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dog/cat foods
When I had first gotten my cat Gideon (my first pet while an adult) I did what I was brought up to do, buy cheap! But shortly into my cat parenthood of cats I switched them to Nutro (at the time).. over the course of years I learned for both cats and dogs to look at ingredients, like I do for myself! I look for no byproducts, no fillers, and such.
In my indevour I was wondering what some of you "experts" use as feeding dogs and cats. What do you look for? And do you recommend moist or dry? Thanks! |
I have cats and have found the better quality foods (I buy Iams) makes a big difference on shedding, as well as urinary blockage (on male cats) I have found my Himalayan's hair does not get as matted since I switched from Purina One.
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DJ, I noticed the same when I switched my two cats. But now I'm wondering if some of the products I was using isn't still a "no no." Even if some of the products say "no by products" it can still have fillers, or other things as preservatives that make it a bad choice, and from what I understand Iam's isn't the best choice. Thats why I'm asking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLaxX...eature=related |
All seven of my dogs eat a raw diet. I do not feed any kibble at all and haven't for over 8 years. My dogs eat a variety of raw meats and veggies as well as an assortment of leftovers and other real foods.....
My cats eat a combination of raw and Wellness brand kibble (the taurine requirements for cats concern me so I dont feed a fully raw diet to them) For cats who as a rule do not have a strong drinking urge, wet food is a must as it gives them the fluids that they might not drink on their own. so thats what I feed my gang..... Let me just add that bloodbaths often happen in food discussions but my personal beliefs are that ..... there is no one right food for all.... like people, various dogs and cats do better on various foods. I tend to switch around the kibbles I use for my cats and the dogs get a wide variety.... but simply because one food works for me or anotehr for someone else does not mean that it will be the best for you and yours S http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c7...ecollagesm.jpg |
Right now we feed both our animals (1 cat, 1 dog) Nutro Natural Choice, but I've been thinking about looking into different options.
My SIL feeds her dogs a vegetarian diet that she cooks for them. They just stayed with us and "the boys" got cooked lentils, lettuce, carrots, apples, and cucumber mixed with olive oil and braggs liquid aminos (all the veggies were raw.) She said she switches up the veggies to vary the vitamins they get. She has a book that talks about dog nutrition, but I'm not sure the name of it. BTW, her dogs are healthy and one of them has lost a lot of weight on this diet (he is now a healthy weight, he was very overweight when she got him.) |
This is a timely discussion for me. I've fed my dogs Nutro since they were puppies, on the advice of my vet. It's expensive ($39 a bag, which lasts a month for 3 dogs). In the past two months, two of the dogs (who are from the same litter), have had tumors/cysts removed that turned out to be cancerous. So, now I wonder if Nutro was the best choice or if I should change their diet.
My current vet says Nutro is fine, but I may talk to the holistic vet next door. I have thought about a vegetarian diet for them and my mom did an all raw diet for her dog which helped clear up some conditions he had. |
Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Formula
My one dog has an allergy to all grains - wheat, corn, oatmeal, and barley are all no-nos. Since I've started them on Taste of the Wild, which is grain-free, they've lost their pudge, their coat is much shinier, they're far more energetic, and my baby hasn't gotten hot spots from allergies. It's about $32 for a 30 pound bag, but I'd say its worth it. |
Our trainer, Liz Palika who has written several books on dog nutrition, recommends high quality foods with no grains. Her top choice is The Honest Kitchen (a dehydrated raw food) but it's extremely pricey, especially for those of us with large dogs. Her next choices were Wellness CORE and the other one has left my mind at the moment.... Sorry. We used CORE for awhile and the dogs did wonderful on it. We only switched because our vet was concerned about the high protein content (not that its all protein, the carbs just come from things like sweet potatoes and fruit instead of rice or corn) on our 10 year old shepherd's kidneys. Generally high protein content is desired, especially for young or active dogs. I still question her advice but I'm not taking any risks with my baby :) We are now using Natural Balance Duck and Potato. It's also grain free but has a lower protein content, I think it's around 22% which is more average. That variety of Natural Balance was also on our trainers list of good foods, just a little further down.
