# Dry Food - Quality Brands



## polizei (Jan 15, 2012)

Hi everyone, first post here. I very recently started looking into quality food for my dogs, and I've been extremely bothered by what I've found. 

In short, I have a Cavalier King Charles and a Cockilier (Cocker-Cavalier mix). They are 3 and 2 years old. Their main source of food since they were puppies has been Hills Science Diet Small Bites (http://www.hillspet.com/products/sd-canine-adult-small-bites-dry.html). The more I look, I more I read, the more concerned I become. Now, the dogs have been fine up to this point. They are spoiled and don’t do much, so they don’t need a high protein diet and a tremendous amount of exercise like other breeds.

Yesterday I was in the pet store picking up some more food and I started looking at the other brands. I was told Nutro was good, so I started looking into that, then saw Blue Buffalo, Wellness, and a few others. I ended up splurging for the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon (http://www.bluebuffalo.com/dog-food/wilderness-salmon) and the dogs absolutely love it. 

After getting home and doing a little more research, it seems that Nutro is not recommended by very many people. Blue seems to be a good choice, but I was hoping to get some more input because all of this is rather difficult to take in. I was also looking into Taste of the Wild since I might be able to get that locally as well. 

What I’m after is some more information on what I should and should not use, and possibly some insight on how to read labels. I would like to find a reliable holistic company that uses “human-grade” meat, however since they cannot list that, how is this possible? I was reading about the Science Diet vs. Blue argument and really started getting interested in this. Right there on the Science Diet website is listed, “Chicken by-products.” I don’t want to use this food anymore, they like the Blue more anyway. The only problem is the price...I understand I would be paying for the quality product, but it’s almost double the cost. Is there a better/cheaper alternative, or should I switch to Blue and ditch the Science Diet?

These are the articles I read:

http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/the-pet-food-pot-calling-the-kettle-black.html

http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/more-to-the-science-diet-vs-blue-buffalo-story.html

Another thing I’m concerned with is that I’ve read that Science Diet and other companies are basically “endorsed” to vet’s, therefore the Science Diet “#1 Vet Recommended” doesn’t actually have anything to do with the quality or ingredients, is this correct? 

Sorry for the long read, any help would be much appreciated. I'm open to anything I can get locally (West Chester, OH).


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

> Another thing I’m concerned with is that I’ve read that Science Diet and other companies are basically “endorsed” to vet’s, therefore the Science Diet “#1 Vet Recommended” doesn’t actually have anything to do with the quality or ingredients, is this correct?


yes, in general the small nutrition courses in vet school are taught BY Hills, a sale pitch disguised as a class basicly. in my area replace Hills with Medi-cal. a friend of mine started working at a vets office and when to a "nutrition seminar" for the vets and staff..she said the whole thing was nothing more then a a sales pitch for a new Medi-cal formula, the guy giving the pitch did not offered up the ingredients or the nutrient profile..and not a single vet or tech bothered to ask. she said she could not beleive how they just listened with rapt attention, questioned NOTHING, then yammered about what an awsome food it was and scrambled to buy it up and pitch to clients! I dont think she understood fully waht I was always going on about until she went to that "seminar" lol


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Your best bet is to see what foods you can buy locally and go from there. I don't know much about Blue Buffalo but taste of the Wild is a good, economical choice.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

This article sums up what I have learned about choosing better quality kibbles over the last 17 years. I was flipping over all the bags at the store before the internet was quick enough so I could do it all online.
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=betterproducts

My dogs' conditions improved greatly on cooked and raw but didn't change much from premium kibble to premium kibble. You may not notice much change if your dogs have shiny fur, good digestion and don't stink now but perhaps as they get older they will age more gracefully. Always nice that they like what they are eating though!


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## polizei (Jan 15, 2012)

Thank you very much for the help so far. That link was helpful, and I'm open to different brands. Through some more research I found "Dogfoodscoop" and don't know if it's any good or not, can anyone comment on this website? They list these as top ranked brands: http://www.dogfoodscoop.com/best-dog-foods-ranked.html 

Acana Dog Food
Addiction Dog Food
Artemis Dog Food
Back to Basics Dog Food
BLUE Dog Food
BLUE Organics
BLUE Wilderness
Dog Whisperer - Cesar Milan Dog Food
Eagle Pack Dog Food
Evangers Dog Food
Fromm Dog Food
GO Natural Dog Food
Holistic Blend
Honest Kitchen Dog Food
Horizon Legacy Dog Food
Mulligan Stew
Nature's Variety Instinct Dog Food
Merrick Dog Food
**** Van Patten - Natural Balance Dog Food
Nature's Logic
NOW
ORGANIX (Castor and Pollux)
Orijen Dog Food
Party Animal (Canned Only)
Nature's Variety Prairie
Solid Gold Dog Food
Taste of the Wild Dog Food
Timberwolf Dog Food
Wellness Dog Food
Weruva Dog Food (Canned Dog Food Only)
Wysong Dog Food
ZiwiPeak Dog Food

That surely is a lot to choose from, and now that I looked around more, I see that I could easily order online, from either Petflow or Amazon, they both have free shipping and competitive prices on a lot of the products. 

Any comments?


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

You couldn't go wrong with any of those. . .if your dogs don't have any allergies or sensitivities, it kind of comes down to a "close your eyes and point" decision, LOL. Well, that and the prices might be a factor.


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## polizei (Jan 15, 2012)

Yes, price will certainly be a factor. Right now, prices are as follows:

Science Diet is $33/35lbs. ($0.95/lb)
Taste of the Wild is $47/30lbs ($1.5/lb)
Blue Buffalo is $48/30lbs ($1.6/lb)
Blue Buffalo is $62/30lbs ($2.06/lb)
Wellness is $30/12lbs ($2.50/lb) (way too expensive)


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Wow, I thought Science Diet was way more than that.

Check out Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul. The name is stupid but it's a good brand, and is around a dollar a pound, usually. And, although it's not top-quality, Diamond Naturals is better than Science Diet and is much cheaper. I pay $27.99 for 40 pounds (~72¢ a pound).


