What am I gonna feed em?

[Lynnwood]

I fed Purina Pro Plan for years and my dogs looked great. When prices got out of control I bumped down to Purina ONE Lamb and rice and they still looked great.

When more and more came out grain free diets etc I looked around and found out that Diamond Naturals Lamb and Rice was rated really highly. It was also not out of this world pricey etc.

Swapped all my dogs in the typical long and slow swap. As soon as they were totally on it I had sick sick dogs, some barfing some with diarrhea all with terrible gas. Everyone went on carafate for a week and we decided to wait it out see if anything improved. It never did my eldest dog never got normal stools the rest resolved to soft at best. The gas continued. I swapped them all back to Purina ONE and they were right as rain. NO issues.

[Larksmom]

Go here

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews
Wendy posted this a long time back, and it really opened my eyes. I don’t care what anyone else feeds, that is up to them. But I never gave a thought to what pets ate tiill the stuff about all the pets dying from the poisons coming from China. Then I looked into it a little. But after going to Petfoodadvisors, who have nothing to gain as far as I can see, just amazed me with what is in all those foods! I had begun to feed Chef Michael, because it is sold at the grocery store and I didn’t have to go elsewhere to get it. But when I saw how low it was rated, and not cheap either{!} I switched. I have read most of the posts here about dog food, and have become somewhat satisfied, well, they’re GONNA eat it, like grim death. I don’t think they need to fine dine, but as Wendy says, why feed them the equivelent of hot dogs and pizza? I like to eat well, but often as not, I end up at Taco Bell, or worse, McDs:o [only eat single cheese burgers tho!]
I went out today and bought another bag of F4H, I think it was Salmon and Sweet potato. Can’t remember, it is still in the trunk. They really didn’t like the lamb, and I think that is what made the Toffster so gassy.
I am just a little afraid to give them any canned. It has turned my cat into a fiend. She ate dry free feed all her life, and 1 year ago, I switched to canned. OMG she is always yelling now. Even with food in her dish. I don’t want to face that with the dogs.

[S1969]

I should add that my dog self-supplements his dry food with as many “raw” foods as possible: moles, mice, rabbits, etc. Maybe that’s why he look so good (except the potential tapeworm issues)… :lol:

[RougeEmpire]

Your dog isnt going to starve it’s self to death. I always have to roll my eyes when people say “oh Fluffy wont eat this brand, what am I going to do!?!?!?”

You put the food down and leave it. Dog will get hungry and eat. End of story. The animal will NOT starve it’s self. Tough love is the answere.

[MunchingonHay]

I feed TOTW but that is besides the point.

I give my pup a tablespoon of pumpkin in the morning to eat with his breakfast. Its cheap, a can lasts a week, pumpkin is great for him and he likes it.

It all started when I had to rush off to work/school in the mornings and I needed him to eat. He eats his dinner just fine with no issues, but in the morning he needs a bit of a kick start.

One time I forgot to put it in, and I got such a stare! I had to pick the bowl back up and plop some pumpkin in. :lol::lol:

[GoForAGallop]

[QUOTE=RougeEmpire;6213957]
Your dog isnt going to starve it’s self to death. I always have to roll my eyes when people say “oh Fluffy wont eat this brand, what am I going to do!?!?!?”

You put the food down and leave it. Dog will get hungry and eat. End of story. The animal will NOT starve it’s self. Tough love is the answere.[/QUOTE]

Apart from cats and colic-prone horses, yes, this is usually the best plan of action. That being said…wouldn’t it be nice if your animals actually enjoyed their food, as opposed to having to eat it just to keep from starving? I know I wouldn’t appreciate being in that situation.

If you’re willing to shop online, OP, you can find 30lb bags of Taste of the Wild for right around $35 with shipping. (Thank god, cause they just went up to $50 a bag at my local stores.) The 4Health at my TSC is around $35 for 35lbs. So if you shop for the TOTW online, it’s not too much more expensive…for a better quality food, and hopefully one your dogs will enjoy more.

[Kryswyn]

I have fed Science Diet to all my terriers over the years. They always did great. I’ve tried when my conscious got the better of me and funds permitted to switch to ‘better’ foods. Nothing but problems. Always went back to Science Diet.

Got new puppy last year. After reading DogFoodAdvisor I went with Blue Buffalo for puppies. Puffin’s done very well on it. But I have 4 adults to feed and the cost of Blue Buffalo was just insane. Not to mention they don’t carry what I wanted to feed in a large bag so I was paying even MORE money per pound. So back to DogFoodAdvisor. I decided to go with Diamond Natural and was practically giddy when I saw the price for a 40 lb bag at Pet Supplies “Plus”. Less than $34.00 a bag and it (like Blue Buffalo) gets 4 stars from DFA! I will switch Puffin to it in a month or so.

Are there even better foods? Sure, and when I win the lottery I will feed that and my dogs will have their own chef

[Guin]

I’ve read that the Costco brand food is supposed to be VERY good, despite its low price.

