# Best dog food and why:



## finnfinnfriend

I might adopt a dog tomorrow and I want to know what is the best dog food brand and why.....This is what I was planning on getting for her: 

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12773211&lmdn=Brand


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## teeneythebetta

Funny, I was going to say wellness! It is my favorite brand for dogs and cats!
Way-to-go! Post pics when you get your doggy 

Go here and click "save $5" and you can print a $5 off coupon for wellness dry food.. http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/wellness-natural-dog-cat-food.aspx

They release those every month in their newsletter. I suggest you sign up for that newsletter


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## Gen2387

I'm a veterinary technician so I'm pretty sure I can help you with that. Lol! The difference between dog food bought in supermarket, petshops and vet. clinics are the ingredients they put in them. Basically the food you're going to buy in supermarket or walmarts are the ''junkfood'' of the animal world. It's cheap because the proteins and meat used are scraps left from the animal (chicken, beef...).

Food that's sold in vet clinics are exclusive to them, you can't find them anywhere else. The reason that it's a little more expensive is that the companies have research centers and a lot of research went behind the food. The also use the best part of the animals to get the proteins from. Don't get fooled if you buy Purina Veterinary Diets just because it says by-products on the bag. The by-products used in this food is actually the best parts of the animals like the liver, bone marrow, intestines. 

Petshops sell some good food too. It's not as high quality as vet food but it's still good. 
My advice is go for a little more quality food, at least you gonna be sure your puppy gets something good. Also the food sold at vets might be a little more expensive but most of the time the quantities that you need to give to your dog are a little lower to meet the same vitamins/proteins/calories that he needs. If it's a small breed dog, the price difference is low. Most of the time the prices are vets are competitive so go check it out. 

Hope I helped a little!


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## shadowpony

It's not that there is one perfect dog food. Pre made dog food can be great, or it can be bad. Gian no-no's are corn, unnamed meat and grains as the first few ingreadients. You want named meat as the first ingredient. If is wet, then water may be the first ingreadient, thats ok. Wellness, and Blue are great foods. Iams is ok. Anything from the grocery store is BAD. Dogs are carnivores, so fruits and veggies shouldnt be in the first five ingreadents (which are organized by weight). In a perfect world, all dogs and cats would be fed on all meat diets, but some people just can't do that. The next best thing is a good pre made food.


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## teeneythebetta

shadowpony said:


> It's not that there is one perfect dog food. Pre made dog food can be great, or it can be bad. Gian no-no's are corn, unnamed meat and grains as the first few ingreadients. You want named meat as the first ingredient. If is wet, then water may be the first ingreadient, thats ok. Wellness, and Blue are great foods. Iams is ok. Anything from the grocery store is BAD. Dogs are carnivores, so fruits and veggies shouldnt be in the first five ingreadents (which are organized by weight). In a perfect world, all dogs and cats would be fed on all meat diets, but some people just can't do that. The next best thing is a good pre made food.


I agree. Wellness, blue buffalo, merrick, solid gold, innova, evo.. Great foods.

I don't like iams because they started using preservatives in it that have been banned for human consumption. Not to mention the ingredients arent all that great either.

I hate purina. Even the veterinary diets ones have corn, gluten in them. They are garbage!


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## finnfinnfriend

teeneythebetta said:


> Funny, I was going to say wellness! It is my favorite brand for dogs and cats!
> Way-to-go! Post pics when you get your doggy
> 
> Go here and click "save $5" and you can print a $5 off coupon for wellness dry food.. http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/wellness-natural-dog-cat-food.aspx
> 
> They release those every month in their newsletter. I suggest you sign up for that newsletter


Thank you for the coupon!


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## finnfinnfriend

And thank you everyone for all of your informative help!


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## Creat

Lets see personally I think science diet is fine if your dog has no major issues but its the bottom of my personal barrel per say. There are lots of types of foods what is it that you want? You can get organic ( 2 good brands are natural balance organic and castor and pollux organix) or a more natural food like blue buffalo, natures variety (personal favorite because its rotational) and others. The idea is to pick a food with protein as the first ingredient (however it can depend on the breed of the dog, large breeds can only have certain level of protein). Peoples instinctual reaction is to pick a food that says chicken instead of chicken meal, but heres the catch ingredients are listed by weight chicken has to be dehydrated into meal before it can be mixed into food (unless you are buying refrigerated or frozen food) so even if it does say chicken its the weight of it before its turned into meal. Which means with the water removed the chicken might actually be the second or third ingredient. But like I said what do you want it all personal opinion. Oh and I work as a dog trainer so people ask me this question all the time 
Personally I have one dog on natural balance buffalo and sweet potato one dog on science diet d/t and one on natures variety frozen beef.


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## starrlamia

teeneythebetta said:


> I agree. Wellness, blue buffalo, merrick, solid gold, innova, evo.. Great foods.
> 
> I don't like iams because they started using preservatives in it that have been banned for human consumption. Not to mention the ingredients arent all that great either.
> 
> I hate purina. Even the veterinary diets ones have corn, gluten in them. They are garbage!


agreed

Vet foods are definately NOT the highest quality, these foods are manufactured generally for certain illnesses that need a specific diet which is what they are good for, as a general food no thanks.

I like taste of the wild, Acana, GO!, solid gold, merrick, honest kitchen, nature's variety.


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## PaintingPintos

My dog Butch developed allergies to Kibbles n Bits (cheap-o!!) so we switched him to EVO which immediately terminated all itching and hair loss. We eventually switched to Taste of the Wild (which has many flavors-my dog loved it).....he doesn't like anything better than it. When we switch around flavors he gobbles it down like it's a deer/rabbit/caribou/chicken/turkey.... and he's normally a very calm, slow eater.
It's very healthy for him and it keeps him going (he's 11 and he is literally as active as a puppy) because we do extreme jumping and dog agility, running, hiking, and biking. He's a Tibetan Terrier, so that may have something to do with it (the breed had few health problems) but when we have a vet visit they always note how healthy he is


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## thekinetic

Back when I had a doggie, T_T, we used to use science diet. It came recommended by our vet and our dog liked it. It had lots of vitamins and stuff in it. I mean just check the different foods and see which seems best.

But to tell you the truth the vet also said that if you can afford it baked chicken is the best thing you can feed a dog.


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## teeneythebetta

I don't like science diet. Some of the formulas have meat as a first ingredient, but are followed by corn, wheat, etc. Some formulas the first ingredient is corn.

It's just overpriced CRAP that is well advertised.


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## thekinetic

True, as a matter of fact we stopped giving our dog dog food and gave her chicken and table scraps. She was much happier and lived to the ripe old age of 16.


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## Laki

This is a debateable topic because everybody has their own thoughts and experiences. Personally, unless a vet shows me a valid nutritional diploma I will not take their advice without a grain of salt. Vets are practising animal health and emergency, not so much on nutrition. A lot of vets are PAID to endorse certain companies (Science Diet might be one of them I'm not even sure what brands vets carry, Iams and Eukanuba are owned by Proctor and Gamble and they ARE paid to endorse).. So I would not take vets advice on dog/cat food anymore. I did once, and the money sank into a garbage corn filled food only made my hardy terrier quite sick. 
I only feed holistic. If I had the resources to feed raw, I would. Oh, also, there is VERY little diference in the "small breed" formulas. A lot of the holistic ones just have the puppy, adult and senior formulas. Even senior formulas aren't always that different to adult. Anyways, the key thing is to do your own research and find out what works best for your dog! 

About fruits and veggies, dogs are not obligate carnivores (like cats) so some fruit and veggies are actually beneficial to them. Blueberries being one of them  

To the OP, I cannot wait to see your dog!!


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## teeneythebetta

thekinetic said:


> True, as a matter of fact we stopped giving our dog dog food and gave her chicken and table scraps. She was much happier and lived to the ripe old age of 16.


I'm so sorry for your loss! But 16, wow!


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## teeneythebetta

Laki said:


> This is a debateable topic because everybody has their own thoughts and experiences. Personally, unless a vet shows me a valid nutritional diploma I will not take their advice without a grain of salt. Vets are practising animal health and emergency, not so much on nutrition. A lot of vets are PAID to endorse certain companies (Science Diet might be one of them I'm not even sure what brands vets carry, Iams and Eukanuba are owned by Proctor and Gamble and they ARE paid to endorse).. So I would not take vets advice on dog/cat food anymore. I did once, and the money sank into a garbage corn filled food only made my hardy terrier quite sick.
> I only feed holistic. If I had the resources to feed raw, I would. Oh, also, there is VERY little diference in the "small breed" formulas. A lot of the holistic ones just have the puppy, adult and senior formulas. Even senior formulas aren't always that different to adult. Anyways, the key thing is to do your own research and find out what works best for your dog!
> 
> About fruits and veggies, dogs are not obligate carnivores (like cats) so some fruit and veggies are actually beneficial to them. Blueberries being one of them
> 
> To the OP, I cannot wait to see your dog!!


