# What do you feed your dog and why?



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

So many threads with recommendations and no reasoning...list your food and why! Please no criticism of what others are feeding!

So I'll go first.

Had Jax on Nutro LBP but she stopped eating, became lethargic and the Boxers who would eat concrete if given the chance were throwing up and had terribly bloody diarrhea because they were scarfing down what she didn't eat. Switched to TOTW but Jax stopped eating that as well. Bags seemed inconsistent. She is not RAW along with Banshee.

Sierra is currently on Canidae. DH doesn't want to feed her RAW so had her on Purina One. She didn't want to eat it, had a terribly red rear, so he put her on Canidae. So far so good.


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Renji's rescuer had him on Nutro Ultra. He looked decent enough but I soon switched him to grain-free. He did very well on Solid Gold Barking at the Moon but I wanted to try raw after much research. We had a lot of bloat issues and each time the vets tried to dissuade me from feeding raw but after moving, my suspicions were confirmed that diet was not an issue. Renji is about six years old and I don't see any signs of slowing down. I'm getting more relaxed with feeding and he will get a lot of miscellaneous foods. 

I had him on Nupro for a short time but he started to reek from the flaxseeds.


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## LaneyB (Feb 5, 2012)

My dog eats Orijen Sr. in the morning with a can of cat food. I know the cat food isn't good but he has to eat so I can give him his insulin, and he loves cat food. I picked Orijen Sr. because he is diabetic and that is supposed to be one of the best foods for diabetic dogs. He has been on it for a few months, and doesn't seem to be thriving so I might try changing it to TOTW or Blue Wilderness.

In the evenings he eats Freshpet Select. I picked this one because he LOVES it and for awhile it was the only thing I could get him to eat. I don't feed him this full time because it is very expensive. 

I also picked both foods because they were rated well on www.dogfoodadvisor.com. I love that website.


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## Mac's Mom (Jun 7, 2010)

We feed a 50% Raw/50% Taste of the Wild. 

Why Raw - Because of the health benefits and because they love it. Of course they would rather eat fresh meat and bone as opposed to dry kibble. 

Kibble - We chose Taste of the Wild because its grain free and one of our boys has skin issues. We used to feed Wellness.


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## NewbieShepherdGirl (Jan 7, 2011)

What I fed: Purina
Why: That is what her foster mom fed her.

What I feed: Taste of the Wild
Why: I like the ingredients better than the ingredients from the Purina. Sasha also likes it better, and she look a lot more healthy on it than she did the Purina.

What I want to feed: Raw
Why: I really like what I read about it, and think it could have a number of benefits. Plus, I hate all the preservatives and crap that are in kibble.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

3 dogs fed Eagle Pack...the older dog has been on Pedigree and Iams previously. Vet recommended Eagle Pack years ago for another dog that I had that had issues pooping. The other two have not been on any other food except Eagle Pack. Don't have any issues, except the price keeps going up If I were to switch it would be to grain free but I would have to have issues with one of the dogs to do so.


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## Scarlettsmom (Jul 12, 2011)

Royal Canin Osteo Digest formula for large breeds and a wee little bit of wet food. We feed 1 1/4 C twice a day, and the evening feeding includes a glucosamine and fish oil supplement.


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## sabledog (Mar 13, 2012)

Homemade raw. I can't imagine feeding anything else. My dogs look better, they feel better, they perform better. They have soft, shiny fur, white teeth, and no health issues. 

I started feeding a raw diet with my 14 year old, allergy ridden Cocker Spaniel. Seeing the results, I have never and will never look back.


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## vicky2200 (Oct 29, 2010)

We feed Professional Chicken and Rice. The girls get the Active Dog formula, Dakota gets the low fat formula, and Weegee gets the Small and Medium Puppy formula.

Reasoning for the brand: It has good ingredients (for my dogs) and leaves out corn and corn products. I am a HUGE believer that dogs shouldn't have corn as a staple in their diet. It is also reasonably priced. And of course we have had nothing but luck with it; great poop (with the exception of Ditto who has digestive issues unrelated to the food), the dogs are in good health, and they like it as much as a dog can like kibble that they eat on a daily basis.

Reasoning for the formulas:


 Ditto and Daisy went from the large breed puppy formula to the active dog formula because they were both thin and active and could use the extra calories. Ditto could probably go to the normal adult formula now because she really isn't that active (never was) and is a little heavier than *I* like her even though the vet says she isn't over weight. However, Daisy is still incredibly thin (it's the breed) and needs this food. So until Ditto is overweight, we are keeping her on the same food as Daisy because 3 different foods is hectic enough.
Dakota is overweight. The obvious thing to do is put him on low fat food. We haven't had any results *from the food* and he has been on it for years. It is no more expensive than regular adult food so we keep him on it hoping it will make him lose weight.
Weegee is a small breed puppy. There is controversy about whether or not puppy food is a good option. However, we have always fed puppy food and had good results so we like to stick with what's not broken.
They also get treats that aren't the greatest for them (I'm sure they have corn in them) and people food. Along with yogurt and pumpkin as needed.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

My old guy 9 gets Science Diet senior or Royal Canine for GSD. He gets those because he likes them and does well on them. I started using Science Diet many years ago because that was the best food out there at the time. I added in Royal Canine because it caught my eye at the store and the dogs seemed to really like it a lot. 

