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Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 12:48 pm
by BillGraves
Looking at both of these as possible feeds because at 5 cups/day, Purina One isn't covering my dog's ribs. He is a 6 yr old GSP and is outside all day. He comes in at night to sleep. He is very active and gets run at a farm about 3x/week for at least an hour. Training to hunt and will get him out once or twice before the season is over. The back yard is about 3/4 acre fenced and he has the run of the place from 5:30 when I leave for work until 8:30ish when he comes inside for the night.

I looked at TOTW and Pro Plan Performance as they both have higher protein and fat than what I currently feed. I know TOTW is grain free but that doesn't really matter to me. Thanks in advance.

Bill

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 1:01 pm
by Cajun Casey
That ProPlan formula has put some weight on a couple of my skinny dogs and done nothing for others. Nicer coats, though, than with the Diamond Premium they would otherwise eat.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 1:04 pm
by BillGraves
Diamond foods didn't do well for my boy. Too much gas and loose stools at any amount!

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 1:17 pm
by kbshorthairs
I've fed Pro Plan Performance since 1995 when we won five bags at a trial. Whether I had a kennel full of dogs or one lab in the back yard......from the time puppies were ready to eat solid food until their last days. National Champions to a squatty basset hound. The reason I have stuck with it is that my dogs do well on it and they have small amounts of firm stool. I am just an Oklahoma boy, so I have never gotten into the "organic" craze or feeding boutique food to my dogs. I never knew there was such strong feelings about pet food until I read some of the threads on this forum.
When I was a kid, we fed whatever was cheapest along with a good dose of table scraps to the dogs and they would hunt ALL DAY. Now it seems that company politics have about as much influence on who buys their food as nutritional value.
Ezzy can tell you more than you ever want to know about dog food. I am sure he will stop by this thread soon.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 3:45 pm
by Fireside
I currently feed TOTW. I have one picky eater that would not hold weight on ProPlan. I just flat could not get her to consume enough of it regularly enough. She inhales her TOTW and the other two do very well on it as well. I have one that has a sensitive stomach that I was putting Probios on daily that does great on TOTW with no Probios. It appears to be the right choice for us.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 4:38 pm
by kbshorthairs
Since he is busy with a discussion on another thread, I thought I would post this here......hopefully he won't mind. :D

"What I use and why will not have any effect on your puppy. You need to find a good dog food that is readily available, affordable, and your pup likes and appears to do well on. Other than that you are just asking people to tell you what they feed and the answers will be that some of us feed about every feed manufactured, our dogs are doing well, and we think the food is great. And by and large we each are right. There is little difference in dog foods, little difference in what your dog will like, but a great deal of difference in opinions of the dog owners. But none of us are eating the food so our vote shouldn't count for much.

It's kind of like driving down the road and seeing 10 different brands of trucks that each are the best if you listen to the advertising and the owners. But they all do the job quite well and all with about the same efficiency. But if you live next to the Ford dealer and have to drive a hundred miles to any other dealer I can almost guarantee which one you will have and also practically all of your neighbors.

Just find a good one thats fairly high in protein and fat and use it. And remember no matter how much you hear or read there just isn't anything much better.

Ezzy"

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 5:54 pm
by BillGraves
Thanks,

I picked up a bag of Pro Plan Performance today. Since it is made by Purina and so is the current feed, is there any reason I need to break him in slowly with the new feed? Or is Purina One completely different than Pro Plan?

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:08 pm
by ezzy333
I would try to switch over a few days if you have the feed to do it. If not you can just switch but cut way back on feed for a day or so and then increase it gradually.

