What do you feed your dog?

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

I started my dogs on Purina puppy chow and then went to Purina dog chow, however I had a friend that told me how bad that food was for your dog. He compared it to feeding them twinkie's! So...I have recently started them on a dog food called Precise. It's more expensive because it has more protein and real chicken meat.My friend approves of it!I was just wondering what everyone is feeding their dog?

[2wpu1zztl11wu]

Hi Ann,
How much is the Kirkland brand you're feeding? I'm looking to change from Beneful which ranges from $12.00 to $16.00 dollars for a 20 pound bag.

[1knme66wzgv4k]

This is a helpful website that I've used
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

[9pavxfihcp80]

We, too, found the dogfoodanalysis website to be extremely helpful in deciding on a quality food for our Doodles. After narrowing our choices down to 4 or 5, we decided on Canidae All Life Stages because with a puppy and a one+ year old, we needed a food that would benefit both. We pay $34 for 35#, which we feel is VERY reasonable. They eat less because there is more protein and other good stuff-- all of which their bodies need. Eating less means less poop to clean up, and firmer stools.

The other possibilities on our list were Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul, Wellness, Fromm, and Merrick. We sometimes buy small bags of those brands to use in their Busy Buddies and other treat toys.

Please, all you fellow Doodle owners, check out that website to see whether you are feeding your "babies" good food, and if not, switch!!!

[bokhud88hc94]

I also found the dogfoodananlysis helpful in deciding on a quality food. Another helpful site .. one that is packed full with info on what to look for and what to avoid when purchasing dog food is: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=betterproducts

After all was said and done .. and I did extensive research on dog food .. I also chose to feed my dog Canidae ALS. It's got quality ingredients .. not to mention Bear LOVES it! Here is a link to that site: http://www.canidae.com/

GOOD LUCK !

[Adina P]

I sometimes feel like the voice of dissent in these discussions. I don't agree that Purina dog chow is equivalent to twinkies. Maybe if the twinkies had a multivitamin/mineral supplement injected into them I'd agree...but the analogy to me doesn't fit that well. Twinkies, burgers/fries, and other "junk food" are there for taste pleasure alone. There is no thought to nutritional/health value. There is thought into most brand name dog foods. However, the companies also have a goal of making things economical so they can make a profit. So it's possible that although the foods meet nutritional numbers...perhaps the ingredients are not the highest quality way to get there.

I do agree that perhaps better quality ingredients might make for better health. It sure does work in human nutrition. However, in these discussions I always leave wondering...do we KNOW, based on research, what is ideal for long term canine health? The conclusion I come to is "not too well." Not anywhere near as much as we know about human nutrition--and even that is full of unsubstantiated fears and plenty of abounding myths among the layperson. So I tend to be skeptical of most dog nutrition information.

In the end I've chosen to feed Canidae and Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul (senior) based on the fact it has decent ingredients and not the most expensive of the bunch.

And yet we all probably know someone (or more than one person) whose dogs lived in the high teens off of Purina and the other "cheap" stuff and were quite healthy. Are those stories like the stories of heavy drinkers/smokers who lived into their 90's without a health problem...in other words an exeption to the rule? I'd love to know!

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

I too have experimented with several brands. Most of what I would add is already here, so I will skip that part. One very important thing to remember though is that more expensive for quality food now may equal less expense in future veterinary costs and most importantly - not as likely to cost quality of life for your beloved pet due to health issues. Here is another link you may find helpful, it made the rounds on many of the forums last year and I am sorry but I do not know of the original source - http://www.elkcountryanimalshelter.org/GradeDOG%20FOOD.html

Yes we may not know of long term effects of nutrition, but as we become more educated consumers we certainly know that there are choices. We have armed ourselves with wisdom in shopping for food for our families and it only makes sense that we would extend that to our furry family. We do know things like we want quality ingredients, less chemicals & fillers, not loaded with sugar, and that we have choices even in preparing our food to make it more or less healthy ie. baking vs frying.

I currently use Canidae All Stages also. For me it is a great food for the price. I was not thrilled that they changed their formula recently without any indication to their consumers, but all in all it is the best solution for us because of all the ages here. There are others I really like but it is not practical for us right now. I do also have a few that are more easily accessible that we like too, we have used Blue Buffalo and Royal Canin - but again Canidae is about the same cost and all of our furry family can eat the same formula.

Guess you cannot tell that I have strong opinions about quality of food eh? Better go before I get started on exercise too : ) BTW, I have in my contract that owners agree to feed our puppies quality food when they take them into their family.

Have a great day!

Dianne
http://www.trinitydoodles.com

[bokhud88hc94]

Yes, Canidae did make some changes to the formula. I noticed it when I opened a new bag and the kibble was lighter. I called Canidae ASAP! The rep was wonderful .. knowlegable and very friendly. There was however no way of knowing about the change otherwise. Canidae did not put anything on the bags to let the consumer know about the Newly improved formula. So in that respect, they did not inform the consumers. However, please check out thier website. It goes into detail about the newly improved formula. Canidae has made improvements to an already excellent product. I'm impressed and like I said, Bear LOVES it! I have peace of mind knowing he's eating a top quality dog food. And its not the most expensive .. its rather affordable:-)

Also, I did post a discussion some time ago on this site when I noticed the change in the formula. You can do a search if you'd like and you can read more about it there too. Just do a search for "Canidae!"

Good luck once again ..

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

We knew ahead of time and stocked up so that we could gradually make the change, and I was able to notify my puppy families so they could do the same. I have heard of others that had a difficult transition however because they did not know, including a local shelter. They have seen a higher percentage increase in price than many others but still very economical. I was at petsmart today and a 35 lb bag of royal canin actually cost more than I pay for canidae.

[bokhud88hc94]

Yes, that's right .. royal canin is a little more and I don't think its as good as the Canidae! Actually, according to dogfoodanalysis, Canidae is the better of the two by far:-)

I lucked out as Bear did well with the transition:-)

Thanks!!

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Chelsea, go back into the archives right here at doodle kisses. There was a big discussion awhile back on dog food. There was some really great advice that came out of that forum. Go to the main page then "view all" to find it. It was from a couple of months back.

[bokhud88hc94]

I think you'll be very happy with that choice! Please let us know what you think .. and most of all ~ what your dood thinks?!? :-)

[1fpbj5q03nbnz]

I feed Tyler Wellness and he loooves it. It's not any more expensive than Science Diet, which our puppy trainer and our vet are strongly against. I have some articles about the negative effects that feeding your dog SD can have if anyone is interested. Sorry if this has already been brought up - I haven't had time to read thru all the posts yet!