Dog food

onuhunter02
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Dog food

Post by onuhunter02 » Fri Mar 22, 2013 7:52 pm

I know where I stand but where does everyone else stand when it comes to dog food and why? Cheap, middle of the road, or more expensive foods what specific brand do you prefer

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brad27
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Re: Dog food

Post by brad27 » Fri Mar 22, 2013 8:15 pm

I feed the cheapest feed that works. Why would I pay more for something with the same results.

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Re: Dog food

Post by ScottE » Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:39 pm

I like blue buffalo

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Re: Dog food

Post by slistoe » Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:57 pm

brad27 wrote:I feed the cheapest feed that works. Why would I pay more for something with the same results.
Yep.
Better still, Why pay more for something that doesn't work as well?

Poultry By-Product Meal and Ground Corn. Nothing else fuels a dog as well IME.

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Re: Dog food

Post by onuhunter02 » Sat Mar 23, 2013 5:43 am

I have used both purina and science diet during season I will use science diet I think it helps with her recovery time. But out of season I mix the science diet with the purina. That is just what I prefer.

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Re: Dog food

Post by D Bros. » Sat Mar 23, 2013 8:15 am

Middle of the road for me. I don't feed the super cheap food, that I don't like the ingredients, and ends up in bigger piles in my yard. Or the real expensive stuff that's going to break my bank account.

Diesel get Country Vet Sportsman's Select, and does really well on it.

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Re: Dog food

Post by MonsterDad » Sat Mar 23, 2013 8:28 am

I use Dr. Tim's Pursuit but honestly it is the only food without some corn, at least, that I have been happy with.

So I agree, properly cooked corn is a good thing in dog food.

Dr. Tim's, Annamaet and Precise on the higher end,
Eagle, Bil-Jac, Eukanuba, Pro Plan, Pro Pac and Exclusive in the middle,
and Victor, Tuffy Gold, Sport-Mix as value picks

There is probably no food that is worth spending extra money to find. I think Bil-Jac is probably the best food that is easy to get, IMO, about the same price as Pro Plan and Eukanuba. I like the protein types, the way it is made and the fact that it is very simple with only about 6 ingredients, 3 of which are chicken, chicken organs and chicken by-product meal.

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Re: Dog food

Post by Derrick » Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:39 am

I feed with 4 health from TSC.

Cheap food is not good and is a contributing factor to overweight dogs, although we do.t have to worry about that with our dogs running in the field. However, where you think you may be saving money with cheap food you may not actually be. The main ingredient in cheap food is corn, corn is not that great for a dog, it will give them needed energy but you can compare it to caffeine for humans. They will eventually crash off of it. They need whole meats protein, and not ground up bones in the cheaper food for protein. Corn will also not fill up a dog as well as meats, therefore the dog will eat more thus putting on more weight, but if you feed a good food product with real meats as the number one ingredients, the dog will actually eat less yet have a more full filling meal.

Give 4 health a shot from TSC, its great food and comparable to the highest end foods at 1/2 the price.

My dog currently eats the puppy blend which is lamb meat as the number one ingredient and will be switched to the performance blend when he's a bit older. Go online and read about it, best of all TSC always has it on sale so you rarely have to pay full price for a bag.

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Re: Dog food

Post by Maurice » Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:17 am

Marketing and dog food is a big business today.. It was much simpler years ago.. I can remember back when Joy Special Meal and Purnia Hi Pro were considered top on the line dog food, both foods fueled most of the ft bird dogs back then.. The dogs ran as hard maybe harder and looked good.. I have fed Ole Roy to Purina Pro Plan and most in between at 1 time or another. I feed Sportmix 26/18 formula now and have for quite awhile. The dogs do fine on it. I see no reason to spend twice as much per bag for the so called super premium feeds but that is only my opinion. Find what works for your dog and stick with it if you can. I see no cheap dog food today, it all cost more than I want to pay lol

Mo

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Re: Dog food

Post by Maurice » Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:24 am

Boot leather was the main thing that made Purnia Hi Pro and Joy Special Meal work so well and it was not in the bag..It was just simpler back then.