Ezzy

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 9:59 pm
by MikeB
Hi Bill,
The Pro Plan may work better well for your guy but 5 cups seems like a lot of food causing loose stools or at least large ones. I would certanly be using PROZYME digestive enzymes to help him keep the weight on and eat less food over time. Prozyme is an amazing product for many dogs. http://www.prozymeproducts.com/

Taste Of The Wild is NO comparison to anything Purina or Pro Plan makes as far as quality of ingredients. TOTW is excellent food and so is CANIDAE both regular and grain free formulas. I think for some dogs grains help a lot but it depends on what grains. I am not a fan of wheat or corn in food but it does depend on the dog and if there is any allergy to those grains. I would prefer corn as it may help the dog with energy when needed. There are a lot of good food but it doesn't matter what you feed if your dog is not digesting it's food well. If he has always been needing to keep weight on then Prozyme is the answer. Trust me when I tell you I make nothing from Prozyme for telling you or anyone on the the board this info. It just come from 25 years of using the product because it WORKS. If your not happy with the product send it back for a full refund.

Best of luck with your food choices.

Mike Bolton The Dog Trainer
So. California
thedogtrainer@yahoo.com

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 7:03 am
by mcbosco
MikeB wrote:Hi Bill,
The Pro Plan may work better well for your guy but 5 cups seems like a lot of food causing loose stools or at least large ones. I would certanly be using PROZYME digestive enzymes to help him keep the weight on and eat less food over time. Prozyme is an amazing product for many dogs. http://www.prozymeproducts.com/

Taste Of The Wild is NO comparison to anything Purina or Pro Plan makes as far as quality of ingredients. TOTW is excellent food and so is CANIDAE both regular and grain free formulas. I think for some dogs grains help a lot but it depends on what grains. I am not a fan of wheat or corn in food but it does depend on the dog and if there is any allergy to those grains. I would prefer corn as it may help the dog with energy when needed. There are a lot of good food but it doesn't matter what you feed if your dog is not digesting it's food well. If he has always been needing to keep weight on then Prozyme is the answer. Trust me when I tell you I make nothing from Prozyme for telling you or anyone on the the board this info. It just come from 25 years of using the product because it WORKS. If your not happy with the product send it back for a full refund.

Best of luck with your food choices.

Mike Bolton The Dog Trainer
So. California
thedogtrainer@yahoo.com
Whole grain corn gets a bad wrap. I have no issue with human grade ground corn in food so long as the meat is there. There are many studies showing that rice and corn are equal in terms of allergy risk, both very low. Moreover, nothing is better for a hard-keeper than a food with a limited amount of ground corn. Wire-haired and double coated dogs especially. Legitimate foods allergies are very rare and virtually all are chicken, eggs & beef.

Mike, you are 100% right on enzymes (for literally pennies a day) for dogs that have trouble with weight and stools, and yes 5 cups of food for medium sized breed is way too much food and makes no sense economically.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:41 am
by Ryman Gun Dog
Gentlemen,
I feed Exceed mixed with Diamond Large breed plus 60 most all the time, all my dogs stay in great physical shape, not skinny, not over weight. According to our Vet the reason for our dogs longevity lives, is the way we feed house and exercise our dogs. Most of our dogs live between 15 - 18 years and hunt even in their old ages. We have 6 gun dogs of different breeds, and all due very well on this mixture. They also get some Deer meat during hunting season. Recently I picked up some Pork based
food mixing it in also, in the off season, to try to keep the food cost down. It seems to be working but have only used it for one off season, time will tell.
RGD/Dave

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 9:23 am
by nitrex
Ryman Gun Dog wrote:Gentlemen,
I feed Exceed mixed with Diamond Large breed plus 60 most all the time, all my dogs stay in great physical shape, not skinny, not over weight. According to our Vet the reason for our dogs longevity lives, is the way we feed house and exercise our dogs. Most of our dogs live between 15 - 18 years and hunt even in their old ages. We have 6 gun dogs of different breeds, and all due very well on this mixture. They also get some Deer meat during hunting season. Recently I picked up some Pork based
food mixing it in also, in the off season, to try to keep the food cost down. It seems to be working but have only used it for one off season, time will tell.
RGD/Dave

Why all the mixing of feed? I don't have time for all that, nor do I want 2-3 bags of food sitting around while I use it up. I know you may have several dogs and use the feed quickly, but not all do. Can't you find one feed you are happy with?