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## Duke G (Dec 13, 2011)

Here's another link to check out: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/brand/
I think it boils down to just buying the best dog food that you can afford and that is available in your area. 
I've shopped around locally and narrowed it down to three, TOTW (5 stars)and !.23/lb in my area, Blue Wilderness (5 stars) and 2.08/lb, and 4Health Chicken formula (4 stars) and .85/lb. All three are available at our local Tractor Supply Stores (cheaper than someplace like PetSmart). I ultimately decided on the 4Health mainly because it's a better fit for my pocketbook. Duke's been on it for over a year and a half and I haven't had any problems. 
I did buy the Blue Wilderness cat food at a PetSmart, because the Tractor Supply shipment hadn't come in at the time I ran out, lol.


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## polizei (Jan 15, 2012)

How does TOTW compare to Blue? I can get the Blue at Petsmart right now the street, to get TOTW I would have to go do TS, and that's ~15min away. Not a huge deal, but it basically cost the exact same. 

Not sure if I can get the Chicken Soup, I'll have to check into that.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

If the Blue is comparable in price to TOTW (I always find it to be a lot pricier), and it's easier to get, might as well go with the Blue. I do think that TOTW is slightly better quality but not enough to go out of your way for it.

Another "budget" food is 4Health, which is a TSC brand. 

To find where they sell Chicken Soup in your area, run their store locator: http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/dealer_locator


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## GrinningDog (Mar 26, 2010)

Whoops! Double post!


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## GrinningDog (Mar 26, 2010)

If you have a Jack's Pets near you, check out their food selections. They have pretty good sales on dog food. For example, the Taste of the Wild's been $44.97 (30 lbs) for a few months now. Plus, there's something called a "Baker's Dozen" card, which is basically a frequent buyer punch card. Every 13th bag you buy is free. They also price-match to other retailers and take competitor coupons.

Some of the Premium brands at Jack's:

Orijen
Acana
Innova EVO
Wellness
Blue Buffalo
Fromm Family
Earthborn
Canidae
Taste of the Wild
California Natural
Chicken Soup


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## polizei (Jan 15, 2012)

Thanks I'll check it out. There's actually a store right down the street! Competitive prices and the 13th bag free is awesome! 

They have Chicken Soup for $40/35lbs. That's a better deal than TOTW and Blue, both of them are $45/30lbs. I didn't think choosing would be this difficult. :laugh:

The only thing that concerns me is that I'm curious why Chicken Soup is listed as 4-star and TOTW/Blue are 5-star? Is it really worth the premium?


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## BlueChaos (Mar 29, 2010)

If you have picky dogs, I would stick with Blue grain free and rotate the flavors. Most dogs prefer grain free foods to grain inclusive since they contain more meat. My dog has always done best on GF, better coat, muscle tone, more energy, so I tend to advocate it. 
Taste of the wild is another decent brand, around here its $45 for 30 lbs vs. blue $50 for 30 lbs, so little cheaper. They have 4 formulas which you can also rotate for variety. You can also email or call them company and they'll send you free samples. 

Couple other affordable grain free foods to look into are earthborn holistic (I prefer primitive natural due to meat content) as well as grain free nutrisource. Both are around $40 for 30 lbs.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

polizei said:


> The only thing that concerns me is that I'm curious why Chicken Soup is listed as 4-star and TOTW/Blue are 5-star? Is it really worth the premium?


The ratings sites tend to favor grain-free foods. I'm not convinced that potatoes are any better than some grains, though. I consider Chicken Soup to be about the same quality as TOTW (with a few more points on TOTW for having different proteins like bison and venison).


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## BlueChaos (Mar 29, 2010)

> The ratings sites tend to favor grain-free foods. I'm not convinced that potatoes are any better than some grains, though. I consider Chicken Soup to be about the same quality as TOTW (with a few more points on TOTW for having different proteins like bison and venison).


The reason grain free foods have higher rating is due to higher meat content which I think most people desire considering the physiological makeup of a canine. 

For example when you compare carb content of Totw vs chicken soup, CS is 49% carbs and Totw is 37%, so significantly lower.

Also keep in mind that dogs dont digest grain as well as meat protein and they end up pooping out a lot more of the grain inclusive kibble because of all the filler. With higher protein food, you will generally feed less which will end up costing about the same in the long run.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

See, my dogs require (and poop) the same amount of TOTW as Chicken Soup, so I haven't seen any difference there. And it is true that most grain-free foods have more meat, but all else being equal, I don't see why potatoes are any better than oats (for instance). I don't know how much of the protein in TOTW is from potatoes or peas.


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## polizei (Jan 15, 2012)

Wow, thanks for the additional info! Never would have thought all of this, I was under the impression (like probably most ignorant dog owners) that dog food was regulated by an agency and all roughly the same. I've sure learned a whole lot. 

Now, obviously the best thing to do I assume would be to feed it to the dogs and see how they do on the food. Considering my dogs (Cavalier and Cockiler) just lay around all day, would a higher protein source be better than a high carb diet? I'm under the impression that more meat is better, and grain free would probably work the best?


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## BlueChaos (Mar 29, 2010)

Willowy, I dont think potatoes are any better then grains, but I do a lot of pet sitting and have seen a lot of dogs with chronic ear infections, hot spots and allergies that clear up on a grain free diet. My guess is that potato is easier to digest as well as it hasnt been a mainstream ingredient in dog food until recently. Maybe in 10 years we'll see more dogs developing potato allergy, who knows. For now, There are some grain free brands that I dislike such as natural balance, since its largely made up of potatoes. My main emphasis will always be on feeding the most biologically appropriate diet for a canine, which should be meat based. 

Polizei- theres some confusion regarding protein levels vs dog activity. My parents have a very mellow dachshund that eats Natures Variety instinct salmon (but they rotate with other proteins as well), that particular formula is 35% protein. Which is seemingly high, but in the end, all that matters are the calories and bio-availability. He weighs 22 lbs and eats 1/2 cup a day total of the instinct. He ate 1 cup of a grain inclusive foods(canidae and healthwise). I started out feeding him 3/4 of cup and his poop was kinda runny, so I cut back to 1/2 cup and that seems to be working out well for him. 
With that said, it doesent mean that your dog will be eating less on GF vs. grain inclusive, every dog seems to respond differently to different foods. I would just give grain free a try (for totw, I prefer high prarie and wetland due to higher protein %), transition slowly and go from there. There are hundreds of good quality brands out there, so if one doesent work out, you can try something else. 

