What do you feed your dogs?
What foods have you tried that didn't work well? How easy is it for you to get your dog's food? (Like, is it at Walmart or do you have to order it) How expensive is it? How much do you feed each day and how many meals per day? We're thinking about switching foods, and I wanted to know what you guys are using. Eevee is on Iams large breed puppy, Bailey is on Blue lamb & rice. Bailey used to be on pedigree, but she was itchy all the time so we switched to blue. We never use purina here, my mom always said not to and we never have. I trust her judgement when it comes to animals. We can get Eevee's food at Walmart, but I have to go to Petsmart for Bailey. For 30 lb bags, the iams food is about $29 and blue is $45. We feed according to the bag instructions, 3.5 cups for Eevee split into two meals, and 1.5 cups for Bailey in one meal. |
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| We feed our dog blue buffalow large breed chicken and rice and it seems to work well, he is a perfect weight and has gained muscle mass in the six months he has been on blue (which is good because he has bad hips and our vet says strong muscles and a lower body weight are best). We also give him an omega 3 supplement and a doggie arthritis pill (liver flavored) once daily. He is only one year old. When he was younger he was on NutroNatural Choice and he gained quite a bit of weight (it has a lot of corn in it). I have also heard really really good things about Acana from a lot of people and feed our cat that brand now. If our dogs tummy wasn't so sensitive I would try him on that but when you find something that works... Go with it! Diet and lots of hip friendly exercise help to keep the limpy days at bay! |
| I have no idea why your mom would say not to use Purina. They have many different lines of food. I myself wouldn't feed "the dog chow" line but I feed & have fed their ProPlan line with huge success over a long period of time. I feed ProPlan Lamb & Rice Shredded Blend at the present time to the 2 I have now. And that's Mariah, my 12 year old, gaiting around the ring this past April at a regional specialty, in my avatar. The 1st thing people ask me when they find out how old she is & see her in full coat & moving around the ring is "WHAT DO YOU FEED HER?" I have also used their Sensitive Skin & Stomach formula in the past on some of my older dogs as they aged & they did extremely well on it. The ProPlan line is NOT sold in grocery stores. You need to go to a pet supply store to get it or maybe a feed store if you are in a rural area. Purina puts alot of research into their foods & not only that, they donate money back to the AKC/CHF (AKC Canine Health Foundation) which does research into diseases & conditions of canines thru their Parent Partnership Programs. I feed 2 meals a day. Breakfast & dinner time. How much depends on the size, age, activilty level & structure of your dog. My 12 year old right now gets 1 cup in the morning & 1 cup in the evening. My 7 year old (larger male) gets 1-3/4 cups at each feeding. And a younger girl (2 year old) that is in a show home gets 2 cups at each feeding even tho' she's the most petite of the bunch. They maintain their weight very well. In the long run, a premium food is no more expensive really. If you feed a cheap grade of food you end up spending more time & money at the vet trying to correct skin & intestinal problems & having to pay for meds & supplements to balance their diet. Not to mention that you have a dog who isn't always feeling their best. |
| Are you sure your Mom doesn't mean "Pedigree"? Like Marilyn, the only thing Max has ever been on is the Purina ProPlan line. We have had great success, no stomach or skin issues at all. |
| We feed primarily Purina Pro Plan---The shredded blend. I switch between the lamb, beef and chicken just for variety. I also mix in Nutro for Large Breeds and sometimes I grab some other small bags and add a little variety. I buy all the food at Petco or a similar place. I was advised by my vet that you should always try and go with a bigger company for dog food and avoid some of the smaller companies as they are not regulated the same.... A good example of this might be the large recent recall for Salmonella. So, personally, I stick with the Purina type size companies....Pro Plan.... and avoid the lesser known ones. But, Dahlia has an iron stomach and so, I have never found any food to bother her and she sometimes eats other dog food if they are visiting or she is at someone's house. |
| I think she said that before Purina was even making a pro plan food, like when it was just dog chow. I just know I grew up hearing no, we can't get the dog the Purina food! I always tried to convince her to buy it as a kid cause I liked whatever was on the bag. Lol. Eevee has some tummy issues, and Bailey has a food allergy to something but I have no idea exactly what, but we're pretty sure it's some kind of grain. So I'm trying to find something that works better for us. Something better for Eevee, and something cheaper but still good for Bailey. |
