What do you know about dog food?

d2va · June 2014

wandajune6 said:

You're all awesome! Thank you! We took Maury to the vet last night and were told that it's likely stress from moving but checked him for worms anyway. He has a mild case and is getting meds for it. He also suggested that we could feed him something better. He suggested Iams or Science diet- but suggested trying a few healthy options. I previously bought him the exact same Pedigree variety- I brought the empty bag to Target to be certain! He needs canned for his meds but I'm heading to the pet store tonight to buy small bags of a few options ( listed above!) to see what he likes. I'll make sure to mix it with Pedigree too! He's a few pounds underweight but not as bad as before though the doc said to watch him. I still don't want a dog but I can't help but fall in love with this one!

I would suggest finding a private vet BUT always keep in mind that vets are "sponsored" by pet food companies, so which ever they are sponsored by they will of course recommend because they make money off of your purchase. Iams or Science Diet are low grade (Unless its specialized Science Diet). So I would recommend to try a better, quality food.

I would suggest to go to petco / petsmart / pet super market and buy the smaller bags that would last you a week or so of transition.

For bully breeds I always suggest a low carb, high protein diet. His coat will be shiny and smooth. Also, some food (in our case Wellness) was almost too good that Lilys stomach could never settle, she had HORRENDOUS gas, and she was shedding like a maniac. She could literally clear a room. Dogs should pass gas, but not all the time, lol.

Trial and error girl! Good luck and feel free to contact me and ask me any questions!

d2va · June 2014

Oh and pictures of our babies are very necesary!

wandajune6 · June 2014

Thank you!

I thought I'd give him 2 days of each food at a time, just to see. But good call!

It's funny, FI says that he's gassy all the time but I rarely experience it. Maybe a new food will change that though. He also sheds a lot but he's only gotten 1 bath and only been brushed 2x since we got him so I can't tell how much of it is just how he was treated in the shelter.

The vet clinic is definitely sponsored by Pedigree though I liked how the vet told us not to feed him that at home. We need to find a private vet but I love the hours at the shelter clinic. We're about to sign up for obedience classes so we thought we'd try to get recommendations that way.

d2va · June 2014

If your dog has been eating the same thing every day and you suddenly feed him something new, he's probably going to get diarrhea or barf everywhere. ( which apparently hes doing anyways lol) You need to make a gradual change. Decrease the amount of old food and increase the amount of new food (mix them together) over a period of at least a week.

Two days is too short to see a difference, especially since he is recovering from worms.

d2va · June 2014

I do know that when I had started gradually changing lilys food from Wellness to the Merrick by day 2 her poops were solid, so I just stopped feeding her the Wellness.

d2va · June 2014

Some more reading!

The Basics

Diet has a huge effect on your pet's health. You can't do much about genetics or bad luck, but you have total control over what your pet eats every day. If your pet scratches a lot, has dandruff and a dull coat, farts constantly, smells awful, or takes enormous paint-peeling dumps, better food is likely the solution. If your pet seems totally normal and fine, better food will probably contribute to a longer, healthier life.

Why should I spend more money on pet food?

Most low-quality foods have lots of "fillers", or cheap ingredients with less nutritional value. High-quality foods tend to be more nutritionally dense, meaning you will be feeding a much smaller amount for the same number of calories. If you do the math to figure out the cost for the number of calories you need to feed your pet, many premium foods are CHEAPER than the awful crap you're buying at the grocery store. You can afford this. Seriously.
There are about a million medical problems associated with diet. If you feed terrible food and it turns your dog/cat into a farting, itchy basketball with legs, there will be health consequences, and they will probably not be cheap to fix.
If you're feeding a smaller volume of food, your pet will typically shit a smaller volume of shit.

Ingredients
Every ingredient in commercial pet food is there for a reason, but sometimes the reason isn't a very good one. The process of turning meat into shelf-stable kibble isn't easy, so sometimes "filler" ingredients are added just for the purpose of food consistency. A lot of these fillers have little to no nutritional value, and your pet basically just poops them out.

Ingredient quality also affects absorption. Shoe leather and chicken meat are both mostly protein, but your pet is going to digest and absorb a lot more protein from one than the other.