Mo

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Re: Dog food

Post by ezzy333 » Thu Apr 04, 2013 11:29 am

Derrick wrote:I feed with 4 health from TSC.

Cheap food is not good and is a contributing factor to overweight dogs, although we do.t have to worry about that with our dogs running in the field. However, where you think you may be saving money with cheap food you may not actually be. The main ingredient in cheap food is corn, corn is not that great for a dog, it will give them needed energy but you can compare it to caffeine for humans. They will eventually crash off of it. They need whole meats protein, and not ground up bones in the cheaper food for protein. Corn will also not fill up a dog as well as meats, therefore the dog will eat more thus putting on more weight, but if you feed a good food product with real meats as the number one ingredients, the dog will actually eat less yet have a more full filling meal.

Give 4 health a shot from TSC, its great food and comparable to the highest end foods at 1/2 the price.

My dog currently eats the puppy blend which is lamb meat as the number one ingredient and will be switched to the performance blend when he's a bit older. Go online and read about it, best of all TSC always has it on sale so you rarely have to pay full price for a bag.
It is great that we all have the right to feed whatever we want to but it also means that everyone should know a little about what they are feeding. Cost of feed has nothing to do with gaining weight as that is caused by only one thing and that is eating more calories than you use. Same is true with your dog. Corn is a great source of affordable carbs(energy) and has the advantage over most other sources because it also carries more protein, fats and vitamins than most others. Meat and vegetable proteins are all good but we get enough of all of the essential amino acids by mixing the two, so having a meat source followed by a vegetable source will normally give you the best balance plus cheaper that any other method. And ground bones DO NOT provide protein but are a source of minerals, calcium and phosphorus primarily.

The big difference today is there are many companies trying to survive in a competitive field which in many ways is good but one of the more negative aspects in reality is many companies are exaggerating if not outright misleading you with their advertising. And since we have all been conditioned to the premise that high price is better and higher percentages of quarantined elements translates to better feed which results in better dogs. And sadly that is not always true. We have actually found we are feeding most dogs too much or too rich of a feed for their best health and we are seeing many problems develop because of it that we never had in the past. Things like sensitive stomach, loose stools, dogs not eating, and in some cases just plain over weight problems to the extent we have to have different feeds for older inactive dogs rather than just feed a little less. Dogs like every other animal including us nee a certain volume of feed to stop the hungry feeling as well as promoting a healthy digestive tract. I don't think there is another animal in the world where we consider how much excrement that is being produced as a major factor in what we feed. And that is just because we have to clean it up in most cases and somehow we think a little less makes our job so much easier rather than consider what is best for our dogs.

In the past, dogs performed well with feeds that no one would buy today because we have been indoctrinated that those feeds were not good and if you feed them today your dog will be unhealthy. Better feeds are great but along with using them your responsibility has increased at the same time because amount you feed and the condition of the animals have become much more critical. To day we hear all of the problems with allergies, sensitivity, energy level, coat condition problems, yeast infections, eating too fast, not eating, plus a host of other imagined problems that we never heard of years ago.

Our biggest nutritional problems today is we are right on the edge of feeds that are too rich and not that some feeds are too poor.

Ezzy

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Re: Dog food

Post by buckshot1 » Thu Apr 04, 2013 11:55 am

I'll second Pro Plan. My lab has a sensitive stomach. She had issues with everything I tried until I switched to Pro Plan performance (predecessor to the Sport). Now I feed both my lab and my GSP the Sport 30/20 performance. I like the high fat/protein content because you don't have to feed as much and there isn't as much filler, which means less dog poop to pick up. The Sport performance actually feels greasy to the touch. In the offseason, I feed less than during hunting season instead of switching to a leaner blend. Also, I've noticed that my lab's coat is much shinier when she's on Pro Plan. I know a lot of people bash Pro Plan as over marketed and overrated, but it's worked well for my dogs.

