Dog owners: food round-up

[Robb]

I've switched the huskies from Euk to EVO, cutting my ties with Procter & Gamble once and for all. :)

What do you feed yer pups?

[mzteris]

1. Nutra max

Senior Large Breed with glucosamine/chondroitin;

Regular dog kind; and

Puppy Food kind.

The puppy wants to eat the regular food, the regular dog wants to eat the puppy food, and the BIG dog wants to eat EVERYTHING!!

[auburngrad82]

4. I second Nutro

We feed Lite to a couple of our older dogs, regular to two others, and Sensitive Stomach to the fifth. We used to have a lot of allergies and skin problems when we fed them Fit and Trim and Dog Chow. We don't have the problems with Nutro. Also, the dogs love it.

[CountAllVotes]

10. my dog (he died recently) ate NutroMax for overweight dogs

He seemed to like it a lot and he had a very touchy stomach. Sadly he died before the new year.

I'd like to get another dog but I don't know what type to get. My cats eat NutroMax as well and they are both thriving on it.

Suggestions on a new dog anyone? I don't think a puppy would be a good idea considering the situation. I'm thinking small/medium size.

:kick:

[yy4me]

14. Yellow Lab, the best disposition, loving and smart.

I came to know this breed by taking care of dogs belonging to others. It astounds me that these dogs can be as smart and fun. Granted, we take good care of them but I find some of their behavior half-human. And they are nicer than most people I know. There is a lot about the breed available on line,
Before you make a decision, read all you can. THese dogs are gentle as lambs but large and strong. (cute too)

[wildeyed]

18. Boston terrier?

On the smaller side, nice disposition, low coat maintenance, moderate exercise needs. Really an inside dog though. Their coats are short so they can't tolerate cold and they have a smashed face which somehow makes them intolerant of very hot conditions, too. I would get one myself, but we are so outdoorsy, I don't think it would work.

Check into rescue. There are always adult dogs looking for a home. My last two dogs were adopted as adults. I highly recommend it. They still need training and attention, but not nearly as much as a puppy.

So sorry to here about your baby. I lost one last summer :(

[CountAllVotes]

19. I'll check

My doctor's nurse recommended a labrador (black?). Size could be a problem. I'm not sure what to do. I had a red heeler puppy I cared for a couple of weeks recently but I couldn't handle that dog at all (very wild and uncontrollable).

I hope I find another dog. I got the one that I had to have put down, the Sheltie from my parents who are both now deceased, so he was what was left of them to me. I feel so very sad still and it is a shame that the red heeler wasn't the right dog. I fell 4 times during the two weeks (hence the reason for the doctor's visits - now 2 months of PT coming up from the falls) I was caring for him as he jumped at my feet/legs and he was only a few months old and very headstrong to say the least (out of control).

Thanks, I'll check out both breeds. I had a smooth fox terrier when I was a child, but not a Boston terrier. My father ended up taking the fox terrier back to the breeder he got it from as it was highly neurotic and viscious actually. *eek*

Do Boston Terriers or labrador retrievers tend to like cats? I have two cats, one is 5 years old and the other is 12. They got along good with the Sheltie and they are still wondering what happened to him even though its been almost 2 months now since he died and being I'm alone too much, I really miss him more than anyone would ever know. :(

on edit: I live in a year-round type of climate. It never gets horribly hot nor horribly cold where I live and the dog would likely spend a lot of time indoors but I have a large backyard as well. We do get a lot of rain here, that is one drawback. The two cats I have are basically indoor cats but they like to go out in the yard when the sun it out.


CountAllVotes

[wildeyed]

20. Boston terriers are not really a terrier.

The AKC lists them as part of the non-sporting group. They tend to be more mellow than your average terrier. Here is a link to the site that describes the breed. http://www.akc.org/breeds/boston_terrier/index.cfm

Labs are wonderful dogs, but they are big and pretty rambunctious when they are young. Maybe you could find an older lab that was on the mellow side.

