Blue buffalo

Mstng_ray · Post by **Mstng_ray** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 3:46 pm

What's everyone's thoughts on BLUE BUFFALO dog food. I currently feed PURINA PRO PLAN with good results. The BLUE BUFFALO just seems healthier from what I've read.

Cajun Casey · Post by **Cajun Casey** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 4:20 pm

It's a target market designer food. Way overpriced. No better than anything else out there.

Post by **ezzy333** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 4:39 pm

Mstng_ray wrote:What's everyone's thoughts on BLUE BUFFALO dog food. I currently feed PURINA PRO PLAN with good results. The BLUE BUFFALO just seems healthier from what I've read.

the key to your question is"I currently feed PURINA PRO PLAN with good results". So how do you expect to find a better feed when the one you are using is performing just as it should?

Ezzy

MonsterDad · Post by **MonsterDad** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 4:48 pm

I was at Petsmart today picking up something and I wandered the food aisles and my jaw dropped at the prices of most of the foods. $1.50lb is more or less the low end there all the way to $3lb, with a few exceptions, Eukanuba & Pro Plan.

Pro Plan and Eukanuba at $1.25lb look like good deals nowadays, at least in stores like that. Pro Plan Select looks like a good product as well.

If you have access to feed stores, better deals can be had there.

Every dog I have seen on Pro Plan looked great and in terms of poo, no food can compete with how little needs to be picked up.

Mstng_ray · Post by **Mstng_ray** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 4:51 pm

I said it seems healthier. If u had read it before giving a smart "bleep" answer ezzy. My dog will eat anything ( even rabbit "bleep" ) but I'm sure there is something better.

Mstng_ray · Post by **Mstng_ray** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 4:54 pm

Thanks monster dad.

big_fish · Post by **big_fish** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 5:37 pm

blue buffalo gives our pup bad gas

so we switched to pro plan and he seems happy with it so far(about a month) and no gas (happy family)

Post by **ezzy333** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 5:55 pm

Mstng_ray wrote:I said it seems healthier. If u had read it before giving a smart "bleep" answer ezzy. My dog will eat anything ( even rabbit "bleep" ) but I'm sure there is something better.

I read the whole thing and I answered for your dog that can't talk. My answer to you was the same I give to everyone that says my dog is doing great but "I" think there must be something better. The only way we can tell if a feed is better is to look at your dog. And when the dog is doing great there is no such thing as better. Too many of us listen to all of the hype and we start chasing rainbows but there is no pot of gold there. Some don't always agree and that is their privilege but you are the first that thinks a good common sense answer is bleep. When you find that better feed how are you going to know since your dog is doing great now and I am not sure there is anything better than great. But feel free to look, it won't effect any of us but your dog.

Ezzy

Mstng_ray · Post by **Mstng_ray** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 6:22 pm

Again you have missed the point of the question. The point being HEALTHIER. Yes she is doing good on the other. I could survive on beer and chips. But are they the healthiest choices. NO. Anyways thank you to everyone else for their input.

Post by **ezzy333** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 6:29 pm

Mstng_ray wrote:Again you have missed the point of the question. The point being HEALTHIER. Yes she is doing good on the other. I could survive on beer and chips. But are they the healthiest choices. NO. Anyways thank you to everyone else for their input.

If she isn't having health problems how would you know if anything is healthier? I understand your question and get your point but it makes little sense when you have no way to judge healthier. Anyway glad everyone else did a good job of helping with their input.

Ezzy

ACooper · Post by **ACooper** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:47 pm

Can we just auto block all new dog food threads? Or maybe auto lock make it a PM only reply...

Luminary Setters · Post by **Luminary Setters** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:25 pm

When I was much younger and lived on the beer and potato chip diet I was leaner, stronger and could chase grouse all day in the Appalachians of Tennessee. Maybe I should rethink my eating habits.

