What do you feed your dog?

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snazzy

snazzy

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I am curious to know what everybody feeds there dog.

I fed my dog Iams lamb and rice since breaking him of of puppie food (also Iams) but can't stand how much he poops. So I am switching to Canidae lamb and rice and am reading mixed reviews on that food. This can be very confusing with all the choices out there.

Anyway I want to here some suggestions.:)
 
We feed Toby Canidae All Stages or something like that. He does very well on it, but I don't know if he poops any less than he would on another food. I mean, he weighs 80 pounds so the amount he goes is probably relative to the amount of food and the size! Of course, we're into spoiling our "baby" so he gets things like hard boiled eggs and a few other treats.

I will say that he is beautifully healthy, and has plenty of energy and is the absolute picture of health. He's doing very well on that diet.

Canidae is a good food, and our animal shelter gets a portion of the proceeds when we buy the food from them, so that's the primary reason we feed him that.
 
I have always fed Purina Dog Chow at the amounts indicated on the package. My dogs are 10 and 11 and quite active and healthy (border collie and chocolate lab). We feed once a day due to schedules (ours). We had to switch them to morning feedings, as one of them always gets gas after he eats. Switching foods did not help. So now, they gas it up while they are outside during the day! (instead of during my movie at night!)
 
Thats great someone chimed in who also feeds Canidae.

When I say he poops alot I mean a 90# shepard mix drops like 3 big healthy solid piles aday. This is happening even though he never eats all of his food that we give him. He may not get around to eating his breakfast until evening.

I hope that this is more digestable.
 
I feed some dog in my neighborhood all of our garbage we leave out overnight. He seems to be doing fine as he comes back nearly every night. I have no idea what his owners feed him but they should give him more!!!!

Sorry, I know it is no help but I had to let off some steam.
 
I know from experience ,if you start your dog on a certain kind of food stick with it !
The few times we tried to switch, led to disastrous consequences ,might as well feed him a box of chocolate.
 
snazzy said:
I am curious to know what everybody feeds there dog.

I fed my dog Iams lamb and rice since breaking him of of puppie food (also Iams) but can't stand how much he poops. So I am switching to Canidae lamb and rice and am reading mixed reviews on that food. This can be very confusing with all the choices out there.

Anyway I want to here some suggestions.:)
Click to expand...

I worked in high-end pet retail for 4 years. Canidae is a great quality food without breaking the bank. Due to having less undigestible fillers the stool mass will be less. (Think of it as a lower mash temp).

My guy is on Innova Evo Chicken&Turkey because the only thing I can get him to eat on a regular basis is high-protein poultry based kibble. He also gets Merrick's canned food at dinner.

Hardtack said:
I know from experience ,if you start your dog on a certain kind of food stick with it !
The few times we tried to switch, led to disastrous consequences ,might as well feed him a box of chocolate.
Click to expand...

I don't mean to offend you, but that is wrong for a few different reasons. Feeding your dog a food with cheap fillers such as grain and corn (both of which are OK in treats) has can lead to them building up various allergies (at which point those ingredients are not OK in treats for that specific dog). These cheap foods also lead to bad breath and smelly ears (yeasty smells, maybe from extra sugars in the diet? not really sure on the exact scientific cause), poor quality coat, and sporadic energy (among other problems). The best way to switch foods is slowly transitioning over a 2-week period. However, that doesn't mean that the specific food you switch will agree with your dog, there is always the chance that something in the ingredient list wont agree with them.

Pure pumpkin puree (not the sweet canned pie filling) or cooked brown rice will help settle an upset stomach. I usually have a box of Trader Joes microwaveable brown rice on hand. Ready in 3 minutes and does wonders when the pooch gets into something he shouldn't have.


Oh, and most vets were trained before information about better diets emerged and receive kick-backs from larger brands like Iams and Hills to push those products.

More information: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/8_7/features/15728-1.html
(Sorry, I was raised an animal lover and worked in the field for nearly 4 years, up until this past summer).
 
MBasile thats some good info. Sort of what I found searching the net. I wish that I had the bank to feed him Innova, but I have to settle to some point.

I have read that changing food every few months is actually good for the health of dogs. This goes against what I have always been taught. Maybe some truth to this?
 
snazzy said:
MBasile thats some good info. Sort of what I found searching the net. I wish that I had the bank to feed him Innova, but I have to settle to some point.

I have read that changing food every few months is actually good for the health of dogs. This goes against what I have always been taught. Maybe some truth to this?
Click to expand...

He used to be on Pinnacle high-protein, but that was only because I got a big bag each month for free :) At 60 pounds himself, my dog is at least cheaper to fed than my previous 160 pound newfoundland. So for me, the cost is relative.

As for the switching up the food every few months, I haven't read anything about that, so I can't make any comment.

Here is the bratman by the way.
 
