# The Food Wars discussion - what is your perspective?



## jikkyo (Jul 30, 2009)

From reading different canine forums, I've noticed that there are, amongst many, 2 distinct schools of thought on dog food:

*Group A* believes that dogs should be fed food as close to what they would’ve ate in the wild. If the owners aren’t able to provide RAW, then they feel that Orijen/EVO/Acana/other grain-free foods are the next best option. Grains are looked upon as cheap fillers and unnecessary to a dog’s health; maybe even detrimental. Don’t even talk to them about corn . 

*Group B* believes that dogs are individuals and can do well on a variety of foods. Their dogs eat well, are happy and live a long life. They haven’t bought into the beliefs of Group A, because their dogs are doing fine on “regular” dog foods. However, the types of feed they are providing their dogs are extremely frowned upon by Group A.

Now I will admit I was definitely on the Group A bandwagon when I first started reading about dog food. From forums such as this and DogForums, there is a heavy bias towards Group A’s school of thought. 

I started feeding Orijen to Jin; which costs around 70-90$ for a 27lb bag here in Canada. After more reading, I decided I can afford to let Jin try some other grain-free feeds, so I trialed him on Acana and Before Grain. I saw no difference in his condition. I was surprised as Orijen seemed to be praised as the golden ticket of dog food. I read more and came upon Kirkland (Costco’s brand) dog food. I saw the price (30$/40lbs) and was shocked! Then I read the positive reviews and thought I might as well give this a try. Again, Jin’s condition was unchanged and I’m constantly getting compliments from other people.

Now I’m looking into feeding Jin a performance formula of 30/20. And I’m doing a lot of reading on forums where the owners work their dogs in field trials, hunting trials and shows. I was surprised to find that the majority of owners in these forums fed Purina Pro Plan or Eukanuba!! They’ve done so for decades and their dog’s conditions are top-notch. They’re reporting the same results that I thought were exclusive to the expensive “natural” feeds. These are people who own anywhere from 3 to 30 dogs in their homes/kennels. 

I know sable123 gets a LOT of scorn for what she preaches here, but I understand that the majority of her dogs are hunting dogs. Her “crowd” has fed these brands of foods to their dogs for decades and these foods have performed. Many of us have bought the reviews off of dogfoodanalysis.com, but the writer of that particular site isn’t a canine nutrition expert; he’s a dentist. 

Some GSD Forum members seem to belong in Group A, but I think if you do some reading on the other side of the debate, you might be tempted to come to Group B. For me, after my bags of Kirkland/First Mate 30/20, I’m going to pick up a bag of Pro Plan Performance 30/20 or Diamond Extreme Athlete 30/20 and see how my dog performs on a different feed.

Why do you think there is such a divide between what owners are feeding their dogs? A few threads I've read, people have been rude and offensive to others that did not share their beliefs on dog food.


This has been on my mind for a while... Sorry for the huge post!


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

He He, first off I am a him, very much so.

You should try Annamaet Ultra or Dr. Tim's Pursuit formula but getting those might tough for you. 

I would also say that Pro Plan & Eukanuba are not cheap. They both run about $1.25-40lb.

"Cheap" but good would be Loyall Professional 31/20 at $.75 lb.


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

sable123 said:


> He He, first off I am a him, very much so.
> 
> You should try Annamaet Ultra or Dr. Tim's Pursuit formula but getting those might tough for you.
> 
> ...


Cheap is a matter of perspective. After spending nearly $90 for approx a 30 pound bag of Orijen I find spending $54 for a 40 pound bag of Pro Plan cheap. 

I tried all these top of the line grain-free foods and my poor dog was at the vet monthly with diarrhea/vomiting/digestive issues and was noticeably underweight. I put him on Pro-Plan from the advice of a poster on here who has an IBD dog on it and my dog has had no issues since and gained 10 pounds. 

I think people should feed was their dog does well on and stop over-thinking and stressing about it. I hate that people are made to feel badly on this forum for feeding "cheap" dog food because if I had been more open-minded perhaps I could have saved him months of illness.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I'm on the fringes of both crowds. I feed a RAW diet to my GSD, my elderly boxer and my cat. We have another boxer here that is my husband's and for whatever reason that has nothing to do with health, he refuses to put her on RAW. I"m very happy with the results I see on RAW, and I'm big on results. My cat is no longer having IBD problems, my elderly boxer with growths that are probably a return of mast cell cancer is doing fabulous, so much better than when on kibble and Jax's muscle mass is much better, her blood work (chem 17) was dead on and her energy level is different. It's not less or more, just more steady.

But we tried Sierra on a grain free food and her gas was horrendous. We put her back on Purina One and she's fine. 

So...to each their own.

And Sable123 does not get scorn for what he preaches. It's how the scorn the oozes out of his own posts that have turned so many people off.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

I'm also in between groups. I believe in feeding the best that you can afford and that your individual dog does best on. I saw a change in coat, energy and overall appearance when I switched to Grain Free. I don't feed RAW (mostly because the sound of crunching bones sends me running for the toilet) but I am trying to get over it to try and feed it to my dogs. It would be cheaper for me and better for them.

