Betta Fish Forum banner

Best dog food and why:

12K views 160 replies 42 participants last post by  ridgerunrbunny 
#1 ·
#2 ·
Funny, I was going to say wellness! It is my favorite brand for dogs and cats!
Way-to-go! Post pics when you get your doggy :D

Go here and click "save $5" and you can print a $5 off coupon for wellness dry food.. http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/wellness-natural-dog-cat-food.aspx

They release those every month in their newsletter. I suggest you sign up for that newsletter :)
 
#3 ·
I'm a veterinary technician so I'm pretty sure I can help you with that. Lol! The difference between dog food bought in supermarket, petshops and vet. clinics are the ingredients they put in them. Basically the food you're going to buy in supermarket or walmarts are the ''junkfood'' of the animal world. It's cheap because the proteins and meat used are scraps left from the animal (chicken, beef...).

Food that's sold in vet clinics are exclusive to them, you can't find them anywhere else. The reason that it's a little more expensive is that the companies have research centers and a lot of research went behind the food. The also use the best part of the animals to get the proteins from. Don't get fooled if you buy Purina Veterinary Diets just because it says by-products on the bag. The by-products used in this food is actually the best parts of the animals like the liver, bone marrow, intestines.

Petshops sell some good food too. It's not as high quality as vet food but it's still good.
My advice is go for a little more quality food, at least you gonna be sure your puppy gets something good. Also the food sold at vets might be a little more expensive but most of the time the quantities that you need to give to your dog are a little lower to meet the same vitamins/proteins/calories that he needs. If it's a small breed dog, the price difference is low. Most of the time the prices are vets are competitive so go check it out. :)

Hope I helped a little!
 
#40 ·
Well, IMHO, thats not true at all. You can buy hills in vet, and its actually a poor quality of food for cats, especially the urinary ones. They are so full of grains/fillers and cats dont eat vegies.

You can most certainly buy quality, even the best in your store or online for convenience. For dogs there are so many types, and it depends on the age of the animal what/which you choose. Also the size of the dog.

Some large dogs grow so quickly, you need to get foods with extra calcium, or add it at each feeding.

Read the ingredients, just like you would when choosing your own foods :). Dogs love grains and vegies, they just need to be in the correct percentage. You can make your own dog/cat foods too, which is a lot of fun, for a while. ;-)

I did that for years. I had a dobie, a grey, and a chihuahua. I made it once a week, purchased the vit powder online. Its when i was a true vegan, and I turned all dogs/cats to vegans with me. Lol. The cats loved their food, although its very difficult to find non-meat sources for their vits.

Good-luck on your new pup!
 
#4 ·
It's not that there is one perfect dog food. Pre made dog food can be great, or it can be bad. Gian no-no's are corn, unnamed meat and grains as the first few ingreadients. You want named meat as the first ingredient. If is wet, then water may be the first ingreadient, thats ok. Wellness, and Blue are great foods. Iams is ok. Anything from the grocery store is BAD. Dogs are carnivores, so fruits and veggies shouldnt be in the first five ingreadents (which are organized by weight). In a perfect world, all dogs and cats would be fed on all meat diets, but some people just can't do that. The next best thing is a good pre made food.
 
#5 ·
I agree. Wellness, blue buffalo, merrick, solid gold, innova, evo.. Great foods.

I don't like iams because they started using preservatives in it that have been banned for human consumption. Not to mention the ingredients arent all that great either.

I hate purina. Even the veterinary diets ones have corn, gluten in them. They are garbage!
 
#8 ·
Lets see personally I think science diet is fine if your dog has no major issues but its the bottom of my personal barrel per say. There are lots of types of foods what is it that you want? You can get organic ( 2 good brands are natural balance organic and castor and pollux organix) or a more natural food like blue buffalo, natures variety (personal favorite because its rotational) and others. The idea is to pick a food with protein as the first ingredient (however it can depend on the breed of the dog, large breeds can only have certain level of protein). Peoples instinctual reaction is to pick a food that says chicken instead of chicken meal, but heres the catch ingredients are listed by weight chicken has to be dehydrated into meal before it can be mixed into food (unless you are buying refrigerated or frozen food) so even if it does say chicken its the weight of it before its turned into meal. Which means with the water removed the chicken might actually be the second or third ingredient. But like I said what do you want it all personal opinion. Oh and I work as a dog trainer so people ask me this question all the time :p
Personally I have one dog on natural balance buffalo and sweet potato one dog on science diet d/t and one on natures variety frozen beef.
 