| I have my girls on Science Diet Grain Free and they seem to be doing very well on it. I switch over to this food a few months ago. None of my girls have tummy/skin issues from food, but I just felt this may be better quality food. In a food switch, sometimes Asia will have some stool issues, but did well with this switch. |
NJ_Sheepie wrote: I was advised by my vet that you should always try and go with a bigger company for dog food and avoid some of the smaller companies as they are not regulated the same.... A good example of this might be the large recent recall for Salmonella. That's sort of funny...I always hear the opposite. Stay away from the super-big mass producers who make multiple brands in one location. Stick with the smaller companies know what they are putting in their food and care about more than the money. It makes sense to me because that is how multiple brands end up with problems...they are all made in the same place using the same supplies. I feed raw, so either way doesn't affect me.  |
Amanda P wrote: NJ_Sheepie wrote: I was advised by my vet that you should always try and go with a bigger company for dog food and avoid some of the smaller companies as they are not regulated the same.... A good example of this might be the large recent recall for Salmonella. That's sort of funny...I always hear the opposite. Stay away from the super-big mass producers who make multiple brands in one location. Stick with the smaller companies know what they are putting in their food and care about more than the money. It makes sense to me because that is how multiple brands end up with problems...they are all made in the same place using the same supplies. I feed raw, so either way doesn't affect me. Maybe that's what my mom was getting at with the whole no purina thing. They are like the biggest animal food company. I was feeding my cats Friskies, and then I noticed one day that Friskies is made by Purina, oops. |
| The reality is.....sometimes, I don't think it matters.. I know people that have fed the crappiest dog foods to their dogs, and their dogs have lived extraordinarily long and healthy lives... genetics does play a big part here. My last OES was 15 when she passed and she ate food you could buy at the grocery store. She never had any stomach problems, skin problems or allergies. She was healthy and died of old age. If your dog has good stools, doesn't have the itchys, and is overall in good health.... then, just go with whatever makes them continue that way, because in the end.... even the best of foods can cause problems. I know of a sheepie that lives an hour from us. The mom was feeding him a very expensive dog food which I personally wouldn't spend the money on.... and she called me because his stools were runny and this food is top of the line expensive and "good" for him.... You really just don't know and it is a bit of trial and error... So, I gave her my food suggestions to try..... and she had success! We have discussed the food topics many times before---and I think that quite a few people do use the Purina Pro Plan shredded line with quite a bit of success.... FWIW. |
| I've always fed Brick Purina ProPlan with good results. Zeke was fed ProPlan as well while he was in my care. No complaints here. |
I rotate foods, as do many people here and in the dog world.  I go anywhere from 3-6 months on one food, then I switch. I try to make at least the 1st 3 ingredients be different when I switch, from the food they have been on. I have 6 dogs (currently) - from a 14 yr old rescue basset, to Bond the 7 month OES. In between are a 6 yr rat terrier, 3 yr lab, 6 yr bluetick coonhound, and Chewie, 6 yr OES. On my list are several of the foods from Fromm's (in WI) and several from NutriSource (in MN). I prefer to use the family companies, with foods made in their own plants and a bit stricter quality control. Also, most or all of their income is from these foods, so they have more incentive to keep the quality up - vs one where the dog food line is just a part of a division within the company. Many previously "good" brands have got bought out by these bigger companies (P&G, etc) and the 1st thing they do is change the ingredient list so they can make it more cheaply.  On my lesser list, but occasionally used are some from Nutro, Taste of the Wild and Chicken Soup. I never use Blue Buffalo (as it's been mentioned) - something about that company just bothers me, and I don't love the ingredient list really either to justify it. And I don't know a single soul who does dog sports, any competitions or performance dogs, who uses it either. So it's not just me.  I also switch the whole gang cold turkey - and they are used to it and do well. I've been doing this for over 6 years now. It works great for us. Even my fosters get switched, and they do well too - and if it was bad - with this many dogs it would be a poop nightmare!   As mentioned - the final barometer of food has to be that your dog eats it, and does well on it.  |
| Good tips. Mine have been eating canidae all life stages for day one. All do well on it. I also mix in a little plan fat free yougurt and canned canidae. Gigi gets canned pumpkin also in her food and very little canned canidae. This was recommended by the vet. |
