# Eukanuba Puppy Food?



## BradyHound (Aug 5, 2016)

I'm a longtime dog owner, and until I was in my early 20's, was active in bird dog field trials (English Pointers) with my father. My last dog was a Shepherd/pit bull mix that passed away last month at the age of 15 due to degenerative myelopathy. So, it's been a good long while since I had a puppy, and I hate to admit this, but even having helped raise so many litters of dad's pointers, I feel like I've forgotten everything there is to know about raising a pup :redface:

Now that we'll be getting a 12 week old pup next weekend, we're preparing for everything else he'll need - bones, balls, toys, treats, dog beds, etc., it's dawned on us we have no idea what to feed him.

My Shepherd started out on Eukanuba Puppy (the lamb & rice, I think), but he was a rescue dog that always had a thin coat and health issues, so pretty early on, I switched him to a homemade (mostly cooked with some raw) diet, then rotated with "holistic" kibbles on and off for several years. It was only when he was diagnosed with DM in 2013 that I switched him back to mostly raw until we lost him. It's undeniable that having real food in his diet prolonged his life and, more importantly, gave him such a good quality of life when he was sick. So, long story short, we'd like to remain with some form of home prepared diet, but I am soooo nervous about going all raw (or cooked - I haven't decided yet) with such a young, growing pup. 

And not only did I have good results with the Euk Puppy, my father supplemented with it and reared two or three litters on that brand before he retired from dogs, and his pups were always in good condition. 

My experience with it ended at least 10+ years ago, though, so I am wondering if Eukanuba is still considered a good food? Does anyone feed it now, and if so, do you have good or bad experiences with it?

Thanks for reading, and sorry this got so long-winded. I haven't "talked dogs" in years!


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## Hiraeth (Aug 4, 2015)

Welcome to the forum.

To answer your question, no, Eukanuba is not considered a high quality food. But then again, most people on the forum are advocates of "find what your dog does well on and stick with it".

Some higher quality kibbles are Fromm, Orijen, Acana and Earthborn. 

I also know many people who raise puppies on raw diets and have no problems whatsoever.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

My personal experience back in 1990... was my individual dogs pooped too much on Euk and Pro Plan when i tried them at the time it was my first introduction to higher end $$$ wise dog food for working dogs... and I just didn't see anything fantastic over all... it was the multiple poops per meal that my individual dogs were pooping the food out on the ground instead of benefiting from it.. haven't tired it since to know what their formula is currently like.


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## sandgrubber (May 21, 2014)

There is a lot of hype about dog food. I have fed Eukanuba puppy with no problems, as have many breeders. Btw., when I lived in Australia, it cost $AU129 or so for large bag, and people viewed it as 'premium'. There is little scientific evidence that the 'high quality foods' are much better than the middle grade foods. Eg., it's not at all clear that corn meal is bad. By-products could be good or bad, depending on what by product they are. I think everyone agrees that labeling laws for dog food are not ideal for helping people decide what to buy.
see, eg: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2009/07/pet-food-nutrition-myths/

I agree with everyone who will tell you "feed what works for your dog".


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## philovance (Jan 7, 2009)

I only started feeding Pro Plan last year and have only used Sport Performance (no shreds) but my experience is the opposite of yours. I only need to feed my very active 15 lb terrier 1/4 cup twice a day and she only poops 2-3 times a day. Her stools are always firm and tiny. I have fed Orijen, Merrick, Wellness, Holistic Select, Wysong, etc. and have had the most consistent good results with PP.


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## doodlebug124 (Oct 31, 2015)

Based on the ingredient panel only, their Excel Lamb Puppy appears to be a fairly decent food. However I don't know where they source ingredients from (anything from China?) and whether they use human or pet grade ingredients to start. I'm not a fan of giving my pets 4D animals (dead, dying, diseases or disabled when they reach the slaughter house), so I look for human grade. Basically, the quality of the ingredients is important.

The rest of the Eukanuba foods are heavy on the by-product meals (not usually good by-products) and corn products. It's not something I would feed my dog. 

Find a good mom & pop food store in your area and let them help you choose a food. You'll get much better advice than you will from the big box pet food stores. If you need help finding an independent store in your area go to the Fromm, Orijen, or Earthborn website and check their store locator for your area.