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Re: Dog food

Post by Grange » Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:00 pm

I'm a middle of the road dog food guy as far as cost goes. My goal to feed the food that helps my dogs give me their best performance and middle of the road foods seem to do that the best. When working the dogs a lot (i.e. trial and hunting seasons) I want a feed with higher fat and protein and prefer food with corn. I've been feeding my trial dog a new feed for about a month now and it is 32% protein and 20% fat and has corn as one of the top ingredients (not the first). It's too early for me to come to a final conclusion on the food, but so far I'm really liking the results. My setter appears to have more stamina than when fed some of the 30/20 feeds I've tried under comparable conditions and right now my setter loves the food.

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Re: Dog food

Post by ACooper » Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:58 pm

Derrick wrote:I feed with 4 health from TSC.

Cheap food is not good and is a contributing factor to overweight dogs, although we do.t have to worry about that with our dogs running in the field. However, where you think you may be saving money with cheap food you may not actually be. The main ingredient in cheap food is corn, corn is not that great for a dog, it will give them needed energy but you can compare it to caffeine for humans. They will eventually crash off of it. They need whole meats protein, and not ground up bones in the cheaper food for protein. Corn will also not fill up a dog as well as meats, therefore the dog will eat more thus putting on more weight, but if you feed a good food product with real meats as the number one ingredients, the dog will actually eat less yet have a more full filling meal.
Just curious on what information you're basing your post on?

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Dog food

Post by vahuntress » Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:03 pm

My Lab gets Simply Nourished Large Breed Adult dry food. He loves it, it's healthy, and not too expensive.

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Re: Dog food

Post by Brazosvalleyvizslas » Thu Apr 04, 2013 5:33 pm

Corn does not have nearly as many amino acids necessary for building lean muscle or re-building glycogen lost during stress as meat based protein does. ALL of my dogs do better and consume less food per month on the higher energy foods that contain higher amounts of meat based proteins. Its not about price as some high priced foods are CRAP, its more about the energy level of the foods and the ingredients. IMO

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Re: Dog food

Post by slistoe » Thu Apr 04, 2013 6:05 pm

ACooper wrote:
Derrick wrote:I feed with 4 health from TSC.

Cheap food is not good and is a contributing factor to overweight dogs, although we do.t have to worry about that with our dogs running in the field. However, where you think you may be saving money with cheap food you may not actually be. The main ingredient in cheap food is corn, corn is not that great for a dog, it will give them needed energy but you can compare it to caffeine for humans. They will eventually crash off of it. They need whole meats protein, and not ground up bones in the cheaper food for protein. Corn will also not fill up a dog as well as meats, therefore the dog will eat more thus putting on more weight, but if you feed a good food product with real meats as the number one ingredients, the dog will actually eat less yet have a more full filling meal.
Just curious on what information you're basing your post on?
Urban myth hype propagated by those who need a way to sell dog food.

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Re: Dog food

Post by slistoe » Thu Apr 04, 2013 6:08 pm

Brazosvalleyvizslas wrote: ALL of my dogs do better
What quantifiable measure are you using to judge this?

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Re: Dog food

Post by Brazosvalleyvizslas » Thu Apr 04, 2013 6:17 pm

slistoe wrote:
Brazosvalleyvizslas wrote: ALL of my dogs do better
What quantifiable measure are you using to judge this?
Higher Energy levels, less intake, less output , quicker recovery and much more lean muscle mass. Its all I need to see.

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Re: Dog food

Post by slistoe » Thu Apr 04, 2013 6:34 pm

Brazosvalleyvizslas wrote:
slistoe wrote:
Brazosvalleyvizslas wrote: ALL of my dogs do better
What quantifiable measure are you using to judge this?
Higher Energy levels, less intake, less output , quicker recovery and much more lean muscle mass. Its all I need to see.
So on the exact same level of conditioning program you see your dogs running harder, faster, further, for more days consecutively than they were before. That is good.

What I found when testing different foods through my dogs is that on the same conditioning program ( 8 to 10 miles at 16 to 20 mph pulling 8 to 15 lbs of chain 3 days in seven, alternated with slow roading on the days off from running with one day of rest in 7) was that the coat started to lose sheen and fullness. The dogs had heart but their body was robbing from other areas to keep them going. "All meat" formulas, lamb, rice and vegetables all seemed to be inferior in their ability to supply the dogs bodies regardless of how expensive a formula they were put into. Chicken by-product and corn were the common ingredients in the foods that could keep the dogs going for months on end at that level, but the quality/processing was also relevant as the feeds that were in the bottom of the price range were not up to snuff, even if the ingredient label appeared nearly identical.