| Dawn I would be curious to know why you and others switch/rotate like that? Is it to avoid becoming allergic to particular ingredients? To make sure they are getting vitamins and minerals? Just to make it more interesting for the dogs? You don't transition them at all-do you notice any, um, poop after affects when you switch? |
| I have recently switched like crazy because of all the recalls. I now have my dogs on a salmon and rice dog food but am thinking of doing raw so I have been stocking up to start when the dry is gone Hubby asked why in the H do we have tripe in the freezer??? I feed my sheepdogs 1 cup 2 x a day and my shepherd 2 cups 2 X a day I have to figure out how much to feed when I do the raw diet. It will be a learning process |
| We have Angus on NutriSource Adult. He was on it when we adopted him and kept him on it for the past year with no problem. |
Mady wrote: Dawn I would be curious to know why you and others switch/rotate like that? Is it to avoid becoming allergic to particular ingredients? To make sure they are getting vitamins and minerals? Just to make it more interesting for the dogs? You don't transition them at all-do you notice any, um, poop after affects when you switch? The main premise is that it does help prevent allergic reactions, and also that the variety of ingredients give a more well rounded diet. What may be lacking in one, is made up in another. By going with the 1st 3 ingredients (or preferably more than 3), you are likely to get a different meat as well as veggie or grains. I don't see poop issues as a rule. I have a few dud choices every once in awhile though. It may be poops, or may be that they just don't do as well on it. If 1-2 of them have this, I just put it on the "no" list and move on to something else. But this really is rare. I try to avoid a switch when we are planning travel or competitions, just to be on the safe side, but otherwise I just switch when I'm in the mood. I will say, I have zero digestive issues and very minimal health issues with any of our dogs, so I'll keep doing it! |
| I'll start this off by saying that I work in the pet food industry and I am very very VERY picky about pet foods and what I find to be acceptable/not acceptable. At the same time I respect and don't judge people for what they choose to feed their pets I refuse to feed anything produced (or packaged!) by Diamond pet foods, anything that can be found in a normal grocery store, anything by Purina/Iams/P&G etc. My dog also has significant limiting factors when it comes to what he can have (he is allergic to every protein source except pork, beef, bison, rabbit, and various fish, as well as being intolerant to certain veggies like sweet potatoes and pumpkin. He is also allergic to eggs.), and I will not feed from any company which I do not completely trust with the health of my dog. I myself feed only Canine Caviar GF Herring (though I anxiously await their new GF Bison), and mix it with raw meat from a local pet food deli. He occasionally also gets Acana Pacifica. The Canine Caviar comes in price wise at about $42 for 12 pounds  which fortunately I get for free through my job.If I had it my way (aka: my dog not being allergic/intolerant to the whole world  ) then I would rotate Canine Caviar, NutriSource's Pure Vita line, Fromm, Nutrisca and Acana at every bag.Purely based on quality to price, I recommend Fromm's Gold line as often as possible. |
PWCorgi wrote: I'll start this off by saying that I work in the pet food industry and I am very very VERY picky about pet foods and what I find to be acceptable/not acceptable. At the same time I respect and don't judge people for what they choose to feed their pets I refuse to feed anything produced (or packaged!) by Diamond pet foods, anything that can be found in a normal grocery store, anything by Purina/Iams/P&G etc. My dog also has significant limiting factors when it comes to what he can have (he is allergic to every protein source except pork, beef, bison, rabbit, and various fish, as well as being intolerant to certain veggies like sweet potatoes and pumpkin. He is also allergic to eggs.), and I will not feed from any company which I do not completely trust with the health of my dog. I myself feed only Canine Caviar GF Herring (though I anxiously await their new GF Bison), and mix it with raw meat from a local pet food deli. He occasionally also gets Acana Pacifica. The Canine Caviar comes in price wise at about $42 for 12 pounds which fortunately I get for free through my job.If I had it my way (aka: my dog not being allergic/intolerant to the whole world ) then I would rotate Canine Caviar, NutriSource's Pure Vita line, Fromm, Nutrisca and Acana at every bag.Purely based on quality to price, I recommend Fromm's Gold line as often as possible. Not a single one of the foods you mentioned is available at my Petsmart. ): The Fromm's food looks really good, and I love that they have probiotics in the puppy food since Eevee has been having tummy issues. I'd have to go to a new store to purchase it, but it's probably worth it. I think that's what we'll do. If we like it, there's a store that delivers, which is cool! As a second choice, I'm looking at maybe the Nutro foods, the natural choice grain free for Bailey and the natural choice large breed puppy for Eevee. I've heard good things about them. I like the Blue Buffalo food that Bailey is on, but she doesn't seem to like it as much as she used to. It does great things for her fur though, she's very silky and shiny and soft all the time. |
