Dog food Research

[Phocyn]

I'm looking for a dog food that isn't Purina Branded. (Reasons for this)

I'm currently picked up a couple no names to get me through, but I don't know as much about kibbles as I'd like. Any suggestions for a multi-pack of dogs? All small breed.

 

[Mizzely]

Do you have a budget?

Are they high or low energy?

Do you prefer corn or alternative grains, or grain free?


I'm feeding Iams to my dog. It's usually about $1.40/lb. He does poorly on corn free foods and is lower energy, so Iams is a good mid range food for him.

 

[Spearmint]

Does your dog have any allergies? I personally feed raw as it suited my dog better, but when i used to kibble feed i used Meals for Mutts, hydrated with water, and then the "prime 100 SPF" rolls and air-dried food.

 

[Phocyn]

Anything without gluten and as dye free as possible. I'm not concerned with the budget as long as my pets get decent kibbles. My vet mentioned something about science diet, my Reba won't eat it and the other three girls won't even smell it. Monty, a senior I'm long term caring for, has eaten it. I'm not a fan of the 'ingredients'. I've tried grain free, but Reba again had problems with it. I usually go for a 'meat first' ingredient. I have always included veggie mixes in my kibbles. They're diet is remarkably similar to what I do with the birds. Dedicated kibble/pellet, with additional items offered daily. Eggs, chicken, other meats, veggies, apples, pumpkin, things the vet said were good for them.

 

[AussieBird]

I am going to soon change mine over to 'Taste of the Wild', because I've read some good things about it. I can't speak from personal experience about it yet.

 

[iamwhoiam]

I feed one of my dogs Fromm grain free. The other dog gets Red Barn whole grain and/or Taste of the Wild Ancient Grains.
You can research dog foods here:

Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor

The Dog Food Advisor's unbiased dog food reviews and ratings searchable by brand or star rating. Find the best dry, canned or raw food for your dog.

www.dogfoodadvisor.com

 

[Mizzely]

I will say that Dog Food Advisor can be a good starting point, but when I researched dog foods 10 years ago for a dog I had, they had completely different stars for the foods than they do now. It's extremely arbitrary.

 

[AussieBird]

I will say that Dog Food Advisor can be a good starting point, but when I researched dog foods 10 years ago for a dog I had, they had completely different stars for the foods than they do now. It's extremely arbitrary.

I decided to try Taste of the Wild after reading a similar website (an Australian based one).
I didn't pay a heap of attention to the ratings, I just really appreciated having it all broken down into relatively simple english.

 

[Mizzely]

I decided to try Taste of the Wild after reading a similar website (an Australian based one).
I didn't pay a heap of attention to the ratings, I just really appreciated having it all broken down into relatively simple english.

Yes it's so good for comparing and narrowing down choices. Especially here in the US there's SO many brands and varieties, it's overwhelming.

 

[zoo mom]

What country are you in?



I feed 4 health. It is a brand specific to Tractor Supply (TSC). But I don't know if it is available out of the USA.

 

[Mitzi]

I feed my 11 year old dog 4health with Wholesome Grains Adult Salmon and Potato Formula Dry Dog Food. She seems to be doing okay on it.

 

[Shannan]

What country are you in?



I feed 4 health. It is a brand specific to Tractor Supply (TSC). But I don't know if it is available out of the USA.

I also feed 4 health and from what I have read, it is best to rotate out many different foods so that if one is missing a micronutrient the other may have it. I also tend to lean towards the rice and meat types rather than the grain free as the research is growing that those types of feeds are contributing to health problems. Whole Dog Journal does an extensive research on dog foods but you have to be a member to see it. (it's not that expensive and the articles are generally good). Again, I rotate between 4 Health and several other brands depending on what is on sale and my dogs have been generally long lived. Except for the cat that has a specialized diet, I don't do Science Diet as most of my dogs don't like it but I cannot tell you why I avoid it.

 

[Sparkles99]

I haven’t settled on an adult food yet. My pup is 11 months old.