I feed my dog NutroMax brand dry food. Its the best that I can find that's readily available and doesn't cost more than my food. I got ahold of a list a while ago that listed the major brands by quality and was surprised by what I found. Brands like Purina One, Iams, and Science Diet didn't fare nearly as well as I would have suspected. Not to say that they are bad, but there are many better products out there. There was some information on what to look for as well. Anything corn based or followed by the term "meal" isn't necessarily good. The further down the list of ingredients those items are listed, the better the food quality.
 
Used to do Innova, and Iams, but the CostCo (Kirkland) brand Lamb dogfood now. Looked at the labels, the Kirkland seemed comparable if not a bit better than most mid-end dog foods.

She poops more consistently, smaller and has more energy/better sheen than she did on previous foods. Had lots of intestinal problems that we thought she was just always going to have (starved rescue pup), but they went away with the Kirkland (could have just been age too though, we switched her at about 1 year old).
 
jmendez29 said:
I feed my dog NutroMax brand dry food. Its the best that I can find that's readily available and doesn't cost more than my food. I got ahold of a list a while ago that listed the major brands by quality and was surprised by what I found. Brands like Purina One, Iams, and Science Diet didn't fare nearly as well as I would have suspected. Not to say that they are bad, but there are many better products out there. There was some information on what to look for as well. Anything corn based or followed by the term "meal" isn't necessarily good. The further down the list of ingredients those items are listed, the better the food quality.
Click to expand...

I liked the Kirkland -- no corn at all. But one Issue that I have with the Kirland is the two first ingredients are "Lamb" and "Lamb Meal". Lamb Meal is just lamb with most of the water removed. So, it's easy to have "Lamb" at biggest volume by weight since it contains lots of water that they later remove. Which means that largest by weight is probably lamb meal, which is still good (much better than having a grain as a second).
 
Taste of the Wild or Wellness Brand. Grain free due to the Shepard/Chow is allergic to corn and shakes his head or licks his paws for hours.
 
When we got our 50/50 Miniature Pinscher/Jack Russell we started her with NutraMax. We had a free coupon so we tried Royal Canin.
I now know what a puppy on crack looks like.
 
Nothernlad the food is not canine crack, that just the Jack in your baby. Our 6 year old Jack is nuts.
 
076344891130C.jpg


My pups love it, and the big bits of kibble help them eat slower.
 
friarjohn said:
Nothernlad the food is not canine crack, that just the Jack in your baby. Our 6 year old Jack is nuts.
Click to expand...

I have been waiting for the famed Jack behavior but she is one of the most mellow dogs I have ever had. I was refering to how crazy she went as soon as she got the first whiff of the new food. The first food we tried she was indifferent to, the Royal Canin she loves.
 
Pedigree dry, the one that says 'Chicken and Rice' or something. That plus 1 Basted Gravy Bone buried in his Kong plus 1 rawhide chew per day. Nothing else unless I accidentally drop it on the floor. 35 pounds +/- 2 pounds his entire adult life (~7 yrs).

He likes it, it's not too expensive, and it's available at the regular grocery (being available at the regular grocery is VERY important to me).
 
Synovia said:
Dogs aren't carnivores. They're opportunistic scavengers (IE, omnivores).

Cats, on the other hand, ARE pure carnivores.




And to someone who posted it earlier, food doesn't give dogs ear infections (yeasty smell).
Click to expand...

No, it doesn't directly give them infections. However, with poor quality food the body does not run optimally, creating issues like yeasty smelling ears and poor quality coats.

And you're right, modern dogs are not pure carnivores, which is why most raw diets also have a blend of vegetables in them too.
 
Both will scavenge if they can't catch prey, but what they are scavenging will be the raw carcasses of wild animals, so the diet is still sound...

The idea of a wild dog or cat eating corn (the main ingredient in most garbage dog/cat foods), brown rice or pumpkin is absolutely hilarious! :drunk:

If any of you have an unhealthy pet, you owe it to them to try this diet. Chicken breast quarters with ribs are $0.50/lb at walmart and trimmings from your beef are free, so the diet is not more expensive than midgrade pet food.

My cats have not gotten sick, are the perfect weight, and have the healthiest coats you can imagine, simply from feeding them raw meat, fat, and bones.

Synovia said:
Dogs aren't carnivores. They're opportunistic scavengers (IE, omnivores).

Cats, on the other hand, ARE pure carnivores.

And to someone who posted it earlier, food doesn't give dogs ear infections (yeasty smell).
Click to expand...
 
Dr_Gordon_Freeman said:
Both will scavenge if they can't catch prey, but what they are scavenging will be raw meaty bones and offal of wild animals, so the diet is still sound...
Click to expand...

Again, wrong.

Wild dogs,and Wolves eat all sorts of vegetables and berries and grasses and such. They have the same sort of natural diet as Bears.

Wild cats, on the other hand, eat nothing but animal flesh.
 
My dog gets Canidae grain-free food and it's great stuff. Most if not all of the food at the grocery store (and even PetCo) are the equal to a person eating McDonalds 3 meals a day. Total crap.

