I would like a weigh-in about dog food

[banjr89]

Ok , so I put my 6 yr old boxer on the vet prescribed royal canine. I've since brought a new baby into the the mix and he was not so keen on the vet royal canine puppy. So after a lot of research, I was some what shocked ........ This vet foods first ingredient is ground corn, chicken meal and no fruits or veggies . I have done research and have put the baby on blue buffalo and will be making that gradual change with my older dog. Would love to hear comments on vet diet versus other food :) ..........GO

[GordonH]

Ok , so I put my 6 yr old boxer on the vet prescribed royal canine. I've since brought a new baby into the the mix and he was not so keen on the vet royal canine puppy. So after a lot of research, I was some what shocked ........ This vet foods first ingredient is ground corn, chicken meal and no fruits or veggies . I have done research and have put the baby on blue buffalo and will be making that gradual change with my older dog. Would love to hear comments on vet diet versus other food :) ..........GO

First off good to hear that you looked into the food the Vet recommended (2 thumbs up).

When looking at ingredients meat (be it beef, chicken, pork etc...etc) should be at beginning and if meal is used it should be way down the list. IMPO grains & corn are useless in both dog & cat food, it does not benefit the pet (used mostly as filler).
Also look into wet vs dry, as well raw meat diet.

What I recommend is pet owners do your research, find a pet food store that has no hassle return policy if your pet does not like the food.

[banjr89]

Thank you for your thoughts...... I was so shocked when I finally looked into her vet food, 100.00 dollars a bag, for what ? I would be happy to pay that for great quality food :) so discouraged, I really just want the best for them as I did for my kids !!! Arg

[omisimaw]

First I would ask why was it prescribed?
Does the 6 yr old (adolescent) have an allergy or other medical issues?

Baby should not be on same diet yet as babies need more nutrients and protein on start out and thus the differences in foods.

Blue Buff is good stuff but then so is Science Diet and Medi Cal.....

Have you tried the raw diets? or even making your own? My large hound only ate what I made and it was cheaper, healthier and easy to do... Made up huge pots, portion out and freeze!

But if the Vet has prescribed it would be interesting to hear why..... cause there are other holistic methods for some stuff and not done thru diet...

[JLives]

This is a good resource: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php ... belinfo101

I have been using Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed for over 10 years and it has been great. I tried the lamb formula once as I heard lamb was better for dogs and they started losing fur. I switched back to chicken and stayed with it ever since.

[banjr89]

First I would ask why was it prescribed?
Does the 6 yr old (adolescent) have an allergy or other medical issues?

Baby should not be on same diet yet as babies need more nutrients and protein on start out and thus the differences in foods.

Blue Buff is good stuff but then so is Science Diet and Medi Cal.....

Have you tried the raw diets? or even making your own? My large hound only ate what I made and it was cheaper, healthier and easy to do... Made up huge pots, portion out and freeze!

But if the Vet has prescribed it would be interesting to hear why..... cause there are other holistic methods for some stuff and not done thru diet...

It was not prescribed , she has a thyroid condition and I felt I should buy their food, as I kind of felt guilty . Baby is not on same diet, he is on the puppy formula :) please send more info, as I'm so confused, just want them to have the best quality food ! So much on the market now a days !

[omisimaw]

No problem I will post a couple of links to sites that are into this type of issue.... such as ... studies on dry versus wet, raw versus commercial and some discussions on recommending and prescribing etc....

But if you want you can do it yourself... just use google in sentence formand if you have problems just come back and ask... love to help....

[banjr89]

Should I do a combo of wet and dry ? But same brand ?

[omisimaw]

I always let my guys lead the way... right now they do not want wet .... so they are cool on dry and so am I

[GordonH]

Should I do a combo of wet and dry ? But same brand ?

This all boils down to hydration both dogs & cats get better benefits from getting fluids from their food, either-way you chose always keep fresh water available.

As I said earlier research + trying different brands & types of pet food, also pet food store will take returns. If your Dog or Cat does not like the food is a good thing.

[omisimaw]

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/blue-buffalo-dog-food-wilderness-dry/ 5 star food
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/royal-canin-mini-puppy/ 3 star food

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/canned-or-dry-dog-food/ wet or dry food? Either or!

Take a tour of this guy's blog http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/about/

[banjr89]

Thank you for all your posts :) upon reading some links and blogs, I'm very comfortable with the choice I've made to discontinue the vet diet. Blue buffalo is the way I'm going with my kids :)

[Amarow121]

We switched to Acana 2 years ago and we really like it. Our dogs and cat enjoy it and never leave a crumbly behind! I like that it smells good, and I like that it's made in Alberta.

Prior to that I'd just buy whatever was on sale at the grocery store. Dog didn't seem to mind so I figured it was okay. Decided to switch to Acana after someone recommended it to us.

[banjr89]

Just a side note, apparently the Costco natures domain is suppose to be good quality as well ? Anyone use it ?

[zookeeper]

Just a thought, don't forget to research your breed of dog as well and take other things in to consideration. Some breeds are naturally intolerant to certain things and are prone to illnesses as well, that could be a deciding factor after you have researched food.