Hello,
I currently feed my Lhasa Apso and my Jack Russell terrier Pedigree but after reading some reviews about corn being bad for your dog (correct me if I am wrong) I don’t think I want to feed my dogs that any more since corn is mentioned twice in the top ten ingredients. What is another good dry dog food that I can feed my loved ones?
Taste of the Wild, Innova EVO, Nutro, Orijen, Blue Buffalo and Kirkland brand dog food (from costco) are pretty good.
I switched my dog from Eukanuba (contains corn) to TOTW (grain free) and he did have trouble adjusting just be the corn basically turns to sugar and can be somewhat addictive, but now he’s doing well and I am very happy with TOTW. I’m actually saving money with it.
(:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
December 23rd, 2009 at 5:06 am
There is no "best" dog food, but some quality brands to start with are Wellness, Innova, Evo, Canidae, Blue Buffalo, By Nature, Healthwise, Orijen, and Taste of the Wild.
You are right, corn is not good for dogs. It is added to cheap foods to raise the protein content, but dogs do not digest the protein out of corn as well as they do out of meat sources so in the end the dog gets little to nothing out of it. It’s like feeding your dog something just for it to poop it out, otherwise known as a filler.
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December 23rd, 2009 at 5:55 am
Keep feeding them crunchy dry dog food that is the best for their teeth. Corn is okay for a dog.
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December 23rd, 2009 at 6:43 am
Taste of the Wild, Innova EVO, Nutro, Orijen, Blue Buffalo and Kirkland brand dog food (from costco) are pretty good.
I switched my dog from Eukanuba (contains corn) to TOTW (grain free) and he did have trouble adjusting just be the corn basically turns to sugar and can be somewhat addictive, but now he’s doing well and I am very happy with TOTW. I’m actually saving money with it.
(:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
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December 23rd, 2009 at 6:52 am
You want to pick a food that has a whole meat as a first ingredient, such as chicken, turkey, or beef.
you never want to see the words "gluten" or "by product" in a food.
corn is a very undesirable ingredient in dog food (it is also Pedigree’s main ingredient)
if the word "meal" is in the ingredient list, it should be a meat meal, not a corn meal. and it should not be the first ingredient!
High protein, low carb GRAIN FREE foods are the best to feed a dog.
Some super premium brands that I love and that are great foods:
Innova
EVO
Wellness
Taste of the Wild
Solid Gold
Orijen
Timberwolf Organics
some good, but mid grade foods if you can not afford super premium
Canidae
Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance
Nutro Ultra
Merrick
STAY AWAY from anything you can buy at the grocery store or walmart, the horrible brands that you need to stay very far away from are
Science Diet
Iams
Eukanuba
Purina
Pedigree
Ol’Roy
Pro Plan
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December 23rd, 2009 at 7:37 am
Experts say Orijen is as good as dry dog food gets. Orijen has great meat content, with deboned chicken, chicken meal and turkey meal listed as the first three ingredients, and lots of other name meats and meat meals listed just a little further back. Carbohydrates — needed in a dog’s diet, most experts say — comes from high-quality sources such as russet potatoes. All ingredients are of very high quality, and meats and other proteins are certified as fit for human consumption by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (the company is based in Canada). The biggest negatives we’ve seen is that Orijen is harder to find than some other quality foods and that it’s relatively expensive. Innova EVO Dry Dog Food (*est. $25 per 13.2-pound bag) is another high-quality food with high meat content — so much so that we’ve seen some scattered reports that some dogs don’t tolerate it as well, at least at first. Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Dog Food (*est. $23 for an 18-pound bag) is a strong lower-priced alternative. It has less meat, but the ingredients are all regarded as excellent.
Experts say that while palatability is important, the true gauge in judging dog foods is the quality of the ingredients they use. DogFoodAnalysis.com has the most comprehensive listing, dividing foods into quality classes from one star to six. PetFoodRatings.com isn’t as comprehensive, but does a similarly strong job looking at ratings and adds a bit more personal insight from its author. Ask Susan Peters (a blog) also evaluates ingredients, but the site is hard to use and contradictory as both a good and bad review of Orijen currently appear. Whole Dog Journal establishes criteria for "approved" foods and publishes a list of those that qualify, but the information is only available to paid subscribers.
References :
http://www.consumersearch.com/dog-food/orijen
December 23rd, 2009 at 8:07 am
Orijen is the best i have ever used, dont see myself using anything else!
You want something to match this ingredient list:
Ingredients
ORIJEN ADULT is made with a Biologically Appropriate ingredient ratio (70/30/0) of 70% meat, 30% fruit and vegetables (and 0% grain).
ORIJEN’s fresh, never-frozen meats are raised or fished within our region and delivered to us daily by people we know and trust.
Unequalled in any other dry pet food, ORIJEN ADULT features a minimum of 6 fresh meats to better match the various foods Nature intended dogs to eat. Fresh chicken and turkey cartilage provides a natural and high source of glucosamine and chondroitin.
Veterinary selected botanicals soothe, nourish and tone the digestive tract while strengthening the liver. Omega-3 (DHA, EPA) is from fresh fish, NOT sunflower, flax or canola oils (ALA) which are ineffective in the body of a dog.
