[Nickel]

I just adopted a 3 1/2 mos. Shepherd/Rotty Mix and my boyfriend and I just purchased some Nutro Ultra Mix. I have been reading the threads about this brand and now i am a bit concerned but I am not sure of my options. He was a stray and is pretty emaciated so I want to give him something with lots of nutrition to get him healthy again. The only dog food stores in my Area are Petsmart and a Feeders Supply. I am not sure of my options. Can anyone give me some information?

 

[BoxerMommie]

Good brands to name a few (in no particular order):

Good food brands to name a few:

Canidae
Solid Gold
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul
Fromm
Nature's Variety
Wellness
Natural Balance
Innova
California Natural
Timberwolfe
Kirkland Signature (Costco brand)
Blue Buffalo (can be found at PetSmart)
Avoderm (can be found at PetSmart)

Personally I am feeding California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato with good results and am hoping to switch between that and Innova for different protein sources and a change so they don't get board. You can check out www.dogfoodanalysis.com to get your started you want to be feeding at least a 4 star food preferably 5 or 6.

 

[rannmiller]

Almost every person I know who feeds the Costco brand has some awful issue with their dog: ear infections, dandruff, excessive shedding, garbage breath, excessive pooping, etc.

This confuses me since the ingredients look really good, it just seems like there's something lacking since the food doesn't seem to perform really well.

Nutro Ultra is by far the best of the Nutro line of foods and it's the only company so far that keeps my dog's dandruff away and has kept all of my dogs super healthy (even Canidae didn't work that well).

However I'm switching to raw as soon as my bags are gone because I really love not having to pick up as much poop or any if I leave it out there long enough. That and it's the best diet for them and I want my dogs to live forever.

 

[BoxerMommie]

Almost every person I know who feeds the Costco brand has some awful issue with their dog: ear infections, dandruff, excessive shedding, garbage breath, excessive pooping, etc.

This confuses me since the ingredients look really good, it just seems like there's something lacking since the food doesn't seem to perform really well.

Nutro Ultra is by far the best of the Nutro line of foods and it's the only company so far that keeps my dog's dandruff away and has kept all of my dogs super healthy (even Canidae didn't work that well).

However I'm switching to raw as soon as my bags are gone because I really love not having to pick up as much poop or any if I leave it out there long enough. That and it's the best diet for them and I want my dogs to live forever.

I've fed the Costco brand to all of my fosters and my pet sitting client house guests and never had a problem. I also fed it to my dog who passed away (from cancer nothing to do with the food) for a good year never had a problem, and some of my fosters I've had for 3-4 MONTHS so it wasn't just a couple of weeks. I have recommended it to pet sitting clients as well who feed Science Diet, Pedigree, etc but who do not want to spend the cash on ones like CA Natural, Innova, and others it's a good alternative and I keep in touch with most of them and never had anyone told me there was a problem. The breeder I got my pup from, she has friends who have recommended it to her as well, they use it never had a problem. So on the opposite side of that coin, I know many many dogs that are on the Costco food with zero problems and the people are happy with the change from the "grocery store" brands.

The only reason I don't personally feed it is my pup seems to have issues with beet pulp and beet pulp is not recommended for dogs with liver problems so that throws out my other dog as a good candidate for it as well, otherwise I'd definitely feel comfortable using it for my own dogs. I use the Costco brand cat food and my cats have done wonderfully on it the past 3 years.

 

[zentrainer]

Food Supply Sources

Petsmart doesn't sell any food that I endorse. It may be that the "feeder store" will order a good brand for you.

Back in the old days here in Nashville, no one sold any good foods. One small store was willing to special order Wellness.

That store now carries 5 Human Grade brands. And there are several other stores here now that sell good brands as well.

You can order Wellness from some catalogs and no one mentions Flint River Ranch but they deliver and are good quality, just not the food for me.

 

[BoxerMommie]

Petsmart doesn't sell any food that I endorse. It may be that the "feeder store" will order a good brand for you.

Back in the old days here in Nashville, no one sold any good foods. One small store was willing to special order Wellness.

That store now carries 5 Human Grade brands. And there are several other stores here now that sell good brands as well.

You can order Wellness from some catalogs and no one mentions Flint River Ranch but they deliver and are good quality, just not the food for me.

PetSmart sells Blue Buffalo and Avoderm, both are not bad foods, there are better but certainly worse.

 

[rannmiller]

PetCo carries

Natural Balance
Solid Gold
Wellness
Halo
Castor and Pollux
Pinnacle
Avoderm

And now some Old Mother Hubbard canned food.