CDN_Cocker · Post by **CDN_Cocker** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:47 pm

To get back on topic I have fed blue buffalo for a couple years now and I like it a lot. Dogs are shiny and look healthier than any I've ever had on purina. IMO purina is less than optimal food. I am thinking of switching to Taste of the Wild though, as it is similar to BB but at a better price.

displaced_texan · Post by **displaced_texan** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:58 pm

ezzy333 wrote:
Mstng_ray wrote:What's everyone's thoughts on BLUE BUFFALO dog food. I currently feed PURINA PRO PLAN with good results. The BLUE BUFFALO just seems healthier from what I've read.
the key to your question is"I currently feed PURINA PRO PLAN with good results". So how do you expect to find a better feed when the one you are using is performing just as it should?

Ezzy

I used to feed one feed, with good results, now I feed something else with better results...

Post by **ezzy333** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 9:39 pm

displaced_texan wrote:
ezzy333 wrote:
Mstng_ray wrote:What's everyone's thoughts on BLUE BUFFALO dog food. I currently feed PURINA PRO PLAN with good results. The BLUE BUFFALO just seems healthier from what I've read.
the key to your question is"I currently feed PURINA PRO PLAN with good results". So how do you expect to find a better feed when the one you are using is performing just as it should?

Ezzy
I used to feed one feed, with good results, now I feed something else with better results...

Good for you! can you tell us the differences in the results so people will know what to look for and how to measure just how good each feed performed?

Ezzy

Fran Seagren · Post by **Fran Seagren** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:27 pm

ACooper wrote:Can we just auto block all new dog food threads? Or maybe auto lock make it a PM only reply...

I agree with the above.

I'm confused. Since I've been on this forum - which is about a year or less, I've never seen such heated discussions and insults over DOG FOOD!

My friends and I discuss what we feed our dogs from time-to-time. It NEVER comes to any kind of argument. We are comparing notes, finding out what's new, what someone else uses, how it's working, etc. Discussing what we feed and why is not like insulting the breed of dog a person chooses, or the age-old argument if a hunting dog or a trial dog is better. I wonder if the same thing would happen if we talked about what we eat and why?

cmc274 · Post by **cmc274** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:51 pm

Well I am guessing ezzy isn't your friend since he is at the heart of most dog food arguments.

Fran Seagren · Post by **Fran Seagren** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 11:15 pm

Hmmm, well, I don't personally know most people on this forum, let alone call them "friends." I'm hoping that's OK.

It would be "nice" if we could discuss dog foods because I'm always interested in what people feed their dogs. I like to know how active their dogs are, what keeps weight on during upland hunting season, coats, fleas, ear infections, and all that stuff that is related to what we feed them. I figure this forum must have a wealth of experience in those areas. I'm certainly interested in what experts have to say, but also just regular people and their opinions of what works best and why.

Post by **ezzy333** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 11:16 pm

cmc274 wrote:Well I am guessing ezzy isn't your friend since he is at the heart of most dog food arguments.

Yep I create a lot of arguments about dog food. I still haven't ever told anyone what brand to use. I do take part in many since I have tried to educate people in an area I know something about. But you are probably right, I should just let people talk and ignore the topic.

Ezzy

MonsterDad · Post by **MonsterDad** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 7:09 am

ezzy333 wrote:
cmc274 wrote:Well I am guessing ezzy isn't your friend since he is at the heart of most dog food arguments.
Yep I create a lot of arguments about dog food. I still haven't ever told anyone what brand to use. I do take part in many since I have tried to educate people in an area I know something about. But you are probably right, I should just let people talk and ignore the topic.

Ezzy

I'll agree with Ezzy to a point:

"There's no scientific evidence that any food is better than the next," says Joseph Wakshlag, D.V.M., Ph.D., an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Pets can thrive on inexpensive food or become ill from pricey food. If your animal is active and healthy, the food is doing its job. A higher price could mean better ingredients and better quality control during and after manufacturing. But you might also be paying for pretty packaging, marketing, or a fancy name."

