What are you feeding your dog?

[grousehunter]

Nutri Source performace here. If I didn't feed Nutri source i would likely go back to pro plan performance.

[kentuck_ike]

I use & like Native

[hanson]

I switched my pup up from Iam's to Canidae within a month of getting him. I had remembered reading many, many good things about Canidae on the forums here which is why I switched. Also read a number of bad things about Iam's so switch I did. Since then, I've read about the change in manufacturer's of Canidae which affected the food a bit.

Reason I'm considering another change now is I'm not really impressed with his [PoorWordUsage]. Sometimes they are rock hard and sometimes they are a gooey pile and everything in between.

The 2 dog foods that I've read about over and over again in the forums here are Native and Nutro, others as well but these 2 seam to get good reviews over and over again.

I've got a now 7 month old, 70lb+, hyper, very active Yellow Lab who is in great shape. Any thoughts or suggestions as to what I should switch to? Both Native & Nutro have a number of different foods.

Here he is... what's he look hungry for??

[Inthehollow]

I use Kent feeds active dog they seem to like it

[Rick]

I'm telling ya guys...ya gotta check out the Orijen made by Champion.

I like Native too but it's loaded with grains for filler.

[deerminator]

Per the IAMS accusations, I did a quick Google search and couldn't find anything specific on that. In fact, it seems most of what you will find is the anti's attacking IAMS for animal testing and so on. And even if they did pull a sponsorship, that's their right to do so no matter their reason. It doesn't mean they make bad dog food or that you shouldn't do what's right for your dog because of it. The world isn't black and white all over. It's grey in many places.

We gave to our local humane society when we adopted our dog from there and we have donated money to them since. Sure, the national organization doesn't support hunting, and I disagree with them on that point, but that doesn't mean everything they do is bad. They do a lot of good.

The same can be said for our dear NRA. They do a lot of good but I disagree with them on many points. For instance, what they did to Jim Zumbo over his comments on black rifles in hunting was a disgrace. And I disagree with some of the other extreme stances and actions they take. But it doesn't mean you just turn your back on them. Have you ever voted for a politician you agreed with on everything? Likely not.

Ok, a little bit of a rant, but just because IAMS doesn't pony up for a hunting sponsorship shouldn't mean we should turn our back on them.

[hanson]

Could just be the state of the economy that caused Iam's to pull some sponsor dollars... I don't know. Definitely wouldn't be unique to them.

I would like to clarify that your "local" humane society and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are two totally different, unafiliated organizations. HSUS are the animal rights wackos that you hear and read about. They have nothing to do with you local humane society. Surprising how many people have no clue about this.

[ottersled54]

Over the last thirty years, I have tried numerous dog food brands and the different product levels they have. As it seems with most everything, you get what you pay for. Excessive grain fillers cause loose stools in most dogs. Grain is cheap compared to protein even if it is scrap protein, so if you pay less you get less protein and less muscle building. Now I buy whatever brand is on sale (cheapest of the medium to upper price range) and has a minimum of 20% protein and feed it to my dogs. I really have not seen a difference in their coats or stools. They are healthy, have solid muscle mass,shiny coats, and endurance in the field while hunting for pheasants.

[deerminator]

Interesting point about the HSUS. I had no idea of that, likely because I don't pay them much attention. But that's good to know. I had just assumed that most humane societies would be affiliated. I'm glad they are not.

[Mearnsquail]

I feed Native #3. Couldn't be happier. Most of the guys I hunt with also feed Native.

[DTro]

A few months ago I switched over from NutriSource to Spots Stew.

The Spot's Stew followers could probably get a big Fog Horn for some of their beliefs and I can't say I see eye to eye with them, but because of that, I know that they will keep the mfg "in line" with regards to their claims about ingredients.

[MinnesotaMongo]

At 70 bucks for 30 lbs, I hope that it's good food, DTRO!

[SledNeck]

I have raised all my dogs on purina, the green bag, and they all have turned out great with great coats and intellagence. I am sure there is better but really if ya spoil the dog like I do they will gwt what they need. My dogs are are beyond the norm maybe tyhat explains why I think I am so smart.

Thats begs the question,

whats the wife feeding you?

[Kyle]

I feed Nutri Source Large Breen Puppy. This brand is by far the best dog food you can buy for the money in my opinion; and I have done loads of reading on dog food! I get it at a place in st. cloud; 36.99 for a 30# bag, though you can buy it at gander mountain for a little more. Its better food than some brands that are $45-50 a bag. My dad has a yellow lab who is his service dog. The place he got the service dog from has strict rules on feeding, training, etc... This is the only brand of dog food they will let any of their dogs be on. I can tell you right now, my 5 month old puppy has never had a runny or too hard stool. They have all been the same, and he is healthy as can be.

