Need to switch foods....

[Tracey]

Hi all!

We've had Seamus on Innova Puppy (he's 6 mos., and this is what the breeder gave them so we just kept with it). Problem is he has consistently loose stools, and after narrowing things down, we're thinking it's the food. Based on the effect that pumpkin, etc. has on him, we know fiber is good ;). Any recs for which brand we might switch to? My vet rec'd Solid Gold or Wellness as possibilities....

[Wendy]

We are on TOTW the Venison one and Merrik Puppy plate. (I layer my food in the container) But after that discussion on TOTW we are switching to Merrick and Solid Gold. I think we will try Orijen in our rotation too if I can find it in my area.

[Tracey]

Hi Wendy! How are the pups doing? =D We just took Seamus down to Sandbridge for the first time yesterday...I need to post some pics ;).

Thanks for the scoop...I'm not familiar with TOTW or Merrik. What's the thought behind having the 2 foods?

[Laura & Chewie]

I will be very interested in this subject also. Chewie is 4 months, came from breeder on Purina Pro Plan (????) and we switched him to Wellness. He has had the firmest poops on Wellness, but as time goes on, seems to like it less and less. I know there is a survey on the Food Group, but isn't necessarily broken down by age of dog...puppy, adult.

I LOVE that your vet recommended a high quality food!!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

A lot of FG members have good luck with Fromm's. Jack did well with their Four-Star line. Also Nature's Variety Prairie. Both of those contain brown rice and healthier grains.
IMO, the best dry food you can buy is Orijen, but it is mega-expensive, and grain free. Their Acana line is less expensive, and Dianne Carter recommends it for puppies as long as they tolerate grains.

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

HI there! ACANA is grain free ~ it has all of the great qualities Orijen does but has a moderate protein. I personally really like Orijen puppy, but my focus on that offering is when the puppies are younger than yours. By the time our pups are the same age as yours they are on a rotation which includes Orijen and ACANA. Our rotation is a different formula with each bag opened.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Does the Acana not contain oats and rice?

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Nope, grain free. ACANA originally had a 'grained' line but the one I reference is grain free. Give me a minute I will get a link.

Here you go (apparently they still have the line w/grain ~ I have never used it): http://www.championpetfoods.com/acana/products.php

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Hey Karen ~ I know this has come up several times and I always fail to ask. What price difference do you see between Orijen and Fromm if you do not mind my asking? Of course for those who do not know, the 6 fish that Jack doodle is on is the tippy top of their offerings. Here when I looked at Fromm the pricing was VERY similar to both Orijen and ACANA and I could not see the point since I preferred a grain free food, factor in the frequent buyer program and they were almost identical.

One food with grain, though the least benign of them that I will be certain to try is the Mulligan's Stew kibble that will be in the market place soon. Their canned is the best in my *opinion* and if their philosophy for that product carries to their kibble it will be awesome. BTW I heard this weekend that the plant that is producing it is wind powered, nice touch.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I was buying the Fromm's Four-star line, which does have healthier grains; I forget what I was paying, but it was definitely less than the Orijen. I will have to check the store price again, and see what the exact difference is.
And hold on to your hat; my store is getting the new Orijen Red Meat formula, and they told me that will cost more than the 6 Fish!

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Tell you what, I LOVE 6 fish but as much as we go through you would see me on national news in some act of insaneness to foot that bill. As it is I now *work* (aka help with consultations) in my friend's store on Saturdays to help offset our mega food bill! If you saw a current pic of my regrowth it would be immediately apparent I make many personal sacrifices to keep our dogs on what I feel is the best but each of us has that one area we will do that in.

We use 6 fish for treats because even at that price it costs less than treats. We use Ziwi Peak dried food the same way (my dogs will go into their crate and lock the door themselves for these). We also use it for my stud who frequently finds himself with no appetite for food for periods of time if you know what I mean and may need some short term ultra nutrition with a little bulking.

I think that the red meat formula is going to be a very good option for animals with diabetes or other sugar issues.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Okay, here's the difference between Fromm's Four-Star Salmon a la veg formula, which i was using, and the Orijen 6 Fresh Fish formula:
Fromm's 15 lbs costs $26 , and 30 lbs costs $43
Orijen 15 lbs costs $48 , and 30 lbs costs- $78

I imagine the grain-free Fromm's formulas would be more expensive, though.

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Generally the 6 fish is $10 - $15 higher than the puppy or regular orijen. The grain free ACANA (provincial) runs almost identical to the Orijen for the Grasslands (lamb and fish) and the Pacifica (3 fish), while the Prarie is another $10 or so less. Don't forget the $5 + you can factor in with the frequent buyer program.

So sorry for taking this one off course, it just seemed good to present options with financial consideration that some may be unfamilar with.

Gotta run, lunch is over =(