Good luck


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## Goldens&Labs4Me (Jan 18, 2012)

My favorite dog food is the 4 Star Ingredient line from FROMM. I mainly use the Duck/Sweet potato formula for my dogs, but rotate the other flavors as well. I pay about $53 for a 30 lb bag (after taxes here) but it lasts my 3 about 3 1/2 weeks. After about 2 weeks on this food, my golden started what seemed like blowing out old hair out of his coat--and they were not on a food that I call bad by any means (Chicken Soup). 

I like the Acana as well and have had excellent results with it. 

These two are a little more expensive than some other brands, but well worth it, if you can afford it. 

I also like the Chicken Soup as a less expensive alternative and my dogs do well on it. Blue Buffalo is good also. 

I've tried so many over the years, but these are my 'go to foods' for now.  Good luck!


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

BlueChaos said:


> Willowy, I dont think potatoes are any better then grains, but I do a lot of pet sitting and have seen a lot of dogs with chronic ear infections, hot spots and allergies that clear up on a grain free diet. My guess is that potato is easier to digest as well as it hasnt been a mainstream ingredient in dog food until recently. Maybe in 10 years we'll see more dogs developing potato allergy, who knows. For now, There are some grain free brands that I dislike such as natural balance, since its largely made up of potatoes. My main emphasis will always be on feeding the most biologically appropriate diet for a canine, which should be meat based.
> 
> Polizei- theres some confusion regarding protein levels vs dog activity. My parents have a very mellow dachshund that eats Natures Variety instinct salmon (but they rotate with other proteins as well), that particular formula is 35% protein. Which is seemingly high, but in the end, all that matters are the calories and bio-availability. He weighs 22 lbs and eats 1/2 cup a day total of the instinct. He ate 1 cup of a grain inclusive foods(canidae and healthwise). I started out feeding him 3/4 of cup and his poop was kinda runny, so I cut back to 1/2 cup and that seems to be working out well for him.
> With that said, it doesent mean that your dog will be eating less on GF vs. grain inclusive, every dog seems to respond differently to different foods. I would just give grain free a try (for totw, I prefer high prarie and wetland due to higher protein %), transition slowly and go from there. There are hundreds of good quality brands out there, so if one doesent work out, you can try something else.
> ...


I agree with this post, generally I feel that higher protien for dogs is better than high carb, but it really depends on the dog and the amount of exercise they get too. I imagine carbs would do no harm to a dog that constantly burns it off on a regular basis. I'm up in the air about potatoes vs whole grains as well, you see a lot of potato/pea ingredients in a lot of grain-free foods and I'm at the stage where I dont want to overfeed the potato ingredients either. 

Up until now I have been feeding completely grain-free kibbles. My dogs eat a partial raw and kibble diet so there food intake is pretty balanced. Recently I've decided to throw in a grain-inclusive kibble into their mix (I mix 3 or 4 kinds together at a time) to see how that goes. I also make sure that each kind I mix together, doesn't overlap too many ingredients, and the protiens are different between each of them. So between the 3 I usually mix, I have 2 grain-free varieties (one with potatoes and one without) and then one grain inclusive (whole grains like brown rice, oats, etc) with all different proteins (a red meat, a fish, and something like turkey or duck. Just trying to ensure my dogs get a little of everything and not too much of one thing so that they don't develop any food allergies or sensitivities. So far I'm not having any issues with this I just wish I could find more grain-free kibble brands that don't contain potatoes to add to rotation, so far I've only been able to find/use Nature Variety. I'm not totally agains't potatoes, I just want to ensure I'm not feeding too much of it in my mix.


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## StellaLucyDesi (Jun 19, 2008)

Packmomma, if you go to www.dogfoodadvisor.com they are constantly talking about potato free, grain free kibble. Some I know of are Dogswell Nutrisca, Nutrisource grainfree, California Natural, Canine Caviar, Earthborn Holistic (I think they have 2 flavors), Great Life and Brothers. I think you have to mail order the last two. Brothers offers free shipping, though. There are probably more, but I can't think of them atm. Hope this helps.


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

StellaLucyDesi said:


> Packmomma, if you go to www.dogfoodadvisor.com they are constantly talking about potato free, grain free kibble. Some I know of are Dogswell Nutrisca, Nutrisource grainfree, California Natural, Canine Caviar, Earthborn Holistic (I think they have 2 flavors), Great Life and Brothers. I think you have to mail order the last two. Brothers offers free shipping, though. There are probably more, but I can't think of them atm. Hope this helps.


Unfortunately none of those are available in my area, I probably wouldn't order online either at this time but maybe if I was desperate to try something new I will. That Earthborn Holistic grain free contains potatoes though, although It looks pretty good ingredient wise. Its available in BC but not here in Alberta.

I've tried California Naturals before i'm not a huge fan of it. The Nature's Variety is working well so far, i'm hoping more brands will become available in the future that don't contain potatoes but I know its not the end of the world either way. I just do my best to balance out the kibble formulas in my mix as much as possible.


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## BlueChaos (Mar 29, 2010)

Packmomma- have you tried horizon legacy, its made in canada and is grain and potato free
http://www.horizonlegacypetfood.com/


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

BlueChaos said:


> Packmomma- have you tried horizon legacy, its made in canada and is grain and potato free
> http://www.horizonlegacypetfood.com/


Hey thanks! Yes i've heard of it and seen it mentioned on here before, but figured it wasn't available to me either - I just checked and its actually carried at two pet stores here in Sherwood Park! I might have to give it a try. It looks okay.


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## StellaLucyDesi (Jun 19, 2008)

I understand about the availability....but just an fyi, Earthborn has more than one flavor of grain free and I believe their Great Plains Feast is potato free and that they have a new flavor coming out that's potato free, too. Horizon Legacy sound like a good bet.


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## CJ2012 (Jan 22, 2012)

I switched from Nutro(3 stars) to Kirkland after realizing that "dogfoodadvisor" gave Kirkland 4 stars.My dog has had soft bowels from both brands, so I just add some rice to each meal which corrects the situation. I recently saw that dogfood advisor also gave BJ's Kirkland 4 stars. Is BJ's as gd as Kirklands?


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## polizei (Jan 15, 2012)

Well, short update, my dogs are finally out of the small bag of Blue Wilderness they had.

So, that said, I'm going to need to buy some food shortly, and I keep coming back to Blue and TOTW. Blue is $45, TOTW is $40. So, the money it's the biggest concern...