Ingredients on a label are listed by weight. So when "corn" is the first ingredient on the label, there is a lot more corn present than when it's the 10th ingredient listed. (Pet food companies can and will try to trick you with this tactic, called "ingredient splitting". If you see 6 different ingredients involving the word "rice", there is probably a whole lot of rice in the food, even if the first two ingredients are meat.)

In feeding dry foods with more corn (or wheat, soy, etc.) than actual meat, we're basically feeding our carnivores cornflakes and a multivitamin to balance out the deficiencies. They'll survive on it, but it's far from an ideal diet.

Here are some good ingredients to look for...

Meats (chicken, turkey, beef, etc.) - This is muscle meat and doesn't include organs or anything weird. Lots of protein and good stuff in here. If you don't see a meat or meat meal in the first 2-3 ingredients on the label, you should probably run away.

Meat Meals (chicken meal, salmon meal, etc.) - Meals are basically rendered meat bits. While this may include some animal parts that most people don't want to eat, it's still really nutritious and good in pet food. Because it's rendered, it doesn't contain a lot of water-weight like whole meats do. This means that pound-for-pound, "chicken meal" typically contains even more protein and good stuff than "chicken". Good foods will usually contain both whole meats and meat meals.

Veggies & Fruits - In lower-quality foods, you'll see lots of corn, rice, and grains being used as binding agents or carbohydrate sources. In higher-quality foods, you may see more nutritious sources of starch and fiber like sweet potatoes, apples, peas, and carrots. These ingredients also contain more vitamins, minerals, and other good stuff.

Next, ingredients to avoid...
Most of these are cheap alternatives to healthier ingredients, and therefore indicate lower-quality diets. However, they're not all inherently bad for your pet, especially if they're only present in small amounts (so try to keep in mind the order in which the ingredients are listed). If you see all this stuff listed at the beginning of an ingredient list, it's probably not the highest quality food.

Corn / Maize (whole grain corn, ground corn, corn gluten meal, etc.) - Corn is typically used as a carbohydrate source or binding agent. Of carb sources, corn is arguably the worst in terms of its effect on the animal's blood glucose (hint: having a diabetic pet sucks). Corn is also the cheapest carb source, which means its presence usually indicates a lower-quality food. Corn gluten is a protein source, but animal based-protein is better for feeding carnivores. Corn is a common allergen among carbohydrates (but allergies to protein sources are much more common).

Soy - Avoid soy-based protein in pet foods, especially for cats. The reasons are basically the same as for corn gluten -- it's cheap, it's a common allergen, and it's not part of a species-appropriate diet for dogs or cats.

Wheat / Wheat Gluten - Avoid for the same reasons as corn or corn gluten. Wheat is a common allergen among carbohydrates (but allergies to protein are much more common).

By-Products - This includes anything with the word "by-product", including "by-product meal". By-products are basically the garbage of the meat industry. While they often contain ingredients with good nutritional value (i.e. organs), by-products also contain a lot of stuff that's not as digestible or nutritionally valuable (i.e. chicken feet, heads). The real problem here is that "by-products" is intentionally ambiguous, and therefore its quality and makeup are going to be inconsistent.

Ingredients containing vague words like "Animal" or "Poultry" (meat and bone meal, animal fat, etc.) - Again, this is about lack of specificity. If the pet food manufacturer can't tell you what species the ingredient comes from, it's a safe bet that quality and consistency are lacking. Of these, "animal" is definitely the worst.

clarke10 · June 2014

If you look at the ingredient label and the first ingredient listed is any kind of filler (which it often is with the big brands like Pedigree), then it's crap.

Swazzle · June 2014

We feed Lucy (also a pittie) Canidae. I used THIS SITE when decided on a brand for her and it was very helpful.

wandajune6 · June 2014

Swazzle said:

We feed Lucy (also a pittie) Canidae. I used THIS SITE when decided on a brand for her and it was very helpful.

I kept coming across that site but wasn't sure if it was legit. Thanks!

I'm a Lucy and have a niece dog named Lucy. It's an awesome name!

wandajune6 · June 2014

d2va said:

Some more reading!