[LauraKY]

I guess sometimes it pays to live in KY. I pay 29.95 for the big bag of 4Health.

[MsM]

I used to work for a professional dog handler and knew many of those on the show circuit then. Purina was very commonly fed. However, at home it was often supplemented as well. Our “meat man” would come and fill up the chest freezer with bricks of ground beef and tripe. To feed the kennel, you took a block or two (depending on the number of dogs) of meat and one of tripe out of the freezer in the morning. It would be thawed enough by evening to drop in the huge pot with kibble, add water and stir. The very picky or thin also got tripe (and usually breakfast).
With a couple of small dogs, I have gone to getting some cheap ground beef or turkey once a week. I throw it in the microwave, then refrigerate. Then I can add it to dinner (yogurt with breakfast!) and add taste and protein to their not-top-of-the-line kibble.

[Larksmom]

Costco

I know a lot of you guys feed from Costco, but I REFUSE to pay money to a store for the privelege of shopping there! Just won’t do it! I bought I think 18 pounds of F4H Salmon today for 19.95. That is a pretty good price. I gave a hard look at a small bag of TOTW. 11.95 for 5 lb! If I can find it online for the price mentioned, I would be interested. I will however start them on a bag from the local. Just to make sure. I can maybe try some pumpkin as Toffee sometimes has to have her anals expressed. Not pleasant for her.
Ahem, When I was a kid, there was a dog food called StrongHeart I think, made of horsemeat. Well, after the movie the Misfits, that came to an end. I think that was the beginning of the end. When I think of Purina, I WANT to think they have my dog’s best interests at heart. I just want happy dogs! I will try the pumpkin, and experiment with gravy ingredients. Thanks for all your ideas.

[Zu_Zu]

WELL ??? DID YOUR DOGS EAT IT TONIGHT ?

Did they eat the F4H Salmon ???

uote=Larksmom;6214149]I know a lot of you guys feed from Costco, but I REFUSE to pay money to a store for the privelege of shopping there! Just won’t do it! I bought I think 18 pounds of F4H Salmon today for 19.95. That is a pretty good price. I gave a hard look at a small bag of TOTW. 11.95 for 5 lb! If I can find it online for the price mentioned, I would be interested. I will however start them on a bag from the local. Just to make sure. I can maybe try some pumpkin as Toffee sometimes has to have her anals expressed. Not pleasant for her.
Ahem, When I was a kid, there was a dog food called StrongHeart I think, made of horsemeat. Well, after the movie the Misfits, that came to an end. I think that was the beginning of the end. When I think of Purina, I WANT to think they have my dog’s best interests at heart. I just want happy dogs! I will try the pumpkin, and experiment with gravy ingredients. Thanks for all your ideas.
[/quote]

[Larksmom]

yeah, they ate it.they always eat it

they are dogs they will eat anything! But they don’t really like it. Well, even that is a bit misleading. I feed Snick in his crate. And Toffee in a sort of corner of the L shaped room in which we live…I went out to the living room for an hour or so, and came back to computer and SHAZAM! Food All Gone! They eat it, but don’t seem really happy. That is why I was wondering about containers. I put the dry food in a plastic box with a lid. It snaps shut. I don’t know if the food stays fresh, maybe it is as it gets to the bottom of the bag so to speak, that they lose interest. How do you know if dog food goes stale?

[Calamber]

[QUOTE=S1969;6213903]
Do you know anyone who is actually sponsored by Purina? I don’t. And I sure know some people who would love to get a corporate sponsor to subsidize their dog’s campaign…but I don’t think corporate sponsors are very common. Maybe a handful of show owners/handlers have some sort of income from Purina, but the vast majority do not.

I feed Eukanuba Lamb & Rice to my show dog. I cannot imagine a scenario where you could convince me to switch his food because he is in absolutely perfect condition…why would I change it? I’m with the “if it ain’t broke” crowd.

I don’t know where Purina Pro Plan rates, but it’s not the only Purina dog food. That was the dog food that was discussed in the Westminster thread, if I recall correctly.

Not that it really matters…but most of us don’t eat 5 star diets either. And probably not 4 or 3 star diets either.

ETA: I use a plastic container with a screw on lid. I believe it is airtight, but to be honest, whatever doesn’t fit in the container stays in the bag, and my dogs eat it just as well. Then again, they would eat wood chips, so they may not be a good comparison. :)[/QUOTE]

There are incentives for feeding Purina food, clothes and refund coupons calculated by pounds. If you have a large kennel that can add up.

