# What do you feed?



## Judy (Dec 12, 2005)

I feed Buster Innova (regular).


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## Midwest Bully (May 10, 2006)

Innova EVO.... but i might have to switch. The store i get it from says not enough people are buying it so there gonna stop selling it  :curse:


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## TashasLegend (Jun 7, 2006)

I feed Canidae and sometimes with Merrick Can food.

Here's a good website I found on dogfood!
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/


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## cane76 (Aug 16, 2006)

ol'roys,lmfao....j/k
nutro natural choice senior....


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## remy&dro (Oct 31, 2006)

i was feeding purina pro plan but now im feeding nutro ultra i am liking it so far with the puppies because they really dont need as much and there is less waste to clean up (pups arent housebroken)


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## satanscheerleader (Dec 16, 2005)

I do some raw and rotate between a few kibbles mostly Solid Gold Millenia,Timberwolf and whatever else looks interesting.


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## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

We are know feeding a product called Achive active it is made for the cennex country store don't think it is nation wide. The pits are looking really good and they don't eat as much either.


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## wheezie (Aug 4, 2006)

in the begining it was purina then diamond lamb and rice now chicken noodle soup, on tuesday were gonna start the raw diet


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## Bullygirl807 (Jan 24, 2006)

We are feeding Buddy Boy 24/20 with a mixture of raw and my dogs are doing great on it. We've been thinking about trying Canidae but haven't made a final decision yet.


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## PITT (Nov 4, 2006)

*Roy Puppy Food*

Sorry here the cheap brand,,,,My vet said that there is no reason to buy the fancy stuff.....I also did do that years ago when I had a GSD and he then to told me vets and there assistants thats there job to keep everyone in bussiness and he told me that just because it has a fancy name and came from the vet doesnt mean its better then the Food you can buy at your local walmart.......He is a good doc if you ask me.....First time visit for full check-up and shots all I paid for was the shot hes great ....

Ol'Roys is 100% balanced nutrition lots of protein for strong bones,healthy skin,a shiny coat, bright eyes, great for energy,

and the story behind the name oL'roy he was Sam waltssons dog and he is so proud to have devoloped a dog food and products with his dogs name on it
that repersents primum quality top nutriton,excelent pet care and great value..at just a outstanding prices at your lacal walmart


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## wheezie (Aug 4, 2006)

PITT said:


> Sorry here the cheap brand,,,,My vet said that there is no reason to buy the fancy stuff.....I also did do that years ago when I had a GSD and he then to told me vets and there assistants thats there job to keep everyone in bussiness and he told me that just because it has a fancy name and came from the vet doesnt mean its better then the Food you can buy at your local walmart.......He is a good doc if you ask me.....First time visit for full check-up and shots all I paid for was the shot hes great ....
> 
> Ol'Roys is 100% balanced nutrition lots of protein for strong bones,healthy skin,a shiny coat, bright eyes, great for energy,
> 
> ...


wow are you a rep for ol roys lol. i would take a look at the ingredints on the back.


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## PITT (Nov 4, 2006)

*opion*

But I have never in all my life seen any in the world a Name brand of any kind ever ever ever KIll one dog or cat

wether cheap or expensive

And I know for a fact alot of people are not that honest with what there feeding there pets

Theres nothing wrong with being honest or trying to be better than the naxt guy never worked for me....Here we are honest and say it the way it is,,,,

and tell me I know that there are poor people out there that cant afford your fancy feast but I ll tell you They might love and raise the pet better then fancy feast Its


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## PITT (Nov 4, 2006)

:thumbsup:


wheezie said:


> wow are you a rep for ol roys lol. i would take a look at the ingredints on the back.


do you look on all the ingrediences of the back of food you eat. what ever...


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## Bullygirl807 (Jan 24, 2006)

I too used to feed Ole Roy and my dogs did pretty well with it. Buddy Boy is pretty fair in price, we pay $13.50 for 50 lb. bag. They do great on it.


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## PITT (Nov 4, 2006)

*thank god*

he was making me feel really im not alone


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## Midwest Bully (May 10, 2006)

What do you all think about Diamond Performance Formula? I'm currently feeding Innova EVO but the feed store I get it from is gonna stop selling it cause not enough people are buying it, so I'm gonna have to switch. The lady there says she feeds her dogs Diamond and they do really good with it. Plus I could get a 40lb bag for $20.

Who all feeds it?


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## wheezie (Aug 4, 2006)

PITT said:


> he was making me feel really im not alone


my intentions were not to make you feel bad, you just seem verry passinate about old roy and the first thing that poped into my mind was a service rep. if old roy work for you more power to you and your wallet. i went from a very cheap food (purina) to diamond and i havent had anything but bad luck with the more expensive brands.


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## pappy03 (Nov 4, 2006)

I feed Hollow Exclusive


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## bully (May 27, 2006)

Midwest Bully said:


> What do you all think about Diamond Performance Formula? I'm currently feeding Innova EVO but the feed store I get it from is gonna stop selling it cause not enough people are buying it, so I'm gonna have to switch. The lady there says she feeds her dogs Diamond and they do really good with it. Plus I could get a 40lb bag for $20.
> 
> Who all feeds it?


I fed mine Diamond naturals for a while and they did great on it but I switched back to nutro natural choice since it was more convenient for me to get.


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## satanscheerleader (Dec 16, 2005)

No offense PITT, but have you actually read the ingreadients in Ol' Roy?