We had been feeding our dog "premium" food from PetCo that was supposed to be better than the other stuff out there and when the recalls of crap dog food happened because of the chemicals from China, these foods were right there with the generic store brand stuff. Canidae doesn't use any ingredients from outside the US and none of the fake protiens that the others have in them.

My cat also gets Felidae grain-free cat food.
 
My cats have not gotten sick, are the perfect weight, and have the healthiest coats you can imagine, simply from feeding them raw meat, fat, and bones.
Click to expand...
My dog is like that but he gets Pedigree (which I assume is garbage/corn meal-based food). He's been the perfect weight his entire life, never had any ear problems, beautiful coat, 'regular' as can be, etc. No problems his entire life.
 
SpanishCastleAle said:
My dog is like that but he gets Pedigree (which I assume is garbage/corn meal-based food). He's been the perfect weight his entire life, never had any ear problems, beautiful coat, 'regular' as can be, etc. No problems his entire life.
Click to expand...

He may appear healthy, but it is likely he will get diabetes at some point from all those grains.

There are some humans who can eat whatever they want and stay skinny too. Bastards :)
 
Synovia said:
Again, wrong.

Wild dogs,and Wolves eat all sorts of vegetables and berries and grasses and such. They have the same sort of natural diet as Bears.

Wild cats, on the other hand, eat nothing but animal flesh.
Click to expand...

If they do eat plant matter, it is only in trace amounts.

Is your point that storebought dog food is something close to their wild diet?
 
I have 2 Bull Boxers and have fed them Solid Gold dog food starting with Wolf Cub puppy food for the first year and Wolf King thereafter .THEY LOVE IT! Its not cheap @ $55-60 for a 33#bag at Pet Co, but I get every 10th bag free. Its all natural, no cheap fillers and is made with Bison. My 3 yr old Brooklyn and 8 month old Jersey are very healthy.

I do alot of fishing, so my dogs get to eat freshly grilled fish once a week. I feed them tuna when I catch it and they love it. They also love grilled veggies, weird I know, but brussel spouts,broccoli, and spinach are their favorites.

Here's the link too Solid Golds Wolf Cub and Wolf King http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/products/index.php?category=0
 
Dr_Gordon_Freeman said:
If they do eat plant matter, it is only in trace amounts.

Is your point that storebought dog food is something close to their wild diet?
Click to expand...

No, my point is that you're spreading misinformation. And no, they do not only eat trace amounts of plant matter.


Wolves/Wild Dogs eat the digestive tracts of kills first. Wonder why that is?
 
Dr_Gordon_Freeman said:
He may appear healthy, but it is likely he will get diabetes at some point from all those grains.

There are some humans who can eat whatever they want and stay skinny too. Bastards :)
Click to expand...
So rice and vegetables (both proudly mentioned on the bag) are bad for a dog? Seems odd to make it part of the name of the dog food if it's unhealthy for dogs.
 
SpanishCastleAle said:
So rice and vegetables (both proudly mentioned on the bag) are bad for a dog? Seems odd to make it part of the name of the dog food if it's unhealthy for dogs.
Click to expand...

No, they're not. Since the raw diet came about, theres this misinterpretation that dogs are pure carnivores. They're not.
 
Our dog ended up with an infected anal gland. The vet told us that it was due to too much grain in commercial dog foods. Too much grain causes the feces to be too soft and not allow the gland to express like it should. Since we switched to a grain free formula food, we haven't had any issues like that.

SpanishCastleAle has it right that wild dogs are omnivores, but Doc Freeman also has it right that most commercial foods are way to heavy on the grains and other cheap fillers.
 
SpanishCastleAle said:
So rice and vegetables (both proudly mentioned on the bag) are bad for a dog? Seems odd to make it part of the name of the dog food if it's unhealthy for dogs.
Click to expand...

Rice and veggies are fine, but how much quality ingredient is actually in there? (Think "triple hops brewed" or McDonald's "100% beef patties.") It is the grain fillers and corn that are bad.

ChshreCat said:
SpanishCastleAle has it right that wild dogs are omnivores, but Doc Freeman also has it right that most commercial foods are way to heavy on the grains and other cheap fillers.
Click to expand...

Bingo, just like with our bodies (although people ignore it with ourselves as well) it is all about balance! Nothing is cut and dry black & white.
 
Then what dog food available in a grocery store (that part is non-negotiable, MUST be available in typical grocery stores) is good...that is not named Purina One? Jake doesn't like Purina One, never has. It is why I switched to Pedigree.

Rice and veggies are fine, but how much quality ingredient is actually in there? (Think "triple hops brewed" or McDonald's "100% beef patties.") It is the grain fillers and corn that are bad.
Click to expand...
That's just it, I don't know. And I can't trust any mfr. to tell me so. They all say they are healthy. About all I can go on is what my vet tells me and he tells me Pedigree is fine. My dogs health so far agrees.
 

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