Dog Food

[grant]

Which Dog food do you use? Send grantc2 an PM if you do not see your brand here, and I will add it.

[grousehunter]

I use Nutro and really like it.

[grant]

I'll add Nutro to the list...

[Country-Side Breeders]

How about adding "other" and then suggesting them to post the brand?

[grant]

Ok! =)

[raven]

I ALSO USE NUTRO MY DOG LOVES IT ,I DON'T LIKE THE TASTE BUT MY DAUGHTER DOSN'T SEEM TO MIND IT

[seadog]

Ahh, doggie doo happens. I missed Eagle and clicked other instead. So there should be 1 vote for Eagle.

[Frenchy]

I posted a vote for Iams, but I actually feed my dogs Eukenuba. Figured it was close enough. I am very pleased that Iams has finally backed out of the whole HSUS issue, because my dogs really love their food and it keeps them in great shape.

[grousehunter]

I posted a vote for Iams, but I actually feed my dogs Eukenuba. Figured it was close enough. I am very pleased that Iams has finally backed out of the whole HSUS issue, because my dogs really love their food and it keeps them in great shape.

Iams hasn't backed out of the issue. They are just trying to keep tons of hunter and dog people from boycotting their product. There is still a member of HSUS on their board, come on!

[Frenchy]

Yes they still have a member of the HSUS on the board. They also sponsor more sporting events and trials than most other companies. It would be a tremendous loss to sporting events if Iams decided to pull all sponsership. I am personally satisfied that they have removed their sponsorship for the HSUS event. I will not be performing a witch hunt of all HSUS members to locate and boycott all companies and products that they may be affiliated with. Although it is only my opinion and other people are free to buy and believe what they want.

[JJ McGuire]

Solid Gold

[MrViz]

Just started using Wysong and the dog loves it.


Bill

[txgspdad]

My dogs eat Exceed and Maxximum Nutrition. They love it, look good, run strong, and it saves their poor old dad money!

Steve

[crow]

if i could find it i would use Wayne my granddad used it for years and i did untill i moved to south ga. for some reason you cant buy it here. but know i use old faithful Purnia

[GrouseHunter22]

Iams.

[sudiegirl]

I posted a vote for Iams, but I actually feed my dogs Eukenuba. Figured it was close enough. I am very pleased that Iams has finally backed out of the whole HSUS issue, because my dogs really love their food and it keeps them in great shape.

Iams hasn't backed out of the issue. They are just trying to keep tons of hunter and dog people from boycotting their product. There is still a member of HSUS on their board, come on!

really!?? this is good to know. they sent that deal out about not supporting hsus b/c of the negative impact they had seen from their hunting/trialing clients, but this is NOT true!!?? sure does make me want to NOT buy their food if they are still supporting HSUS!!

[tfbirddog2]

Black Gold Black bag great stuff and twenty bucks a bag.

[WildRose]

I happen to be friends with one of the individuals involved in the negotiations between the PDJ, Iam's/Euk, and HSUS. The issue is far from resolved, the big sticking point is the presence of the HSUS member on the Iam's advisory board. What's been suggested is to put a pro gundog, pro hunting canine nutritionist on the board as a "balance"; alternatively to simply remove the HSUS member. Last I heard the discussions were at a standstill.

Iam's/Euk tried pacifying everyone by saying they would not support any more the the pet day projects, but the simply fact is they'd simply agreed to sponsor six or eight of them by contract and have elected due to the boycott to not contract to support any more for now.

Don't be fooled folks. CR

[dhondtm]

I started off with Eukanuba when they're puppies. But, I switched to Natural Choice High Energy to get her more fiber in her food once she was over a year or so. She has a very shiny coat and a lot of energy and seems very happy with the choice. We do not feed our dogs ANY table scraps whatsoever. By choice, but it helps keep them from pestering us when we eat. She doesn't show the slightest bit of interest. She loves ice though and I throw out the occasional grape or two.

Natural Choice High Energy

[ourhunters]

Well, we have gone from Nutro Lamb and Rice to Prescription diet Z/D. From trying so many foods, having break outs, gas, etc.; the vet finally is having us try prescription food. Let me tell you, this breaks the checkbook!