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## esuastegui (Aug 8, 2016)

Another data point: I'm feeding my 5 month old pup Purina Pro Plan, and she poops only after meal times, nice consistency, and less quantity than the first days when I had her on the junk food the previous owners had been giving her.


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## MarieLovesChis (Mar 21, 2014)

I mean if your dog does good on it.... then great. I don't really have a problem with by products but I do try to avoid corn heavy foods.

I wish Onyx would do good on the cheaper foods. Sure, she does good internally for the most part (solid consistent stool, good coat), but I find she gains weight rapidly on any high carb food. Unfortunately, all of the lower priced "tried and true" foods are lower in protein and higher in carbs so that knocks out a lot of options for us.

I always figured a calorie is a calorie is a calorie but... clearly not. She maintains on 135 calories with most low carb foods (she's a small old dog). With high carb foods, I can barely put 100 calories in her without her gaining at least half a pound in a month. Ridiculous. So for MY dog, Euk is probably not a good choice.


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## esuastegui (Aug 8, 2016)

High carb content seems to get a bad wrap, but just a bit of wisdom I learned from my marathoning days... Carbs are fuel. So long a you *burn them* they are not evil unto themselves. Weight gain from carbs usually has a direct connection to inactivity. In addition, one needs to watch the glycemic index. Not all carbs are made the same. Those that take the longest to process through your body are the best, as opposed to the high-sugar ones that go through like a rocket to make your sugar level spike.


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## MarieLovesChis (Mar 21, 2014)

esuastegui said:


> High carb content seems to get a bad wrap, but just a bit of wisdom I learned from my marathoning days... Carbs are fuel. So long a you *burn them* they are not evil unto themselves. Weight gain from carbs usually has a direct connection to inactivity. In addition, one needs to watch the glycemic index. Not all carbs are made the same. Those that take the longest to process through your body are the best, as opposed to the high-sugar ones that go through like a rocket to make your sugar level spike.


Yea she's certainly not the most active of dogs. 9 years old, bad knees, with arthritis starting too. She's got the energy, poor thing wants to RUN for days, but does not have the body for it. Vet doesn't want me walking her more than 15 - 20 minutes twice a day, slow calm walks only. I certainly have no problems with carbs, I just haven't found a more carb heavy food that she maintains a good weight on, yet.


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## MosinMom91 (Aug 12, 2016)

http://www.barfworld.com/html/learn_more/barf_pups.shtml

If you were more interested in reading a little about feeding raw to a puppy. It might be a biased article, but I have fed my puppy raw from the day I brought him home because that's what the breeder had him on, and he has grown up normal, healthy, and lean. 

Feed what you feel most comfortable feeding though!


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## esuastegui (Aug 8, 2016)

MosinMom91 said:


> http://www.barfworld.com/html/learn_more/barf_pups.shtml
> 
> If you were more interested in reading a little about feeding raw to a puppy. It might be a biased article, but I have fed my puppy raw from the day I brought him home because that's what the breeder had him on, and he has grown up normal, healthy, and lean.
> 
> Feed what you feel most comfortable feeding though!


I must say every time I read an article on feeding raw or home prepared food, I get really excited, until I get to all the measuring/mixing and get that "oh, no, back in chemistry class feeling"--yes, hyperbole, but a real panic nonetheless. Given my work schedule, I'd like to dedicate my time to interacting with my pup rather than food preparation (on top of what we already do for the humans in the household). If that level of preparation works for your lifestyle, that's awesome. Your pups will love you for it.


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## MosinMom91 (Aug 12, 2016)

esuastegui said:


> I must say every time I read an article on feeding raw or home prepared food, I get really excited, until I get to all the measuring/mixing and get that "oh, no, back in chemistry class feeling"--yes, hyperbole, but a real panic nonetheless. Given my work schedule, I'd like to dedicate my time to interacting with my pup rather than food preparation (on top of what we already do for the humans in the household). If that level of preparation works for your lifestyle, that's awesome. Your pups will love you for it.


I was exhausted trying to figure out how best to feed them at first, so I hear you there, but I do a BIG mixture of a lot of their veggies, fruits, carbs, greens, additives, etc. at the beginning of the week and put it in one big bowl, almost in smoothie mixture. It lasts for the week, and then the only other "prep" is getting their meat out to thaw. The thawing I just grab whatever meat I'm going to give for their evening meal and get it out and put it in their bowls as soon as they are done wolfing down breakfast, and vice versa. 