My new puppy came on Pedigree. I slowly switched him over to Science Diet puppy, and recently I added in Royal Canine puppy. I wanted to see if he liked it as much as my Shepherds have. He really doesn't seem to care. I was given a sample of loyall on Friday and thought I would give it a try and mixed in about half with the other half being his regular food. It really increased the size of his poop. I don't like it and will not be buying it. 

I am open to changing the puppies diet. The old guy gets to stay on what he likes and knows. Unfortunately there are so many choices and so many different opinions. I don't know which way to go. My vet likes the Science Diet, my dogs have always done well on it so puppy might just get to stay with the Science Diet/Royal Canine mix.


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## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

What I feed: Blue Buffalo and TOTW
Why: I've heard good things about both. Recently am trying out Kirkland but I think I will go back to BB. Both my dogs have good stools with BB vs. TOTW. Their coats look healthy and they seem more energetic on it than the other two brands. I try to switch up the brands as my husky seems to get bored of his kibble and will give me drama about eating...I still feel like I am not content on any brand but I'm working toward finding something. This board helps 

Occasionally Feed: Raw egg (I dunno but I think it helps their coat), a mix of different raw fruits and veggies (including strawberries, carrots, celery, watermelon rinds, pineapple etc.).
Why: They love it. It's a treat to them and I think it's good/healthy for them to get some raw fruits and veggies.


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## Lindsay01 (Apr 21, 2011)

What I feed: _TOTW Salmon_/The plant has now stopped making this due to some issues with another TOTW product so am hoping they have this worked out by Summer..I also feed dehydrated Raw and somewhat raw beef liver and tripe 2x a week

They also get various fruits & vegetables in season along with seeds, nuts and vitamin supplemments.

Why: In reading so many books on what is in dry kibble- And then being an educated fur mom reading Dr. Pitcairn's guide along with The Goldstein's books.. 

I would love to hear more about people feeding raw, for how long and if you have had any health issues along the way.

I feed my dogs grain free, poultry free unless organic ( Too many hormones in food these days)..


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## 3ToesTonyismydog (Dec 27, 2009)

I feed Orijen 6 fish, Kirkland and Orijen Adult. Why, money, plain and simple. I am phasing out Orijen Adult and replacing it with the new Acana Chicken and Burbank Potato(18$ savings). Phasing out Kirkland for Pulsar (added 15$). I add fresh meat in some form every day. I add 1/2 of the recommended amount of some vitys.
Dicks burger once a week. Vanilla ice cream once every 2 weeks, once a week in the summer. High grade doggy treat 2 times daily. Swim lessons daily, ball fetching daily. Sardines in oil, once a week, shared with kitties.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

*What we feed:* Kirkland Sig. Chicken/rice, large and small kibble, TOTW for Veronica and Tristan who can't tolerate chicken (salmon variety), mixed in Kirkland Nature's Domain salmon depending on if we get it or not. Holly, senior foster (hospice although she's still going strong after 5mos, beginning to wonder how "sick" she really is!!) gets Merrick canned, usually Granny's Pot Pie, or Puppy platter, or another chicken/turkey based variety. She loves it. 

*Why:* Cost/quality; we also buy this for our foster dogs and feed them the same unless we get a quality donation of food - when we get donated Ol' Roy or Beneful or some such, we re-donate it to a shelter. We got coupons for Purina when we did a Purina photo shoot and bought the ONE variety and mixed it in. Nobody got violently ill


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## 3ToesTonyismydog (Dec 27, 2009)

Lindsay01 said:


> What I feed: _TOTW Salmon_/The plant has now stopped making this due to some issues with another TOTW product so am hoping they have this worked out by Summer..I also feed dehydrated Raw and somewhat raw beef liver and tripe 2x a week
> 
> They also get various fruits & vegetables in season along with seeds, nuts and vitamin supplemments.
> 
> ...


Diamond has/is moving into a new facility so that is causing some issues with some products. Also Diamond had a recall as you know. I am sure u are aware Diamond makes TOTW.


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## LindaDwyer (Apr 9, 2012)

I feed homemade raw. I add honest kitchen for fruits and veggies, she get a probiotic daily plus a vitamin. I do dehydrated organ meats for treats. Beautiful coat, good poop, healthy and active. Works for me


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Jax08 said:


> So many threads with recommendations and no reasoning...list your food and why! * Please no criticism of what others are feeding!*





3ToesTonyismydog said:


> Diamond has/is moving into a new facility so that is causing some issues with some products. Also Diamond had a recall as you know. I am sure u are aware Diamond makes TOTW.