snazzierella wrote: PWCorgi wrote: As a second choice, I'm looking at maybe the Nutro foods, the natural choice grain free for Bailey and the natural choice large breed puppy for Eevee. I've heard good things about them. The Nutro line---large breed adult and the various others mixed in is in our rotation here. We do well on that. |
got sheep wrote: Mady wrote: Dawn I would be curious to know why you and others switch/rotate like that? Is it to avoid becoming allergic to particular ingredients? To make sure they are getting vitamins and minerals? Just to make it more interesting for the dogs? You don't transition them at all-do you notice any, um, poop after affects when you switch? The main premise is that it does help prevent allergic reactions, and also that the variety of ingredients give a more well rounded diet. What may be lacking in one, is made up in another. By going with the 1st 3 ingredients (or preferably more than 3), you are likely to get a different meat as well as veggie or grains. I don't see poop issues as a rule. I have a few dud choices every once in awhile though. It may be poops, or may be that they just don't do as well on it. If 1-2 of them have this, I just put it on the "no" list and move on to something else. But this really is rare. I try to avoid a switch when we are planning travel or competitions, just to be on the safe side, but otherwise I just switch when I'm in the mood. I will say, I have zero digestive issues and very minimal health issues with any of our dogs, so I'll keep doing it! Thanks, Dawn! This was on my list of things to ask you about one day. I will soon get to move on to the next question. You know, you should have a 'Ask Dawn' advice column! |
Mady wrote: [Thanks, Dawn! This was on my list of things to ask you about one day. I will soon get to move on to the next question. You know, you should have a 'Ask Dawn' advice column! That is a GREAT suggestion!!!  |
snazzierella wrote: PWCorgi wrote: I'll start this off by saying that I work in the pet food industry and I am very very VERY picky about pet foods and what I find to be acceptable/not acceptable. At the same time I respect and don't judge people for what they choose to feed their pets I refuse to feed anything produced (or packaged!) by Diamond pet foods, anything that can be found in a normal grocery store, anything by Purina/Iams/P&G etc. My dog also has significant limiting factors when it comes to what he can have (he is allergic to every protein source except pork, beef, bison, rabbit, and various fish, as well as being intolerant to certain veggies like sweet potatoes and pumpkin. He is also allergic to eggs.), and I will not feed from any company which I do not completely trust with the health of my dog. I myself feed only Canine Caviar GF Herring (though I anxiously await their new GF Bison), and mix it with raw meat from a local pet food deli. He occasionally also gets Acana Pacifica. The Canine Caviar comes in price wise at about $42 for 12 pounds which fortunately I get for free through my job.If I had it my way (aka: my dog not being allergic/intolerant to the whole world ) then I would rotate Canine Caviar, NutriSource's Pure Vita line, Fromm, Nutrisca and Acana at every bag.Purely based on quality to price, I recommend Fromm's Gold line as often as possible. Not a single one of the foods you mentioned is available at my Petsmart. ): The Fromm's food looks really good, and I love that they have probiotics in the puppy food since Eevee has been having tummy issues. I'd have to go to a new store to purchase it, but it's probably worth it. I think that's what we'll do. If we like it, there's a store that delivers, which is cool! As a second choice, I'm looking at maybe the Nutro foods, the natural choice grain free for Bailey and the natural choice large breed puppy for Eevee. I've heard good things about them. I like the Blue Buffalo food that Bailey is on, but she doesn't seem to like it as much as she used to. It does great things for her fur though, she's very silky and shiny and soft all the time. You'll find that a lot of the higher quality stuff isn't available at big box stores, unfortunately If you find a store that carries Fromm, make sure to ask if they have a frequent buyer program with it, at my store you buy 10 bags and number 11 is free! To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Nutro. For one, we get quite a few dogs in that have stones on Nutro. I don't know if it is something with the food or what, but I deal with customers way more often than I would like that are looking to switch foods due to stone issues. Have you tried different flavors of the Blue Buffalo with your dog? They have at least a lamb and a fish flavor in addition to their normal chicken flavor. I prefer the Blue Buffalo to Nutro, given the choice. |
