mama2cntrykids Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I'm s/o of my dog thead to hopefully get some suggestions. What's a good premium dog food? We're feeding Dog Chow and my Rottie is getting sick (not everyday, but approx. once per week). I want to switch to see if it's the food. ETA: We also need dog food that is easy to find. We live in a small town and the nearist petco (or whatever) is an hour and a half away. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolfromIL Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I'm s/o of my dog thead to hopefully get some suggestions. What's a good premium dog food? We're feeding Dog Chow and my Rottie is getting sick (not everyday, but approx. once per week). I want to switch to see if it's the food. ETA: We also need dog food that is easy to find. We live in a small town and the nearist petco (or whatever) is an hour and a half away. Thanks! I don't trust commercial dog foods. For our dogs, we boil beef add carrotts and other veggies and make a stew. I generally do this once or twice a week and can it in between feedings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 If possible, I'd do a raw diet instead of dog food. I've found that my dog really does benefit from a raw diet, as opposed to kibble. But, she's a pig, and will eat anything...her hot spots go away w/raw diet though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mckive6 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I don't know if you'll be able to find this food in your town, but we use Fromm's Surf and Turf and buy it at our local small pet store. One of our dogs was constantly biting his tail and had skin issues as a puppy. He's been fine since we switched his food. It's a grain-free food with vegetables and fish. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernm Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Anything grain free. We use Taste of the Wild. I sugget this site for other recs http://Www.dogfoodanalysis.com ETA: it can be found at tractor supply along with other stores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 (edited) Diamond Naturals..yes I know there was a recall issue some years ago, but there were couple others recently on dog foods that are supposed to be even better than Diamond Naturals. It is a NO soy, corn or wheat dog food. My dogs have done great on it. I was doing raw for a time, but with as many as I have it's hard to do it right now. Tractor supply carries this one as well. Edited January 7, 2012 by CountryGirl2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Raw food is the least expensive to feed. (well, with anything other than cheap nasty) You can do all organs as "meat" except for liver. So, heart, kidney, etc. NO cooked chicken bones, but raw is great. Watch the first couple times to make sure your pup isn't gulping. Dogs are remarkable. They are seriously smart and will usually just eat slow enough to be fine. I mean... take a look at a wolf eating their food. That's what's meant for dogs, too. I like to try to mix it up and do chicken and beef... a week at a time. Life's not perfect, though, and it's easier to pick up chicken at a decent price, rather than beef. I do try though :) I also feed a bit of raw and cooked veggies. Look up a list.... there are "for sure" no's.... (Like, raisin/grapes etc..) Benefits are clean teeth and less poop in the yard. I suggest something like "Taste of the Wild" if going with kibble.... Amazon has good prices as well as just ordering from Petco or whatever... But seriously, my dog was on the verge of being put to sleep he was so miserable due to allergies. Raw solved it ;) (Also, if you do raw, Salmon oil.... and you can do some dry veggy flakes if you want) I can tell you what I use if you'd like.... Probiotics are good too.... All cheaper than good dog food/kibble ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillysmom216 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I would love to know your recipe! Raw food is the least expensive to feed. (well, with anything other than cheap nasty) You can do all organs as "meat" except for liver. So, heart, kidney, etc.NO cooked chicken bones, but raw is great. Watch the first couple times to make sure your pup isn't gulping. Dogs are remarkable. They are seriously smart and will usually just eat slow enough to be fine. I mean... take a look at a wolf eating their food. That's what's meant for dogs, too. I like to try to mix it up and do chicken and beef... a week at a time. Life's not perfect, though, and it's easier to pick up chicken at a decent price, rather than beef. I do try though :) I also feed a bit of raw and cooked veggies. Look up a list.... there are "for sure" no's.... (Like, raisin/grapes etc..) Benefits are clean teeth and less poop in the yard. I suggest something like "Taste of the Wild" if going with kibble.... Amazon has good prices as well as just ordering from Petco or whatever... But seriously, my dog was on the verge of being put to sleep he was so miserable due to allergies. Raw solved it ;) (Also, if you do raw, Salmon oil.... and you can do some dry veggy flakes if you want) I can tell you what I use if you'd like.... Probiotics are good too.... All cheaper than good dog food/kibble ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 also you can order food from PetFlow and they ship it directly to your house. If your order is over $49.00 then shipping is free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJ. Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 We use Taste of the Wild with our kitties and Natural Balance with our pup. We used Canidae in the past but both dogs still had stinky, deathly gas. With the Natural Balance we use their Limited Ingredient formulas. Right now we use the Bison & Sweet Potato and in the past we used the Venison & Sweet Potato. We tried their Duck & Potato formula once and our dog would not eat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchel210 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 We have fed our dog Natural balance in the past...Now we have been using Merrick. We switch between the flavors...grannys pot pie, cowboy, turdukin and wilderness. http://www.merrickpetcare.com/ And we only feed our dog dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Acana and Orijen worked for us. We buy it mail order. We've now switched to James Wellbeloved no-grain, which is made in the UK. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zimom Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I second the dogfoodanalysis.com recommendation. You can find a good dog food within your budget. For my two labs I use Blue Buffalo. It is within my budget (about $5 per dog/week) and I can easily find it at a big box store (such as Pet Smart) which is a necessity since we travel a LOT! They are both very healthy, have great shiny coats, with a healthy digestitive system iykwim :) For a higher quality food, your dog will need less per meal so don't let the sticker shock scare you too much at first. Since they eat less, the price difference is often a lot less then many think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3littlekeets Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Our chow has very serious allergies. We alternate Canidae and Wellness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Raw food is the least expensive to feed. (well, with anything other than cheap nasty) You can do all organs as "meat" except for liver. So, heart, kidney, etc.NO cooked chicken bones, but raw is great. Watch the first couple times to make sure your pup isn't gulping. Dogs are remarkable. They are seriously smart and will usually just eat slow enough to be fine. I mean... take a look at a wolf eating their food. That's what's meant for dogs, too. I like to try to mix it up and do chicken and beef... a week at a time. Life's not perfect, though, and it's easier to pick up chicken at a decent price, rather than beef. I do try though :) I also feed a bit of raw and cooked veggies. Look up a list.... there are "for sure" no's.... (Like, raisin/grapes etc..) Benefits are clean teeth and less poop in the yard. I suggest something like "Taste of the Wild" if going with kibble.... Amazon has good prices as well as just ordering from Petco or whatever... But seriously, my dog was on the verge of being put to sleep he was so miserable due to allergies. Raw solved it ;) (Also, if you do raw, Salmon oil.... and you can do some dry veggy flakes if you want) I can tell you what I use if you'd like.... Probiotics are good too.... All cheaper than good dog food/kibble ;) Where do you get your organs? What parts of chicken/beef do you get besides organs? I am surprised this is cheaper than kibble. We're getting a dog soon and have heard raw is best but figured it was only for the rich. :D Also, can you do a part raw/part kibble diet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGin Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 We have a dog who is highly allergic to wheat and a budget that simply can't afford high-end dog food. After a LOT of research we put him on Kirkland brand Lamb and Rice with our vet's approval (we showed him the nutritional info). We started him on this at 1 year and he has thrived! He always gets comments on his lovely coat, and the big indication his err..em.."output" is regular, not excessive for a big dog, firm and not overly smelly, all signs that he's getting the nutrition out of his food. :) Recently we switched him to Diamond brand naturals, which is the same thing put out by the same company but under a different name. He is still doing great. We are able to get the Diamond brand at our local feed store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Where do you get your organs? What parts of chicken/beef do you get besides organs? I am surprised this is cheaper than kibble. We're getting a dog soon and have heard raw is best but figured it was only for the rich. :D Also, can you do a part raw/part kibble diet? Hi :) Yes, it is less $$$ :) How much does your dog weigh? It's really a good idea to do raw as early as you can. Think.... grain for cows.... meat for dogs ;) Nutramax Welactin for Dogs, 480 ml is what I do for Salmon Oil. Solid Gold Seameal Mineral and Vitamin Supplement for Horses, Dogs, and Cats (1 pound) is what I have for "greens".... Both of these are purchases that aren't often :) For food: Beef/Lamb/Sheep: Heart/Kidneys/Bits of meat that are scraps Bones (you just get bones meant for dogs, depends on the size of your dog) Chicken: Depends on what kind of dog you have. I can throw out a whole chicken and my dog can eat it. He's good for 2 days with this. I usually let him fast one day a week. Depends on your dog.... and also the age of your dog ;) My dog is 68lbs so I feed about 1lb 3oz each day. Some days I also feed him eggs or leftovers that I have. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I do a combination of raw and kibble. My dog is just to large for me to feed him 100% raw. I use Holistic Select and sometimes Blue Buffalo for the kibble. Sometimes I cook him up an egg and some veggies. I think your best bet is to do mail order for a quality dry food. The stuff most of the supermarkets carry is just not good for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama2cntrykids Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 Thanks for the suggestions!! I'm not sure if we're ready to do raw. Dh didn't sound convinced when I mentioned it. We went to the local farm supply store and got something high in protein, no grains, but has chicken and veggies. No by-products (which I read before we left to the store are bad). We mixed it with the old food 50/50, so hoping that's gentle enough and not too upsetting to the dog's systems (we have a cocker too). I do like seeing what everyone else feeds their dog(s)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zimom Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 just beware that 50/50 might be too quick of a switch so if his tummy is upset, don't blame the new food.... some dogs need 2-3 weeks of a gradual switchover... some dogs don't. If he has tummy upset, slooooooow down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 We just switched our dog to 4health when she turned 1. She does really well on it and didn't have any trouble when switching. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Our German Shepherds have not tolerated grains-- they do much much better grain-free-- or at least wheat/corn free. Our current dog (white GS) can handle rice OK-- so sometimes she eats Blue Buffalo Salmon and Rice... The one thing about uber premium dog food that is GREAT is that you don't feed out as much--another benefit is that the dog's OUTPUT is also less too! Feeding the premium dog food has cost the SAME as the mid-level food we were using--but feeding out in higher volume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 We have 3 dogs, on 3 different foods (its a long story, basically allergy issues). Currently we are feeding Wellness, Canidae grain fee, and Natural Balance. I like the Wellness food best, but I may be phasing it out b/c of cost. It took me a long time to decide on these after a lot of research. I'd suggest a visit to the closest pet food store to see what they have available. Write down your choices and then come home and look them up to see their ingredients. I knew I had to go with what I could get close by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchel210 Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 We have a dog who is highly allergic to wheat and a budget that simply can't afford high-end dog food. After a LOT of research we put him on Kirkland brand Lamb and Rice with our vet's approval Im pretty sure Kirkland brand is taste of the wild but under Costco's name! Thats why it is so good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Innova or Evo...both of which will probably be tricky to find anywhere near you. :-( They are made by Naturapet, using human-quality ingredients (and no grains). Each time we've gotten a new pet, we've seen a noticeable improvement in his coat, even with those whose former owners fed him a premium pet food. Dr. Wendell Belfield was our vet back in California. He used to recommend no commercial pet foods at all, but the owner of one of his critter patients finally took Dr. Belfield's comments to heart and started his own pet food company, Naturapet (which I believe has recently been sold to Purina or someone similar 0_o); from then on, Dr. Belfield recommended Innova (Evo came out later, after Dr. Belfield retired; it has the same human-quality ingredients). Dr. Belfield never sold it, though. FTR, Dr. Belfield did not recommend raw diets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyFL Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 We like Innova as well. One thing to check when comparing costs on premium food.... often you don't need to feed as much. Ds and his wife wanted something similar but a little less money and they settled on Nature's Recipe. It has some good ingredients too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Pinnacle We had used Orijen but Guidry was still having gut issues -- hounds have sensitive stomachs. Some one here suggested Pinnacle and we switched and his stomach has been perfect since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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