Just a reminder!!


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Raw fed dogs here.

I feed raw because it is *in my opinion* the best/only choice out there.


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## jang (May 1, 2011)

Sibi gets Precise Foundation and Zoe gets Precise for seniors.They also get cooked carrots and pumpkin--Sibi poos WAY less and Zoe poos Way more-..But I am happy with this food


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## sabledog (Mar 13, 2012)

LindaDwyer said:


> I feed homemade raw. I add honest kitchen for fruits and veggies, she get a probiotic daily plus a vitamin. I do dehydrated organ meats for treats. Beautiful coat, good poop, healthy and active. Works for me


I use THK for fruits and veggies too  And I add salmon oil and vitamin e.


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## Lindsay01 (Apr 21, 2011)

I really like the dehydrated raw from Honest Kitchen also...Sometimes I use it as a topper for the dry.


I've been quite happy with TOTW/ Salmon.. but yes, Diamond is not so good..any other suggestions of something that would be similar, grain free?


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i switch brands of kibble a lot. i use can food
as a topping and i have several brands and flavor
on had. i also add some of the following to my
dogs kibble:

> salmon oil (human grade).
> organic yogurt and home made yogurt.
> fresh fish.
> canned fish (in water no salt added).
> apples, pears, bluberries.
> 4 oz. raw ground beef pattie.
> ground flax seed.
> flax seed oil.
> cooked boneless and skinless chicken breast.
pressure cooked whole chicken. (rub
the bones through your fingers and they break
down to mush and you can feed the whole chicken).
> veggies
> some table scraps


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## GrammaD (Jan 1, 2012)

Fromm Gold LBP. I like the company. I like the product line. The GA on this food is good for both of my dogs, although only Huxley is a puppy, and I prefer it slightly to their regular adult formula. 

Huxley is growing and developing well on it plus has good stools and breath. Abby is able to maintain weight on it and has a shiny coat as well as good stools and breath.

Abby has been on several foods, we found it difficult to maintain weight on her without getting pudding poo so we went through 6 different brands, and I intend to avoid that with Huxley if at all possible.


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## Betty5409 (Mar 29, 2012)

I feed solid gold I am pretty happy about it except for the price.....how many of u feed kibble and add stufff. What kind of stuff?


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

look at post number #22.



Betty5409 said:


> I feed solid gold I am pretty happy about it except for the price.....how many of u feed kibble and add stufff. What kind of stuff?


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

For Jazz-*Purina Pro Plan for Sensitive Skin and Stomach*.
*Why*: Jazz had severe digestive issues (chronic diarrhea and vomiting) during his first year of life. We tried many different top of the line foods and nothing worked. A poster on here suggested this food and he's done awesome ever since.

For Bunny-*Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Sou*l
*Why*: We tried a few different foods for Bunny but she was allergic to something and we still don't know what. I tried this one and it eliminated her allergy so we will never switch as long as she continues to do well.


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## Bear L (Feb 9, 2012)

1. Raw meats (mostly organic / pasture) for both my dogs
2. Homemade treats or natural treats from stores 
3. Every now and then fruits/veggies for fun
4. Cooked yam/potato/rice/bean/quinoa/pumpkin when the pekingese gets fussy 

Why? Because since feeding raw and homemade food, my pekingese lost all its allergy symptoms and other health problems and is now thriving. Antibiotics, numerous vet trips and changing to various premium dog food didn't cure it. Then I got the GSD and started her on the same raw diet and received a lot of compliments on her coat. I don't brush their teeth and my vet was impressed with my adult pekingese's teeth, especially noting to me that breed usually is prone to some teeth issues at his age.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

Aiden - Canidae Beef & Ocean Fish, because after searching for a food that he would eat, let alone digest, it works for him.
Penny - Acana Lamb & Apple, because she loves it and it works for her.
Freckles - Wellness Healthy Weight, because she's a Beagle and is slightly overweight.

We switch around pretty frequently and they all get sardine/salmon/anchovy oil on their kibble. Aiden also gets sardines a few times a week at the end of his tracks.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Lucy started on Innova adult when I got her. She did great, but when P&G bought out Natura, I switched to Orijen for a few years. Now she's back on Innova, but the red meat formula. No chicken at all in her diet.

She's always had stomach issues - lots of early morning bile puking, so I've got her completely off chicken. It got really bad a few months ago, so I had to change something in her diet. Since off chicken, she hasn't thrown up once and she's got a major appetite again. 

I mix in ground beef, yogurt, cottage cheese, salmon oil, sardines, tuna, and a bunch of other stuff on top of the food.


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## GrammaD (Jan 1, 2012)

Betty5409 said:


> I feed solid gold I am pretty happy about it except for the price.....how many of u feed kibble and add stufff. What kind of stuff?


Canned food, plain non fat Greek yogurt with live active cultures, sardines packed in spring water. I also give them wild blueberries, banana, sweet potato- as a treat when I am having some. 

