# Nature's Choice vs Pro Pac



## DebD (May 24, 2008)

ok, I need some feedback to help make my decision! I have a 2-3 y/o cocker spaniel with a sensitive stomach. I want to change his food from Hills Science Diet "sensitive stomach" to either Merrick dry food, Nature's Recipe "easy to digest" or Pro Pac Lamb and rice....any suggestions???


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## UrbanBeagles (Aug 13, 2007)

I have never fed Nature's Choice, however, I've used both Merrick (Puppy Plate & Wilderness Blend) and also Pro Pac Adult Chunk in the red bag. They were both disasters 

Merrick was the better food, but not by much. Most of the dogs did ok on it, however, I had a 5yo bitch whose coat just began molting!!! And the thin, sparse fur that she still had was brittle as straw. We actually thought this dog had a hormonal problem, and spent big $$$ at the Vet (who found no medical cause). We never suspected the food b/c the other dogs were unaffected. Their coats were not great, but certainly not brittle and falling out. Then we had a litter of pups a few months ago who started forming scabs/crust over their bodies, mainly on the head & neck area. After a food change, this problem dissapearred. BTW, the bitch with the brittle coat is now on another diet, and her coat is soft as velvet and thicker than it's ever been! 

Pro Pac ... oh Lord. I first tried this food last Sept/Oct. The price seemed to be a great bargain - ingredients didn't look bad either. Lo and behold, after a week on the Pro Pac, there was a noticable increase in luster to everyone's coat! Awesome  But oh, no, that didn't last. After two weeks, coats were looking glossier than ever, but I noticed one of the dogs had a bald spot the size of a nickel on his rear leg. I figured maybe a hot spot or allergy from change in season. Gave him Benadryl and treated the bald spot. It only got larger, and now two of the other dogs had bald spots, one in the center of the tail, the other in the same spot as the first dog. The dogs had been pooping slightly more often on it, but nothing I couldn't deal with. Around the time I had three dogs with bald spots, another began to have chronic diarrhea, and one with the spot on the tail was crapping 5x a day. Every time I let him in the yard ... it was poo time. He had to go so urgently that he temporarily lost his housebreaking. 

When I took the dogs off Pro Pac, the bald spots improved by 50%. One dog was completely healed in a week or so, the other two took a bit longer. 

Then in January, I bought an adult dog who I later learned was eating Pro Pac mini Chunk, also in the red bag. I have never seen a dog in worse condition and I'd never sell one in that sorry shape, but that's another subject entirely. She was a mess of hot spots (one big one on the tail and the other under her neck), coat was shedding profusely, eyes were runny, she had a bad body odor, her poo was runny, her white legs and in between her paws were stained dark brown. Her teeth ... ugh. ROTTED. Still had discharge from a litter she'd whelped two months before ... She had just turned 4yrs old. I switched her to the food I was using for my other dogs, and that did the trick - poo firmed up, coat softened and she barely sheds at all. Her watery eyes are almost completely dried up. Eyes are bright, coat staining is 100% gone. Her ratty tail has grown in thick. So I am sure that the food played a huge role in her horrid condition.


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## BoxMeIn21 (Apr 10, 2007)

Here's Pro Pac's review - eeew. 

Pro Pac Lamb & Rice

Nature's Recipe

I might look for something different either way. Have a look at this site: 
www.dogfoodanalysis.com

I might look for something in the 4,5 or 6 category.


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## DebD (May 24, 2008)

Thanks for the info, that really helped...back to the drawing board I guess...now I'm thinking about Merrick!

Thanks for the response, I appreciate your reply!


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## KintaroLove (May 21, 2008)

My poodle is on Natures recipe but i'm trying to find a good dog food to replace it. I Scored it on the dog food calculator. It got an 83 which is a C. Although I know different dogs react differently to different dog foods my dog didn't do well on natures recipe. He had yellow soft soupy poop, Even when it was solid it was thee smelliest poop aside from cat poop and his farts were FOUL and he laid quiet a few poot bombs on this diet. And this is a 5 lb dog. He's an good eater but when it came to NR he ate very little of it.

BTW natures choice and natures recipe are completely different. i havn't tried natures choice but you mentioned both.


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