But...when you get to a certain low price point, you have to wonder where the corners are being cut. When I see foods for $.50lb like Diamond, there has to be a catch, it can't just be they are more honest, buy in greater scale or manufacture better to keep costs down.

You can underpay, which can kill your dog or cost you a bundle in vet bills, or you can overpay and just feel like a fool. Somewhere in the middle is the right answer.

ROTTnBRITT · Post by **ROTTnBRITT** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 7:28 am

MonsterDad wrote:
ezzy333 wrote:
cmc274 wrote:Well I am guessing ezzy isn't your friend since he is at the heart of most dog food arguments.
Yep I create a lot of arguments about dog food. I still haven't ever told anyone what brand to use. I do take part in many since I have tried to educate people in an area I know something about. But you are probably right, I should just let people talk and ignore the topic.

Ezzy
I'll agree with Ezzy to a point:

"There's no scientific evidence that any food is better than the next," says Joseph Wakshlag, D.V.M., Ph.D., an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Pets can thrive on inexpensive food or become ill from pricey food. If your animal is active and healthy, the food is doing its job. A higher price could mean better ingredients and better quality control during and after manufacturing. But you might also be paying for pretty packaging, marketing, or a fancy name."

But...when you get to a certain low price point, you have to wonder where the corners are being cut. When I see foods for $.50lb like Diamond, there has to be a catch, it can't just be they are more honest, buy in greater scale or manufacture better to keep costs down.

You can underpay, which can kill your dog or cost you a bundle in vet bills, or you can overpay and just feel like a fool. Somewhere in the middle is the right answer.

+1
I completely agree with how you said this.

Mstng_ray · Post by **Mstng_ray** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:08 am

Now that make sense to me. Thanks monster.

wems2371 · Post by **wems2371** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:15 am

ezzy333 wrote:
Mstng_ray wrote:What's everyone's thoughts on BLUE BUFFALO dog food. I currently feed PURINA PRO PLAN with good results. The BLUE BUFFALO just seems healthier from what I've read.
the key to your question is"I currently feed PURINA PRO PLAN with good results". So how do you expect to find a better feed when the one you are using is performing just as it should?

Ezzy

+1

Vonzeppelinkennels · Post by **Vonzeppelinkennels** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:27 pm

$.50 a lb Hmmm so if some one feeds their dogs any food that only costs $.50 a lb.their dogs are either going to be at the vets everyday or in the ground?? I have fed Diamond & am now feeding The Pride.Pride is only $26 a bag for 50 lbs that's
total price tax included.I have 8 dogs last one to see the vet was almost a yr ago for a Brucellosis test before breeding.Last ones before that was to have tales & dew claws done,that litter is now going on 5.Haven't buried a dog in a while.I have an almost 13 yr old dog that still looks,acts,& hunts like a 6 or 7 yr old.Something don't seem right maybe I should start spending about $10 more a bag!! :roll:

What ever makes you feel good I guess,but I'm sick of hearing about dog food period

jwnissen · Post by **jwnissen** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:38 pm

I fed my shorthair blue buffalo for the first year of her life. It was what the vet recommended. It was starting to get expensive so I was looking to change her food. While she was at the trainer, he said she was loosing a lot of weight and switched her to eukanuba performance. She started putting on weight and I have been feeding it to her since. Her coat is actually shinier and her poop is a lot more solid. I but a 44lb bag from him, kennel bags, for $45. In the store they are about $50 for a 33lb bag, still up there but you get 9 more lbs of food. Everyone has their favorite, but if the dog is doing good on what you are feeding her, then I would stay with that. She is doing better on this food than on blue buffalo so I will never go back. Hope this helps.