Ground yellow corn, soybean meal, ground whole wheat, corn syrup, poultry fat, Meat and bone meal (Animal Fat Preserved with BHA and Citric Acid), Chicken by-product Meal, Rice, Animal Digest, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin D and E Supplement, Niacin, Copper Sulafate, Manganous Oxide, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Meadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex Source of Vitamin K, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Folic Acid 

That's got more grain in there than is good to feed a guinea pig, and BHA is a known carcinagine. "Meat". What meat? Personally I'd like to know what "meat" my dogs are eating. Corn syrup as one of the first four ingredients?! "Meat" isn't even in the top four ingredients. Again, no offense, but if this is what your vet recommended, I'd switch vets. Do you know that vets barely recieve any education in diet and nutrition? It's basically skimmed over in their schooling. I wouldn't even feed the crap they try to push on you and over charge you at the vet. Reading the ingreadient list on those bags is it's own horror story. 
You could do so much better for you dog but still stay within a budget. I'd start by eliminating any food that has BHT or BHA in it and you'd be doing a huge favour to your dog. What other brands do they have at Walmart? Maybe we can help pick a food that's still within your price range.


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## redog (Oct 14, 2005)

Midwest Bully said:


> What do you all think about Diamond Performance Formula? I'm currently feeding Innova EVO but the feed store I get it from is gonna stop selling it cause not enough people are buying it, so I'm gonna have to switch. The lady there says she feeds her dogs Diamond and they do really good with it. Plus I could get a 40lb bag for $20.
> 
> Who all feeds it?


we feed preformance, cheap and they like it.no itching or irritations at all. Otis turned me on to it,It did seem to take about a month to get over the runs from the switch from nutro,


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## Judy (Dec 12, 2005)

Midwest Bully said:


> What do you all think about Diamond Performance Formula? I'm currently feeding Innova EVO but the feed store I get it from is gonna stop selling it cause not enough people are buying it, so I'm gonna have to switch. The lady there says she feeds her dogs Diamond and they do really good with it. Plus I could get a 40lb bag for $20.
> 
> Who all feeds it?


Can you switch to regular Innova, or is she not going to continue selling the regular either?


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## krystallovespitbulls (Jul 28, 2006)

I have a chihuahua X Pom, I feed him Science Diet.up:


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## Midwest Bully (May 10, 2006)

Judy said:


> Can you switch to regular Innova, or is she not going to continue selling the regular either?


All of it  I really like Innova and quite upset that i'lll have to change.


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## maryellen (Nov 5, 2006)

ol roy is nothing but fillers and by products, which is the crap end of the animal.. the better quality food you feed the better for the dog.
mine get canidae, timberwolf, or solid gold.


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## maryellen (Nov 5, 2006)

http://www.healthyplanetrx.com/articles.asp?id=137

Healing Our World: Weekly Comment 
By Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D.

Food Even a Dog Shouldn't Eat - Killing Our Pets with Every Meal

Each year, Americans spend $10 billion on pet food for our beloved companion animals, animals we treat like members of our families and whom we love as our closest friends. Yet 95 percent of the food fed to these treasured creatures is made up of materials that are unfit for human consumption and contain little nutritional value.

As a result, "man's best friend" has skin disorders, arthritis, obesity, heart disease and a variety of cancers. Without speech, our animal companions cannot tell us of the insidious, often life threatening ill health they experience.

A large percentage of commercial pet food is made up of meat by-products, a toxic brew containing diseased and contaminated meat from slaughterhouses, animal heads, toenails, chicken feathers, feet and beaks. It also includes dead animals picked up from the nation's roads, rancid kitchen grease and frying oil from the nation's kitchens, and millions of pounds of dead animals from the country's animal hospitals and shelters.

Meat Packing Plant (Photo courtesy Sterling Industries)

The meat industry produces a tremendous amount of waste. Half of every cow and one-third of every pig butchered is wasted. Add to that the millions of tons of dead animals each year and you have an incredible waste problem.

In the United States alone, rendering is a $2.4 billion industry with 286 rendering plants disposing of over 100 million pounds of dead animals, meat wastes and fat EVERY DAY.

A few years ago, Baltimore reporter Van Smith visited a rendering plant in his city and found that the large vats that collect and filter the animals prior to cooking contained a vast array of animals including dead dogs, cats, raccoons, opossums, deer, foxes, snakes, a baby circus elephant and the remains of a police department horse. This one rendering plant alone processes 1,824 dead animals every month. Every year this one plant turns 150 million pounds of decaying, diseased and drug filled flesh and kitchen grease into 80 million pounds of meat and bone meal, tallow and yellow grease. This nutritionally dead, often toxic material provides the base for most pet foods and is found in a vast array of products used by humans as well.

Shredding before boiling at the rendering plant (Photo courtesy Fan Separator Company)

This meat and bone meal is used to augment the feed of poultry, pigs, cattle and sheep destined for human consumption.

The deceptive product label names to watch out for that indicate the presence of this deadly soup include meat meal, meat by-products, poultry meal, poultry by-products, fish meal, fish oil, yellow grease, tallow, beef fat, chicken fat and fatty acids.

Fatty acids can be found in lipstick, inks and waxes and other rendering products such as tallow and grease go into soaps, candles, tires, many drugs and gummy candies. The health conscious consumer should avoid all these ingredients in human and pet foods.

Downed dairy cow waiting to be picked up by the rendering plant (Photo courtesy Farm Sanctuary)

Many toxic chemicals make their way into the rendered products. In addition to the unused meat from the livestock slaughtering process, dead, dying, diseased and disabled animals are also included. These animals are known as "4D meat" in the trade. Along with the meat comes disease, antibiotics and other drugs used during the animals' lives, pesticides, cattle ID tags and surgical needles.