+1 could not have said it better myself!
It is funny, I want to be a vet tech. I was thinking "man I hope the vet I work at doesn't sell that junk, it'd be awesome if we sold wellness and stuff like that" and then j thought "hmm.. I wonder if they'd consider putting a betta tank in their waiting area xDd


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## finnfinnfriend

Laki said:


> This is a debateable topic because everybody has their own thoughts and experiences. Personally, unless a vet shows me a valid nutritional diploma I will not take their advice without a grain of salt. Vets are practising animal health and emergency, not so much on nutrition. A lot of vets are PAID to endorse certain companies (Science Diet might be one of them I'm not even sure what brands vets carry, Iams and Eukanuba are owned by Proctor and Gamble and they ARE paid to endorse).. So I would not take vets advice on dog/cat food anymore. I did once, and the money sank into a garbage corn filled food only made my hardy terrier quite sick.
> I only feed holistic. If I had the resources to feed raw, I would. Oh, also, there is VERY little diference in the "small breed" formulas. A lot of the holistic ones just have the puppy, adult and senior formulas. Even senior formulas aren't always that different to adult. Anyways, the key thing is to do your own research and find out what works best for your dog!
> 
> About fruits and veggies, dogs are not obligate carnivores (like cats) so some fruit and veggies are actually beneficial to them. Blueberries being one of them
> 
> To the OP, I cannot wait to see your dog!!


Yeah the wellness is one of the holistic ones, but they had a grain free formula that was small breed so I just went ahead and got it. The dog i am hoping to adopt (pushed to tomorrow) is what I would consider senior (9 y/o) but the second ingredient in the senior formula is oatmeal, whereas the first 3 in the adult is meats, so i went with the adult.

EDIT: Also I will post pictures ASAP if everything works out and I get her!


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## Laki

Congrats!! I hope you get her!!


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## Gen2387

teeneythebetta said:


> I don't like science diet. Some of the formulas have meat as a first ingredient, but are followed by corn, wheat, etc. Some formulas the first ingredient is corn.
> 
> It's just overpriced CRAP that is well advertised.


Corn, wheat are important parts of the food. It's a myth that it's crap and shouldn't be in the food. It gives them the necessary carbohydrates and fiber which is essential for them.


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## starrlamia

Gen2387 said:


> Corn, wheat are important parts of the food. It's a myth that it's crap and shouldn't be in the food. It gives them the necessary carbohydrates and fiber which is essential for them.


 Dogs dont need carbs to thrive, they turn protein and fat into energy sources (and are in fact better energy sources then carbs). They also dont need the fibre.


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## finnfinnfriend

Well there isn't any corn/wheat in the food, but there are potatoes which are a carb  and the bluberries and such will provide fiber


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## Gen2387

starrlamia said:


> Dogs dont need carbs to thrive, they turn protein and fat into energy sources (and are in fact better energy sources then carbs). They also dont need the fibre.


Fiber does have an important role in the dog's diet. It has a limited digestability but it is good for the gastrointestinal system of the animal. It is used in weight loss diets for animals and also aids the passage through the bowels. It also helps control the blood sugar levels because it is digested a little slower and regulates the absorption of sugar by the dog's body.
Too much fiber can cause gas and more stools but they do need it in balanced quantities, they are omnivorous.


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## finnfinnfriend

Well the lady who is fostering the dog didn't show up today so I have to wait another week


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## LittleBettaFish

Heaps of dogs have corn allergies. Which is why I was surprised it was the first ingredient in Hill's food for gastro problems. Our cat is severely allergic to corn and cereal products and will throw up any food she gets that has them in it.

There is a dog food analysis site that goes through different brands of food and gives them a star rating, explaining each ingredient and why or why not it should or shouldn't be included. 

We feed Earthborn Holistics Primitive which is grain free and Eaglepack Holistic. Unfortunately Australia can hardly get any decent brands of food so we stick with these ones as they are both fairly good quality and our dogs do really well on them.


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## xShainax

Blue buffalo is good for food allergies


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## starrlamia

Gen2387 said:


> Fiber does have an important role in the dog's diet. It has a limited digestability but it is good for the gastrointestinal system of the animal. It is used in weight loss diets for animals and also aids the passage through the bowels. It also helps control the blood sugar levels because it is digested a little slower and regulates the absorption of sugar by the dog's body.
> Too much fiber can cause gas and more stools but they do need it in balanced quantities, they are omnivorous.


Being omnivores is a matter of debate, they don't need fibre in their diets especially the high amounts that are in the science diet and grocery store brands. I with kibble some appropriate easily digestible fibre is fine (ie not corn). I've had my guys on raw previously that included no carbs and my dogs thrived.


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## starrlamia

xShainax said:


> Blue buffalo is good for food allergies


Depends on the allergy, not good for meat allergies or unknown allergies, you would want a limited ingredient diet for that.


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## teeneythebetta

"So, what should you believe? What’s the truth about corn in dog food?

Is it good? Or is it bad?

Well, that depends on whom you ask.

In general, anxieties expressed over the use of corn in dog food seem to come from consumers… pet owners, breeders and the like.

Whereas the “Corn is Great” crowd appears to include those who have **something to gain** from making or selling products made with this controversial grain."

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-industry-exposed/dog-food-corn/


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## PaintingPintos

In fact, the best dog food is home-made.
My uncle has a Jack Russel and he used to feed her Blue Seal dog food. Eventually he started making his own food, and he noticed that the dog got a sheen to her coat. Her skin seemed firmer, her eyes were brighter, she had more energy. Though Blue Seal is a top brand, his mix of chicken (one of his home-grown chickens-- NO hormones) and vegetables (also home grown) and white rice was an amazing addition to the dog's diet. You can look up recipes online, but making your own food is the best option.
Also good treats are carrots. Some dogs go NUTS for them but others hate them. But unlike regular dog treats, carrots can be fed in larger amounts....


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## Sincerely

My favorite food is Orijen hands down.

I fed my dog Orijen when she was showing and it kept her coat shiny and her full of energy at only one cup a day (She is a corgi at 25 pounds )

It contains zero grains of any kind, just meat, fruit and vegetables with a high protein analysis of 38% and fat at 17% so this is a food where a little goes a long way. 

In my opinion corn, soy and wheat is just empty calories that give no essential nutrition to a dogs diet. 

Other food brands I would suggest:

-Evo
-Castor and Pollux 
-Innova PRIME
-Instinct Chicken (I love this food too, this has a very high protein analysis at 42%. I only use this food when I am conditioning her for a trial. The other variety's have a lower protein analysis.)


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## finnfinnfriend

Sincerely said:


> My favorite food is Orijen hands down.
> 
> I fed my dog Orijen when she was showing and it kept her coat shiny and her full of energy at only one cup a day (She is a corgi at 25 pounds )
> 
> It contains zero grains of any kind, just meat, fruit and vegetables with a high protein analysis of 38% and fat at 17% so this is a food where a little goes a long way.
> 
> In my opinion corn, soy and wheat is just empty calories that give no essential nutrition to a dogs diet.
> 
> Other food brands I would suggest:
> 
> -Evo
> -Castor and Pollux
> -Innova PRIME
> -Instinct Chicken (I love this food too, this has a very high protein analysis at 42%. I only use this food when I am conditioning her for a trial. The other variety's have a lower protein analysis.)


Wow. I looked up that Orijen stuf and just wow. That is the best ingredients list I have ever seen on a commercially prepared dog food. Unfortunately it isn't available in my area though, so im just going to stick with wellness, which im pretty sure is good enough


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## Gen2387

My dog is on Medi-Cal Mobility Support (for joints and articulations) because she's a 12 years old Bernese Mountain Dog and has arthritis. I managed to decrease to almost 50% the anti-inflammatory medication she needed just because of the food. Proof that it works. Lol! :-D

As long as you give what's appropriate for your dog's age: puppy food until about 1 year old, then a good maintenance diet or one that's appropriate if he/she has a particular health problem you should be alright.
Feed the dog measured quantities each day in one or two feeding time. Remember that the quantities that's on the bag is only a GUIDE. You might have to give a little more or a little less depending on your dog's metabolism. Dog obesity is dangerous (just like human obesity) a couple of pounds on a small dog can be like 50 pounds on a human being, it causes arthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular/respiratory problems...
Sorry I'm rambling, it,s the vet tech in me. Lol!


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## Bettanewbie60

I totally agree with starrlamia and others...grains and wheat are not necessary for dogs, and not good for them either! I am wheat/grain free myself, not wanting to ingest GMO wheat/corn etc. I am healthier at 51 than I was at 30! My dogs deserve the best in nutrition also! I'm happy to see that you are researching and finding the best food for your furry friend! I know this post was a while ago, so I hope you are enjoying your new companion/friend!


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## finnfinnfriend

Bettanewbie60 said:


> I totally agree with starrlamia and others...grains and wheat are not necessary for dogs, and not good for them either! I am wheat/grain free myself, not wanting to ingest GMO wheat/corn etc. I am healthier at 51 than I was at 30! My dogs deserve the best in nutrition also! I'm happy to see that you are researching and finding the best food for your furry friend! I know this post was a while ago, so I hope you are enjoying your new companion/friend!