John

Maurice · Post by **Maurice** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 3:20 pm

Vonzeppelinkennels wrote:$.50 a lb Hmmm so if some one feeds their dogs any food that only costs $.50 a lb.their dogs are either going to be at the vets everyday or in the ground?? I have fed Diamond & am now feeding The Pride.Pride is only $26 a bag for 50 lbs that's
total price tax included.I have 8 dogs last one to see the vet was almost a yr ago for a Brucellosis test before breeding.Last ones before that was to have tales & dew claws done,that litter is now going on 5.Haven't buried a dog in a while.I have an almost 13 yr old dog that still looks,acts,& hunts like a 6 or 7 yr old.Something don't seem right maybe I should start spending about $10 more a bag!! :roll:

What ever makes you feel good I guess,but I'm sick of hearing about dog food period

I'm alright I guess since I am paying about 55 cents per pound for Sportmix dog food

Pride is a top notch feed too.. I think Ezzy is spot on with his post on dog food.

Mo

displaced_texan · Post by **displaced_texan** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 6:56 pm

ezzy333 wrote:
displaced_texan wrote:
ezzy333 wrote: the key to your question is"I currently feed PURINA PRO PLAN with good results". So how do you expect to find a better feed when the one you are using is performing just as it should?

Ezzy
I used to feed one feed, with good results, now I feed something else with better results...
Good for you! can you tell us the differences in the results so people will know what to look for and how to measure just how good each feed performed?

Ezzy

My hard keeping male maintains weight better with less feed.

jeffkrop · Post by **jeffkrop** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 7:36 pm

My brittany is great on Blue Buffalo but it is just to much to spend we are moving over to Canidae much cheaper and I hab good luck with it maybe 3 years ago.

RayGubernat · Post by **RayGubernat** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:25 pm

C'mon guys...

We are pretty much all adults here and we know that the actual cost of the raw materials and processing in any product is piddling compared to the costs of marketing and distribution.

Blue Buffalo advertises aggressively on TV and in print. That adds DRAMATICALLY to the cost of their products. Science Diet markets heavily to veterinarians. Iams and Purina advertise in all the media and sponsor events. Iams and Purina also do nutritional reasearch and that ain't cheap neither.

That stuff all adds to the cost per pound.

Also the smaller producers have to have bigger margins because their volume is lower.

I have fed quite a few feeds over the years. Most of them were high protein, high fat premium formulas and the dogs did very well on most of them. Most of the time I changed only because availability became an issue.

I used Sam's Club Exceed for a long time and the dogs did great on it, but they changed both the mnufacturer and formula and my dogs started to not look as good, so I switched. After a couple of experiments with other feeds for a few months at a time for each feed, I found something.

I am currently feeding a Blue Seal product that is 30/20 and the dogs do well on it. It has chicken meal as its first ingredient, followed by corn. and then chicken fat. I paid 32.50 per 40# bag for my last order(yeah it keeps going up too) and I get a coupon one free bag for every twelve bags, so the cost to me is approximately 75 cents per pound for a premium feed. The company manufactures a whole host of animal feeds, not just dog and catfoods, so they have a wide product base and can be pretty competitive. They don't advertise much to the general public.

Honestly though, if I were feeding only one dog, I would use Purina Pro Plan in a heatbeat or the Iams or Royal Canin premium feed. They are excellent products, manufactured to the highest standards in the industry and backed by real live honest to God scientific study and those companies support dog events. But when you are feeding multiple dogs and paying for it yourself, the cost can get silly...real quick.

RayG

displaced_texan · Post by **displaced_texan** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:48 pm

RayGubernat wrote: But when you are feeding multiple dogs and paying for it yourself, the cost can get silly...real quick.

RayG

Most true words in this thread...

deke · Post by **deke** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 10:12 am

We tried all the expensive dog foods when we first got my new pup, pro plan, blue buff, taste of the wild. Every store I went to seemed to have a "magic bullet". At the end of the day I realized he would eat anything I put in his bowl. Dogs do not care how much the food you buy them cost, they cant read. Most dogs dont even care how the food tastes, they never chew it. All you can judge is the dogs conditioning, if your dog is in good health and he isnt losing any muscle then the food is adequate. My dogs eat Kirkland brand, with a kirkland brand fish oil tablet once a day, and they are still alive and kicking.

birddogger · Post by **birddogger** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 6:41 pm

