[Gigit]

Ok, so Finnigan is a very picky eater. He has lost some weight because of this and the vet has placed him on science diet PD (prescription diet for additional protein for weight gain in puppies and nursing moms.)

So the more I dig the more I read about, the more it freaks me out about the goop I am feeding my little furry pal. Diseased animals with cancer, dead cats and dogs (that have been euthanized and that injection chemical going into the food) etc. Some people swear by not feeding the dog processed foods at all, but a balanced diet of cooked meats and some fruits and veggies. I read how companies can twist no preservatives if they don't add them themselves, and other things. What makes the expensive brands better, really?

Prior to this, I actually was feeding him this human grade Iams organic based food, because it had a nice smell, not a smell that made me ill, but a smell that was almost pleasant. He seemed to like that food BETTER than this science diet, crazy enough. I read no corn meal, and yet this stuff from the vet, one of the main ingredients is corn meal! And the more I read, the more I get freaked out, like the fact that Science Diet uses euthanized pets at their processing center...


I'd like to know what you guys feed your dogs and why. I'm going to return this stuff if what I am reading is true... hwell:


***edited to add***
Woops, sorry posted this in the wrong section!! Please move for me Todd (thanks!)

 

[CurlyDog]

I learned a lot from this site: dogfoodanalysis.com

Basically I go for grain free, high quality ingredients with meat being the main ingredient. I like Orijen, Fromm Surf and Turf, Evo, and Innova.

 

[Gigit]

Thanks for the website, what a wonderful resource! They rate Science Diet with Walmart junk, bottom of the barrel. It's full of grain and by-products. Go figure. I will be taking it back to the vet and getting a refund, we spend $60 on junky food. *sigh*

 

[CurlyDog]

Oh, I know. I just spent the morning looking for a holistic vet that doesn't recommend junk food. We have one in our area that has written several books and travels around speaking. I have to wait until November to see him. He also endorses RAW. I'm looking forward to the appointment. Here's the article:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08162/888634-338.stm

 

[Kaybeegenie]

I would expect ANY holistic vet to endorse raw. I have been to a couple and one of them really pushed me to switch the cats to raw. They definitely should not recommend junk. Both of the vets that saw my dog at least recognized that I was making an effort to feed good kibble.

 

[CurlyDog]

Ok, I didn't word that properly. I didn't mean to imply that I was running across holistic vets that didn't endorse RAW. I was just having trouble in general finding a vet that is knowledgeable about nutrition and doesn't push junk food.

 

[Kaybeegenie]

Ok, I didn't word that properly. I didn't mean to imply that I was running across holistic vets that didn't endorse RAW. I was just having trouble in general finding a vet that is knowledgeable about nutrition and doesn't push junk food.

No kidding! Holistic vets are the way to go if you want a nutrition-educated vet.

 

[topknot]

Well my 2 girls have been on natures variety medallions (its a raw diet) for a month now and they absolutely love it. They whine and dance at feeding time. We will not be going back to kibble ever. Tanjhei (7yrs old) was on low residue eukenuba because of gastritis and since moving to raw we have only had 1 episode because she ate garbage. But unlike other times she did not have to visit the vet. After having her raw dinner and a couple of doses of nux vomica she was just fine. I think any bacteria in the raw actually helped calm her stomach. I too was going to visit a holistic vet, but after I was told it would cost $180 just to see 1 dog I had to rethink things, so I went with my gut feeling and just switched them cold turkey. We had no problems

 

[Pamela]

wow! what an eye opener - I guess my dogs arent getting the protein I though with Iams. But I have not seen the other dog foods in this area. There is a feed store about 5 miles away I might try -but the Iams pro active mini chunks don't get a good rating. I am at a loss - vet recommened it.

 

[CurlyDog]

Our vet recommended Iams too. We had been feeding it for years. If you go to some of the manufacturers websites they have a link for "find a retailer". I found that to be the easiest way to locate stores that have higher quality foods. Here are some links:

http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/orijen/
http://www.frommfamily.com/
http://www.canidae.com/
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/
http://www.naturapet.com/

 

[Angie]

I'm feeding my boys a prescription diet Z/D ultra.(allergen free) It is outragiously exspensive and not the best quality but one of the few foods Brody can eat. Brody has several food allergies including: rice, potatoes, beef, and yeast. We did the bloodwork allergy testing. Rice or potatoes are in 99% of kibble. Albert has always been finicky and vomits when he doesn't eat. I tried him on Brody's food just to see if maybe a food allergy could be his problem. He is a different dog and obviously feels like a puppy again. Any way I have considered cooking for them many times but just don't have the time. I also worry about proper vitamins. Most supplements are beef flavored therefore Brody can't have them. I'll have to investigate more natural foods and see what I can find. Any suggestions are welcome!!

 

[Gigit]

Today we bought Chicken Soup For The Puppy Lover's Soul which gets a 4 Star rating, placing it in a premium category. The kicker? At $1.99 a can, and Walmart Cesar brand junk is 95c a container 1/4 of the size, it's actually CHEAPER, as in HALF THE PRICE! Premium Canned Food at a less expensive price.

Here are the ingredients:

Chicken, turkey, chicken broth, duck, salmon, chicken liver, whole grain brown rice, whole grain white rice, oatmeal, carrots, peas, potatoes, barley, egg product, guar gum, flaxseed, kelp, apples, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, dried chicory root, flaxseed meal, vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, ascorbic acid, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, thiamin mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, biotin, folic acid, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, and sodium selenite.

Now, I just hope he eats it.

I won't feed my dog by-products or loads of corn grain.

