I feed my dogs (a chihuahua and a doberman/shepherd) dry food because it'd supposed to be better for their teeth. But I can't make special trips to pet stores so it has to be something that is readily available at the grocery store, so I buy Pedigree, same stuff every time. I once gave them a variety that supposedly has lots of vegetables and they both got really bad gas, so forget that. Also I don't do Science or Iams cuz that "vitaminey" smell stinks up the whole place. My dogs are really bad beggars and thieves, so they get variety from our plates.
I was told canned dog food was bad for their teeth and canned dog food was 90% water and is just dried dog food with water. I tried Iams and Science Diet. I used to feed him Pedigree but he got picky. Now I feed him Beneful and he loves it. He's pretty healthy and active so I am pretty happy with it.
Last edited by Man Sauce; 05-11-2010 at 05:23 PM.
a weeks worth. I would just buy some cheap cuts of chicken. Rice. Couple cans of carrots or beats. Make a batch for the week.
Canned food in small quan ies can be good for their skin and eyes though. Jonah gets it maybe once a month or so.
We also add olive oil to the food once a week to help with dry skin and try to give him vitamin e once a week for the same purpose. He seems to be scratching a lot less than this time last year (though summer is his worst time - we think he's got some kind of allergy to a grass or something they use on the grass in our complex, because he's worst after they've been through).
i feed my Dobie purina one lamb and rice formula.
he prefers small children though. they give him superpowers.
I usually make my own. Liver cooked and pieces of bread and vegetables mixed. He loves it.
My dogs eat Purina Pro Plan large breed, chicken & rice. Not sure under which brand is sold in the US.
Dry food is vastly superior to canned/home made food. Pick a meat-based one, ideally with chicken as the main ingredient. Then it depends on the size+activity level of the dog. They may be a little more expensive, but the ammounts to feed are smaller so it pays off. Plus, they may save you veterinary expenses in the long run.
From times to times I buy a lamb based bag, but dogs aren't gourmets, they don't need a different food every week.
so i got him diamond pet food. the guy working at the pet store said it was good, natural and cheap. so i got this and made some chicken rice that i will mix with the dry food. that place had all the brands mentioned here so i will give the natural foods a try .
so far he gobbled this stuff up.
Diamond Naturals
Beef Meal & Rice Adult Dog Formula
No Corn, No Wheat
Antioxidant Formulation
Balanced Omega Fatty Acids for Skin and Coat
Crunchy Kibble Helps Clean Teeth and Reduce Plaque
Natural Formula with Vitamins and Minerals
Beef protein provides optimal nutrition for dogs that prefer the taste of beef, or are sensitive to chicken or corn. Guaranteed levels of vitamin E and selenium ensure that your dog is receiving optimum antioxidant nutrition, while Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids keep the skin and coat healthy and shiny.
Protein: 25% Fat: 15%
Calories: 3,614 kcal/kg (338 kcal/cup) Calculated ME
Sizes Available: 40 lb. and 6 oz. sample
Ingredients
Beef meal, cracked pearled barley, ground rice, peas, egg product, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), rice bran, beet pulp, flaxseed, natural flavor, fish meal, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, 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, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
Seems like a good dry food,
1 - Why mixing the chicken rice with it? The food already has chicken&rice (well, beef & rice in this case), you're just creating a nutritional imbalance for no good reason, IMO. If you want it to eat chicken, buy a chicken based dry food.
2 - What's the breed of your dog? How large is it?
I buy Blue Buffalo's White Fish and Sweet Potato, exclusively- no rice or chicken/lamb meal for my dog. He eats that and gets yeast growing in his paws, chews his pads raw.
I usually sprinkle on some hemp seeds too, keep his coat shiny.
What did you pay and how much(lbs) for Diamond?
I feed my dobie Taste of the Wild, Wellness, or Innova, i switch his food everytime. I also feed him raw.
is that why my dog relentlessly gnaws at his feet sometimes?