Maurice wrote:
Vonzeppelinkennels wrote:$.50 a lb Hmmm so if some one feeds their dogs any food that only costs $.50 a lb.their dogs are either going to be at the vets everyday or in the ground?? I have fed Diamond & am now feeding The Pride.Pride is only $26 a bag for 50 lbs that's
total price tax included.I have 8 dogs last one to see the vet was almost a yr ago for a Brucellosis test before breeding.Last ones before that was to have tales & dew claws done,that litter is now going on 5.Haven't buried a dog in a while.I have an almost 13 yr old dog that still looks,acts,& hunts like a 6 or 7 yr old.Something don't seem right maybe I should start spending about $10 more a bag!! :roll:

What ever makes you feel good I guess,but I'm sick of hearing about dog food period
I'm alright I guess since I am paying about 55 cents per pound for Sportmix dog food Pride is a top notch feed too.. I think Ezzy is spot on with his post on dog food.

Mo

Same here!

Charlie

birddogger · Post by **birddogger** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 7:06 pm

ezzy333 wrote:
cmc274 wrote:Well I am guessing ezzy isn't your friend since he is at the heart of most dog food arguments.
Yep I create a lot of arguments about dog food. I still haven't ever told anyone what brand to use. I do take part in many since I have tried to educate people in an area I know something about. But you are probably right, I should just let people talk and ignore the topic.

Ezzy

Al, many of us still appreciate the in put, especially for the people who are new at this whole thing. There is just so much misinformation and wrong ideas out there it can be very confusing to a lot of dog owners. Like you, I am all for people feeding anything they want, but I also like to see the accurate information put out. As for the ones who don't like it, I guess they don't have to read it.

Thanks,
Charlie

Stoneface · Post by **Stoneface** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 8:41 pm

It's ironic you'd ask this now because I just switched to Blue Natural, they're higher end feed. It is eating my lunch on cost, but after doing research and looking over the ingredients I decided to grit my teeth and give it a try for awhile to see if it really does give a difference. I will tell you I usually keep the feed pan full, but have had to stop because I killed about $60 in two weeks for just the few dogs I have. They love the food tons more than anything I've fed in the past and so far they seem to have more energy... almost to the point of having too much and going stir crazy. I think I may have to up the exercise regime. I'm with Felicia, I think it is overpriced, but I also think it's going to be a better quality feed than almost anything else you'll find on the market. As a point of reference I special ordered a 24 pound bag of feed and paid $55 for it.

In the past I've fed Eukanuba, Iam, Royal Canin, Blue Buffalo, Innova, Taste of the Wild and the more commodaty feeds like Pro Plan, Pro Pac, Diamond, etc. I found out about Iams's experiments and they own Eukanuba, so I don't feed either any longer. I really, really like Blue Buffalo, Innova, and Royal Canin. I was kind of in the air over TOTW. They seemed to not be bad, but for almost the same money I could go with one of the other three.

Red · Post by **Red** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 8:48 pm

I found out about Iams's experiments

Can you elaborate?

Cajun Casey · Post by **Cajun Casey** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 9:16 pm

Red wrote:
I found out about Iams's experiments
Can you elaborate?

He's talking about the AR set up at one of the subcons that did feeding trials for P&G.

roaniecowpony · Post by **roaniecowpony** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 10:01 pm

ezzy333 wrote: .... I still haven't ever told anyone what brand to use. ... Ezzy

I believe you did...in 2005 and again in 08

Post by **ezzy333** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 10:21 pm

roaniecowpony wrote:
ezzy333 wrote: .... I still haven't ever told anyone what brand to use. ... Ezzy
I believe you did...in 2005 and again in 08

Son of a gun-------------- Don't remember ever doing that unless some one asked and don't remember doing it even then. But I am impressed that you or anyone would spend the time to go back and read everything that has been written on here about dog food. You need to find something to do

By the way what did I tell them to use and who did I tell? I am really impressed that you wanted to know what I had posted 8 years ago.