She gets Fromm Puppy Gold kibble, Royal Canin small size dog sachets (these are adult now, 10+ months), & Merrick Pint Sized Puppy Plates. We have about a week’s worth of the Plates.

 

[Birdie Mama]

Kira is almost 1 year old (Feb 1) and from the time we got her she has has home made foods supplemented with Nature Valley puppy kibbles as was suggested by a vet and she has done great on the combo. Her home made food consists of meat, vegetables and sometimes a mixture of the meats,
eg. ground beef, or roast, chicken or pork but rotated regularly. If done in the slow cooker, it gives about 10 days worth of twice a day meals, and if we use the ground meat, we lay it flat on cookie sheet, add in the veggies and bake for about 45 minutes. We will also mix the ground beef with ground chicken or turkey. All her meal portions are frozen and used one container at a time. She gets an egg every few days as well as salmon oil added to her bowl mix a couple of times a week…

 

[Phocyn]

Just got off the phone with kibble company. They offered a refund for the dog foods, but just a word to the wise. Avoid beneful. We considered it a family brand and at this time we’re no longer buying any Purina products. This sadly includes my birds pellets.

 

[Shezbug]

Just got off the phone with kibble company. They offered a refund for the dog foods, but just a word to the wise. Avoid beneful. We considered it a family brand and at this time we’re no longer buying any Purina products. This sadly includes my birds pellets.

What was wrong with it that made them offer a refund? What is wrong with Purina brand?

 

[MnGuy]

I feed Wellness, which you can get at big box pet stores and boutique pet supply stores. They have grain-free options, and many boutique shops offer a loyalty program for this brand (buy 12 bags, get the 13th free).

Wellness Dog Food Review (2024): History, Product Line, and Cost

Read this Wellness Dog Food review and uncover the ins and outs of a premium brand for canine nutrition. Find out if it's worth your money!

woofwhiskers.com

Wellness Dog Food Review 2024, Recalls & Ingredients Analysis

Wellness is an innovative pet food brand that aims to produce the leading natural dog foods. Read our Wellness dog food review to find out more.

dogfoodheaven.com

I fed my dogs raw food for awhile, and think it's the best option. But it's a ton of work and can get expensive. You need to do a lot of research to pull raw food off well.

Good luck.

 

[AussieBird]

Sending me down the dog food rabbit hole again, can someone link me some of the studies on grain free food? I've fed grain free food for a very long time and dont really have any intentions to change, but am curious as I've never read one of these studies.

 

[Mizzely]

Sending me down the dog food rabbit hole again, can someone link me some of the studies on grain free food? I've fed grain free food for a very long time and dont really have any intentions to change, but am curious as I've never read one of these studies.

The FDA announced an investigation in 2019 about cases of dietary canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) reported between 2014-2019. The leading theory was grain free foods and/or legumes/peas/pulses were the cause. People freaked out and took this to heart, saying to avoid grain free.

They released an update in December 2022 to say that there is not currently enough evidence to suggest a relationship.

FDA Investigates Potential Link Between Diet & Heart Disease in Dogs

Latest update on the FDA’s investigation into reports of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods.

www.fda.gov

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) then released some guidance for people in order to provide pet parents a way to choose a pet food, in the form of questions to ask your pet food company. Since the "Big 5" (Purina, Iams, Royal Canin, Eukanuba, and Hills) could answer these questions easily right away, a lot of people pushed formulas by these brands only for a long time, saying only the were "WSAVA compliant". WSAVA does not approve foods; it only gave us ways to critically examine the companies that make our pet food. Now that more time has passed, a lot of brands publish the answers to these questions on their website.

Link to the WSAVA toolkit here: https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/Arpita-and-Emma-editorial/Selecting-the-Best-Food-for-your-Pet.pdf

 

[Mizzely]

Just got off the phone with kibble company. They offered a refund for the dog foods, but just a word to the wise. Avoid beneful. We considered it a family brand and at this time we’re no longer buying any Purina products. This sadly includes my birds pellets.

What bird food is made by Purina?