They really seemed to enjoy the Blue, so I thought about putting them on Life Protection and rotating flavors, but the more I look the more it seems people like TOTW. I can honestly say that I'm very attracted to Blue as a company, their website, layout, advertising, colors, etc. are appealing. I can't say the same for TOTW, but that's not really important, obviously the quality of the food is. They don't have any allergies, but I also like how TOTW is grain-free. I understand Blue just recently released the Freedom which is grain-free as well. 

So...the question is: Blue Life Protection or Taste of the Wild?


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## Goldens&Labs4Me (Jan 18, 2012)

Personally, I would try the TOTW. 

I haven't tried it yet, but it's on my list to try next. My dogs like the Blue ok, but I do like that TOTW is grain free and that is the direction I'm going now.  Good luck!


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## Patt (Feb 12, 2008)

polizei said:


> Well, short update, my dogs are finally out of the small bag of Blue Wilderness they had.
> 
> So, that said, I'm going to need to buy some food shortly, and I keep coming back to Blue and TOTW. Blue is $45, TOTW is $40. So, the money it's the biggest concern...
> 
> They really seemed to enjoy the Blue, so I thought about putting them on Life Protection and rotating flavors, but the more I look the more it seems people like TOTW. I can honestly say that I'm very attracted to Blue as a company, their website, layout, advertising, colors, etc. are appealing. I can't say the same for TOTW, but that's not really important, obviously the quality of the food is. They don't have any allergies, but I also like how TOTW is grain-free. I understand Blue just recently released the Freedom which is grain-free as well.


Please give us an update. What did you end up feeding and how are your dogs doing? 

I feed Wellness and am trying out The Honest Kitchen (Verve). The dogs love it.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Patt said:


> Please give us an update. What did you end up feeding and how are your dogs doing?
> 
> I feed Wellness and am trying out The Honest Kitchen (Verve). The dogs love it.


I've fed a few Honest Kitchens: Keen, Thrive, Force, Zeal and Embark (feed the Embark now) but unless something has changed, I can't get by rye being the first ingredient in the Verve. It may have changed but a few years back, that's what it was.


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## polizei (Jan 15, 2012)

Patt said:


> Please give us an update. What did you end up feeding and how are your dogs doing?
> 
> I feed Wellness and am trying out The Honest Kitchen (Verve). The dogs love it.


I just posted that, I'm going to buy some new food probably tomorrow and right now I'm leaning towards TOTW. They liked the Blue, but I like how TOTW uses slightly better ingredients and is grain free, so that's what I'm going to try. 

I'll give an update when I can.


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## Fade (Feb 24, 2012)

I have 3 large dogs that eat me out of house and home.food prices can add up! as a vet assistant myself I am concerned about the ingredients in my dogs food. for the majority of people I have tried to educate about their pets food MOST people sadly will not sacrifice budget for better quality food. I personally enjoy going to local feed stores and reading and researching the ingredients in their foods. and my clients are pleased to find that the prices also do not have to empty your wallet. So many people believe that the more it costs the better it must be. for dog food this is not always true. I currently enjoy the food produced by http://www.diamondpet.com/products/diamond_naturals/ their natural pet line. and surprisingly it costs between $28-30 for a 40lb bag. also if you have a local feed store they provide a lot of high quality natural food choices that might be under the radar because they are locally owned.


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## polizei (Jan 15, 2012)

I just let my two dogs try the TOTW High Prairie and they seem to love the taste. I'll see how they like it over the course of the month. TOTW is the same price as Blue, and they seem similar in nature.


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## Back40 (Jul 13, 2010)

Fade said:


> I have 3 large dogs that eat me out of house and home.food prices can add up! as a vet assistant myself I am concerned about the ingredients in my dogs food. for the majority of people I have tried to educate about their pets food MOST people sadly will not sacrifice budget for better quality food. I personally enjoy going to local feed stores and reading and researching the ingredients in their foods. and my clients are pleased to find that the prices also do not have to empty your wallet. So many people believe that the more it costs the better it must be. for dog food this is not always true. I currently enjoy the food produced by http://www.diamondpet.com/products/diamond_naturals/ their natural pet line. and surprisingly it costs between $28-30 for a 40lb bag. also if you have a local feed store they provide a lot of high quality natural food choices that might be under the radar because they are locally owned.


I hear ya. My pack recently grew from 2 rescues to 4. I am currently feeding Pure Vita but am looking into less expensive alternatives. Will try them on 4health, Diamond Naturals and Kirkland.


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## petcrazygurl (May 22, 2013)

I read through here and thought I'd clear a few questions and concerns up. Yes, vets are paid to promote certain food and do not always know about the nutrition in the foods. I am a certified nutrition expert with a retail company. Natural foods like Blue, natural balance and wellness are hands down the best on the market right now. Due to their excellent ingredients(human like qualities). You can tell the quality of a food by looking at the first few ingredients. There should be 2-3 high quality proteins such as the meat(chicken, beedf, ect), meals and byproduct. Now before you freak let me explain the meals and byproducts. Byproducts can be ok as long as they are not the sole meat protein source and they absolutely must have the animal name in front of it and generally are meals. So a good example list would be chicken, barley, chicken meal, chicken byproduct meal....a bad one would be corn meal, meat byproducts,wheat....ect. Meals and byproduct meals are ok as long as they are not the sole meat protein. Natural foods generally do not use corn but instead barley, rice and other more easily digestible grains. The good natural brands such as wellness, blue, and natural balance also process them differently so it is easier to digest then like purina, and science diet. Grain free is a choice and some dogs including my own do much better on it then with grains. The potatoes and sweet potatoes, and some beans in grain free are there as a source of fiber to aide digestion. That is what the rice and barley are in the grain foods. Without them your dog would have a fiberless diet that would tear his insides up. The question about how dogs use potato protiens is they real don't. When anything has an allergy, or irratent, the allergen is the protien in it. So for example if your dog is allergic or sensitive to the protein structure of corn, barley, or rice...he should not be to potatoes or sweet potatoes because the protein srtuctures are different which allows your dog to get the fiber he needs without the grain allergy. Hope that helps some.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

I'm sorry, I won't take nutrition advice from someone claiming to be an expert without a name or credentials. 

I'm not sure why dogs need added fiber; plenty of dogs eat a prey model raw diet that has nothing added to it.

What is so special about how Blue, Wellness and Natural Balance process their foods? Human like quality ingredients? What exactly do you mean?


