Blue Buffalo. Oscar had a sensitive stomach and has done really well on their food. No vomiting or diarrhea unless he has gotten into something he shouldn't. Also, I love why the company was started.
Post by lavender444 on Feb 28, 2014 14:29:10 GMT -5
I feed my dogs Fromm's surf and turf. It's stupidly expensive, and there are better rated foods out there especially for the price. But I have a GSD who is picky, picky, picky. He is not motivated by food in the slightest. Plus, he is super thin and can't go too long without some groceries. I've tried to wait him out with foods in the past, but if he doesn't like it he won't eat it. He can last longer on a hunger strike than I can.
Post by VeryViolet on Feb 28, 2014 14:35:22 GMT -5
I feed Great Life grain free. I have been really happy with how Tucker has done on it. He was on Fromm's grain free before that. I also liked that a lot but I started going to a store closer to my house and they don't carry it.
My order of operations in choosing foods goes : 1.) Frequency of recalls and scope of recalls -- won't do anything from a Diamond plant (Taste of the Wild, Nature's Domain, etc.), closely watching Natura products since their mass recall. 2.) Protein sources listed in the first five ingredients 3.) Coat/ear/stool health after 6-8 weeks on a food.
The best food for your dog is the food your dog does best on. The only thing I would consider above and beyond that is safety and regulations of the production plants themselves.
We feed our pup Merrick grain-free, and switch up the flavor every so often.
Treats include pieces of raw chicken, carrots, green beans, small piece of bacon, and peanut butter. Plus whatever DH gives him off his plate after dinner.. (no more than a bite, and I'm not a fan of it)
TC do you have opinions on merrick vs nutrisource vs natural balance?
I suppose I would rank it as 1.) Merrick 2.) Nutrisource 3.) Natural Balance
Merrick is a great food that has only ever had a recall with treats a long awhile ago, as far as I am aware. Their foods tend to be well balanced with good protein options and low in grains or grain free. They are one of the most easily rotate-able foods in my opinion which is very good for preventing allergies or stomach sensitivites. I've only ever heard good things about Nutrisource, but they are technically rated just a bit lower than Merrick... I have not been able to find any meaningful recalls associated with Nutrisource. Natural Balance is probably the least preferable out of the three, but certainly a great food from a great company. They just tend to be very low in fat/protein with high carbohydrate sources. I would try their ultra, alpha, or synergy lines before their limited ingredient lines unless you have reason to suspect allergies if you do choose Natural Balance.
For a puppy, I would aim for something between 24 - 32% protein and no less than 10 - 12% fat content but no more than 18% to start with and go from there. Higher fat and protein contents may lead to stomach upset which is why I like to start on the lower ends.
The fact that you are looking into it means that whatever you feed her will be fine
We just switched our lab mutt to Blue Freedom dry which she adores. For treats, her current choice is Blue Dog Bakery assorted flavour biscuits. She will come running for those.
The treats we usually feed are Good Dog? Blue Dog? They're in a purple and yellow box and we get them from Target. They're extra crunchy for teeth cleaning.
Post by imhischeeseburger on Feb 28, 2014 18:10:58 GMT -5
Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream here too. My dog has very sensitive skin and taste of the wild is one of the only brands that doesn't break her skin out.
Thanks! I was reading threads on the old pets board and people kept saying that vets recommend bad foods, and since ours recommended Merrick I started getting paranoid.
Thanks! I was reading threads on the old pets board and people kept saying that vets recommend bad foods, and since ours recommended Merrick I started getting paranoid.
I would definitely ask how much to feed your dog and not follow what the bag says. We have been doing this and Oscar has weighed 21 pounds for the last five years, never wavering and he is a rare find, a slim Pug.