Unsold supermarket meats, still in their plastic and Styrofoam wrappings, go into the mix as well as the plastic bags they are delivered in.

The millions of dead dogs and cats from veterinarians and animals shelters go into the rendering pots, including their flea collars containing toxic pesticides, ID tags and a variety of powerful drugs.

The city of Los Angeles sends 200 tons of euthanized cats and dogs to West Coast Rendering plant every month. This is just from the city's animal shelters and does not include animals from private veterinarians.

Euthanized dogs (Photo by Barbara Ward)

A common drug found in the rendering brew is phenobarbital, commonly used to euthanize sick animals. The American Journal of Veterinary Research did a study in 1985 that showed there was virtually no degradation of this drug during the typical rendering process and that measurable quantities of it remain present in the rendered material used for pet foods and for feeding cattle destined for human consumption.

The grains in pet food bear little resemblance to the nutrient rich cereals we assume are present. Pet food grain consists of the leftovers after the grain has been processed for humans. It also contains moldy grain that has been declared unfit for human consumption. Some of the mold is toxic and potentially deadly.

The preservatives added to pet foods, and human foods, are highly toxic. Sodium nitrite, a coloring agent and preservative, ethoxyquin, an insecticide, BHA and BHT have all been linked to cancer. Your dog could be consuming as much as 26 pounds of preservatives each year if it is fed these foods.

The state of ill health that these non-foods generate is responsible for a host of health problems and can cause a hypersensitivity to flea and insect bites. Many flea allergies would go away in animals if their diets were changed.

8,000 gallon fat boiler ((Photo courtesy National Bi-Products)

The pet food industry is unregulated by government bodies. An organization called the Association of American Feed Control Officials sets the standards. Its membership includes a few state agency representatives, but it is mostly run by commercial pet food industry workers.

Don't be fooled by pet food sold at a veterinarian's office. Depending upon the brand, this food can contain most of the same ingredients as commercial pet foods sold in supermarkets. The corporations that own these brands are simply very clever with their advertisement and product placements and begin courting vets during their training with free food, lectures and even clothing.

Fortunately, there are alternatives and some are presented below, but you will need to pay more. Rather than paying 15 cents a pound for toxic commercial pet food, you may need to spend a dollar a pound. But the thousands of dollars you could save in treating your pet's food-caused illnesses could more than make this up.

As always, larger issues loom. We must cast off the comfortable assumptions we have lived with all our lives, discover the truth and act on it. Change your pet's food today. And change your own, while you are at it!

And don't forget the water - if you wouldn't drink tap water, why are you giving it to your pet?


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## maryellen (Nov 5, 2006)

another article:
http://www.asuperiorgsd.com/dog.food.html

http://home.att.net/~wdcusick/02.html


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## marcat92 (Oct 11, 2006)

*i feed.....*

i feeed my puppy Pedigree mussle maintenace its SOOOO good she gains mussle like CRAZY lol and same with montana he gets ped. too so hes HUGE hes gained like 15lbs on that in like maybe 5 months.


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## PITT (Nov 4, 2006)

*I like*

:cheers: I Like Tap Water :cheers:


maryellen said:


> http://www.healthyplanetrx.com/articles.asp?id=137
> 
> Healing Our World: Weekly Comment
> By Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D.
> ...


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## PITT (Nov 4, 2006)

*Gone*



PITT said:


> :cheers: I Like Tap Water :cheers:


I almost Forgot Dont get Lost Eh!

little to much you think,,,,

Do what you have to and Ill do what I do,,,,,Dont go around telling Me That Im killing My Dog Thank you :thumbsup:

It One thing to share your Opion But to Go tell One what to do,is another You Must of spent your whole afternoon on that post,,You sure you didnt have anything Better to do (walk The Dogs)up:


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## wheezie (Aug 4, 2006)

PITT said:


> I almost Forgot Dont get Lost Eh!
> 
> little to much you think,,,,
> 
> ...


i dont think he was trying to tell you what to do i think he was just rying to help you out. everything he said was true. no need in taking offense to it.


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## maryellen (Nov 5, 2006)

i wasnt meaning to offend anyone.. i just posted a few links to what is in dog food.. i personally believe that what works for one might not work for another.. i prefer to feed my dogs better quality food because one of them has food allergies and bad health, and on lower quality food she did worse, on better quality food she does much better health wise...


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## TashasLegend (Jun 7, 2006)

PITT said:


> I almost Forgot Dont get Lost Eh!
> 
> little to much you think,,,,
> 
> ...


Those articles I do believe were for Judy. Not to tell you what to feed your dog. No one here is trying to push there opinions off on you. please don't take it like that


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## maryellen (Nov 5, 2006)

correct, they were for judy. i wasnt trying to get anyone mad at me.


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## wheezie (Aug 4, 2006)

maryellen said:


> i wasnt meaning to offend anyone.. i just posted a few links to what is in dog food.. i personally believe that what works for one might not work for another.. i prefer to feed my dogs better quality food because one of them has food allergies and bad health, and on lower quality food she did worse, on better quality food she does much better health wise...


im thinking my pup also has food alergies, hes to you to get tested for alergies( at least thats what the vet says) anywho what do you feed your dog? im about to loose my evr loving mind and try the raw diet.


