[forthehalibut]

What are the best dog food to use? Our puppy is just over three months old, and right now we have got him on Iams. When at the pet store the other day, some rep for Blue Buff www.bluebuff.com was trying to sell us on that stuff. Never heard of it before, and I guess it's fairly new on the market. Their main pitch is they don't use any byproducts.

How about the other brands? Eukanuba is supposed to be really good, as well as Science Diet [which is what our puppy was fed while at the pound].

What--in order--are the top, say 5 or so dog foods? I want to keep Bullet as healthy as possible, and keep the minefield in the yard to a minimum. Thanks.

[Akita]

Pick 1 good brand and flavor and stick with it. Iams is a very good brand. I buy Diamond chicken and rice because it is a quality food and my store carries 55# for <$20.
Other good brands, imo:
Nutro
Natures Recipe
Proplan


Science Diet reps treated my dogs like *****. Twice(2 different reps). It was obvious to a blind man that they didnt care about the special health needs of my animal and pushed their crap containing a suspected problem preservative. While they no longer use Ethoxyquin(sp?), their attitudes soured me Big Time on their company. They only care about making money.

Basically what you want to do:
-look for a food that doesnt contain corn or a corn product as the first ingredient. The further down the list the first cron appears, the better food value you are buying(corn isnt as digestable, ie more corn = larger 'mines').
-look for a food preservative with vitamin E and tocepherols(again, sp?). NEVER Ethoxyquin, which has shown to cause death in a couple of different breeds (collie-types, i think).
-look for the meat the label advertises and no the meat 'by-products' which are the feet, feathers, toenails and other crappy parts of the animal.
-no vegetarian stuff. dogs are omnivores, regardless of what the bunnyhuggers want to believe.
-avoid any soy in your food, especially if you have a larger breed. it is known to cause bloat- an especially horrible way to die. if you feed only once a day it is also a good idea to avoid any soy in the food.

IMO, you are doing great in your food selection. Stay with the puppy food Iams until about a year or so, then switch to the adult Iams in the same flavor. Plenty of clean water available at all times and for gods sake let him live with you inside if you dont already! You get SOOOOOOO much more out of a dog that lives with you 24/7.

edited to add: I just looked at your Bluebuff site and it indeed looks to me like they are making a quality food. I'd like to see the rest of the ingredients before I endorse it tho.

[tango3065]

I use Diamond, really like the ingredients compaired to other top foods.

[glstwv]

I use Chicken Soup for the Adult Dog Lover's Soul (they also have it for puppies, kittens, and cats...as well as seniors).

Absolute best stuff money can buy (from what I've seen). Our Basset Hound and Beagle love this stuff!

Check out the ingredients (chicken and turkey are the first two ingredients! followed by chicken and turkey meal):

Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, turkey meal, whole grain brown rice, whole grain white rice, oatmeal, potatoes, cracked pearled barley, millet, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), duck, salmon, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

The other ingredients (for other ages or cats) can be found here: http://www.chickensoupforthepetlover...lasnew.php#dog

[HarlDane]

Originally posted by glstwv
I use Chicken Soup for the Adult Dog Lover's Soul (they also have it for puppies, kittens, and cats...as well as seniors).

+1

I have both my Dane and Dobe on Chicken Soup.

Don't buy the hype. Iams/Eukanuba (same company), Science Diet etc. use a lot of grains like Corn, Wheat and Soy. Things your dog has NO use for, and cause all sorts of problems like itchiness, “Dog Smell”, gas, etc. Also they use byproducts. You want a food with rice or potatoes as a grain, and with meat being the first ingredient, as well as at least 3 out of the first 5 ingredients also being meat. 4 out of 5 is better.

Also they split ingredients. Listing Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, and Corn Meal, as different things doesn’t mean they aren’t still all corn. They do this so they can list a meat product as the first ingredient, when really your carnivore dog is eating mostly corn.

I am planning on taking both my dogs to a Prey Model Raw Diet, basically raw meaty bones. This is much better than any commercial dog food, and with a little planning is no more expensive than a “Kibble” Diet. Already I buy whole cut up chickens at the store. The dogs get the back, neck, wings, and giblets; we eat the breasts, thighs, and legs.

A few good brands that I believe all use human grade ingredients, and no corn soy or wheat.

Chicken Soup http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
Wellness http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/dogs..._overview.html
Pinnacle http://www.breeders-choice.com/pinnacle.htm
Canidae http://www.canidae.com/
Blue Buffalo http://www.bluebuff.com/

I used Pinnacle and it was great. But $40 for 30lbs, while feeding an 85lb and rapidly growing Great Dane puppy, as well as an 85lb Dobe, was not in my budget.

