Exceed, now that it's back

[snips]

I bought a few bags to put my dogs I am trialing on I have not fed it for over a yr..Well, these dogs started loosing weight and it was like I could not feed them enough...Seems like the stools are different too. Seem kinda green...Anyone else see a change? I have switched them back over to the Sportmix and they look better already after a few days...

[Georgia Boy]

The company that makes sportsmix also makes pro pac and earthborn, they are their higher end feeds. I met with the rep a couple weeks ago got a few sample bags of the earthborn. The dogs love it and are doing great but it is a little pricey. The pro pac is about the same as pro plan and more reasonably priced. Might be something worth looking into .

[mcbosco]

Brenda, did they give you your money back? A friend with 10 Spinone wanted to save money so he went with a private label brand for a few months. All was well until the same happened, the company refused to take the food back and give him a refund. One of the older dogs liver enzymes were out of whack. He threw in the towel and went back to the food from a small company in South Carolina that he used for years.

Usually greenish stools is from bile, but that may not be what happended to you.

[kninebirddog]

Brenda we went to Loyall performance and even though it says a lower protein The dogs are doing GREAT on it the pointers are even gaining weight and maintaining nicely ..they are getting far more out of loyall then they ever did on the exceed before or after the formula change they did even my trial friends are using the performance or the active adult and say the professional which is a 31 is to much

we are feeding less now and at the seminar this weekend I had a few people complement on how nice and soft the coats are on my dogs the regular dogs are doing extremely well on the maintenance also

[Greg Jennings]

My V is doing OK on it from a weight perspective. It's *so* not like it used to be, though. The mix was supposed to stay the same, but I'm here to tell you that *something* changed.

Oh, well. Got to start experimenting again.

[Vman]

I tried the Eagle Pack perf. after Exceed made the switch. I had to feed more and it cost alot more than the Exceed and the dogs went down hill. I agree that Exceed is not what it used to be. But it is still the best I have found for the money. I have a GSP in for training that was a little gant when he arrived. I asked the owner if this was on purpose? He said NO, he had been trying to put weight on the dog but couldn`t. He feeds Pro Plan Perf. I told him I would feed him the Exceed and see what happens. He has been on Exceed for about 3 weeks now and has put on a couple of pounds and his coat has improved, but I would give credit to Yogurt for that. Maybe the yogurt allowed him to absorb more nutrients and that is the reason he put on weight, I don`t know. But he has done better on the Exceed, so who knows. If it works use it, if it doesn`t try something else.

[mcbosco]

I tried the Eagle Pack perf. after Exceed made the switch. I had to feed more and it cost alot more than the Exceed and the dogs went down hill. I agree that Exceed is not what it used to be. But it is still the best I have found for the money. I have a GSP in for training that was a little gant when he arrived. I asked the owner if this was on purpose? He said NO, he had been trying to put weight on the dog but couldn`t. He feeds Pro Plan Perf. I told him I would feed him the Exceed and see what happens. He has been on Exceed for about 3 weeks now and has put on a couple of pounds and his coat has improved, but I would give credit to Yogurt for that. Maybe the yogurt allowed him to absorb more nutrients and that is the reason he put on weight, I don`t know. But he has done better on the Exceed, so who knows. If it works use it, if it doesn`t try something else.

V,

Try this especially for hard keepers,

http://www.nzymes.com/pc/articles.asp?a ... d=&panel=5

It is one a few good products out there but it has both yogurt cultures and enzymes and its cheap and made 100% from USA sources, one year supply for two medium dogs is about $30.

[ezzy333]

I can't make myself buy and feed any additive on a continuing basis. There is no better way to make the body stop producing something naturally that to supplement it to a level where the body doesn't need to produce it. They have found this to be true in humans and now many of doctors and researchers are finding the same thing with animals. If there is a strong medical need for a short time supplements can be fine but for routine continued use it seems you do more harm than good. I was encouraged when talking with the doctors at our regional animal hospital about a dog that they made the same recommendation. None of them believed in routine continual use of supplements for the good of the dog or your pocketbook. Our modern day dog foods provide all of the nutrition a dog needs with out additives being used.

Ezzy

[fordman]

My dad feeds the Exceed to 3 setters I am watching them for him the dogs are skinny and yes there stools are green, I am glad that my feed of choice is Enhance dogs look good and no green Sh!t.