#10 ·
My dog Butch developed allergies to Kibbles n Bits (cheap-o!!) so we switched him to EVO which immediately terminated all itching and hair loss. We eventually switched to Taste of the Wild (which has many flavors-my dog loved it).....he doesn't like anything better than it. When we switch around flavors he gobbles it down like it's a deer/rabbit/caribou/chicken/turkey.... and he's normally a very calm, slow eater.
It's very healthy for him and it keeps him going (he's 11 and he is literally as active as a puppy) because we do extreme jumping and dog agility, running, hiking, and biking. He's a Tibetan Terrier, so that may have something to do with it (the breed had few health problems) but when we have a vet visit they always note how healthy he is ;)
 
#11 ·
Back when I had a doggie, T_T, we used to use science diet. It came recommended by our vet and our dog liked it. It had lots of vitamins and stuff in it. I mean just check the different foods and see which seems best.

But to tell you the truth the vet also said that if you can afford it baked chicken is the best thing you can feed a dog.
 
#12 ·
I don't like science diet. Some of the formulas have meat as a first ingredient, but are followed by corn, wheat, etc. Some formulas the first ingredient is corn.

It's just overpriced CRAP that is well advertised.
 
#19 ·
Corn, wheat are important parts of the food. It's a myth that it's crap and shouldn't be in the food. It gives them the necessary carbohydrates and fiber which is essential for them.
 
#14 ·
This is a debateable topic because everybody has their own thoughts and experiences. Personally, unless a vet shows me a valid nutritional diploma I will not take their advice without a grain of salt. Vets are practising animal health and emergency, not so much on nutrition. A lot of vets are PAID to endorse certain companies (Science Diet might be one of them I'm not even sure what brands vets carry, Iams and Eukanuba are owned by Proctor and Gamble and they ARE paid to endorse).. So I would not take vets advice on dog/cat food anymore. I did once, and the money sank into a garbage corn filled food only made my hardy terrier quite sick.
I only feed holistic. If I had the resources to feed raw, I would. Oh, also, there is VERY little diference in the "small breed" formulas. A lot of the holistic ones just have the puppy, adult and senior formulas. Even senior formulas aren't always that different to adult. Anyways, the key thing is to do your own research and find out what works best for your dog!

About fruits and veggies, dogs are not obligate carnivores (like cats) so some fruit and veggies are actually beneficial to them. Blueberries being one of them :)

To the OP, I cannot wait to see your dog!!
 
#16 ·
+1 could not have said it better myself!
It is funny, I want to be a vet tech. I was thinking "man I hope the vet I work at doesn't sell that junk, it'd be awesome if we sold wellness and stuff like that" and then j thought "hmm.. I wonder if they'd consider putting a betta tank in their waiting area xDd
 
#21 ·
Well there isn't any corn/wheat in the food, but there are potatoes which are a carb :) and the bluberries and such will provide fiber :)
 
#23 ·
Well the lady who is fostering the dog didn't show up today so I have to wait another week :mad:
 
#24 · (Edited)
Heaps of dogs have corn allergies. Which is why I was surprised it was the first ingredient in Hill's food for gastro problems. Our cat is severely allergic to corn and cereal products and will throw up any food she gets that has them in it.

There is a dog food analysis site that goes through different brands of food and gives them a star rating, explaining each ingredient and why or why not it should or shouldn't be included.

We feed Earthborn Holistics Primitive which is grain free and Eaglepack Holistic. Unfortunately Australia can hardly get any decent brands of food so we stick with these ones as they are both fairly good quality and our dogs do really well on them.
 
#28 ·
"So, what should you believe? What’s the truth about corn in dog food?

Is it good? Or is it bad?

Well, that depends on whom you ask.

In general, anxieties expressed over the use of corn in dog food seem to come from consumers… pet owners, breeders and the like.

Whereas the “Corn is Great” crowd appears to include those who have **something to gain** from making or selling products made with this controversial grain."

