Dog Owners... What do food?

[96ukssob]

I have two 3 1/2 month old puppies, got them about 2 weeks ago, both are some type of shepherd mix.

They are currently eating Chicken Soup dog food and read some mixed reviews about it. I had some friends with german shepherds and said to watch out for high protein foods as it can lead to hip problems later in life.

I was looking at something a bit more natural, like Wellness, Blue Buffalo or Orijen Puppy, all dry food for puppies. Any thoughts?

Here are two sites I've been looking at to compare, but every other site says something different. Large breed dogs should avoid anything with more than 25% protein before 6 months while another "expert" says the complete opposite.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-d...-foods-5-star/
http://www.dogfoodscoop.com/dog-food-comparison.html

[Mutt]

My vet insisted I feed my dog Science Diet dog food - boring for the dog but supposedly the best.

I was feeding her those plastic packages of those things that look like hamburger patties with cheese bits in them. He told me of course my dog loved that diet, it was the equivalent of feeding her McDonalds every day.

[PR_Glen]

Originally Posted by Mutt

My vet insisted I feed my dog Science Diet dog food - boring for the dog but supposedly the best.

I was feeding her those plastic packages of those things that look like hamburger patties with cheese bits in them. He told me of course my dog loved that diet, it was the equivalent of feeding her McDonalds every day.

he insisted because he gets a kickback for pushing that shit... that is the honest truth... on top of that it isn't good stuff at all..


It's a bit confusing researching what's best for puppies of larger breeds in particular because there are different trains of thought on it. Some swear by the lower protein foods because it keeps their growth rate more smooth and under control where others will say higher proteins because dogs aren't meant to eat foods with grains in them at all. I think there is truth to both sides really.

In my personal experience with our 8 month old curly coated retriever we have had to try a bit of both to figure out what was working best for her because she is extremely picky and has had issues with stomach bacteria problems and some minor inflammation issues with her bones.

ps too much vitamin A in their diet at a young age can cause weakness in bones so be mindful of that if doing any people food supplementation.

[Rothstein]

evo dog food for life.

[Verbal]

No grains whatsoever

[96ukssob]

Originally Posted by Mutt

My vet insisted I feed my dog Science Diet dog food - boring for the dog but supposedly the best.

I was feeding her those plastic packages of those things that look like hamburger patties with cheese bits in them. He told me of course my dog loved that diet, it was the equivalent of feeding her McDonalds every day.

Originally Posted by PR_Glen

he insisted because he gets a kickback for pushing that shit... that is the honest truth... on top of that it isn't good stuff at all..

EXACTLY!!! They gave me a sample when we took them in and I said just keep it, I wont feed my dog crap food with fillers. The vet looked at me a bit weird and I said the ingredients include ground peanut shells to other carb fillers. Her response "oh, wow I didnt know that, they just give it to us to give to new owners."

95% of vets, like doctors, only trust what the sales reps from those companies tell them. Not saying you have to spend $50 a bag, you can get "quality" food at your local grocery store, but what a lot of people don't take into consideration is they will feed the same food to a tea cup poodle that they will to a giant shepherd. Each dog needs to have different nutrition values at certain times in life, but the problem with the internet is idiots who have no clue what they are writing about have high ranking blogs with reviews on foods and info, so there is a LOT to read through.

Originally Posted by PR_Glen

It's a bit confusing researching what's best for puppies of larger breeds in particular because there are different trains of thought on it. Some swear by the lower protein foods because it keeps their growth rate more smooth and under control where others will say higher proteins because dogs aren't meant to eat foods with grains in them at all. I think there is truth to both sides really.

In my personal experience with our 8 month old curly coated retriever we have had to try a bit of both to figure out what was working best for her because she is extremely picky and has had issues with stomach bacteria problems and some minor inflammation issues with her bones.

ps too much vitamin A in their diet at a young age can cause weakness in bones so be mindful of that if doing any people food supplementation.

Personally, I think I'm going to go the route of lower protein for the next 3 months, until they are at 6 months of age, then raise the level a bit. Seems to be a bit more research and info around feeding them to much causes problems later in life with high protein in early ages, so about 25%.

[96ukssob]

Originally Posted by Rothstein

evo dog food for life.

From what I read, saw this on a number of sites, EVO used to be a pristine dog food until it was sold to Proctor and Gamble in June 2010. Since then they lowered the quality of food they put in plus added fillers while charging the same amount. Mostly because they knew it had a name and most would stick with it.

Shady business none the less..

[RebelR]

I feed Orijen to our Frenchie. We avoid grains since its not natural to their diet, and our specific breed is prone to skin allergies. If you want to see what the food are all about check out this site. A friend recommended it to me, and he used to make his own food. http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/ They really don't like Science Diet.

