Recommended Dog Food Brands as of APRIL 2015

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

GRAIN-FREE FORMULAS ONLY

Orijen (our favorite grain-free food)

Formulas:  Puppy, Large Breed Puppy, Adult (chicken, turkey, fish), 6 Fish, Regional Red (boar, lamb, pork, bison), Senior (lower calorie chicken, turkey, fish) , Tundra (goat, venison, mutton, duck, rabbit, fish)
Website:  http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/products/
 

Zignature

Formulas: Duck, Lamb, Trout & Salmon, Turkey, Zssential (multi-protein)

Also has canned lines.

Website:  http://www.zignature.com/

 

GRAIN-FREE & HEALTHY GRAIN FORMULAS

Acana

Grain-free Formulas (Regionals):  Wild Prairie (chicken, whitefish), Pacifica (salmon, flounder, herring); Grasslands (lamb, duck, fish); Ranchlands (beef, lamb, herring)

Healthy Grain Formulas (Classics):  Puppy Small Breed, Puppy & Junior, Puppy Large Breed, Adult Small Breed, Adult Dog, Adult Large Breed, Sport & Agility, Light & Fit, Senior Dog (all contain chicken and flounder for protein)

Limited Ingredients Formulas (Singles):  Lamb & Apple, Duck & Pear, Pork & Butternut Squash

Website:  http://www.championpetfoods.com/acana/products.php

 

Fromm

Grain-free Formulas:  Surf & Turf (salmon, duck, chicken); Beef Frittata Veg, Salmon Tunalini, Game Bird (duck, turkey, quail pheasant), Lamb & Lentil, Pork & Peas 

Healthy Grain Formulas:  Pork & Applesauce, Duck & Sweet Potato, Chicken A La Veg, Whitefish & Potato, Salmon A La Veg (all part of the Four-Star line); Adult Gold, Large Breed Adult Gold, Puppy Gold, Large Breed Puppy Gold, Senior Gold (all Gold lines contain duck, chicken and lamb); Adult and Mature Adult Classics (both Classic lines contain chicken)

Website:  http://frommfamily.com/products 

 

Petcurean

Grain-free Formulas (Now Fresh & Go! Fit & Free lines):  Now Fresh Puppy, Adult, Small Breed, Senior, Large Breed Puppy, Large Breed Adult, Large Breed Senior (all contain turkey, salmon, duck), Go! Fit & Free Puppy, Adult and Senior (all contain chicken, turkey, salmon)

Healthy Grain Formulas (Go! Daily Defiance & Summit Holistic lines):  Go! Daily Defiance Chicken, Lamb (both all life stages), Summit 3 Meat Puppy, 3 Meat Adult, 3 Meat Reduced Calorie (3 Meats contain chicken, salmon, lamb),

Limited Ingredients Formulas (Go! Sensitivity & Shine line): Duck, Salmon, Grain Free Turkey

Website:  http://www.petcurean.com/

 

Solid Gold

Grain-free Formulas:  Barking at the Moon (fish, beef); Sun Dancer (chicken)

Healthy Grain Formulas:  Hundchen Flocken Puppy, Hund-n-Flocken Adult (both contain lamb); Wolfcub Puppy, Wolfking Adult (both contain bison), Holistique Blendz Senior (fish), MMillennia Beef & Barley Adult, Just a Wee Bit Adult (bison)

Website:  http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/products

 

Wellness

Grain-free Formulas (Core line):  Puppy, Small Breed, Original, Reduced Fat (all contain chicken, turkey), Ocean (fish)

Healthy Grain Formulas (Super5Mix line):  Chicken, Lamb, Barley & Salmon Meal, Whitefish & Sweet Potato, Healthy Weight, Just for Puppies, Just for Seniors, Adult Large Breed, Puppy Large Breed, Adult Small Breed, Small Breed Healthy Weight, Small Breed Puppy (final 8 contain chicken)

Limited Ingredients Formulas (Simple Solutions line):  Duck & Oatmeal, Salmon & Potato, Turkey & Potato, Lamb & Oatmeal

Website:  http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog-wellness.aspx

 

Horizon

Grain-free Formulas (Legacy line):  Puppy, Adult (both contain chicken, salmon, turkey); Also has Amicus line for small breeds (turkey, chicken, salmon); Also has Pulsar line with peas, lentils, chicken and fish

Healthy Grain Formulas (Complete line):  Large Breed Adult, Large Breed Puppy, Puppy, Adult, Senior (all contain chicken)

Website:  http://www.horizonpetnutrition.com/

 

Canidae

Grain-free Formulas (Pure):  Sky (duck, turkey), Land (bison, lamb), Element (chicken, turkey, lamb, ocean fish), Sea (salmon)

Healthy Grain Formulas:  Lamb & Rice, Chicken & Rice, Beef & Fish, ALS (chicken, turkey, lamb, fish), Platinum Senior (chicken, turkey, lamb, fish)

Limited Ingredient Formulas:  Chicken, Brown & White Rice (Single Grain Protein)