Thank you for the support . Someone else actually adopted the dog I wanted, but sometime this week I am going down to the animal shelter to go see what they have there


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## Aurie

We use Purina Exclusive from our feed store. If you rate dogfood on a 1-10 scale where "Attaboy" is 1 (or the stuff you could get by the pound at my local grocery store) and $100 a bag stuff is 10, I'd rate this as a 7.5 .. Not the best out there, but not nearly the worst. It's only available at feed stores and runs us $40 for a 30 lb bag and when we buy 6 we get one free =^_^= and don't have to buy 10 within a calendar year blah blah

Oh and wheat isn't in the first 10 ingredients but I'm not sure if it's wheat free, I just know it's not in the first 10. Our dog with a severe wheat allergy eats it and loves it and soooo many people compliment us on our dog's coat


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## Laki

Cost is NOT the only thing you look for. The guy who played Robin in the 1960's batman sells terrible quality food for almost 100$ a bag. I wouldn't feed that to the birds. 
IT's really up to the consumer and their pet's needs. The kind the op picked up is good  I'm happy her dog will have fantastic nutrition. Also, finnfinn, I cannot wait to see who chooses you!!


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## Aurie

Oh I know cost isn't everything, but some people think it is. That was my point, that cost isn't everything, but when it's $0.25 a lb from a bin at the local food mart it makes you look closely at it's ingredients


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## staffylover

Fish4dogs is a good food, not sure if it is availble in the US?


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## teeneythebetta

staffylover said:


> Fish4dogs is a good food, not sure if it is availble in the US?


Ive never heard of it. Maybe I'm wrong but I thought fish based foods aren't as good due to high levels of salt & mercury? :/ I mean I'm sure it's much better than corn and wheat xD


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## Aahnay

Gen2387 said:


> I'm a veterinary technician so I'm pretty sure I can help you with that. Lol! The difference between dog food bought in supermarket, petshops and vet. clinics are the ingredients they put in them. Basically the food you're going to buy in supermarket or walmarts are the ''junkfood'' of the animal world. It's cheap because the proteins and meat used are scraps left from the animal (chicken, beef...).
> 
> Food that's sold in vet clinics are exclusive to them, you can't find them anywhere else. The reason that it's a little more expensive is that the companies have research centers and a lot of research went behind the food. The also use the best part of the animals to get the proteins from. Don't get fooled if you buy Purina Veterinary Diets just because it says by-products on the bag. The by-products used in this food is actually the best parts of the animals like the liver, bone marrow, intestines.
> 
> Petshops sell some good food too. It's not as high quality as vet food but it's still good.
> My advice is go for a little more quality food, at least you gonna be sure your puppy gets something good. Also the food sold at vets might be a little more expensive but most of the time the quantities that you need to give to your dog are a little lower to meet the same vitamins/proteins/calories that he needs. If it's a small breed dog, the price difference is low. Most of the time the prices are vets are competitive so go check it out.
> 
> Hope I helped a little!


Well, IMHO, thats not true at all. You can buy hills in vet, and its actually a poor quality of food for cats, especially the urinary ones. They are so full of grains/fillers and cats dont eat vegies.

You can most certainly buy quality, even the best in your store or online for convenience. For dogs there are so many types, and it depends on the age of the animal what/which you choose. Also the size of the dog.

Some large dogs grow so quickly, you need to get foods with extra calcium, or add it at each feeding.

Read the ingredients, just like you would when choosing your own foods . Dogs love grains and vegies, they just need to be in the correct percentage. You can make your own dog/cat foods too, which is a lot of fun, for a while. ;-)

I did that for years. I had a dobie, a grey, and a chihuahua. I made it once a week, purchased the vit powder online. Its when i was a true vegan, and I turned all dogs/cats to vegans with me. Lol. The cats loved their food, although its very difficult to find non-meat sources for their vits.

Good-luck on your new pup!


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

AWWW! Thats SO nice for you to adopt from your local puppy mill/shelter! I think wellness and blue buffalo...


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## Aahnay

teeneythebetta said:


> Ive never heard of it. Maybe I'm wrong but I thought fish based foods aren't as good due to high levels of salt & mercury? :/ I mean I'm sure it's much better than corn and wheat xD


Very true, and the pet food industry gets the bottom of boat, so to speak, when it comes to seafood.

I while back a canadian based company purchased a load of unfit for human consumption canned tuna, and sold it as cat food. It was a big sad story of pet loss.

It can be hard today to stay safe with pet foods. Even if you buy us made, etc etc, you can still end up with bad food because of handling, or storage, or even the original ingredients are bad, because of where they were purchased from.

Some brands you used to rely on have been purchased by companies, i would never buy from. But you dont know that unless you research the brands(iams isnt really iams now). I doubt many people do that.

I think the only safe way is to go completely organic, but its soooo expensive.

Also, many large dogs dont mature until they are close to 3, and will still require the puppy/calcium foods. Depending on their size.


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## teeneythebetta

Aahnay said:


> Well, IMHO, thats not true at all. You can buy hills in vet, and its actually a poor quality of food for cats, especially the urinary ones. They are so full of grains/fillers and cats dont eat vegies.
> 
> You can most certainly buy quality, even the best in your store or online for convenience. For dogs there are so many types, and it depends on the age of the animal what/which you choose. Also the size of the dog.
> 
> Some large dogs grow so quickly, you need to get foods with extra calcium, or add it at each feeding.
> 
> Read the ingredients, just like you would when choosing your own foods . Dogs love grains and vegies, they just need to be in the correct percentage. You can make your own dog/cat foods too, which is a lot of fun, for a while. ;-)
> 
> I did that for years. I had a dobie, a grey, and a chihuahua. I made it once a week, purchased the vit powder online. Its when i was a true vegan, and I turned all dogs/cats to vegans with me. Lol. The cats loved their food, although its very difficult to find non-meat sources for their vits.
> 
> Good-luck on your new pup!


+1 but wait.. How can a cat go vegan? :shock: I thought they NEEDED meat to like survive...


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## teeneythebetta

MyRainbowBettaFish said:


> AWWW! Thats SO nice for you to adopt from your local puppy mill/shelter! I think wellness and blue buffalo...


Puppy mill??! :shock: 

Puppy mills are places that over breed unhealthy dogs and put sickly designer breeds in lousy local pet stores. :shock:

Shelters/rescues usually care about animals.


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## Laki

I second the vegan cat thing. PLEASE tell me the cat eats meat now. The dog too actually but cats are obligate carnivores. They NEED meat.


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## Aahnay

HAHAHAHA. Actually, they don't 'need' meat, they need the high grade protein and then some core vitamins. Hmm, cant remember them now, and those vitamins are mostly found in meat. There is one vegan form that, if iirc, comes from shrooms.

Cats should never have dry, females can eat it safely, but males no. And most canned is so poorly made, well, no. The best canned is too expensive for me to feed to 5 cats. I tried the homemade raw, and only two like that, lol. I feed them canned and mix it up a lot, with human tuna, and chicken thigh/raw hearts & liver and I toss in some squash for hairballs! =)

Those cats loved the vegan food better than mouse, or canned foods. I really thought it would take me forever to swap them over, and keep them healthy. Noooo, one bite of the new food and that was it.

The dogs were harder to swap over. They looked at it, tasted it, and snubbed it, lol.

The one cat died at 18, and the other was 21 when she passed. My sweet babies. 

They say vegan for cat is better than any purchased canned, i dont know. I just did it because i was vegan then. But making all the dogs food and hanging it all over the house to dry, then baking it.. ack what a pain.

I stopped making it that way and made waffles with it. Much easier, but then more teeth cleanings are needed.

The place i purchased my vitamins at used to be called harbinjersofanewage. Oh i just searced it, its vegepet now. Nice to see its still there.


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## teeneythebetta

Aahnay said:


> HAHAHAHA. Actually, they don't 'need' meat, they need the high grade protein and then some core vitamins. Hmm, cant remember them now, and those vitamins are mostly found in meat. There is one vegan form that, if iirc, comes from shrooms.
> 
> Those cats loved the vegan food better than mouse, or canned foods. I really thought it would take me forever to swap them over, and keep them healthy. Noooo, one bite of the new food and that was it.
> 
> The dogs were harder to swap over. They looked at it, tasted it, and snubbed it, lol.
> 
> The one cat died at 18, and the other was 21 when she passed. My sweet babies.
> 
> They say vegan for cat is better than any purchased canned, i dont know. I just did it because i was vegan then. But making all the dogs food and hanging it all over the house to dry, then baking it.. ack what a pain.
> 
> I stopped making it that way and made waffles with it. Much easier, but then more teeth cleanings are needed.
> 
> The place i purchased my vitamins at used to be called harbinjersofanewage. Oh i just searced it, its vegepet now. Nice to see its still there.


Oh!  That I interesting :-D


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## TheCrabbyTabby

Aahnay said:


> Well, IMHO, thats not true at all. You can buy hills in vet, and its actually a poor quality of food for cats, especially the urinary ones. They are so full of grains/fillers and cats dont eat vegies.
> 
> You can most certainly buy quality, even the best in your store or online for convenience. For dogs there are so many types, and it depends on the age of the animal what/which you choose. Also the size of the dog.
> 
> Some large dogs grow so quickly, you need to get foods with extra calcium, or add it at each feeding.
> 
> Read the ingredients, just like you would when choosing your own foods . Dogs love grains and vegies, they just need to be in the correct percentage. You can make your own dog/cat foods too, which is a lot of fun, for a while. ;-)
> 
> I did that for years. I had a dobie, a grey, and a chihuahua. I made it once a week, purchased the vit powder online. Its when i was a true vegan, and I turned all dogs/cats to vegans with me. Lol. The cats loved their food, although its very difficult to find non-meat sources for their vits.
> 
> Good-luck on your new pup!