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## Zilla (May 11, 2013)

I personally am not a huge fan of Blue... They don't release where they source their ingredients. If they arnt getting their stuff from china why would they withhold that info??  They are to shady for me. And the whole excess mineral thing causing kidney damage to some pets scares me... I won't touch anything made by Blue... I defiantly wouldn't put Natural Balance on par with Wellness either... I don't feel like NB is all that good.. 

My favorites are:
Innova Evo
Innova Prime
Earthborn Holistics
Wellness Core
Horizons Legacy 
Fromm
Timberwolf Organics
Merrick
Back to Basics
Pinnacle
Primal Freeze Dried and Frozen Raw
Small Batch Raw
Natures Variety Instinct Raw

I've also tried Honest Kitchen Force and my dog LOVED it. The cats too... 


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## Mr. V (Jan 28, 2010)

petcrazygurl said:


> I am a certified nutrition expert with a retail company.


Anyone else stop reading here??


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Mr. V said:


> Anyone else stop reading here??


I should have.


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## Zilla (May 11, 2013)

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that must be one of those brilliant blue buffalo reps..... 


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## Benjismom (May 19, 2013)

Not a fan of Blue either do some reserch on the web and there are some alarming comments. I am not sure if they are "planted" by someone or it is truth.. Beware of blue--kidneys and some cancer reports. I tried Wellnes core on my bichon and it made him vomit-Honest Kitcken is one I am now interested it. I have done the NV brand for years. A high quality line so I believe but to high in fat for my Bichon. need to switch--


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## Zilla (May 11, 2013)

Benjismom said:


> Not a fan of Blue either do some reserch on the web and there are some alarming comments. I am not sure if they are "planted" by someone or it is truth.. Beware of blue--kidneys and some cancer reports. I tried Wellnes core on my bichon and it made him vomit-Honest Kitcken is one I am now interested it. I have done the NV brand for years. A high quality line so I believe but to high in fat for my Bichon. need to switch--


I love Honest Kitchen. The price is similar to high quality kibble. A 10 pound box makes 40 pounds of food. Cost depends on which one you get. I always added a spoon full of greek yogurt and a salmon oil capsule every morning. Dog LOVED it. Their supplements are good too. I had to use their Perfect Form once for my kitten and it worked really well. Giving their food a try is defiantly worth it.


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## Benjismom (May 19, 2013)

I was trying to decide between Sojos and this. A FB friend who has a Bichon loves Sojo's for her dog. It has mostly mixed reviews. Her bichon is perfect looking, not overweight--mine is about a 6 on that scale from 1-10 according to the Vet. Although in "our Defense" there is a site that has a calculator. At 4 months times (x) that weight by 2 and that would be his adult weight--My Bichon was 10.4 at 4 months. He is now @ 20 so that means according to that scenario he is not over weight at all. Hmm so hard to tell. I so want him to be healthy and live till he is in his late teens. He will be 5 in August. Thanks for your help.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

petcrazygurl said:


> Yes, vets are paid to promote certain food...


No, they ARE NOT. Jebus I wish either this myth would die or someone would actually start paying me something.


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## Benjismom (May 19, 2013)

My Vet did suggest Ideal Balance, wellness for my Bichon or Royal Canin. 2 of those brands are sold in there office. Why? What is your true opinion of Ideal Balance? I take it you are a vet? I almost purchased IB then put it back totally because to be honest it was so much cheaper then what my dog had been getting. it made me "feel" it was inferior. (Natural Instinct?)


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## Zilla (May 11, 2013)

sassafras said:


> No, they ARE NOT. Jebus I wish either this myth would die or someone would actually start paying me something.


Lol maybe it's not the same everywhere. The vet I shadowed for got a small profit for selling it in her office.... I think the real problem is vet schools letting the big retail companies run the nutrition classes in the schools.... I know that happens... I grew up by Kansas State. Lot of my friends went through that vet school... All their classes are run by SD... :| I don't think that's exactly fair to all the other companies out there.... 


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## Zilla (May 11, 2013)

Benjismom said:


> My Vet did suggest Ideal Balance, wellness for my Bichon or Royal Canin. 2 of those brands are sold in there office. Why? What is your true opinion of Ideal Balance? I take it you are a vet? I almost purchased IB then put it back totally because to be honest it was so much cheaper then what my dog had been getting. it made me "feel" it was inferior. (Natural Instinct?)


I do like that SD came out with Ideal Balance though... 


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Benjismom said:


> My Vet did suggest Ideal Balance, wellness for my Bichon or Royal Canin. 2 of those brands are sold in there office. Why?


When pet stores suggest foods, and they sell those foods in their stores, are they "getting paid by food companies"? Is a grocery store "getting paid by" Kraft for carrying macaroni and cheese on the shelf?



> What is your true opinion of Ideal Balance? I take it you are a vet? I almost purchased IB then put it back totally because to be honest it was so much cheaper then what my dog had been getting. it made me "feel" it was inferior. (Natural Instinct?)


I really don't have an opinion of Ideal Balance, I haven't paid that much attention to it honestly. It just seems like marketing to me. 



Zilla said:


> Lol maybe it's not the same everywhere. The vet I shadowed for got a small profit for selling it in her office....


As per my remarks above, making a profit off of selling a retail product is not the same as "getting paid by" a company. 



> I think the real problem is vet schools letting the big retail companies run the nutrition classes in the schools.... I know that happens... I grew up by Kansas State. Lot of my friends went through that vet school... All their classes are run by SD... :| I don't think that's exactly fair to all the other companies out there....


How exactly do the companies "run" the classes?


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## Benjismom (May 19, 2013)

No it is not although I believe they are truly trying to come up to speed with a higher end of food. I am sure they have to because if they do not they will more than likely go "out of business" based on there reputation of dog food and what it has been from a historical standpoint. People are far more educated than years before. Whether it is due to the internet which was opened up a wealth of information. Years ago when we went to any Dr. for whatever it was like whatever they said was like "from Gods mouth to my ears." Now it is like hmmmm I will check this out when i get home via the www. Nothing is the same as it use to be---


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## Zilla (May 11, 2013)

sassafras said:


> When pet stores suggest foods, and they sell those foods in their stores, are they "getting paid by food companies"? Is a grocery store "getting paid by" Kraft for carrying macaroni and cheese on the shelf?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I mean they have the Science Diet rep come in and they put on the "nutrition" class.... It's been like that for so long there... 


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## Mr. V (Jan 28, 2010)

Zilla said:


> I mean they have the Science Diet rep come in and they put on the "nutrition" class....


