Which dog food do you buy?

[yorketransport]

I've been feeding Pepper (WPG) almost exclusively Acana Regional Pacifica food since I got her. I tried a few bags of AvoDerm (slowly and gradually switching over the course of a week) a while back when I started running out of the Acana. After I noticed Pepper scratching significantly more I switched back to the Acana. Now I'm going to try a bag or two of Blue Buffalo Wilderness food and see how she does with that. I'm just trying to find a good, high quality, high protein food that's a little more available than the Acana brand. I know it's good food, but it's hard to find when I don't plan ahead and start to run out!

So I'm just curious, what are you feeding your dogs?  The breeder recommended the Acana, the vet recommends AvoDerm, Blue Buffalo, and EVO dry dog food. Maybe I'm over thinking this and just getting suckered in to buying expensive food for nothing.

Andrew

[KFhunter]

Someone posted a really cool site reviewing various dog foods.

Coupled with the fact I wasn't happy how the Britt was doing on her old food I gradually switched to another brand and she is doing better on it.



I really dislike the Wolf thing    but over looked that as the reviews were right at the top of what was available in my area. \



I'm not sure if this was the site I used or not
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/dry/

[KFhunter]

Here is Taste of the Wild review

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/taste-of-the-wild-dog-food-dry/

[madcow41]

Blue buffalo is great I fed my 80# Malinois it. However if you have a costco card you can but a 70# bag of Natures domain wilderness salmon for about 40$. It is the exact same as blue buffalo just way cheaper. Kind of like buying equaline versions of brand name medicine.

[Goldeneye]

I feed my labs (age 13.5 and 3) Breeders Choice Active Care.  My old lab is the last one alive out of her litter of 12 pups.  Must be decent food as she's still able to hunt.  Granted I don't take her on the tough hunts any more.  They have great coats too.

http://www.goactivedog.com/index.htm

[KFhunter]

Blue buffalo is great I fed my 80# Malinois it. However if you have a costco card you can but a 70# bag of Natures domain wilderness salmon for about 40$. It is the exact same as blue buffalo just way cheaper. Kind of like buying equaline versions of brand name medicine.

I did this for a while, but my dog wouldn't hardly touch it.  Lot of folks feed this to their dog and have excellent results.


Finding the right food is almost a quest 

[yorketransport]

I did this for a while, but my dog wouldn't hardly touch it.  Lot of folks feed this to their dog and have excellent results.


Finding the right food is almost a quest 

My dog will eat anything! If I let her pick it would be the "Special Kitty" food that I get from WalMart for the cats. How can you not love a 25# bag of food that only costs $11. I figure that would be the equivalent of feeding my kids nothing but cookies and soda and then wondering why they do so bad in school.

I kind of liked my cheap rescue dogs better. I just fed them whatever was on sale. Maybe that's why they kept biting me all the time.

Andrew

[87Ford]

However if you have a costco card you can but a 70# bag of Natures domain wilderness salmon for about 40$. It is the exact same as blue buffalo just way cheaper. Kind of like buying equaline versions of brand name medicine.

I feed Nature's Domain to my Labs.  I've never seen it in a 70# bag though.  Are you sure about that?  Also, It's my understanding that it's close to the same as Taste of the Wild rather than Blue Buffalo.

[jackson7]

Nutro max for my GSP .

[pilebuck]

old roy 

[KFhunter]

old roy 

They should outlaw that crap 

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/ol-roy-dog-food-dry/

[yorketransport]

old roy 

They should outlaw that crap 

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/ol-roy-dog-food-dry/

I just checked that link. What the heck is "poultry by-product meal"?

Andrew

[KFhunter]

This is an interesting article on switching up feeds, if your dog can tolerate a change in feed it really makes since.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

Diet Rotation for Dogs

The following items represent some of The Dog Food Advisor’s most frequently asked questions about diet rotation for dogs.

What is diet rotation?

Unlike a conventional feeding plan where the same food is served at each meal, diet rotation involves varying a dog’s menu on a daily, weekly, or other periodic basis.

Why should I consider diet rotation for my dog?

Since there’s no such thing as a perfect dog food, it’s reasonable to assume every product is deficient or excessive in some way.

Too much of one nutrient… or too little of another. Plus many foods can contain traces of dangerous toxins.

So, built-in flaws tend to be magnified when the same food is fed continuously… day-in and day-out… for a lifetime.

By periodically switching dog foods, the unhealthy consequences of serving the same imperfect products can be minimized.
Isn’t changing dog foods dangerous for the animal?

Although some pets can’t tolerate menu changes, I’ve never been able to find a single scientific study proving diet rotation to be unhealthy or detrimental to a dog.

Does diet rotation mean mixing two or more different dog foods together and serving them at the same meal?

No. The benefits of diet rotation are optimized only when cycling between different products on a periodic basis.

How often should dog foods be switched?

There’s no fixed feeding plan that works better than the others. So, it depends on your own imgenuity.

Some switch foods daily. Others change weekly. And still others prefer to empty one bag of kibble before beginning the next.

Is there a downside to diet rotation?

There are mainly two disadvantages to diet rotation…
◾Avoiding GI upset
◾Maintaining product freshness

Since some dogs have sensitive stomachs, the potential for GI upset can be an issue for certain pets.

And because alternating between two or more kibbles can make each bag take longer to use up, it can be difficult to maintain the freshness of each product.

Can you provide an example of diet rotation?

For Bailey, we mix one-fourth of a small can of a single-species wet food (chicken, lamb, rabbit, etc.) with his kibble. As each can runs out, we switch to a different canned product from the same brand.

Then, when each bag of kibble is empty, we start with a different kibble (usually, but not always, from the same brand).

Over the long term (twice a year), we gradually switch brands, too.

 

[madcow41]

However if you have a costco card you can but a 70# bag of Natures domain wilderness salmon for about 40$. It is the exact same as blue buffalo just way cheaper. Kind of like buying equaline versions of brand name medicine.

I feed Nature's Domain to my Labs.  I've never seen it in a 70# bag though.  Are you sure about that?  Also, It's my understanding that it's close to the same as Taste of the Wild rather than Blue Buffalo.

I guess I am a hunter I do embellish... well its a big bag and I have to carry it up the stairs.

[runamuk]

old roy 

They should outlaw that crap 

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/ol-roy-dog-food-dry/

I just checked that link. What the heck is "poultry by-product meal"?

Andrew

byproduct meal is beaks feet feathers bones offal....if it says meat by product meal same deal can be ears tails hooves bones blood....except bone and blood meal are both more valuable as garden fertilizers.  By product is always whatever is left and meal simply means ground to unrecognizable