INGREDIENTS
Fresh boneless chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, russet potato, fresh pacific salmon (a natural source of DHA and EPA), herring meal, sweet potato, peas, fresh lake whitefish, fresh northern walleye, chicken fat (naturally preserved with vitamin E and citric acid), chicken liver, salmon meal, fresh turkey, fresh whole eggs, fresh deboned herring, sun-cured alfalfa, salmon oil, chicory root, dehydrated organic kelp, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, saskatoon berries, black currants, choline chloride, psyllium, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, sea salt, vitamin supplements (vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, vitamin C, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12), mineral supplements (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium), dried Lactobacillus acidophilus, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.
Analysis
Modern dogs of all breeds are not only capable of eating the food of their wild ancestors, but actually require it for maximum health. High protein and low carbohydrate, ORIJEN replicates the diet your dog would encounter in his natural environment.
Protein from animal ingredients passed ‘fit for human consumption’, NOT plant proteins like potato or pea isolates, soy or glutens.
Long chain omega-3 (DHA, EPA) from fresh fish, NOT sunflower, flax or canola (ALA omega-3) which is not useable by dogs and cats.
Calcium and phosphorus are moderate, ideally balanced, and of natural source.
Fresh chicken cartilage provides a natural, high source of glucosamine and chondroitin.
Veterinary selected botanicals soothe, nourish and tone the digestive tract while strengthening the liver
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Crude Protein (min.) 40.0%
Crude Fat (min.) 16.0%
Crude Fiber (max.) 2.5%
Moisture (max.) 10.0%
Calcium (min.) 1.5%
Calcium (max.) 1.7%
Phosphorus (min.) 1.2%
Phosphorus (max.) 1.4%
Omega-6 (min.) 3.0%
Omega-3 (min.) 1.1%
DHA 0.6%
EPA 0.3%
Carbohydrate (max.) 20.0%
Glucosamine (min.) 1200 mg/kg
Chondroitin (min.) 900 mg/kg
Microorganisms (min.) 120M cfu/kg
BOTANICAL INCLUSIONS
Chicory root 700 mg/kg
Licorice root 500 mg/kg
Angelica root 350 mg/kg
Fenugreek 350 mg/kg
Marigold flowers 350 mg/kg
Sweet Fennel 350 mg/kg
Peppermint leaf 300 mg/kg
Chamomile flowers 300 mg/kg
Dandelion root 150 mg/kg
Summer savory 150 mg/kg
VITAMINS
Vitamin A 15 kIU/kg
Vitamin D3 2000 kIU/kg
Vitamin E 200 IU/kg
Vitamin B12 0.22 mg/kg
Thiamine 50 mg/kg
Riboflavin 40 mg/kg
Niacin 200 mg/kg
Pan. Acid 32 mg/kg
Pyridoxine 26 mg/kg
Biotin 0.83 mg/kg
Folic Acid 3 mg/kg
Choline 2700 mg/kg
Ascorbic Acid 55 mg/kg
Beta carotene 0.40 mg/kg
AMINO ACIDS
Taurine 0.3 mg/kg
T. Lysine 2.7%
T. Threonine 1.65%
T. Methionine 0.87%
T. Isoleucine 1.60%
T. Leucine 2.9%
T. Valine 1.9%
T. Arginine 2.9%
T. Phen. 1.6%
T. Histidine 0.85%
T. Cystine 0.5%
MINERALS
Sodium 0.4%
Chloride 0.6%
Potassium 0.65%
Magnesium 0.10%
Sulphur 0.4%
Manganese 27 mg/kg
Cobalt 0.47 mg/kg
Iodine 3.5 mg/kg
Selenium 0.35 mg/kg
Iron 300 mg/kg
Zinc 204 mg/kg
Copper 21 mg/kg
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December 23rd, 2009 at 8:40 am
Corn and other fillers aren’t really of any use to dogs, and many are allergic to them. A food with some protein (meat of some kind) as the first ingredient, meaning it makes up most of the weight of the food, is the best food for most dogs. Dogs are domesticated wolves, and their digestive tracts work the same way, meaning they like protein as their main source of energy. Good foods are more expensive because they have less filler, like corn, which is much cheaper to produce than meat. Your dog, however, will be able to use more of his food, so he should have to eat less to fulfill his energy requirements. Eating less means buying less food (and cleaning up less poo!), saving you money in the long run. Bottom line is that while Pedigree isn’t terrible, it’s not the most efficient way to feed your dog the protein he needs. I’ve also heard that corn is rough on their digestive tracts since it’s largely indigestible.
A quick look at the label will tell you whether it’s good or not just by looking at the top three ingredients. The first needs to be a protein; usual some sort of chicken, beef, lamb, salmon or duck. Which meat you choose depends on your dog. I have a friend who can only feed his greyhound duck based foods, as he’s allergic to other proteins. I prefer salmon because my dogs tend to get fat, and the salmon oil in the food makes them super shiny.
Also, remember to transition your dog slowly so as not to upset their stomachs!
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December 23rd, 2009 at 8:53 am
Well Science Diet will swear corn it is good for dogs, I still don’t believe it. Anyway check your Dog Food Analysis Chart. Right now I am feeding Innova dog food, Which is good. There is Solid Gold, and many others that a good. Most grocery story brands are not the best to use.Canidae is a good one.
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December 23rd, 2009 at 9:13 am
* Give your dog healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetables: apple slices, carrot sticks, orange segments, banana slices, and frozen vegetables are all canine favorites.
* Make sure what you buy is high in protein, not grain-based, and that it’s AAFCO-tested. The AAFCO, the American Association of Feed Control Officials, is a watchdog group that sets food-testing and labeling standards.
Here’s more info.
http://lnk.nu/dogtime.com/rxg.html
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December 23rd, 2009 at 9:23 am
Blue Buffalo
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