The Basics

Diet has a huge effect on your pet's health. You can't do much about genetics or bad luck, but you have total control over what your pet eats every day. If your pet scratches a lot, has dandruff and a dull coat, farts constantly, smells awful, or takes enormous paint-peeling dumps, better food is likely the solution. If your pet seems totally normal and fine, better food will probably contribute to a longer, healthier life.

Why should I spend more money on pet food?
Most low-quality foods have lots of "fillers", or cheap ingredients with less nutritional value. High-quality foods tend to be more nutritionally dense, meaning you will be feeding a much smaller amount for the same number of calories. If you do the math to figure out the cost for the number of calories you need to feed your pet, many premium foods are CHEAPER than the awful crap you're buying at the grocery store. You can afford this. Seriously.

Thanks for the information! I'm not super-concerned about the money, though I know it's a bigger issue to FI. I'm mostly concerned about his health and happiness. Great point on the amounts of food though- I didn't really think about it that way!

jdluvr06 · June 2014

@d2va I usually feed my cas dry food in the morning and canned food at night. I have one cat that can eat anything and be fine mostly, but one of my cats has a very sensitive stomach and throws up a lot.

d2va · June 2014

jdluvr06 said:

@d2va I usually feed my cas dry food in the morning and canned food at night. I have one cat that can eat anything and be fine mostly, but one of my cats has a very sensitive stomach and throws up a lot.

You should try to get the hairball stuff for your cat. Sometimes overgrooming could be the reason.

Last week one of my cats puked in the plate I gave them wet food in. So kind of him! lol

So it may not even be food related.

melbelleup · June 2014

I feed both of mine blue buffalo. I stay away from chicken flavor but mine love the lamb and rice

melbelleup · June 2014

wandajune6 said:

You're all awesome! Thank you! We took Maury to the vet last night and were told that it's likely stress from moving but checked him for worms anyway. He has a mild case and is getting meds for it. He also suggested that we could feed him something better. He suggested Iams or Science diet- but suggested trying a few healthy options. I previously bought him the exact same Pedigree variety- I brought the empty bag to Target to be certain! He needs canned for his meds but I'm heading to the pet store tonight to buy small bags of a few options ( listed above!) to see what he likes. I'll make sure to mix it with Pedigree too! He's a few pounds underweight but not as bad as before though the doc said to watch him. I still don't want a dog but I can't help but fall in love with this one!

be careful with science diet, they're known for recalls and just had one recently

jdluvr06 · June 2014

d2va said:

jdluvr06 said:

@d2va I usually feed my cas dry food in the morning and canned food at night. I have one cat that can eat anything and be fine mostly, but one of my cats has a very sensitive stomach and throws up a lot.

You should try to get the hairball stuff for your cat. Sometimes overgrooming could be the reason.

Last week one of my cats puked in the plate I gave them wet food in. So kind of him! lol

So it may not even be food related.

She actually has digestive problems. This is a cat I rescued from the street. My old neighbors just left her outside in the cold, declawed. So I took her in. When I took her to the vet they said that there were signs she was abused, she actually walks with a limp because of an old injury that never healed properly, the vet thinks she was probably kicked. Anyway, the vet feel that her poor diet before I got her causes some of her digestive issues. It has been trial and error since I got her. She can eat a food and be fine for a few months but then it starts making her really sick.

arrippa · June 2014

jdluvr06 said:

@d2va I usually feed my cas dry food in the morning and canned food at night. I have one cat that can eat anything and be fine mostly, but one of my cats has a very sensitive stomach and throws up a lot.

My cat is a scarfer and barfer. He has also had a urinary tract infrction so teh vet has him on a special diet.

[Deleted User] · June 2014

We have two dogs. A 5 1/2 year old Pit Boxer mix and a 2 year old (next Monday!) Olde English Bulldogge. We've gone through many different foods and they both absolutely love the Kirklands Chicken and Rice food from Costco. It's cheap and is a really good food for them. Any time you change their food their stools change for a little while but they go back to normal quickly. Since changing to this food about six months ago we've noticed they're both more active and seem to be a lot happier.

