What do you feed your dog?

Fury

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#1
What brand of dog food do you feed your doggy? Or does anyone here cook your dog meals?

I started feeding Abba California Natural puppy blend and then switched to adult as she got older. She eventually got bored with the California Natural so I went to Innova (same makers as California Natural). She liked the Innova much better but her stool was soft and greenish.

The Innova was too rich for her so I decided to try the Eagle Packs (can't recall which one) but eventually Abba started to dislike it and developed hives. The vet thought the hives might be caused by the corn products in the Eagle food.

I went back to Innova for a few months untill a friend recommended a new product (to Canada) called Canidae. No wheat, corn, or soy products with lots of nutrients. She gets 2 to 3 cups a day and she really enjoys it. Her coat has a nice shine and her stool is more firm.

It's also cheaper per serving than Innova too.
 

badkitty

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#2
feedindg dog

I have a chinese shar pei he was started on the california natural and he to got bored on the food at the age of about 6 months. I like you tried innova he lost intrest in that quickly i then tried nutra max natural choice lamb and rice and he has been eating that ever since stools are great coat is beautiful soft and shiny and he is now 60 pounds the shar pei are known for skin problems i have had none since he started eating natural choice nutra max lamb and rice. petsmart and petco will give you samples i suggest you try it. a'Ronda and Mr Mojimoto
Fury said:
What brand of dog food do you feed your doggy? Or does anyone here cook your dog meals?

I started feeding Abba California Natural puppy blend and then switched to adult as she got older. She eventually got bored with the California Natural so I went to Innova (same makers as California Natural). She liked the Innova much better but her stool was soft and greenish.

The Innova was too rich for her so I decided to try the Eagle Packs (can't recall which one) but eventually Abba started to dislike it and developed hives. The vet thought the hives might be caused by the corn products in the Eagle food.

I went back to Innova for a few months untill a friend recommended a new product (to Canada) called Canidae. No wheat, corn, or soy products with lots of nutrients. She gets 2 to 3 cups a day and she really enjoys it. Her coat has a nice shine and her stool is more firm.

It's also cheaper per serving than Innova too.
 
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#3
Hi, Fury

We feed the Innova, and all the dogs like it and are thriving on it. The only problem I have is that the puppies (Shiva and Kharma) like Bimmer's adult food better! I'm not sure if it's because they like the taste better or because it's HIS food. (lol) You know how dogs are, and the two girls like to aggravate him. It's miraculous that he's never bitten either one of them. I probably would have if I were him. Poor guy!

It's good to know about the Canidae. I'd read the name before, but hadn't really pursued it since the Innova works so well for our dogs. A food without the corn, wheat or soy ingredients is great for dogs with skin allergies.

I chose the Innova instead of the other organic products mainly because the Filas' natural diet includes a variety of sources other than meat, and the Innova ingredients are a very high quality selection of several different food groups. Many of the foundation dogs found on the old fazendas in Brazil were raised in such impoverished circumstances that they rarely, if ever, ate meat.
 

Fury

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#4
Renee750il said:
Hi, Fury

We feed the Innova, and all the dogs like it and are thriving on it. The only problem I have is that the puppies (Shiva and Kharma) like Bimmer's adult food better! I'm not sure if it's because they like the taste better or because it's HIS food. (lol) You know how dogs are, and the two girls like to aggravate him. It's miraculous that he's never bitten either one of them. I probably would have if I were him. Poor guy!

I chose the Innova instead of the other organic products mainly because the Filas' natural diet includes a variety of sources other than meat, and the Innova ingredients are a very high quality selection of several different food groups. Many of the foundation dogs found on the old fazendas in Brazil were raised in such impoverished circumstances that they rarely, if ever, ate meat.
LOL, they wanna eat what alpha is eating.

It's true, Innova is a very high quality food. Unfortunately it seems a bit too rich for my dog.
 
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#5
It can be more difficult to locate dog food that is actually high quality, but we can surely attest to the difference it makes in our dogs. Fortunately, there are a growing number of legitimately organic and nutritious foods available; there is no "universal" food that's best for all dogs. You just have to look and compare and let your dog try them out, just as you've done. Most of the organic foods aren't any more expensive than the psuedo-premium foods, either.

Chazhound has said he feeds his Shelties Flint River, and their photos show some beautiful, healthy little dogs.