[Evil Chris]

I use one called Pet Diet. Great for the dogs, horrible for their breath!

[PR_Glen]

I often bash what the vets say, but the breeders and dog show people are even more clueless with regards to nutrition. They don't read up on anything (as a lot of them are old school and only use the internet for things like facebook) they don't listen to anyone but other breeders or show people and they all feed their dogs purina.. not because it's the best, but because they get kickbacks and coupons for buying and selling it to other owners so it's no different asking them for the most part either.

So reading up from numerous sources and testing on your own is a must to try to figure out what works best. I guess you can say that about most things though.

[Far-L]

Raw food diet. I get organ meats and uncooked bones from the local asian market. Dogs are not meant to eat grains. I actually end up spending less than I would buying premium dog foods. Just make sure to wash it well to minimize exposure to potential parasites or briefly microwave it if you want to make double sure

Vets that try telling you to use kibble know that your dog will have way more health problems as a result and are perfectly happy to profit from it as well as the kickbacks from the food companies themselves.

[acctman]

Nutro Chicken and Rice. www.nutro.com

[bronco67]

Originally Posted by PR_Glen

he insisted because he gets a kickback for pushing that shit... that is the honest truth... on top of that it isn't good stuff at all..


It's a bit confusing researching what's best for puppies of larger breeds in particular because there are different trains of thought on it. Some swear by the lower protein foods because it keeps their growth rate more smooth and under control where others will say higher proteins because dogs aren't meant to eat foods with grains in them at all. I think there is truth to both sides really.

In my personal experience with our 8 month old curly coated retriever we have had to try a bit of both to figure out what was working best for her because she is extremely picky and has had issues with stomach bacteria problems and some minor inflammation issues with her bones.

ps too much vitamin A in their diet at a young age can cause weakness in bones so be mindful of that if doing any people food supplementation.

So true. Hill's puts vets through school to recruit for their sales army -- and that food is utter shit. The first 5 ingredients suck.

I use Bil jac. The company has been around for a long time, and a 25lb of food has 10 lbs of chicken in it(at least thats what they say). Make sure the food ingredients are simple and not hard to pronounce chemicals and fillers.

Basically, if you can buy the food at the grocery store, then its a brand you should stay away from.

[VikingMan]

Buy some grass feed raw beef with some fat on it, chop it up raw and mix it with this http://orijen.ca and just forget what everyone else says because they are most likely complete fucking idiots. Yeah lots of vets are complete idiots and are brainwashed so they do not always give the best advice just like medical doctors are often just whores for the big pharma companies.

Like that other poster said....If you can buy it at a super market do not feed it to your dog.

[scuba steve]

i use this, pretty happy with it. dog seems to love it, good nutritional dog food.

i actually have a shepherd mix too

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-fo...ritionals-dry/

[96ukssob]

I came across this site http://www.darwinspet.com/ who seems to make their own raw food. Seems pretty good on the website, ingredient wise, but at $1.50/lb seems like I could make this myself a lot cheaper...

[trevesty]

Originally Posted by Mutt

My vet insisted I feed my dog Science Diet dog food - boring for the dog but supposedly the best.

I was feeding her those plastic packages of those things that look like hamburger patties with cheese bits in them. He told me of course my dog loved that diet, it was the equivalent of feeding her McDonalds every day.

Your vet is wrong. Science Diet is baddddddddddddddd.


I feed my GSD raw. Raw chicken leg quarters + beef/chicken livers and a splash of Omega 3's.

I used to feed him Taste of the Wild, Orijen, Science Diet, and Blue Buffalo.

I switched him to raw from TOTW(which is a very high quality kibble) due to a suggestion from a friend who breeds/trains GSD's for the military and high end ScH... My dog had a minor irritation that anti-biotics wouldn't get rid of in his ear.. after 3 days on raw, bam gone.. plus the skin allergy he had on EVERY kibble I tried.


He's gained a significant amount of muscle and is in an overall better mood also.


I wouldn't take the suggestions of a vet seriously, especially for SD. SD is known for giving vets kick backs(the same as a doctor gets kick backs from pharmaceutical companies). There are many vets who actually suggest stuff that is good for the dog rather than their wallet, though.

[trevesty]

Originally Posted by bossku69

I came across this site http://www.darwinspet.com/ who seems to make their own raw food. Seems pretty good on the website, ingredient wise, but at $1.50/lb seems like I could make this myself a lot cheaper...

You can. Research it extensively first, though. You can screw up the raw regimen fairly easily.

I spend about $25-$35/mo on food now(as compared to around $120/mo before), and my dog's overall health and well being is VERY noticeable.

