives. I would recommend it as a quality dog food for an affordable price. If you can afford the more expensive stuff, then go ahead and spring for it, but if you don't, I'd say Purina is just fine.


Sounds like you read an article by someone in the big brand pet food industry. "By-products" does _not_ mean those healthy organ meats -- it means virtually anything that is left over after the meat and many human-grade organs are removed. So heads, tails, intestines, blood, viscera, feathers, underdeveloped eggs, ligaments, tumors, etc. -- virtually whatever is left. If you want to read an article about how pet food is made, check out this one, by bornfreeusa.org.

Yeah, buying something because it says "Yummy, steak flavored!" on the front label would be falling for an advertising gimmick -- but learning how to read product labels so you can choose the best food for your pets is educating yourself.


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## Labsnothers

Sorry, the FDA strictly limits the amounts of feathers in meal. From the AAFCO defination, ''Chicken By-Product Meal - consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice. 

I feel saying feathers is a clever half truth meant to mislead.


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## AnnaO

Actually, the article I read was written by John Stossel of 20/20. That's not to say that he couldn't have fallen on some misguided information, but I do believe that many humans forget that their pets are, in fact, animals and not people. Of course, I want my little Oscar to be as healthy as possible and I want to feed him what is good and wholesome. In doing that, I have found that Purina works well for us, though it may not be what's best for other dogs.


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## Active Dog

It depends on what you want in their food and what you believe is biologically better for your dog. Example its agreed for the most part that corn is bad, not just because dogs are carnivores but also because its hard to digest. Its hard for humans to digest so its understandably hard for dogs to process as well. It just so happens that most foods with better ingredients are more expensive, however you do not need to feed them as much as you do on a cheaper brand. On a product with heavy fillers I needed to feed 3-4 cups a day were as on a better brand I only need to feed 2 cups. That being said I believe that what works for your dog is what is best provided you know nothing else works for your dog and you.


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## jess4525

I feed my dog Blue Buffalo Basics Turkey and Potato formula.


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## macavity

http://www.coprice.com.au/g-family-dog-food

this is what I feed my GSD - and it is what the breeder recommended.

She gets 2 cups a day for dinner, and a bone to chew on in the morning (my local butcher does 5-6kg bags of meaty or marrow bones for $2 )

It is about $40 for a 20kg bag, which lasts about 3 months.


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## camoreno

When our rottweiler was a pup, she had some issues with her dog food giving her diarrhea or really soft stool. Her breeder was always saying that her poops should be like little Tootsie Rolls. If she was really loose, we would feed her boiled chicken breast and bland white rice until she firmed up again. 

We found that Innova brand food really agreed with her, and we fed her that for quite awhile as she got out of the puppy stage. Now, again on the advice of her breeder, we feed her Wellness brand CORE. She gets some supplements in her food and even a little scoop of yogurt with live cultures to curb gas - which can run us out of the room at times! 

I like the CORE because everything in it is natural and wholesome, and there aren't any words in the ingredients that I can't pronounce or that I don't recognize. I think it's important for our dogs, as it is with ourselves, to read labels and stay away from chemical-laden ingredients and to stay away from salt and sweeteners.


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## Active Dog

Tom Jollands said:


> 7. Chicken and Fish bone - these can splinter when eaten and can cause severe abdominal damage.


This does not really work with the raw diet, unless you mean cooked chicken and fish.


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