Dog food

[DawnM]

we are currently feeding our dogs this:

http://www.tlcpetfood.com

Before we got our "designer dog" we fed the dogs we had Kirkland lamb and rice.   Our designer dog was fed the TLC at the kennel and we just continued ordering.   But it is pricey.   I do want them to have healthy food though.

What do you feed your dog?   Does it have fillers?   Do you have to order it or can you buy it locally?   

I do not want to make dog food!   If you do, more power to you, but I don't have time for anything else in my schedule other than pre-made.   

I want:

1. Pre-made

2. Something I can buy monthly and doesn't require refrigeration.

3. healthy

4. preferably something I can buy locally and don't have to order, but that isn't a must.

5. something under the $67/mo we are currently paying for dog food for 2 fifty pound dogs (if possible).

 

[Lecka]

We are using Purina ONE.  Recommended by our previous vet, it is available at Wal-Mart.  We had used another brand and the vet said our dog’s coat was not looking good.  The vet liked this brand for what would be available from Wal-Mart locally.  

[MercyA]

We use Purina Pro Plan and our dog does very well on it!

[Indigo Blue]

I suggest Purina Pro Plan line. The ingredients aren’t the worst. They are pretty decent. 

I fed my cat very high-end for a long time. Her weight wasn’t optimal because she picked at it, no matter what I bought. She also vomited hair and food daily, and her skin was itchy and dry. I finally tried Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach. She actually eats it. She doesn’t vomit, and her skin and coat are much better. I can live with the ingredients. She also gets omega fats added to her food and gets a packet of probiotics sprinkled over her food. BUT she was doing better with just the new food,alone, before I added the other two things. 

Whatever you try, you could add in fresh cooked meats if you want, to up the protein content/quality, as long as it’s not so much that it affects the daily vitamin requirements from the dog food. 
I give my cat some unsalted, boiled chicken or something several times a week. I mean, you could do this if you are concerned about dog food quality, and you want to give a bit of real food, too.

[SKL]

Our dog gets a mix of the following:

Diamond Naturals Lamb and Rice - we get this at Pet Supplies Plus, which is local, but which also delivers it for free!!  We have a recurring delivery so we don't have to think much about this.

Fresh Pet, which is a refrigerated, natural dog food.  (They have various flavors, our pup likes them all so far.)  We mix a bit into his dry food to make it more interesting.  We also use this for training treats.  Fresh Pet dog food is sold at grocery stores as well as pet stores.  Yay!

[DawnM]

12 minutes ago, SKL said:

Our dog gets a mix of the following:

Diamond Naturals Lamb and Rice - we get this at Pet Supplies Plus, which is local, but which also delivers it for free!!  We have a recurring delivery so we don't have to think much about this.

Fresh Pet, which is a refrigerated, natural dog food.  (They have various flavors, our pup likes them all so far.)  We mix a bit into his dry food to make it more interesting.  We also use this for training treats.  Fresh Pet dog food is sold at grocery stores as well as pet stores.  Yay!

I just literally have no room in my fridge.   We have a counter depth fridge for 7 people, 3 of whom are teens/young adult males.   Fridge space is at a premium.

We do have a mini-fridge but we have that for extra gallons of milk per week and drinks/protein drinks.   

I don't think I can find room for 2 large dogs' worth of food for a full week.

Oh,a nd just looked it up, it would cost about $135 per month for two larger dogs....

Edited September 21, 2021 by DawnM

[sweet2ndchance]

We use Victor Beef and Rice dry food. Costs around $40 for the large bag. For 2 chihuahua sized dogs and one medium to large size dog, we go through a bag about every 6 weeks. We get it from the local feed store but places like Atwoods and Tractor Supply carry it as well. We use the beef and rice because it is corn free and one of our dogs is allergic to corn. When we can't get Victor for some reason, we get whatever grain-free brand we can find.

[Innisfree]

Based on the concerns about canine dilated cardiomyopathy being linked to certain dog foods, we've been using Purina Pro Plan. Our dogs like it, and our vet says it's a good food. I'm not sure how the cost would work out for you, since only one of ours is over fifty pounds, but it's not particularly expensive.

Information on DCM:

Original information from 2019, with brands of concern  https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1025466

Nature article from this summer, suggesting peas and perhaps other legumes may be the main problem ingredients (gross oversimplification based on my skimming)  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-94464-2

FDA update from this year https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/questions-answers-fdas-work-potential-causes-non-hereditary-dcm-dogs

Edited September 21, 2021 by Innisfree

[zimom]

You can get a better quality food locally than what you are buying now for the same price.  You have received some good advice.   I use purina pro plan bright minds for one of my dogs and Orijen for another.  I will be switching to home cooked and/or raw plus likely kibble if we can ever stay home long enough.  

[itsheresomewhere]

Solid gold is what we feed ours in addition to making our own.  I have been very happy with the solid gold.   We have a very gassy dog and this is one of the few dog foods that makes us able to breath.  If you have a bulldog, you will understand this. 

[Spy Car]

31 minutes ago, Innisfree said:

Based on the concerns about canine dilated cardiomyopathy being linked to certain dog foods, we've been using Purina Pro Plan. Our dogs like it, and our vet says it's a good food. I'm not sure how the cost would work out for you, since only one of ours is over fifty pounds, but it's not particularly expensive.

Information on DCM:

Original information from 2019, with brands of concern  https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1025466

Nature article from this summer, suggesting peas and perhaps other legumes may be the main problem ingredients (gross oversimplification based on my skimming)  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-94464-2

FDA update from this year https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/questions-answers-fdas-work-potential-causes-non-hereditary-dcm-dogs

There is one bit of misinformation in the NBC News link that is offered up by Dr. Anna Gelzer, a veterinary cardiologist and an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine:

Gelzer said. “If you think about wolves, they may ingest the contents of ruminant animals they preyed on, so they are certainly capable of eating grain. There’s no scientific reason for going without grain.” 

Gelzer has this wrong. First, large ruminants that are prey to wolves are generally eating grasses, not grain. Second--and more critically--wolves behavior studies have established that wolves shake out the stomach contents of ruminants prior to eating them. So this justification for grains on the part of Gelzer is completely spurious.

Other forms of starch (and vegetable protein) may have their own issues, but carbohydrates (grains included) are not a natural part of a canine diet.

Play on.

Bill

 

Edited September 21, 2021 by Spy Car

[City Mouse]

I use Iams brand. When we first got our dog, I went to a semi-local feed store and bought Blue Buffalo, but it was really expensive and the feed store closed. I decided that the dog didn’t need to eat better quality of food than we do.