Heelers are nuts. I have had a few. Great dogs, but not for everyone.

If you want a particular breed, do a google search on the breed name, rescue and the closest major metropolitan area. Chances are there is a rescue group specializing in that particular breed. If you are not committed to adopting a particular breed, they you might try an all-breed rescue. You contact them and fill out an application. Then a volunteer will come to your home to evaluate the situation and help you pick an animal that will be best for your lifestyle. You may end up with a pure breed or a mutt, but it will likely be an animal that is good for your situation.

As far as cat chasing goes, it seems to have more to do with the individual than the particular breed. A dog that grew up around cats will usually not chase them. Tell the rescue you are working with that you have cats and they will try to place a dog with you that is cat friendly.

It is horrible losing a cherished companion. Even worse for you since he was a link to your parents. :hug: I adopted soon after my Ruby passed last summer. Sam didn't replace her, but he filled up the empty space in our home and was a great comfort to us. Now we love him for himself, and still mourn Ruby's passing.

Good luck. I am sure there is a wonderful dog out there just waiting for you.

[CountAllVotes]

21. Thanks for the info.!

I just went outside to mail some letters and the people that just moved in across the street have a Boston Terrier puppy! I got to meet him and he was really a nice dog and very friendly too. The person that has him said he cost $600.00 to buy and it is a local breeder.

Sheesh, that is a lot of money to pay for a dog.

There is an animal shelter near where I live. I'll check with them and see what they have too.

Thanks again and what a coincidence (finding a Boston Terrier right across the street!).

[wildeyed]

22. Buying a puppy *is* expensive.

A well bred puppy from a reputable breeder costs big $$$'s. If they are too cheap, it usually means the breeder skimped on vet care or something along the way. But there are plenty of other, less costly options out there. I am sure that you will find a dog that is perfect for you, whether you go the breeder route or adopt from rescue.

[CountAllVotes]

23. skimping ... not a good idea is it?

The red heeler had no papers. The owners had the parents and they were allowed to run wild in the woods where I live. No vaccinations, no nothing. I sort of wonder about that dog really. He used to have what seemed to be intense spasms in his stomach/digestive system (his sides would heave in and out intensely and then it would stop) at different times, usually when he woke up. I wonder if there was something wrong with him?

I did take him to a vet and get shots, etc. for him. I mentioned this problem and the vet said it might have been burping (?). I still don't know and I guess I never will know. I just called the place that now has him and they have found another home for him thank god.

So, he was definitely "skimped" on to say the very least. Kind of sad isn't it? I think that people breeding dogs like this and not caring properly for them shouldn't be allowed to have pets myself. It is abuse IMO.

Thanks again for your tips/advice. I really do appreciate it and it makes me not feel so guilty about the red heeler puppy. I really did the best I could with him but damn. :cry:

[wildeyed]

24. Papers really don't mean that much.

(sorry about hijacking your thread, Robb)

Any dog that had parents with papers can be bred and the puppies then have "papers". But papers don't mean that it is a good dog or a healthy dog, just that both parents were pure bred and registered with the AKC. To find a good breeder, ask for references, call the vet the breeder uses, see both parents of the puppy. There are many other tips on finding good breeders and picking a puppy. Honestly, I have never bought a puppy myself, so I am not completely up on the process.

Heelers are notoriously high energy and many require a high level of correction. I have had several and adore them, but they are not a dog for the faint hearted. Sounds like, no matter what type of background the dog had, he was really high energy and not a good match for you. When you find a dog that suits your lifestyle, it will be much better. And sounds like the heeler pup found a home, too, so that is great :)

[yorkiemommie1]

30. we adopted yorkies

they're the bigger ones. very cuddly and nice temperaments, too!

[hippiechick]

2. "3 Dog Bakery" Low Cal Chicken

(dry food, no chemicals, no coloring)

It's pretty blah looking but I started Hank on it when he was on Prednisone (for itching) and they made him so hungry he'd eat anything ... so he got acclimated to it real quick.

He's lost all his extra weight and is 100% healthier.