[trevesty]

Originally Posted by Evil Chris

I use one called Pet Diet. Great for the dogs, horrible for their breath!

If their breath is bad, then it's not good for the dogs..

The dog should have very little gas... and very little odor orally.

[trevesty]

Originally Posted by PR_Glen

I often bash what the vets say, but the breeders and dog show people are even more clueless with regards to nutrition. They don't read up on anything (as a lot of them are old school and only use the internet for things like facebook) they don't listen to anyone but other breeders or show people and they all feed their dogs purina.. not because it's the best, but because they get kickbacks and coupons for buying and selling it to other owners so it's no different asking them for the most part either.

So reading up from numerous sources and testing on your own is a must to try to figure out what works best. I guess you can say that about most things though.

Breeders who breed for show and go to show don't know anything about dogs at all usually.

A GSD(or Malinois, Lab, Border Collie, Aussie Shepherd... ad nauseum), for example, wasn't and isn't meant to be at dog shows. They're meant to work. Period. I despise those breeders and show people because they ruin the breed.

[VikingMan]

Originally Posted by Far-L

Raw food diet. I get organ meats and uncooked bones from the local asian market. Dogs are not meant to eat grains. I actually end up spending less than I would buying premium dog foods. Just make sure to wash it well to minimize exposure to potential parasites or briefly microwave it if you want to make double sure

Vets that try telling you to use kibble know that your dog will have way more health problems as a result and are perfectly happy to profit from it as well as the kickbacks from the food companies themselves.

Yes this is ideal but almost nobody will actually go out and do it so I just always recommend to mix some raw meat with a high grade low or no grain dry dogfood.

[PR_Glen]

costco has some perfectly fine brands for food available normally so not all supermarket stuff is bullshit, you should read the labels first obviously..

as for raw food there are added risks involved with this. It is a bit of a crap shoot whether they will develop parasites from this so saying it is better in the end is very debatable. It's not something you can just switch your dog onto either you would have to slowly work it in.

We all know that dogs naturally ate raw meats when they were on their own and not domesticated but they also didn't live much past 5 or 6 years old back in those days either so giving them some vegetables and some kibble with high nutrients is only going to help them as it does us.

cooking meat extended our lifespans at one point, it does the same for other mammals as well ;)

[NaughtyVisions]

My wife is a hobby breeder. We breed pure American Eskimos, pure Pomeranians, and a hybrid of the two called a Pomimo (which coincidentally outsells the pures tremendously).

For years we've been feeding our dogs (pets, breeding parents and puppies) a grain free diet. We've used all of the following, and we would recommend any of them:

Taste Of the Wild
Before Grain (Currently feeding)
Natural Balance Alpha (only Alpha --it's specifically designed to be a complete grain free diet...their other limited ingredient grain free foods don't have complete nutrition)
Nature's Variety: Instinct
Blue Buffalo: Wilderness

We always recommend any buyer to keep their puppy on a grain free diet. We've noticed our dogs to have better breath and a healthier coat, not to mention in the internal benefits of not eating the equivalent of McDonald's in dog food on a daily basis.

There are pricier grain free foods out there other than what I mentioned above, but with us buying 25lb bags every couple of days, price is a factor we have to consider into the mix.

Grain free is a personal choice; there are quality dog foods out there that do contain grains. But we would never go back.

[PR_Glen]

Originally Posted by trevesty

Breeders who breed for show and go to show don't know anything about dogs at all usually.

A GSD(or Malinois, Lab, Border Collie, Aussie Shepherd... ad nauseum), for example, wasn't and isn't meant to be at dog shows. They're meant to work. Period. I despise those breeders and show people because they ruin the breed.

my gf showed and finished her lab a few years ago, not far off the truth there. The reason she decided not to get another Lab puppy is because the dogs who were winning were FAT as fuck, so fat they can barely waddle. Ours is in fantastic shape despite being at the high end of the breed standard for weight (about 80 lbs) but she still loses events because she sticks out with all the other dogs because they are all closer to 95lbs!

She's got all her field training medals as well though, but most of the show folk don't bother.

[trevesty]

Originally Posted by PR_Glen

costco has some perfectly fine brands for food available normally so not all supermarket stuff is bullshit, you should read the labels first obviously..

as for raw food there are added risks involved with this. It is a bit of a crap shoot whether they will develop parasites from this so saying it is better in the end is very debatable. It's not something you can just switch your dog onto either you would have to slowly work it in.

We all know that dogs naturally ate raw meats when they were on their own and not domesticated but they also didn't live much past 5 or 6 years old back in those days either so giving them some vegetables and some kibble with high nutrients is only going to help them as it does us.

cooking meat extended our lifespans at one point, it does the same for other mammals as well ;)

I give veggies 3x per week... usually just extra from what I make for myself.