They also get 400iu vit E, 1500mg vitC, and 1000mg fish oil per 10lbs body weight daily- per breeders' instructions. Supposed to help with skeletal formation and joint health


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## ParkersPopLou (Apr 15, 2012)

i feed my White GSD Fromm Gold large breed for puppies.

I live right in the heart of St Augustine where the international school for canine narcotic detection training center is, and one of the trainers told me he gives his dogs Fromm.

Needless to say i agreed with his opinion due to his background haha


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

What I feed: 2 dogs on Natural Balance Lim Ing Venison/Potatoe
Why: 1 dog has suspected food allergies and this food has been a wonderful godsend. The other guy also may have food allergies, may have EPI and this food has low fat and lower protein levels, which I've read is best for EPI dogs. It is working for him well so far. Also adding Nature's Variety raw medallions of the same protein for the latter.

Other dogs are on TOTW Salmon and the other on 4Health.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I feed raw~ started when the recalls in '07 began. 
Big fan of green tripe benefits!


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Daisy and Lucky get Blue Buffalo Chicken/Rice. They also get a few times a week home cooked which is chicken or beef or pork,rice greens chopped up and yougurt will be adding some stuff for daisy based on her health needs. Blue buffalo after daisy had pancreatitis.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Rafi was on Blue Buffalo when I adopted him. I tried probably 5 different kinds of kibble and his poops were horrible so I switched him to raw. He has to have ground raw because he is a gulper. 

His staple diet is:

Bravo raw chicken (preprepared, comes in a 10 lb. roll) 
Raw egg
A little canned salmon, tripe or beaver
A little yogurt 

Occasionally, I give him chicken backs to help clean his back molars. 

If I have a coupon I will give him Stella & Chewy's beef or duck patties or whatever other preprepared raw has coupons (Nature's Variety, etc.). 

His teeth are excellent and his coat absolutely shines. He blows his coat twice a year but otherwise sheds very little. He poops once a day. 

I do not do DIY raw but I might switch if I can find a local farmer who has free range chickens and sells them for a reasonable price. At the moment though, I don't have time to grind it myself.


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## LindaDwyer (Apr 9, 2012)

sabledog said:


> I use THK for fruits and veggies too  And I add salmon oil and vitamin e.


I grind chicken bones and all then I add the honest kitchen at mealtimes, I also give her one probioticm, one fish oil, three joint max and a missing link. I make treats by getting organ neat at a vietnamese market (pork kidneys, heart and throats and boneless chicken breast) I cut the organ meat into thin slices then dehydrate it for treats.

she will do anything for one of those treats. Something about dehydrated meat that just drives then crazy for it. Every dog I've given these treats to also love it. My sister has a rotti pup and I'm going to her house this week to show her how to make the treats


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## DTS (Oct 19, 2010)

I feed TOTW. I've tried all the varieties but she does best with the salmon. I also give either canned TOTW, sweet potato, organic Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and I
Wanted to try raw egg with her.
She so gets an early stages joint supplement and pet digest to help her with her tummy issues.

I feed this because I feel it's the best i can do for her with what I can afford.
I can't afford orijen but if I could I would feed it. Plus the bf refuses to think about feeding raw or anything too expensive. But when we are out of college I plan on trying to change his mind
I like to keep her food interesting so she will eat it and also it be healthy. So far, no problems. The digestive enzyme helps her stomach and I give a joint supplement that goes in 3 stages depending on age an we are currently at stage 1. It's probably isn't the best on the market but 17.99 is what we can afford and i feel it's better than not having her on anything


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I feed California Natural Lamb and Rice. Why? Because all my dogs like it, everyone is healthy, small solid poops, kibble is very easy for me (lots of traveling with dogs, often eating in the car or hotels or on a track, etc). I like that it's a limited ingredient diet. The price is bearable. I've been using it for years and just don't see any reason to switch. We have no allergies, no upset tummies, no digestive problems, clear eyes and noses, no ear infections, healthy shiny coats, no smell, white teeth, lean and muscled dogs. It meets my nutritional requirements (no corn, wheat, soy, gluten).


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## OriginalWacky (Dec 21, 2011)

I've fed raw for going on ten years now, with various dogs. It's been fantastic for every dog I've had on it, and I can do it for less money than good kibble. 

Koshka and Krissie are currently eating raw alternated with Fromm. Mostly it's because I wanted to have them used to kibble for emergencies, plus I use the kibble as training treats a lot. I also like to stuff kongs with treats, and kibble helps add some healthier filler than junky treats from the store, which I don't buy very often any more. 

My biggest hope is to convert the cats over to raw as well, but I really need a grinder to do that, and the budget just hasn't been there for one. However I have them on TOTW now, and it's doing them sone good. Previously, I had them on Purina One, because it was cost effective, and still kept them in decent health. But since I'm down to 7 kitties, I can swing the costlier food until I can get a grinder. Oh, and convince The Mate that it would be better. Haha.


