PET Health....Need advise- animal lover

[aphextwin]

I really want to know what I need to look for when purchasing pet food. My yellow lab will be turning 9 in Feb and he is holding up extremely well. I give him a Glucosamine Joint formula and fish oil in his food.

I know he's getting older and won't live forever, however, I wish he would...he is my buddy. I hate it when I take him swimming at the lake and he gets stiff after retrieving sticks from our lake.

Any ideas or other products you guys might recommend?

 

[Miss Q]

I fed my Scottish Terrier, "Evo"- it's a low carb, high protein, grain free dog food. It's alot more expensive than Kibbles and Bits....but well worth it after reading the labels....there is some pretty scary stuff in the normal, generic dog food


Grain-Free, Low Carbohydrate, and Protein-Rich Dog Food, Cat Food, Ferret Food and Dog Treats ? Meator Poultry-Based Pet Food ? EVO Pet Products

 

[Amazon Doll]

Going "Grain Free" is the most important thing you can do as Miss Q says.

I feed my dog Fromm brand. They are out of Wisconsin. You can find it at some pet stores or order it online.

Nutritional info on the one I use: **broken link removed**

 

[JMAN86]

I feed both of my dobies blue buffalo longevity. Whitefish based. Not completely grain free, but they have crazy food allergies and do amazing on it, female is 72lbs and lean, male is over 90 now and lean, keeps their coat nice and shiny.

 

[aphextwin]

Thanks for the help guys. I plan on purchasing one of these brands.

 

[naturalsux]

Going "Grain Free" is the most important thing you can do as Miss Q says.

I feed my dog Fromm brand. They are out of Wisconsin. You can find it at some pet stores or order it online.

Nutritional info on the one I use: **broken link removed**

I was gonna recommend this brand. It isn't avaliable at the big chains ie petco, petsmart.

The pet store I go to talks highly of fromm.

 

[hemipower]

My french bulldog has BAD allergies and costs me a fortune...not sure if it's mainly food or other allergens so try to keep her on low ingredient foods.

Did Science Diet a while and even tried the prescription foods that cost a fortune...Tried Natural Balance a while...breeder had originally suggested Royal Canin and did that a while until the doc switched her...been all over the map with foods in the last 3 years...this is the 5th one we have tried thinking still some food allergy issues maybe...


Started my dogs on Solid Gold Wolf recently...heard good things about it...seems to have few ingredients and comes vacuum packed so it's fresh...anyone know about this one?

"made with Fresh Bison and Salmon Meal...Nutritionally Complete and Balanced: Animal feeding tests using Association of American Feed Control Officials procedures substantiate that Solid Gold Wolf...provides complete and balanced nutrition for adult dogs. No wheat, no soybeans, no corn, no animal fat, no poultry fat, no by-products, no sugar added, no preservatives added, no salt, no sunflower oil."

 

[BOOMSHAKER]

Easy rule of thumb to remember is the first three ingredients are key, the first five ingredients all together are crucial. If the first ingredient is CORN, move onto the next bag of dog food.

If you like to do comparisons, here are some numbers:

Chicken Meal
Typical Analysis
Crude Protein 63.00%
Crude Fat 12.00%
Crude Fiber 2.50%
Ash 18.00%
Moisture 4.50%
Grind 99% thru #12
Color Golden Brown
Digestibility 90.00%+
Metabolizable Energy 1,579 Kcal/lb=3,474 Kcal/kg



Minerals & Vitamins
Calcium 4.00%
Phosphorus 2.00%
Available Phosphorus 2.00%
Salt Equivalent 1.50%
Sodium 0.60%
Chloride 0.90%
Potassium 0.60%
Choline 5,992 mg/kg



Amino Acid Profile



Aspartic Acid 5.14%
Threonine 2.80%
Serine 2.87%
Glutamic Acid 8.36%
Proline 3.76%
Glycine 7.39%
Alanine 4.80%
Cystine 0.95%
Methionine 1.30%
Isoleucine 2.85%
Hydroxyproline 2.48%
Leucine 4.28%
Tyrosine 1.70%
Phenylalanine 2.52%
Histidine 1.39%
Lysine 4.30%
TSAA 2.25%
Ammonia 0.73%
Arginine 4.61%
Tryptophan 0.66%
Valine 2.84%
Taurine 0.40%