PS - at some point, building lean muscle mass is a detractor to an endurance animal.

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Re: Dog food

Post by Brazosvalleyvizslas » Thu Apr 04, 2013 6:59 pm

I run them 7 days a week for 2-4 hours per day and they only need 2-21/2 cups of food per day versus 6-7 cups that they were taking in on the cheaper (bigger name food) than they were previously on. Lean muscle that recovers quickly is never a negative when it comes to athletics, especially when it involves multiple days in a row.

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Re: Dog food

Post by Aslowhiteguy » Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:26 pm

I feed Diamond Naturals. I think it's a little higher grade than the middle of the road stuff, but it's less expensive than most other "premium" food.

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Re: Dog food

Post by slistoe » Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:41 pm

Yeah, 2 1/2 cups/day is about right. If I ever were to try something that needed 6 cups a day in a 35 - 40 lb dog I wouldn't get any further in that feed trial. I fed a lot of different kinds of food and 3 1/2 was the most I can recall feeding.

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Re: Dog food

Post by Derrick » Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:47 pm

I just prefer dog foods that arent made from the floor sweepings in the plant and ground up bones of god knows what.


And I was doing a bunch of reading on http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com

Maybe I just believe everything I hear? But I can feed my dog for 35 bucks a month (we only have our one GSP) with mid grade food, even if it doesn't help his performance I still like knowing that there isnt a bunch of crap in his food. I mean it costs 35 bucks bucks a month for mid grade food for me,definitely not breaking the bank. That said though, if I had multiple dogs, I probably would not feed them mid to high grade food because the cost of it associated with multiple dogs would be ridiculous.

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Re: Dog food

Post by ezzy333 » Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:04 pm

Derrick wrote:I just prefer dog foods that arent made from the floor sweepings in the plant and ground up bones of god knows what.


And I was doing a bunch of reading on http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com

Maybe I just believe everything I hear? But I can feed my dog for 35 bucks a month (we only have our one GSP) with mid grade food, even if it doesn't help his performance I still like knowing that there isnt a bunch of crap in his food. I mean it costs 35 bucks bucks a month for mid grade food for me,definitely not breaking the bank. That said though, if I had multiple dogs, I probably would not feed them mid to high grade food because the cost of it associated with multiple dogs would be ridiculous.
Price does not mean the feed is floor sweepings and as I said before I have no idea what you are talking about when you talk ground up bones since that is not an ingredient in any dog food. It is a mineral and has practically no carbs, protein, fat or vitamins. But it is a good source of calcium and phosphorus. but limestone and di-calcium phosphate has replaced it years ago. You do know that Dog food advisor is written by a dentist in CA that know little more than you do about all of the feeds.

And seeing a difference in energy levels from one feed to another would be at least a month or two research project as that doesn't change just because we change feed a few days ago. Also protein is not what gives our dogs their energy as it takes carbs and fats to provide most of that. Protein is used to grow lean muscles and to repair them. We find with most animals protein is important after exercise but they need to get back on high carbs and fat before further exercise if you want them to maintain their condition over a period of time. I too have never seen a dog that was capable of eating 6 or 7 cups of food a day but if there is such an animal I would get it on something that it could handle with in a day or two.

Ezzy

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Re: Dog food

Post by millerms06 » Thu Apr 04, 2013 11:36 pm

ezzy333 wrote: And seeing a difference in energy levels from one feed to another would be at least a month or two research project as that doesn't change just because we change feed a few days ago.
Ezzy
There is a lot of truth in that comment. Personally, I look at how many kinds of meat based protein is higher up in the ingredient list like most people. From my observations, If I see meats in the form of meals the food worked well. Animal fats is another good thing I like to see in the first ten ingredients too. And honestly, any of the feeds that had corn my dogs have done very well on them. Corn just gets a bad wrap. It takes a good company to cook it right obviously. Companies that I have tried more than two months that have corn were Eagle Pack Power Adult, Eukanuba super performance, Red Paw Power Edge 32k. All treated my dogs well and that is all that matters. Due to price, changing weights with bags, and having buyer incentives were personal reasons why I feed one over the other.

