[Anavygirl1983]

So I have two dogs and one I am feeding Blue Buffalo, the other one has been on Nutro Natural Choice Lite as that was what the shelter had been feeding him. I really would like to put them on the same food. I've heard Wellness, Solid Gold, Blue Buffalo and Natural Balance were really good. I know that not all dog food will fit every dog and that the choice does in the end depend on me as far as what I choose to feed. But out of the four brands if you had to make the choice which one would you select and why? I tried to consult with the vet about the options but their vet was out so another vet had done their exam and he kept pushing for Science Diet even after I told him I'd rather not feed it to them so he wasn't a huge help. I am on the fence and have no idea really what to look for in terms of a good food.

 

[Postal]

Well, for starters, you made a really good choice at avoiding Science Diet. I don't what it is with vets and that kibble as their choice of food. I guess because it says "Science" on the label.

Secondly, Nutro used to be a pretty reputable kibble, but have fallen off due to greediness (so is the assumption). I feed Natural Balance on top of my RAW diet, but only until I run out of kibble. I have been on NB for a while and my pup seemed pretty healthy. I guess I should also mention I top all his meals with Solid Gold's Seameal supplement and he has always been my garbage disposal for left over steak bones :smile:

Blue Buffalo's Wilderness seems to be getting all the rave lately, and Wellness Core is just so darn expensive. Solid Gold isn't too bad, but with all the funky names and same/better quality food for better prices, I just rely on their supplement.

No one can tell you what to feed your dog, just provide you with plenty of insight.. and this is definitely the place to get all your nutritional questions answered.

And if I could so boldy suggest looking into the RAW diet. I was hesitant to switch, but I'm glad I did. I'm almost a week into and my 8 month old shepherd/lab mix is so full of energy, his breath doesn't stink anymore and his coat is SOOOOOO soft.. I haven't even given him a bath in over a month and a half now. He's loving it. You should look into it :biggrin:

 

[rannmiller]

I'm going to have to agree with Postal, especially about the raw diet. But seeing as how this is the kibble section, I'll stick with my opinions on that.

I need to know a little more about your pups before I can really recommend anything.

All of those foods, Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Solid Gold, and Natural Balance are pretty much the same quality. IMO you should go for the one with the least amount of grains and carbs, that's why I usually tell people to go grain free. But not fake Natural Balance grain free, because their "grain free" formulas are mostly just potatoes with a slight trace of meat in it.

BB Wilderness has a pretty decent amount of meat in it for a kibble, as do Wellness Core, and Innova Evo and Orijen.

If you have an overweight dog, you'd just feed considerably less of those brands because they have a higher fat and protein content than others so it doesn't take as much to fill them up and keep them going. But that goes with any of those kibbles for any type of dog, you feed less of it because it's more nutrient-dense so they don't have to eat as much to stay full.

I guess the main questions now are: what kind of dogs are they? How old are they? Are they overweight? do they have any allergy/other health issues?

 

[lorih1770]

Another thought, you may want to rotate foods every 3-4 months between 2-3 different foods that you pick to be sure they are getting everything they need.

And keep in mind which foods your dogs like best and which ones they seem to do best on. My dogs were eating Innova Evo and I switched to Orijen and they LOVE Orijen. Evo they could take it or leave it. It may be time to rotate off of the Orijen because I noticed my St. Bernard is getting a thick around the middle! lol

 

[Anavygirl1983]

I am not too familiar with raw diets but I am totally willing to learn about them. I actually work for a pet store ( we don't sell puppies or cats ... mostly fish and small animals oh and birds) so I get a discount so the dog food price isnt a huge chunk for me. So price wise I am not limited in options. I have an 11 year old hound mix we adopted and was diagnosed with a thyroid problem just recently and he does have a hotspot but he was on nutro natural choice when I adopted him. The other one is a 4 yr old Lab mix with no health issues she does have dandruff but it is winter but it's not too bad.

I'm going to have to agree with Postal, especially about the raw diet. But seeing as how this is the kibble section, I'll stick with my opinions on that.

I need to know a little more about your pups before I can really recommend anything.

All of those foods, Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Solid Gold, and Natural Balance are pretty much the same quality. IMO you should go for the one with the least amount of grains and carbs, that's why I usually tell people to go grain free. But not fake Natural Balance grain free, because their "grain free" formulas are mostly just potatoes with a slight trace of meat in it.

BB Wilderness has a pretty decent amount of meat in it for a kibble, as do Wellness Core, and Innova Evo and Orijen.

If you have an overweight dog, you'd just feed considerably less of those brands because they have a higher fat and protein content than others so it doesn't take as much to fill them up and keep them going. But that goes with any of those kibbles for any type of dog, you feed less of it because it's more nutrient-dense so they don't have to eat as much to stay full.

I guess the main questions now are: what kind of dogs are they? How old are they? Are they overweight? do they have any allergy/other health issues?

 

[Anavygirl1983]

Yeah he was like Science Diet is great for your dog i was like no Science diet sucks. He goes feed it to your dog I was like um no you eat it. He was like it's better than dog chow I was like get off the science diet already it's not what I am feeding my dog. LOL He really kept pushing the science diet. I really do not like that particular vet so I only try to schedule appointments with the other vet if I can because the other vet actually listens.

Well, for starters, you made a really good choice at avoiding Science Diet. I don't what it is with vets and that kibble as their choice of food. I guess because it says "Science" on the label.

