# Food choices - narrowed down - input?



## Crazy shep (9 mo ago)

Ok, so we went through the forums on puppy treats and settled on ziwi mackerel and lamb. So fair, they are a hit!

Food wise? So many options, we have chosen kibble as the best fit for our lifestyle. 

We have found 3 that look good bit would be open to suggestions. The only real requirement is that it's easily found in canada. Here are 3 choices. Wondering if anyone has thoughts or concerns on these?












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## Rabidwolfie (Apr 9, 2021)

A lot of people on this forum have good results with Acana. I've never heard of the other two, but that last one proudly touts being Grain Free. Is that a requirement for your dog?

On closer look, all three are grain free. Same question still applies


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## drparker151 (Apr 10, 2020)

Our girl likes Inukshuk, it's high density, high calorie, so we feed less quantity. Also a Canadian company


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## Crazy shep (9 mo ago)

No, no requirement to be grain free. Just happens the highly recommended food in our area is those three. Blue Buffalo comes up alot as well, but there seems to be conflicting opinions on that brand


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

What product was the breeder feeding?


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## Crazy shep (9 mo ago)

Hills puppy. We have about 5 lbs left of that to mix with the new food. But it's also readily available here


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## Crazy shep (9 mo ago)

Now considering origin, RC and wellness after spending the last 2 hours on this site!
Need more real life input!


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## Rabidwolfie (Apr 9, 2021)

I've never fed any of those, but I have read complaints about Wellness. I guess not a lot of dogs do that well on it, although some do.

Royal Canin is a popular one. A LOT of people feed that one and seem to have good results with it. I used to know someone with a female GSD who fed RC exclusively and her dog was very healthy. But she was already an adult when we met.

Origin is a mixed bag. Some say it's great but most of the reviews I've read complain about loose and foul smelling stools.

I would recommend getting the smallest bag you can of any of these and see how well your pup does after transitioning. If it doesn't work out, get another small bag of a different brand. Every dog is different


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## Crazy shep (9 mo ago)

Rabidwolfie said:


> I've never fed any of those, but I have read complaints about Wellness. I guess not a lot of dogs do that well on it, although some do.
> 
> Royal Canin is a popular one. A LOT of people feed that one and seem to have good results with it. I used to know someone with a female GSD who fed RC exclusively and her dog was very healthy. But she was already an adult when we met.
> 
> ...


Thanks, so much conflicting information. Everyone says to look at the first 5 ingredients, I've also been told anything "bi product" is preferred not to be one of the first ingredients 

However, RC, which is quite expensive by kibble standards does not look overly impressive against some of the competitors and has a great following on this forum and all around the internet. These are the ingredients to the puppy GS 

Chicken By-Product Meal, Wheat Gluten, Corn, Oat Groats, Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Fat, Brewers Rice Flour, Brown Rice, Natural Flavors, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Fish Oil, Sodium Silico Aluminate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Vegetable Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Pea Fiber, Potassium Chloride, Psyllium Seed Husk, L-Lysine, Salt, Fructooligosaccharides, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Vitamins [DL-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Source Of Vitamin E), Niacin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source Of Vitamin C), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement], Hydrolyzed Yeast (Source Of Betaglucans), Choline Chloride, Taurine, DL-Methionine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Trace Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Copper Proteinate], Marigold Extract (Tagetes Erecta L.), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Chondroitin Sulfate, Carotene, Rosemary Extract, Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols And Citric Acid


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## Rabidwolfie (Apr 9, 2021)

Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of RC myself, but a LOT of people disagree with that. I've read a LOT of good reviews about Purina's ProPlan as well. Cheaper than RC and has a similarly loyal fanbase. No idea if it's easily available where you are, though.

I personally feed Victor, but not everyone likes that either.

I 100% understand the feeding struggle, though. Before I found a food I liked enough to feed my puppy, I spent MANY agonizing hours scouring the internet. Dog food advisor (Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor) helped a LOT. Once I narrowed it down to a handful of options I googled every one of them and compared until I settled on the one I liked best for my personal pup.

Sorry I can't offer better advice.









My boy


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## Crazy shep (9 mo ago)

Your advice is great. Honestly it's like making a decision for one of my kids and not wanting to make the wrong one. I more than appreciate the responses.

Your dog is awesome! Very handsome guy. Max is visiting our neighbors female white sheppard right now, shes 6. And a sweet heart, she's been great with max and even toned down his nipping a bit with her very caring but stern direction 

I think my neighbor is just happy to have a pup around again. Speaking of which, I should go get the little guy! 

Crazy how attached we get so quickly, isn't it? 