Kcals are an interesting observation when trying out dog foods. I tried one brand, which I will not mention, that had a Kcal value +500 and my dogs were dropping weight. I stopped feeding them the feed once I knew I had to give more than what I felt comfortable giving them.

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Re: Dog food

Post by slistoe » Fri Apr 05, 2013 6:33 am

ezzy333 wrote: And seeing a difference in energy levels from one feed to another would be at least a month or two research project as that doesn't change just because we change feed a few days ago.
Yep - a week to transition feeds and 2 to 3 months on the feed before drawing any conclusions - unless the feed is obviously deficient and it is rejected early, (such as I encountered with a couple of the most expensive feeds).

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Re: Dog food

Post by Brazosvalleyvizslas » Fri Apr 05, 2013 6:50 am

slistoe wrote:Yeah, 2 1/2 cups/day is about right. If I ever were to try something that needed 6 cups a day in a 35 - 40 lb dog I wouldn't get any further in that feed trial. I fed a lot of different kinds of food and 3 1/2 was the most I can recall feeding.

if any of my dogs weighed 35-40 pounds, the state would take them away from me.

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Re: Dog food

Post by CDN_Cocker » Fri Apr 05, 2013 3:45 pm

I generally go for the premium brands. However, I recently switched the old dog to grain free and started the pup on it as well and I must say I'm not impressed. It goes right through them both. I'm going to finish the bag since I bought a 30 lb one, but after that I'm going back to just a high quality, high protein food. Grain free is too rich.

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Re: Dog food

Post by slistoe » Fri Apr 05, 2013 4:18 pm

Brazosvalleyvizslas wrote:
slistoe wrote:Yeah, 2 1/2 cups/day is about right. If I ever were to try something that needed 6 cups a day in a 35 - 40 lb dog I wouldn't get any further in that feed trial. I fed a lot of different kinds of food and 3 1/2 was the most I can recall feeding.

if any of my dogs weighed 35-40 pounds, the state would take them away from me.
OK, I don't feed 6 cups a day to my 80 - 100 lb Labs. They get 3 1/2.

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Re: Dog food

Post by markj » Sat Apr 06, 2013 7:20 am

I have a friend is from Poland, he feeds a mix of boild chicken and rice. His dog has the shineist coat and will hunt hard all day. Janos says in poland we dont have purina. Most dogs are fed scraps there in the poor households. Says buy chicken quarters when on sale, boil it up and remove bones toss in rice and let sit till rice is done bag it up and refrige it till needed. Feeds about 3 to 4 cups I think.

I use PMI nutrition, not as cheep but they eat it well and they look great. Trieddiamond, they dont like it tried purina pro didnt like it soooo PMI it is.

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Re: Dog food

Post by bossman » Sat Apr 06, 2013 11:00 pm

My dogs dog very well on Victor High Pro Plus. Check out the ingredients. I'd consider it a middle of the road from a cost standpoint. Dogs do better compared to when I was feeding a more expensive feed.

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Re: Dog food

Post by Doc E » Sun Apr 07, 2013 9:25 am

Brazosvalleyvizslas wrote:Corn does not have nearly as many amino acids necessary for building lean muscle or re-building glycogen lost during stress as meat based protein does.
Partially correct -- partially incorrect.
You are correct about corn having fewer amino acids, but meat content will make up for that.
You are incorrect about glycogen. The best source of glycogen is from carbohydrates.

As a couple folks mentioned, the quality of the corn and how it is processed is very important.


.

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Re: Dog food

Post by JKP » Sun Apr 07, 2013 10:15 am

I doubt any of our dogs work harder than the Iditarod teams. What are they feeding? Is there anything to be learned from it?

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Re: Dog food

Post by Grange » Sun Apr 07, 2013 11:29 am

JKP wrote:I doubt any of our dogs work harder than the Iditarod teams. What are they feeding? Is there anything to be learned from it?
The owner of the place I buy my dog food runs sled dogs and she recommended Red Paw, which was created by sled dog owners. I've been feeding that food for about a month and so far I'm liking the results.

