[evette]

Hi! I'm new here! I currently feed my 3yr old lab/hound mix(mutt) dog Nuturo Natural Balance which we have done since we rescued him as a puppy 3 years ago. All these years we have thought that this was a good food for him, but I am now reading that he's basically on crap food. So since we want him to live as long as possible while being as healthy as possible, I think it's necessary to switch. I have been on here reading about all the different things to look for in dog food and basically, I'm a little overwhelmed now!

Like I said, he's 3 years old, about 65 lbs with no known allergies or health issues. He loves to be active, but since my husband and I work all day he 'sleeps' in his chair for the entire time we are gone. However when we get home we make sure to take him in the back yard and get all that energy out. Sticking with a budget similar to that of Nuturo ( $40-$50 for a 30lb bag), what do you recommend?

Thanks so much for your input!!!

evette

 

[Unosmom]

Youre refering to Nutro natural choice right? and not natural balance, because thats a different brand. I reccomend getting this sampler:

Dry Dog Food Sampler Pack - Luke's All Natural Pet Food

you can also email those companies and request samples, some will do that and other will send coupons.

 

[Doc]

I would try Natural Balance.

 

[sganow]

We've had pretty good luck with Nature's Variety.

 

[evette]

Youre refering to Nutro natural choice right? and not natural balance, because thats a different brand. I reccomend getting this sampler:

Dry Dog Food Sampler Pack - Luke's All Natural Pet Food

you can also email those companies and request samples, some will do that and other will send coupons.

Yes, Nutro Natural Choice. Thanks for the info on the sampler. So maybe this is a stupid question, but if I got that sampler I know you shouldn't just switch the food over . . . that it needs to be done gradually. So would I just mix each of the samples in with his regular food to see what he seems to like? That wouldn't mess with him to have different food every other day or so?

Thanks for all the replies by the way!

evette

 

[CorgiPaws]

Good choice to switch. For the price, I think Canidae ALS is great. I've had to use it with my Shepherd Mix, being so big he eats a lot and it's the best I could afford for him. It's the best for the money, and if you're looking for something comparable in price but better in quality, I'd say it's one of the best picks. I know the price varies by location. I'm in Utah and we sell 44lb bags of it for $53, but I know at a place in Vegas they sell it for $44, so either way it's in your price range.
There ARE better foods out there, but not for the price, IMO. It's at 5 stars on dogfoodanalysis.com

 

[Unosmom]

these samples are basically for you to find out whether the dog will like it taste wise, theres no way of knowing how well your dog will do on a certain food until its fed for at least a month. Do not mix them, that could cause some digestive issues. You can just offer a new pack every other day to see what your dog picks.

 

[Winniesdad]

The sample pack seems like a great idea. I think there are a lot of decent foods out there what you want is the right food for your dog. My dog is doing very well on Taste of the Wild. Wellness is a good food but it gave her gas and the runs. With TOTW she has firm poops and no gas and lots of energy. So for her it's the right food. Some other dogs might do better on wellness.

 

[LabbieMama]

All of my dogs are doing beautifully on Avoderm Natural oven-baked chicken formula kibble supplemented with a bit of cooked or semi-raw meat.

 

[1605]

Evo

We switched out 28-month-old GSP to EVO Large bites and have liked the results.

It's a high protein dog food. However, Zio is a VERY active hunting dog and has done better on this type of food than his previous feed.

Pax,