Dog owners:what kind of food do you buy?

kikih64

My senior Lab is fed Nutro Senior Large Breed. My "toddler" is on Blue Buffalo large breed. Neither one has ever had a skin issue, but my senior has always had a sensitive tummy. Both are in great health. Food is very pricy...both are about $35 for 15 pounds. I love them, they're part of the family, so they're worth it!

mswanson1215

I buy Earthborn any variety and it has made a big difference in my dogs coat and their digestive system! They eat less and have less gas and they love it! Its a grain free, all natural dog food, look for it you wont be sorry!

SARgirl

We feed our dogs Fromm at this time. We have also fed the Dog Lovers Gold in the past. Both are great foods, no fillers or by products. They are pricey, but you don't have to feed them as much. Our 95 pound German Shepherd gets 3 cups a day and our 40 pound Border Collie gets 1 1/2 cups a day. They also absorb more of the food since there isn't a lot of "extra stuff" which leads to less poop:)

lousoulbody

I can tell you why not to buy, Soft food of any kind, its terrible for the development of teeth and gums, if you can squish it with your fingers its to soft. Don't even use it for a treat because they will want it all the time.

lripson28

We buy Purina One Chicken & Rice. We were getting the lamb, but one of our dogs started to not like it and refuse to eat it. We have a Lab/Dane and a Boxer/Pit. My sister in law is a vet tech and she recommended it for them. We've had no issues since switching to the chicken.

YoYo1951

I feed mine Purina Beneful Healthy Weight. They are always licking and chewing. Maybe I need to switch it up for the boys. Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

jenilla1

My vet diagnosed my dog with a nasty genetic skin disorder and a teeny, tiny heart - only about 2/3rds the normal size for his breed. He was a rescue from a bad breeder that abandoned the defective dogs and skipped town to avoid some legal issues. The vet gave him about 6 months to live, but that was almost 3 years ago and he is still here and just as happy as ever. (It took him a whole year to learn how to wag his tail - how sad is that? It's ok - he wags it all the time, now. Especially when his cat comes in the room.)

Most commercial dog foods are too high in salt and could cause my dog to suffer blood pressure issues and/or congestive heart failure. He said I could spend $8 a day on the prescription canned foods or I could cook for him at home. The vet gave me a recipe and although it's a pain in the butt to cook for him and way more expensive than cheap dog food, it's still only about $1.75 a day rather than $8, so I can afford that. He's a really good guy so he's worth it. :smooched:

jenbusick

My dog has terrible allergies, and ended up on prescription Hill's Z/D. Very pricey, and he STILL has problems. Argh.

TinaBean007

My Jack also had skin issue and ear infections from allergies. Switched him to Innova (a little expensive) and put him on organic Fish Oil supplements (cheap). After 5 years I switched him again to Avoderm, which he's been on for a year and loves.

http://www.avodermnatural.com/

I really love this website for information: http://www.dogfoodscoop.com/

zenchild

My dogs get a mix of Blue Buffalo Wilderness dry and raw. For the raw mix I take two 2 lb chubs of Blue Ridge Beef (this batch has Natural Mix and Puppy Mix), about a pound of kale or collards (pulverized in the food processor and then lightly cooked), a handful of blueberries, CoQ10, Vitamin A, extra fat (coconut or bacon, keeps Fade's seizures away), a shot of a skin supplement and a tablespoon of Missing Link. Then I put it in the mixer until it's combined and portion into ice cube trays. Each dog gets one cube and a handful of dry every meal. Breakfast also includes half of a Cosequin for each.
I know is sounds like a lot of work and I do spend about an hour making their food every other week. It's worth it. I had them on a mix of Blue Buffalo Wilderness canned and dry over last fall and winter and into the spring. Fade started going off her food. She'd eat a bit and lose interest. Zen stopped jumping on and off the bed. Then he wouldn't go up or down stairs. And he would occasionally cry when he got up from bed or if I picked him up. We took him to the vet and she said his hips were getting arthritic. I put him on Cosequin and he stopped crying but he still wouldn't jump on or off the bed and he was still reluctant to use the stairs. I gave in and put them back on raw. A week later he was flying on and off the bed and racing down the stairs. He had also developed crusty spots on the ends of his ears that are going away. Both dogs are very excited about eating again. Their coats are shinier and they just generally seem healthier.
I know not everyone is going to feed raw and that's fine. But consider it. If you don't, look for grain-free foods. Dogs are not meant to eat grain. High carb diets make them fat. High fat and moderate protein. Blue Buffalo Wilderness and Inova are both good. Grain-free isn't as expensive as it seems. They can digest more of it so they can eat less. Check serving size before you say it costs too much. At the very least, choose a food without corn, wheat, soy or byproducts. It's all junk.

newcs

Not sure if it's been suggested but check out this site: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/
I try to feed myself the best quality foods so I want to do the same for my pup. He has some skin issues (and sensitivity to chicken...and life lol) and did well on Blue Buffalo's wilderness line (which has fewer ingredients). He got picky and stopped eating it though so we've moved on to Merrick's regular line which he devours. They're both pricy but if you do repeat delivery or wait for sales from Petco, it's cheaper. Plus they give you Petco PALS rewards. Not sure about Petsmart (I don't support them with my business because of their ban on bully breeds in their day camp).

Brianna72994

I lost my best buddy a month ago...Petie...he was a rat terrier and he was 12 years old. The vet told me his kidneys completely shut down... she asked what I was feeding him and I told her Kibbles and Bits...she had a fit..... that is probably what made his kidneys shut down...it is grain filled and high carb.....lots of grains......

I miss him so bad, please do some research and stop feeding your dog crap filled with grains.....

you will have to spend a little more money on their food but let me ask you, is the dog worth it...if i could have my Petie back I would feed him filet mignon everyday.....

dont feed your dog grain based food.....

I just have to say, this makes me really sad
I dont always research the type of food I'm giving my dog (though I should since she has a beef allergy)
I think researching the brand of food you buy first is the best method and I will try that from now on

SopranogirlCa

From experience with our labs, I would recommend Taste of the Wild and also Chicken Soup for the Soul dog food (I know, weird name). All our labs have done well on both food.

missprincessgina

I buy Solid Gold dog food:

Hund n Flocken (adult) for my Jack Russell and other dog (approx. 30 lbs) 28 pounds of dry food for $44.00
Just a wee bit (adult) for my little one (10 lbs) 33 pounds of dry food for $57.00

I mix it with soft food both by Solid Gold and Blue ($1.99 - $2.69 per can)

Solid Gold sells grain free food and other varieties.

Hope you get your doggie on a food he/she likes. Good luck!

rachietuk

Verus dog food.
Our dog suffered allergies, stopped the doggy smell and made her coat so much nicer.

jconnon

Blue Buffalo, I use the one for older dogs.