I don't know that there are any Science Diet representatives. Hill's does not employ an individual to represent that one line of food. They usually just have general reps. When they teach their 1 time, 1 hour class at a vet school they are usually talking about prescription diets, not their science diet line. 

If "the other companies" would spend their money to develop prescription dog food and studies to validate those foods I would be totally open to them having their own hour in the classroom. I dont know of any veterinary curriculum that focus on general, maintenance dog food. 

I suppose if an owner wants special advice on maintenance food they should do the same thing that they would for themselves: seek a nutritionist and stop complaining that your general practitioner isn't an expert on every single fad diet that hits the market


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## Zilla (May 11, 2013)

Mr. V said:


> I don't know that there are any Science Diet representatives. Hill's does not employ an individual to represent that one line of food. They usually just have general reps. When they teach their 1 time, 1 hour class at a vet school they are usually talking about prescription diets, not their science diet line.
> 
> If "the other companies" would spend their money to develop prescription dog food and studies to validate those foods I would be totally open to them having their own hour in the classroom. I dont know of any veterinary curriculum that focus on general, maintenance dog food.
> 
> I suppose if an owner wants special advice on maintenance food they should do the same thing that they would for themselves: seek a nutritionist and stop complaining that your general practitioner isn't an expert on every single fad diet that hits the market


Well they do have them come in and do lectures or whatever they do. My friends in the school even told me about it. People talk about it all over the net too about the lectures they give and such. However I do agree with you. It would be a good thing if some other companies came up with a "prescription" line.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Zilla said:


> I love Honest Kitchen. The price is similar to high quality kibble. A 10 pound box makes 40 pounds of food. Cost depends on which one you get. I always added a spoon full of greek yogurt and a salmon oil capsule every morning. Dog LOVED it. Their supplements are good too. I had to use their Perfect Form once for my kitten and it worked really well. Giving their food a try is defiantly worth it.


I've been feeding THK, off & on, for 7 or 8 yrs. Its only one of two foods that are human grade. Every single dog I've had in ll these years love the stuff. It's great as a Kong stuffing. The only downfall is that some dogs tend to poop lot on it.


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## Zilla (May 11, 2013)

InkedMarie said:


> I've been feeding THK, off & on, for 7 or 8 yrs. Its only one of two foods that are human grade. Every single dog I've had in ll these years love the stuff. It's great as a Kong stuffing. The only downfall is that some dogs tend to poop lot on it.


What's the other one that's considered human grade?? I knew THK was but I didn't know there was another  


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## Mr. V (Jan 28, 2010)

Zilla said:


> People talk about it all over the net too about the lectures they give and such..


Really Clark?


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

My dogs don't like the honest kitchen. I've really tried but it's not worked out so well.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Zilla said:


> What's the other one that's considered human grade?? I knew THK was but I didn't know there was another
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


It's Weruva, a canned.


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

I don't know the exact relationship between companies like Hill's, Purina, Royan Canin, etc and vets/vet clinics, but I do have two vets and a few vet techs in my family whom have gone to Kansas City for a period of time to attend Hill's nutrition courses. They do strongly recommend and truly believe that Hill's is the best food out there and is superior to everything else on the market. They give away free bags of SD food every time a new client comes to their clinic or every time an existing client brings in a new dog and say "here, feed this, its the best food for your dog/puppy..here's a free bag to get you started". 

So, while i don't necessarily believe that vets or clinics are "paid" to sell this junk, I do believe they are heavily brainwashed into pushing the stuff onto clients and buying it from the clinics. Obviously there's no doubt there is SOME kind of relationship or endorsement there, but I don't know nor do I really care to know what exactly that is. 

True, not the same for ALL vets/clinics... the only vet I will even consider bringing my dogs to does indeed sell Hill's, Iams, Royal Canin, but she doesn't 'push' them, so long as she keeps saying stuff like.. 'Wow, your dogs look great and are in fantastic shape.. what are you feeding??" I reply "I feed raw" and she responds by saying "well, good for you.. keep doing whatever you're doing!", then I could really care less what nutrition courses she took or what food she sells at the clinic. As long as they respect my choices and acknowledge that it works for MY dogs.

..and on the contrary, when I initially brought Thumper to my cousin's vet clinic (she was going to give me a great family discount), she immediately asked what I was going to feed Thumper and I said "he's eating half raw and half kibble at the moment, but I do plan to transition him to full raw eventually". She replied by "Oh... well I strongly discourage raw feeding because of the obvious hazards, but since its your choice I would prefer if you didn't feed him raw until he's AT LEAST 6 months old.. preferably a year old because his tummy won't be able to handle raw at this age.. so here's a free bag of Hills SD puppy food to feed him in the meantime, it will be the best for him for now".. Yeah, needless to say I never went back and my cousin and I no longer get along very well. Unfortunate but, I really do question her 'credibility' with that kind of verbal diarrhea.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

The exact relationship between food companies and vet clinics is that some vet clinics carry some foods and sell them. There's nothing nefarious or sinister about it. Just like that pet supply whose employees make recommendations about and money from foods their store carries, but whose financial motivations for some reason never questioned.

Because someone has reached a different conclusion than you have, it doesn't make them brainwashed. Isn't it more likely that someone either 1. Already had an opinion about a particular food before they went to a conference sponsored by that company or 2. Encountered information they found convincing at said conference than that they were "brainwashed"? 

The actual board certified veterinary nutritionists I know or have encountered probably have the absolute least loyalty of anyone I know to any particular ingredient, brand, type, or style of food/feeding and work hard to tailor diet recommendations to individuals. Probably because they've learned stuff I haven't.