Never try to force a carnivore into a "vegan" diet. Its just not healthy for them. Cats need meat in their diet for the lipids and essential fatty acids not found anywhere else. Same with dogs. To try to make them eat "vegan" is just plain stupid. You wouldn't force a lion or a wolf to eat an exclusive diet of vegetables, would you? Have some common sense.

Just because you believe in something doesn't make it right to force those beliefs on an unwilling animal.


----------



## Aahnay

TheCrabbyTabby said:


> Never try to force a carnivore into a "vegan" diet. Its just not healthy for them. Cats need meat in their diet for the lipids and essential fatty acids not found anywhere else. Same with dogs. To try to make them eat "vegan" is just plain stupid. You wouldn't force a lion or a wolf to eat an exclusive diet of vegetables, would you? Have some common sense.


hahaha, nope they are found in many, many places, you need to do your own research. ;-)

Stupid? yeah you need to do your research. Ill let it go at that. Have you ever looked at a dogs teeth?  Have you ever watched what the wild dogs of africa eat? hmmmm. 

Common sense? oh my goodness, thats a direct insult to me. LOL. But, Ill let it pass by, and only say again, you really need to get out of the box and do your own research regarding what dogs and cats eat in the wild. Good luck with that. =)


----------



## teeneythebetta

Oye... I sense a little confrontation coming on..

Lets just leave it at that. No more. :-D


----------



## TheCrabbyTabby

I said what I meant and I meant what I said. 











I am just speaking from my years of wisdom and my associates words of wisdom. She founded the non profit animal adoption organization I foster under and she and I are both in agreement with the fact that grains have no use in canine or feline diet other than to cause hot spots and allergies.


----------



## Aahnay

teeneythebetta said:


> Oye... I sense a little confrontation coming on..
> 
> Lets just leave it at that. No more. :-D


Nay, im good.


----------



## Aahnay

TheCrabbyTabby said:


> I said what I meant and I meant what I said.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I am just speaking from my years of wisdom and my associates words of wisdom. She founded the non profit animal adoption organization I foster under and she and I are both in agreement with the fact that grains have no use in canine or feline diet other than to cause hot spots and allergies.



Im going to follow the forums rules about this. And let you slide on by.. good luck to you. You really do need to do your own research though. Lol.


----------



## TheCrabbyTabby

I assure you, I have.


----------



## Aahnay

Dogs are omnivores, they love oats, and carrots and apples and well, you get it. They love meat too, but they are not carnivores. =)

Ok moving on.. Im slicing up some fresh corn on the cob for my dog.


----------



## TheCrabbyTabby

*rubs temples*


----------



## Aahnay

haha, just research it =)


----------



## Laki

This is the kind of nonsense that gets otherwise useful threads locked up or users banned. Please leave it at this, or a mod will be notified.


----------



## dramaqueen

Thank you, Laki and Teeney. I saw an episode of Animal Cops on Animal Planet where this woman was feeding her cats nothing but rice. They got sick and suffered from vitamin deficiency. I have heard more people tell me that their vets told them they should feed their dogs veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, asparagus and green beans. I don't think it would be good to strictly feed nothing but vegetables. Just like bettas can't, or shouldn't live solely on bloodworms. I also petsat for a dog that was put on a chicken, rice and vegetable diet recommended by their vet.


----------



## starrlamia

You can argue that dogs are in fact oportunistic carnivores, in that meat is their #1 food source but will eat plant matter when they are not able to access meat. But that doesnt mean that plant matter should be a major staple of their diet.

http://rawfed.com/myths/omnivores.html


----------



## staffylover

teeneythebetta said:


> Ive never heard of it. Maybe I'm wrong but I thought fish based foods aren't as good due to high levels of salt & mercury? :/ I mean I'm sure it's much better than corn and wheat xD


Here is the link and they do have international stockists

http://www.fish4dogs.com/Products/Working-Dog-Salmon-Complete.aspx


----------



## staffylover

Just checked international stockists and they do not supply in the US so my link is of no use to you


----------



## jeremywadejunior

I've always fed my dogs Royal Canin. I recommend it because they are 10-11 years old now and they are perfectly active and healthy


----------



## Pataflafla

I feed my dog, who is 16 going on 17, Innova Senior Blend, Innova Low Fat Adult, and AvoDerm wet food.

He used to be on a diet of Beneful and would shed like crazy, but a month after switching him to Innova, barely any hair comes off of him and he's a corgi mix. His coat is also a lot softer and less oily. He's looking better and acting like he feels better for his age and advanced arthritis.

I like the Innova Senior for him, not only since it's a reduced ingredients formula, but the kibbles are very thin and easier for him to chew since he still does enjoy the crunch.

For treats, I feed him either Greenies pill pockets (He's on Tramadol for pain) or Blue Buffalo, which he seems to really like as well.


On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd put Innova at 9 or 10. the cost is a bit high, but you get a 6 pound bag cheaper than Blue Buffalo while not really sacrificing much or any quality.


----------



## copperarabian

I was told by a vet that blue buffalo is a good dog food brand


----------



## Curlyfatbottom

I feed my dog taste of the wild, skinless chicken breast n lean beef


----------



## teeneythebetta

copperarabian said:


> I was told by a vet that blue buffalo is a good dog food brand


+1 BLUE is what I feed my cats and dog. Wow you got a good vet! Most vets recommend the crappy brands like PURINA veterinary diets or science diet just because they are paid to endorse those. :roll:


----------



## Aahnay

teeneythebetta said:


> +1 BLUE is what I feed my cats and dog. Wow you got a good vet! Most vets recommend the crappy brands like PURINA veterinary diets or science diet just because they are paid to endorse those. :roll:


Yeah, dont you hate that? My vet was pushing them, but when i went in last month they have a new brand. They are pushing. You know sometimes it helps to chat with them, or give them print outs of info for them the gander when time permits.

I saved four ferrel kittens several years back. I tamed them one by one to take to a no kill shelter (after getting them almost friendly and nuetered/spayed the place was full and i kept them, and im very allergic to them . ) 

The runt/female was the first to be my friend. I swear she was the master of them all. After I brought her inside, to acclimatize her, she had some trouble, and i searched the web. To me it seemed to be an abortion :shock: .

I called the vet, and she said no that never happens. I explained the full situation and took her in. She checked her over said she fine and I made her appointment for spaying.

During the spay she did find the infection, created by the abortion. She told me how sorry she was, but that she just didnt show any signs of being sick when I brought her in. I emailed her the urls regarding the abortion info I had, and she thanked me.

I need to email her the urls i have the cat food now ;-)


----------



## kfish

I just ordered some Wellness Core for my cat.  I intend to make my own food for him when I can afford the start up costs, as it is cheaper in the long run, but not initially. I'd have to buy a meat grinder and supplements to mix in with the meat to start. This website has a lot of good information about cat nutrition and homemade diet and a cost analysis. http://www.catinfo.org/

I don't remember if it was on that site or another (and don't feel like re-reading now, haha), but I read a very good explanation of why dogs are somewhat of omnivores, even though in nature they are/were carnivores. Dogs have been domesticated and fed by humans for thousands of years and as such have adapted to a human diet of meat and vegetables. Cats, on the other hand, have not been fed by humans for nearly as long (when domesticated, until the recent past few hundred years, they fed themselves on mice/etc.), and as such, they're still carnivores because they haven't had that adaptation time.

I don't eat grains, so I don't intend to feed them to my animals. And I most especially won't feed them any vegetable oils. I prefer a natural approach, closer to what they'd eat in the wild. Until last week, I had no control over what my cat ate as he was in my parents' care (he's been eating Iams dry food and Friskies wet food for the past 12 years... I suppose it could be worse...) but now he's at college with me! So he's going to get Wellness.  I still don't think Wellness is nearly as good as what I could make on my own, because it contains unnecessary vegetables/fruits that cats shouldn't ingest, but it's FAR BETTER than most, so I'm okay with it for now.

Cats have a very short digestive path, and as such, they can't digest fiber (more info on that: http://www.catinfo.org/#Cats_Need_Animal-Based_Protein_). It's much like feeding a betta only peas...


----------



## teeneythebetta

I made my cats a DIY water fountain, it encourages them to drink more.

http://www.tntpuff.com/cat_water_fountain.htm

It cost me about $25 for everything, which is the cost of one of the cheapest cat fountains available and also if the filter breaks, I just have to buy another $10 filter. But if you have a real cat fountain and it breaks you have to replace the entire thing which would cost anywhere from $25-$50.