I waited over our year for another dog after ours of 13 years passed away, now I wonder what took so long to find the right one.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

A lot of working dog kennels feed Pro Plan Sport or Diamond Extreme Athlete.


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## Bknmaizey (Sep 16, 2019)

We used RC GSD puppy for a while until ours started rejecting it. I have 60 pounds worth in unopened bags and keep thinking/hoping maybe she’ll start eating it again. 

Switched to Hills large breed puppy on our vet’s recommendation. Pup has been starting to go sour on that lately so will probably switch from Chicken to Lamb soon but stick to Hills unless she doesn’t go for the switch. 

We always used Hills for our last dog but she had digestive issues and so that was a prescription diet. (I/D low fat)

The other one our vet recommended was PurinaPro. Haven’t tried it but if the switch to Hills Lamb protein doesn’t work, that’s next. 

Our vet said anything grain free to stay away from and that has been consistent with what I’ve read lately. She recommends RC, Hills and PP because they have vets in-house to evaluate or something like that, but she said if we found something high quality and not grain free, she’d probably be ok with it.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Since it's a puppy that you'll be feeding, I'd suggest looking at a large-breed puppy food specifically -- there's a school of thought that these LBP formulas promote slower growth, and possibly less panosteitis. 

Fromm Gold (grain-in version) and Diamond Naturals Large-Breed Puppy are two that tend to feed out very well. Most rescued puppies we've had have done _really _well on Diamond Naturals LBP, and it's a great deal price-wise compared to the ones you're looking at. We've fed a lot of it over the years.

Pro Plan also makes a LBP food, but I'm less familiar with it. 

Keep in mind that all kibble requires about 40% carbs for the "dough" to stick together in the extrusion machine. Most "grain free" foods just substitute one carb source for another. They typically don't have "more meat" than the "grain in" foods -- they just have beans/peas/lentils, tapioca, potatoes and other carb-y foods in place of the oats, barley or rice grains. Most dogs digest foods like oats and barley very well, so the trade off is mostly marketing hype (trading one kind of well-digested carb for another kind that may not be as well digested).


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## drparker151 (Apr 10, 2020)

Our vet also wants our 14 week old puppy on a large breed puppy or a large breed all life stages that is under 30% protein. Currently on Victor. 

Or 21 month old has been through several foods, she's a picky eater and finding one she will eat has been a challenge. Our breed feeds the pups Victor and she started on that. We also tried Merrick, Orijen, Pro Plan and now Inukshuk which she likes. She always self limited on food and it was a challenge to get her enough calories, Inukshuk solved that since it higher calories that the rest. 

Best advice I got here on food, feed the best food, you can afford, that your dog will eat.


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## finn'smom (Oct 4, 2019)

Finn ate RC large breed puppy kibble as a youngster, he always did well on it. He's now on Orijen six fish blend and doing too well lol his diet is going to suck for him. Given that there are two dogs in the house it looks like he may be transitioned to Acana red meat option (I forget the actual title)... he's easy to feed, the other one not so much... those have all been readily available to me in Ontario aside from the RC during one of the Covid lockdowns - everyone was out of it and he was transitioned a bit early to Orijen.


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## Rosebud99 (9 mo ago)

Crazy shep said:


> Food wise? So many options, we have chosen kibble as the best fit for our lifestyle.
> 
> We have found 3 that look good bit would be open to suggestions. The only real requirement is that it's easily found in canada. Here are 3 choices. Wondering if anyone has thoughts or concerns on these?


I started my pup out on Nulo Challenger Large Breed Puppy. It is ridiculously expensive at $93 for 24 lbs that didn't even last a month. And his stools were not great. I think its may have been too rich for him. I switched to Simply Nourish Large Breed Puppy chicken and rice and he is doing well so far. I feed my 11 year old the Simply Nourish Hip and Joint Support. I do hope to transition to raw after I study up on it more.


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## bchevs (Oct 15, 2020)

I feed Royal Canin and my animals all do well on it. When I worked at a pet store it always fed very well, few returns on it. I avoid grain free because of a possible link to heart disease that as far as I know is still being studied but I haven't looked into that in a couple years. I met some reps from Royal Canin and they explained the nutritional value of their ingredients and the way it is processed and was very skeptical at the time... But my vet recommended the brand and seeing it feed so well at the store convinced me to give it a shot and my animals have all been happy so far. 

Pro plan or Hills would be my next choice, again recommended by my vet and both seemed to feed well.