got sheep wrote: Mady wrote: Dawn I would be curious to know why you and others switch/rotate like that? Is it to avoid becoming allergic to particular ingredients? To make sure they are getting vitamins and minerals? Just to make it more interesting for the dogs? You don't transition them at all-do you notice any, um, poop after affects when you switch? The main premise is that it does help prevent allergic reactions, and also that the variety of ingredients give a more well rounded diet. What may be lacking in one, is made up in another. By going with the 1st 3 ingredients (or preferably more than 3), you are likely to get a different meat as well as veggie or grains. I don't see poop issues as a rule. I have a few dud choices every once in awhile though. It may be poops, or may be that they just don't do as well on it. If 1-2 of them have this, I just put it on the "no" list and move on to something else. But this really is rare. I try to avoid a switch when we are planning travel or competitions, just to be on the safe side, but otherwise I just switch when I'm in the mood. I will say, I have zero digestive issues and very minimal health issues with any of our dogs, so I'll keep doing it! I wish more people thought like you!  Unfortunately a lot of vet's around here will recommend no switching of foods (I have no clue what their logic is behind it, it absolutely does not make sense to me). In addition to all of the above, continually switching foods around also helps prevent cannon butt if your dog happens to get into something it's not supposed to! While I use the same kibble most of the time, I rotate raw protein sources (pork, bison, beef, and rabbit) at almost every meal. |
| Fromm's Pure Vita Purina Pro Plan I also rotate and now we have no issues switching right out. If you have a feed store you can check with the feed store to see what foods they do carry. I also prepare a human food mix for my crew as well and it is easy and simple. Chicken,brown rice,peas & carrots. Use as a mix...they love it. Robin |
PWCorgi wrote: snazzierella wrote: PWCorgi wrote: I'll start this off by saying that I work in the pet food industry and I am very very VERY picky about pet foods and what I find to be acceptable/not acceptable. At the same time I respect and don't judge people for what they choose to feed their pets I refuse to feed anything produced (or packaged!) by Diamond pet foods, anything that can be found in a normal grocery store, anything by Purina/Iams/P&G etc. My dog also has significant limiting factors when it comes to what he can have (he is allergic to every protein source except pork, beef, bison, rabbit, and various fish, as well as being intolerant to certain veggies like sweet potatoes and pumpkin. He is also allergic to eggs.), and I will not feed from any company which I do not completely trust with the health of my dog. I myself feed only Canine Caviar GF Herring (though I anxiously await their new GF Bison), and mix it with raw meat from a local pet food deli. He occasionally also gets Acana Pacifica. The Canine Caviar comes in price wise at about $42 for 12 pounds which fortunately I get for free through my job.If I had it my way (aka: my dog not being allergic/intolerant to the whole world ) then I would rotate Canine Caviar, NutriSource's Pure Vita line, Fromm, Nutrisca and Acana at every bag.Purely based on quality to price, I recommend Fromm's Gold line as often as possible. Not a single one of the foods you mentioned is available at my Petsmart. ): The Fromm's food looks really good, and I love that they have probiotics in the puppy food since Eevee has been having tummy issues. I'd have to go to a new store to purchase it, but it's probably worth it. I think that's what we'll do. If we like it, there's a store that delivers, which is cool! As a second choice, I'm looking at maybe the Nutro foods, the natural choice grain free for Bailey and the natural choice large breed puppy for Eevee. I've heard good things about them. I like the Blue Buffalo food that Bailey is on, but she doesn't seem to like it as much as she used to. It does great things for her fur though, she's very silky and shiny and soft all the time. You'll find that a lot of the higher quality stuff isn't available at big box stores, unfortunately If you find a store that carries Fromm, make sure to ask if they have a frequent buyer program with it, at my store you buy 10 bags and number 11 is free! To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Nutro. For one, we get quite a few dogs in that have stones on Nutro. I don't know if it is something with the food or what, but I deal with customers way more often than I would like that are looking to switch foods due to stone issues. Have you tried different flavors of the Blue Buffalo with your dog? They have at least a lamb and a fish flavor in addition to their normal chicken flavor. I prefer the Blue Buffalo to Nutro, given the choice. The store that delivers gives you every 13th bag for free I haven't tried switching flavors yet, I'll either switch to Blue's grain free (in a flavor other than chicken), or get the Fromm's grain free. I'm hoping to get the Fromm's for her too, but I don't know if the store carries it. If not I'll get a bag of Blue's grain free and see how she likes it. We have had good experiences with Blue so far. |