Website:  http://www.canidae.com/

 

Lotus (has a raw formula also)

Grain-free Formula:  Duck

Healthy Grain Formulas: Wholesome Chicken, Wholesome Chicken Puppies, Wholesome Chicken Seniors, Wholesome Lamb

Website:  http://lotuspetfoods.com/for-dogs.php

 

Earthborn Holistic

Grain-free Formulas:  Primitive Natural (turkey, chicken, whitefish), Coastal Catch (herring, salmon, whitefish), Great Plains Feast (bison), Meadow Feast (lamb)

Healthy Grain Formulas: Adult Vantage, Puppy Vantage and Small Breed (all contain chicken and whitefish), Ocean Fusion (whitefish and menhaden fish)

Website:  http://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/us/dog_formulas/

 

Eagle Holistic Select

Grain Free Formulas: Adult & Puppy Salmon, Anchovy and Sardines

Healthy Grain Formulas:  Adult, Adult Small & Mini Breed, Puppy, Puppy Small & Mini Breed (all 4 contain anchovy, sardines, salmon), Adult Chicken Meal & Rice, Adult Duck, Adult Lamb, Senior Chicken & Rice, Large & Giant Breed Chicken & Oatmeal, Large & Giant Breed Puppy Lamb Meal & Oatmeal, Weight Maintenance Chicken & Peas

Website:  http://www.holisticselect.com/

 

Holistic Blend

Grain Free Formulas: Turkey

Healthy Grain Formulas: Hollistic Blend (Lamb & Rice; Chicken, Rice & Vegetable) and The Healthy Dog (Chicken & Herring Meal)

Website: http://www.holisticblend.com/en/food-formulas/dog-formulas/holistic-blend/

 

Addiction

Grain Free Formulas: Salmon Bleu, Viva La Venison, Le Lamb

Healthy Grain Formulas: La Porchetta (Pork, Limited ingredient)

**Also has raw dehydrated formulas**

Website: http://addictionfoods.com/

 

Great Life

Grain Free Formulas: Buffalo, Chicken, Salmon; Pioneers Natural Grain Free Chicken, GF Pork, GF Venison and GF Whitefist

Healthy Grain Formulas: Buffalo, Chicken, Lamb, Salmon; Pioneers Natural Buffalo, Chicken, Pork Venison and Whitefish

Limited Ingredient Formulas (Dr. E's line): Buffalo, Duck; Grain Free Buffalo, Grain Free Duck

Website: http://doctorsfinest.com

 

Annamaet

Grain Free Formulas: Lean (chicken, duck, herring), Aqualuk (salmon, herring), Salcha (chicken, turkey, duck), Manitok (lamb, venison)

Healthy Grain Formulas: Adult (chicken, 23% protein), Encore (chicken, 25% protein), Extra (chicken, 26% protein), Option (salmon and venison, 24% protein), Ultra (chicken, 32% protein), Small Breed ALS (lamb, venison, coming soon)

Website: http://annamaet.com/

 

Nature's Variety (has a raw line also)

Grain Free Formulas: Instinct Raw Boost (5 formulas: chicken, beef & lamb, lamb & salmon, duck & turkey, venison & lamb); Instinct Originals (5 formulas: chicken, beef & lamb, duck & turkey, rabbit, salmon)

Healthy Grain Formulas: Prairie Dogs (6 formulas: chicken, beef, lamb, duck, venison, salmon); Puppy and Large Breed Puppy (chicken and brown rice)

Limited Ingredient Formulas (Instinct Grain Free line): Turkey, Lamb, Duck, Rabbitt

Website: http://www.naturesvariety.com/

 

Farmina 

Grain Free Formulas (N&D line): Chicken, Large Breed Chicken, Small Breed Chicken, Wild Lamb, Wild Boar, Wild Herring

Healthy Grain Formulas (20% Ancestral High Protein line): Chicken, Lamb, Wild Cod

Website: http://usa.farmina.com/

HEALTHY GRAIN FORMULAS ONLY

 

Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul

Healthy Grain Formulas: Adult, Large Breed Adult, Senior, Adult Light, Puppy, Large Breed Puppy, Overweight (all contain chicken, turkey).

Website:  http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/products/dogs/

  

 

RAW FORMULAS ONLY

Darwin's:  http://www.darwinspet.com

Honest Kitchen:  http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/

Primal:  http://www.primalpetfoods.com/

Ziwi Peak:  http://www.ziwipeak.com/

Stella & Chewy’s:  http://www.stellaandchewys.com/

Sojos:  http://www.sojos.com/

Tucker's Raw:  http://www.tuckersbones.com/

I and love and you (also has kibble):  http://www.iandloveandyou.com/products/dog/raw/dehydrated.aspx

Addiction (also has kibble):  http://www.addictionfoods.com/

 

RX/PRESCRIPTION FORMULAS ONLY

Rayne Clinical Nutrition: http://www.raynenutrition.com/

 

** Brands that look good but have had recent recalls or buyouts; still better than Iams, Nutro, Hills, and grocery store junk…..