If he won't eat this diet or hates it, we are going to look into a diet based around this:

http://www.api4animals.org/articles.php?p=360&more=1

DIET FOR ADULT DOGS

Amounts given are adequate for one day’s feeding of a 20-35 pound dog (depending on age & activity level). Adjust amounts proportionally for your dog’s weight. Starches may be decreased or omitted in case of digestive problems or for weight loss.

CHOOSE ONE PROTEIN SOURCE:

Animal Proteins:
(meat amounts given in raw weight)

* 1/3 pound boneless chicken breast or thigh, chopped, ground, or minced
* 3 large hard-boiled eggs
* 1/3 pound lean beef
* Optional: once a week, substitute 4 oz organic liver for 1/2 of any meat source

Vegetarian Proteins:

* 1 cup cottage cheese
* 1/2 cup tofu, firm
* 1 cup soybeans, cooked
* 1 cup lentils, cooked

CHOOSE ONE STARCH SOURCE:

With Animal Proteins:

* 2 cups cooked macaroni
* 3 cups cooked potato, with skin, chopped or mashed
* 2 cups cooked rice
* 2 cups rolled oats, quick, cooked

With Vegetarian Proteins:

* 2 cups cooked brown rice
* 2 cups cooked potato, with skin, chopped or mashed
* 2 cups cooked macaroni
* 1 cup cooked rice
* 1 cup plus cooked black-eyed peas
* 2-1/2 cups rolled oats, quick, cooked (1-1/4 cup raw)
* 1-1/2 cups cooked brown rice plus 1 cup cooked kidney beans

SUPPLEMENTS:

* puréed veggie mix (up to 1 cup)
* 1 Tbsp olive oil, or 1/2 Tbsp olive and 1/2 Tbsp flaxseed oil
* 400 mg calcium (elemental, as calcium citrate or carbonate)
* or 1200 mg (approximately 1-1/2 tsp) bone meal powder (human grade)
* 1/4 tsp salt substitute (potassium chloride) — give 3 or 4 times a week
* 1 multiple vitamin-mineral supplement (human quality)
* 1 probiotic/digestive enzyme supplement

Vegetarian dogs should get Vitamin B12, carnitine (250 mg) and taurine (250 mg) once a week. Vegetarian dogs of breeds prone to developing dilated cardiomyopathy should get supplemental Carnitine (50-100 mg) daily.

 

[CurlyDog]

Ok, this is a longshot because it may not be available in your area and is probably pretty pricey too (but maybe more nutritious than the prescription food). It doesn't have potato or yeast but the pea starch might cause the same problem as potato and rice? I don't know. It might be worth a try. Dogfoodanalysis.com rates it as a 6 star food.

Horizon Pet Foods Horizon Legacy Adult Canine

Ingredients:
Fresh chicken meat, chicken meal, salmon meal, turkey meal, pea starch concentrate, green split peas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, rosemary, citric acid), whole eggs, flaxseed, salmon oil, dried alfalfa, carrots, apples, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, cranberries, Saskatoon berries, dried kelp, dried pumpkin meal, colostrum, sea buckthorn, fenugreek protein meal, dried pomegranate, dried astragalus root, dried milk thistle, glucosamine HCl, chondroitin sulphate, garlic, enzymes (dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, dried aspergillus niger extract, pineapple, dried trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation product, rhizopus oryzae), probiotics (dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium bifidum fermentation product, and dried lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product), yucca schidigera extract, mannan oligosaccharide (MOS), burdock root extract (FOS), vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin B12, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin C (ascorbyl phosphate), ferrous sulphate, iron proteinate*, zinc sulphate, zinc proteinate*, manganous oxide, manganese proteinate*, copper sulphate, copper proteinate*, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, seleno methionine, magnesium oxide.
* Chelated Minerals.

 

[pagan-poodle]

Well the breeder of daisy had put her on that horrible meat thats in a big saucesage only 6% protein,so i have now got her on butchers puppy and i mix it with small bite mixer shes doing really good on it and i also give her puppys milk she seems happy and polishes the dish off

 

[Pamela]

I have located a couple of stores in my area - now I hope that I can afford the food. ON my income I really have no business having two standards. oh well.

 

[CurlyDog]

Well, I know this only helps a little but keep in mind that you will feed less. Still, when I compared the better food to the giant bag of Iams I was buying at Costco, we're still spending more.

I will say, I've seen a clear difference almost right away. The backyard is less messy and Abbie hasn't gotten us up in the middle of the night since we switched! We're crossing our fingers this is a permanent change.

Good luck! I hope it works out.

 

[Pamela]

thanks - I haven't been able to get out so I don't know when I will get there - then I have to figure out how to wean from the other food.

 

[Angie]

I like the ingredients, I'll check it out. Thanks.

 

[Pamela]

how can we know they don't use euthanized pets in the food? This is a scary thing yes?

 

[Gigit]

Finn likes the Chicken Soup brand food, but he's such a pickey eater, so we mix it with leftover meat and veggies from dinner from the night before, or soup broth, and then he gobbles it up. IMO mixing cooked meat and some good veggies makes it even healthier. We will also be giving him a multi-vitamin since he is eating table scraps in addition to doggie food. We are using about 3/4 Chicken Soup brand food with 1/4 meat/veggies or some broth poured over the top of his food.

We are all brainwashed into thinking have to feed our dogs dog food, but when you realize what the ingredients actually are, you suddenly realize that the old school table food scraps way was healthier... much healthier (unless of course you are buying the top dollar foods.) By-products are a disgusting thing, I have no desire to feed my dog by-products and corn meal.