My cats are on premade RAW and the difference is amazing... they are slim and fit and no more saggy pouch that house cats get. My old roommate that lived with us for 2 years but moved out a year ago stopped by this weekend and the first thing she commented on was how great the cats look. They scream for their meals now which is enough proof for me.

And I'll ditto what Jax said about Sable123.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

I am in the camp of "feed what works." Though I have absolutely no desire or budget to try Orijen, I've fed many other "high quality" foods including wellness CORE (which is grain free). I noticed absolutely no difference. My father feeds his dog a different food every time, much like my parents did when we were growing up as kids with dogs. I've seen pedigree, kirkland, kibbles n bits, and the last bag I saw a few days ago was iams. The dog is a medium sized dog and doesn't eat much, so a big bag will last MONTHS. Dog is in excellent condition. I know for a fact he doesn't mix for the switch either, and never any tummy issues.

The fact is, people see what they want to see. Some dogs do truely have sensitivities to certain things. People switch foods and think it's the Orijen, when really the dog just had a problem with X protein source or a particular grain that was in the food. And yet others join here with their first puppy, and switch foods because the dog is blowing coat and they realize OMG they bought a dog that sheds. Low and behold by the time the dog is transitioned to the new food, the dog is done blowing it's coat for the season. Suddenly the poster posts on every food thread that they switched to XYZ food and their dogs coat is shinier and they don't shed as much.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

gsdraven said:


> My cats are on premade RAW and the difference is amazing... they are slim and fit and no more saggy pouch that house cats get. ... They scream for their meals now which is enough proof for me.


Same with mine. I did have to add sardines in to his to get his coat like I wanted but it is so much better than when on kibble. But the food he was on was Science Diet ID so that is a huge jump in the quality of proteins he was getting. I always know when Cracker has been shopping in dog food bag or on the counter because he has diarrhea. He is so sensitive that I couldn't even supplement him with Felo-form without explosive diarrhea.

Personally I have not seen any difference in shedding with RAW. I wish I did but not to be.


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## Bee (Jun 24, 2011)

On the fringes of both I guess. I exclusively raw fed my old mastiff raw because he could not tolerate any commercial food. I tried both ends of the scale and all makes. However it did really stink the house out and the rest of my family really complained. We have a new kid on the block as companion to our other dog since losing my boy. We are currently feeding an all natural type working dog feed called Autarky in a kibble form. The thing I don't like about the cheaper feeds is that an amount of anti-freeze is used as the preservative, and I can't help wondering if that contributes to our canine friends having a higher incidence of cancer and such forth in older age because of the build up of the toxins. I am not taking this from any medical or scientific facts, just my own musings. And I'd hate to use one of those foods and then my dogs develop cancer and be wondering if it was the toxin build up I could of prevented Otherwise I don't have much of an issue with the food themselves as what is no good for one dog's digestion can be a great match for another.


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## jikkyo (Jul 30, 2009)

sable123 said:


> He He, first off I am a him, very much so.
> 
> You should try Annamaet Ultra or Dr. Tim's Pursuit formula but getting those might tough for you.
> 
> ...


Oops... I always assumed you were female! haha sorry! And Annamaet only has 3 dealers in Canada and they are nowhere near me. PPP and Euk PP are definitely not "cheap", but like fuzzybunny said, it really is a matter of perspective. After paying what I did for 24-28lb bags of food, paying 50-60$ for a 40lb bag ain't too bad. Kirkland has done me good, so I'm looking at the Diamond formulas.



fuzzybunny said:


> Cheap is a matter of perspective. After spending nearly $90 for approx a 30 pound bag of Orijen I find spending $54 for a 40 pound bag of Pro Plan cheap.
> 
> I think people should feed was their dog does well on and stop over-thinking and stressing about it. I hate that people are made to feel badly on this forum for feeding "cheap" dog food because if I had been more open-minded perhaps I could have saved him months of illness.


Agree with both your points. I've really tired of that attitude also.



gsdraven said:


> I don't feed RAW (mostly because the sound of crunching bones sends me running for the toilet) but I am trying to get over it to try and feed it to my dogs. It would be cheaper for me and better for them.


That's funny, because the crunching sound is my favourite part of giving Jin raw . He goes to town when I give him chicken backs/quarters.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Bee said:


> The thing I don't like about the cheaper feeds is that an amount of anti-freeze is used as the preservative,


Correct.

Food Additives Preservatives - Preservatives in Food - Food Preservatives



> *Propylen Glycol*
> 
> Something else found in dog food just as BHT antioxidant, is propylene glycol.
> It is commonly used in solutions for antifreeze, as a solvent, and in hydraulic fluid. In semi moist food, it is used to stop it from getting dry.
> If it is eaten in large amounts, it can be toxic. It shouldn't be fed to dogs that will eat it every day. In European countries, propylene glycol cannot be used as a general-purpose food grade product, or food additive.