Sorry I hope you don't mind me posting this... It's not about dogs but it is about animal nutrition since cats have a low thirst drive, and need extra water especially when fed dry food. xD


----------



## kfish

teeneythebetta said:


> I made my cats a DIY water fountain, it encourages them to drink more.
> 
> http://www.tntpuff.com/cat_water_fountain.htm
> 
> It cost me about $25 for everything, which is the cost of one of the cheapest cat fountains available and also if the filter breaks, I just have to buy another $10 filter. But if you have a real cat fountain and it breaks you have to replace the entire thing which would cost anywhere from $25-$50.
> 
> Sorry I hope you don't mind me posting this... It's not about dogs but it is about animal nutrition since cats have a low thirst drive, and need extra water especially when fed dry food. xD


That's awesome! My mother bought one of the cheaper fountains for my sister's cat because she would jump in the kitchen sink and beg for water until you turned the faucet on because she likes to drink from a stream, lol.

My cat never cared if he drank out of the fountain or the dog bowl. If you set water in front of him, he'll immediately drink at least a few tongue-fulls, haha. He's always been a big drinker, thankfully. But I still kind of want to make one just because it's cool!


----------



## teeneythebetta

Lol yeah. It's sad when the bowl your cat's water in is the size of a some betta's homes.


----------



## Aahnay

teeneythebetta said:


> I made my cats a DIY water fountain, it encourages them to drink more.
> 
> http://www.tntpuff.com/cat_water_fountain.htm
> 
> It cost me about $25 for everything, which is the cost of one of the cheapest cat fountains available and also if the filter breaks, I just have to buy another $10 filter. But if you have a real cat fountain and it breaks you have to replace the entire thing which would cost anywhere from $25-$50.
> 
> Sorry I hope you don't mind me posting this... It's not about dogs but it is about animal nutrition since cats have a low thirst drive, and need extra water especially when fed dry food. xD


I did this too after watching them all drink from my winter fountain . I just used the smallest air filter. I put it in a very big glass/vase. OH, i bet i could put a betta in there! Im joking lol.



Yes, those grinders can be expensive, when i went through that website for my male cats, I found one on amazon for about 49, iirc. But, because of my small space, and where I live, and after testing them on raw food, both grocery store purchsed, and premade, I decided against it.

Only one like raw, the others nibbled a bit. And none would touch the prepackaged raw I purchased from the local coop. I tried about every other meal. I heated, it, i cooked it and non cared for it. The dogs loved it though :roll:

I used the canned cat food site that site listed to find better canned for my males. Its more expensive but worth it. But now that i have so many cats I cannot afford it.

They are all strays, the neighbors dog way, way down the road, killed the uncles mother, and then their mother. I was on the roof, roofing when i saw him carrying their mother back to his place. 

When i had this dog in hand when it had ate 2 of my hens, I called the police. It was a sweet dog, lol. Didnt understand why i was yelling at it.

The officer begged me not to do a complaint, saying many people here dont understand that off property dogs must be on leashes. I finally said fine.

I regretted it every sense. Sorry i digress. 

I was going to raise mouse for my cats to eat, but when i was going to that, the vet said no, as the older cats can have problems with the tiny bones. And in fact, my old one (adopted when he was 10, my Lion, he truly looke like a lion) got sick and I took him in.

She did a fast exray, and said it looks like a feather, or a mouse bone. She believed he could pass it, and gave me something, I cant recall now, and we went home to wait. 

After two days, almost headed back to the vet it happened. And he started eating again.

Sorry.. Ill stop chatting now, lol.


----------



## kfish

My cat loooves raw chicken or cooked chicken or just ANY chicken, lol. I feed him the raw chicken scraps when I trim chicken. For the grinding, I'm going to cook the outside a bit just to make sure there's no surface bacteria and that way he'll still get a raw inside. I'm excited to start it. He's healthy as is, but I know he could be healthier!

Interesting that older cats can have problems with tiny bones. I'll be grinding the chicken thighs bones and all, so I'll have to make sure it's finely done.


----------



## Aahnay

OH, yes they all love cooked chicken breast, but not the thighs. Its so crazy.. I love the thighs, but only eat the breast. I bought organic thighs for them several times, and nada. Although Pooka did eat some one time.


----------



## Sapphoira

High quality raw food diet! Usually can be obtained from specialty pet supply stores, and sometimes dog trainers. I feed my dog a combination of raw food, and blue buffalo grain free food. And canned pumpkin, because before we adopted him he had a horrible parasite load that left an impact on his gastro-intestinal system. It wasn't until we started feeding raw, grain-free, and pumpkin that his poop even resembled a solid!


----------



## toad

This thread is a few weeks old, but I thought I'd add my $0.02, since I have spent many an hour looking in to this topic.

I feed my dog Wellness, and have for years. At this point, he can only eat the Simple Wellness line, because he's developed food allergies. The ingredients in Wellness are high quality, and nutritionally appropriate for a dog. They have multiple lines of dog foods to meet the needs of different dogs (like the allergy dogs, for example).

It's been a while since I've updated myself on brands, but I know that Merrick was considered a good one. Solid Gold was considered one of the top foods, but a year or two ago, I tried it and it upset Toad's stomach; when I looked into this, I found other people complaining of the same thing with their dogs. Innova was another one that everyone loved.

I don't know if anyone has posted this link already, so I'll throw it in here:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/


----------



## registereduser

toad said:


> I don't know if anyone has posted this link already, so I'll throw it in here:
> http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/


That's a very cute dog


----------



## Sapphoira

Wellness is definitely a quality food. Generally the top brands are pretty similar I think, but within the top brands I highly recommend going grain-free!


----------



## toad

registereduser said:


> That's a very cute dog


Aww thanks! That's Toad; he's my baby.


----------



## teeneythebetta

Today we FINALLY bought Blue buffalo wilderness for my grain-allergic dog. 
I mixed it with his old food... So he took a mouthful, spit it on the floor and ate the blue, leaving the yucky pedigree behind.

What a turd :roll: xD


----------



## teeneythebetta

Well today I gave my APBT/staff named DeeOhJee his first can of blue wilderness... He devoured it. I never thought I'd say this, but it smelled really good. Smelled exactly like turkey from a deli.


----------



## jenjen182

I feed my sheltie Rico Blue Buffalo Lamb. It's more expensive, but ensures good health and is top quality. My friend used the one you suggested for a while, and it got her dog sick! I wouldn't use it.


----------



## teeneythebetta

jenjen182 said:


> I feed my sheltie Rico Blue Buffalo Lamb. It's more expensive, but ensures good health and is top quality. My friend used the one you suggested for a while, and it got her dog sick! I wouldn't use it.


Is the one you use grain free?


----------



## jenjen182

teeneythebetta said:


> Is the one you use grain free?


Yes, absolutely. Only the best for dogs! :-D


----------



## ChoclateBetta

This is a betta fish website not dog but anyway a good amount of meat Iams is a good one.


----------



## teeneythebetta

ChoclateBetta said:


> This is a betta fish website not dog but anyway a good amount of meat Iams is a good one.


Actually if you look this is posted in the "finless friends" section. 
Iams is not a good food. The ingredients label says it all.


----------



## Bounce

ChoclateBetta said:


> This is a betta fish website not dog but anyway a good amount of meat Iams is a good one.


According to dogfoodanalysis.com, who rates Iams as a 1-star food, ...

_"The main grain and *main ingredient in the food is corn*. Corn is a difficult to digest grain of limited value and that is commonly associated with allergy problems. Sorghum is decent quality, but this product is very heavy in grain content *with little meat included* for the canine._"


----------



## ChoclateBetta

sorry got brands confused.


----------



## dramaqueen

I'll be in the market for a good dog food next year when I get my Lab.


----------



## registereduser

dramaqueen said:


> I'll be in the market for a good dog food next year when I get my Lab.


Oh boy! which color? 

For food I like Natural Balance, Canidae or Wysong.


----------



## teeneythebetta

ooh how exciting DQ! are u adopting or buying from a bbreeder?  grain free ftw! blue bbbuffalo wilderness and wellness core 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## dramaqueen

I'll probably get one from a reputable breeder. I'll need to look up some good info on training s puppy. I'll probably do training classes. I'm thinking of getting a yellow one, a remake.


----------



## brookm

We feed my Yorkie Blue buffalo and she loves it I like it over most of the regular dog foods


----------



## LebronTheBetta

dramaqueen said:


> I'll probably get one from a reputable breeder. I'll need to look up some good info on training s puppy. I'll probably do training classes. I'm thinking of getting a yellow one, a remake.


Training classes? They're really easy to train. Or for a cause like helping people? I'm still deciding on a Golden Retriever from a breeder or a Pit Bull from the shelter. :\


----------



## TheCrabbyTabby

Get a pit bull and make it a Canine Good Citizen, or better yet, a therapy dog. That way you can educate people on how wonderful the breed is and how only terrible, inhuman people abuse them, forcing them to become highly aggressive towards other dogs and fight them to the death.


----------



## LebronTheBetta

Yeah, I should. But a Goldie is my dream dog. Er... Then I'll be selfish. But then I could start out fresh and have a longer relationship. But the Pit might get euthanized and then it's my fault... :\


----------



## TheCrabbyTabby

Why would the pit get euthanized? They are one of the sweetest kinds of dogs ever, and are very hardy health wise, though some predispositions to certain health problems do exist. 

Or are you referring to the fact that its banned where you're living?


