SinCity

[Princess L]

We need to discuss Chucka's "diet"






Looks like you're giving a "Beggin Strip", Milk bones in the pantry and is that Purina Dog Chow in the bag?


Beggin Strips
Ground wheat, corn gluten meal, wheat flour, ground yellow corn, water, sugar, glycerin, soybean meal, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, bacon (preserved with sodium nitrite), salt, bacon fat (preserved with BHA),
meat, phosphoric acid, sorbic acid (a preservative), calcium propionate (a preservative), natural and artificial smoke flavors, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Yellow 6).
P-4005

Dog Chow
Whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), corn gluten meal, meat and bone meal, brewers rice, soybean meal, barley, whole grain wheat, animal digest, calcium carbonate, salt, calcium phosphate, potassium chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, Yellow 6), DL-Methionine, manganese sulfate, manganese proteinate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, copper proteinate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin D-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite.
S-4101

Milk Bones
Wheat flour, wheat bran, beef meal and beef bone meal, milk, beef fat preserved with tocopherols, wheat germ, salt, minerals [dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide (source of iodine)], dried cheese, malted barley flour, brewers dried yeast, sodium metabisulfite (dough conditioner), vitamins [choline chloride, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), vitamin A acetate, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, vitamin B12 supplement, d-activated animal sterol (source of vitamin D3)], natural flavor.


As ~flower~ has pointed out many times, if feeding kibble, try to find one that is meat based.  Your vet would agree with this I'm sure.  Look for at least the first 4 ingredients to be a meat product.  The Beggin Strip is probably the equivalent of us eating  Doritos and the Milk Bone like Corn Flakes.

[SinCitysmallGUY]

I have a dog food that I am looking into. For right now that's what they are getting.. They get treats. I don't feel bad for giving them treats... Hell I love my doritos.  The bag of food is because the wife picked it up. I usually get some food from Zamzows. I was told it is pretty good. Like I said I am looking to get them onto a new food but haven't had time to check them out. They love there milkbones I try other bones but the boys wont chew them anymore they just lay next to them and guard them. But they get one bone about every other day. A box of bones lasts about a month.

[~flower~]

  Go Princess!!     


   I will toss out my (ack, ack, choke) kibble recommendation of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul line. 

[temper35]

Eagle Pack Holistic Select or Canidae are great kibbles.  Two of the best dry dog foods.  Can order Eagle Pack off the internet too.

[jmt1]

Eagle Pack Holistic Select or Canidae are great kibbles.  Two of the best dry dog foods.  Can order Eagle Pack off the internet too.

canidae all life stages is one of the top kibbles out there. 4 of the first 7 ingredients are meat sources in meal form and they use quality ingredients throughout.
its also a great value compared to the other top kibbles. foods like timberwolf organics, innova and solid gold are the highest quality but not really affordable for alot of people. you can find canidae for about the same price as chicken soup. canidae would actually be a better choice because the first 2 meat ingredients in the chiken soup are not in meal form so they have a high water content. canidae also has a much higher caloric content then chicken soup so you will end up feedlng less.


http://www.canidae.com/

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

[Princess L]

Chicken Soup Adult Formula
Ingredients
    Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, ocean fish meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, oatmeal, millet, white rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potatoes, egg product, tomato pomace, duck, salmon, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, choline chloride, dried chicory root, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, L-carnitine, Enterococcus faecieum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Saccharomyces cerevesiae fermentation solubles, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

[Princess L]

This is a list complied by the Whole Dog Journal (WDJ) which is a monthly guide to natural dog care and training. This is a good basic list of good and bad dog foods to help everyone chose a diet best suited for their dog. Good Luck!!!


Worst Dry Dog Foods
2006

Beneful
Cycle Adult
Dad's Bite Sized Meal
Diamond Premium Adult Formula
Excel Lamb Meal & Rice
Gravy Train
Happy Tails
HiPro Dog Food
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice
Kibbles & Bits Homestyle Chicken & Vegetable
Max Adult (Nutro)
Maxximum Nutrition
Natural Choice Adult Lamb & Rice (Nutro)
Nature's Recipie "Breed Specific"
Nutra Nuggets Adult Maintenance
Ol' Roy
Pedigree
Purina Dog Chow
Purina One Total Nutrition
Science Diet Adult
Science Diet "Nature's Best With Real Beef..."