[roguevalley]

3. Solid Gold: Hundenflaken. (Organic and anti-allergenic) also, my

little bit eats a fish and potato prescriptive diet.

[BrklynLiberal]

5. I feed my German Shepherd Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken Kibble.

My Cats get Wellness Chicken Dry Food, and Merritt Thanksgiving Day Dinner canned food

I am going to post a link to an excellent thread about pet food, as soon
as I locate it....

Here it is:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=243&topic_id=4388

[HamdenRice]

6. Should I feel bad to admit ...

I feed my dog Iams dry mixed with either a half can of Iams canned or table scraps twice a day. I've get the impression that Iams is considered evil on this board?

[wildeyed]

17. I am not sure, but I think that Iams has some ethical issues.

I honestly can't remember what. I used to feed my dogs Iams thinking it was a good name brand, but then I joined Costco and noticed that their house brand food, Kirkland, was better and cheaper, too. So I went with that instead.

[retread]

7. Innova Senior mixed with a little raw green tripe. n/t

[radfringe]

8. pedigree

the greyhounds have sensitive stomachs and are doing well on pedigree.

tried some other brands (high and low end) - the greyhounds end up with diarrhea.

Pedigree may not be "politically correct" - but for those who would be upset with us, I'll give you directions to my house and you can clean up the piles of poop

[Orsino]

9. Eukanuba

Senior, small breed, for two, and Adult Maintenance, large breed, for the Big Boy.

One of the little ones is at least temporarily on Hill's S/D until she finishes dissolving a bladder stone.

[yy4me]

11. Recently switched from Euk...(whatever) to Nutro-Max Senior

We care for a yellow Lab 5 days a week. She shed terribly. After trying all kinds of supplements for years, we took it upon ourselves to switch dog food brands (daughter thought she was feeding the best). Met the Nutro rep at PetCo who insisted that the dogs shedding would get better with her brand of food. Well, in for a dime...We tried it. What a difference. The shedding is now minimal. I'd say 90% improvement and this is not an exaggeration. I am a skeptic but this stuff worked. We were always vacuuming festoons of dog fur daily, now it is hardly an issue. Wish we found it earlier. I'm glad the rep was at the store or we never would have tried it. Plus the dog loves it. Its rather noisy to chew however. Sounds like she has a mouth full of marbles. Did some on-line searches for info to make sure the food was good for the dog, and how to tell the difference. It is rated among the best.

[sbj405]

12. Natural Balance for my boys

[atommom]

13. How to rate your dog's food

Found this, unattributed, on another board. It's very interesting.

How to grade your dog's food:
Start with a grade of 100:

1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points

2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points

3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points

4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points

5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer’s rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points

6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points

7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points

8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points

9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points

10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points

11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points

12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points

13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points

14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to beef), subtract 1 point

15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:

1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points

2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points

3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points

4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points

5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points

6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points

7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points

8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points

9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points

10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point

11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point

12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point

13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point

14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point

94-100+ = A
86-93 = B
78-85 = C
70-77 = D
<70 = F

Here are some foods that have already been scored. If you don't see your dog's food here, ask and someone will score it for you.
Dog Food scores:

Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+

Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F

Canidae / Score 112 A+

Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+

Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F

Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B

Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+

Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+

Foundations / Score 106 A+

Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 D

Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D

Innova Dog / Score 114 A+

Innova Evo / Score 114 A+

Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+

Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B

Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B

Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F

ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+

Purina Benful / Score 17 F

Purina Dog / Score 62 F

Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F

Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+

Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+

Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A

Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F

Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F

Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+

Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

[wildeyed]

16. Wow, the Costco brand is good.

I was feeling guilty cause it was cheap. But good and cheap is even better. I have been feeding Kirkland and supplementing with appropriate table scrapes and a flax supplement someone here recommended called "Missing Link". Too early to judge on the supplement. The dogs do love it, and I *think* their coats are looking shinier.

[livetohike]

25. Thanks so much for posting this

:hi:

[Greylyn58]

26. My dog has food allergies

so I'm now using a wonderful feed called Blackwood 5000.

