Commercial Foods-The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Tell us what commercial foods have worked for you and which have caused problems; information, questions, warnings and advice on dog food companies, ingredients, brands, and switching foods.
(Recall information now in it's own discussion here in The Food Group)

[Cherri]

Ok, I have read almost all of this and am still trying to decide between Taste of the Wild, Fromm and Blue Buffalo dry dog food. I have a mini goldendoodle and a very picky maltese that won't eat unless it tastes great. I keep seeing more recalls and am still confused as to what is safe? Anyone that has tried some of these with better success than others?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There are no recalls or concerns with Fromm's or TOTW; many of us here use both with complete confidence. Blue Buffalo is a notch or two down from the others nutritionally, but I have not heard of any recalls or problems with it, and believe me, there are very few issues with commercial dog foods that I haven't heard about, lol.
Regarding the fromm's & TOTW, I think there are equal numbers of members using each of these foods, some using both. You can check The Food Group Survey discussion to see if there are any FG members feeding Blue Buffalo. Every dog is different, and what agrees with one may cause gas or loose poop in another. But you really can't go wrong with the first two nutritionally or from a safety point of view.
If you really want to pull out all the stops, try Orijen. I can't say enough about it, it's that good. But it's realllly expensive.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Cherri I have my mini goldendoodle and my chihuahua (pickiest eater on the planet) on the High Prarie Venison/Bison formula of Taste of the Wild. They love it and it is pretty affordable. Before switching Taquito (obviously my chihuahua) to TOTW, he would skip meals every few days. He has not skipped one meal for 6 months, since he has been on TOTW!

[Amy Petricek]

We feed NutriSource and PureVita. All of their food is made in one plant in Minnesota. Our dogs LOVE PureVita (an Organic brand). All of the trainers at our facility feed NutriSource or PureVita, so I feel confident feeding it! Good luck!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Amy, the PureVita line looks okay (DogFood Analysis gives it 3 stars out of a possible 6) but the NutriSource line contains menadione (synthetic vitamin K) in all their foods. Menadione has been shown in independent research studies to have a direct link to immune system diseases, including allergies, liver cancer, and hemolytic anemia. I would not recommend this food.

Information about menadione from the Dog Food Project:
Here is a list of negative effects of menadione on the body.
causes cytotoxicity in liver cells
causes formation of radicals from enzymes of leucocytes, with the consequence of cytotoxic reactions
considerably weakens the immune system
possible mutagenic effects
damages the natural vitamin K cycle
has no effect on coumarin derivatives, which are often present in commercial food due to mold contamination (toxic when ingested)
causes hemolytic anemia and hyperbilirubinemia, not just linked to large doses
disturbs the level of calcium ions (Ca2+) in the body, which is an important factor fibrinolysis
is directly toxic in high doses (vomiting, albuminuria), unlike natural vitamin K
builds up in tissue and has been detected in eggs, meat and milk of animals supplemented with menadione derivatives
causes irritation of skin and mucous membranes
causes allergic reactions and eczema
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=menadione
Reviews of the Nutrisource and PureVita foods from Dog food Analysis:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showcat.php?cat=all...

[Holly St Pierre]

Ok, I have done alot of reading on this the past few days. Currently Gunner is on Purina Pro Plan-he does great, however, I know there are much better foods for him. I am leaning toward either Fromm, Taste of the Wild or Canidae & then mixing in my own home cooked items such as Sweet Potato, yogurt, green beans, lima beans, carrots, etc. I know everyone has an opinion, but I would really like to hear from others if they have tried this. If so, how much of the home cooked should be mixed with the dog food. Gunner is 11 months old & weighs 70 lbs. He is a great eater & has never missed a meal. He is fed twice a day.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Lots of us mix home-cooked food with kibble, Holly. I would switch foods first before you start mixing in the homecooked, to avoid introducing too many new foods at once. Let his digestive system adjust to the new food, and then start adding in the veggies, etc.
TOTW is completely grain free; Fromm's has healthy grains such as brown rice and oatmeal. I think Canidae has both types of formulas available. They are all recommended. It may take a little longer for Gunner's digestive system to adjust to the grain-frees, but most of us didn't have any trouble with that other than a loose poop or two. Once Gunner is completely switched to the new food and having no digestive issues, you can start adding small amounts of the home-cooked foods, maybe just a couple of spoonfuls. Keep in mind that although the foods you mentioned are healthy, they are not protein foods (except the yogurt), and dogs primarily need protein. If you are planning to decrease the amount of kibble you give in proportion to the amount of home-cooked you add, I would not do more than a half-cup, or Gunner may not be getting all the protein he needs. This is not a concern if you are adding homecooked protein foods such as chicken, eggs, etc. Lima beans may cause a little gas, but I give them to Jack in small quantities (a couple of spoonfuls), and he's fine with that-in fact he loves them! Experiment to see what the right combination is for your dog, variety is the spice of life!

[drilvemdddt4]

WE are thinging about switching are Goldendoodle over to Purina Prp plan we were using Natural Choice,Any help

[drilvemdddt4]

We are thinking about changing our Goldendoodle over to Purina ProPlan we were using Natural Choice any help

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Rachel, get your dog off the Nutro as soon as possible. Purina would not be my choice, either.
If you look thru our discussions, you will see many recommendations for premium foods. Orijen, Acana, Innova, EVO, California Naturals, Fromm's, Solid Gold, Merrick, Nature's Variety, Wellness, TOTW, Timberwolf, Blue Buffalo, and Canidae are some better choices. You can check the nutritional ratings of any food at www.dogfoodanalysis.com

[PB]

Has anyone had experience with Blue? I'm considering switching my dog to that after reading many evaluations of it (and it is also sold at a near by PetSmart).

[GBK]

We use Blue Wilderness, the dogs love it and I have noticed good changes in the dogs. Buddy's earwax changed from always brown looking to a normal light wax color and his coat looks and feels great.