# Anyone tried 4Health GRAIN FREE food from Tractor Supply??



## Youreamonkey274 (Jul 14, 2014)

I was feeding Zelda the 4Health Performance Adult food from Tractor Supply, and she did well on it. Ate it, didn't seem to get tired of it, and stools were normal. A couple of weeks ago, I was told I should switch her to grain free, because there is really no reason for a dog to be eating grains. Ok, fair enough...but instead of switching to the 4Health grain free, I decided I wanted to try something "better". So I researched and decided on Blue Buffalo Rocky Mountain Recipe with Bison. At $64 for a 22 lb bag, I was expecting it to be wonderful. Not at all...at first she ate great, stools were darker, still firm, but she pooed as much as a horse!! She has also had really bad gas that she never had before. And the past couple of days she will only eat about 3/4 of her food and then leave the rest (I pick it up after 20 minutes, because I don't want her to get into the habit of grazing). 

So after this bag, I want to try something else. Was wondering if anyone has tried the 4Health Grain Free? Can't find much about it on the internet, and of course they swear by it at Tractor Supply, so I wanted to get some genuine opinions. It is way more affordable at $38 for a 30 lb bag, vs. Blue Buffalo at $64 for a 22 lb bag! I guess if neither of those work out, I could just switch back to the 4Health Performance Adult...:help:


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

4 Health is manufactured by the Diamond Company who had all of the recalls last year, if that makes a difference to you.

*Fromms 4 Star Grain Free Beef* = 26# = $64 Fromm Four-Star Nutritionals Grain-Free Beef Frittata Veg Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag
*Natures Variety Grain Free Chicken* = 25.3# = $55 Nature's Variety Instinct Grain-Free Chicken Meal Formula Dry Dog Food, 25.3-lb bag
*Acana Grain Free* = 28.6# = $65 ACANA Wild Prairie Regional Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 28.6-lb bag

Moms


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Yesl. My dogs did NOT do well on it. We order in Victor. Good price, made and sourced in the US and dogs are doing great on it. They fed-ex it. It comes within a couple days of ordering


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## d4lilbitz (Dec 30, 2013)

I have fed 4health grain free...my three did fine on it. All healthy with no issues at all. We went with the Turkey and Potato blend.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Mine are also on the turkey and potatoe and do well on it..


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## Youreamonkey274 (Jul 14, 2014)

Momto2GSDs said:


> 4 Health is manufactured by the Diamond Company who had all of the recalls last year, if that makes a difference to you.


 Actually, the 4Health grain free turkey and beef recipes are not manufactured by Diamond, that are manufactured by a company called Ainsworth. Apparently the pork, duck, and whitefish grain free recipes are manufactured by Diamond, as well as the regular 4Health foods. I think its crazy that they aren't all manufactured by the same company . But I may be willing to try it as long as its not manufactured by Diamond...I know that are infamous for their recalls . I'll have to check out the other ones you posted though...do you normally feed a smaller volume with the other foods?


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

My gsd gets 1 heaping cup twice a day..(she's on a diet 

So yes I'm feeding less than I did other foods, and mine are on the grain free


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## Youreamonkey274 (Jul 14, 2014)

JakodaCD OA said:


> My gsd gets 1 heaping cup twice a day..(she's on a diet
> 
> So yes I'm feeding less than I did other foods, and mine are on the grain free


Ok thanks! 1 heaping cup twice a day is what I feed Zelda right now on the Blue Buffalo. And I think on the regular 4Health it was maybe 2 and 1/2 cups per day. She weighs about 70 lbs right now.


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## d4lilbitz (Dec 30, 2013)

On the 4health grain free my lab gets 2.5 cup/day, 4 yr male Shep gets 3.5 cups/day and 8 month puppy gets 5 cups/day...all do well on it!


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## VanLee (Sep 6, 2014)

These foods are very low in animal protein and very high in carbohydrate.

A better value pick are the Farmina Ancestral Grain formulas with 30% protein and 18% fat, 92% of the GA protein is from animal protein.

Don't be fooled in thinking that just because a food is "grain free" it is low carbohydrate or high in quality protein.

These Tractor Supply foods have cheap ingredients. These foods are over 50% carbohydrate.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

VanLee said:


> These foods are very low in animal protein and very high in carbohydrate.
> 
> A better value pick are the Farmina Ancestral Grain formulas with 30% protein and 18% fat, 92% of the GA protein is from animal protein.
> 
> ...


My dogs don't do well on high protein, so 23-25% protein is where they need to be.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I had a long conversation with Tractor Supply and there have been no recalls on 4Health that they can recall. I don't know if this is true or not or if it's based on the area? I like the Salmon/Potatoe recipe but it's not grain free. I'm now looking at the Whitefish recipe. If I want to stay away from allergies and find a food that all the dogs do well on, is fish the only option? What other proteins can dogs with possible allergies do ok with?


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

My 3 do well on and like the Tractor Supply 4-health food. Mine are all on the healthy weight formula.


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## annap24 (Jul 22, 2014)

All 3 of my dogs are on Tractor Supply 4Health Salmon and Potato. They all love it and need less food than they did before I switched them. For what it's worth, my lab mix HATED the lamb and rice one. He would spit it out if I offered it to him, and when I mixed it with the salmon and potato he would pick around the lamb pieces. So high maintenance. I don't know much about the grain free kinds though!


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## OrangeJillius (May 29, 2013)

My dogs are on the beef and potato grain free. They have been on this type for about 6-7 months now with no issues. Both dogs are healthy, good coats, good skin, good poops! My male dog has issues with chicken (and probably something else) that caused him to have hot spots and the itchies. Usually even on a lamb and rice food he would still suffer during certain times of the year with allergies and hot spots. So far, since switching to the beef and potato 4health he has been allergy free, even during the early fall which seemed to be a trigger in years passed. I don't know how the food could help with seasonal allergies, but I will take it! Both dogs also LOVE the flavor of the beef and potato and are eager to eat it even if there is no topper. I also really like the 4health canned food, though I am not sure if any of them qualify as grain free, they are a dollar a can and very high meat content.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I have switched them to the Whitefish and they eat it slower but really like it. My oldest is excited to eat. Now I'm back to Midnite trying to eat his poop I'm hoping it's just the change and newness of it.


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