Author Topic: Dog food  (Read 5535 times)

Offline cwarner

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Dog food
« on: October 16, 2007, 06:53:39 am »
I've been doing alot of reading on here the past couple of days about dog food, and it really has me questioning what i'm feeding.  Reading alot of posts, both old and new, i've learned alot about food.  I know that there is no "right" food, and every dog is different but after looking over the ingrediant list of Kodiak's current food, i know i can do much better by him by changing his food.  Right now i've been feeding him Science Diet Large Breed Lamb meal and Rice recepie, i guess more out of ignorance than anything.  Now that i feel more informed i feel guilty about making him eat this food any longer.  I noticed that his eating habits are "weird" to me.  I'll give him his whole daily allowance in the morning (8am?) and he doesnt usually touch it untill maybe around 5pm.  ANYWAY  ... Anyone feeding Natures Recepie Large Breed?  I was looking it up online and the ingredient list looks MUCH better then the SD that i'm currently feeding:

Ingredients: Chicken meal, oatmeal, pearled barley, brown rice, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), chicken, brewer's yeast, dicalcium phosphate, tomato pomace, salt, animal digest, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, chicory, alfalfa nutrient concentrage, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), inositol, niacin supplement, vitamin A supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, beta-carotene, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, menadione sodium bisulfate complex, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), minerals (zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), L-carnitine, glucosamine hydrochloride, choline chloride, chondroitin sulfate, yucca schidgera, rosemary extract

Any Thoughts?  i just want to make sure i'm not feeding him the equivelant of McDonalds cheeseburgers everyday!

Offline cwarner

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Re: Dog food
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2007, 08:00:40 am »
Thanks Holly,   I just did some searching about the ones you listed there, locally there is a store that carries  Canidae, Natures Variety and Eagle pack.  Another Store about 20 mins away carries the Merrick, but whoa! expensive stuff!  62 bucks or something like that for 33 pound bag?  i cant afford anything in that range, but i'm going to check out the three i listed at my local store.  Nobody local carries the Innova but i looked at their site, looks like some good stuff there

Nicole

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Re: Dog food
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2007, 08:07:29 am »
I always found the Merrick to be unreasonably expensive, too. I feed EVO, and I think the Merrick is even more expensive than that.

Offline navarre1316

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Re: Dog food
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2007, 08:12:06 am »
Pet Supplies Plus here just started to sell Eagle Pack, I currently have the girls on Chicken soup large breed, and I was actually surprised by the price.  I thought Eagle was going to be outrageously expensive, but it's really not too bad.  As to the feeding less, stupid question...Is it like other foods where you just monitor your dog to see if they are putting on weight with it, or do you automatically just feed less?  I know stupid question I could probably figure out myself, but ya'll are so good!!!  My mom fed EP for years to her Weim and she was telling me that also that you don't have to feed as much.
God placed me on this earth to accomplish certain tasks...I'm so far behind I'll never die!!

Navarre: GSD 9/13/99-5/14/06 patiently waiting
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Daphne: Boxer
Stone: Siamese mix

Offline cwarner

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Re: Dog food
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2007, 08:12:16 am »
Thanks for the assurance, i did notice that it looked like these better foods recommened less per day. That is nice.  Of the 3 I listed (Canidae, Natures Variey and Eagle Pack) Which order would you rank them nutritionally?  I'm stuck at work right now and all this stuff is just rambling through my head.  i think it's about to start spinning! haha

Do you think Kodiak isnt eating as much because of the lower quality food he's on right now?  Some days he eats his whole daily allowance, and somedays he eats 1/3 of it .. it's so random, and i dont feel like he's put on any weight since his last vet visit, over a month ago, at the same time i dont think he's lost any weight either.  I feel like at 12 months old he should still be putting on weight.  Thanks all for the great responses! 
« Last Edit: October 16, 2007, 08:14:44 am by cwarner »

Nicole

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Re: Dog food
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2007, 08:16:20 am »
Pet Supplies Plus here just started to sell Eagle Pack, I currently have the girls on Chicken soup large breed, and I was actually surprised by the price.  I thought Eagle was going to be outrageously expensive, but it's really not too bad.  As to the feeding less, stupid question...Is it like other foods where you just monitor your dog to see if they are putting on weight with it, or do you automatically just feed less?  I know stupid question I could probably figure out myself, but ya'll are so good!!!  My mom fed EP for years to her Weim and she was telling me that also that you don't have to feed as much.


Hey Heatherton,
You actually just put less in their bowl.There are more calories in each cup, so you just put down less, and still continue to monitor.

I give Cabeza the recommended amount of Evo for his size and age and activity level, and he's still packing it on. Right now, I've got him down to only about a cup/day. And I know that I'll still need to increase his activity level to keep him slender.

Offline navarre1316

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Re: Dog food
« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2007, 08:21:10 am »
Thanks Nicole!!
God placed me on this earth to accomplish certain tasks...I'm so far behind I'll never die!!

Navarre: GSD 9/13/99-5/14/06 patiently waiting
Issabeaux: GSD 1/27/07
Daphne: Boxer
Stone: Siamese mix

Nicole

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Re: Dog food
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2007, 08:48:14 am »
You're welcome! :)

Offline schelmischekitty

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Re: Dog food
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2007, 08:59:17 am »

Do you think Kodiak isnt eating as much because of the lower quality food he's on right now?  Some days he eats his whole daily allowance, and somedays he eats 1/3 of it .. it's so random, and i dont feel like he's put on any weight since his last vet visit, over a month ago, at the same time i dont think he's lost any weight either.  I feel like at 12 months old he should still be putting on weight.  Thanks all for the great responses! 

personally, i feed innova usually, so i can't help with food choices.  as for him not eating all his food all the time, he may not like the taste or wants a switch.  just like us, some dogs get sick of their food.  others could care less lol.  could also be exercise related, if he's lazy he won't be as hungry as on days that he's running around non stop.  otherwise, he may not eat much b/c of the fillers in the food.

since he's mixed he may be done growing at a year, depending on what he's mixed with.  as long as he's at a healthy weight, don't worry about it.
steffanie in atlanta

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Offline 2Criminals

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Re: Dog food
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2007, 04:14:35 pm »
Holly....how do you feel about Orijen?

Offline cwarner

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Re: Dog food
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2007, 04:33:32 pm »
Well just got back from the pet supplies plus and I decided on Eagle Pack Holistic for large breeds. 

Offline 2Criminals

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Re: Dog food
« Reply #11 on: October 17, 2007, 08:12:28 am »
 Great thanks ;)

Offline cwarner

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Re: Dog food
« Reply #12 on: October 17, 2007, 09:10:32 am »
Wow, what a difference this eagle pack is making already!!  i'm obviously mixing it with the old food, and he had a very watery stool this noontime, which i'm guessing means the mixture is off a bit, but i came home for lunch and he went after the food dish, and has half of it finished now, he must be saving the rest for later, but usually he doesnt touch it untill dinnertime ... i think he likes his new food!  All of a sudden he's gotten alot of energy and is running around alot and wanting to play alot more than the previous few weeks ... I think he's much happier now!!