----------



## LebronTheBetta

No, I mean in the shelters around me. They're not banned from where I live. I don't think the shelters near me are no-kills.


----------



## TheCrabbyTabby

Oh I see. Your referring to the fact that if you choose a dog from a reputable breeder, there would a dog you could have saved, who is going to be put down in a shelter. 

Well, its your choice. Choose wisely.


----------



## LebronTheBetta

Yes, that's what I meant. Saving a dog is the best to do. I don't want them to die. But I always loved Goldies. I don't want to be a selfish person but I'd love a puppy to grow in my house and that I'd have puppy memories. Like big accidents, mouthing, naming it, etc. But a dog's life is more important. :\


----------



## teeneythebetta

LebronTheBetta said:


> Yes, that's what I meant. Saving a dog is the best to do. I don't want them to die. But I always loved Goldies. I don't want to be a selfish person but I'd love a puppy to grow in my house and that I'd have puppy memories. Like big accidents, mouthing, naming it, etc. But a dog's life is more important. :\


It is ultimately your decision LTB. you have a while to think about it (;
And a dog being euthanized isn't your fault. It is the fault of people who don't spay/neuter and allow their dogs to reproduce. If people weren't so selfish that they want money off of BYB pups, there wouldnt be so many dogs being killed.


----------



## LebronTheBetta

And a hard decision it is. I'm sure I won't be a dog breeder. I'd like to help shelter dogs when I become a vet tech.


----------



## TheCrabbyTabby

A puppy mill is where my chihuahua, Noel, came from. Her mother was pregnant with her with they mill was raided and all the dogs were rescued. Sadly it was too late for most of Noel's litter mates as the person running the mill fed her mother and the other dogs under their care a very poor diet, supposedly plain grits. Noel was one of the only puppies in her litter to be born alive, the rest were stillborn. 

She has flourished despite her rocky start to life and now is spunky and lively as any dog could be. She is also a little diva. If she doesn't like the food we give her, she just turns her nose up at it and walks away, and she hates dog clothes with a passion. She also lays down with her paws crossed in front of her. Its so cute.


----------



## LebronTheBetta

Aw... That's a sad story. I hate puppy mills so much!!


----------



## teeneythebetta

LebronTheBetta said:


> And a hard decision it is. I'm sure I won't be a dog breeder. I'd like to help shelter dogs when I become a vet tech.


You wanna be a vet tech? 
That's what I wanna be! Deciding between vet tech & veterinary assistant


----------



## LebronTheBetta

Either that or a Vet.  But you are so much closer to that than me! 8I Good luck. I just don't want to deal with surgeries. *shudder*


----------



## dramaqueen

I want to take my dog to puppy classes to learn the basic sit, stay, come etc. I want to be able to walk my dog through the neighborhood without dragging me all over the place. I've never had a big dog before so I want to be able to handle a big dog on a leash.


----------



## registereduser

LebronTheBetta said:


> I just don't want to deal with surgeries. *shudder*


In that case you better choose another profession :lol:


----------



## LebronTheBetta

dramaqueen said:


> I want go take my dog go puppy classes to learn the basic sit, stay, come etc. I want to be able to walk my dog through the neighborhood without dragging me all over the place. I've never had a big dog before so I wa t to be able to handle a big dog on a leash.


Oh, OK. At least it's not a Great Dane. Oh, god!! :lol:



registereduser said:


> In that case you better choose another profession :lol:


Nah, it's fine. I just don't want to see their organs and muscles and stuff.


----------



## registereduser

LebronTheBetta said:


> Nah, it's fine. I just don't want to see their organs and muscles and stuff.


But that is what vets & vet techs do, surgery. I have witnessed many spays and neuters, and I watched my own cat's surgery after he ate 10 hair elastics. It's bloody and you do see lots of guts. LOTS of GUTS.:twisted:


----------



## LebronTheBetta

Please no!! :O Well, when I'm in high school, I'll hopefully do the dissection on the worm or something and then I'll see how gross it is. If it's to help animals, I'll do it. <3


----------



## TheCrabbyTabby

All aspiring vets are required to dissect many different animals during their course of study. Cats, dogs, and even rodents. They need to see the guts and muscles and stuff to study them, touch them, remove them and look at them by themselves and inside them. They need to know what they are and how they look and work and feel. If you can't handle a worm dissection, there is no way you could ever be a vet.


----------



## LebronTheBetta

I can handle a worm, I could even handle a mouse. It's just the blood and it may be my fault if it dies. That's what I worry about. In a few years, I should be able to get used to it.


----------



## dramaqueen

I remember having to dissect a frog. Lol And in 6th grade we had to dissect a cow's eye.


----------



## TheCrabbyTabby

Being a vet isn't all cuddly puppies and kittens. You have to also deal with death too. There are times when an animal WILL die under your care, or an owner requests them to be put down for one reason or another, usually cost of care or the like. Its then that people skills are required. You have to be able to tell the owner in the nicest, gentlest way possible that their beloved dog or cat or whatever, is no longer alive. There are days when you'll come home crying, depressed, and want nothing more than to crawl in bed and forget everything that happened. 

Sometimes animals will come to you bloody, and mangled and still alive. Then you'll have to be the one to piece their tattered bloody body back together and try your hardest to keep them stable and alive. Sometimes it works, sometimes its better to humanely euthanize them. You will be taking the lives of animals one way or another, so get used to it. Find a way to deal with the death. Because its going to happen, with you as the main caregiver to that animal. 

Why then, do people become vets if its so depressing. Because there are days when a dog, who had a slim chance of pulling through, does the incredible and starts to pull through and makes it when all conventional medicine says he shouldn't. There are days when you'll WILL be playing with cute little kittens and adorable little puppies. There are days when owners will come to you, with tears of gratitude in their eyes and thank you about a million times for saving the lives of their beloved pet. That is why being a vet is worth while.


----------



## teeneythebetta

A COWS EYE? Dx

I'm in 10th grade and haven't had to dissect anything.

...yet.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## TheCrabbyTabby

I remember my 5th grade teacher brought in a pig's heart(or was it a cow's?) and we had to take slides of the tissue and look at them under the microscope. It was a science and biology lesson rolled into one. I loved that day.


----------



## LebronTheBetta

TheCrabbyTabby said:


> Being a vet isn't all cuddly puppies and kittens. You have to also deal with death too. There are times when an animal WILL die under your care, or an owner requests them to be put down for one reason or another, usually cost of care or the like. Its then that people skills are required. You have to be able to tell the owner in the nicest, gentlest way possible that their beloved dog or cat or whatever, is no longer alive. There are days when you'll come home crying, depressed, and want nothing more than to crawl in bed and forget everything that happened.
> 
> Sometimes animals will come to you bloody, and mangled and still alive. Then you'll have to be the one to piece their tattered bloody body back together and try your hardest to keep them stable and alive. Sometimes it works, sometimes its better to humanely euthanize them. You will be taking the lives of animals one way or another, so get used to it. Find a way to deal with the death. Because its going to happen, with you as the main caregiver to that animal.
> 
> Why then, do people become vets if its so depressing. Because there are days when a dog, who had a slim chance of pulling through, does the incredible and starts to pull through and makes it when all conventional medicine says he shouldn't. There are days when you'll WILL be playing with cute little kittens and adorable little puppies. There are days when owners will come to you, with tears of gratitude in their eyes and thank you about a million times for saving the lives of their beloved pet. That is why being a vet is worth while.


I know. I just want to help animals in need. I know that it's not just cuddle time or so. I just want to help people with pets that have sicknesses and recommend better foods or meds for them. I know that not all of them will make it. But at least you tried. And without you, the animal didn't even have a chance. Once I have a dog, I'll see what behaviors will change and how it can get better. There are pros and cons. But being a vet was my dream. And I'll pull through. No matter what.


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## TheCrabbyTabby

Okay. Just be aware, Vet school is next to impossible to get through. A lot of students crack only after the first year. Only hard work and perseverance are going to help you make it.


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## TheCheese909

I'm going to try and keep this as short as I can lol, I have a hard time doing that though..

I have a cat who has a super sensitive stomach and seems to be allergic (? if that's the right word) to a lot of things. When she first showed up on my door step in 2006 she was able to eat whatever type of cat food I gave her. All the crappy stuff you know, Meow Mix, Whiskas, iams, exc. After almost a year she started throwing up almost daily then she started having seizures. They were few and far between for awhile but then they were several times a month along with throwing up almost everytime she ate.

I switched her to Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and that made it worse. Seizures daily, throwing up every time she ate... I switched her again to Eukanuba Sensitive Stomach and that worked for about a year and a half then the company went on strike. Unfortunately they were on strike for 3 months or so, so I had to switch her to something similar, which since Eukanuba is owned by Iams (or visa versa) and their ingredients are about the same I moved her to that which was bad, but not terrible. Not throwing up but once a week and a seizure about once or twice a month. But still, not good. Then the Eukanuba came back around so I moved her back to that.

However, something happened during that time to the food, I don't know if they started making the cat food from some cheaper form of chicken and other fillers but Bunny (my cat) started having seizures again and throwing up again. Before her seizures happened while she was sleeping but they changed to where she could be awake also. Now this was during the time acouple years ago when chickens were getting sick and there was a big recall on them and stuff like that.. 