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## maryellen (Nov 5, 2006)

wheezie, my gsd has food/air allergies.. it started when she was 2. she was fine before that.. she chews her feet, her ear becomes yeasty and infected, and she was rubbing after eating on the couch, floor,etc.. 
i took her to the vet and had a bunch of blood work done for allergies, she is allergic to cats, grass, oak trees, house mites, dust mites, chicken, turkey, beef, corn, wheat , rice and soy.... LOL>... basically everything..

i feed her either Dick Van Pattens fish and potato, or Solid Gold HOlistiz blend fish food.. i have to rotate the 2 so her immune system doesnt get used to them.. she also cant have any vaccines except rabies as its required by the state of NJ.. i started doing a food elimination diet, and removed all treats from her too.. plus the allergy testing really helped narrow it down.. 

she gets prednisone and benedryl when her allergies to air get really bad, and i have to keep her ear clean and if she eats something she is allergic to within 2 hours her one ear gets red, inflamed, and yeasty...


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## satanscheerleader (Dec 16, 2005)

Oh man.... she sounds like my ex foster Bailey. Allergic to everything. Poor babies. And no matter how itchy, she was still such a doll. Strangely, she wasn't allergic to the common allergins like wheat and corn. Go figure.


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## Marty (Dec 10, 2005)

I fed Canidae http://www.canidae.com/dogs/all_life_stages/dry.html for awhile but 5 dogs didn't do good on it so I went to Timberwolf, I'm having to feed 3 diffrent kinds of it...

http://www.timberwolforganics.com/product_p/db.33.htm

http://www.timberwolforganics.com/product_p/ob.33.htm

http://www.timberwolforganics.com/product_p/lba.33.htm

because all dogs don't do good on one type of food, find what works best for your dog and stick with it


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## CaSk (Aug 18, 2006)

My rot is on daimond small breed puppy. Best food i can find period in my area when it comes to the ingredints. I have looked on so many food in tractor supply vets everywhere and its the only one i have came across that accually starts with CHICKEN and not Grain Chicken by product chicken meal our something like that. he is doing alot better now that he is on this. and my pit/lab is on daimond lamb rice. This is what there going to stay on till gucci my rot gets to be a year. Then ima order timberwolf of the net. And start feeding them that brand of food.


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## satanscheerleader (Dec 16, 2005)

Timberwolf smells so good, I'd eat it! lol


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## cane76 (Aug 16, 2006)

Walmart brand ol'roys can not be, and is not top notch dog food..
as for good quality dog food,again i choose nutro natural choice,it works well.
As for diamond,i know a few dogs died from contaminated diamond brand dog food,let me find you guys the link..


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## cane76 (Aug 16, 2006)

http://www.infowars.com/articles/science/dog_food_recall.htm


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## Midwest Bully (May 10, 2006)

Yeah, I read about that too.


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## OldFortKennels (Mar 10, 2006)

We have been feeding Diamonds Lamb and Rice with some raw mixed in. However now that winter is upon us and the competition season is over we will probably stay with Diamond just feed one with a higher FAT%


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## CaSk (Aug 18, 2006)

cane76 said:


> http://www.infowars.com/articles/science/dog_food_recall.htm


Good thing i dont use none that was listed. The cheaper diamond is what was listed. i pay 15 dollars for 18 pounds on small breed puppy and almost 30 for 30 pound our 40 of lamb and rice. The ones listed are 19 20 dollars for 40 pound bags. But either way in 4 months i will no longer be buying daimond. Thanks for the link though.


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## pantera2006 (Feb 25, 2006)

Ok, Im going to do a poll...
Everyone here that has kids please raise their hand.....
Ok i have 3 kids under the age of 8.... Im 25... Now, Xmas is in less then 2 months...Iam not going to go broke paying for dog food, Science diet here for an 8kilo bag is $35 canadian, For a 16 kilo bag $52.... Hmmmmm with 2 dog, i go through 1, 8 kilo bg a week, so that is $140 a month, when i pay $150 a week, for 3 kids to eat, that is $600 a month for my children to eat..... My bf makes $15hr and works 6 days a week, with $950 rent.... and hydro..... which is $150 a month, and the internet, cable and telephone.... The point is.... I do not have $140 a month to feed my dogs "the better stuff", So they eat Pedigree, $12 a week, which is $48 a month...... they get their cookies and dentabones, and their bones.... I watched my dog eat outta the garbage for peat sakes..... harley is big enough!!! And food does not make muscle mass, food makes fat, which in therefore can be turned into muscle!! I love my dog, but i want my kids to be fed better then my dogs.... Its sad when people make people feel bad about what they feed their dogs...PITT- If your dog is still breathing and alive... Your doin something right!!!! I rememeber i was so broke i had to feed my dog no name food, does that make me a bad dog owner NO, It made me a good mother... My kids came first!!!


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## satanscheerleader (Dec 16, 2005)

I don't think anyone is trying to bash anyone for what they feed but knowledge IS power. Sometimes feeding a high quality food can save you money in the long run. For instance, a guy I know has been feeding his dog Ol' Roy not because he can't feed better he just chooses not to because he'd rather spend his money on drugs. Well for the past year his dog has looked like he has some serious mange. I'm talking bald all over, big rotten sores and skinny skinny skinny. His ex girlfriend took the dog from him and took him to the vet. Because of the low quality food he is eating, the dogs immune system competely shut down. The dog is basically permanently damaged from the food. I wasn't going to bring this up as I am very upset about it but it hit a nerve with the discussion of Ol' Roy. Her vet actually GASPED when she said what food he had been eating. She brought him over the other day and I was in tears. He looks horrendous. Last time I saw the dog, years ago, when he was feeding him better, he was healthy and shiney and happy. His ex is doing all she can, getting him medicated, on better food and supplements but the damage to his immune system is permanent because of the food. Look at dogs teeth. They are made to eat meat, not corn. Don't think of this as a bash so much as an intervention. When people care, they will take the chance of offending to try and help. Just because a dog is alive, doesn't mean it is thriving. I have kids as well and there have been times I have to feed a lower quality food when times were tight but educating someone who might not know the facts are what forums are about, aren't they. If PITT doesn't know what a pedigree is {again, no offense} but it sounds like they are pretty new to the dog world and I don't think people trying to share their knowledge is a bad thing, is it?