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## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

dry = Royal Canin GSD food. She really likes the flavor, I like the large kibble, I know she is chewing her food, and it works well for treat training. Our vet recommended it due to digestive issues along probiotics.

To dry I often add, home cooked meats and veggies.

Snack= banana and cottage cheese or homemade cookies.

Change it up now and then with Honest Kitchen.

If I had to change, Nutro grain free large breed formula worked well for us too.


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## Verivus (Nov 7, 2010)

I feed homemade prey model raw because I believe a properly balanced raw diet will beat any kibble on the market. Plus it's cheaper for me to feed.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Orijen. Because my dog does well on it, I like the ingredients, and currently we don't have the freezer space for raw. Also it's cool that it's made in the province next to mine.

I'd like to go back to raw though when we're in our own place and have the space for two freezers. It was cheaper.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Love your responses! So informative to get a critique on each food you feed.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Rocket was on Orijen LBP from the first week I brought him home. Seemed to do well, but never loved it. Never wanted to eat. Tried a couple foods, have now switched over completely to Castor-Pollux Organix Adult dog food. He loves it! Eats both meals now in lest than 15 minutes. 

I like that fact that it is mostly organic (with the exception of the chicken meal--all the rest are). It is made close to me (in Oregon) and certified organic by the Oregon Tilth. I read some great customer service stories about Castor Pollux, and the protein levels seem appropriate. Less than Orijen, but his stools seem to be a bit firmer, but still not as firm as I think maybe they should be. He gets 3 cups a day, maybe it's too much. They're formed, but not super small and tight. It's only been a week that's he's been switched over, so we'll see how it goes.


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## 4TheDawgies (Apr 2, 2011)

We have 4 adults on the raw prey model diet
1 (nearly 2 year old) on half raw prey model, half Acana
3 puppies (2- 7 month olds, and an 11 month old) on Acana

(at the year mark we switch to half raw half prey model and plan to have the 2 year old go completely raw soon)

We add 
-salmon oil every day
-Actiflex joint supplement every other day
-coconut oil periodically instead of salmon oil
-microflora plus if we have an upset stomach
-OLEWO beets & carrots also for an upset stomach


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

I feed raw, and I would never want to feed anything else to Hunter or my future dogs. 

I recently wrote an article for my blog on why one should feed raw... It explains exactly why I want to feed it. If you want to read, here's the link!

K9 Instinct - Dog training, raw diet, raw feeding, dog health care, minimal vaccines: K9 Health: Eat like a wolf, live a long and healthy life! (Raw Feeding for Dogs)


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Rocky eats Precise Foundation; Kopper eats Victor High Performance. I'm not really in a position to be paying over $1.50 per pound for dog food and my dogs have never done well on Diamond products. Victor and Precise are both made in-house by small companies in Texas, using USA-sourced ingredients. They're also right around the $1 per pound mark. I supplement with raw chicken leg quarters several times a week.


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## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

We adopted 6-year-old Joey last August, and have been feeding him Royal Canin GSD food. His former owner (husband's cousin) fed it to Joey for years, and he does well on it. 

To that we often add a raw meat mixture made by a person that the cousin purchases from. We've also added carrots or tuna.

Snack= sliced apple with some plain, nonfat Greek yogurt. Have also given him Royal Canin snacks or Fruitables (both low in calories; pumpkin is the first ingredient in Fruitables).

Have thought about changing the dry food, but don't want to mess with a good thing.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

TOTW all flavors on rotation. Very happy with it.
Cottage cheese added to one meal a day.
Sprinkle some Prozyme in with each meal.
Nupro every couple of days added to one meal.
Minimal table scraps.
===========================
FWIW the only Diamond recall was.

*Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice*, was distributed to customers located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia, who may have further distributed the product to other states, through pet food channels.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

I would like to know how many raw feeders have a house of kids and work full time. This is NOT a judgement--this is honest curiosity. I would be interested in feeding raw, but seriously wonder whether I would be freaking out all the time. I have 3 teens (well, youngest is 12.5) and frequently feed their friends too, plus am just starting work again, which is 60 hours a week. It's hard enough for me to shop for my family and cook, let alone the dogs!


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

Life's Abundance.

Never been recalled, doesn't share a manufacturing plant, doesn't sit on store shelves or in warehouses, organic, human grade protein from New Zealand/Australia so no growth hormones or antibiotics, delivered to my door within 6 weeks of being manufactured, can talk with the formulator on bi-monthly scheduled phone calls, cheaper than grocery store brands to feed. 

Plus I have seen amazing health and temperament benefits with fosters and clients.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

RocketDog said:


> I would like to know how many raw feeders have a house of kids and work full time. This is NOT a judgement--this is honest curiosity. I would be interested in feeding raw, but seriously wonder whether I would be freaking out all the time. I have 3 teens (well, youngest is 12.5) and frequently feed their friends too, plus am just starting work again, which is 60 hours a week. It's hard enough for me to shop for my family and cook, let alone the dogs!