Nitrex

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 5:15 pm
by tro182
lb for lb TOTW is a better dog food. Look at the label. Feed what works for you and you can get from a local supply.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 5:19 pm
by ezzy333
tro182 wrote:lb for lb TOTW is a better dog food. Look at the label. Feed what works for you and you can get from a local supply.
OK I looked at the label. What says it is better? Quality is determined by what it produces and not what you read I alway have found out.

Ezzy

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 5:57 pm
by mcbosco
Ezzy you have a point, but I will bet you a bottle of Johnnie Black that if you fed them head-to-head you would find feeding 5-6 cups of PPP compared to 2-3 of TOTW (or any other better food) a pretty bad deal on any number of fronts.

I won a bottle of Johnnie Blue on a similar bet comparing PPP to Annamaet Ultra. Half the food, less than half the poop for almost the same cost per lb.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 6:49 pm
by BillGraves
I got a bag of PPP and will see how that works. I also want to try TOTW on the pooch when he is finishing up this bag of PPP. I will give an update through the process.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 9:11 pm
by ezzy333
BillGraves wrote:I got a bag of PPP and will see how that works. I also want to try TOTW on the pooch when he is finishing up this bag of PPP. I will give an update through the process.
Sounds good. Will be interesting to see how they compare. Think they are both pretty good feed. Ket us know.

Ezzy

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 12:50 am
by wes_gsp
I feed a large amount of dogs. I have feed an endless list of brands and varieties and found that dogs in my kennel consistently do the best overall on purina pro plan. As a group they all have nice stools, coats, and energy level. There is always going to be some dogs that require more food then others. Some dogs have a lot of nervous energy and burn a lot of energy from compulsive behavior. I do not like the price tag on pro plan but feel it is the best food to give my dogs. ProPlan also has a great rebate program for breeders and dog enthusiasts. here is a website to save some $ on ProPlan $5/bag Pro Plan Coupons

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 5:56 am
by shags
I fed PPP for years and thought it was pretty good stuff. Last year I noticed my dogs' coats getting rough and nasty and switched to TOTW on the recommendation of a friend and what a huge difference! They also have more bottom. Their teeth stay cleaner. And I feed 1/3 -1/2 less than PPP.
The tradeoff is some putrid gas at times - it is BAD. But all in all I'm happy with the results of switching. I suspect that the formula of the PPP had been changed up somehow in the last year or so because prior it seemed fine.
I sent one of my dogs to the trainer last summer for about 6 weeks. He fed PPP. The dog's coat became coarse rough and nasty. Back home on TOTW it's real nice again. I figure if the outside is healthy the inside must be too.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 5:09 pm
by dan v
wes_gsp wrote:I feed a large amount of dogs.
Nice to see you here Wes...fine looking avatar that Duke dog makes!

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 5:12 pm
by dan v
shags wrote: I suspect that the formula of the PPP had been changed up somehow in the last year or so because prior it seemed fine.
Trena Cardwell says the same...Has been feeding PPP for years, believes something has changed in the formula....takes more feed for the same results. Looking into Loyall.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 6:37 pm
by wes_gsp
Thanks Dan,

That is also a fine looking animal you have. That must be...Buck?

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 11:31 pm
by russnhunter
I have a 2 year old Brittany, and I feed him about 2-1/2 cups of purina pro-plan select (the one with the brittany on the bag). There is less fillers in it and it seems to keep him going strong.

Other foods I would need to feed between 3 and 4 cups a day. My vet said to check the fillers and also recommended feeding scale on the bag...the less you have to feed them the less fillers, this will also keep the landmine deposits down.