Secondly, Nutro used to be a pretty reputable kibble, but have fallen off due to greediness (so is the assumption). I feed Natural Balance on top of my RAW diet, but only until I run out of kibble. I have been on NB for a while and my pup seemed pretty healthy. I guess I should also mention I top all his meals with Solid Gold's Seameal supplement and he has always been my garbage disposal for left over steak bones :smile:

Blue Buffalo's Wilderness seems to be getting all the rave lately, and Wellness Core is just so darn expensive. Solid Gold isn't too bad, but with all the funky names and same/better quality food for better prices, I just rely on their supplement.

No one can tell you what to feed your dog, just provide you with plenty of insight.. and this is definitely the place to get all your nutritional questions answered.

And if I could so boldy suggest looking into the RAW diet. I was hesitant to switch, but I'm glad I did. I'm almost a week into and my 8 month old shepherd/lab mix is so full of energy, his breath doesn't stink anymore and his coat is SOOOOOO soft.. I haven't even given him a bath in over a month and a half now. He's loving it. You should look into it :biggrin:

 

[Anavygirl1983]

I tried to feed Blue Buffalo Wilderness my lab mix threw it up all over her crate. I hadn't adopted my other dog at the time so after she threw it up I decided to stop feeding it to her. I have been feeding her Blue Buffalo Large Breed Adult.

Well, for starters, you made a really good choice at avoiding Science Diet. I don't what it is with vets and that kibble as their choice of food. I guess because it says "Science" on the label.

Secondly, Nutro used to be a pretty reputable kibble, but have fallen off due to greediness (so is the assumption). I feed Natural Balance on top of my RAW diet, but only until I run out of kibble. I have been on NB for a while and my pup seemed pretty healthy. I guess I should also mention I top all his meals with Solid Gold's Seameal supplement and he has always been my garbage disposal for left over steak bones :smile:

Blue Buffalo's Wilderness seems to be getting all the rave lately, and Wellness Core is just so darn expensive. Solid Gold isn't too bad, but with all the funky names and same/better quality food for better prices, I just rely on their supplement.

No one can tell you what to feed your dog, just provide you with plenty of insight.. and this is definitely the place to get all your nutritional questions answered.

And if I could so boldy suggest looking into the RAW diet. I was hesitant to switch, but I'm glad I did. I'm almost a week into and my 8 month old shepherd/lab mix is so full of energy, his breath doesn't stink anymore and his coat is SOOOOOO soft.. I haven't even given him a bath in over a month and a half now. He's loving it. You should look into it :biggrin:

 

[Postal]

I am not too familiar with raw diets but I am totally willing to learn about them. I actually work for a pet store ( we don't sell puppies or cats ... mostly fish and small animals oh and birds) so I get a discount so the dog food price isnt a huge chunk for me. So price wise I am not limited in options. I have an 11 year old hound mix we adopted and was diagnosed with a thyroid problem just recently and he does have a hotspot but he was on nutro natural choice when I adopted him. The other one is a 4 yr old Lab mix with no health issues she does have dandruff but it is winter but it's not too bad.

Well, if you are truly interested in the RAW diet, head over to the RAW section of the forum and read up over there. Aside from an abundance of readily available readings, you can get in touch with rannmiller and RawFedDogs. They are both very knowledgeable and LOVE new recruits :biggrin:

And vets LIKE to think they know enough about nutrition to educate you on the subject, but 9 times out of 10, if not more often, they don't. You don't ask your doctor about whether you should eat white or wheat, do you? No, you just want him to fix your pain or tell you why you can't breath. heh. Same for vets, just make his pain go away and give him his shots! :smile:

 

[Cajun]

First all, does your dog have any health problem or allergies (excessive chewing on the pads of their feet, or constant ear problems) If you answer no to these then your options open up considerably.
I would not start on a grain free diet, as not all grains are bad for dogs. Oatmeal is great for sensitive stomachs, and helps control blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of diabeties. Barley is highly digestible and help give them extra energy. Make sure there is no wheat, corn, or soy in the foods. An excess of tehse items can cause allergies, if he isn't already allergic.
Look for deboned chicken, or a chicken meal as your first ingredient. Not Whole chicken and not by-probucts. Whole chicken is weighed frozen and includes the bones in it as well turning it into a by-product once it has been cooked, and actually lowers the amount of meat in the food.
Look for fruits and vegetables, it is a more appropriate way for the dog to get tehir vitamins. Also, you want lactobactillus, and inulin. These are your pre & pro-biotics. You just don;t want a lot of it in the food or else the dog will no longer produce inulin on their own, and become dependant on the food, causing severe diareah if you ever had to change it.
Biggest thing, make sure that the food is not produced by a large conglomerate. These foods are only out to make a buck, it's all in the advertising. Vet formulas are only good if there is a severe problem with teh dog otherwise don't waster your money. Veterinarians go to school the longest but take very little nutrition education, and they are the earliest retired profession

 

[LL Blue]

Just for a personal experience, I use Wellness CORE and I'm happy with it. It is expensive, but my dogs seem to tolerate it fairly well.
I use CORE for several reasons:
* I have been tempted to try homecooked or raw, but I am concerned about feeding an unbalanced diet. I know that I put together my own diet, but it is a lingering thing that worries me. One of my dogs has a really tricky stomach, and a little piece of steak can make her vomit, and so I am also worried about tolerance.
* I wanted a grain-free food because one of my dogs seems to do best on grain free foods, but I was a little leery of some of the really high protein formulas. CORE seemed a little more moderate.
All in all, it is going well. The biggest drawback is expense as my dogs are not little itty bitty things. They DO eat less of the CORE, but the largest bag is still pretty small and doesn't seem to go that far.
I'm tempted to try Honest Kitchen, at some point.