# is this kibble good for my 10 wk old GSD...?



## coach_rivera (Dec 5, 2008)

i went to my local pet store and they highly recommended this brand of kibble ( SPORTMIX )...so i bought the pup food. what do u all think?

if not...i was thinking i should switch to Pro Plan or which do u all recommend?


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

It's not the worst food out there but it's not one of the better ones either. There are some questionable ingredients. "Meat Meal" for instance, what -kind- of meat is it? "Fish Meal", again, what KIND of fish? These could be pretty much anything. Plus it could make life more complicated in finding a food that works if your dog has an allergy because you'd never know what is causing it because you don't know what all the ingredients are. (And they would change from bag to bag since there is no one select meat for those meat and fish meal)

Solid Gold, Taste of the Wild, Orijen, Innova, Blue Buffalo, Chicken Soup for the Dog, Canidae, ect are all higher quality foods. Some are a little pricey but worth it in the long run because you feed less (Because the ingredients are more nutritional and digestable, therefore you don't have to feed as much to get the same nutrition) plus with quality food you're more likely to save in vet bills because you'll be feeding your dog something healthy.

If money is an issue, Chicken Soup, Canidae, Kirkland Signature (Costco brand) and a few others tend to be cheaper without losing a lot of quality.

And if you live by like a Petco, Super Petz, ect that offer a "buy 10 bags, get the 11th free" (Or something similar) then you'll save money shopping at places like that too.


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## GranvilleGSD (Mar 28, 2007)

Well the second ingredient is ground yellow corn, and that's not great.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

I wouldn't feed the Sportmix to my dogs. I don't like the ingredients at all. (Don't like Proplan either and IMO it is WAY too much money for the quality.)

Besides what Chances mom said, you will have less "clean up" in your yard if you feed a better quality food. The less food that has to go in, the less there is that has to come out the other end!


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

You could do worse, but you can also do a lot better. Do you know what your breeder was feeding your pup? I would go with something a little higher quality if I were you. Search around some old threads, youll find plenty of good kibbles.


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## Keegan62 (Aug 17, 2008)

go to
dogfoodanalysis.com
you can see all the foods and what they have in them

Listen to what is said here they know their stuff
I learned so much and when Jack is a year old he will be grain free


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

on a side note, the experience of reading countless threads on this forum has shown one thing to be true. in most cases, the staff at the larger chain pet stores (and even some smaller outfits) do not know enough to be giving sound advice about pet food. 

IMO, the people on this forum are a far better source regarding quality pet foods. true, not all dogs will do well on all the "top" foods, but there are enough kibble choices to avoid things like Sportmix, even for those on a tight budget.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: roxy84on a side note, the experience of reading countless threads on this forum has shown one thing to be true. in most cases, the staff at the larger chain pet stores (and even some smaller outfits) do not know enough to be giving sound advice about pet food.



















Most of those folks work there because it is a JOB. And they probably like animals. NOT because they KNOW anything about them. And unfortunately they are likely to just repeat what they have been told or heard without bothering to research it themselves.


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

What's your budget for kibble? How much are you willing/able to spend for a 30lb bag of kibble?

Most of the top rated kibbles are pricey & often not locally available. (Shipping can be ungodly expensive!) Many dogs have thrived on foods that are considerably less expensive.

MyTribe is currently eating upper mid range to high end grain free kibbles b/c I think high protein is superior & b/c the premium diets can't hurt & might help. I fed Pro-pak & Purina One for many yrs with spectacular results so I'm convinced healthy dogs can thrive on less than Orijen or Evo.


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## coach_rivera (Dec 5, 2008)

i would say no more than $30-35 a bag...im gonna go to Petsmart tonight and take my time and read all the labels and probably decide then. What would u all recommed from Petsmart?


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

In your price range (~$1.00-$1.17/lb) I like the Authority Harvest Baked best. I've bought this for my daughter & her dog does well on it. It's available at Petsmart.

Check labels carefully. There's some food that is no better than Purina One but costs more at Petco or Petsmart than Purina One does at local discount stores.

Farm supply stores sometimes carry decent kibbles at good prices as well.


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## coach_rivera (Dec 5, 2008)

thanks Ruby...i've researched the Authority Harvest kibble and have come across alot of great reviews from alot of happy dog owners. thanks again!


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

Coach_Rivera, another kibble to consider is Kirkland Super Premium Lamb or Chicken, if you have a Costco nearby. Many posters have been very happy with it. The ingredients look good & it's very reasonably priced. The nearest Costco is 2hrs from here or I'd consider buying my daughter some when she visits.


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## coach_rivera (Dec 5, 2008)

unfortunately we dont have a Costco down here in Deep Deep South Texas.


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