[Ryman Gun Dog]

Snipes,
I agree something has changed with the Exceed dog food, my dogs are a might slimmer, no green color however. Seems to be a little more crap also.
My dogs coats and energy have not chnaged however, feeding a min of 6 dogs, its still the best way to keep my food cost reasonable.
I may mix a 40lb bag of Diamond large Breed into the 120lb Exceed storage bin, to see if I can put a little weight back on my dogs.
My Vet says the dogs are fine, but to me they still look a might thin, especially my Red Setter one year old, I can now see his ribs a might.
Over all however they still look and act real good on the Exceed diet.
RGD/Dave

3 of the Setters

[nanney1]

RGD, are you conducting an experiment to determine the top Setter breed? Or could you just not decice which you liked best and had to get all three? Maybe you need a Red and White to add to the mix....

[snips]

I was in Sams yesterday and there was no Yellow bag on the shelves....Makes you wonder....??????

[vzkennels]

My wife went to Sams here & all they had was 2 pallets of the Rice & lamb so she ask if they had Chicken & Rice in the back.They checked for her & the guy said they aren't going to have the chicken & rice untill all the L&R is sold.He looked in the books & said they have no C&R on order & don't know if they are going to carry it anymore or not.I'm about fed up with all of them but have to feed some thing.I guess it's back to the drawing board try to find something that works & been around for awhile & going to stay around.

[Ryman Gun Dog]

nanny1,
One of my dreams was to have all three major Setter lines in my Grouse Dog Training Kennel, wanted a good Irish Setter to go along with my Ryman ES and Thomason Gordons, I was led to beleive the Red Setters were a little better dog than they really happen to actually be. Rory is a very good field dog, as a Setter should be, however he does not have the layed back, around the home or Kennel disposition I expected him to have. He would be a great dog for a single or two dog home, but in a multipule dog home, his personality is not what I want to see, compared to a Ryman or Thomason Setter. He will be a very serious Grouse dog when he matures, but would be much better off in a single or dual home atmosphere.
RGD/Dave

We have German dogs also, Gretchen our Weimar



Sampson our Small Munsterlander

[wannabe]

My hard keeper is skinny as ever, and my easy keeper is fat and sassy. Their coats and attitude are good, so I am happy that it is back on the shelf. After reading the last few posts, I will probably make a trip to Sam's this week to make sure that it is still on the shelf. If not, I will switch to Pro Pac and never look back. I tried the Diamond Natural Extreme Athlete, and the dogs and I were not happy with it.

[Maurice]

Exceed was a good food and still might be. I switched to the sportmix over a year ago and like it much better, no need to switch again unless they screw it up. So far it has been very consistent, the price is hard to beat too, 21.00 bucks for 50 pounds.

Maurice

[wannabe]

I'm done with Sam's and their on again/off again dog food. I bought three bags of Pro Pac High Performance today. I managed to get a discount at the feed mill, so it only costs a few cents a pound more than Exceed.

[gdog]

I jumped ship as well. Went to Arkat VF Performance.

[midnightrun]

I fed Exceed (mostly L&R) for years, until they switched manufacturers last summer. It was originally formulated and produced by Purina...but is now produced by Mars. Mars is the largest manufacturer of dog foods in the country. Problem is, they make a lot of crappy foods. They are also the parent company of Pedigree, who is well known for their anti-hunting group support. I called Sams corporate and spoke with the pet foods buyer, who claimed the Mars food is identical to the Purina made food. Anyone who has fed it for a while knows that it is NOT the same. I voiced my displeasure with the food and the new manufacturer to the buyer and then switched foods.

I now feed Purina One Lamb & Rice for maintenance (its virtually identical to the old Exceed Lamb & Rice and costs $5 more for 44lbs) and Pro Plan Performance to the competition dogs, pregnant bitches and while hunting. I've tried a number of other brands (Eagle Pack, Euk, Pro Pac, Diamond, Exclusive, Native) and I always went back to Pro Plan. Pro Plan stool quality is easily the best of any food I have ever fed (other than perhaps the original Exceed food)...and the dogs hold weight on it. To each their own, I guess.

[ckirsch]

"They are also the parent company of Pedigree, who is well known for their anti-hunting group support."

Good to know. I''ve been thinking about switching to Loyall, and it will be easier to do now that I know that Exceed is manufactured by the enemy......

Thanks for the info!