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## Nation (Sep 27, 2006)

pantera2006 said:


> Ok, Im going to do a poll...
> Everyone here that has kids please raise their hand.....
> Ok i have 3 kids under the age of 8.... Im 25... Now, Xmas is in less then 2 months...Iam not going to go broke paying for dog food, Science diet here for an 8kilo bag is $35 canadian, For a 16 kilo bag $52.... Hmmmmm with 2 dog, i go through 1, 8 kilo bg a week, so that is $140 a month, when i pay $150 a week, for 3 kids to eat, that is $600 a month for my children to eat..... My bf makes $15hr and works 6 days a week, with $950 rent.... and hydro..... which is $150 a month, and the internet, cable and telephone.... The point is.... I do not have $140 a month to feed my dogs "the better stuff", So they eat Pedigree, $12 a week, which is $48 a month...... they get their cookies and dentabones, and their bones.... I watched my dog eat outta the garbage for peat sakes..... harley is big enough!!! And food does not make muscle mass, food makes fat, which in therefore can be turned into muscle!! I love my dog, but i want my kids to be fed better then my dogs.... Its sad when people make people feel bad about what they feed their dogs...PITT- If your dog is still breathing and alive... Your doin something right!!!! I rememeber i was so broke i had to feed my dog no name food, does that make me a bad dog owner NO, It made me a good mother... My kids came first!!!


 Personally I dont care what people feed their dogs its there choice. This thread was just to be informative and it really has been.
But there is seriously incorrect information in your post. Fat does not turn into muscle they are two seperate things. If that was true you would see bodybuilders having a diet of Taco Bell and Mc Donalds. Besides your workout routine I would say that 80% of a healthy dog or person is there Diet. If you wanna build muscle you need protein to get protein you need meats. So in theory yes the right foods do make muscle and a healthier dog.(when combined with exercise of course).


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## maryellen (Nov 5, 2006)

for those that feed ol roy, eukanubua, science diet, purina etc... look at it this way, you pay how much per bag, and how long does the bag last? maybe 2 weeks? then you go buy more?? if you bought a higher quality dog food, yes, the price is more, BUT, the bag will last longer... you wont feed as much, and a 33 lb bag should last you for 2 dogs at least 5-6 weeks or more... if you are spending $140 a MONTH on dog food, you are being robbed by the dog food company.... i have 3 large dogs. 2 of the dogs eat canidae, timberwolf, california natural (i rotate these foods) the 33 lb bags cost me anywhere from $34-$60 per bag.. BUT... the one bag lasts my 2 dogs for anywhere from 5-8 weeks .. both dogs eat once a day, and are in excellent shape.. why feed a food where you are spending $140 a month when you can feed a better food for less then that?? and yes, its just more knowledge to share with other dog owners... no one is saying to change, but we are just helping you to understand that higher quality food = less out of your pocket and better for your dog..


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## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

This has been very informative thread. I know that when money is tight and I end up having to buy a cheaper dog food I usually ended up paying more for it in the long run. Mikado had allegeries to wheat and corn when I first got him so he was on solid gold for a year then things in my life changed and I had to slowly introduce him to a food I could afford he is doing fine on it 3yrs now. We take in dumped dogs so we try to find a quality food that works for all of us. I fed ol'roy IMO the bag didn't last that long the poop was runny and alot of it which in turn I had to buy more straw and haul away more stuff. 
We now feed the stay dogs that we try to find homes for Dur-a-life a 40# bag for 10.00 it lasts about 1 1/2 weeks currently feeding 6 dog plus some to the goats and ducks they look good.


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## Midwest Bully (May 10, 2006)

Most of the time your paying more for the name than you are quality in the food.


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## Shadyw (Feb 21, 2006)

I feed Nature's Variety Prairie Lamb & Oatmeal and Merrick's canned food.
Sometimes I buy a different variety of this brand like the Chicken or Beef too.


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## pantera2006 (Feb 25, 2006)

Midwest Bully said:


> Most of the time your paying more for the name than you are quality in the food.


That is so true....
The fat thing, ok, was a mistake, i phoned a vet and she told me that no, fat does not turn to muscle with working out.. But then she asked why i wanted my dog on a protein diet? I told her that i didnt and that i had a discussion about it... Protien alot of it i should say, is not good for the dogs kidneys... Older dogs can not handle it.. She said that if you want to feed for periods at a time, go for it, but for the long road, she advised me not too... 
I never said that i paid $140, i said $48.. For pedigree Healthy vitality... I had my dogs on iams and they still ate the same amount.... i went through 2 bowls each a day on that too, and it was supposed to be a "good" food.....
My dogs look great and are very healthy, so i see no reason to put them on a "better" food... For Harley being a 75lbs dog, i guess the food is doing a good job anyway...