They have been a great company and deliver right to your home. Sheridan has done really well with their food and really likes it.

Here's their web-site for anyone who might be interested.

http://www.blackwoodpetfood.com/

I think I did the scoring right and it came out 110 - A+, so that makes me really happy.

[BrklynLiberal]

28. Great post! Thanks.

[IndyOp]

29. Yeah! Thanks for this - my brands all get A's - nice to

know since they are so expensive -- Innova, Sensible Choice, Wellness.

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[cedahlia]

33. Thanks for posting this info

We feed all of our babies Royal Canin (1 dog, 3 cats). It's good to know that their brands get such high marks.

[hippiechick]

35. Yikes!

That's alotta math!

I recently switched Hank and Ray to "3 Dog Bakery" low cal adult recipe Chicken because all the fillers in Purina was making Hank a chubster.

http://www.threedog.com/_scripts/EditC30.asp?CategoryID=127


INGREDIENTS:
Chicken, wheat flour, ground whole wheat, wheat germ meal, wheat gluten, sunflower seeds, wheat bran, mineral supplements (tricalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite), canola oil, dried egg product, rice gluten, flaxseed, vitamin supplements (choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, ascorbic acid, niacin, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin D3 supplement, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement), L-lysine, natural vegetable extract (to maintain freshness).

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:
Crude Protein (min) ....................... 24.0%
Crude Fat (min) ............................ 13.0%
Crude Fiber (max) ......................... 4.0%
Moisture (max) ............................. 10.0%
Calcium (min) ............................... 1.1%
Phosphorus (min) .......................... 0.9%
Vitamin E (min) ............................. 250 IU/kg
Vitamin C* (min) ........................... 30.0 mg/kg
Omega-6 Fatty Acids* (min) ........... 3.5%
Omega-3 Fatty Acids* (min) ........... 0.40%

[Madrone]

15. I mix & rotate -

3 different kinds at a time - rotating between Innova, EVO, Natural Balance, Wellness, and Canine caviar (seldom) - also the canned variations of those listed, as well as canned Merrick's, and some other organic brand I cannot remember.

He also gets raw ground turkey/chicken, lightly seared steak, hard boiled eggs, carrots, cucumbers, apples, blueberries, snap peas etc... from time to time.

[Neecy]

27. I hate to say this...

Because it horrifies his vet, but I've fed my Lhasa Apso Mighty Dog since I got him at the age of 3. He'll turn 17 this summer and is still as active as ever so it can't be total crap.

[livetohike]

31. I had a Lab/Shepherd mix live to be 16 and he was fed

Pedigree, Alpo, Mainstay....his littermate lived to be 13.5 (she ended up with Cushing's).

My sister fed her Beagle mix Kibbles and Bits his whole life and he lived to be 19 - yes 19!!

[Neecy]

32. I'm sure that food makes a difference --

But genetics probably has the greatest effect on longevity and overall health.

I'm just glad that my senior citizen is still eating!

[smurfygirl]

34. We took the husky's off of pro plan and switched to

science diet...within a week noticed more energy and alertness.
I really like pro plan though and recommend it to other husky owners.
We also give a raw diet on the weekends. They love it.

[Carla in Ca]

36. Jean gets Royal Canin IVD (vegetarian)

n/t

[DainBramaged]

37. For decades my guys have eaten Purina

Cats currently get Pro or Indoor formula, Buddha gets Beneful. My babies have lived well into their teens with my oldest cats having been 19 and 18 years old and my oldest dog was nearly 17.

[IndyOp]

38. I go for the premium brands for the same reason I buy organic foods for me

If I buy organic then I am supporting organic farmers who use fewer/no chemicals. I am doing good for the earth. I also buy them because I think they are nutritionally good for the dogs and I don't buy any dietary supplements.

I am glad your pets are doing well. Your Golden is a cutey!

This is my Golden Ben -- he was a fast-growing puppy then... ;-)