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

Pet food is huge business and it is hard to be trusted. Most studies you read are funded by the big 3. Most regular vets recommend RC, Purina, and Hills based on what they are taught in Vet school, which is very little on food. One course on basic nutrition if they take that. Vets also sell prescription foods with no active ingredients to make it a prescription. Follow the money. Vets say that the big 3 are WSAVA compliant. Not sure that even matters.
Critics of WSAVA and its guidelines will point out that WSAVA is funded by many of the “big” dog food brands, including *Purina*, *Hill’s*, and *Royal Canin*.

Royal canine is a marketing thing on breed specific foods when they are pretty much all the same. 

Most people never read the back of a bag and do research. People eat McDonalds with no problem. Why would they care what the dogs eat. When you list those ingredients, the major 3 companies recommended by vets, they all have unknown Bi products that each company refuses to identify what makes up that Bi Product. That should say enough. Purina also makes Beneful, not a trusted company.

Its good you are doing research. Make sure when you read articles like from Tufts or others you look to see the line on the bottom that may say Purina paid for the research.

My good friend is a vet and he admits to me they know very little on food unless they get certified in nutrition. Of course we have good vets that do know about food.









WSAVA pet food recommendations: Useful or useless?


Pet food recommendations from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, last updated in 2013, have significant gaps and need a major overhaul.



www.petfoodindustry.com


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## Rosebud99 (9 mo ago)

bchevs said:


> I feed Royal Canin and my animals all do well on it. When I worked at a pet store it always fed very well, few returns on it. I avoid grain free because of a possible link to heart disease that as far as I know is still being studied but I haven't looked into that in a couple years. I met some reps from Royal Canin and they explained the nutritional value of their ingredients and the way it is processed and was very skeptical at the time... But my vet recommended the brand and seeing it feed so well at the store convinced me to give it a shot and my animals have all been happy so far.
> 
> Pro plan or Hills would be my next choice, again recommended by my vet and both seemed to feed well.


Unless a vet has specialized in nutrition they only take one, one-semester class on nutrition. Yes, a vet told me this. 

I won't feed a dog a kibble that has corn in it or any by-product.

Pro Plan:
Chicken, Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Corn, Poultry By-Product Meal (Source Of Glucosamine), Whole Grain Wheat, Beef Fat ....

Hill's Science Diet Puppy Large Breed Lamb Meal & Brown Rice
Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Whole Grain Wheat, Whole Grain Sorghum, Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat Gluten...


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## bchevs (Oct 15, 2020)

Rosebud99 said:


> Unless a vet has specialized in nutrition they only take one, one-semester class on nutrition. Yes, a vet told me this.
> 
> I won't feed a dog a kibble that has corn in it or any by-product.
> 
> ...


That's true! But my vet has more experience than I do and they see sick and healthy animals daily and see what a difference diet can make. If they choose to feed their animals RC then I feel comfortable with that choice myself.

Even working in the pet store, it's amazing to see how certain brands of food are constantly returned for stomach issues etc while others rarely have returns. I've had my collie mix on raw and grain free foods in the past and he does better on Royal Canin so we have stuck with it. There's so much that goes into nutrition, it's hard to truly know we are making the right choice but we all do the best we can.


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## Rosebud99 (9 mo ago)

bchevs said:


> it's hard to truly know we are making the right choice but we all do the best we can.


You are absolutely right on that...


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## Mannix (12 mo ago)

I've been using Purina Pro-Plan Sport Chicken and Rice for 30 years on 4 different very active dogs with good results until the 4th dog Mannix started to get runny stools. I switched him to Purina sensitive skin and stomach Salmon and Rice for now but will try going back to the Pro Plan Sport soon.

A couple of times last year the Purina Pro-Plan Sport Chicken and Rice really smelled rancid when I opened the bag. At times the Purina sensitive skin and stomach Salmon and Rice has smelled not as fresh as the previous bags, I question the quality control of Purina.

Occasionally I'll add an egg to his food but his favorite thing is a light sprinkling of shredded Parmesan cheese over his kibble. When making pizza or spaghetti I can't peel the lid off of the container without him coming up and begging.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

All my GSDs (19 month old, 5 year old, and 9 year old) eat Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon. I do rotate among the salmon and lamb for Nora. I buy from either Chewy or Tractor Supply.


*Ingredients*
Salmon, Barley, Rice, Oat Meal, Canola Meal, Fish Meal (Source Of Glucosamine), Beef Fat Preserved With Mixed-tocopherols, Salmon Meal (Source Of Glucosamine), Dried Yeast, Natural Flavor, Sunflower Oil, Chicory Root Inulin, Fish Oil, L-lysine Monohydrochloride, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Dl-methionine, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B-3), Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Biotin (Vitamin B-7)], Calcium Carbonate, Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite], Choline Chloride, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (Vitamin C), Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product..


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