I found a website of a woman who has dedicated many years to studying dog nutrition and has become recognized as an expert, and was pleased to see that all the dog foods I considered before choosing the Innova were on her list of good dog foods. I checked back, out of curiousity, yesterday, and the Canidae is on her very short list as well, but from your description of it, I thought I would find it there. (www.greatdanelady.com)

Abba's really a drop-dead gorgeous fellow, and it's obvious that his diet is agreeing well with him.
 

Fury

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#7
Renee, you are right about the cost of good food versus the run of the mill dog food. What it boils down to is the cost per serving against the cost per bag. Cheaper foods have many useless fillers therefore requiring more per serving to satisfy the nutritional intake.

I am glad I live a city where there are many independent pet stores with knowledgable staff. There seems to be many box pet stores popping up everywhere but the service is as low grade as some of the food they sell.

Btw. Abba is a female :D
 

opokki

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#8
My dogs eat Timberwolf Organics and do very well on it. They've also done well on Innova when I fed it in the past.
 

Brattina88

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#9
My dogs are eating Eukanuba Maintenance... I have 3 chain Pet Stores on the same road, (they ALL have the same stuff, how crazy is that?!) and am having a heck of a hard time finding any of the food that you guys have been recommending. I did switch to the maintenance because it has the best ingredients compared to the other varieties. Its so expensive to (esp. when you have 4 mouths to feed) :confused:
 
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#10
You are so right about the expense, especially when you see so much of it in piles out in the yard! (lol) It's actually cheaper for me to feed my monsters the good stuff than it is the cheaper-by-the-bag foods because they don't need anywhere near as much to be satisfied and healthy. I ran out the other day and couldn't get to the feed store (50 miles away) that day (bushings finally went out in my front wheel), so I had to pick up a bag of Iams just to tide their bellies over for a couple of days. They ate the entire bag in a day and a half, were still hungry, and left piles the size of dinner plates in the front yard. I'll never let that happen again!

Try www.naturapet.com. The website will tell you where the stores are that carry their foods, and even if you choose an organic that isn't one of theirs, chances are an outlet that carries any of the Natura foods will have other organics. It's worth a shot, and sure beats going to several different places searching.

You might even try to talk your vet into carrying one of the organic lines.
 
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#11
Well lets see...over the weekend our pups had shrimp, some clams, and flounder...a little bit of ham/cheese on wheat...

and last night they had roast with potatoes and carrots, with cabbage...

tonight it's breakfast, so eggs, bacon, and bisquits...
 
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#12
Fury said:
What brand of dog food do you feed your doggy? Or does anyone here cook your dog meals?

I started feeding Abba California Natural puppy blend and then switched to adult as she got older. She eventually got bored with the California Natural so I went to Innova (same makers as California Natural). She liked the Innova much better but her stool was soft and greenish.

The Innova was too rich for her so I decided to try the Eagle Packs (can't recall which one) but eventually Abba started to dislike it and developed hives. The vet thought the hives might be caused by the corn products in the Eagle food.

I went back to Innova for a few months untill a friend recommended a new product (to Canada) called Canidae. No wheat, corn, or soy products with lots of nutrients. She gets 2 to 3 cups a day and she really enjoys it. Her coat has a nice shine and her stool is more firm.

It's also cheaper per serving than Innova too.
Hi,
we feed our dogs beneful and ol roy and mix the mtogether the vet told us to do that.
 
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#13
Hi there, 4everdogluver04,

Please be sure to keep a close eye on your dog. Dogs have different nutritional needs, but we had a very bad experience with the Ol'Roy. When I was a teenager, my Dad started getting Ol'Roy food for my first German Shepherd. We noticed he was losing energy and his coat began looking and feeling thin. We took him to the vet, who told us he was suffering from severe malnutrition. He was as surprised as we were. At the time, the only "premium" dog foods available here were the Purina O.N.E., so we immediately switched him over to O.N.E. high protein along with extra vitamin and mineral supplements and generous amounts meat and vegetable leftovers. Thankfully, we caught it before he sustained any permanent harm and he lived an active, long life.

I guess this is why I am so "loud" about dog foods.

Different dogs have different nutritional needs, so we all must keep a close watch on our companions to make sure their needs are being met, because they can't tell us in words. What one dog might thrive on can be totally inadequate for another dog.