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

Oh, well then.. seems ' a lot' of vets have reached the 'conclusion' (various ones that I have encountered, anyway) that Hill's is superior to any other foods on the market and push it onto their clients relentlessly in some cases.. I can guarantee you for one, that my cousin, in particular, was not a Hill's advocate until she attended vet school. The fact she recommends it and pushes it onto clients before even knowing the patients well (animals), leads me to heavily believe that there is slight brainwashing involved there. You can call it whatever you want, I'm sticking with 'brainwashed'. Or, if you prefer to call it 'educated', 'convinced', 'persuaded', 'influenced', 'indoctrinated'... whatever, all the same to me, and Like i said, I don't believe this rings true for ALL vets, but I can definitely name a few whom it applies to


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## Zilla (May 11, 2013)

PackMomma said:


> Oh, well then.. seems ' a lot' of vets have reached the 'conclusion' (various ones that I have encountered, anyway) that Hill's is superior to any other foods on the market and push it onto their clients relentlessly in some cases.. I can guarantee you for one, that my cousin, in particular, was not a Hill's advocate until she attended vet school. The fact she recommends it and pushes it onto clients before even knowing the patients well (animals), leads me to heavily believe that there is slight brainwashing involved there. You can call it whatever you want, I'm sticking with 'brainwashed'. Or, if you prefer to call it 'educated', 'convinced', 'persuaded', 'influenced', 'indoctrinated'... whatever, all the same to me, and Like i said, I don't believe this rings true for ALL vets, but I can definitely name a few whom it applies to


Every vet surrounding Kansas State pushes SD..... Drove me nuts. I'm so glad in California now I have access to much better vets who don't do that. One time I took my cat Skeeter in for his last round of shots. The vet raved and RAVED about how marvelous his coat was... She asked oh what are you feeding him. At the time I said I'm feeding Natures Variety canned and Honest Kitchen Prowl dehydrated raw. She said "oh well you should be feeding Iams or Science diet because its better and young cats shouldnt be getting wet food only older cats when they have teeth problems..." THEN when one of her techs came in she said "oh my gosh come feel and look at his coat she feeds him canned food" I almost literally exploded.... Obviously she knows what I was feeding is better but she was still trying to tell me to feed IAMS or SD.... Does that make ANY SENSE??!! "Brainwashing" is exactly what it is.... And it's SAD.... Several of my friends who went through school act like how your cousin does now... They must use hypnosis on all of them and it works for some but not all :lol: 


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

Zilla said:


> Every vet surrounding Kansas State pushes SD..... Drove me nuts. I'm so glad in California now I have access to much better vets who don't do that. One time I took my cat Skeeter in for his last round of shots. The vet raved and RAVED about how marvelous his coat was... She asked oh what are you feeding him. At the time I said I'm feeding Natures Variety canned and Honest Kitchen Prowl dehydrated raw. She said "oh well you should be feeding Iams or Science diet because its better and young cats shouldnt be getting wet food only older cats when they have teeth problems..." THEN when one of her techs came in she said "oh my gosh come feel and look at his coat she feeds him canned food" I almost literally exploded.... Obviously she knows what I was feeding is better but she was still trying to tell me to feed IAMS or SD.... Does that make ANY SENSE??!! "Brainwashing" is exactly what it is.... And it's SAD.... Several of my friends who went through school act like how your cousin does now... They must use hypnosis on all of them and it works for some but not all :lol:
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I definitely don't think its fair to paint all vets with this 'bad brush' so to speak, but it is ridiculous that many do push the foods they sell at their clinics hard onto clients, even if there pets are doing absolutely fine on whatever food they're already on. Of course there is always going to be a defense in this case, and that's fine... but I'm sorry, I'm not buying into the idea that Hills, Purina and Iams are the most superior foods on the market. Yes, I totally agree they spend a lot of money to back research and have high standards for manufacturing processes, but that doesn't necessarily make a food 'good'. And just because its taught or heavily 'recommended' to vet students.. well im sorry but that, to me, doesn't make it good either. I don't necessarily blame them or think they're bad people for it, but its like what was mentioned earlier.. you don't go to your vet for nutrition advice, if your not happy with their recommendations or advice then don't take it, and move along.. go see a nutrionist, or do your own research.. what a lot of people are beginning to do. There's always going to be two sides of the fence, and someone defending each side...doesn't mean to say each one is right or wrong. 

I think of it in a way, sort of, like how US schools don't teach much about Canada (atleast from what Ive heard from my American friends and family.. it might be different nowadays I don't know), yet, here, we are required to know everything about the US including history, economics, government and geography..I remember being tested almost every grade with a map of the US and having to name each state and its capital city.... yet, I still meet Americans who truly believe we live in igloos, or that Alberta is on the east coast.... is it because their dumb? Absolutely not.. do I believe it has something to do with who's influencing their education? Yes..so its the same way I think about vet school in a sense.. that there is definitely some kind of strong 'influence' there. Call me crazy though.. just an opinion, afterall.


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## Zilla (May 11, 2013)

PackMomma said:


> I definitely don't think its fair to paint all vets with this 'bad brush' so to speak, but it is ridiculous that many do push the foods they sell at their clinics hard onto clients, even if there pets are doing absolutely fine on whatever food they're already on. Of course there is always going to be a defense in this case, and that's fine... but I'm sorry, I'm not buying into the idea that Hills, Purina and Iams are the most superior foods on the market. Yes, I totally agree they spend a lot of money to back research and have high standards for manufacturing processes, but that doesn't necessarily make a food 'good'. And just because its taught or heavily 'recommended' to vet students.. well im sorry but that, to me, doesn't make it good either. I don't necessarily blame them or think they're bad people for it, but its like what was mentioned earlier.. you don't go to your vet for nutrition advice, if your not happy with their recommendations or advice then don't take it, and move along.. go see a nutrionist, or do your own research.. what a lot of people are beginning to do. There's always going to be two sides of the fence, and someone defending each side...doesn't mean to say each one is right or wrong.
> 
> I think of it in a way, sort of, like how US schools don't teach much about Canada (atleast from what Ive heard from my American friends and family.. it might be different nowadays I don't know), yet, here, we are required to know everything about the US including history, economics, government and geography..I remember being tested almost every grade with a map of the US and having to name each state and its capital city.... yet, I still meet Americans who truly believe we live in igloos, or that Alberta is on the east coast.... is it because their dumb? Absolutely not.. do I believe it has something to do with who's influencing their education? Yes..so its the same way I think about vet school in a sense.. that there is definitely some kind of strong 'influence' there. Call me crazy though.. just an opinion, afterall.


Well yes that's why I said the hypnosis works on some but not all :lol: however until moving to California I hadn't been to a single vet that didn't push SD in my face... I think if a holistic vet tried to open a practice there they wouldn't get any business because kstate looms over everyone..... When I came to Cali though I purposely looked up a fantastic vet. I will never go to anyone else again in my life if I can help it. :lol: I actually got kudos for what I feed and for my pets body condition... coming from all the bad ones before... that was such a refreshing change... 


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## Mr. V (Jan 28, 2010)

What do Zilla or Packmomma recommend in place of each of the prescription diets that is sold by the bad, brainwashing companies?