I get Chicken Soup for $30 for 35lbs.

I would be using Canidae which is $30 for 40lbs but the protein % is a bit high. But this is due to me having to keep my Dane under 23% protein to keep his growth slow to prevent joint problems later in life. If I have not gone Raw by the time he is 1 ½ years old I will go to the Canidae.

If you can buy it at Wal Mart, or the local Grocery store, it probably shouldn’t be fed to your dog. Check local feed stores for good deals on good brands.

READ THE LABLE!!!!!!!!! If you see any of these words STAY AWAY!!!! (Byproducts, Byproduct Meal, Corn, Wheat, Soy)

[Gadgetman]

Our dog is getting close to a year old and it's almost time to start switching her over to an adult dog food from puppy food. We have been feeding her Nutra natural puppy food. We have decided to try Innova adult dog food and see how she does on it.
Does anybody have any thoughts on the quality of the Innova brand?

[OJ]

We've been feeding Iams to our Mastiffs for a couple of decades and have been happy with it - a 44# bag doesn't seem to last very long, however.;Q

Charley (fawn male) is checking his brindle sister Katie for any sign of Iams on her breath.

[IMG][/IMG]

What?? You've never seen a Mastiff sitting before?

[IMG][/IMG]

This is how they started at 11 weeks when we first got them. I believe the Iams does a goood job and they don't get fat.


[IMG][/IMG]




Science Diet and others didn't do as good a job for us.

;z ;z

[forthehalibut]

OJ,

Beautiful dogs!! I bet you get some halacious minefields in the yard, though--good to help keep burglars out, I guess.;a

Any word on the indoor range that is supposed to open up there soon?

[Akita]

Gotta insert here that Diamond got sent a bunch of corn that contained aflatoxin, ie BAD NEWS for the food. It has killed several dogs in the southeast and Diamond has a recall on some of their products. Check their website.

This is in no way meant to slam Diamond, as they have done 100% the correct thing immediately after realizing they had a problem. But I'd wait a few months until this sorts itself out.

Also: Chicken Soup is another good 'un.

[OJ]

forthehalibut,

Thanks. Matter of fact, I have a 1/2 acre yard zoned for "rustic" - meaning we can leave it like it was. Result of this is that I have a tiny patch of grass the dogs "respect" so I have no clean-up worries and have 30 some large pines that give us privacy. Not bad considering I'm now within a mile from the geographic center of town (bought it 30 years ago when it was at the north edge of town). The pics are some 5 months old and the big boy was 182# there and "little sister" was a dainty 154#.

I drive by the area where the indoor range said it would start building in November - it's on the way to the outdoor range where I shoot at least weekly. There is no sign of anything suggestive of the construction they advertised. I doubt if it ever becomes a reality.

The "puppies" - now 18 months old - love going to the range with me for the socialization they get. The range owner likes vets and, when he somehow found out I served in WWII and Korean War, he goes out of his way to treat me specially well - though he treats all very well also. I repay some by acting "range officer" most days I'm out there.

Charley shows his approval!!


[IMG][/IMG]

;z ;z

[Dandapani]

Innova Dry Dog Food

(no corn!)

http://www.naturapet.com/display.php...d%3D%271%27%5D

[HarlDane]

OJ you have two great looking dogs. My uncle has an 8mo. old that I love. I considered an English Mastiff as well as a Neo when I was looking for a dog but I ended up with my German Mastiff better known as a Great Dane. I just love the Giant Breeds and wish I could have a few more

Now for a few shameless pics of King Olaf The Hammer.

Here he is at just 4 weeks.


and now here he is a few days ago on his 6mo birthday.



amazing what 5 months and countless 35lb bags of food will do to a little pup and he still has 6 months of growing left to do, and will continue to fill out for at least a year and a half.

[OJ]

RCJenkins,

King Olaf's colors are truly striking! Looks like a winner to me!

;z ;z

[forthehalibut]

RCJenkins;

Beautiful dog there. Just think--only another 100 or so pounds to go.;f

OJ--glad to hear about the range. maybe we'll have to come by and see you and your family when we are in the Springs again.

[forthehalibut]

Well, we got Diamond's "Chicken Soupn for the Mutt;f " brand. We'll see how that goes, and see if we will get the big bags after he goes through this one--which, they way he's going, will last until about Friday.:(

[rick newland]

My dogs have always done good with Iams.

[forthehalibut]

rick,

My wife would LOVE to have a dog with hair like that--she spins it and makes stuff with doggie fur. They do make good, warm clothes.