I really would like to encourage you to read the article at

http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/which_dog_food_do_I_feed.htm
 
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#14
Hey there, Woodyblueeyes,

It sounds like you have doggie gourmets! I'll bet they have gorgeous, soft coats. I used to have a big Shepherd/Akita mix who just loved anything with marinara sauce on it. He also liked a little taste of Mexican beer every now and then - no domestics, please. He'd only drink about a quarter cup, very slowly, then would just kind of sit and watch the world go by with a big grin on his snout.

It probably sounds awful to give a dog beer, but it's really not in very small portions. It's actually good for them in the same way it's good for us. When Shiva had to have her hide stapled back together (we still haven't figured out how she did it) I asked the vet about giving her a little bit of beer as a very mild tranquilizer after the meds wore off and she was hyper-pup again. He laughed, but said it was a great idea and the beer would be better for her than more sedatives. It worked like a charm!
 
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#15
Fury said:
What brand of dog food do you feed your doggy? Or does anyone here cook your dog meals?

I started feeding Abba California Natural puppy blend and then switched to adult as she got older. She eventually got bored with the California Natural so I went to Innova (same makers as California Natural). She liked the Innova much better but her stool was soft and greenish.

The Innova was too rich for her so I decided to try the Eagle Packs (can't recall which one) but eventually Abba started to dislike it and developed hives. The vet thought the hives might be caused by the corn products in the Eagle food.

I went back to Innova for a few months untill a friend recommended a new product (to Canada) called Canidae. No wheat, corn, or soy products with lots of nutrients. She gets 2 to 3 cups a day and she really enjoys it. Her coat has a nice shine and her stool is more firm.

It's also cheaper per serving than Innova too.
We have a Great Dane (11 mths old). We have been feeding him Chicken Soup for the Adult Lovers Soul (can't feed a Dane puppy food) since we brought him home from the breeders last summer. He eats about 10-12 cups a day. I always buy the 35 lb bag because its a better deal. It costs us $24 about every 2 1/2 weeks or so. His breeder feeds Diamond but we could find that here. So, I went with Chicken Soup which is made by Diamond.

A lot of people do the BARF diets with their Danes but I haven't looked into that much.
 
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#16
Hey there, DarthVadersMum,

The Danes are so gorgeous. If you don't know about it, I'd encourage you to check out the website at www.greatdanelady.com. She really has an incredible breadth of knowledge, and the Great Danes are her passion. I've learned so much from reading her articles that has been more useful than I can begin to say, and I don't even have Danes!
 

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#17
I feed my dog lams

Try to feed your dog something nutishish like lams.Sometimes what your dog likes the most is bad for it.
 
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#18
Fury said:
Btw. Abba is a female :D
Sorry, there, Fury! I get that a lot, too, so I should pay better attention. Most people look at the size of my Shiva and think SHE'S a male, and assume, since Bimmer is the smaller dog, that HE'S the female! (g) The same thing will probably happen to Kharma when she gets bigger, although she actually has a daintier (?) build than Shiva.
 
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#19
I feed Pro Plan, because I like that the first ingredient is chicken, not chick meal, or chicken by products and its preserved with vitamin E. I use to feed sensible choice but when they were bought out they totally changed the ingredients. My dogs both have shiny coats, I don't have to over feed to make sure they get enough, the poo doesn't smell like DEATH and there are not piles upon piles to pick up.
 
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#20
My biggest "beef," so to speak, with what's available to feed pets is that the ingredients are fraught with chemicals and hormones. Even most feeds that are supposedly premium, like Iams, Eukanuba, Pro Plan, et al, are all using polluted ingredients. The BARF diet is great - if you're getting organically raised ingredients.

I've become more acutely aware of this since getting involved in raising beef cattle. The regimens of injections and other unnatural interference that beef producers are encouraged to use is unbelievable. We don't do any of it, and our cattle only eat what grows out of the ground; grass and clover in the warm months and good hay and corn in the winter. Our beef tastes nothing like what's available in grocery stores or even butcher shops. The color is even different.

Now, imagine what kind of stuff is going into most commercial dog foods since they primarily use non-human grade meat. Think about the stuff you see in the meat section of your grocery store that makes you think "UGHH!" as you pass it by. Now, realize that what's going into commercial dog food is several steps worse. Think about all the jokes about potted meat products. Their ingredients are "human grade" - infinitely higher grade than what's going into most dog - and cat - food.

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox - for now! (lol)
 

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