Basically just look for a grain free, filler free food. That means no corn, barley, beet pulp, by-products, etc. The list of food ingredients should be relatively short and possibly followed by vitamins and minerals. For example... Here is the list of ingredients from a Eukanuba food, which many people think is a "good" food: Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Fish Meal (source of fish oil), Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E, and Citric Acid), Brewers Rice, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Natural Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Fructooligosaccharides, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), DL-Methionine, Marigold Extract (source of Lutein), Rosemary Extract Note things like beet pulp, corn meal, and by-products! Here are the ingredients for Wellness CORE original: Deboned Turkey, Deboned Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Dried Ground Potato, Tomato Pomace, Natural Chicken Flavor, Canola Oil, Chicken Liver, Salmon Oil, Flaxseed, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Kale, Broccoli, Spinach, Parsley, Apples, Blueberries, Vitamins & Minerals, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Products, Rosemary Extract. See how their ingredients include a variety of fruits and vegetables and meat, not by-products. Many people might think "meal" is a bad thing as in chicken meal, but all that means is the meat with water content removed. Kind of like oats vs oatmeal. Both of those foods are dog foods, but the pattern is obviously similar, I'm just not as familiar with cat food. I know that they make a Wellness CORE for cats and that Natural Balance makes a Duck & Green Pea formula for cats which would be the cat equivalent of what we use. I know many natural food stores have dog food samples, not sure about cat food, but its worth a try! |
My two kitties get Wellness brand. I also liked California Naturals, but they stopped carrying "our" favorite flavor.
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however, I do use honest kitchen products when I am traveling to shows as it is much easier than carrying raw frozen food and I have to say....my dogs HATE it..... they just absolutely hate it..... I have several who will not eat for several days until they are absolutely famished before they will eat it..... even my good eaters don't finish their meals and will pick around at it.... I think personally it has to much fruit.... and while my dogs like fruit.... they just hate that stuff..... s |
I just found this website and have found it informative. They have reviews and ratings on different brands of food.
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ |
In reality, it mainly depends on your animals. I feed my cats purina indoor formula because for some reason it lowers their hairballs and keeps them fairly skinny (one of my cats is shorthair but very furry, he used to have a huge problem with hairballs). I don't give them wet/canned food very often because it gives them the runs and some of them definitely don't need the calories lol.
My dogs, all large dogs, I feed Iams large breed. The food isn't tiny like a lot of dog food, so they actually have to chew it instead of inhaling lol. I got lucky in that I can keep the food out all day without any of them overeating and getting chunky. I also keep the food off the ground, it's on a chair, because being so big/tall it's less stressful on their necks. One of my dogs has very bristly fur that makes him itchy. We tried a few different types of dog food and none of it helped, but we found a liquid vitamin supplement that makes his fur a lot more silky. That stopped his itching, even more so than the benadryl the vet prescribed. Again I don't feed the dogs any canned food (except for a treat once in a great while). Dogs need something crunchy for their teeth, if you feed dogs wet food you also need to feed them some dry or something crunchy. I used to feed my youngest dog some wet food in order to bulk her up, she was really boney when we got her as a puppy. She ended up getting swollen anal glands from the wet food though so we don't feed her any anymore (that was a fun experience lol). All in all, whatever works for you and your pets is what you should use. Some people are really strong on the "natural foods" which is great, but sometimes not practical. And some animals really don't like them. I used to work at a vets and some of the dogs being boarded would never eat their own food. After being there for a few days without eating we'd end up giving them our own food, else they'd starve. Some dogs won't eating vegtable heavy food, others would eat anything set in front of them. |
After researching I put the dogs on Chicken soup due to the raves and the ingredients in the food. Jade, my 2 yr old, didn't care for it. Her coat got course and skin flakey... Cody's coat got Course and he couldn't stop itching.
Last week I switched them to Taste of the Wild, the Prairie formula, and their coats are so soft, the flakes are gone from Jade and Cody's not itching. Let's not forget that Jade's handing me her bowl four times a night! She loves the taste! I've never seen her so crazy over ANY dog food, not even canned! Five stars to TOW. |
Wellness is supposed to be one of the best brands of commercial cat food, with the lowest percentage from carbohydrates and the best ingredients next to homemade. Most people I hear of feeding cats homemade raw food add supplements (to ensure proper taurine intake, for one).