My work schedule is also exhausting, and by spending a little bit of time on one day of the week doing one big prep it freed me up for the rest of the time. I also prefer to spend time with my pup rather than just feed him, so this was what worked best.


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## BaskervilleHound (Dec 5, 2015)

BradyHound said:


> And not only did I have good results with the Euk Puppy, my father supplemented with it and reared two or three litters on that brand before he retired from dogs, and his pups were always in good condition.
> 
> My experience with it ended at least 10+ years ago, though, so I am wondering if Eukanuba is still considered a good food? Does anyone feed it now, and if so, do you have good or bad experiences with it?
> 
> Thanks for reading, and sorry this got so long-winded. I haven't "talked dogs" in years!



Late to this, but if you haven't already gone and bought another food, IMHO, I'd say the Eukanuba puppy would be a good choice. 

I recently went back to the brand after a long hiatus... I stopped feeding it when the dogs were getting sick from the dry food around the time the canned was recalled during those infamous Menu Foods recalls of '08. Proctor & Gamble got its grubby paws on the brand not long after I originally began feeding it, and after several years of raw feeding, I went with Eukanuba Premium Performance in '05, only to notice something of a decline in quality at that point. 

That being said, I recently began using it again. It's not quite as excellent as it was two decades ago, but I'd say it comes close, and the Lamb & Rice formula has been working very well for my dogs. I feed mainly raw, but use the kibble as a supplement, and definitely noticed a change for the better in teeth, coat quality and stamina with the Eukanuba added.


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## rkj__ (Dec 15, 2015)

I saw some Eukanuba on sale, so I looked into it. I read quite a few negative reviews, so I decided to pass on it. 

As always though, you must take reviews with a grain of salt. It could end up working well for your dog.


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## BaskervilleHound (Dec 5, 2015)

rkj__ said:


> I saw some Eukanuba on sale, so I looked into it. I read quite a few negative reviews, so I decided to pass on it.
> 
> As always though, you must take reviews with a grain of salt. It could end up working well for your dog.



Agreed. Some reviews are genuine, others... well, it seems like some people have nothing better to do with their life than play the dog food ingredient police and leave bad reviews for brands they've never even tried.


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## Nature (Dec 1, 2015)

There are a lot of videos on Youtube on how to feed a dog/puppy a Raw Meat diet. A lot of them go by your dogs weight.
It's actually really easy to feed a Raw Meat diet.

I would never feed a dog any packaged kibble/canned food. There are a lot of binders in it that is harmful to dogs in the long run.


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## Mirzam (Jan 17, 2011)

With regard to feeding a puppy raw, I have done that with my current dog, from when I got him at 9 1/2 weeks old, he is now six. It really isn't difficult, and there are many online resources. I would caution about some of the facebook pages which seemed to be dominated by very OCD types who obsess over their dog's diet in a way they probably don't do for themselves or the children.


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## BaskervilleHound (Dec 5, 2015)

Nature said:


> There are a lot of videos on Youtube on how to feed a dog/puppy a Raw Meat diet. A lot of them go by your dogs weight.
> It's actually really easy to feed a Raw Meat diet.
> 
> I would never feed a dog any packaged kibble/canned food. There are a lot of binders in it that is harmful to dogs in the long run.



No, feeding a raw diet is not rocket science, but it's not so simple as some make it out to be. I just had one diagnosed with osteomalacia, and I'm an older than dirt, seasoned veteran raw feeder. I also feel when done properly raw is best for most (but not all dogs), but some of the snobbery regarding dog diets really gets on my nerves. An owner has to feed what he or she is comfortable with and can afford. Whether or not YOU or any internet entity approves of the decision to feed kibble is completely irrelevant.


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## LennyandRogue (Jun 25, 2016)

Raw diets don't work for every dog...and whether or not you think bacteria is a concern parasites can still be a problem. My puppy had hookworm + whipworm, switched him off and dosed him with panacur, now he's OK. The problem I think is that the meat was thawed + frozen too often which let the parasites stay active..gotta separate it by meals, not just stick it in a huge tub.