Thanks for checking,
Ezzy

Stoneface · Post by **Stoneface** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 11:29 pm

I will send you a PM because I don't want to hear Felicia try to impress herself with all her profound knowledge.

roaniecowpony · Post by **roaniecowpony** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 11:42 pm

ezzy333 wrote:
roaniecowpony wrote:
ezzy333 wrote: .... I still haven't ever told anyone what brand to use. ... Ezzy
I believe you did...in 2005 and again in 08
Son of a gun-------------- Don't remember ever doing that unless some one asked and don't remember doing it even then. But I am impressed that you or anyone would spend the time to go back and read everything that has been written on here about dog food. You need to find something to do By the way what did I tell them to use and who did I tell? I am really impressed that you wanted to know what I had posted 8 years ago.

Thanks for checking,
Ezzy

You flatter yourself. Just a coincidence. I was searching for other info.

MonsterDad · Post by **MonsterDad** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 4:36 am

I will get back to my mid-price point argument,

If you look at PMI Exclusive Chicken & Rice (Maroon Bag) vs Blue Buffalo you will see virtually identical formulas, but PMI is $.75lb vs BB which is $1.50lb or higher. Canidae Chicken & Rice is $1.0lb.

Does anyone really think BB is worth twice the price of PMI and 50% more than Canidae??

I don't.

Cajun Casey · Post by **Cajun Casey** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 6:24 am

By the way, since a lot of people are reading this, Innova/Evo and the other Natura brands just pulled another massive recall, 100% of dry product. Take it back to where you bought it if you have any.

Post by **fourseasons** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:03 am

FWIW, it seems more and more dogs these days are developing allergies to commonly used dog food ingredients such as chicken by-products which is an inexpensive protein, hence its frequent use in dog foods - even many of the "beef" and "lamb" feeds will also have chicken/chicken by-products in them as well. By-products can include feathers as an allergen (yeah, even bird dogs can be allergic to chicken feathers <G>), and grains such as soy/corn/wheat, etc. Dogs can also be sensitive/allergic to preservatives and colorings. Common signs of allergies can be spotty hair loss, scratching at ears and/or head shaking, licking paws/legs/body, patchy redness of the skin, weight loss/lack of appetite, discharge/runny/watery eyes and/or nose, loose stools or constipation, etc. "Meat by-products" can include just about any animal species (ruminant or carnivore) - perhaps one would want to avoid buying any product made with a generic animal ingredient which doesn't specify the source animal (non-specific words like “meat” or “poultry” rather than the actual species like “chicken” or “beef”). From an online dog food advisory site: "According to the pet food industry, meat can come from virtually any kind of mammal." Aside from the emotional aspects of the possibility of feeding another pet animal to a dog, if your dog does have allergies it would be a challenge to figure out WHICH animal protein is the 'culprit' if you can't be sure just what type of meat your dog is eating (roadkill aside).

markj · Post by **markj** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:08 am

I've never seen such heated discussions and insults over DOG FOOD!

I blame TV and the media outlets. Used to be things was good enough, now everyones looking for the best cause that tv screen tells them what they are using isnt good enough why just look at OUR website....

In the motorcycle world we have these arguements over oil, like theres some secret oil is more slippery

than the rest...

If the dogs doing well, why change to something costs twice as much? same as the oil you put in your engine, any one of them will do that is on the shelf, dont have to spend 15 bucks a quart....the engine will run just as good on the cheaper stuff.

Feeding 7 dogs and now 8 pups, well cost is a factor too. 50 lb bag is now 30.00, I buy 6 a month, plus chicken corn, plus ...

roaniecowpony · Post by **roaniecowpony** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 9:11 am

To the original question; I'd stick with what's working well for you.

To the allergy issue, I'm currently trying to identify an allergen with my pointer. I've changed from Pro Plan Performance to 3 other diets over the last 6 months, the last of which was home cooked to eliminate unknown or unsuspected causes. None of the diets changed anything. The dog is back on Pro Plan Performance. Other causes, other than food, are being looked at. I think there's a tendancy for people to gravitate toward what others have said was successful and even to believe they are getting results, when there aren't any.