It seems to be working wonders in the gas problem, I've noticed less irritability, etc. The only thing I'm not sure about is his stools. He was going so much, and now hardly anything. Sometimes not even once a day. When he does go, he gets a little out and then has the hardest time getting anymore out, most of the time it's very loose and then he stays in his stance for quite a while while only little drops come out. Is there maybe not enough fiber in this food? Here is the info on this food http://www.hillspet.com/products/product_details.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302024497&bmUID=1090589835721&PRODUCT<>prd_id=845524441760430.

He's supposed to stay on this ultra Z/D for 6 months with absolutely no table scraps, treats, rawhides, etc. Then, switch to the regular Z/D and gradually get onto a similar regular brand food.

Any ideas or similar results on this?

Thanks.
Caren[/url]

[PA_Sportsman]

Purina one during the off season

Purina Pro Plan for the fall and winter

[reevesg]

Slowly switching from Eukanuba maintenance to Fromm's. She seems to like it better...

The breeder fed her Chicken Soup brand and she loved what I had to give her but couldn't get it locally so I switched to Euk. She has never eaten like she did the first week I had her home and she was eating the Chicken Soup.

Gareth

[Kevin]

Ourhunters,

I would say away from any food that contains ethoxyquin. It is harmfull to animals and humans (cancer organ damage etc) Hard to believe a vet would suggest that, kinda like a doctor suggesting you eat food full of MSG. I would go to a food that is naturally preserved with No wheat,soy,corn, and look for Probiotics and Prebiotics.

My $.02

[ourhunters]

Why in the world would that hills prescription diet only be sold at the vet or a vet hospital? That's insane that they would be the ones to promote this if it's harmful? Don't you think?

I checked on that preservative (ethoxyquin) and it sounds horrible. How do you know how many ppm Hills uses in their food?

Next thing to do is call the vet and tell her his symptoms and mention that and see what she has to say I guess. Thanks for that info Kevin.

Caren

[ginia]

Well, great, my ten year old cat, who's had "allergies" since I got her, was just switched to the Hills Z/D. I'm trying to get her off the steroids she's been on for years by changing her diet. She's been on just about everything. This is so discouraging. I guess I'll keep her on the steroids, put her back on her Iams, and let her gain a pound a year like she's been doing. (When she's not on the steroids, she gets loose stools and goes on the carpet -- not good!)

[Country-Side Breeders]

Many of the health issues are because of the ingredients in the foods we feed our animals. Many are allergic to the grains: corn, wheat, soy, grain fractions and other fillers...not to mention the preservatives added to them. Granted the natural feeds don't last quite as long once opened as the others, but they're better for them.

Ginia-
As for you cats issues, the same company that makes Canidae also makes a cat version called Felidae. It's got cranberries for fewer UTI's, chicken, lamb, fish and turkey, Omega 6 and 3 fatty acids for the coats, and it has probiotics, antioxidants, digestive enzymes, amino acids and chelated minerals for a healthier cat.

[llewgor]

I use Canidae and Healthwise active.

[ezzy333]

I worked in the industry for years and worked with the nutritionist and I find it hard to believe that people who have studied nutrition are formulating feed that is not tested and proven to be healthful before it is offered for sale. I don't think many of you have any idea of the money and time spent in research before a product is released and how closely they are controled by the FDA and other government agencies. That doesn't mean that there couldn't be an occasional animal that would have problems with any product. But I do know out of the hundreds of dogs we have raised, trained, shown, and boarded, over the years I haven't had a single one that had any problem caused by the feed. And the feed we manufactured would be classed as one of the cheap feeds by todays standard as it was corn and soy based.

I do know all of our pets and companions are living much longer healthier lives than they ever had because of their care and diet and the same can be said for us.

Ezzy

[QCBirddogs]

I can't get the two foods I used to feed out here in Oklahoma, I am not to thrilled with the major brands, been through most of them. None seem to keep weight on our hard working dogs.

We have been following the sled dog people and feeding raw meat with kibble as a filler. It has been working great.