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Re: Dog food

Post by Munster » Sun Apr 07, 2013 12:24 pm

It is all way to confusing for me anymore. I used to feed Pro Plan and was real happy with the price and my dogs health. Then came this pup and she was having all sorts of anal gland problems. So, my vet told me to switch to iams active. She said that Iams has been around a long time and is good food. She said that Proplan tends to run a looser stool then Iams.
Now, is she a paid spokes person fro Iams? DOnt know, dont care. I do know that I havent had manually excrete my dogs anal glands lately. I think this has causes her and I to have a better relationship, atleast she isnt tucking her tail and sitting down whenever she sees me approaching her! :lol: :lol:


Feed what works. experiment, but I think it takes a few months to know how it will affect your dogs.

OH yeah, much less gas floating around the house too. But have noticed a little more flakey skin. COuld be the weather, but I just added about 2000 of fish oil to their food. Maybe this will help?

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Re: Dog food

Post by Double Shot Banks » Sun Apr 07, 2013 7:42 pm

diamond puppy food. $30 for 40 lbs and its 30/20
works great. feed less dog looks great
Isaac and Banks

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Re: Dog food

Post by millerms06 » Sun Apr 07, 2013 10:51 pm

JKP wrote:I doubt any of our dogs work harder than the Iditarod teams. What are they feeding? Is there anything to be learned from it?
The core component is dried kibble. Most of the top ten ingredients found in the top kibble used have the usual forms of animal meal (chicken meal, pork meal, fish meal) for protein base, and believe it or not corn is in most of them too. Allowing for less quantities rationed is usually the premise with a sled dog's demands. The only way to have smaller quantities given to dogs daily is to have a high protein and fat ratio dog food. This alleviates many digestive problems discussed elsewhere. Another added solution is fish meal, or fish oil, as it acts as an anti-inflammatory. Many of the dry kibble used has some form of fish meal as a top ten ingredient. A plant based product that is added as an anti-inflammatory is beet pulp: a high fiber product.

Grange wrote:
JKP wrote:I doubt any of our dogs work harder than the Iditarod teams. What are they feeding? Is there anything to be learned from it?
The owner of the place I buy my dog food runs sled dogs and she recommended Red Paw, which was created by sled dog owners. I've been feeding that food for about a month and so far I'm liking the results.
Red Paw is a good feed. Like I said previously, I used Power Edge 32K for a few months (four to be exact) two years ago and my dogs did well on it. Eagle Pack Power Adult was another one that is a top notch food and my dogs are currently back on it. Even though Red Paw's headquarters is a few miles away (the dog food is manufactured in Fromm's Mequon WI facility), Eagle Pack is still cheaper and just as effective. Plus the kibble size is bigger than Red Paw's which I like for the dog's teeth. But this is just my opinion and some may have different perspectives which is cool too.

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Re: Dog food

Post by ezzy333 » Mon Apr 08, 2013 6:12 am

Always remember those dogs are working way beyond what our dogs do and are doing it in severe conditions. It just makes for a different requirement than our dogs do but I am sure we have learned from them while not necessarily trying to duplicate them.

Ezzy

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DougB
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Re: Dog food

Post by DougB » Mon Apr 08, 2013 6:18 am

The better quality foods tend to be higher in calories and nutrients, so smaller quantities can be fed while maintaining weight. As the quantity of corn and corn meal drop, the amount of shovel work tends to lessen. That being said, Old Roy will keep a dog going. Most of the commercial foods meet all requirements. With a few of the really cheap foods, your yard will look like a cow pasture, but the dog will be healthy. That being said, each dog is different. Try some different foods and use what works best. I rotate foods, as after a 40# bag, my dog tends to lose interest.

Quality is determined by two methods. Some companies have test packs of dogs and watch how the dogs react to different formulas. Other companies rate the ingredients and their proportions, looking for meat and meat byproducts vs grain content. Hard to get too worked up over food when you realize your dogs favorite snack comes from the cat box. Dogs were scavengers for a long time, before humans started spoiling them with custom menus.

