What Food?

[Will]

This is such a controversial subject that I find myself reluctant to chime in. But here goes anyway. Several things I have learned.
1. What is good for one Sheltie may not be good for another. Our female can, and often does, eat just about anything. She is a perfect weight, in perfect health, has a beautiful glossy coat and is a real "chow hound". Our male has always had a very sensitive stomach, is grain intolerant and a slow methodic eater. Other wise he is weight perfect, glossy coat, and completely healthy. We feed both dogs exactly the same food - just in different quantity appropriate to the weight.
2. We like to feed "wild" protein - bison, fish, deer, etc. A bit more expensive but it avoids a lot of problems we have had in the past. (in kibble form w. sweet potato)
3. Be very careful to avoid foods where any ingredient comes from China or other 3rd world source. This includes treats.
4. Use a high quality supplement. We use "Vibrant Pets" for skin and coat and are very pleased with the results. Lots of good "pro-biotics" and other desirable ingredients. Very effective for dogs with sensitivity issues.
5. Feeding a bit of raw once in a while is also a good idea - our dogs get raw as special treats and they love it.

There are several reliable/trustworthy brand names out there - and an experienced pet food supplier can help - but do your own research as well.

All the best with your new pup. Kind regards, Will - along with Robby & Ceilidh

 

[adellelauren]

Somuch interesting stuf. I love it. I will keep her on the SD when she comes home till comfortable and then start to transition her. I hope the transition goes smooth.

 

[Danny's mommy]

Dog good advisor website explains the pros and cons of each food and breaks it down into easy to read explanations.

 

[marymrumfelt]

You know I've been thinking a lot about kibble ( I have a cat who won't eat raw and now my fosters eat kibble) and I'm starting to realize not only do you have to take the ingredients into consideration... you also need to be taking in the SOURCE of ingredients. I live in the heart of Tyson Farms. I see semis driving by weekly full of chickens on the way to the slaughter house. This is the only time they've seen daylight most likely, they're missing most feathers, they've cut their beaks off b/c there are thousands piled upon each other and they'll peck each other to death it not, they have open sores a lot of the time, very pale, and just really, really sick. They're pumping them up with tons of antibiotics to keep them barely alive and keep diseases from spreading. (yeah, imagine thousands of chickens in one area pooping constantly --DISEASE HEAVEN!) And now we have GMO chickens that have bigger breasts -- that's CREEPY! That's the chickens.

I wanted to see what a beef lot looks like so we managed to track one down. Oh, my, gosh SO SAD. Thousands of cows who don't look good in any way/shape/form... being fed GMO CORN, SOY, and other dead cows, and same thing with the antibiotics and this time throw in hormones. Never has there been a study on the long-term effects of hormone usage nor has there been any testing in the effects of GMOs. We're basically Guinea pigs and our own Government allows it. I haven't seen the pigs up close, but seen many shows where they went into commercial feed lots with pigs and pigs had tumors and horrible things, same as the others.

So seriously, think about the meat (if there is any) you're feeding yourself and your animals. These are the animals being sold for human consumption too... the dog food is a lot worse. The lower end companies source from vet clinics for euthanized animals and also from zoos who have deceased pets. This is no joke and no conspiracy theory. If you're lucky enough to get a real animal in your kibble, it's probably a 4D animal (diseased, dying, dead, or down at slaughter time)

I really have a lot of respect for Acana pet foods and I really respect Fromm as well. They will go into details about where they source their animals from and that tells you a lot about a company. Please do take the time to research, whatever you chose, exactly what you're feeding your dog. They might do okay on dead/dying/diseased/down animals, but think of how much better they could do on a kibble that uses quality ingredients.

 

[BarbV]

Of all the issues that I face with my pet food store....what to feed my dog is the hardest question to answer.

Simply because there are SO many answers.

If the dogs are showing clear signs of allergies or poor coat condition, or digestive upset, then I do have answers for that. But if the dog is otherwise seemingly healthy, all I can say is that the dog might be MORE healthy if on a better food.

The choices are endless and getting more and more broad. Fresh raw, frozen raw, grain free, high protein, low protein, breed specific specialised diet (e.g. Royal Canin), large breed vs. small breed formulas. And that's just dogs!

When you get into cats its even worse: hairball, indoor, sensitive stomach, breed specific, etc.



So I go back to: it it ain't broke don't fix it.

I've been feeding my dogs Now! for a few years. They love it and seem to do well on it, but I don't like their poops (too big!) But is this broke? I've considered changing, but hesitate simply because it ain't broke.

Sorry if I've babbled here. It is such a complicated subject and no easy way to dummy it down.

 

[Megansmom]

Of all the issues that I face with my pet food store....what to feed my dog is the hardest question to answer.

Simply because there are SO many answers.

If the dogs are showing clear signs of allergies or poor coat condition, or digestive upset, then I do have answers for that. But if the dog is otherwise seemingly healthy, all I can say is that the dog might be MORE healthy if on a better food.