| I have always had the same thought.... mixing between 2 different quality brands and it worked awhile with Yuki and her allergies ...but then it didn't. I still dream of the day we can feed our dog and have no allergies in the home 'that we can't control.' ....sigh. Currently she's on Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Vegetarian Formula Dry Dog Food ...which you can only get at the vet, and we pay $50 every 2 weeks. It's a small bag!! It's horrible because she still has a constant ear infection (with ear maintenance daily) ...and she's itching. BUT......... it's just a hair worse than what she was on ...homemade [dehydrated] food from The Honest Kitchen which is also expensive She's still on Royal Canin because I think I'm sick of it. I need to find a better food to make Yuki more comfortable and so I don't have to say stop itching Yuks every 20 min... but the kids feed her at meal time. It's weight off my shoulder, so... here we are ...still on it. We'll see about getting her to see the allergist here, but that's her first step (putting them on this diet). So we've failed that one... I miss when it was simple and we had her on pro plan sensitive stomach ...and science diet z/d |
| Mrs J....have you tried a dry food with limited ingredients,such as California Natural Herring & Sweet Potato? I have read for years our breed with allergies have done quite well on this food. Robin |
| Yep Several different brands too. Not sure if she's allergic or it's too rich ....but she just doesn't do well with anything with sweet potato. ...or the other brands that just have 4 ingredients ...or even just 2 (like wellness dog food) |
| Well, we're back from the feed store with a bag of Fromm's large breed adult food. The store doesn't carry the large breed puppy food because the owner thinks it has too much protein in it and the dog will grow too fast, or something like that. Anyway, if Eevee likes the food, I'll get a bigger bag, and I have the option of ordering from a different store, which does carry the puppy food. So, should I get her the puppy food like I think I should, or go with what the guy said and feed her the lower protein adult food? The store also didn't have the grain free varieties, so Bailey has Grain Free Blue Buffalo now. If she likes it, we'll keep her on it, if not, we'll try Fromm's for her too. We had to go to the store today because we're completely out of food for Eevee and the vet told me that I should start mixing food in with her cottage cheese today. Otherwise I would have went with the delivery store, they don't deliver until Saturdays but I know they have all the varieties of food. |
| There was no UK input in this thread! I only say that because Summer is on Green Dog holistic food, turkey and rice at the moment and has an upset stomach, She is also very itchy and is washing her pads a lot. I am very loath to change her over as we have been ok on this one for a couple of years now...sigh! Your dog foods sound much tastier and more interesting! |
snazzierella wrote: Well, we're back from the feed store with a bag of Fromm's large breed adult food. The store doesn't carry the large breed puppy food because the owner thinks it has too much protein in it and the dog will grow too fast, or something like that. Anyway, if Eevee likes the food, I'll get a bigger bag, and I have the option of ordering from a different store, which does carry the puppy food. So, should I get her the puppy food like I think I should, or go with what the guy said and feed her the lower protein adult food? The store also didn't have the grain free varieties, so Bailey has Grain Free Blue Buffalo now. If she likes it, we'll keep her on it, if not, we'll try Fromm's for her too. We had to go to the store today because we're completely out of food for Eevee and the vet told me that I should start mixing food in with her cottage cheese today. Otherwise I would have went with the delivery store, they don't deliver until Saturdays but I know they have all the varieties of food. I, personally, would still feed the Large Breed Puppy formula. I have talked to many vets, nutritionists, etc. about large breed puppies and their needs since there is so much conflicting information out there about what they should be fed. What I came out with at the end is that protein is not the biggie for large breed puppies, it is calcium to phosphorus ratio. You can have a low protein food and still have a calcium/phos ratio that is too high for large breed puppies! Unfortunately most bags are not going to have calcium/phos numbers on their bags, so unless you call them you aren't going to know what their exact numbers are. I have personally spoken with the Fromm nutritionist (one more thing I love about their company, he gave us his personal cell number in case he wasn't in the office and a customer had an urgent question!) on several