   
Whole Dog Journal's 2007 Top Approved Dry Dog Foods
 

WDJ's 2007 Top Approved Dry Dog Foods:
--Addiction Foods (addictionfoods.com) - NEW for 2007 - Manufactured in Australia and uses exotic proteins
-- Artemis (aremiscompany.com)
-- Azmira (azmira.com)
-- Back to Basics (beowulfs.com)
-- Bench & Field Holistic Natural Canine (benchandfield.com)
-- Blue Buffalo (bluebuff.com)
-- Burns (bpn4u.com)
-- by Nature BrightLife (bynaturepetfoods.com)
-- by Nature Organics (bynaturepetfoods.com) - NEW
-- California Natural (naturapet.com)
-- Canidae (canidae.com)
-- Canine Caviar (caninecaviar.com)
-- Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul (chickensoupforthepetlove rssoul.com)
-- Cloud Star Kibble (cloudstar.com) - This is a baked food
-- Drs. Foster & Smith (drsfostersmith.com)
-- Eagle Pack Holistic Select (eaglepack.com)
-- Evanger's Super Premium (evangersdogfood.com) - NEW - Has a pheasant-based food
-- Firstmate Dog Food (firstmate.com)
-- Foundations (petcurean.com)
-- Fromm Four Star Nutritionals (frommfamily.com)
-- Go! Natural (petcurean.com)
-- Hund-N-Flocken (solidgoldhealth.com)
-- Innova (naturapet.com)
-- Innova Evo (naturapet.com) - This is a grain-free food
-- Karma Organic (karmaorganic.com) - Includes organic chicken
-- Lick Your Chops (healthypetfoodsinc.com)
-- Life4K9 (life4k9.com) - NEW - This is a baked food made with healthful olive oil
-- Lifespan (petguard.com)
-- Merrick Pet Care (merrickpetcare.com)
-- Mmillennia (solidgoldhealth.com)
-- Natural Balance Organic (naturalbalanceinc.com) - NEW
-- Natural Balance Ultra Premium (naturalbalanceinc.com)
-- Newman's Own Organics (newmansownorganics.com)
-- NutriSource (nutrisourcedogfood.com)
-- Organix (castorpolluxpet.com)
-- Petguard Organic (petguard.com) - NEW - This is a vegetarian food
-- Performatrin Ultra (performatrinultra.com)
-- PHD Viand (phdproducts.com)
-- Pinnacle (breeders-choice.com)
-- Prairie (naturesvariety.com)
-- Premium Edge (premiumedgepetfood.com)
-- Prime Life Plus (ompetproducts.com)
-- Raw Instinct (naturesvariety.com) - NEW - This is a grain-free food
-- Royal Canin Natural Blend (royalcanin.us) - NEW
-- Royal Canin Veterinary Diet (royalcanin.us) - "Reincarnated" on list
-- Showbound Naturals (healthypetfoodsinc.com) - "Reincarnated" on list, was dropped off list before due to editorial error
-- Timberwolf Organics (timberwolforganics.com)
-- Ultra Holistic Nutrition (ultraholistic.com) - NEW Name from Nutro
-- VeRUS (veruspetfoods.com)
-- Wellness (oldmotherhubbard.com)
-- Wenaewe (wenaewe.com.uy)
-- Wellness Simple Food Solutions (oldmotherhubbard.com)
-- Wysong (wysong.net)
-- Zinpro (lincolnbiotech.com)
--

Regarding the list of foods, the WDJ states that the foods on their list are not the only good foods on the market. The list is offered as a starting place and as a comparison to products you may find in your local area. Also, if the variety described on the list does not suit your needs, they point out to check the maker's website or call their toll-free phone number to get information about the other varieties in the same line.

The following list is the selection criteria used by the WDJ:
- we look for foods that contain a lot of high-quality animal proteins
- we reject any food containing meat by-products or poultry by-products
- we reject foods containing fat or protein not identified by species
- we look for whole grains and vegetables
- we eliminate all foods with artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
- we eliminate all foods with added sweeteners
- we look for products containing organic ingredients

[temper35]

canidae all life stages is one of the top kibbles out there. 4 of the first 7 ingredients are meat sources in meal form and they use quality ingredients throughout.
its also a great value compared to the other top kibbles. foods like timberwolf organics, innova and solid gold are the highest quality but not really affordable for alot of people. you can find canidae for about the same price as chicken soup. canidae would actually be a better choice because the first 2 meat ingredients in the chiken soup are not in meal form so they have a high water content. canidae also has a much higher caloric content then chicken soup so you will end up feedlng less.


http://www.canidae.com/

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

I agree on Canidae 100%.