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Doc E
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Re: Dog food

Post by Doc E » Mon Apr 08, 2013 6:51 am

Double Shot Banks wrote:diamond puppy food. $30 for 40 lbs and its 30/20
works great. feed less dog looks great
Isaac and Banks

30/20 for a pup that's less than a year old :roll:



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ezzy333
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Re: Dog food

Post by ezzy333 » Mon Apr 08, 2013 7:05 am

Doc E wrote:
Double Shot Banks wrote:diamond puppy food. $30 for 40 lbs and its 30/20
works great. feed less dog looks great
Isaac and Banks

30/20 for a pup that's less than a year old :roll:

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And why not since most of not all have been raised on feed with less than that in the past? I have never used a 30% for my pups but I don't remember anyone rolling their eyes about it. Just makes a whole lot of sense when you really get into what we are trying to produce and the best way to do it.

Ezzy

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Re: Dog food

Post by slistoe » Mon Apr 08, 2013 7:06 am

Doc E wrote:
Double Shot Banks wrote:diamond puppy food. $30 for 40 lbs and its 30/20
works great. feed less dog looks great
Isaac and Banks

30/20 for a pup that's less than a year old :roll:



.
Because that is so much different than the 32/18 puppy formula?

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Doc E
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Re: Dog food

Post by Doc E » Mon Apr 08, 2013 7:38 am

it's my opinion that there is good reason for the lower protein / fat in "Large Breed Puppy Formulas".


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Re: Dog food

Post by slistoe » Mon Apr 08, 2013 8:19 am

Yes, to reduce growth rate. Proper feeding regimen with the appropriate amount of feed will control your growth rate in large breed dogs.

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Re: Dog food

Post by millerms06 » Mon Apr 08, 2013 8:53 am

slistoe wrote:Yes, to reduce growth rate. Proper feeding regimen with the appropriate amount of feed will control your growth rate in large breed dogs.
Totally accurate.

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Re: Dog food

Post by roaniecowpony » Mon Apr 08, 2013 10:22 am

I've been a Purina Pro Plan guy. My Lab has been on Lamb and Rice for 6-7 yrs and lately has been on Performance 30/20. But I think it's too fatty for her as she ages. She picked up weight on it even though I cut back on the volume to the point I think it's getting rediculous. I'm putting her on a lower fat food as she is at a crossroads, regarding activity level, since she's getting arthritic.

The pointer has been on Performance 30/20 until recently, when I was trying to diagnose her itching/hair problems. I did homecooked for a few months and corn/wheat free. That's not her issues. So I'm putting her back on Performance 30/20 as she needs the high protein and fat.

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Re: Dog food

Post by JKP » Mon Apr 08, 2013 12:11 pm

Yes, to reduce growth rate. Proper feeding regimen with the appropriate amount of feed will control your growth rate in large breed dogs.
Its my understanding that OCD and ED (not referring to the problem that many suffer from here :lol: ) are contributed to by nutrition and/or a growth disturbance (unequal growth rates of the bones of the lower in the case of ED).
I would bet that slowing the growth rate has some science behind it.

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Re: Dog food

Post by ezzy333 » Mon Apr 08, 2013 1:06 pm

JKP wrote:
Yes, to reduce growth rate. Proper feeding regimen with the appropriate amount of feed will control your growth rate in large breed dogs.
Its my understanding that OCD and ED (not referring to the problem that many suffer from here :lol: ) are contributed to by nutrition and/or a growth disturbance (unequal growth rates of the bones of the lower in the case of ED).
I would bet that slowing the growth rate has some science behind it.
Sure does.

And another thing people forget to think about, is they get a higher percentage feed so they can feed less of it and not have to clean up as much, but in actuality they are feeding less protein or what ever. Use Doc E's comment of not using a 32 instead of a 30 % feed for a puppy. If you cut back less than a 1/4 of a pound of feed you are feeding less protein, not more. We need to think things through carefully before jumping to wrong conclusions.

Ezzy

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Re: Dog food

Post by 1vizsla » Mon Apr 08, 2013 4:13 pm

4 health by TSC. Dogs are doing well, reasonably priced, and 4 stars on dog advisor link.

carla

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