occasions, though never regarding this question in particular, and have every confidence that he has all of this formulated correctly. He REALLY knows his stuff, even in comparison to other company nutritionists that I've spoken to. Also, the difference between LBP and LBA in protein, is only 2%, which isn't going to make a HUGE difference in the long run. The LBP Fromm also has the same percentage as Wellness LBP and NutriSource LBP. Blue Buffalo LBP formula is even higher at 28%. So if the guy at the store said he thought that was too high in protein, I'm wondering if there are any LBP formulas that he would recommend. We have a breeder who shops at my store that, under supervision from his vet, has raised his GSDs on Fromm's Puppy (not large breed, just the normal puppy) for generations now. If his shepherds aren't having growth issues then I highly HIGHLY doubt putting an OES on the LBP is going to be an issue. |
PWCorgi wrote: snazzierella wrote: Well, we're back from the feed store with a bag of Fromm's large breed adult food. The store doesn't carry the large breed puppy food because the owner thinks it has too much protein in it and the dog will grow too fast, or something like that. Anyway, if Eevee likes the food, I'll get a bigger bag, and I have the option of ordering from a different store, which does carry the puppy food. So, should I get her the puppy food like I think I should, or go with what the guy said and feed her the lower protein adult food? The store also didn't have the grain free varieties, so Bailey has Grain Free Blue Buffalo now. If she likes it, we'll keep her on it, if not, we'll try Fromm's for her too. We had to go to the store today because we're completely out of food for Eevee and the vet told me that I should start mixing food in with her cottage cheese today. Otherwise I would have went with the delivery store, they don't deliver until Saturdays but I know they have all the varieties of food. I, personally, would still feed the Large Breed Puppy formula. I have talked to many vets, nutritionists, etc. about large breed puppies and their needs since there is so much conflicting information out there about what they should be fed. What I came out with at the end is that protein is not the biggie for large breed puppies, it is calcium to phosphorus ratio. You can have a low protein food and still have a calcium/phos ratio that is too high for large breed puppies! Unfortunately most bags are not going to have calcium/phos numbers on their bags, so unless you call them you aren't going to know what their exact numbers are. I have personally spoken with the Fromm nutritionist (one more thing I love about their company, he gave us his personal cell number in case he wasn't in the office and a customer had an urgent question!) on several occasions, though never regarding this question in particular, and have every confidence that he has all of this formulated correctly. He REALLY knows his stuff, even in comparison to other company nutritionists that I've spoken to. Also, the difference between LBP and LBA in protein, is only 2%, which isn't going to make a HUGE difference in the long run. The LBP Fromm also has the same percentage as Wellness LBP and NutriSource LBP. Blue Buffalo LBP formula is even higher at 28%. So if the guy at the store said he thought that was too high in protein, I'm wondering if there are any LBP formulas that he would recommend. We have a breeder who shops at my store that, under supervision from his vet, has raised his GSDs on Fromm's Puppy (not large breed, just the normal puppy) for generations now. If his shepherds aren't having growth issues then I highly HIGHLY doubt putting an OES on the LBP is going to be an issue. Thanks very much, I figured that feeding her the LBP was the right thing to do, but I thought I should double check. I also could have sworn the guy at the store said it had like 38% protein or something ridiculous like that, but I may have heard him wrong. The protein level in the LBP is no more than it was in her Iams food, both are 26%. I'm glad to hear you have so much confidence in this food! I don't have much confidence in the guy at the feed store, but I do trust your judgement. Eevee and Bailey are both enjoying their new food! Eevee might just like it because we still mix cottage cheese in, but I think she'll still like it without the cheese. Bailey loves the Blue grain free so much, that she actually finishes a whole bowl without getting distracted and walking away! It's great. |
| That's awesome to hear that Bailey loves her new food! It sucks when it's a struggle to get your pet to eat! The thing with trusting people at pet food stores is that, in general, it is completely up to the person as to how much they decide they want to know about pet food, the industry, and the products that they sell. At my company there is a pretty rigorous initial training period, but after that it is up to the employees to get outside source information. It just so happens that quite a bit of my time outside of work is spent doing more research, being active on pet food related lists, going to seminars, etc. It really is more than a job for me, it's a passion. I guess i'm just cool like that |