WHat A PUSSY ASS LITTLE DOG!i feed my Dobie purina one lamb and rice formula.
he prefers small children though. they give him superpowers.
Probably. My dog got so bad about it that he could barely walk and I'd have to duct tape layers of socks onto his feets.
Mine is a foot chewer also...but not that extreme. He actually licks more than he chews. I think it's part of his skin allergies.
Ross' dogs a little , and you neglected himi feed my Dobie purina one lamb and rice formula.
he prefers small children though. they give him superpowers.
well its rice with chicken flavoring. i dont have chicken so he got the next best thing. they do have a chicken&rice and i will get this next time. i just mix it with rice now cause i want him to eat his food. if not then the birds come and eat it all up the dog food and ruin his drinking water. i been really struggle on what is good food that he will eat and really no dry food does the trick. until yall recommended home made stuff so i have been making rice and other stuff and chicken flavoring to work with this dry food and so far he is taking too it.
hes a pit bull and weighs ~65 lbs2 - What's the breed of your dog? How large is it?
it was 40lb bag for about $29
this site list all ingredients of almost all brands of dry dog food, also canned dog food:
dog food analysis
handy when you are shopping around.
what do you people avg/year on dog expenses?
$5/day on food?
$100s or $1000s for anti-depressants, meds, shots, prescriptions, etc?
around $70 per month on food for my dog. Don't take him to the vet very often. Take him for rabies shots every other year...
i have 2 greyhounds, i keep them strictly on diamond lamb and rice... $30 for 40lb at tractor supply. (no corn)
All dry, different kinds layered in his auto feeder. Tried wet food, Baaaaad idea with our dog, had the s like crazy. Never table food, but he does get lucky when I've had a few at the grill.....
# The New York Times
May 31, 2010
The Truth About Cat and Dog Food
By JANE E. BRODY
A visit to a local supply store for pets has convinced me that many people’s pets eat better than their two-legged companions, or their companion’s children.
Whatever you think your pet needs (dog or cat, that is, I’m not getting into nutrition for birds, rabbits, turtles and the many exotic animals people keep as pets), there is a product ready to meet it: vegetarian, organic, holistic, natural, raw, kosher, all-meat, gluten-free, high-fiber, high-protein, grain-free, low-fat, “lite” and anti-allergy. There are products for young and old pets and those with sensitive skin, sensitive stomachs and sensitive skin and stomachs, as well as foods enriched with supplements like antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine and chondroitin, the value of which has yet to be established for people, let alone pets.
Do the conscientious pet owners who buy these products really scour the supermarket for the human equivalent of “Grain-Free Optimal Holistic Nutrition for Dogs, Thoughtfully Chosen Whole Food Natural Ingredients in Every Bite,” as proclaimed on the package of Earthborn Primitive Natural dog food? Or baby food like Innova Puppy Food made with turkey, duck, barley, brown rice, apple, tomato, carrot, potato, egg, cottage cheese and alfalfa sprouts?
Parents know how to respond when a baby reacts badly to a newly introduced food. But if a puppy eating Innova had a food sensitivity, how could you tell which ingredient was responsible?
I’m not against feeding pets well. They are, after all, much-loved members of the family, providing valuable emotional support. Although both cats and dogs can be as mischievous as toddlers and as rebellious as teenagers, they are always happy to see you and they never talk back.
In fact, too often pets are overindulged, with too much food and too many snacks in proportion to the exercise they get. Veterinary groups have estimated that 20 to 60 percent of American dogs and cats are overweight or obese and at risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.
And I wonder whether people who invest in high-end pet foods are getting their money’s worth. Are their pets really healthier and happier? Do they live longer? And are these foods any better than the generic versions sold in supermarkets and big-box stores?
Recognizing the high value most owners place on their companion animals, and distressed by recent recalls of contaminated pet foods, two scientists decided to examine the pet food industry and the evidence for the value of its products and the claims made for them. Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, and Malden C. Nesheim, emeritus professor of nutrition at Cornell University, have packaged their findings in “Feed Your Pet Right: The Authoritative Guide to Feeding Your Dog and Cat,” published in May by Free Press.