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## SydTheSpaniel (Feb 12, 2011)

Zilla said:


> Every vet surrounding Kansas State pushes SD..... Drove me nuts. I'm so glad in California now I have access to much better vets who don't do that. One time I took my cat Skeeter in for his last round of shots. The vet raved and RAVED about how marvelous his coat was... She asked oh what are you feeding him. At the time I said I'm feeding Natures Variety canned and Honest Kitchen Prowl dehydrated raw. She said "oh well you should be feeding Iams or Science diet because its better and young cats shouldnt be getting wet food only older cats when they have teeth problems..." THEN when one of her techs came in she said "oh my gosh come feel and look at his coat she feeds him canned food" I almost literally exploded.... Obviously she knows what I was feeding is better but she was still trying to tell me to feed IAMS or SD.... Does that make ANY SENSE??!! "Brainwashing" is exactly what it is.... And it's SAD.... Several of my friends who went through school act like how your cousin does now... They must use hypnosis on all of them and it works for some but not all :lol:
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


My vet doesn't push SD. I'm in Kansas. She recommends food that's best for the individual dog.


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## Emmett (Feb 9, 2013)

SydTheSpaniel said:


> My vet doesn't push SD. I'm in Kansas. She recommends food that's best for the individual dog.


Nor does mine...or any of the 10 other vets I have been to (for numerous "other" reasons) in Kansas. Between those 10 clinics I've dealt with 16 vets and 12 of those vets went through K-State...the others went to MU (3) and Cornell (1). Everyone one of them has sold SD in their clinic and I have NEVER even had their food recommended to me, yet alone shoved in my face.


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

My vet has never recommended any food to me ever. In fact, their lobby actually was selling The Honest Kitchen at one point, and I was there two days ago and saw Bravo! pamphlets. They do keep all the RX foods in stock, I can see them behind the counter. But I've NEVER had a vet TELL me to feed something to my healthy pet. I think they recommend RX foods for very good reasons most of the time and see no problem with them recommending what they know works.


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

Mr. V said:


> What do Zilla or Packmomma recommend in place of each of the prescription diets that is sold by the bad, brainwashing companies?


My point is, since you clearly missed it, is that I've personally experienced and know of vets in my area whom push foods sold in the clinic even if there is NOTHING WRONG with the animal whom would require a prescription diet in the first place. Sure.. Go ahead and recommend the stuff if the animal has a health problem that may require a prescription diet... Do I personally believe there are better alternatives ? Absolutely.. But that is my opinion only and not the point here whatsoever. 

My issue is vets I've encountered (my family members includes) who recommend and push these brands to any client that walks in the door, even if there is absolutely nothing wrong with the animal, they still TRY to sell it. I've already clearly explained these scenarios so I'm not repeating myself.

Now, again, to make myself perfectly clear I know not ALL vets are like this, but its taken a few tries before I could find one that would respect my choice to feed raw or despite the fact my dogs are healthier than they possibly could be won't 'highly recommend' I consider science diet. Force me to take home a free bag of it to try.. Like, really? 

I'm glad there are more vets out there that don't 'push' the food onto clients, but I seriously can't help but sigh and shake my head when a friend gets a new perfectly healthy dog or puppy and I ask them out of pure curiosity what they're planning to feed and they reply 'oh, well the vet recommended we feed science diet since its one of the best.. It's ridiculously expensive but were happy to feed the best food possible"... Ugh.


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Sorry my experience is sending my naive husband to the vet (I was away working) with our sick old dog, and back he comes with a ridicoulously overpriced bag of Science Diet , and a bottle of rimadyl....


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## Benjismom (May 19, 2013)

For me personally I think there is a fine line of distinction here---my vet recommended, Wellness, Royal Canin or Ideal Balance. BUT this was only AFTER I ASKED regarding a few pounds off of my Benji for weight loss. IF YOU ASK rest assured you will be recommended SD or Hills I am sure of it---If one does not ask then no they have never suggested I feed him anything nor odd as it may seem they have never even asked what I fed him at all. Regarding that statement I did look at Ideal Balance by hills and the far % was very high enough to make me wonder why such a high fat content for weight loss? I would think lower would work best.BTW in my vets office they do not sell Wellness but do sell the others I mentioned.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

My vet sends me home with Science Diet SD whenever we have dogs with tummy trouble (thankfully rare now that we figured out what Beau needs protein level and grain wise to keep his stools firm). I will say that SD is the BEST food to settle a dog with an upset stomach in my experience. Maybe my vet and I are brainwashed but it always helps and I keep it stocked at all times. Doesn't mean I feed it permanently.

My vet has never said anything about what I feed though.


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## Mr. V (Jan 28, 2010)

PackMomma said:


> My point is, since you clearly missed it, is that I've personally experienced and know of vets in my area whom push foods sold in the clinic even if there is NOTHING WRONG with the animal whom would require a prescription diet in the first place. Sure.. Go ahead and recommend the stuff if the animal has a health problem that may require a prescription diet... Do I personally believe there are better alternatives ? Absolutely.. But that is my opinion only and not the point here whatsoever.
> 
> My issue is vets I've encountered (my family members includes) who recommend and push these brands to any client that walks in the door, even if there is absolutely nothing wrong with the animal, they still TRY to sell it. I've already clearly explained these scenarios so I'm not repeating myself.
> 
> ...


tl;dr

all I did was ask a question about what you guys recommend? What's wrong with that?


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Solid Gold is my pick, Polizei! And they have Wee bits for the little dogs (my bro uses it for his mini schnauzer) and its not top of the line expensive. TOTW did not work for my crew.(diahrea , gas , and vomitting) ...and wasnt too impressed with Nutro (cats tried it out)... I do think Wellness is good but havent used it and it is pricier...


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## Zilla (May 11, 2013)

Mr. V said:


> tl;dr
> 
> all I did was ask a question about what you guys recommend? What's wrong with that?


Depending on which prescription diet it is you can always substitute so your not paying an arm and a leg for the stuff.... For example... Urinary diets just require WET food WET food WET food... And if you want to take it a step farther wet food lower in phosphorus. But the idea is the more water they have in the diet it will keep the bladder flushed so it won't block again.... Diabetic diets simply need wet food with low low carbs and there's a lot of options for that.... Hypoallergenic you can usually find an LID diet that will work.... The other ones I can't speak for... 


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