[Jeri_McKercher]

Hi, We are looking for a new brand of dog food for our small 11 year old dog. He has been on IAMS lamb and rice since birth and has done very well with it. Our concern is that he is getting older and should be on a senior food. I see that you don't recommend your senior for small dogs so I looked and found this Adult Dog Food - New Formula. I read about it and have only one concern. The "chicken meal". What is the ingredient in this chicken meal? If we are going to switch brands, I want the best ingredients for him.

Thank you.

Jeri

 

[Alicia_Farrar]

Chicken meal is pure chicken meat and skin (no feather, entrails or other garbage) that is rendered to remove most of the water content. The protein content is 65% and the fat level is 12%, compared to regular fresh chicken which contains about 70% water with 18% protein and 5% fat. A much better choice as the primary protein in dog food. In commercial pet foods, the ingredients are listed before the cooking process. This means that if you had a food that listed fresh (70% water) chicken as the first ingredient, followed by grains or what have you, the fresh chicken would actually move further down the list and not be the first ingredient in your pets food. Pretty deceiving huh?
In closing, my point is, chicken meal (or lamb meal if you wish to stick with that)is the absolute most important ingredient that you can have in a pet food.
Hope this helps!

 

[Jeanne2]

I've had my 2.5-year-old black lab on a raw diet (meat & veggies) and Orijen from puppyhood. Although it's expensive, Orijen is well worth the cost, in my opinion. I've had folks comment time and again about how healthy she looks, how shiny her coat is, and one person who had a show dog background thought she was a show dog, too! She gets kibble in the morning, and raw diet in the evening. Having the kibble makes it great traveling with her, and the nutrition is outstanding. Where I live, purchasing low cost meat such as heart, kidney, tripe, chicken parts, beef bones, etc., is just as cheap as canned food, and so much better for her. I've even developed a relationship with a grocery store butcher, and he freezes meat they can't sell and gives it to me free!

 

[Jessy]

I started my puppy on Origen puppy intill 8 months then switched to the adult formula. As long as she isn't getting table scraps she don't have any bad gas problems. Always has solid stool. And serving size is like half of what I fed my old dog that was the same size. I only feed my 65lbs dog 3 cups a day and she looks very healthy no bones showing but still has a waist.

 

[RodiKenley]

In my opinion, the best dog foods out there are: Brother's Complete, Earthborn Primitive, Back to Basics pork, Natural Balance organic, and Natural Life Pet Products. Orijen is okay. Eukanuba can be good. Of Orijen, if you find a bag that's 0.88 lbs, it only costs like $2.99. You can get samples online from Earthborn and Natural Life Pet Products on the other hand.

 

[Pam9]

Anna - you had me until you mentioned Eukanuba. I hope you were kidding with that because Eukanuba is one of the worst foods out there.

 

[Jacob]

Hey Jeri,

If you wanted the best of ingredients for your dog, then why would you have had him on IAMS?

 

[Lynnan]

Lynnan kendrick says:
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August 9, 2012 at 9:34 pm
So, for a 4 lb 7 yr old long haired chihuahua, which Origen , or acana, wld u recommend?
I also have a 7 lb 1 1/2 yr old coton de tulear, which wld u recommend?
Neither are very active…companions!
They like to share each others food.
I am at a loss…I’ve tried 3 varieties of acana…ranch land, grassland, & 1 w duck & fish. The last smelled & neither dog cared for it. The coton is more prone to loose stools than the chihuahua.
It seems there is little concensus.
What about nutro ultra – someone recommended it to me.
Are these high protein foods to rich for them?