I tried some natural foods and it just tore him up.
Thanks,
RussnHunter.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 11:39 pm
by ezzy333
Glad it worked as it is a good feed. But it bothers me when you talk fillers. I have never seen a filler in a bag of dog food, for a matter of fact we didn't have fillers in the mill and I have no idea where you could buy them or how you would get them shipped. :roll:

Tell me what you are calling fillers and maybe I can explain just what and why it is in the feed. As expensive as feed is I don't think anyone would buy or pay to have a filler shipped even if there is such a thing.

Ezzy

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 8:28 am
by mcbosco
ezzy333 wrote:Glad it worked as it is a good feed. But it bothers me when you talk fillers. I have never seen a filler in a bag of dog food, for a matter of fact we didn't have fillers in the mill and I have no idea where you could buy them or how you would get them shipped. :roll:

Tell me what you are calling fillers and maybe I can explain just what and why it is in the feed. As expensive as feed is I don't think anyone would buy or pay to have a filler shipped even if there is such a thing.

Ezzy

What is a "filler" is a relative concept. In a 30/20 performance kibble, corn gluten is "filler" relative to other formulas. I wish I knew how much chicken is in PPP. I doubt when all is said in done actual protein from the first ingredient is more than 5%.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:14 am
by kbshorthairs
get em Ezzy!!!

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:21 am
by mcbosco
kbshorthairs wrote:get em Ezzy!!!
For $40-$45 a bag (38lbs) people can do much better.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:22 am
by Cajun Casey
wes_gsp wrote:I feed a large amount of dogs. I have feed an endless list of brands and varieties and found that dogs in my kennel consistently do the best overall on purina pro plan. As a group they all have nice stools, coats, and energy level. There is always going to be some dogs that require more food then others. Some dogs have a lot of nervous energy and burn a lot of energy from compulsive behavior. I do not like the price tag on pro plan but feel it is the best food to give my dogs. ProPlan also has a great rebate program for breeders and dog enthusiasts. here is a website to save some $ on ProPlan $5/bag Pro Plan Coupons
FYI, that link doesn't work. It's from the coupon tab on ProPlan's FaceBook page, where you can get the coupon.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:27 am
by MikeB
Russnhunter, How much does your Brittney weigh? When you fed the "Natural" food what brand was it? How much were you feeding. Over feeding most foods will cause diarrhea in most dogs.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 12:46 pm
by dan v
Cajun Casey wrote:
FYI, that link doesn't work. It's from the coupon tab on ProPlan's FaceBook page, where you can get the coupon.
That coupon expire 12/30/10

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 12:59 pm
by Chaingang
BillGraves wrote:Looking at both of these as possible feeds because at 5 cups/day, Purina One isn't covering my dog's ribs. He is a 6 yr old GSP and is outside all day. He comes in at night to sleep. He is very active and gets run at a farm about 3x/week for at least an hour. Training to hunt and will get him out once or twice before the season is over. The back yard is about 3/4 acre fenced and he has the run of the place from 5:30 when I leave for work until 8:30ish when he comes inside for the night.

I looked at TOTW and Pro Plan Performance as they both have higher protein and fat than what I currently feed. I know TOTW is grain free but that doesn't really matter to me. Thanks in advance.

Bill
I've tried TOTW in the past and it didn't work when my younger GSP was working alot. It may be different with your dog, but don't be fooled by just the protein/fat percentages. Look at the Calories per cup (Kcals), not that high at all considering others out there.

I've come to the conclusion that most of those grain free diets just don't seem to have enough umph for high energy, high metabolism dogs during the heat of the training/hunting season or in your case an outdoor dog during winter. Again your results may be different but this was what I experienced anyway. I'm in belief that good quality grains that are part of any balanced diet have faired much better IMO.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:17 pm
by mcbosco
I agree, potato just doesn't do it.

Seems ok with say a Lab, given their propensity to gain weight.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:08 pm
by ckirsch
In the for-what-it's-worth category.....

A friend of mine manages the local Tractor Supply location, which handles twenty or more brands of dog food. I asked him which feed he believes to be the best, and he replied that he gets the most favorable comments from people who have switched to TOTW. He's told their dogs require less food per day, stay in better condition, and have improved coats. Hardly a scientific study, but interesting nonetheless.