Phil

[sudiegirl]

phil,
what is the cost of doing this (less or more than using the brands you used to get) and how exactly do you go about doing this? on some website, there is a list of about every dog food out there, and i noticed a couple that did boast having raw meat as contents. i wonder how they accomplished this without it spoililng... refrigeration? after trying every brand name under the sun that we could find, the thing that our dogs actually eat (which actually was a pretty big factor in keeping weight on them ) is eukanuba premium performance. it was as close to the "sled dogs food" that you used to use that i could find. the price sucks, and the food really smells horrible... but that is probably why the dogs like it so much. i know they are still fooling around with hsus and all that crap, but dont they also give a ton of support to many hunting and outdoor programs as well? either way, it has put a ton of weight on our guys and their coats look great too!

[TAK]

Black Gold

[Katies Dad]

I use pedrigee! Seems to be doin the trick I use to feed nutro but they seem to like ped alot and I havent noticed any thing wierd!

[tfbirddog2]

TAK, do you switch back and forth with yellow an black for seasons.I run black 24/7 with no probs.

[Doc Holiday]

I use a combo Eukanuba Premium Performance kibble with a 1/2 can Nutro while hunting season is in and stay with straight kibble when not. The Iams puppy biscuits are a big hit with my two dogs.
They stop everything on a bisquit call.

[TAK]

tfbirddog2
Sorry I just seen this! Black is great! I also Feed the Red and the Priemiem. Never have feed much of the yellow for the fact it is only $1 less than the balck. I at one time was dealing it but prices have went up as for diesel! To go get it. I still feed it!

[Birdhunter1]

A feedstore right up the road from us use to carry a feed calle Gainer and my dogs loved it. It was a 27% protien that I used druing hunting season and it seemed to really supplement them and it seems they digested it well. The store quit carrying it and now I use Diamond. I had never fed it to teh dogs before but i had alwaysused it as puppy food so I figured I'd like it for the big dogs too. Wrong, they seem to be looking smaller and don't seem to be bulking up like they have in the past years with the Gainer.

[NDBDHunter]

Iams

[grant]

I did Iams also, but someone said they don't support hunting so I made the switch to diamond... Dogs liked it though... BTW, I've been feeding High Energy. Should I switch for the off season? Anyone?

Grant

[ezzy333]

I'm feeding the High Energy too. Think I will stay with it this year at least. Will see how we get along before I will switch to something else.

Ezzy

[Greg Jennings]

Pro Plan Performance when we're conditioning, regular Pro Plan when we're not.

The GSP will eat anything...wakes me up demanding his food every morning of the world.

The V, however, isn't consistent on anything but Pro Plan or the Sam's version of it.

Best regards,

[snips]

We feed Pride 28-18 year round. I have these Purina coupons to use and put my dogs on this Maxximum Lamb & Rice from Wal-Mart and really like it.

[Greg Jennings]

I use the Maxximum when I'm caught out of town and need extra food. The dogs seem to do just fine on it.

I also like the Exceed from Sams.

Brenda, I keep looking for the Pride food that you guys feed and I can't find it on the web. Do you know of a web site or some way of checking it out?

Best regards,

[APRock]

DVP Natural Balance. Works great.

[kninebirddog]

We use Enhance Hunters Edge for a maintanence feed it is a 24 - 18 then the enhance performance when we are using them alot more for the extra fat and protein it is a 30-22 I have found my dogs do do very well on both...and because the base is teh same we can go up and down the sclae as needed with out having to worry about upseting the stomaches
www.arkat.com
they also have a VF formula which i use the puppy food to start then go to the enhance puppy when they become alot more active have been very pleased with this food...we feed a kennel full and the price is reasonable and the ingredients are digested well by all the dogs....

We have tried plenty of feed one of the worst when it came to kennel clean up was pedigree and the other was beef n more

will not use cheap stuff

but some of your supposed high quality dog foods are pretty high grain based foods also....they trick you a bit with micro ingrdients making you think your feeding different but that is advertising and marketing

I like the bags that make you think your getting real meat and no by products then put lower on the list animal digest and cartiledge and say these are natural sources of glucosamine...why not just call it for what it is "by product" yes they have been proven a trace source of glucosamine and also good source of protien ...But that is marketing for you deciets and twisted truths

I mean what kind of company sould come out with a dog foos that makes the bag look like something a human would love to eat ears of corn chunks of meat peas and carrots...then read teh label is is chicken by products with LOTS of CORN Sweetners and SUGAR and sucrose....even the comapny reps call that Purina Beneful " Crack for Dogs"

[Country-Side Breeders]

I like the VF formulas that they offer...although I've never tried them. I like that they don't have a lot of grains and fillers in them. I use Canidae...no fillers or corn, wheat or soy added. 3 of the first 5 ingredients are meat...the other 2 are brown and white rice. Works well for the hunting dogs and the breeding ones as well.