FiancB · June 2014

d2va said:

wandajune6 said:

You're all awesome! Thank you! We took Maury to the vet last night and were told that it's likely stress from moving but checked him for worms anyway. He has a mild case and is getting meds for it. He also suggested that we could feed him something better. He suggested Iams or Science diet- but suggested trying a few healthy options. I previously bought him the exact same Pedigree variety- I brought the empty bag to Target to be certain! He needs canned for his meds but I'm heading to the pet store tonight to buy small bags of a few options ( listed above!) to see what he likes. I'll make sure to mix it with Pedigree too! He's a few pounds underweight but not as bad as before though the doc said to watch him. I still don't want a dog but I can't help but fall in love with this one!

I would suggest finding a private vet BUT always keep in mind that vets are "sponsored" by pet food companies, so which ever they are sponsored by they will of course recommend because they make money off of your purchase. Iams or Science Diet are low grade (Unless its specialized Science Diet). So I would recommend to try a better, quality food.

I would suggest to go to petco / petsmart / pet super market and buy the smaller bags that would last you a week or so of transition.

This is very true. Vets tend to push the science diet pretty hard. Sometimes for good reason because they do make prescription diets, but mostly because of sponsorships and a lot of pushing that starts in vet school. I have fed the Rx diets, but otherwise stay away from it.

jdluvr06 · June 2014

FiancB said:

d2va said:

wandajune6 said:

You're all awesome! Thank you! We took Maury to the vet last night and were told that it's likely stress from moving but checked him for worms anyway. He has a mild case and is getting meds for it. He also suggested that we could feed him something better. He suggested Iams or Science diet- but suggested trying a few healthy options. I previously bought him the exact same Pedigree variety- I brought the empty bag to Target to be certain! He needs canned for his meds but I'm heading to the pet store tonight to buy small bags of a few options ( listed above!) to see what he likes. I'll make sure to mix it with Pedigree too! He's a few pounds underweight but not as bad as before though the doc said to watch him. I still don't want a dog but I can't help but fall in love with this one!

I would suggest finding a private vet BUT always keep in mind that vets are "sponsored" by pet food companies, so which ever they are sponsored by they will of course recommend because they make money off of your purchase. Iams or Science Diet are low grade (Unless its specialized Science Diet). So I would recommend to try a better, quality food.

I would suggest to go to petco / petsmart / pet super market and buy the smaller bags that would last you a week or so of transition.

This is very true. Vets tend to push the science diet pretty hard. Sometimes for good reason because they do make prescription diets, but mostly because of sponsorships and a lot of pushing that starts in vet school. I have fed the Rx diets, but otherwise stay away from it.

That is true. This is why I love my vet. The only time he pushes the Science Diet is for the prescription food. The cat I lost earlier this year was on some of their prescription food for Urinary tract. That helped him out a lot.

Dignity100 · June 2014

I just came across this thread and I wanted to add a few things:

I have a friend who went to one of the top vet schools in the nation. I asked him about nutrition when one of my dogs was diagnosed with a terminal cancer. He basically told me that nutrition courses are an elective, and a very very unpopular elective on that and I'd be better off doing the research on my own. I say this because MOST vets do NOT have training in nutrition and will just push what their vendors are (Science Diet, Purina, etc).

As far as what I feed - I feed Earthborn Coastal Catch Grain-Free. In the past I have fed Fromm Four Star (the dogs got tired of Fromm, cats still love Fromm though).

When my Newfie had to lose weight, I fed her a dehydrated raw food called Sojos.

For the dog that was diagnosed with a terminal cancer; I went to a holistic vet that was trained in nutrition. The whole thought behind her diet was 'Feed the dog, Not the cancer' as there's a popular theory that many cancers thrive on carbs. My cancer dog was fed Honest Kitchen Embark in the evenings and Acana in the mornings.

I pay around $48 for a 28lb bag of Earthborn. My dogs are NOT small dogs, I have a Newfoundland (120lbs) and a Great Pyrenees (right now he's about 87lbs in his senior years, at his younger weight he was 117lbs). I go through a bag of Earthborn every 2 weeks; each dog eats around 3 1/2 cups of food a day.

charlottesmom0626 · June 2014

Our bulldog gets Fromm. I did a ton of research and they have all natural, American, human grade ingredients with no fillers. She's allergic to a bunch of things (fish and chicken) and I wanted her on a grain free diet because of these allergies. I recommend it to anyone!

What do you know about dog food?

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