I've been feeding Diamond Extreme Athlete, which seems pretty tough to beat on paper. Dog seems ok with it but his coat could be better. I thought the 25% fat content in that mix would surely gloss him up a bit, bit I've not seen any difference after two bags. Previously had him on Loyall Performance, and I can't detect much difference between the two.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:09 pm
by ezzy333
We have tried different levels of fat and different kind also and have seen little difference in the coats except for Linseed oil and it did tend to help when fed for several weeks. I think part of the problem is that the higher fat feeds are higher calories and the dog needs less feed with them so that the dog is not getting more fat on a daily basis.

Ezzy

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:46 pm
by mcbosco
The food grade oil is marketed as Flax Seed Oil. Linseed Oil typically has solvents in it and is used as a wood preservative.

Same seed, different use.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 7:19 am
by shags
ezzy333 wrote:We have tried different levels of fat and different kind also and have seen little difference in the coats except for Linseed oil and it did tend to help when fed for several weeks. I think part of the problem is that the higher fat feeds are higher calories and the dog needs less feed with them so that the dog is not getting more fat on a daily basis.

Ezzy
I believe the coats improve with TOTW because of the quality of the protein, emphasis on quality. Increasing fat/oil improves haircoat if fat deficiency was present; adding more if it isn't necessary either pudges 'em up too much or results in loose sloppy stools.
It's like when ladies want to grow nicer nails, they add knox gelatin to their diets, they don't add more oil or fat.
I have no science to back this up, but have done a ton of observing and experimenting over the years, fwiw :lol:

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 7:57 am
by ezzy333
shags wrote:
ezzy333 wrote:We have tried different levels of fat and different kind also and have seen little difference in the coats except for Linseed oil and it did tend to help when fed for several weeks. I think part of the problem is that the higher fat feeds are higher calories and the dog needs less feed with them so that the dog is not getting more fat on a daily basis.

Ezzy
I believe the coats improve with TOTW because of the quality of the protein, emphasis on quality. Increasing fat/oil improves haircoat if fat deficiency was present; adding more if it isn't necessary either pudges 'em up too much or results in loose sloppy stools.
It's like when ladies want to grow nicer nails, they add knox gelatin to their diets, they don't add more oil or fat.
I have no science to back this up, but have done a ton of observing and experimenting over the years, fwiw :lol:
Wht are you calling "quality of protein"? Since the body uses chemicals called amino acids and we can find them in many different places, just what is the difference between an amino acid found in pork or chicken or any other source? It is just a chemical that we have given the name protein to so we can identify what they do as far as body use goes. In other words I don't think the body can tell where an amino acid comes from,whether it be from a cow or from cat poop. The differences may come from other things but not from the amino acids themselves.

Ezzy

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:34 pm
by shags
Well, I think there's more nutrition in a hunk of bison than in a quarter pound of chicken beaks, is all. If it was all about molecules, the Donner Party would have survived if only they had had more boots to boil for soup, right? :lol: I don't care at this point about the science of it, all I care about is results.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:48 pm
by tro182
I have heard alot of positives about TOTW compaired to PPP...I agree results do speak.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 6:16 pm
by BillGraves
Well, two days so far on the PPP and no adverse reactions. Stool is firm, but there seems to be a lot of it per day. I have him at 3 cups/day and will give it some more time there and see if he adjusts to it. So far so good, but two days is hardly enough to tell anything.

Bill

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 9:40 pm
by ezzy333
If you need to make any further adjustments to the amount do it very gradual with small amounts. Then let us know how the dog is doing and don't judge it be the amount of the stool in a month or two.

Ezzy

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:00 pm
by russnhunter
MikeB wrote:Russnhunter, How much does your Brittney weigh? When you fed the "Natural" food what brand was it? How much were you feeding. Over feeding most foods will cause diarrhea in most dogs.
Hi Mike,
Hunter weighs 44 pounds.
I do not remember the brand of natural food that I had tried.
I had cut it in with the pro plan select but it just did not agree with him....the cut in took about a week...when I went to the straight natural food, he had major diahrea.