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## maryellen (Nov 5, 2006)

Pantara wrote:


> Everyone here that has kids please raise their hand.....
> Ok i have 3 kids under the age of 8.... Im 25... Now, Xmas is in less then 2 months...Iam not going to go broke paying for dog food, Science diet here for an 8kilo bag is $35 canadian, For a 16 kilo bag $52.... Hmmmmm with 2 dog, i go through 1, 8 kilo bg a week, so that is $140 a month, when i pay $150 a week, for 3 kids to eat, that is $600 a month for my children to eat..... My bf makes $15hr and works 6 days a week, with $950 rent.... and hydro..... which is $150 a month, and the internet, cable and telephone.... The point is.... I do not have $140 a month to feed my dogs "the better stuff", So they eat Pedigree, $12 a week, which is $48 a month...... they get their cookies and dentabones, and their bones.... I watched my dog eat outta the garbage for peat sakes..... harley is big enough!!! And food does not make muscle mass, food makes fat, which in therefore can be turned into muscle!! I love my dog, but i want my kids to be fed better then my dogs.... Its sad when people


but this post you made said $140, did you mean you think it would be that much a month on a better food?? if you are going thru one 8 kilo bg a week, thats just crazy.... that means you are buying food for the dogs every week?? i see where you mean $48 a month, as you are buying food every week at $12 a bag.

here is an example- my dogs weigh, 90lbs , 70 lbs and 62 lbs.. a 33 lb bag of food to feed all 3 lasts me 5-6 weeks. that is with all 3 dogs getting fed once a day, each dog gets a cup and a half of food, with the smaller dog eating a half cup in the am and a cup in the pm... i only buy dog food once every 5-6 weeks..

now my gsd who is 90 lbs is on a fish kibble, so she gets one 33 lb bag to her self, that lasts 2 months for her alone, and she eats one and a half cups of food a day.. the bag costs me $40 . so i pay $40 every 2 months for her one bag, and then i also pay $45 for the other 2 dogs for their one bag which lasts 5-6 weeks.....

see, you are feeding your dogs 2 cups a day, maybe what twice a day? so they are getting 4 cups a day total. now how much do they poop? do they poop like 3-4 times a day and poop alot or is it funny colored???

with the other food i feed my dogs, they eat once a day for 2 of them, and the one eats twice a day, yet they only poop after breakfast, and then after dinner.. instead of giving them 2 cups each 2 x a day, the better food reduces the feeding to once a day, say a cup and a half...

if you are short on money budget wise, then the better food is the way to go, so that this way you are not spending $40 a WEEK on dog food...

pantera, yes the vet is correct about higher proteins for kidney issues, but that is for protein levels at 38% and more.. like Evo Innova has 42% protein, which for most dogs is toooo high..

regular good quality dog food the protein does not go over 36% . the 2 foods my dogs get the protein is not more then 36% and they are all doing fine.
the vet is wrong about the dog food though for the other stuff. most vets dont know about nutrition, only what they are taught in vet school which is not much.. they try to push the foods they carry as they get paid from the companies to do so, or get perks...


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## DALINK35 (Oct 18, 2006)

I feed my pups Verus chicken & oats and feed my adult dogs Verus chicken $ oats adult life advantage.....What do yall think about this food....

heres the ingredients for the pup food::

Ingredients : Chicken Meal, Ground Oat Groats, Ground Brown Rice, Rice Bran, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Ascorbyl Palmitate), Lamb Meal, Rice Bran, Flaxseed, Chicory Pulp, Alfalfa Meal, Dried Kelp, Natural Flavors, Salt, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Potassium Chloride, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, DL-Methionine, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Choline Chloride, Menadione Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate
Crude Protein, minimum 26%
Crude Fat, minimum 16%
Crude Fiber, maximum 4%
Moisture, maximum 12%



heres ingredients for adult food::::

ngredients : Chicken Meal, Ground Oats, Ground Brown Rice, Rice Bran, Poultry Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid, and Rosemary Extract) Dried Beet Pulp, Alfalfa Meal, Flaxseed, Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavors, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Chicory Root Extract, Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Garlic, Ascorbic Acid, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, d-Calcuim Pantothenate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Iodate.
Crude Protein, minimum 24%
Crude Fat, minimum 15%
Crude Fiber, maximum 5%
Moisture, maximum 10%


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## satanscheerleader (Dec 16, 2005)

It doesn't look too bad DALINK35. I'm surprised to see the protien level so low in a puppy food. It does seem to have a fair amount of grain in the first four ingredients. I'd like to see that lamb meal in the pup food up beside the chicken meal. Definitley better than many of the brand name crap their try to push off as quality.

I'd say if your talking about IAMS, yes you are paying for the name. Read the ingredients on that. It's worse than some of the cheap brands. There are many WAY better foods out there than the big name ones without a doubt.
I was totally going to bring up the quantity issue. When I worked at the tattoo shop piercing, sometimes you'd have dry spells so you had to stretch your cash. My friend had a costco card and said she'd take me and get some of their brand of food. I had to feed WAY more. It ended up costing the same amount in the end as what they were on.
The proofs in the poop! lol



CaSk said:


> its the only one i have came across that accually starts with CHICKEN and not Grain Chicken by product chicken meal our something like that.


Actually, meal isn't necessarily a bad thing when it comes to meat. When they say "chicken" that includes the water content of fresh chicken. Meal is the same thing but minus the water so basically with "meal" you get more bang for your buck. Canidae has some info for it on their site but I've also read it on "non product sites".

http://www.canidae.com/ingredients/meatvmeal.html


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## DALINK35 (Oct 18, 2006)

satanscheerleader said:


> It doesn't look too bad DALINK35. I'm surprised to see the protien level so low in a puppy food.


is it any thing i can feed with the pup food to raise the protein??....like a can food i can add to it?