I definitely agree with feeding a good wet food to cats - as mentioned above they really need the water, and they tend to eat less when given meals and not self-feeding. In addition, wet food has a higher protein content than dry food, and carbs in cats are pretty much useless and are stored as fat. My two kitties came to us from the shelter at 15 and 19lbs... they are big boys to begin with but *definitely* overweight. We feed wet food twice a day, and they have both lost significant amounts of weight (haven't been to the vet recently to be sure, but their bellies don't hang quite so near to the ground!). I think any animal owner should read up on optimal nutrition for whatever it is you have - you owe it to your companion who adds so much joy to your life to feed them as well as you can! Think of it as preventative maintenance - if they aren't fed stuff they shouldn't be eating, they are less likely to develop health problems prematurely. |
My cat is so fussy that he will eat nothing but whiskas. Doesn't matter what flavour as long as its whiskas. I tried to switch to Iams and a few other brands but he just wouldn't go near it so I'm sticking with what he will eat.
I feed wet food twice a day but he always has a little bowl of dry stuff out with his water in case he gets hungry during the day or I'm late getting home from work. I think he quite likes the change in texture sometimes from the dry stuff. |
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My cats get wellness canned
The dog gets Wellness CORE and canned. He particular likes the New Zealand Venison. The ingredients in Wellness is the closest to home-cooked. Also, if you go on the wellness website, you can request coupons (they will send one $5 coupon and 5 $5 coupons). They really help! They let you do this once every month or two. |
My dog is on a largely veggie diet. I feed her Dick Van Patton's vegetarian kibble and supplement with legumes, veggies and fruit. She does get the occasional meat if we're visiting someone who cooks meat and I will vary rarely buy her natural treats with chicken.
I was very hesitant at first about switching her from a more meat based diet but I can honestly say it's been great for her. She is a 6 year old mastiff and her energy level has increased significantly and we've had no vet concerns since the switch. Now if it would just take care of her drool.... :) |
Taste of the wild update:.... It's been a full month. Usually after a month I'm wanting to bath Jade, my lab, due to the oil that gets on her fur (natural for labs).. I normally do wash her every three months... but her coat is soft and shiny! I have NO desire for the first time EVER in three years (after recalculating I realized another year had passed me by with her). I've always spent a bit more, had her on a dog food I thought was good for her (not cheap either), but first time ever her coat is to brag about! Not to mention her love for the Taste of the Wild food! Cody's coat is soft and shiny, and he likes the food (he's less fussy and, as most pups, eats anything!) but when I put down left over of the chicken soup next to the taste of the wild, the chicken soup is left, the TOW is gone! Talk about the ultimate taste test.
Can you tell I'm psyched about this food? |
Loriann, I'm so glad you found something that seems to be working great!
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Sorry I meant to write one $5 coupon and 5 one dollar coupons from Wellness
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and I thought 24 (5 dogs & 1 cat) paws was a houseful. I admire those that feed raw; wish I had the motivation to do it. Four of my five dogs are on Innova Adult and my problem child who has epilepsy, severe allergies and HD is on EVO. My kitty Aruba is also on EVO.
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We have two cats who sincerely believe they are royalty.
Must be at least $10 a bag or they are not interested. I think they can taste a high-quality food from a cheapie grocery store one. They like fish flavor, and I feed either Iams or Science Diet fish and they like both, but perhaps the Science Diet a bit more. Lately they have both gotten a bit pudgy and so I did some research and found two things: 1) feeding small amounts at regular times is much better than just leaving out for them to graze. 2) it takes longer to feel full on kibble, so if the cat is overweight giving one or two meals a day of wet food should help them slim down a little. I also read that cats need 1/2 hour of play per day to avoid being bored and eating out of boredom. Boy does that sound HUMAN! |
We use the BLUE: Spa Select foods (Indoor formula, I believe) -- We tried maybe 4 or 5 different natural foods for our kitties and always one of them would get sick (throwing up)... I mean, everything from Wellness to Nutro to Royal Canin and more... We have two hairless and two older stray-rescues with hair, and it was the older two that would get sick...
Eventually we found this and it's PERFECT! A little expensive, but it agrees with the animals and isn't filled with garbage... we're happy! Their coats are beautiful, and the hairless have the softest skin ever... |
I'm a raw feeder too (two cats) - been feeding that way for over two years. It's been a lifesaver for me because both my cats have health issues that are seriously complicated by any grains or carbohydrates at all.