I have two teens, and their friends over often, and work about 30/35 hours a week. Train all day Saturday and a couple evenings a week. (I'm home this morning because a job cancelled me

Feeding raw does take some time compared to dumping kibble in a bowl, but it is doable. 
My birds are the ones that are more time consuming. 

:shocked: Working 60 hours a week, kibble would be my choice! Time to get the teens cooking/cleaning for you while you are doing that amount of hours!!!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

RocketDog said:


> I would like to know how many raw feeders have a house of kids and work full time. This is NOT a judgement--this is honest curiosity. I would be interested in feeding raw, but seriously wonder whether I would be freaking out all the time. I have 3 teens (well, youngest is 12.5) and frequently feed their friends too, plus am just starting work again, which is 60 hours a week. It's hard enough for me to shop for my family and cook, let alone the dogs!


Me. 2 teens, long work weeks. I spend a couple weekends every 6 months getting food and breaking it into packages. Then it's just a matter of thawing it out and serving it.


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## TimberGSD2 (Nov 8, 2011)

What I used to feed: Solid Gold WolfKing

What I feed now: Prey model raw

Kya had several health issues her whole life, had immune deficinacies, allergies, bad skin, eyes, ears. I switched her to raw and the difference was amazing. Last year the dog had trouble walking 1/2 mile. She will now go for a 2 mile walk everynight and still have energy. She goes to daycare and is the queen of the little dogs. And her coat is amazing. She is off of all her medications and only gets a joint supplement. I didn't think I'd have my dog this long, and now I think she will be around alot longer.


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## Bear L (Feb 9, 2012)

To RocketDog: I don't have kids but was working 60 - 80 hrs a week and it was not an "optional" switch for me. My dog was suffering from a lot of illnesses, similar to what TimberGSD2 mentioned in her post. It took significantly more time and money to attend to the dog's sickness than switching to raw. My first dog though, could eat anything and still thrive so he was on kibble all his life. But now that I felt raw is better, I won't go back even if the dogs can handle it.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

RocketDog said:


> I would like to know how many raw feeders have a house of kids and work full time. This is NOT a judgement--this is honest curiosity. I would be interested in feeding raw, but seriously wonder whether I would be freaking out all the time.


For me it's not just time but travel. How do raw feeders travel and feed raw? This is the first weekend in several that I haven't been living out of my van and a small duffel bag in a dirty, cheap hotel for dog competitions. I keep about 10lbs of kibble in my van and just toss a scoop into the dog's crate whenever it's appropriate (because we are often doing things that involve lots of physical activity all day long, the dogs can't really eat meals, more like a 1/2 cup or a handful here and there to make sure they have energy). We're traveling again this weekend (not dog related) then have two trials in May and two trials in June, all of these involve the whole weekend, plus we travel for Schutzhund training on "normal" weekends. I do feed raw when I have it but can't imagine dealing with it every weekend while traveling. Someone recommended dehydrated stuff but there's no WAY that is cost effective compared to kibble.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Thank you everyone. Lies, yes...for me, we camp a LOT and are hoping to do some extended backpacking with Rocket. I'm not sure about how raw would work there, especially in bear/cougar country. Regular food is bad enough. 

My kids do lots of chores for me, (actually once I go back I rarely clean the house, they all do it) but their menu choices leave a bit to be desired for me. I eat pretty clean, and while they eat fine, it's not necessarily what I would choose, LOL. They and DH (when he's home) are pretty good about following recipes I leave for them, though. 

He seems to be thriving, so for now I'll stick with what's working, but it definitely might be something in the future. The traveling thing though....I guess you could buy the frozen chubs, but again, camping/backpacking??


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I have fed raw for 13 years, raised a number of puppies on it and weaned 5 litters. I went to raw because of dogs with allergies and one with PF. I also switched to raw because it made sense. I could no more thrive and live healthy on a processed diet than my dogs. I started out feeding BARF and then in 2003 switched to Franken-prey with treats of table scraps. The proof is in the health of the dogs.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Ihczth, what about traveling or backpacking? What would/do you do?


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

When I travel I take the raw with me in a cooler and it thaws. I have to take food for myself too so I always have a cooler with ice. I have done this for up to 6 days at a time. A couple of days is nothing. When I went to Germany I took dehydrated raw and just added some table scraps and, of course, warm water. Nice thing about raw is that unless you are camping out in the middle of no where there are always grocery stores where you can pick up something for your dog. I have had friends come up for a weekend who forgot their kibble and then had to attempt to find their brand on a Saturday evening. I never have to worry about that.