What really gets me about the “new food”, grain free, raw etc. movment is somehow they have convinced this particular upscale store where I buy Acana, that Canada does not utilize GMOs, nor does it allow beef to be used that is fed steroids/antibiotics etc. which is so patently absurd, there are all kinds of ways in which the grain cartels get around the country of origins so called laws, (so called because animal feed does not have such strict regulation in the USA or anywhere else), but there is not even such a law on the books in Canada. I looked and researched the whole deal, the salesgirl looked at me as if I had two heads when I told her that was not true. Good grief people just do some independent research (independent of the feed manufacturers that is). I am really pissed that I have to pay so much for dog food that I could scream but the grocery store label stuff is crap.

[S1969]

[QUOTE=Calamber;6218743]
There are incentives for feeding Purina food, clothes and refund coupons calculated by pounds. If you have a large kennel that can add up.[/QUOTE]

That’s a VERY different thing than “being compensated financially by Purina” for using their products - e.g. sponsorship.

I get “compensated” by Triple Crown then, too. My local Agway gives me $5 off every 1000 lbs, and if I save up enough proofs of purchase I think I can get another few bucks that way. :lol:

One other reason show owners buy Pro Plan and Eukanuba is because you can buy it at the shows directly from the distributor for less than at the store. I’m not sure what other companies sell directly at dog shows but there are probably others.

[Calamber]

[QUOTE=S1969;6218760]
That’s a VERY different thing than “being compensated financially by Purina” for using their products - e.g. sponsorship.

I get “compensated” by Triple Crown then, too. My local Agway gives me $5 off every 1000 lbs, and if I save up enough proofs of purchase I think I can get another few bucks that way. :lol:

One other reason show owners buy Pro Plan and Eukanuba is because you can buy it at the shows directly from the distributor for less than at the store. I’m not sure what other companies sell directly at dog shows but there are probably others.[/QUOTE]

Question of semantics I think. If you can get hundreds of dollars in gifts, free food, trips etc. that might be considered as a sponsorship to some folks. No big deal either way. Either you feed the feed and get the discounts or you do not. I was not suggesting this was a sponsorship, as I said, it is an incentive. Purina does sponsor many shows, clinics & competitions, has for many years, could that be construed as them “sponsoring” the various who attend? Really, who cares. There are many professionals who use products, are seen in the advertisements and obviously are paid. Not sure what is the cause for concern here. Can people not think for themselves?

[S1969]

[QUOTE=Calamber;6221489]
Really, who cares. There are many professionals who use products, are seen in the advertisements and obviously are paid. Not sure what is the cause for concern here. Can people not think for themselves?[/QUOTE]

What are you even talking about? I was simply responding to the person who said:

“You do realize that top show people are often compensated financially for endorsing products, right?”

My point was only that I doubt very many owners/handlers (if any?) are “compensated financially” for feeding Purina.

[CrazyGuineaPigLady]

My mother shows (or did) and knows a lot of the top people in her breed and many similar to it. Her vet bred and co-owns a dog that I’ve seen mentioned here recently for being pretty special. No way, no how are Purina products being fed on any kind of a routine basis to the dogs she knows. If she thought for one second it was the thing to do, she’d be all over it. Sure, most say it’s good enough in a pinch but that’s not what they feed at home.

Larksmom, are your dogs thin or losing weight? If they aren’t, I wouldn’t cater to them but I also believe animals need variety. Would you enjoy eating the same salad with the same protein every.single.day? Even if you did, there are bound to be gaps in nutrition.

Maybe you could try feeding different things a few times a week instead of top dressing the kibble to “entice” them. There are some canned foods that aren’t too expensive and not filled with corn, and raw or home cooked (without bones) is always an option. Chicken backs are something like 80 cents a pound here and beef heart is great for them and easy to find at most grocery stores. I supplement my foster dog’s normal BG/Weruva canned/a bit of raw diet with Dogswell Happy Hips that I get at the grocery store for less than $1 a can when it’s on sale. The Dogswell line is rated 5 stars at dogfoodadviser and I would give it to her full time if she didn’t eat so little and need to get her nutrition from meat. It contains a lot of vegetables but that’s not a bad thing for most dogs.

[LoriO]

I switched my 3 dogs over to the 4Health chicken and rice and they love it. No problems with transitioning them over to the new food. I have been very pleased with the 4Health, for starters, almost NO more gas attacks from the kids!!! Oh and you can’t beat the price, $30 for a $35 lb bag at TSC.

[GraceLikeRain]

I don’t know who these breeders are who all swear by Purina and Science Diet but it makes me question how much research they are doing. Dogs are not designed to eat corn, wheat, artificial flavors, sprayed on flavoring, etc.

All of the show, performance, and working dogs that I know are either eating grain-free, homemade diets, or raw.

Feeding Purina is like blindly vaccinating your animal each year. Just because it was considered the “best” thing to do 15+ years ago doesn’t mean we should do so today. Research and knowledge about vaccinations, diet, etc. has increased dramatically in the last few years. Breeders should be at the forefront of research not stuck in the past with the mentality of “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” Dogs can survive on nearly anything. This doesn’t excuse intentionally feeding subpar food.

LoriO: Glad that 4health is working out for your dogs!