I was on here earlier because my mom’s dog was having some serious issues. Didn’t eat for a few days and didn’t poop. I think it was her food (she is still going to the vet on Friday the earliest she can be seen in the small town).
Anyhow after researching on the web for hours and seeing what my mom could afford to do I decided to have her try a few tablespoons of olive oil since Sparky wouldn’t eat anything to help her (fiber). It worked! Sparky pooped and then ate 2 bowls of food, she is moving around a lot more and wagging her tail again.
I just think the food my mom bought her (because it’s what she could afford) wasn’t good for Sparky who is an 8 year old lab mix at 90LBS.
So what can I buy for her? I will be calling a store and buying over the phone since I am across the country or just sending my mom a good amount for higher quality food. I can’t afford too much but anything is better than what she has (store brand).
Some ideas;
Nutro Max Natural / Iams Natural ?
Stay away from anything with menadione (Nutro and Nature’s Recipe). If you don’t know what it is, google menadione.
Skip the Iams and the Nutro max if you are having issues.
Blue Buffalo. Literally only $5 more a bag, but NO FILLERS, NO DYES, NO ARTIFICIAL PRESERVATIVES, NO BY-PRODUCTS.
It is an awesome food.
There are a couple different formulas of Blue (chicken, lamb or fish), and they also have Large Breed.
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
click where it says reviews
b.a.r.f food is even better than those kibble brands
Wellness brand is what i buy for mine and there is no fiber problems there. It’s a great food and if there ever was a fiber problem i give them pumpkin puree. works like a charm.
KIBBLES&BITS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here are the best rated dog foods. http://www.the-puppy-dog-place.com/best-dog-food.html
Hope he gets better!
honestly both Nutro Max and Iams are crap.. Nutro has a better food – Nutro Natural Choice..
its still not top food..
you have to realize when you buy better food – you feed less because their is more nutrition.
I buy my pet food at a livestock supply store because its cheaper there.. but you still have to be familiar with brands and ingredients.. as a rule NONE of the food sold in grocery stores is any good.
http://gomestic.com/pets/facts-and-fallacies-about-dog-food/
You could cook the dog’s food. Boiled chicken and rice. I cook this for my dog and mix in some normal dog food to give him a bit of variety. It is a very lean and healthy diet…
The one that YOUR dog thrives on is best.
edit
So 4 people want to feed their dog foods that they do not thrive on?!? How stupid is that?!?
stay away from store brands. i was in the vet tech program and they couldnt have stressed that enough. good brands at a reasonable price are purina, iams, and pedigree…they have different varieties for different needs, they have a blend for digestive issues, and so on.
stay away from store brands. i was in the vet tech program and they couldnt have stressed that enough. good brands at a reasonable price are purina, iams, and pedigree…they have different varieties for different needs, they have a blend for digestive issues, and so on.
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First of all, Purina, Iams and Pedigree are terrible foods and not one bit better then a store brand. They all use corn which is indigestible to dogs, they all use by-products which means they use the discarded parts of animals that would otherwise end up in a dumpster like beaks, feathers, claws, intestines etc and they use soy which is hard for dogs to digest also.
A lot of people will tell you that Blue Buffalo is the best food for the price but I also disagree with this. Taste of the Wild is the best choice and it’s the same price a Blue Buffalo. The ingredients in Taste of the Wild are as follows:
Bison, Venison, Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Egg Product, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Potatoes, Canola Oil, Roasted Bison, Roasted Venison, Natural Flavor, Tomato Pomace, Ocean Fish Meal, Tomatoes, Blueberries, Raspberries, etc.
Notice how everything is easy to read? That is what a goods ingredient should read like.
What does a bad foods ingredients look like? Let’s take Science Diet for instance:
Ground Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Liver Flavor, Brewers Rice, Fish Oil, Flaxseed, Soybean Oil, etc.
Remember a couple things: 1.) Corn is a worthless filler that is indigestible to dogs. 2.) By-product means that they are using the discarded parts of the animal in Science Diets case, the discarded feet, claws, beaks and feathers of chickens. 3.) Soy is hard to digest for dogs and has little nutritional value. 4.) Animal fat doesn’t specify the animal meaning it can be any kind of animal including: "4-D animals" (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters, restaurant and supermarket refuse and so on.
Taste of the Wild is $40 for a 30 pound bag and because it is so high in nutrition, your mothers dog should only eat 4 cups per day of this food which should last her about a month.
I have researched this in depth since my poor dog died of kidney failure due to poor quality dog food!!(this is the only reason I answer these questions … to try and save a dogs life or at least to not let him/her suffer because of bad food)
Fromm Dog Food is Great for dogs and cats …http://www.frommfamily.com/ $42- $45 per 30 lb bag
NO fillers….some good quality grains….NO corn….gluten or by-products or wheat
ALL human grade food….fruits…veggies and probiotics!!WHOLE fruits and veggies!!!! Just like the kind we get at our grocery stores!
check it out you wont regret it !FROMM 4 STAR product line is the best!!!!!!!FROMM is a 100% holistic dog food.FROMM also has a grain-free option called surf & turf
http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/TOTW has a high protein content (not recommeded for non athletic dogs)
Taste of the Wild contains Ethoxyquin which is a toxic fish preservative. (TOTW says that the cooking process kills all of it but it scared me away from their product)
around $42 for a 30 lb bag …. its the cheapest 6 star food ..
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ lots of great dog food choices on this site !!
Orijen and Welness are great but it is $60 – $80 for a 30 lb bag…high protein as well ..not good for non athletic dogsOrijen is WAY to high in protein for a non working/non-agility dog ..
Fromm Is what my puppy gets it has a lower protein % and great ingredients! 5 outta 6 stars due to lower protein (but most dogs should not have high protein levels …. It makes their kidneys work overtime for no reason)
You can get it online and if you go to the website you can find stores near you .. they wont be at walmarts and the like… they are in feed stores .. Agway..tractor supply stores etc
IF your dog is not going to be a hard working/agility dog all this high protein can do more harm than good in the long run,,, you wont notice it now but it can take its toll on a dogs kidneys as it ages.
http://4healthdogfood.tripod.com/
there is also a brand called 4health at the tractor supply store.. it is only $30 for a 35 lb bag.. and it seems to be of good quality. (not as good as the foods mentioned above but it good for the price if you are on a tight budget.)
It is very close in ingredients to the more expensive brands
also of you go to http://www.tractorsupply.com you can get a printable $5 off coupon!!
they have tons of low and high end foods there(including TOTW and 4 Health)