The choices are endless and getting more and more broad. Fresh raw, frozen raw, grain free, high protein, low protein, breed specific specialised diet (e.g. Royal Canin), large breed vs. small breed formulas. And that's just dogs!

When you get into cats its even worse: hairball, indoor, sensitive stomach, breed specific, etc.



So I go back to: it it ain't broke don't fix it.

I've been feeding my dogs Now! for a few years. They love it and seem to do well on it, but I don't like their poops (too big!) But is this broke? I've considered changing, but hesitate simply because it ain't broke.

Sorry if I've babbled here. It is such a complicated subject and no easy way to dummy it down.

Couldn't agree with you more Barb!

 

[marymrumfelt]

So I go back to: it it ain't broke don't fix it.

I don't agree with this motto because up until two years ago, I drank a lot of soda, ate candy, processed foods and fast food. I weighed 95lbs and wasn't on any medication or anything. I guess you could say I wasn't "broken." Fast forward two years and I'm eating much healthier and taking care of my body way more. I feel like I have more energy and more mental clarity. So if I had lived by that motto, I wouldn't have improved my life. While something may not be out and out broken, there can be room for improvement. Also, I feel like this motto can be dangerous because the people who lost animals during the huge recall in, I believe, 2007 probably wish they had check their dog food company and it's quality control a little better. To be fair, it is legal to put to use things such as zoo animals, euthanized animals, 4D animals in pet food for a reason. Companies do it. Do you really want to feed your pet that? So I do think it's worth doing research into what you're feeding your pet and the ethics behind the company. There are good, ethical dog food companies out there and with the internet access is abundant!

This poster, however, doesn't have much to judge on being broken or not since this is a new puppy. I can assure you problems will arise if you feed a corn-based food to a canine, though. It sounds like her mind has been made up which is always a relief so I'm happy for her! Best of luck with your new puppy!!

 

[adellelauren]

I don't agree with this motto because up until two years ago, I drank a lot of soda, ate candy, processed foods and fast food. I weighed 95lbs and wasn't on any medication or anything. I guess you could say I wasn't "broken." Fast forward two years and I'm eating much healthier and taking care of my body way more. I feel like I have more energy and more mental clarity. So if I had lived by that motto, I wouldn't have improved my life. While something may not be out and out broken, there can be room for improvement. Also, I feel like this motto can be dangerous because the people who lost animals during the huge recall in, I believe, 2007 probably wish they had check their dog food company and it's quality control a little better. To be fair, it is legal to put to use things such as zoo animals, euthanized animals, 4D animals in pet food for a reason. Companies do it. Do you really want to feed your pet that? So I do think it's worth doing research into what you're feeding your pet and the ethics behind the company. There are good, ethical dog food companies out there and with the internet access is abundant!

This poster, however, doesn't have much to judge on being broken or not since this is a new puppy. I can assure you problems will arise if you feed a corn-based food to a canine, though. It sounds like her mind has been made up which is always a relief so I'm happy for her! Best of luck with your new puppy!!

I think we will all be on the perfect food search. If all goes well with the Wellness she will be staying on it till an adult. At that time it will be research time again to see if the Wellness food is still good for her as an adult or something else.

 

[The Quahog]

I think we will all be on the perfect food search. .

I would recommend not getting overwrought on 'the perfect food.' There are a great many good choices. Don't drive yourself crazy that perhaps there is a better one than the one your pet is thriving on.
Be aware that the information you receive on message bards and many websites is opinion, and much of it quite bizarre opinion.

Research is great - message boards are fine in a 'social' way to hear people's experiences and get support. Just don't read them and go 'Oh my God! I didn't realize I was killing my dog with that food/medication/training. Why didn't my vet tell me? I'll change tomorrow!'
For actual research I would strongly suggest working through the veterinary university websites - google in Cornell veterinary nutrition, or Tufts, or Ohio State or whatever, (Cornell is the best :wink grin. Not only good info but excellent,peer reviewed links. These are professional educators who can present info in a manner that is understandable, measured, and balanced.
And, most important, enjoy your puppy!!!! -Dr. Mac

 

[KarenCurtis]

I would recommend not getting overwrought on 'the perfect food.' There are a great many good choices. Don't drive yourself crazy that perhaps there is a better one than the one your pet is thriving on.
Be aware that the information you receive on message bards and many websites is opinion, and much of it quite bizarre opinion.

Research is great - message boards are fine in a 'social' way to hear people's experiences and get support. Just don't read them and go 'Oh my God! I didn't realize I was killing my dog with that food/medication/training. Why didn't my vet tell me? I'll change tomorrow!'
For actual research I would strongly suggest working through the veterinary university websites - google in Cornell veterinary nutrition, or Tufts, or Ohio State or whatever, (Cornell is the best :wink grin. Not only good info but excellent,peer reviewed links. These are professional educators who can present info in a manner that is understandable, measured, and balanced.
And, most important, enjoy your puppy!!!! -Dr. Mac

Well said! I don't see who could argue with this statement. We feed Blue Buffalo here, Sandstorm loves it (he would eat anything anyways), and we love it- a really good quality dog food, and the fish in it smells like fish!!!!