[ezzy333]

I fed Beneful till my pup was a year old then switched to Diamond High Energy. When I was showing and trialing I fed one of those cheap corn based feeds that we manufactured. Can't believe how many meetings we had with our nutritionist and our reserch people on how we could fool people into buying our feed and thinking it was good for a dog. Just can't believe I spent years in school studing nutrition and now find out all of the things we did were wrong.

Ezzy

[llewgor]

ezzy33 explain what you learn about nutrition that's now wrong? we are all intrested in what's good for are dogs and what's not. my deal with corn is i don't believe it should be a everyday diet or in such a large quantity.
heres another question i have about dog food . when you look at the ingredients how do you tell one brand from another brand? they almost all have the same stuff listed in the same order.

[ezzy333]

Ilewgor.

Corn is used in most feeds because it is plentiful, cheap and basically has the best balance of amino acids of any carbohydrate available today. Rice in recent years has been used quite a bit too. There has been some thought that rice was more bland and was a good substitute for corn for a dog that might have allergy problems. This is probably true but there are very very few cases where corn was the problem or for that matter any feed ingredient. I can't think of any reason why corn shouldn't be the main source of the daily carbs your dog needs.

Along with the grain, which is the main supplier of carbs, we need a protien source and that is where the meat or meat products come in. Some feeds also use some Soybean meal for protien but I think it is better to have most of the protien come from an animal source. There are some sources better than others in the area of quality and digestibility. But no one source is sufficient in every way, so to try and balance all of the amino acids that the dog needs a combination of sources is best. Where too many people get confused is because the dog is carnivorous and they don't realize that they still need vegetables. In the wild they get a lot of it from stomach materials of their kill plus they eat a lot of berries and plant material in there everyday diet.

The next area is the fats, also a major source of energy and much more concentrated than carbohydrates. There are many sources but most that are eaten in the wild were animal fats. We use this in the manufacture of dogfood also. There is a small amount in the corn and soy if it is used and also in the meat products. But we still need to supplement those sources so all manufacturers as far as I know are using animal fat that comes from the meat packing or rendering processes. The more active your dog and the colder the weather it is exposed to raises the need for a concentrated source of heat and energy. This is an area that has increased over the years and we feed higher levels today than ever before.

The mineral content of all the ingredients is determined and then supplemented with a mineral supplement including all the trace minerals. Also Vitamin content is supplemented to insure that all of the vitamins a dog needs is available.

Your comment about all dogfoods being about alike is true. We all know what the dietary requirements of a dog are whether it is working hard or not and also what stage of life it is in. The ability to meet those needs with a limited number of ingredients means most foods are going to be very simuliar. There are a few that try to use some expensive ingredients to make a better food but the ability to do so is quite limited but these are the feeds that are high priced and consequently they have to sell on the basis that the feed is better or is takes less or some other reason why you should buy it. Some of what they say may be true so it is up to the individual what they want to use.

The important thing to remember is probably without exception every dogfood on the market is adequate to provide all of your dogs needs. All are about the same with minor differences so you can have a choice of what to use. There are cases where a dog does not do well on a certain food so it is up to you to find something that works. But I will quarantee you that the main reason we have a large variety of dogfoods is to keep the owners happy and not because we need them to keep the dogs well nurished.

Like most areas you will find many ways to feed your dogs and you will find many people who swear theirs is the best way. As time goes on, it seems we think we have to have something bigger or better than we have had in the past. However, dogs nutritional requirements haven't changed. We have found a few better ways to meet those requirements but by and large dogs still need the same feeds they have had for the last several years since commercial feed manufacturing has taken over the business and are required by law to comply to the standards of a quality uncontaminated feed if they are selling to the marketplace.

Ezzy

[llewgor]

thank you ezzy nice post. common sense stuff, sometimes we make it harder on are self trying to find the perfect dog food. i use canidae and will continue because it works for me and my dogs. but you can get caught up with all this dog food sites and really get confused.(at least i do)

[Adam]

Pro Plan Performance during season and ProPlan Adult large breed during off season..