The PPS has kept his coat really nice.

I have another question, have you heard or have any suggestions about possibly mixing pedialite in the dogs water when out in the field to keep electrolytes up?

Thanks again,
Russ

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 10:22 am
by Chaingang
I doubt pedialyte is going to cause any problems when used to help keep a dog hydrated during the runs. It' safe to use, but then again just keeping enough fresh water available will also be good enough.

As for out in the field, I guess it depends on who you believe. There are those that feel electrolyte supplementation for dogs is not necessary as they don't sweat except for a small amount through their pads. http://www.purinaproclub.com/sportingdo ... -dogs.aspx

Here is an excerpt from from the above link:
Unfortunately, electrolyte solutions typically used to hydrate humans do not work with dogs. Dogs do not sweat in useful amounts except from their footpads, instead they pant to cool themselves. Therefore, they do not lose electrolytes at the same rates as human athletes. Human electrolyte solutions can actually make dehydration worse in dogs because it causes an imbalance between the concentration of electrolytes inside and outside of the cells. This situation causes the water to be pulled out of the cells, which further exacerbates the dehydration condition. Most human electrolyte solutions are high in simple sugars, which can also exacerbate dehydration by pulling even more water into the gut. Feeding a quality diet should provide enough electrolytes so that the dog does not need to be supplemented, either pre- or post exercise. Therefore, dogs should be offered clean water in the field as often as possible.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 10:28 pm
by rmoorman
I have done a TON of research on food and have conducted a couple of feeding trials with my dogs. TOTW is an excellent dog food.. I would never touch anything from Purina, Iams or Eukanuba. Curently we feed our dogs FROMM ( family business based in WI) and our dogs do great on it- my Wirehaire/Lab mix is 80-82 lbs and only needs 4 cups a day to maintain weight. BUT keep in mind we do not hunt our dogs very hard. My husband is more of a causual hunter. Two more good foods to try are Nature's Variety and NAVTIVE. NATIVE is cool because it has 4 different levels, from moderate activity to high perfomance, and the cost is very reasonable. Nature's Variety is great if you have a dog with allergies to any grains or specific meats.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 6:07 pm
by BillGraves
Well, we're one week in on the PPP only diet (I had a little of the old stuff left and it's finally gone). My boy is still thin but I dropped from 5 cups of Purina One to 3 cups of PPP. I just went up to 3.5 cups/day and we'll see how that goes. I'm thinking I might need a digestive enzyme for him? Thoughts on that? He is active all day outside in the yard and paces constantly from one side of the yard to the other. I'll keep trying and see what happens. Thanks for all the replies so far.

Bill

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 6:22 pm
by ezzy333
McBosco will tell you to use a supplement and I don't think there is much wrong with using them. My biggest concern is with some types of supplements is when you provide the things the dog should be producing on its own, you just make the problem worse as the body will shut down completely since it no longer needs to produce the enzyme. But by and large, our dog foods of today have everything the dog needs and in my experience I have never had a problem that needed anything added to it. You read the ads about feeding a spoonful of some protein supplement and if you stop to think even if it was pure protein a spoonful would make very little difference in the total amount the dog would be getting. Stay the course and you will see results. Dogs are like people and some stay thinner and they are usually the healthiest ones. We just like to see ourselves and our animals a lot heavier than we really need to be to be healthy but it is so easy to overfeed with our really good dog foods of today.