One of the biggest things to stay away from when looking for dog food is fillers like corn, and meat byproduct.

The better food you get, the less you will have to feed due to the fact that there is less waste, and the dog gains more from each pebble.

[Todd Caswell]

Purina Pro Plan Performance, nice coats, solid stools, and Purina is a big supporter of the dog games, and did not have any recalls on any of there food. See no reason to try others.

[scsavre]

Purina Pro plan for my lab, for the same reasons as caswell

[wormdunker]

Loyall for me. Dog has the most amazing coat. Never had such a beautiful shine, he eats it like it is the best thing on earth and his piles are very normal.

[LovenLifeGuy]

I feed my dog Nutro large breed everyday and give him raw red meat three times a week. I also give him raw meat everyday Nov and December and eggs night before a hunt. The meat gets expensive but it is just included with the budget and the 1/2 cow we buy a year.

[311Hemi]

Per the IAMS accusations, I did a quick Google search and couldn't find anything specific on that.

Sure, the national organization doesn't support hunting, and I disagree with them on that point, but that doesn't mean everything they do is bad. They do a lot of good.

[Woollman99]

When looking for a good healthy pet food, read the label and ingredients closely. You should look for pet food that:

1. Is natural healthy - contains natural ingredients with NO artificial addititves or preservatives.

2. Has quality proteins - contains chicken and fish meals with no animal by-products for maximum protein availability. Avoid items that list/contain "by-products". Also products that list "whole chicken" is not any better than chicken meal. Whole chicken is approx 85% water. Meal is rendered from the animal tissue and has the water removed in processing.

3. Has whole grains - contains rice, oats and barley with no corn, wheat or soy for maximum digestibility and smaller stools. Corn, wheat and soy is usually positioned as "fillers".

4. Begins with a meat/meal product and not a grain on the ingredient listing.

4. Has natural antioxidants.

5. Has chelated minerals.

6. Has Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

I feed my lab Native and been very happy with the food and results. Native is made by Kent Feeds. The brand is not easily found--Chuck & Dons is the only retailer with best selection. Native comes in various stages---each stage contains higher levels/ratios of fats and proteins, but the same base ingredients. During the off season, I feed my dog Native 1-2. During the hunting season, I move him up to Native 3. For what its worth, Native is one of the official pet food sponsors of Pheasants Forever.

Another similar brand of Native is called Haven Naturals (made by Kent). It is found in many local grocery stores in the Mpls area (except Rainbow Foods). This is another quality pet food I would recommend highly.

Many of the "larger" so called premium brands have cheapened their product (over the last few years) and are not the same quality as they used to be. They are charging more for the product, but have added by-products, corns and fillers.

Net net, while natural pet foods cost more, they will likely save money over time due to needing to eat/feed less, may suffer fewer illnesses (potentially reducing vet expenditures), have smaller firmer stools and may shed less.

Woollman

[MuleShack]

I'm telling ya guys...ya gotta check out the Orijen made by Champion.

I like Native too but it's loaded with grains for filler.

I finally agree with Rick on something , I started with a bag of Diamond and then did some research and found Orijen on the web from dogfood analysis sites and it had top ratings with fresh ingredients and no fillers. I checked it out and purchased a bag.

After I fed it to the pup ( 15 weeks at the time) for the first time...she didn't want nothing to do with the Diamond any more....And I thought she loved the Diamond too She would just sniff the diamond and look at me like what is this carp.

Chuck and Dons carries it but it is so popular they are having a hard time keeping it in stock.

[Tinkhamtown]

I have been feeding Lab and Springer Kirkland adult Lamb, Rice & Vegetable formula 23% protein, 14% fat for last 1-½ years and am happy with the results. Dogs like the food and I like the price under $24.00 for 40 # and dog’s coats and energy level are very good.

Tink

[wolfman-k]

Blue Buffalo-first five ingredients are meat-no grains. My labs coat has improved greatly, & his energy & strength is off the charts. A little spendy, but he's my best friend!

[PikeBayCommanche]

Switched to Sojo's.

Ingredients: Rolled Oats, Rye Flakes, Barley Flakes, Ground Pecans, Natural Calcium Carbonate, Kelp, Carob Powder, Parsley, Basil, Alfalfa

You have to ad the meat of your choice. I switch from ground beef and chicken and turkey. During hunting season I will take the some of the other meat from pheasants,rabbits and deer to give to them. I believe that a lot of the allergies and such are from the meat preservatives.

Really at 1.50 a pound for ground chuck at Sam's Club it is relatively cost effective to feed to your best friends.

[Rip_Some_Lip]

I supplement with raw eggs and raw hamburger during hunting season.

I used to give my dogs a raw egg for their coat until recently I read that raw eggs were bad for them. I now scramble an extra egg for the dog. Has anyone else heard of raw eggs being bad?