Thursday, July 30, 2009

Good Dog Food?

My mum has just bought a cocker spaniel pediree pup

What is the best food to give the dog?
Answers:
Anything but Pedigree it's awful

We use Eukanuba - I think thats how it's spelt

Very good!
INNOVA- made in California.
baker and u can get baker for puppy
Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food. A grain should not be in the first couple ingredients ingredient (corn and such are mainly fillers, dogs don't digest it well). Avoid foods that have a lot of "by products" listed.

Beware "premium" foods. "Premium" does not mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. It has the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc..

Here are some good foods (these are just a few, there are definitely more brands out there that are quality dog food, but it will give you an idea of the ingredients to look for):

Chicken Soup Brand - http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssou...
Merrick - http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
Innova - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.a...

Or check this website to find GOOD dog foods, not full of fillers and byproducts, they rate dog foods based on the ingredients, 6 being the best. I would recommend feeding only 4+ star foods. Any food 3 stars or less, I would avoid.
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_...

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Here's an ingredient comparison of not-so-good food (in this case, Pedigree), to good food (in this case, Chicken Soup brand):

Pedigree:
Ground Whole Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with BHA/BHT), Meat and Bone Meal, Natural Poultry Flavor, Wheat Mill Run, Potassium Chloride, Wheat Flour, Salt, Carmel Color, Vegetable Oil (Source of Linoleic Acid), Vitamins (Choline Chloride, dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate [Source of Vitamin E], L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate [Source of Vitamin C*], Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Biotin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement [Vitamin B2], Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide), Added FD%26C and Lake Colors (Yellow 6, Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5).

Chicken Soup Brand:
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.

Notice how the better food has more meats, less grain, and no by-products than the other brand? That's where to start looking for what food is higher quality. Also be aware, just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's a good food.

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Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit and kick-backs from the brands they keep on their shelves, that's why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don't focus a lot on nutrition. It's not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told "this is good food", so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it's good as well.

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When switching foods, do it slowly. I do this over about a two week timespan:
25% food A, 75% food B
50% food A, 50% food B
75% food A, 25% food B
100% food A
Innova or a Raw Diet
Diamond is a good one...
Chicken Soup for the puppy lovers soul is a good, affordable food.

As someone mentioned read the ingredients. DO NOT buy grocery store brands, including Iams and Eukenuba . They are all garbage.
RAW
http://rawfed.com/myths/
http://www.rawfeddogs.net/
Here are a few that are good: Solid Gold, Wellness, Canidae, Timberwolf Organics, Innova Evo, California Natural and Artemis Fresh Mix, there are several more but these are really good. They may be a bit pricey initially but they come out cheaper because you feed less. These are 100% human grade dog food with NO corn, wheat, soy, grain fractions, fillers or by products 鈥?and naturally preserved.
I have found Flint River Ranch to be the best. You can order it from their website and it is delivered for free. They eat about half what they eat on a cheaper brand (Nutro or Science Diet) and probably even less of an even cheaper brand. It's worth the cost and is an amazing food. It's baked in sheets and then broken up - not kibble - when they make kibble they basically fry it - not healthy. Try a bag and see what you think. If you don't like it you can always switch, but you will love it. Always make sure when you switch foods that you follow the directions on the bag of how to do so or you can end up with a sick puppy. You can also try what the breeder recommends - they do have experience in what is best for these dogs - if it is a reputable breeder.
I like Iams. The good premium foods would be Iams, Science Diet %26 Nutro... I am sure there are plenty more but those are the three that Vets alot of times recomend.
My puppy gets Nutro Max puppy food, he seems to love it!
Royal Canin... a bit pricey, but worth it. The company hasn't recalled any of their dog food due to the Chinese petfood scare. Always refer to your veterinarian just for guidance.
ALPO!!!!!!!!...
Pick a food that suits your puppy %26 your (or your mum's ) pocket. When you first get your puppy, if is/he's from a reputable breeder, s/he will come with a small amount of the food it is used to. Keep the puppy on that for a week or so %26, if you decide to change to something else, change over gradually to avoid giving your pup an upset tummy.
CANIDAE
i use bakers complete
science plan is reccomended by vets and is full of nutrients and you can get a nice 'country vegetables' flavoured one. Pedigree poches are also really good but i wouldnt reccomend feeding them dail, only weekly.
hiya! I notice a few reccomending the same brands. Me personally? I would strongly recommend "James WellBeloved". It is a UK made food, comes in 2kg puppy bags, and goes up to 15kg bags for the Adult/senior. The 15kg bag retails at approx 拢37.99, and the puppy I think is around 拢8.00. "James Wellbeloved" is "Naturally Hypo-allergenic...with No beef or pork, NO wheat gluten or wheat, NO dairy products or egg. This complete dog food is free from many of the ingredients that are renowned for causing food intolerances.

It has no added flavours, colours, preservatives etc.
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They also do a complete range of treats/biscuits etc, so you can keep to the same brand and not cause upset. It would be a shame to put him/her on a good diet, and undo all the benefits by purchasing cheap treats from petshops/supermarkets that contain additives/chemicals etc
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My dog "Digger" was hyperactive, and had nothing but constant loose stools (diarrhoea) everytime on all the other brands. Having tried (after being reccomended by a vet), a small bag, I was amazed at how quick my dog recovered, and produced normal "poo". His coat is 100%, and he's not as hyper as before (caused by all the additives)

It really is your choice at the end of the day. But try him/her on a few brands and see what the results are. It's like buying a pair of shoes. You don't just go out and buy the first pair - you try some for size and see what works for you. I have included the address for Jameswellbeloved, the phone number and the website. I wish you luck, and good health for your pup!

If you contact them via phone or website, they can send you a free sample, and an information booklet.

(They start with puppy performance, then Junior / Adult / Senior etc.)
Burns holistic dried dog food is very good. I feed all 3 of my dogs it, and since they've been on it their coats are shiny and in really good condition.
They do a mini bites variety for pups, and if you log onto their website, they will send you a 拢5 money off voucher.

It's not that expensive and is totally natural too.
bakers complete puppy food with mince morsel

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