I think it's a good thing that dog food companies are peddling "improvements". It forces competition and competition will drive real improvements. Some people may say that 'it's been good enough for as long as I've been around'. Good for them. "Good enough" may be what their standard is. They'll keep the companies that make "good enough" products in business. America needs that too.

ACooper · Post by **ACooper** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 9:21 am

If folks want to buy premium feed and pay for all the marketing have at it, what gets old is being told its better with no proof to back it up.

Seems many folks go over to dogfoodadvisor.com drink the Kool-aid and all of the sudden they are a dog food expert.

Cajun Casey · Post by **Cajun Casey** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 9:36 am

ACooper wrote:If folks want to buy premium feed and pay for all the marketing have at it, what gets old is being told its better with no proof to back it up.

Seems many folks go over to dogfoodadvisor.com drink the Kool-aid and all of the sudden they are a dog food expert.

Regarding DFA, that includes the DENTIST that writes the blog.

Mountaineer · Post by **Mountaineer** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 10:38 am

I don't care for the name...Blue Buffalo.
Therefore, I don't use it.

Post by **ezzy333** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 11:19 am

fourseasons wrote:FWIW, it seems more and more dogs these days are developing allergies to commonly used dog food ingredients such as chicken by-products which is an inexpensive protein, hence its frequent use in dog foods - even many of the "beef" and "lamb" feeds will also have chicken/chicken by-products in them as well. By-products can include feathers as an allergen (yeah, even bird dogs can be allergic to chicken feathers <G>), and grains such as soy/corn/wheat, etc. Dogs can also be sensitive/allergic to preservatives and colorings. Common signs of allergies can be spotty hair loss, scratching at ears and/or head shaking, licking paws/legs/body, patchy redness of the skin, weight loss/lack of appetite, discharge/runny/watery eyes and/or nose, loose stools or constipation, etc. "Meat by-products" can include just about any animal species (ruminant or carnivore) - perhaps one would want to avoid buying any product made with a generic animal ingredient which doesn't specify the source animal (non-specific words like “meat” or “poultry” rather than the actual species like “chicken” or “beef”). From an online dog food advisory site: "According to the pet food industry, meat can come from virtually any kind of mammal." Aside from the emotional aspects of the possibility of feeding another pet animal to a dog, if your dog does have allergies it would be a challenge to figure out WHICH animal protein is the 'culprit' if you can't be sure just what type of meat your dog is eating (roadkill aside).

This may be true but food allergies are so rare it is not anything that I worry about. In all of the years and the hundreds of dogs I am yet to experience a dog with any allergies. And of the few I am aware of that it was thought they had food allergies turned out negative when actually put through the complete testing.

But even if it becomes a problem I would not base my food selection on what might be or what would be the hardest to trace down. Dogs can and do eat most everything they can find that is spoiled, rotten, or just plain disgusting and have done it for years without adverse effect. Food allergies have become a problem since people have heard of it and start checking to see if their dog is suffering from this malady and you can normally find what you are looking for whether it is actually there or not.

millerms06 · Post by **millerms06** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 4:48 pm

ACooper wrote:If folks want to buy premium feed and pay for all the marketing have at it, what gets old is being told its better with no proof to back it up.

Seems many folks go over to dogfoodadvisor.com drink the Kool-aid and all of the sudden they are a dog food expert.

I agree with your first statement and me thinks your correct with the second.

If someone has dogs that due horrible on ANY dog food it should be posted. To me that should be one of the only things that should be allowed on this forum pertaining to dog food. The other are studies of information that deal with digestibility that centers around core ingredients, not a specific dog food brand. If a dog food has the ingredients mentioned in a study that would be a common sense thing and should be left as such. I think heated debates over food would be dead in the water if the forum would stress these parameters. But that is just my opinion.