So I went hunting for something that would be good for her, something new. I read every label I could on all the cat food brands out there. During that time I reread all the labels of the foods she had eaten before and saw they all had chicken & turkey and other poultry byproducts. I wanted to find something that didn't have that at all, no poultry.

I finally came across SIMPLY NOURISH Limited Ingredient Diet. I grabbed a bag of their Salmon And Sweet Potato and read the ingredients and you know what, it was amazing! I had read though the Blue Buffalo or Blue Mountain and all those other brands of cat food and they all had fillers and still had a ton of crap in them. This stuff however had just good stuff, things that I know what they are. No road kill, nothing bad.

"Dried Sweet Potatoes, Salmon Meal, Salmon, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Dried Cranberries, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, L-ascorbyl-polyphosphate, Vitamin A Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Ferric Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Choline Chloride, Taurine."

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11496999

I bought her a bag (this was early last year or late 2010) and it's been happy days since. The food doesn't make her throw up nor does it give her seizures. She's very healthy, she doesn't have horrible cat breath, her coat is nice and shiny and she seems much happier.

Since then I've figured out she cannot eat chicken, turkey, beef or tuna. I've been giving her canned food from certain brands. There are only a handful that she can eat from as many have chicken meal or turkey meal in there somewhere. But she's able to eat duck, salmon, crab, venison, swordfish & sardines.  she's very happy and healthy now.



--Now about the dog food--


I adopted an 11 year old English Bull Terrier April 13th of last year. His previous owners had fed him Iams and had had him on that since he was a puppy. He also had some fur missing from his tail, which a lot of BTs have problems with, missing fur, it's kinda a genetic thing that can be treated.

Anyway, after a few months of having Lloyd I noticed that whenever he got done eating he would lick his lips like the top of his mouth itched- he did that too whenever we gave him his cookies. Bunny started throwing up once in awhile too, though that was because she was sneaking a bite of Lloyd's food when he wasn't looking. 

I started adding liquid Salmon Oil to Lloyd's food to help with the regrowth of his tail fur (which worked amazingly) and I switched him to Iams Senior Dog Food.. I didn't like using Iams, but since that's what he had been fed pretty much his whole life I didn't want to stray from it. But he started getting horrendous gas, and I mean BAD. lol.. He was an old man and had gas anyway, but it was awful! Then he started throwing up.. annnnd then the seizures came. 

Now with Lloyd his seizures weren't like Bunny's at all. These ones were from when he would get too excited (he had a heart murmur as well as a tumor on his leg, we assumed he had a tumor or tumors in his heart as well), he would run around the house and do a "Hucklebutt" (here's him shortly after we first got him doing one -no seizure- http://youtu.be/W6u1qWT50og ) then collapse and seize then be up with his tail wagging wanting cookies and pets. Before (like the video above) he was able to run around and not have any problems at all.

Anyway, I found Simply Nourish had the same thing for dogs as what my cat was eating. Had almost the exact same ingredients as well, but instead of cranberries it had tomatoes. 

"Dried Sweet Potato, Salmon Meal, Salmon, Tomato Pomace, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Dried Carrots, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-ascorbyl-polyphosphate, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin D Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Ferric Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Choline Chloride."

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11394947

I moved him over to that and got him better cookies to eat as well. He stopped throwing up and his seizures stopped as well. Occasionally when my dad would wind him up too much (not on purpose, Lloyd was just such a happy dog) and he would have a seizure, but thankfully they weren't as bad as what they were before. He started looking more fit too, his old food made him bloated, which we didn't realize since he looked like that when we got him too, we kinda just thought he was a bit chubby. He was also more active, he wanted to go on more walks and was just as happy as a Lloyd could be.

Unfortunately we only had Lloyd for a year before he passed away. He was an old man and had some problems that eventually got to him.

I personally think Simply Nourish's Limited Ingredient Diet is the best food you can buy. I've looked at multiple different labels since and everything else still isn't as good. They all have some type of chicken or turkey byproduct or some type of "animal fat" or "animal byproduct", which is just road kill mostly or left overs from slaughter houses. It's just a mix of who knows what.


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## LebronTheBetta

I feel intimidated. Well, I'll try and try again! I have a family trait of not failing tests even if we don't study. xD I'll study for things like this, though. An animal's health should not be dealt with carelessly. Let alone hardly anyone passes...


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## Laki

I'm glad your pets are doing fine on that sweet potato food! But IMHO meat should make the first ingredient as the protein source. Especially for cats, as obligate carnivores. 
As always, this goes to show everybody's experiences are different.


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## registereduser

TheCrabbyTabby said:


> Okay. Just be aware, Vet school is next to impossible to get through. A lot of students crack only after the first year. Only hard work and perseverance are going to help you make it.


I agree, it takes a lot of math and science smarts to be a vet, moreso than a doctor for humans. There is only one kind of human and many types of animals so it's harder in all ways.

Then once you get into a practice you have to deal with personalities of other vets and that is not easy. I think most vets are a little on the strange/eccentric side :lol:

Then if you start your own practice you have the business side to deal with. Lots of people won't be able to pay and you will have to turn them away or your practice will go under. A vet is not a charity, it's a business that must make money or die.

Most vets will not even deal with an animal if it is brought in by someone who just found it hurt in the street. They need to know an owner will pay for that animal and then take it home. They will just tell you to take it to the pound. Lots of vets refuse to spay feral cats. It's all business with most vets.


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## Laki

ha, tell me about it. 
I can't afford to take my bunny in for her abscess again. I had her in in June and they didn't fully drain it. Charged me 260$.


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## registereduser

TheCheese909 said:


> I personally think Simply Nourish's Limited Ingredient Diet is the best food you can buy.


Used to be you could only get L.I.D. through a vet prescription. These days there are lots of them on the market. I give my cats Natural Balance L.I.D. and their IBS has greatly improved. It's expensive but worth it!


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## Pitluvs

For our dog we feed Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream, as she is a senior and has disloated knee caps so weight management is a big thing for us. We only feed grain free with her, she has a grain allergy which came about after we fed her the "new" Pedigree Healthy Vitality years ago. I have never been happier with a choice of dog food. It's a 5/6 on the dog food site, the price is great for us ($50/month) and she won't touch anything else now! The first ingredients are whole salmon and sweet potatoes... I always feed my animals a food with a meat ingredient first. 

With our cats, we feed Felidae. Years ago I used to feed it to my ferrets, while my cats had store brands. My cats would throw up the store brand constantly, the litter box was horrid and they were shedding like crazy. Their eyes were so dull. I noticed they started eating the Felidae that the ferrets woulds tore behind the TV in a container so I started feeding it to them. Everything STOPPED within the month, no throwing up, eyes bright and clear, teeth improved color, and I had happy healthy cats again. It's like they were kittens. So I still feed it. 

My mothers cat, Mater, ended up with severe bladder issues. $1000 later in vet bills, she was told to feed Science Diet cat food for bladder infections... $2000 later and a nearly dead cat, I told her to JUNK THE VET FOOD and get that boy on grain free. She switched him imediately to Taste of the Wild and a year later you would never know Mater ever had an issue. I would not feed my animals anything from a groc store or a vet (and yes, Science Diet does pay towards Vet's tuition if they push their foods when they open up their practice). No Sir, not my babies.


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## registereduser

Pitluvs said:


> I would not feed my animals anything from a groc store or a vet (and yes, Science Diet does pay towards Vet's tuition if they push their foods when they open up their practice). No Sir, not my babies.


+1


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## Frazzle

I work at Ingram Micro, and we ship everything from iPods, to dog food.

While picking dog food, I always would read the ingredients, and IMO, Orijen seems pretty darn good. The bags are also airtight, leaving freshness in.


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## Laki

+1. 
Grain free for my cat too.


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## Pitluvs

Although I have great results with my food of choice... Wellness, Orijen and Go! Natural are the top three animal foods I would recommend hands down. Canidae/Felidae, Taste of the Wild and Blue a close second as far as quality. For price, it's reversed lol The first three are just a little pricey for me.


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## dramaqueen

You guys are confusing the heck out of me. L. It's a good thing I'm not getting a dog for another year so I can research more on dog food.


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## Frazzle

whats confusing


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## Pitluvs

There are like... 60 types of dog food out there to chose from DQ  At least we narrowed it down to about 10 good ones. Just depends on what your dog needs and price you're willing to pay. When I wanted to switch Fate to a good food, I asked a rescue friend who knows her stuff when it comes to dog food as she has Boxers which are well known for allergies to everything. She said Taste of the Wild. I wanted to try Canidae myself (since I fed the cat version to my guys). So I went to the store and looked up both, compared ingredients, what they do and price and settled on the Taste of the Wild because the grain free was cheaper than Canidae grain free. They also offer weight control formula... but if it was another dog, I could have gone with Canidae with grains. Just depends on your dog. When you do get one, pick a great food and try it out, if it doesn't work, try another. Just have a list of good foods ready and pick the one that works for you and the dog first 

If you do go with a breeder (not a personal choice) and it's an ethical breeder (not a breeder or backyard breeder) then ask what they feed. Chances are if they are good at what they do (and don't make money off their dogs)... they will feed a high quality puppy food and can point you in the right direction. But if they feed a food from WalMart... don't and look for another breeder lol


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## Bethydan

I feed Royal Canin myself. My cat is addicted to it and scoffs any other brand. My dog eats whatever I give him and likes it.  But they both eat it. And especially in comparison to my family's animals, they're both healthy as an ox. Not ever a vet visit that wasn't a routine checkup in 8 years.