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

Liesje said:


> For me it's not just time but travel. How do raw feeders travel and feed raw? This is the first weekend in several that I haven't been living out of my van and a small duffel bag in a dirty, cheap hotel for dog competitions. I keep about 10lbs of kibble in my van and just toss a scoop into the dog's crate whenever it's appropriate (because we are often doing things that involve lots of physical activity all day long, the dogs can't really eat meals, more like a 1/2 cup or a handful here and there to make sure they have energy). We're traveling again this weekend (not dog related) then have two trials in May and two trials in June, all of these involve the whole weekend, plus we travel for Schutzhund training on "normal" weekends. I do feed raw when I have it but can't imagine dealing with it every weekend while traveling. Someone recommended dehydrated stuff but there's no WAY that is cost effective compared to kibble.


I've been feeding a part raw/part kibble diet for a while, but have really wanted to switch to all raw. Part of the reason holding me back is that we also travel to a lot of trials and feed slowly throughout the day of a trial. Being that Mikko eats one kibble meal a day, it's easy to just feed kibble when we're traveling. But what if we switch to only raw? I've been wanting to buy a meat dehydrator to make treats- could you also dehydrate meat as a meal to travel with?


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

If I was camping I would take dehydrated raw with me. It isn't ideal, but worked well when I left the country for 5 days and is more compact than kibble (plus no smell).


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

lhczth said:


> If I was camping I would take dehydrated raw with me. It isn't ideal, but worked well when I left the country for 5 days and is more compact than kibble (plus no smell).


Did you dehydrate your own meat? Does it take a long time? Do you rehydrate before feeding?
Seems like a good choice not just for traveling but for when friends are watching my dog too.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

lhczth said:


> When I travel I take the raw with me in a cooler and it thaws. I have to take food for myself too so I always have a cooler with ice. I have done this for up to 6 days at a time. A couple of days is nothing. When I went to Germany I took dehydrated raw and just added some table scraps and, of course, warm water. Nice thing about raw is that *unless you are camping out in the middle of no where* there are always grocery stores where you can pick up something for your dog. I have had friends come up for a weekend who forgot their kibble and then had to attempt to find their brand on a Saturday evening. I never have to worry about that.


This is exactly where I camp.  My favorite spot to backpack is in the Cabinet Mountains, (in Montana. NO PEOPLE!!) right by where I grew up. Groceries are few and far between in that area, even down in the valleys. Our trips are 5-6 minimum, with some being 10-14 days. How expensive is dehydrated raw?


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I purchased the dehydrated raw and it wasn't cheap, but neither are the good kibbles. I don't remember what I paid for it. 

Yes, I rehydrated it. The product was in powder form and you just added water. 

My friend who house sits for me also feeds raw so I have never had to deal with that issue. When my husband was alive and I left I would just package the food in single servings that he could dump in a bowl. Then he didn't have to touch it. LOL


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## SusiQ (Jul 27, 2007)

I feed Kirkland Nature's Domain Grain Free - both the Turkey & Sweet Potato and Salmon & Sweet Potato mixed w/2 T of various meats & broth. My hybrid also gets raw turkey necks or chicken - my GSD will not touch raw - she licks it and spits it out.


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## hoocli (Mar 7, 2012)

Syaoransbear said:


> Orijen. Because my dog does well on it, I like the ingredients, and currently we don't have the freezer space for raw. Also it's cool that it's made in the province next to mine.
> 
> I'd like to go back to raw though when we're in our own place and have the space for two freezers. It was cheaper.


Have you tried any of the horizon stuff? its made in your province 

Anyway I've been feeding 1/2 purina puppy chow ( I know, the breeder fed it I'm moving him off it right now!) and 1/2 horizon complete large breed puppy. It seems like a good food and its made in my own province. I can't really do a full description right now as he is on half and half but he just gobbles the food down. 

My dog tends to be really food motivated.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

lhczth said:


> When I travel I take the raw with me in a cooler and it thaws. I have to take food for myself too so I always have a cooler with ice. I have done this for up to 6 days at a time. A couple of days is nothing. When I went to Germany I took dehydrated raw and just added some table scraps and, of course, warm water. Nice thing about raw is that unless you are camping out in the middle of no where there are always grocery stores where you can pick up something for your dog. I have had friends come up for a weekend who forgot their kibble and then had* to attempt to find their brand on a Saturday evening.* I never have to worry about that.


And most of the better brands are harder to find, can't just get those at the local grocery store as easily as a raw meal.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

RocketDog said:


> The traveling thing though....I guess you could buy the frozen chubs, but again, camping/backpacking??


I'm guessing dehydrated raw would be lighter/easier than kibble even.

Coolers work for regular raw but we can only fit a tiny one and it has to be on someone's lap or under their feet which gets uncomfortable. Last weekend I couldn't even fit the snacks I'd bought for the humans (and there was no ice in it either) let alone 3 days of food for 4 dogs. With 3 people and 4-5 dogs in the vehicle there's absolutely no room. I've been looking for a hitch platform for stuff like coolers, outdoor gear, and extra crates.