I like the fact that I have control over what they are eating (no added melamine or other nasty surprises to worry about), and that it has turned out to be much cheaper than I thought it would be. It's more expensive than kibble, but less than the premium canned foods (much less)! One wonderful side effect I noticed from the raw diet is that their poop has almost no smell and it's *tiny*! :rofl: It's definitely not for everyone though. You have to know how to feed raw food and what makes a properly balanced diet (you can't just toss them chicken breasts), and you have to have a freezer! BP |
bopeep: I recently started feeding one of my dogs raw because of allergies. He's still getting used to it, so we've had some poop issues, but overall I'm very happy with it. He had soooo many food allergies when feeding kibble, I couldn't find any quality food that agreed with him! I'm planning on switching my other two over soon as well. I definitely think raw is the way to go, too bad more people don't do it.
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One of my cats is allergic to all grains, chicken, lamb and fish. She had developed severe IBD (had horrible bloody diarrhea) and was nothing but skin and bones when I adopted her. Once we got her on a raw diet, she settled down and is now a good weight, and she loooves her food :D I think raw is the ideal diet too, especially for an animal with diet related health issues, but it can be dangerous if one is not doing it right, and many people don't. I tend to encourage people to read about it, but not to switch unless they are really comitted. In general, just reading about a raw diet and proper animal nutrition leads most people to choose a better prepared food, and that's great. ;) BP |
I have my blue heeler/husky cross puppy on Blue Buffaloe dog food there is no fillers, no corn, No soy, no wheat, no gluten, no animal by products all of the ingredients are stuff I would eat. Her coat is amazing, I swear her adult coat is softer than he fluffy puppy fur. My mil switched her two dogs onto the same food since he 7 year old dog was having terrible skin issues and those have cleared up and she literally bounces around now. I have never seen this dog bounce until now!! Good food I get it at pet smart.
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His allergies included poultry and potatoes. At least that's what I could figure out by process of elimination. He would turn really pink and his eyes would water, and we haven't had any of that since the raw. I've even heard that a dog allergic to poultry kibble can eat raw poultry, but we haven't risked it yet. We've done rabbit, venison, and beef so far. I actually started my other boston on it a couple days ago and she had virtually no transition period. It really is amazing how well they thrive on the raw. |
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If his gut has settled down for now, I'd suggest leaving him on what's working for several months before you start to experiment with raw poultry (let any allergy or digestive issues settle down and go away completely). It is possible he will be able to eat it raw, even though he was allergic to cooked, but it's also possible he'll react to it. Every cat/dog is different! Too many changes too quickly can cause all kinds of problems and it's easier to figure out what's what if you're only changing one thing at a time. One thing you should definitely try in a few months are birds other than chicken or turkey. My chicken allergic cat can eat quail, duck and goose with no problem (her diet is mostly quail). Sometimes it's all birds they react to and sometimes it's just chicken or turkey. BP |
I used to use Nutro Ultra on the advise of a rep at PetSmart. He told me it was the best food available for my dogs, holistic and nutritious. I found out later that it was just the best food that PetSmart sold, but far from the best. The food was even involved in a recall. I did some research and switched to Wellness. I love this company. They have a variety of flavors and formulas for dogs with allergies and special needs. We buy the Large Breed Kibble formula for our lab and the Chicken Adult Kibble for our Jack Russell. They love it. At dinner time we mix in 1/2 can of wet for the lab and 1/4 wet for the Jack. Their coats are shinier, they seem more active, and they really lick their bowls clean now. I have also noticed that their stools aren't as smelly or as loose as they once were. I highly recommend trying this food. I was told they also have a Kibble called CORE which is made with all meat. I haven't tried this since my dogs and I are both happy with the current food but it is supposed to be for people who favor the RAW diet as an alternative packaged food. The only downside to the food is the price. A can of wet food is 2.19 a can and a 35lb bag is about $50. This gets pricey for larger dogs.
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:dizzy:It gets confusing with all the options out there! My black lab, Max, was on a chicken, rice and vegie diet until his lipomas (lumps) started getting out of control. He's now doing meat and vegies with Orijen dry dog food - no grain as it's supposedly one of the causes. He's also doing a supplement to try and get rid of the lumps so I hope it works....
Beth |
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