 

Taste of the Wild (grain-free): http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/products

EVO (grain-free): http://www.evopet.com

Innova (healthy grains):  http://www.innovapet.com

California Natural (recommended for dogs with sensitivities):  http://www.californianaturalpet.com

Merrick (Before Grain is grain-free; 5-Star is healthy grains; Castor & Pollux is also owned by Merrick):  http://www.merrickpetcare.com/ | http://www.castorpolluxpet.com

Evanger’s:  http://www.evangersdogfood.com/

Natural Balance (known for limited ingredient diets; merged with DelMonte 6/15/13): http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/

Bravo (raw; more than one recall in last year):  http://www.bravorawdiet.com/

Blue Buffalo (may have byproducts in their ingredients):   http://www.bluebuffalo.com/dry-dog-food

[Joanie]

Oh I know :)  I'm done discussing it with him.  I didn't even bring it up yesterday, that's the funny thing.  He brought it up, lol.  Just thought I would share his "advice" as I thought it was pretty funny.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Just going to through this out there. I have NOT done any research and what I feed my girls is because my fellow DKers HAVE done the research - TY Allyson and Karen and whoever else I missed. And I will not change!

Background - 

My vet and I spent quite a bit of time 2 weeks ago when I brought Samantha in because of her heavy breathing. After quite a long check up, no other tests were done but will be, he told me in a nice way that she was fat and needed to loose 8-10 lbs. She weighed in at a hefty 82 lbs. He is right - she is fat. He asked what I was feeding her - less than 2 cups of Orijen with a little homemade topping, and I admitted that DH sneaks them lots of my home baked cookies even though I have begged him not to. I stopped baking so he can't sneak them. They both are eating more kibble - even dry when they are hungry. 

He had started to suggest a 'diet food' and I stopped him and told him I would not feed my girls 'that' food. He asked why. I started with the grains and he asked me where did you learn that corn, etc is not good for dogs (not the by-product crap that is in most foods),  "the internet"? 

So my question is has there ever been a real study as to why grains are not great for dogs? I would love to tell him when we go back for a weigh in. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm sorry you let yourself be put in the position of having to explain where you got your information on dog food to a man who has never taken a course in canine nutrition. It's too bad you didn't ask him "Where did you learn that corn is good for dogs, from the Hill's Science Diet sales rep?"

There is no way you can win this debate or change his mind. He is the "expert" on canine health and you are the client paying him for his expertise. Believe me, I have tried, and I'm better armed in this particular battle than you are, lol. "I guess we will have to agree to disagree" is the best concession I could get. One vet actually believed that there had never been a recall on Rx foods. That one is easy to refute.

Yes, there have been countless  studies on why grains and carb heavy diets are not great for dogs, but that isn't going to convince him.

Rather than starting with the ingredients and getting into a debate about grains and corn, the answer to why you won't feed your girls "that" food is because it is manufactured by a multinational corporation that imports its ingredients from China through third party food brokers. That was my reason for not putting JD on the grain-free Royal Canin formula the vet wanted me to use. No argument on those facts.

[Joanie]

lol I love the last paragraph :)  Such the perfect answer

[Bonnie and Kona]

Thank you for specifying the only thing that will make our choices legitimate in they eyes of the argumentative crummy food promoters. ;o)

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Thanks Karen!!   He really didn't give me a hard time tho I did feel a bit on the defensive side when he asked that question but he did not push that food on me when I told him there was no way they would ever get it. 

Update on Samantha's weight - staying on her regular dinner minus the cookies that DH was sneaking to them I can feel that she has lost weight. I am trying to get her to the vet for a weigh in and will be very surprised if the number isn't less. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

As I mentioned, it won't make a difference in your vet's thinking, but here's an article explaining why corn is a lousy food for dogs, and the studies on which the information is based are listed at the bottom.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-industry-exposed/dog-food-corn/

Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates. For fats and proteins, yes. They can survive perfectly well without carbohydrates, though. So why should carbohydrates make up the major portion of their diets?

[F, Calla & Luca]

I suspect we have no nutritional requirement for carbs either. I'd ask Dr. Atkins but sadly... Anyway I sure would miss them.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The jury's still out on that one. The nutrition textbooks and "official" government recommendations say that our diets should be 60% carbohydrate based. Lots of studies refuting that, though.

I've always eaten a fairly low-carb diet, just by preference, but also because I feel better when I eat proteins than I do when I eat starch. I suspect Adina will disagree with high protein diets for humans, though. :)

[F, Calla & Luca]

Is that true for you even with complex carbs? You mentioned you ave hypoglycemia recently and I would think simple carbs could give you problems.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Simple carbs do give me problems, but even complex carbs can cause me to become light-headed, dizzy, shaky, exhausted, etc. if eaten without a fair amount of protein. In other words, a meal can't be mainly pasta, it has to be chicken & pasta or shrimp & pasta, etc. I can have a piece of cake for dessert, but if I ate it on an empty stomach, I'd pass out.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Sorry to hear that you are so sensitive.