Ezzy

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 6:30 pm
by ezzy333
rmoorman wrote:I have done a TON of research on food and have conducted a couple of feeding trials with my dogs. TOTW is an excellent dog food.. I would never touch anything from Purina, Iams or Eukanuba. Curently we feed our dogs FROMM ( family business based in WI) and our dogs do great on it- my Wirehaire/Lab mix is 80-82 lbs and only needs 4 cups a day to maintain weight. BUT keep in mind we do not hunt our dogs very hard. My husband is more of a causual hunter. Two more good foods to try are Nature's Variety and NAVTIVE. NATIVE is cool because it has 4 different levels, from moderate activity to high perfomance, and the cost is very reasonable. Nature's Variety is great if you have a dog with allergies to any grains or specific meats.
I think the feed you say are good probably are. I used to feed the Fromm's and it did a good job. And of course you are welcome to feed what ever you like but if you are trying to tell us that the Purina or the other feeds are not good. There probably are more high performing dogs eating Purina based feeds than any other brand. And the others including TOTW are good feeds but do seem to be over priced for what you get. Dog food is kind of like cars, everyone has a favorite even though they all do the same thing. And I will guarantee if the choice was left to the dogs we would have a lot more healthy dogs with a lot less debate over which one is better than the rest.

Ezzy

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 7:56 pm
by mcbosco
ezzy333 wrote:McBosco will tell you to use a supplement and I don't think there is much wrong with using them. My biggest concern is with some types of supplements is when you provide the things the dog should be producing on its own, you just make the problem worse as the body will shut down completely since it no longer needs to produce the enzyme. But by and large, our dog foods of today have everything the dog needs and in my experience I have never had a problem that needed anything added to it. You read the ads about feeding a spoonful of some protein supplement and if you stop to think even if it was pure protein a spoonful would make very little difference in the total amount the dog would be getting. Stay the course and you will see results. Dogs are like people and some stay thinner and they are usually the healthiest ones. We just like to see ourselves and our animals a lot heavier than we really need to be to be healthy but it is so easy to overfeed with our really good dog foods of today.

Ezzy
No, again you are incorrect. I suggested that since he lives in PA that he take advantage of the Annamaet's availability there. Ezzy, there are several people on this short thread saying they have had a bad experience with Purina products. Why do you second guess them. Are you the only person in the country that can judge the physical condition of a dog? You are entitled to you view but it is always that someone is wrong or, worse, stupid. You don't even use it so how would you know.

I for one wouldn't spend $45 for a 38lb bag of legacy.

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 8:54 pm
by ezzy333
Don't quite see what your post has to do with the quote of mine you copied. Don't believe I even mentioned a dog food in it. I did refer to Bill Graves saying he was still feeding PPP and doing well and I offer encouragement based on a whole lot of personal experience and the hundreds of dogs that friends are feeding and their dogs are performing as planned. Tell me how your dog performs and how much time and money you spend on feed and all of the additives and other products you buy and then explain how any of us that have a kennel full of dogs should avoid the kibbles you don't like and buy the products you are for 5 to 25 dogs. That's why I tell you and anyone else to feed what you want but don't always try to make out it is better than what most of us have found will work and work well.

Ezzy

Re: Pro Plan vs. Taste of the Wild

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 9:16 pm
by mcbosco
ezzy333 wrote:Don't quite see what your post has to do with the quote of mine you copied. Don't believe I even mentioned a dog food in it. I did refer to Bill Graves saying he was still feeding PPP and doing well and I offer encouragement based on a whole lot of personal experience and the hundreds of dogs that friends are feeding and their dogs are performing as planned. Tell me how your dog performs and how much time and money you spend on feed and all of the additives and other products you buy and then explain how any of us that have a kennel full of dogs should avoid the kibbles you don't like and buy the products you are for 5 to 25 dogs. That's why I tell you and anyone else to feed what you want but don't always try to make out it is better than what most of us have found will work and work well.

Ezzy
You always duck. You said rather sarcastically that I would recommend a supplement. Show me where I did in this thread. Several people criticized the product in this thread and you just bust in implying, well more than implying, they are wrong, inexperienced, gullible or stupid. Then you always revert to the same holier than thou "show me" stuff. Don't you think others can do simple math?

Do you not realize that you do this?