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-industry-exposed/dog-food-corn/
 
#29 ·
In fact, the best dog food is home-made.
My uncle has a Jack Russel and he used to feed her Blue Seal dog food. Eventually he started making his own food, and he noticed that the dog got a sheen to her coat. Her skin seemed firmer, her eyes were brighter, she had more energy. Though Blue Seal is a top brand, his mix of chicken (one of his home-grown chickens-- NO hormones) and vegetables (also home grown) and white rice was an amazing addition to the dog's diet. You can look up recipes online, but making your own food is the best option.
Also good treats are carrots. Some dogs go NUTS for them but others hate them. But unlike regular dog treats, carrots can be fed in larger amounts....
 
#30 ·
My favorite food is Orijen hands down.

I fed my dog Orijen when she was showing and it kept her coat shiny and her full of energy at only one cup a day (She is a corgi at 25 pounds :))

It contains zero grains of any kind, just meat, fruit and vegetables with a high protein analysis of 38% and fat at 17% so this is a food where a little goes a long way.

In my opinion corn, soy and wheat is just empty calories that give no essential nutrition to a dogs diet.

Other food brands I would suggest:

-Evo
-Castor and Pollux
-Innova PRIME
-Instinct Chicken (I love this food too, this has a very high protein analysis at 42%. I only use this food when I am conditioning her for a trial. The other variety's have a lower protein analysis.)
 
#31 ·
Wow. I looked up that Orijen stuf and just wow. That is the best ingredients list I have ever seen on a commercially prepared dog food. Unfortunately it isn't available in my area though, so im just going to stick with wellness, which im pretty sure is good enough :)
 
#32 ·
My dog is on Medi-Cal Mobility Support (for joints and articulations) because she's a 12 years old Bernese Mountain Dog and has arthritis. I managed to decrease to almost 50% the anti-inflammatory medication she needed just because of the food. Proof that it works. Lol! :-D

As long as you give what's appropriate for your dog's age: puppy food until about 1 year old, then a good maintenance diet or one that's appropriate if he/she has a particular health problem you should be alright.
Feed the dog measured quantities each day in one or two feeding time. Remember that the quantities that's on the bag is only a GUIDE. You might have to give a little more or a little less depending on your dog's metabolism. Dog obesity is dangerous (just like human obesity) a couple of pounds on a small dog can be like 50 pounds on a human being, it causes arthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular/respiratory problems...
Sorry I'm rambling, it,s the vet tech in me. Lol!
 
#33 ·
I totally agree with starrlamia and others...grains and wheat are not necessary for dogs, and not good for them either! I am wheat/grain free myself, not wanting to ingest GMO wheat/corn etc. I am healthier at 51 than I was at 30! My dogs deserve the best in nutrition also! I'm happy to see that you are researching and finding the best food for your furry friend! I know this post was a while ago, so I hope you are enjoying your new companion/friend!
 
#34 ·
Thank you for the support :). Someone else actually adopted the dog I wanted, but sometime this week I am going down to the animal shelter to go see what they have there :)
 
#35 ·
We use Purina Exclusive from our feed store. If you rate dogfood on a 1-10 scale where "Attaboy" is 1 (or the stuff you could get by the pound at my local grocery store) and $100 a bag stuff is 10, I'd rate this as a 7.5 .. Not the best out there, but not nearly the worst. It's only available at feed stores and runs us $40 for a 30 lb bag and when we buy 6 we get one free =^_^= and don't have to buy 10 within a calendar year blah blah

Oh and wheat isn't in the first 10 ingredients but I'm not sure if it's wheat free, I just know it's not in the first 10. Our dog with a severe wheat allergy eats it and loves it and soooo many people compliment us on our dog's coat
 
#36 ·
Cost is NOT the only thing you look for. The guy who played Robin in the 1960's batman sells terrible quality food for almost 100$ a bag. I wouldn't feed that to the birds.
IT's really up to the consumer and their pet's needs. The kind the op picked up is good :) I'm happy her dog will have fantastic nutrition. Also, finnfinn, I cannot wait to see who chooses you!!
 
#37 ·
Oh I know cost isn't everything, but some people think it is. That was my point, that cost isn't everything, but when it's $0.25 a lb from a bin at the local food mart it makes you look closely at it's ingredients
 
#39 ·
Ive never heard of it. Maybe I'm wrong but I thought fish based foods aren't as good due to high levels of salt & mercury? :/ I mean I'm sure it's much better than corn and wheat xD
 
#44 ·
Puppy mill??! :shock:

Puppy mills are places that over breed unhealthy dogs and put sickly designer breeds in lousy local pet stores. :shock:

Shelters/rescues usually care about animals.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top