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## Pitluvs

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/


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## copperarabian

I like blue buffalo


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## dramaqueen

I browsed around Petsmart today and saw Royal Canin and Wellness, I think. I'll need something good for a Lab puppy.


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## teeneythebetta

dramaqueen said:


> I browsed around Petsmart today and saw Royal Canin and Wellness, I think. I'll need something good for a Lab puppy.


I do not reccomend royal canin. It's defenitely not the worst food available, but considering the price, it is pointless to waste money on a food with that ingredients label when you can get even better food for the same price, or cheaper. (;


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## dramaqueen

Well, luckily I have a whole year to decide. Lol Pitluvs, thanks for the link. I don't want to pay an arm and a Lev for food but I don't want to feed my dog cheapo food that's no good, either.


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## teeneythebetta

Wellness releases coupons every month for $5 off a bag. 
All you have to do is sign up for their e-newsletter on their website. The coupon comes right in the newsletter! 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## dramaqueen

That's good to know. Thanks, Teeney.


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## AngesRadieux

I second all of the recommendations for wellness. My dogs are on prescription food from the vet, for some reason known only to my mom. But wellness is great. They have lots of grain free options in both wet and dry forms and the wellness core food is pretty high in protein. It was an absolute life saver when I wanted to a grain free diet with a lot of wet food. He _hates_ wet food and for the longest time I couldn't find any good grain free dry foods and then I stumbled on wellness core. I thought I'd try it to supplement his wet food and he loved it. Still didn't like the wet food, but mixing it with the dry made it more palatable.

While I haven't personally used their dog food, I'm sure it's just as good quality as the cat food. The only thing to watch out for is their recommended portions. When I was feeding my cat the recommended amount for a 12 pound cat he just kept gaining weight so I had to cut back a bit. It definitely depends on the animal's activity level, but I'd just watch your dog's weight for a bit to make sure that their recommended portion is working well for you.


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## dramaqueen

Yhanks for the advice, Anges. Is it best to go with a grain free food right off the bat for a puppy?


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## Tikibirds

I have been getting Rachel Ray dog food for Mr Bubbles. its pricy but its the only one locally that I can find that says its made in the USA and NOT made in China. I have no issues getting fish supplies from there but after the whole incident with organ failures causes by contiminated chinese made dog food...not gonna feed it to him. 

He was getting nutro diet dog food but I can only get it from petco


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## teeneythebetta

Tikibirds said:


> I have been getting Rachel Ray dog food for Mr Bubbles. its pricy but its the only one locally that I can find that says its made in the USA and NOT made in China. I have no issues getting fish supplies from there but after the whole incident with organ failures causes by contiminated chinese made dog food...not gonna feed it to him.
> 
> He was getting nutro diet dog food but I can only get it from petco


Really? That sucks! The best food a grocery store would carry is PURINA one beyond- no corn and no wheat. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## athenr3134

my dog that i had growing up at kibbles and bits but its not healthy for your dog it has by-products which isn't healthy for your dog or cat. I am sorry but veterinarian should know better. I recommend blue or nutro because they have exactly what a dog and cat need. I was going to work for both companies as a sales rep and i read up on each product. any food that has by-products (which is the intestines of an animal which is hard to swallow. You want a food that is rich in chicken meal, fish meal (cat), vegetable meal and so forth. Read the labels its very important!


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## athenr3134

p.s. i looked at the wellness and it looked like a fab brand to get!!


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## teeneythebetta

I agree! Except fish based food is not good for cats. Its not reccomended to feed more than 1 meal containing fish more than once a week. 

http://catinfo.org/


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## redchigh

anything other than Iams, they abuse animals.

If I wanted to spoil a dog, I'd feed it whole foods- cheaper and WAY more healthy, even if it is a lot of work.
Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipes | How To Make Your Own Dog Food | Raw Dog Food is just one of the many sites.


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## redchigh

athenr3134 said:


> my dog that i had growing up at kibbles and bits but its not healthy for your dog it has by-products which isn't healthy for your dog or cat.


Sorry, but you are misinformed. meat by-products are cartilage and organs that humans don't eat- These organs are the most nutritionally dense of the whole animal though, and in the wild, the first thing predators eat.

Want to know why canned dog food stinks?
It's cow udder- Disgusting to us, but very nutrient-rich and delicious to a predator.


I agree that grain shouldn't be the main ingredient in dog food. I wouldn't have a problem with food having some grain in it though- After all, dogs to scrounge around for vegetables from time to time.


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## finnfinnfriend

My dog food has potato instead of grain....eh, grain isn't as bad as I once thought, so whatever....I'm just glad the first ingredients are meat meals.


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## athenr3134

teeneythebetta said:


> I agree! Except fish based food is not good for cats. Its not reccomended to feed more than 1 meal containing fish more than once a week.
> 
> http://catinfo.org/


Hmm good to know.... I know cats can't have beef... The gdye is toxic I believe


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## teeneythebetta

athenr3134 said:


> Hmm good to know.... I know cats can't have beef... The gdye is toxic I believe


Wow really? Ive never heard that before 
All the cat's foods I feed are chicken or turkey based. 

They LOVE the wellness minced turkey canned food.


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## athenr3134

*food...*



redchigh said:


> Sorry, but you are misinformed. meat by-products are cartilage and organs that humans don't eat- These organs are the most nutritionally dense of the whole animal though, and in the wild, the first thing predators eat.
> 
> Want to know why canned dog food stinks?
> It's cow udder- Disgusting to us, but very nutrient-rich and delicious to a predator.
> 
> 
> I agree that grain shouldn't be the main ingredient in dog food. I wouldn't have a problem with food having some grain in it though- After all, dogs to scrounge around for vegetables from time to time.


well if i had a dog or cat i would certainly not feed it something that had by-products because its hard for the animal to digest i know this from experience. feeding an animal this way is harmful and the reason that walmart and non-vet/ pet stores sell these products is because its cheap and has no nutritious value whatsoever. do the research.. wellness is more nutritious than kibbles and bits are. we don't eat food with bones and stuff that has rocks etc in it do we? that is very similar to what by-products are. You have your opinion and I have mine. we'll just leave it at that. can dog/cat food is good for the animal they need soft and dry food to maintain a healthy lifestyle however the metals in the can (can be toxic so i would limit what you give the animal in-case they ingest it.


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## athenr3134

teeneythebetta said:


> Wow really? Ive never heard that before
> All the cat's foods I feed are chicken or turkey based.
> 
> They LOVE the wellness minced turkey canned food.



well the dye on beef is toxic i am almost certain of that. good that you give your cats minced turkey or chicken!


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## OhNoLenX

I would say Taste of the Wild. It's 100% grain free and made of all natural products. Just Meat and veggies. You pay the price for quality though and a 20lb bag is about 60 bucks. Lucky for me... I have a small dog that can make the 5lb bag last a few months.


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## finnfinnfriend

I pay $15 bucks for a 4 pound bag, lol. But it's worth it.


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## starrlamia

beef isnt toxic to cats and it normally isnt dyed. Also by-products are not bad, as long as it isnt the main meat source. Predators eat by-products (and even need some of them) as by-products are simply organs, skin, hair etc. By-products dont include rocks or any other non-animal product. And no humans do not eat them, however you absolutely cannot compare a human diet to a cat or even dog diet.


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## teeneythebetta

starrlamia said:


> beef isnt toxic to cats and it normally isnt dyed. Also by-products are not bad, as long as it isnt the main meat source. Predators eat by-products (and even need some of them) as by-products are simply organs, skin, hair etc. By-products dont include rocks or any other non-animal product. And no humans do not eat them, however you absolutely cannot compare a human diet to a cat or even dog diet.


Very true! Actually we do eat some by products- some hot dogs and balogna... As far as I'm concerned hot dogs and balogna isn't all that healthy :lol:

It also seems to be a pattern of.. Pet Foods containing by products also contain loads of grain- corn, wheat, etc.


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## ridgerunrbunny

Well everybody is saying how much "they" like a certain brand of dog food, but I will guarantee you that what ever brand you decide on any dog will get tired of it after 3 or 4 bags. How would you like to eat the same thing day in and day out for years on end? I learned that even the $40 a bag stuff was turned down for the $12 bag about 30 years ago. Dogs like a variety, and not just in the same bag. We change brands and kinds after every 40 pounds gone through. We also free feed and do not have fat dogs, nervous dogs, or itchy dogs. Occasionally the local butcher gives us a box of bones that will can up to about 10 quarts of broth and meat that I will serve over a bowl of Jasmine rice. Hubby makes special dog bisquits once or twice a month and we keep them in the fridge. They are made with oat flower, whole wheat and chicken liver. (plus a few secret ingredients) The dogs always tell us what we need to know about their diet. We only have to listen real good to understand what they are saying.

Bunny


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