Luckily my dogs will eat anything. I buy the same kibble over and over because I either get it from a friend for cheap or I get the 13th bag free, but often I feed my dogs table scraps or raw venison. On Easter we had a big family dinner and the dogs were recruited to clean the pans and eat the leftover potatoes. Can't feed raw full time, too many dogs and too little freezer space. I could fit maybe a few day's worth of food in the freezer we have but I can't see how raw would be cheaper without going bulk.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Yes, and it's not like we go every week. Hmm. And Rocket will be packing a little bit, so maybe he could even pack all of his food if it's dehydrated!


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## JackB. (Jul 29, 2011)

The people that owned Jack before us fed him Beneful Playful Life. He had constant diarrhea so we knew we had to switch him to something better. We decided to try Nutro. Yet again, constant diarrhea. One morning we woke up......literally had to clean it off the walls behind his crate, poor guy.  

After a thorough vet check, we decided to go with something that didn't have corn in it, Blue Buffalo, and we haven't had diarrhea like that since. We don't think he is allergic to corn, but definitely has some level of intolerance to it. That was about a year ago, and we don't plan on switching him again. (unless it keeps going up in price, i swear it was $10 less when we first started buying it!)


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I am feeding raw because of the information I found by accident on this forum, when I was researching the best kibble. I saw the before and after photos and was intrigued enough to do lots of research. 
I asked the breeder what to feed Hans and if she thought raw would be a good idea, and she was enthusiastic. She said that when she used to own only two dogs she fed raw, but now has too many to be able to do that. She gave me tips about adding raw sardines, yogurt and egg. 

I also admit I am doing it because I want to have smaller poos to clean. That is one of the things I dreaded about having a big dog (my other dog was 12 pounds) --the megapoos I saw carried by people walking big dogs. 

It was difficult when we traveled because I had to have a cooler with 20 pounds of frozen meat, for 10 days. Even so, I ran out, but it was easy to purchase a chicken at the local grocery store. 

Overall, I am happy with this, and will continue. Once you get over the horror of handling so much raw meat, and the confusion regarding what to feed and how much, it is doable.


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## obxterra (Jul 25, 2009)

I changed Ruger to Blue Buffalo Wilderness from Pro Plan after Jaz died. His colors strengthened, his energy increased, inside of a month. One of the helpers at the club was absent a couple of weekends and thought I had bought another dog. Later tried TOTW because his stools were loose and had read of others changing for the same reason with good results. Didn't do so well.

Ciyah was on RAW when I got her, after failing miserably at trying to establish a reasonable RAW menu for her, concerned for her early development I tried some high quality kibbles. Tried Science Diet, Natures Instinct dry,and Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy. She was always on what I felt was the verge of diarrhea.

They are both now on Natures Logic Venison and doing great. I'm happy with the results on both.

Now over time we watch and wait to see how their long term health looks. Jaz left us too, too young. I'm convinced the quality of the food is key to their longevity.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Grim is 9, Beau is 9months.

Grim has been eating TOTW for several years now but I was already contemplating a switch before the recent Diamond issue. Looking at Fromm and other choices.

Beau is eating Fromm LBPG and has done well on it and right now that is what Grim is eating for the past two weeks ; the analysis is good for an adult and I like the VERY low ash content. It is what his breeder fed him.

I may switch both to Fromm Grain Free because I have had good interactions with the company and feel good about the product and it is affordable. I would do that because I really do like the idea of rotating foods some. Still investigating other options.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I've decided to try switching from TOTW to Victor. It's much less expensive [about $1.00 a lb], made locally to me and grain free. I know dogs can tolerate salmonella which apparently is the problem with the Diamond plant in SC but why risk it? I'll let you know how it goes


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## VomBlack (May 23, 2009)

I've been doing kind of a half raw/half kibble for my dogs. I was feeding TotW for the longest time but have recently been feeding the grain free Canidae foods, and every once in a while i'll switch it up with EVO or Orijen.

In the mornings i've been doing kibble, mixed with yogurt and sometimes liver, ground turkey/beef/etc. and whatever fruits and veggies I may have leftover. I've also been adding extra Glucosamine since we've been more active lately.

For dinner they get either raw chicken quarters or turkey necks. 

I've been doing this for months now and i've been happy with the results. They maintain weight well, coats are soft and shiny, they're really looking good on it.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I think I have developed an unhealthy obsession with finding "just the right dog food" to feed my girls. Seriously it drives me crazy sometimes.

Started off feeding Orijen LBP when they were puppies. Had to switch eventually because it was just too rich for Carly. Tried a few things, before settling on Earthborn grain-free foods. And I also add canned tripe. 

Carly looks fabulous. Coat and weight are wonderful. 

Sage, on the other hand, is (I think) too thin. She only weighs 50 lbs, and is as willowy as a whippet. And she scratches. I'm at a loss on what to do with that girl (any suggestions would be helpful). She'll be two years old next month, and really needs to fill out. She's been to the vet recently and has been pronounced healthy.


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## BroncoK (Jan 4, 2012)

We feed Grandma Z's from Zamzows. It's the only thing we found that doesn't make our dog itch!


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