please help decide on new kibble

[Mariana]

I really need your help to decide what to feed my dogs.
I had been feeding them nutragold holistic formula, and was really happy with the quality of the food, and the results it had on my dogs. But now, they won´t import that food any more
So, my choices are Kirkland signature, diamond, diamond naturals, proplan, science diet (hill´s), eukanuba and Royal Canin (it´s not even the formula you´ve got in the US...it´s much worst). So, I think my best choice is either diamond naturals or kirkland. Both foods have virtually the same ingredients, except diamond naturals claims their meat has never been frozen, and is really fresh.
I think I will try diamond naturals, so I´ve got two options available.

Forumla 1:
Chicken, chicken meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, white rice, rice bran, beet pulp, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, chondroitin sulfate, beta carotene, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, L-Carnitine, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
http://www.diamondpet.com/products/diamond_naturals/dogs/dry_food/large_breed_60_adult_dog_formula/

Formula 2:
Lamb meal, whole grain brown rice, cracked pearled barley, millet, egg product, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), rice bran, beet pulp, flaxseed, natural flavor, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
http://www.diamondpet.com/products/...ry_food/lamb_meal_and_rice_adult_dog_formula/

Both foods have a 23% protein value, and the lamb formula has a 14% crude fat value (vs chicken formula with 13%). The rest of the guaranteed analysis is identical, except the chicken formula has extra vitamins, minerals, phosphorus, glucosamine, chondroitin, etc, in minimal ammounts). None of my dogs are allergic to anything.

My questions are:
1) Which one of these formulas would you choose? Chicken or lamb? Why?
2) The chicken formula is marketed for large breeds (60 + lbs). I would feed it to 3 large breeds, and 5 poodles (10 lbs) . Do you think it really makes a difference? I think it´s just a marketing thing, and I can´t really find an important difference in the foods, to make me think it would be inappropiate to feed it to a small breed...what do you think?


Please, please help me. I have been trying to decide on what food to buy for them for a whole week, and I just can´t make up my mind. I will really appreciate your input.

Mariana

 

[Buddy'sParents]

I would feed the Kirkland.

 

[SizzleDog]

Out of the two listed, I'd go with the first one.

Diamond Naturals and Kirkland are pretty much identical. I'd say whichever one is more convienient for you, feed it.

 

[drmom777]

These foods are extremely similar, largely because they are made by the same company. Diamond manufactures Kirkland for Costco. They also make Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul. and one of the grain free formulas- I think it might be TOTW.

Therefore I would feed whichever was cheaper and/or easier to obtain.

 

[Gerald]

I have fed the Kirkland for years and love it.
I would go with it, and it should be cheaper.

 

[Mariana]

Thank you very much for your responses. I´ll check Kirkland´s price, and if it´s the same formula in the US and here. If it´s cheaper, I´ll feed Kirkland. If the difference in price is minimal, I´ll feed Diamond natural chicken formula.

Drmom- Diamond manufactures nutragold too (the food I was feeding before). I didn´t know it manufactured Kirkland. They don´t import Chicken soup for the dog lover´s soul to Mexico, which is a pity, because I really like that food.

Again, thank you very much for your help.
Mariana

 

[Hillside]

Don't forget to factor in the membership fee to Costco VS how much your dogs eat in a month. Unless of course, you would do other shopping there too.

 

[Punkygirl0101]

Yeah, I agree with Hillside, if you are only going to be going to Costco to get dog food, That's a waste of money due to the membership fee! I buy Kirkland Signature as well (love it, but plan on switching to something better after I start working in August after school). But we get tons of things from Costco..if we just got the dog food that would be pretty pointless, cause the extra money I would be using for the membership I could have gotten higher quality food to begin with instead!

 

[minpinluvrs]

I'm sure this has alot to do with my particular Rottie, but we went back to feeding him Kirkland last month, and we started with the chicken formula. He left large, extremely smelly piles in the yard. We just switched him to the lamb, and the piles are much smaller, and they have no odor at human nose level. Your dog could easily be the opposite, but either way, switching him from Canidae to Kirkland hasn't shown any other effects, and with feeding him the lamb formula, the leftovers in the yard are no different from Canidae at all.

 

[Barb04]

We just started ours on both the Kirkland chicken as well as the lamb and they love it. So far everything is going well including the savings in my wallet. We're on our last bag of Canidae and mixing the Kirkland in.

 

[noodlerubyallie]

The girls are on Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice, we are in the process of switching from Canidae. Great price, seems to be great tasting, and their poop is small and not smelly. So far so good!

 

[Mariana]

Thanks Hillside and Punkygirl0101. I hadn´t thought of that. My dad has a membership to Costco, but he isn´t reliable, and I would have to depend on him to buy the food. I´ll see if he can have an extra card so that I can buy the food myself. If not, Kirkland might not be a good option.

minpinluvrs: My dogs (2 of them) have a lot of gases, and I had been thinking the lamb formula migh be easier to digest. I also checked, and it is a bit cheaper, and has more calories per cup, so I might start with that formula, and see how things go.