65% Poultry By-Product Meal Pet Food Grade

Typical Analysis
Crude Protein 65.00%
Crude Fat 12.50%
Crude Fiber 2.50%
Ash 12.00%
Moisture 5.50%
Grind 99% thru #12
Color Golden Brown
Digestibility 90.00%+
Metabolizable Energy 1,575 Kcal/lb=3,465 Kcal/kg
TDN 78.00%
NEL 0.08
UIP 60.00%



Minerals & Vitamins
Calcium 3.60%
Phosphorus 1.80%
Available Phosphorus 1.80%
Salt Equivalent 1.50%
Sodium 0.60%
Chloride 0.90%
Potassium 0.90%
Manganese 10 mg/kg
Choline 5,940 mg/kg
Magnesium 0.20%



Amino Acid Profile



Aspartic Acid 5.10%
Threonine 2.71%
Serine 2.59%
Glutamic Acid 9.93%
Proline 4.26%
Glycine 9.07%
Alanine 5.08%
Cystine 0.62%
Methionine 1.30%
Valine 2.54%
Isoleucine 2.71%
Leucine 4.55%
Tyrosine 2.21%
Phenylalanine 2.79%
Histidine 1.23%
Lysine 4.30%
TSAA 1.92%
Ammonia 0.83%
Arginine 4.88%
Tryptophan 0.41%
Taurine 0.38%
Hydroxyproline 2.23%

Here are some defenitions you should see and read on most animal foods,

Meat Meal
Rendered meal made from animal tissue. It cannot contain hair, hoof, blood, horn, hide trimmings, stomach or rumen (the first stomach) contents, or manure except for amounts that may not be avoided during processing. It cannot contain any added foreign matter and may not contain more than 14% indigestible materials. Indigestible crude protein in the meal cannot be more than 11%. It contains no more than 10% moisture.

Poultry By-Products
Clean parts of slaughtered poultry, such as heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, feet, abdomen, intestines, and heads and must not contain feces or foreign matter except that which is unavoidable and then only in trace amounts.

Meat By-Products
Clean parts of slaughtered animals, not including meat. These parts include lungs, kidneys, brain, spleen, liver, bone, blood, partially defatted low-temperature fatty tissue, stomach, and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, teeth, hooves or horns. Only 14% may be indigestible residue and no more than 11% indigestible crude protein.

Animal Digest
A powder or liquid made by taking clean under-composed animal tissue and breaking it down using chemical and or emblematic hydrolysis. It does not contain horn, teeth, hair, hooves, or feathers except in trace amounts which are unavoidable, Digest names must be descriptive of their contents, that is, chicken digest must be made from chicken and beef digest made from beef.

ONE MORE THING TO REMEMBER, IF YOU CAN FIND YOUR DOG FOOD IN A SUPERMARKET, OR WHOLESALE CLUB, THEN 90% OF THE TIME IT'S WORTHLESS! WHY? BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER IS MORE CONCERNED WITH QUANTITY VS QUALITY. AND SO THE FIRST INGREDIENT IS ALMOST ALWAYS "CORN". CHEAP TO GROW, CHEAP TO USE AS A FILLER.

 

[aphextwin]

Do any of you guys give your dog fish oil? If so, what brand do you recommend? My dog weighs about 80 lbs.

 

[Jamez45]

I give my 5 yearold Golden retervier the same Nordic fishoil tabs I take..1 with each meal. Now he won't eat his food unless I put one in his bowl.lol

 

[Amazon Doll]

I give my dog a teaspoon of Carlson's Fish Oil with every meal as well as a 1/4 cup of blueberries, a handfull of Sping Mix salad, and a bit of what ever veggies I have cooked. I throw all of this in the blender with enough water so it will blend up and then I pore it on his food.

 

[Donzi]

research the Barf diet. it is transforming my 2 boxers and my sisters two doberman. its really not hard to do and they love it. Keep carbs away. It is said in dogs you can decrease the risk of cancer by 85-90% if you cut out carb foods cause those convert to sugars and cancer cells feed of the. The carbs my dogs do get are trace amounts from pureed veggies and the minimal amount in greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Im really looking into starting a pet supplement/food line with vets on staff to help educate people. So many people are so mis lead by the crap that is out there. It would be like you eating mcdonalds 3x a day. imagine how much better and more energetic you will feel once you cut it out.