| Fromm's is a family run business not massed produced like, lets say, Diamond foods. Robin |
PWCorgi wrote: That's awesome to hear that Bailey loves her new food! It sucks when it's a struggle to get your pet to eat! The thing with trusting people at pet food stores is that, in general, it is completely up to the person as to how much they decide they want to know about pet food, the industry, and the products that they sell. At my company there is a pretty rigorous initial training period, but after that it is up to the employees to get outside source information. It just so happens that quite a bit of my time outside of work is spent doing more research, being active on pet food related lists, going to seminars, etc. It really is more than a job for me, it's a passion. I guess i'm just cool like that Bailey loves her food so much, that I tried feeding them both at the same time tonight (which usually doesn't work because Eevee goes after Bailey's food and Bailey gives it up) and Bailey actually defended her food! She's usually such a pushover, so it must be really good food. I ended up spending almost all of I think it was Thursday looking up dog foods and comparing them, lol. Nowhere near as much time as you've probably spent on it, but a lot for someone like me! gumbo41 wrote: Fromm's is a family run business not massed produced like, lets say, Diamond foods. Robin Yes, and Diamond had a bunch of recalls if I remember right! I noticed when I was at the feed store that the only two brands they actually had were Fromm's and Diamond, kinda weird... (They sell more than just food of course, they have a lot of gardening stuff.) It seems strange that they would have two foods that are so opposite. |
| Diamond tends to move because it is extremely cheap for what the ingredient label says you get. Most people dont delve into or think about grades of meat and quality of ingredients that go into it. I would not touch anything diamond, or manufactured by diamond (natural balance, wellness, solid gold, etc) because of cross contamination issues. Wellness and Solid Gold did recently cut tied with diamond, thank goodness). My biggest issue with diamond is that they are quite obviously not able to maintain a safe facility. This is the second time they have sparked a huge recall and dealt with it terribly. But I will stop ranting now :p |
| Just got home from a weekend of shows....and I'm catching up For what it's worth - Bond and his sisters were fed Fromm's Gold LBP exclusively through almost 5 months old - and all did wonderfully. |
| The worst dog food you could feed is iams and hills science plan as these products are tested on animals to see what is the least protein etc they can get away with to produce as cheap as possible. Science plan is sold by vets as they get commision for selling it also the ingredients in it is meant to make your dog ill so as the vets make money again by you having to take your dog to the vet more often. They both put by-products into their food such as road kill, any type of dead animal whatsoever that has died including eyes teeth toenails bowels the contents in the bowel are dried out and ground down and added to the food, bladder EVERYTHING, also animals which have been euthanized and the injection they use to put dogs to sleep does not break down when cooked. Did you know our pets are supposed to live to about 18/ 20 thats not happening because of what they are getting fed. |
| I am interested as to where you got the info about the Iams and Science plan foods? Dougal,Sprox's brother was put on Science plan for upset tum. We used Iams on Fred when was a pup as was what the breeder used-he was hypo and aggressive-changed to James Wellbeloved and was a different dog overnight. Started Sprocket and Dougal on JWB,both ok to start with then Dougal got bad tum. Sprox fine but was told about Trophy kibble and changed to that as verry much like JWB and the man delivers it and is half the price for very good quality food-so far so good and Sprox's stopped scratching.x |
| I feed Raw and travel an hour and half to get it, and the company charges $10 to deliver there (it is another hour or so futher) They deliver to the bigger city . It cost me around $200 a month to feed both dogs. Knock on wood they are healthy. No itchy skin, no yick stool. All great. I moved onto meaty bones every other day. Laika and a plaque build up before and thought I might have to take her to get them cleaned. Well it is all gone. They both have plaque free teeth. Which is great because the can cause problems down the line. The stuff I get is bagged now so I occasionally might throw in some veg I have in the refrigerator and sometimes some cooked oatmeal. Other than that it is meat. Bones ever other day like I mentioned fish once a week, tripe once a week, organ meat every so often. Lamb, pork and beef for meat and chicken necks. I put Laika on raw around the age of 8 months after battling diarrhea and now she has awesome kitty sized poops . Langley has been on raw from day one. |
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