Barb04 and noodlerubyallie. I really can´t tell you how much your comments helped me. It is really good to know your dogs are doing well with this food, even after changing from canidae. I was really sad about not having access to these really nice foods you´ve got there, and I felt bad about giving them a crappy food. I thought about homecooking, but it´s really expensive, and right now I don´t have time to do so. I feel less guilty now...I hope this food goes well with my dogs too.

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond, Mariana

 

[drmom777]

If your dad is a member, they should let you have a card if he is willing to put you on his account.

 

[Hillside]

minpinluvrs: My dogs (2 of them) have a lot of gases, and I had been thinking the lamb formula migh be easier to digest. I also checked, and it is a bit cheaper, and has more calories per cup, so I might start with that formula, and see how things go.

Barb04 and noodlerubyallie. I really can´t tell you how much your comments helped me. It is really good to know your dogs are doing well with this food, even after changing from canidae. I was really sad about not having access to these really nice foods you´ve got there, and I felt bad about giving them a crappy food. I thought about homecooking, but it´s really expensive, and right now I don´t have time to do so. I feel less guilty now...I hope this food goes well with my dogs too.

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond, Mariana

My Dobe is actually on the Diamond Naturals Chicken and rice and previously she had been on the Canidae. She was super gassy on the Canidae and her coat went to crap on it it. (She had been on Innova initially when I brought her home but since it is so rich I figured that might be part of the gas problem so I switched her to Canidae) On the Naturals her gas has gone WAYYYYYYYYYYY down. Both Sizzledog and Noodle can vouch for how gassy she was and how much better she is. Her coat still looks great too. All in all, she is doing much better on this food overall than on anything else that we have tried.

 

[SizzleDog]

Both Sizzledog and Noodle can vouch for how gassy she was and how much better she is. Her coat still looks great too. All in all, she is doing much better on this food overall than on anything else that we have tried.

I vouch, I vouch!

She was a steenky-bum dog. Now... not so much! In all honesty, Saga looks better than she's ever looked. And this is the "lowest quality" food she's been on.

Same with my dogs... they've done the best on DN and Kirkland... and that's the "lowest quality' food they've been on.

 

[Pam111]

I vouch, I vouch!

She was a steenky-bum dog. Now... not so much! In all honesty, Saga looks better than she's ever looked. And this is the "lowest quality" food she's been on.

Same with my dogs... they've done the best on DN and Kirkland... and that's the "lowest quality' food they've been on.

My Husky/Malamute was like that. She could not handle the very high quality foods. She would have constant loose stools. I had to feed her cheaper foods, and she did so much better. I still felt bad for doing it, though.

 

[Hillside]

The way I look at it, is you can't always get a kid to eat at a five star health food joint, but you can usually get them to eat at Subway and that is a much healthier option than McDonalds.

 

[Barb04]

One thing I can say is my Max is a very picky eater. When I was doing the food last night, a piece of the lamb & rice fell on a chair and Max went right up to it & ate it! I was in shoke. He loves the Kirland food.

 

[Mariana]

I am so happy! I went to costco today. They sell the exact same formula than in the US, and it´s half the price than diamond naturals! I am soooo happy! And I have my one card now, so I don´t depend on my dad to buy their food.

Diamond naturals costs $50 (18 kg), and kirkland costs $25 (18 kg)!!!! I had been paying $60 for 15 kg of nutragold, and there isn´t that much of a difference in the formulas....
I hope this helps with their gases, and one of them has loose stools, so I hope the change helps her too. With these prices, I will even be able to supplement with fresh fruits, vegetables and meat!!!
I have decided to start with the chicken formula...according to the label, I would feed my dogs less with the chicken formula than with the lamb (although I could´t find the caloric content).
If someone could post the calories / cup in the lamb formula, and in the chicken one, I would be very grateful.

I want to thank you all very much for your input, , and for helping me to not feel so guilty about the change. I was determined to buy diamond, and I wasn´t even going to check kirkland´s prices or formula. I am so happy you told me.
I´ll let you know in a month or so how things went.
Again, thank you very much

 

[minpinluvrs]

Hi again, I'm glad it all worked out for you so far.

I just looked at the two bags I have here, the Chicken is 393 kcal/cup, and the lamb is 373 kcal/cup, so they're close, but the Chicken is higher in calores. Even so, the chicken recommends 3-1/2 to 4 cups per day for a 100lb dog, and the lamb recomends 3-2/3 to 4 1/3 cups per day for that same dog, so the difference is minimal, especially if you have a much smaller dog. Either way, your dog probably wouldn't mind you switching back and forth.

As an interesting sidenote, I also looked at the labels for the Solid Gold Barking at the Moon bag that I have here, (465 kcal/cup,) and NV Instinct (490 kcal/cup) and both of them recommend "4+" cups for a 100 lb dog. The NV Prarie beef formula that I have here is only 430 kcal/cup, and it recommends 4-1/2 cups for a 100 lb dog. I'm not sure why these foods are higher in calories yet they recommend a higher amount of food, but one thing I am sure of is that my 107 lb Rottie has never eaten over 3 cups of food in one day, regardless of the brand, so like they say, it's just a guideline (I'm sure if I decided to feed him dog chow or pro-plan, he'd need about 10 cups a day, but I don't think I'll try that experiment...lol.)