 

[buck]

grain free diet here for my boxer. Blue Buffalo at the moment. along with fish oil, a little flax seed, the usual joint supps, including gelatin, some raw veggies and lightly cooked meat. i get him out for his training most every day. either at the off leash park, trail or the beach, he thinks he is having fun and doesn't realize that it is training to stay in shape. he is pushing 10 but most people guess him to be several years younger.

 

[builder]

have a look at DOGtorX. it is a fantastic supplement for dogs:

Dogtor Rx K9 Longevity a Natural Remedy for Dog Ailments

**broken link removed**

 

[hemipower]

Do any of you guys give your dog fish oil? If so, what brand do you recommend? My dog weighs about 80 lbs.

Give mine 2g a day...any brand I am taking is what they get. If it's good enough for me then it's fine for them...

 

[Cerberus777]

research the Barf diet. it is transforming my 2 boxers and my sisters two doberman. its really not hard to do and they love it. Keep carbs away. It is said in dogs you can decrease the risk of cancer by 85-90% if you cut out carb foods cause those convert to sugars and cancer cells feed of the. The carbs my dogs do get are trace amounts from pureed veggies and the minimal amount in greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Im really looking into starting a pet supplement/food line with vets on staff to help educate people. So many people are so mis lead by the crap that is out there. It would be like you eating mcdonalds 3x a day. imagine how much better and more energetic you will feel once you cut it out.

not knocking evo or solid gold wolf,(soild gold green tripe i buy ill explain below) good foods but not the best,cheapest, practical(small pet shops close early a lot) buy almost everything when i shop for myself Im a dog trainer(for a wile and about to again manage the training of a major pet chain. i could get free or redused cost food but dont) and really into bully breedsave/had/resue...most have alergies and this one helps all most all of them.

1 lb 70/30 ground beef 50lb(ideal weight) of dog
1 lb chichen necks every 50lb of dog
1/2 can green tripe this is predigested plant matter...used to purree veggies with yogurt this isnt the natural way a wolf/dog gets plant matter and diary products arnt the best.
1-2fishoil
cosaquin if needed

easy diet, i gave one of my clients this diet and she even started a 15 year old dog that had a euthinization date in 3 weeks, do to many health issues and just wanted the kids to have a chance to say good bye....she canseld the appointment and dog live 2 more happy years and acted years yunger.

 

[garcia]

I can't remember the name of the food that my GF buys for the Moo Moo, but she buys canned stuff that is $3/can and mixes it with dry Bison. He likes it and has been not scratching as much.

 

[aphextwin]

I give my dog a teaspoon of Carlson's Fish Oil with every meal as well as a 1/4 cup of blueberries, a handfull of Sping Mix salad, and a bit of what ever veggies I have cooked. I throw all of this in the blender with enough water so it will blend up and then I pore it on his food.

Thanks, Amazon Doll. Gonna buy my dog Carlson's fish oil.

 

[Pitbullmike007]

Best way to feed is raw ( barf diet ) -- we sell raw beef for a buck a pound ,, no grain an 100% protien ,, we are also coming out with our own kibble that will b raw based an grain free, based off fish an fish meal, but that will b next year sum time , still workin on the cost effectiveness,, got tired of payin so much for premium kibble ,, evo an blue buffalo wilderness are great but at almost 2 bucks or more per pound just is t realable pricing when u have more than 2 dogs ,, we r tryin to get our kibble at 75% protien or higher for right at a buck a pound , and in 20, 30 and 50 lb bags ... -- alwayz look at the first few ingredients , the first shud alwayz be meat based an preferably over 30% protien ... What Alot of peeps don't realize is that the same brand for example eukanuba that has different sub categories of food like senior or puppy or premium that have diff percentages of protien an fats are gettin the same amount ,, by them sayin that it's the minium amount in it which they went Lyin so a bag that says min 23% protien actually has same amount as their bag that says min 32% protien , caz it costs them more to stop the factory line to re mix a diff protien n fat formula per sub category than to jus do that an add an subtract certain smaller ingredients ,,, hope that makes sense lol

 

[chairmankitteh]

This is the best food advice thread for pets I have ever read. It covers everything. I am very impressed. I think feeding raw is awesome, but most people (with the exception of boards like this) can't even be trusted to create their own meals right.
Evo and Solid gold are awesome, really once you really understand the labels and what your dog needs you are gtg.