Recommended Brands Discussion -Archived

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

 Please, note we have a new Recommended Brands list posted , here's a link:

RECOMMENDED BRANDS DEC 2011

 

I'm closing this one to replies, to avoid confusion.  

 

A HUGE THANK YOU TO FG ADMINISTRATOR ALLYSON, (BETTER KNOWN AS TAQUITO AND PERI'S MOM) FOR PROVIDING THE FORMULA & WEBSITE INFO ON ALL OF THESE BRANDS. ALLY, YOU ROCK!!!!

This list is a work in progress and will be updated as products/evaluations change.

 

THANKS AGAIN, ALLYSON, YOU ARE THE BEST!

 

 

 

 

 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Orijen and TOTW are both good grain-free foods.  I know that Karen and Jack prefer Orijen and she is our food expert so she can tell you specifically why.  However, all of these foods are not available in all areas and all dogs are not cookie cutter so we have to just do the best we can.  I do not want the headaches of mail order and possibility of running out or having a delivery in the rain etc., so I want to be able to buy my food locally. Orijen isn't local for me so we chose TOTW. Solid Gold and Wellness Core are also available, but my dogs all do better with TOTW.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Orijen has the best Omega 6/3 ratios of any dry food I've found, and the EFAs are very important for dogs with skin problems. That's one reason JD's specialist recommends it.

I also prefer the ingredient sources and the protein levels in Orijen. But as nancy says, if it's difficult for you to get it, there are other good foods. And some dogs do better with one than another.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Thank you so much. I am a big believer in supporting the local pet store that refuses to buy junk food for dogs in spite of the customers request. The place I go to is a small family owned business and I really want to support them. They are unable to get Orijen from their vendors, They gave me several small bags of the different flavors of the Taste of the Wild food. I am going to try this with him very slowly. If his stools remain good. I will keep him on it for a few months. I also may try Fromm as well. I so appreciate all of your responses and Karen I want you to know I ate two whole eggs today, yoke included because of you.

I was talking to a nutritionist that I work with and she was eating whole eggs too. I told her about our conversation and she said the same thing as you.. I enjoyed them.

 

Jack does not seem to have to many skin problems on occasion he is itchy, I hope that my local store will try to get the Orijen for me, but for now as long as I know he is on a good food. I am good.  I like the idea of switching foods around anyway, I go from feeding raw to home cooked to some canned mixed with kibble. He always has a good solid base of some good kibble. Thanks to this website I have learned about Instincts issues in the past.

 

Thank you again,

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's nice to know that some of us are getting some benefits from this group, as well as the dogs!

[Jennifer and Sadie]

For us Southern California doodle lovers, have any of you tried Kahoots brand dog food??  I started our Sadie on this and so far she is doing wonderful!  She loves it!  No wheat, corn, fillers, or by-products. 

They have to different type: lamb meal, or chicken meal.  I have our dogs on the lamb meal:

 

The ingredients are: Lamb Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat (preserved with natural mix Tocopherols, Citric Acid and Rosemary Extract), Oat Bran, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vit A Acetate, D-Activated Animal Sterol (Source of Vit D-3), Vit E Supplement, Vit B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Choline Chloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Iron Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Ethylene Diamine Dihydrodide and Calcium Carbonate.

Crude Protein, not less than 22%
Crude Fat, not less than 13%
Crude Fiber, not more than 4%
Moisture, not more thaN 10%

 

What do you think?

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

When I checked it out a while back it was about equal in ingredients to Kirkland Brand that you can find at Costco.  Kirkland is still cheaper.

[Jennifer and Sadie]

I heard it was made by Eagle's Pack. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm not impressed with this food. Brewer's rice as the third most abundant ingredient indicates a poor quality food. Here is the Dog Food Project's explanation of Brewer's Rice:

Brewers Rice
Also appears in ingredient lists as ground Brewers Rice.

AAFCO: The small milled fragments of rice kernels that have been separated from the larger kernels of milled rice.

A processed rice product that is missing many of the nutrients contained in whole ground rice and brown rice. Contrary to what many pet food companies want to make you believe, this is not a high quality ingredient, just much cheaper than whole grain rice.

 

With the total protein at only 22% and so much cereal filler, the actual complete protein level in this food is not adequate, IMO. There doesn't appear to be anything that would be harmful in this food, but I would not recommend it.

[Jennifer and Sadie]

Karen, what food does your doodle eat?  There are so  many options out there.  ugh!  I want the best for my doodle and heard Kahoots was good for them??  :(

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I feed Orijen.

But the whole purpose of this discussion is the list of recommended foods up at the top of the page, lol.

We've spent a lot of time, and several years, putting this together, just to help you choose from all those options out there. :)

 

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

What were the changes I needed to make?  Was it Canidae that has new lines?  I will do it today, but I cannot remember for the life of me!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Canidae does have a grain-free now, but it's on the list.

I think it was the Natural Balance new line, Alpha Dog...it's a grain-free, but with higher protein.

Actually looks much better than their older grain-frees.