# Any thoughts on Members Mark Exceed Dog food?? Grain free



## CrystalEG (May 29, 2016)

Been pretty good but idk how really healthy it is.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

*UN-NAMED* Poultry Fat (ALL food items MUST be specifically NAMED) and contains menadione sodium bisulfite complex - Vitamin K 3 synthetic (see below) . Generally low quality ingredients from big box stores. 

Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University description of Vitamin K… “Although allergic reaction is possible, there is no known toxicity associated with high doses of the phylloquinone (vitamin K1) or menaquinone (vitamin K2) forms of vitamin K. The same is not true for *synthetic menadione (vitamin K3) and its derivatives.* Menadione can interfere with the function of glutathione, one of the body’s natural antioxidants, resulting in oxidative damage to cell membranes. Menadione given by injection has induced liver toxicity, jaundice, and hemolytic anemia (due to the rupture of red blood cells) in infants; therefore, menadione is no longer used for treatment of vitamin K deficiency.”


The Material Safety Data sheet on Menadione-sodium bisulfite states: _“The substance is toxic
to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage.”_


Fromm's, Acana, Natures VARIETY, would be good choices.


Moms


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Members Mark is the Sam's Club private label, isn't it? The big question is what company is doing the manufacturing for Walmart/Sam's. I'm not able to find that with a quick search. Does anyone here know?

With private labels and hidden manufacturers, I have as many concerns about what's not on the label as what is -- specifically, are they using China-sourced ingredients? With Costco, it's well-known that Kirkland is made by Diamond, so an informed consumer can weigh the cost/benefit of that (fairly reliable mid-grade "value" food that works for many dogs vs. dangerous recall history/problem plagued plant). With Sam's, I have no idea how to do that cost-benefit without knowing who makes it.

One other forum had a post from 2011 suggesting Exceed is manufactured by Purina, but I can't find reliable verification of that. It may or may not be true. Call Sam's Club member services and see if they'll tell you.

If you need a lower-cost food for your budget, you might want to look at Victor -- it works for many here on the forum, and it's got a lower price point than high-end competitors. They're family-owned, and they own their own plant in Texas so they can monitor quality control.


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## CrystalEG (May 29, 2016)

The price is roughly 35$ for a 35lb bag so I think that's reasonable. I definitely want my puppy to be healthy but of course very built he runs a lot so he can get muscle but he's hungry literally all the time I feed him over a cup of food a day he's now 45lbs and just turned 4 months


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

You can get Victor from your local independent petfood store or online (chewy.com for example) for close to the same price of $1/pound, and at least you'll know you're dealing with a reputable company and a known manufacturing plant -- not a "mystery maker." You'll be able to get a knowledgeable human on the phone from the company who will answer questions too.

Fromm Gold is about $10 more. Their Four-Star line is higher.

If you have a healthy dog, I would worry less about grain-free than I would about the quality of the company and their ingredient sourcing (and recall history). Most dogs do fine with some grains if they don't have allergies. Personally, I'd opt for a good company's food containing some grain over a mystery-maker's grain-free food, if you need to keep a lid on food costs. A lot of the grain-free marketing is hype (replacing grains with other low-quality starches from legumes or tapioca does nothing meaningful to improve food quality for the dog, in my personal opinion). There are foods that replace grains with meat, but they are far more expensive than $1/lb (because meat is expensive compared to starch).

Many experienced people here feed Fromm and Victor with great results. If you dig through the archives, you'll see them recommended very consistently. Fromm Large Breed Puppy is the puppy food that gets recommended most consistently here.


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## CrystalEG (May 29, 2016)

Gotta give it a try thanks?


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