Giving a dog COOKED chicken legs/quarters is a terribly fatal idea, though. Raw chicken legs are incredibly good for the dog(the marrow is full of nutrients).

Washing the meat with hot water before feeding will be okay. There are also companies you can order pre-packed raw for dogs from.


FYI: Their energy level will increase if feeding raw, especially if a working breed, so be prepared for that. I know of others who have toy breeds/"pet" breeds and feed raw and that just means they'll be less of a couch potato... my GSD would run next to a vehicle I was in for 100 miles if I asked him to.. other breeds, not so much.. point: a GSD with high energy isn't "bad"..

[trevesty]

Originally Posted by PR_Glen

my gf showed and finished her lab a few years ago, not far off the truth there. The reason she decided not to get another Lab puppy is because the dogs who were winning were FAT as fuck, so fat they can barely waddle. Ours is in fantastic shape despite being at the high end of the breed standard for weight (about 80 lbs) but she still loses events because she sticks out with all the other dogs because they are all closer to 95lbs!

She's got all her field training medals as well though, but most of the show folk don't bother.

Yep.. there's a GSD breeder around here who breeds for show and his dogs are dumber than a box of rocks and very fat and out of shape. American line GSD's are usually terrible anyway.

My buddy has a 6 year old male black Lab who is pretty much an Einstein of dogs.. he uses him for hunting, but last he counted the dog knew over 1800 commands. I just recently got him on the GSD bandwagon and he purchased one from a reputable breeder in Germany. I think we're going to breed my male with her.

[VikingMan]

Originally Posted by PR_Glen

costco has some perfectly fine brands for food available normally so not all supermarket stuff is bullshit, you should read the labels first obviously..

as for raw food there are added risks involved with this. It is a bit of a crap shoot whether they will develop parasites from this so saying it is better in the end is very debatable. It's not something you can just switch your dog onto either you would have to slowly work it in.

We all know that dogs naturally ate raw meats when they were on their own and not domesticated but they also didn't live much past 5 or 6 years old back in those days either so giving them some vegetables and some kibble with high nutrients is only going to help them as it does us.

cooking meat extended our lifespans at one point, it does the same for other mammals as well ;)

I have been eating and also feeding raw beef, bison, and chicken to my dogs for years now and never had an issue or been sick once. The trick is to get the meat fresh. Do you realize that the meat you get served to you in even the nice restaurants and at the upscale super markets has been dead for about 2 weeks before it is served to you? Now that is fucking gross. I get my meats the same day the animal is slaughtered.

[Far-L]

Originally Posted by bossku69

I came across this site http://www.darwinspet.com/ who seems to make their own raw food. Seems pretty good on the website, ingredient wise, but at $1.50/lb seems like I could make this myself a lot cheaper...

I have seventy pound mix breed eating twice a day about 12 to 16 ounces per meal and spending just over $2 a day. No bad coat issues. No bad breath issues. No weight problems. Little bit of a hassle to cut it up and portion it out but worth it in the end just for health benefits.

[96ukssob]

How much protein (grams or %) do you feed you dog? Mine are 3 months old, so I've heard to keep the protein some where between mid and low about 25-35g per.

Argh, this is confusing

[trevesty]

Originally Posted by bossku69

How much protein (grams or %) do you feed you dog? Mine are 3 months old, so I've heard to keep the protein some where between mid and low about 25-35g per.

Argh, this is confusing

http://rawfeddogs.net/FAQs/

That's a good starting point.

For reference, my GSD... on average(some days more, in which case he gets fed more), exercises heavily about 1 hour per day... on those days, he gets about 1/8lb chicken liver and one leg quarter.

On days like today where I've been working/at the office most of the day, he got one chicken thigh and one chicken liver.

Sunday.. he'll get about 3 hours of exercise, so I'll give him 3 legs and a thigh.

If they feel too skinny(you can see their ribs..), add an extra leg/thigh to each meal. If they're too fat(it's "mushy" if running your hand down their side), remove one for a few days.


It's mostly dependent on their energy level and how much they exercise... and of course their weight/breed. You'll feed a GSD more than you would an American Staffordshire. Likewise, you'd feed a French Mastiff more than a GSD.. but not much, as a French Mastiff isn't nearly as active as a GSD.

Hooch will start running around the house if I don't take him out to work and/or play that day... for hours.

[WebCashMaker]

Is anyone feeding their dog the "BARF" diet, an acronym for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones And Raw Food ?

A typical BARF diet is made up of 60-80% of raw meaty bones, that is bones with about 50% meat,(e.g. chicken neck, back and wings) and 20-40% of fruits and vegetables, offal, meat, eggs, or dairy foods.