In an interview, Dr. Nestle (pronounced NES-sel) said: “People are willing to spend anything on their pets. The $18-billion-a-year pet food industry is considered to be recession-proof. Although during this economic downturn shelters have been overwhelmed with pets people could not afford to keep, those who have kept their pets are not stinting on what they spend to feed them.”
She noted, however, that the so-called premium pet foods cost three to four times more than supermarket brands. Within the premium brands, there is also a wide price range, yet when the ingredients lists are compared, they are strikingly similar since all have to meet certain nutritional standards. The first five ingredients of nearly every kind of dog and cat food are generally the same, representing protein, fats and carbohydrates, Dr. Nestle said, adding that “anything listed below the salt would be present in only very small amounts.” She and Dr. Nesheim compared 10 premium chicken dinners for dogs and found that all contained basically the same ingredients: All start with chicken or chicken broth, followed by grains and vegetables. The nonpremium brands use more grains and poultry, meat and fish byproducts.
Most important, Drs. Nestle and Nesheim say, is to look for products labeled “complete and balanced,” indicating that they meet the nutritional requirements of cats and dogs listed by the Association of American Feed Control Officials. This organization, in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration, state officials and the animal feed industry, develops model regulations for pet foods, which are voluntary unless encoded in state laws.
“All pet foods are made from the byproducts of human food production,” Dr. Nestle explained. “No matter what the package says, your dog is not getting whole chicken breasts, but what remains after the breasts have been removed for human food.”
And, indeed, it is primarily human food companies — Nestlé, Purina, Mars and Procter & Gamble — that make the pet foods sold throughout the world. Of course, in much of the world, domestic dogs and cats survive on table and street scraps, not commercially produced pet foods. In seeking evidence for the added value to health and longevity of commercial pet foods, the authors found almost none with any validity.
No agency requires proof of pet food health claims, and no pet food company is willing to invest in decades of research to determine whether its products keep animals healthier and extend their lives, the authors state. Pet food companies say they do research, but it is rarely done in a scientific fashion, with comparable control and experimental groups. There is, however, ample evidence that, despite claims to the contrary, both dogs and cats “are perfectly able to digest grains if they are cooked,” Dr. Nestle said.
None of this should imply that different pet food products make no difference to individual animals. When my friends’ havanese began licking its paws incessantly, the vet suggested they try a corn-free pet food, which stopped the itching. However, they need not spend $31 for a 12.5-pound bag of premium food free of corn; Costco’s Kirkland Super Premium Dog Food, also free of corn, costs about $15 for a 40-pound bag.
Still, Dr. Nestle suggested, “if one or another brand seems to completely change the way a dog behaves or cures an allergy, when you find something that works for you, stay with it.”
While many pay good money for marketing gimmicks, Dr. Nestle also does not object to people paying for attributes they value. If characteristics like natural, organic, holistic, vegetarian or kosher are important to pet owners, it may be worth it to them to pay top dollar for pet foods that claim to provide the desired attribute, even if there is no official or enforced definition of the claim.
Although some owners insist on cooking for their pets, the authors said animals are more likely to get all the nutrients they need, and in the right amounts, from a commercial product.
“Besides, the pet food industry serves an important ecological function by using up food that would otherwise be thrown out,” Dr. Nestle said. “If everyone cooked human food for the 472 million cats and dogs in America, it would be like feeding an additional 42 million people.”
=====
Pretty strange that carnivorou dogs and cats eat corn, soy, grain filler in petfood, since they certainly didn't evolve eating them. Same for cows. They didn't evolve eating seeds, only leaves.
Maybe there's a reason there's so much sickness in people and domestic animals these days. Maybe because it's all good for corporate profits?
A company figured out how to scavenge some kind of pink stuff from slaughterhouses that used to go into pet food. Now that pink stuff, not quite meat, is sold to ground meat, sausage, weiner mfrs.
The company now grosses about $450M/year.
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