Anyway unless you get a bad batch, or your dog has allergies, kibble/canned isn't likely to hurt your dog...our older dog (18) was on all sorts of crap when she was younger (science diet, beneful, purina) and was on a few mid-to-high quality foods when she was older (blue wilderness, fromm) and throughout her life she got lots of rawhides, meaty femurs, soup bones, and table scraps. She never had any major GI issues and we mostly switched her later in life because of the recall scares...unfortunately the fromm and bb flavors were salmon, which she didn't care for. we thought they'd be good for her skin and coat but the food smelled bad and she didn't even want it. Ended up just giving her a supplement and I don't remember what else we fed her.


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## Galathiel (Apr 11, 2012)

More than likely your dog became infested with worms from the environment, not his food. I've fed kibble and now feed raw. I like both fine, just have a dog that I'm trying to minimize food sensitivities exposure. My dog didn't like Fromm grain free, liked the Gold LBP and Gold adult okay. Some foods I just won't feed or buy, don't care if my dog would like them. Not buying any of the grocery store brands (Purina, Eukenuba, etc.) or Diamond products either. I've fed Merrick, Nature's Variety Instinct and Acana with good results. Switched off Merrick when they were bought out by Nestle.


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## LennyandRogue (Jun 25, 2016)

His previous owner was raw feeding salmon and pork which do carry parasites (and which if I'm not mistaken are a big no among raw-feeding advocates). Aside from that mishandling still occurs even with human-grade meat, but because we generally cook our meat we have almost zero opportunities to find out. It's part of why you'll see warnings about steak tartar that talk about risk of food-bourne illnesses even though that type of steak is extremely fresh and safe. It's not *likely* that a given piece of meat is going to be contaminated but it is a possibility.

That said you're right, I don't know for sure what caused Rogue to have worms, only that he did. And hopefully they don't come back.


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## BaskervilleHound (Dec 5, 2015)

lennydit said:


> Raw diets don't work for every dog...and whether or not you think bacteria is a concern parasites can still be a problem. My puppy had hookworm + whipworm, switched him off and dosed him with panacur, now he's OK. The problem I think is that the meat was thawed + frozen too often which let the parasites stay active..gotta separate it by meals, not just stick it in a huge tub.


For my own dogs, I prefer to supplement with raw as opposed to cooked, BUT, I agree completely that bacteria and parasites are relevant concerns. The first pup I ever raised on raw did have an ongoing problem with worms & dietary imbalance, which as a result caused a weakness/slight inward bowing to her hocks, which was not present in her when I got her from the breeder, nor did her sire, dam, siblings or puppies ever have that issue. That dog's growth problems on a well made raw diet was the reason I first went back to kibble, and I breathed a sigh of relief that the new pup is being raised on mostly kibble when my older dog was just diagnosed with the adult version of rickets. So, yes, raw has its benefits, but also its risks, and it MUST be very involved and well planned out when done for a puppy. Even then, $*** happens :/


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

BaskervilleHound said:


> For my own dogs, I prefer to supplement with raw as opposed to cooked, BUT, I agree completely that bacteria and parasites are relevant concerns. The first pup I ever raised on raw did have an ongoing problem with worms & dietary imbalance, which as a result caused a weakness/slight inward bowing to her hocks, which was not present in her when I got her from the breeder, nor did her sire, dam, siblings or puppies ever have that issue. That dog's growth problems on a well made raw diet was the reason I first went back to kibble, and I breathed a sigh of relief that the new pup is being raised on mostly kibble when my older dog was just diagnosed with the adult version of rickets. So, yes, raw has its benefits, but also its risks, and it MUST be very involved and well planned out when done for a puppy. Even then, $*** happens :/


I want to say that it is "nice" to see that people with some negative RAW experiences speak up; unfortunately it is only found when an animal has issues. I personally don't feed RAW but every so often a poster comes around to indicate that us kibble idiots are killing our dogs by feeding what we do. I know other people here have posted against such RAW zealots in some threads but I think this is the first thread that actually mentioned problems from feeding RAW.

The idea - what's best for your dog and lifestyle - gets lost. I feed decent quality kibble (Annamaet) and it's what I want to do for my dog. If RAW is a person's thing - great for them. Actually, I'm sure people feed Ol' Roy and their dog lives to be 12 or 13 YO ... no guarantee that any dog will live to be 20 regardless of what we feed.


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## Galathiel (Apr 11, 2012)

I will say that it's VERY important to feed a balanced raw to a growing pup, i.e., I would probably only feed a commercially prepared raw because I'm paranoid. If you can't balance it properly, it's better for the dog to be fed a good kibble.


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