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## satanscheerleader (Dec 16, 2005)

You know... some people don't feed their pups higher protien food anyway and actually feed adult. It just seems rare to see a puppy food with a lower amount. They feel the high protien can add to quick growth which can interfer with developement and cause fast growth spurts which can also make a pup more prone to injury. What I usually do myself, is start a pup on a higher protien puppy food but if at anytime I notice them looking really gangley, long legged, big footed or if they are looking high in the rear, I'll switch to half adult/half puppy or even go full adult if that doesn't cut it just to slow down their growth rate a bit. Do you know if your pups are from large parentage? If they are, I wouldn't worry about it really because especially with pups that will be large as adults, that are prone to quick growth spurts, slowing them down a bit is a good thing. They will still reach their full growth as dictated by their genetics. 

You can add more cooked meat to their diet but I wouldn't mix raw in with the kibble. From what I understand, raw and kibble digest at different rates so if fed together, they don't really get the full benefit out of either. If I do a raw meal, I always do it in the morning and wait to give a kibble meal a minimun of eight hours later.

One thing you can do is give them pure meat/organ treats as training treats. Stay away from any kind of dog treats that are primarily grain based so you're not adding extra grain to their diet that way. You can get liver, heart, meat jerky and stick to that for training treats. You can even make your own by slowly drying meat pieces in the oven at the lowest temp for a few hours. You've got to be somewhat stingy on the organ treats though as it can give them the poops! lol

Many can foods have alot of grain added as well. Solid Gold does carry a green tripe or you can add canned salmon once in a while. It's hard to find it without salt though so I wouldn't do it daily. Lightly scrambled eggs are good although when feeding a raw meal I will add them raw to the meat. If I'm going to sway from kibble, I usually go straight raw so I'm not up on the can foods as far as if there is one out there that is pure meat. Anyone have something to suggest?


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## DALINK35 (Oct 18, 2006)

satanscheerleader said:


> You know... some people don't feed their pups higher protien food anyway and actually feed adult. It just seems rare to see a puppy food with a lower amount. They feel the high protien can add to quick growth which can interfer with developement and cause fast growth spurts which can also make a pup more prone to injury. What I usually do myself, is start a pup on a higher protien puppy food but if at anytime I notice them looking really gangley, long legged, big footed or if they are looking high in the rear, I'll switch to half adult/half puppy or even go full adult if that doesn't cut it just to slow down their growth rate a bit. Do you know if your pups are from large parentage? If they are, I wouldn't worry about it really because especially with pups that will be large as adults, that are prone to quick growth spurts, slowing them down a bit is a good thing. They will still reach their full growth as dictated by their genetics.
> 
> You can add more cooked meat to their diet but I wouldn't mix raw in with the kibble. From what I understand, raw and kibble digest at different rates so if fed together, they don't really get the full benefit out of either. If I do a raw meal, I always do it in the morning and wait to give a kibble meal a minimun of eight hours later.
> 
> ...


oh ok thanks alot for the info...

HERES THE MOM








HERES THE PUP


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## satanscheerleader (Dec 16, 2005)

She's pretty. What's her weight?


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## DALINK35 (Oct 18, 2006)

satanscheerleader said:


> She's pretty. What's her weight?


THE MOMS IS 70 POUNDS
THE SIRE IS 65 POUNDS


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## satanscheerleader (Dec 16, 2005)

How old are the pups? I'd probably just keep them on it and supplement with a little extra protein. How are their poops? Formed or loose and bulky?


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## DALINK35 (Oct 18, 2006)

They R 9 Weeks...there Poop Is Solid Not Loose


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## maryellen (Nov 5, 2006)

DALINK- you can give the pups adult food now, i feed all my foster pups that come in adult food, its actually better for them , and they will make the transition easier.. those pups are adorable... where in nj are you? i am in nj also 

also, Canned Merrick has real meat in it, chicken, venison, turkey, duck, buffalo, salmon.. you can get the cans at most feed stores ..


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## TashasLegend (Jun 7, 2006)

DALINK35 said:


> HERES THE MOM
> 
> 
> 
> ...


They are so adorable.


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## evan_pitbull (Nov 7, 2006)

is the mom dog the same one in the picture under your username?


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## pantera2006 (Feb 25, 2006)

maryellen said:


> Pantara wrote:
> 
> but this post you made said $140, did you mean you think it would be that much a month on a better food?? if you are going thru one 8 kilo bg a week, thats just crazy.... that means you are buying food for the dogs every week?? i see where you mean $48 a month, as you are buying food every week at $12 a bag.
> 
> ...


Ok, I go through 1 bag a week, Of pedigree, If i was to buy the science diet which is alot in my books... It is $140 a month, Pedigree is only $48 a month and my dogs look great i think, i will try to get muscle pics of Har.... If my dogs are doing as well as i think they are on the $12 a week food, Is there a reason that i should change them... I really dont think so... When i feed my dogs the stuff with protien in it, they do not do well at all on it.... I mean  NOT NICE!!!! Harley is an old man and i dont think that he can handle it at all, i know he cant, But why is muscle so important?? For old fort and people that put their dogs in weight comp, thats fine, they need it... But why is it important for everyones dogs to have muscle?? I really dont a big deal with dogs having muscle, i think my dogs are awesome...