Alot of the grain free foods are too high protein for any dog that isn't a real working dog, in my opinion.  No normal dog would need Evo.  It is still probably one of the very best dog foods there is for any dog who can handle it.  Innova also makes other great foods.

Plato was on Canidae for a long time and had no issues whatsoever.  He lost interest in it after a long period of time so he has been on Eagle Pack Holistic Select ever since.  He also did well on Solid Gold when I first brought him home as a puppy.

[~flower~]

Alot of the grain free foods are too high protein for any dog that isn't a real working dog, in my opinion.  No normal dog would need Evo.  It is still probably one of the very best dog foods there is for any dog who can handle it.

   

[temper35]

   

I dunno why you are rolling your eyes.  You are saying some little Yorkie or a family Golden needs this from a food like Evo for example:

Protein     43.16  %
Fat    22.22  %
537 kcal/cup (4.40 oz = 1 cup)

[~flower~]

I dunno why you are rolling your eyes.  You are saying some little Yorkie or a family Golden needs this from a food like Evo for example:

Protein     43.16  %
Fat    22.22  %
537 kcal/cup (4.40 oz = 1 cup)

   if it's going to get them closer to "real" food than regular "kibble" then yes.

  get more of what they do need, and less of what they don't.

[temper35]

   if it's going to get them closer to "real" food than regular "kibble" then yes.

  get more of what they do need, and less of what they don't.

For example.  If you go to Eagle Pack's website and use their Product Selector, they recommend their "Power Formula" which is  30% Protein / 20% Fat / Calories - 449 kcal/cup, only for dogs who are "Highly Active".  If you e-mail their nutrionist, he also suggests the same thing.

So why then, does Flower recommend that you feed couch potatoes the same food?

[~flower~]

For example.  If you go to Eagle Pack's website and use their Product Selector, they recommend their "Power Formula" which is  30% Protein / 20% Fat / Calories - 449 kcal/cup, only for dogs who are "Highly Active".  If you e-mail their nutrionist, he also suggests the same thing.

So why then, does Flower recommend that you feed couch potatoes the same food?

  because they are carnivores - protein and fat

[temper35]

because they are carnivores - protein and fat

Good answer

[~flower~]

Good answer

   

  I checked out the Canidae site but I couldn't find the carb percentage?  I am going to "assume" that they are higher carb wise than EVO.  So EVO would get more energy from proteins and fats, and Canidae (and probably most other kibbles) would be more from protein carbs and fats, or actually carbs, protein, fat?

Canidae: Crude Protein (min.) 24.00%   Crude Fat (min.)  14.50%

EVO:  Protein     43.16%    Fat 22.22%     Carbohydrates    14.46%


  Canidae 30-40% carbs?
   

[jmt1]

I agree on Canidae 100%.


Plato was on Canidae for a long time and had no issues whatsoever.  He lost interest in it after a long period of time so he has been on Eagle Pack Holistic Select ever since.  He also did well on Solid Gold when I first brought him home as a puppy.

its a good idea to rotate kibbles every once in a while. they will be happy with some variety and it is better for them. i mainly go with the canidae then every couple of month when she is low on that i will begin to mix in another high grade kibble. since the canidae als is based on chicken/turkey i just choose one based on another meat source like the evo red meat or the solid gold salmon meal.

[temper35]

its a good idea to rotate kibbles every once in a while. they will be happy with some variety and it is better for them. i mainly go with the canidae then every couple of month when she is low on that i will begin to mix in another high grade kibble. since the canidae als is based on chicken/turkey i just choose one based on another meat source like the evo red meat or the solid gold salmon meal.

I tried Red Meat Evo.  Constipated my dog.

[jmt1]

i dont know what the percentages are with the carbs but i know that evo is grain free and canidae is not. the grain in the canidae is rice which is one of the easiest grains for a dog to digest, very low allergen, and mild on the stomach unlike corn, wheat, soy,ect. used in many other lesser foods. one good thing about canidae is that they use meat meal which means that it is deboned, defatted, with the moisture sucked out of it.

canidae is consistently rated in the top 3 kibbles every year by whole dog journal. anyone who feeds kibble should consider it as one of their top choices.