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## DALINK35 (Oct 18, 2006)

maryellen said:


> where in nj are you?


im in south jerz a town called florence


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## DALINK35 (Oct 18, 2006)

evan_pitbull said:


> is the mom dog the same one in the picture under your username?


yes thats her


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## pantera2006 (Feb 25, 2006)

I was told to give pups puppy food till 1 year old!!!


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## maryellen (Nov 5, 2006)

pantera, i dont think everyone is concerned with muscle, i think its more for the health of the dog.. not for muscle.. better food doesnt equal muscle, it just helps the dogs health..

ok, here are the ingredients of pedigree. the protein is a normal amount.. now why would you feed your dogs corn and bone meal. notice the first ingredient is ground corn.. then meat/bone meal, then more corn, then byproducts(which is beaks and feet)?
Ground Whole Corn, Meat and Bone Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken By-product Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with BHA/BHT), Natural Poultry Flavor, Wheat Flour, Chicken, Rice, Dried Whole Peas, Wheat Mill Run, Dried Beet Pulp, Wheat Gluten, Salt, Carrot Powder, Potassium Chloride, Vegetable Oil (Source of Linoleic Acid), Caramel Color, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate [Source of Vitamin E], L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate [Source of Vitamin C*], Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Biotin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement [Vitamin B2], Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide), Added FD&C and Lake Colors (Yellow 6, Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5).

*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.

METABOLIZABLE ENERGY:
320 kcal per 8-oz. (86g) cup (345 kcal per 100g)

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Crude Protein (min.) 26.0% 
Crude Fat min. 10.0% 
Crude Fiber max. 4.0% 
Moisture max. 12.0% 
Linoleic Acid, min. 1.7% 
Calcium, min. 1.0% 
Phosphorus, min. 0.8% 
Vitamin E, min. 225 IU/kg 
Vitamin C, min. 70 mg/kg

now, canidae ingredients, notice it has chicken meal, turkey meal as first ingred:

Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Lamb Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Herring Meal, Flax Seed, Sun Cured Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil, Chicken, Lecithin, Monocalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Linoleic Acid, Rosemary Extract, Sage Extract, Dried Enterococcus Faecium, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract, Inulin (from Chicory root), Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Fermentation Solubles, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (source of B2), Beta Carotene, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, D-Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Papaya, Vitamin B12 Supplement.


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## DALINK35 (Oct 18, 2006)

pantera2006 said:


> I was told to give pups puppy food till 1 year old!!!


Thats what i thought


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## maryellen (Nov 5, 2006)

nah, i give puppies at 8 weeks adult food..


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## pantera2006 (Feb 25, 2006)

Well, why would i wanna change my dog, to another brand of food when he has been eating it for over 4 years?? He is a 75 lb dog with a great coat and clear eyes, and he gets his vet checks and they think he looks great!!! So why do i have to change him to a better food, when he is doing great??


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## maryellen (Nov 5, 2006)

you dont have to change his food pantera.. whatever works for you is fine, some of us that have seen the difference between store food and higher quality food are just trying to show that the store foods are not as good as what some vets and people think. hell my vet wanted me to feed Eukaneuba , and never heard of Canidae.... vets are good for health issues with dogs, not nutrition.. its just information going around so that if someone wanted to feed a different food they would know what to look for, see, me personally, i fed my gsd purina one until she turned 2 years old. i didnt know any better, her coat was great, eyes, etc... she hit 2, and BAM.. allergies hit... so i had no choice but to look for a better food due to what she is allergic to, and then the more i looked into it the more i found out.. its just take what you can use, and ignore the rest.. but at least read about the foods ingredients, like what by products are, why corn is not good as a first ingredient, etc... my gsd looked great on purina, she looks even better on her solid gold food.. and her allergies are under control.. and the 33lb bag i get for her lasts 2 months.. and it costs me $36 for one bag.. so for me, its worth it 2 ways, cost wise as it costs me $36 for a two month supply, and she is healthier then she was on purina... 

and, what did you mean your dogs didnt do good on a higher quality food? was it higher quality or more protein? because more protein over say 36% most dogs dont do good on except for working dogs.. which way did you mean?


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## pantera2006 (Feb 25, 2006)

Well i gave my dogs a chicken and rice i think it was, for Muscle matience, and it gave them runny poops, It was bad!!! Like water, i phoned my vet and she said put them back on the stuff that they were on... and 2 days later they were fine...
I see what you are saying, i think i will keep them on what they are on... i have never had a problem with it...


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## maryellen (Nov 5, 2006)

oh pantera, that is normal when you change foods like that!!! stupid vet.... see, when you change dog foods you have to do it slow, like over the course of a week so the dogs can get used to the different food... the vet should have known that when you told them .... also, if the dogs get the runs, give a teaspoon of plain canned pumpkin, the kind for making pies, but it has to be plain pumpkin, with nothing in it.... that will help with the runs.... 

see, for your dogs i would say if you were to change, dont do a muscle food, do a maintenance food.. for adult dogs.. regular dog food.. not working, muscle, or anything but maintenance.. then, you give 3/4 of the regular food, plus 1/4 of the new food in their bowls every night for a few days, then you give 1/2 old food/ 1/2 new food for a few days, then 1/4 old food, 3/4 new food for a few days, until you are giving them the new food 100%.

then the dogs dont get the runs.. i switch mine over and dont do it gradually, they get the runs for maybe the night, but by the next day they are fine and i add the pumpkin too..


when it comes to nutrition, do not listen to your vet, as they didnt go to school for food, but for medical stuff..


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