I am an HVAC designer and we do use propylene glycol in heating systems but most times it's ethylene glycol. However, you should read the ingredients in people food as well. Artificial vanilla extract IS propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is used as a sweetener as well. I've never done the research into it but I do avoid foods with this in it just because my mind can't make the leap from using it in a heat exchanger system to eating it. I would want to read the MSDS and other studies on it rather than run with the post I have above and advise anyone else to do the same.


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

I too feed both.
Earthborn Primitive Grain Free and Kirkland Chicken & Rice Premium.
My dogs do extremely well on both...and I have no problem with feeding them what they eat. Both products are excellent in my opinion.


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

I stay away from foods with BHA/BHT, ethoxyquin, propylene glycol or any other chemicals. I'm still on the fence about menadione. (Synthetic vitamin K)

Though I have to say, better than Lloyal (ingredient and price wise) would be Sportmix. I had good results on it with Chance and he was running the farm each day, for a majority of the day, and it gave him everything he needed to have the stamina for it. He also had a good coat, clean ears, clear eyes, good muscle tone, healthy weight, good poops, ect. I was only paying $25 for 50lb of food. I fed the black 24/20 bag.


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

I feed raw and the difference between raw/kibble is incredible. I think in reality *I* suffer the most when I have to temporarily switch them back to kibble.
They poop so darn much it drives me insane. They stink, they shed, their teeth look yellow, their coat is powdery and just yuck. Now this is with feeding Natural Balance, but really no matter what KIBBLE it is, there is just no way they would do as well as on raw.
The results of feeding raw speak for themselves. To me, kibble is kibble is kibble. 

It doesn't matter if it's Orijen or Purina, I am basically choosing between the lesser or two evils.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Rerun said:


> I am in the camp of "feed what works."


Me too, I guess that might be group "C".

I feed both kibble and raw. The older dogs get Kirkland kibble most of the time, it's made by Diamond and you can't find a better food for the price, IMO. The pup gets raw and occasional kibble, but she happens to do better on raw, so that's what I feed her. My older GSD was fed raw until she was about 5-6 years old; at that point, she had a hard time keeping weight on, so we switched to kibble and she's been golden ever since.

My Akbash dog, when he's not eating kibble, gets a fair amount of prey model raw--when I get a chicken that goes belly-up for no apparent reason, I hand it to him head, feet, feathers, and all. He knows what to do with it. 

My cats eat Iams. I'm not a huge fan of Iams, but I have one cat who vomits his food if you look at him cross-eyed. I've tried many, many, many different foods for him, including raw, and regular Iams in the orange bag makes him throw up the least. Go figure.

I don't understand why raw feeders and kibble feeders have such a hatred for each others' methods. It's like religion or something. Personally I think there are bigger fish to fry (so to speak).


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## stealthq (May 1, 2011)

Keep in mind that a lot of people who hang around these kinds of forums are people who have or have had problems with their critter's diet. It is certainly the case that many have had those problems corrected by changing to grain-free or raw. My mother's dog is an example, but he was a very rare case and allergic to everything under the sun - most proteins and vegetables, all grains tested, rice (even the allergist was shocked at that one), preservatives, you name it. In fact, we couldn't find a food that didn't have something in it he was allergic to. But, it is also the case that many have never had any problem at all on regular kibble.

And, it isn't surprising that people see a difference in cats switching to grain-free or raw since they're obligate carnivores, unlike dogs. I would never feed my cats kibble, but I would consider it for a dog. Plus, it's a lot easier brushing a dog's teeth than it is a cat's, taking care of any dental issues.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

I'm in the "feed what works" camp. Cashdog had a grain intolerance, so he got a grain-free food. Rocky and Kopper do great on foods with grain, so they get Precise. I feel like the price-to-quality ratio is better if you can feed grains.

However, I don't think there's ever a good reason to feed Ol' Roy, Beneful, Purina Dog chow, or any other food where the first ingredient is Corn Gluten, the second ingredient is "animal byproduct," and there's no mention of real meat.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

I have fed both. I did like the result with raw, but have seen good results with kibble.

The kibble fed dogs have no smell, no faky skin, great physique. The stools are not as small as on raw, but well formed. When I had dogs not tolerating something in kibble, then the raw improved a coat or smell condition. But, only in the ones not doing well on the kibbles I had tried

My friend feeds Eukanuba. She labors under the idea that it is the same as it once was. Her dogs are top show competitors. Coats are beautiful. I run these dogs and they build good physique. She gets it at half price. 

My show trainer feeds Pro Plan. That means my girl is on it there. So far so good on that kibble. 

Right now I have several dogs on Acana. They seem good on it. Hogan's coat is the first one I have gotten a patent leather shine on. Might be genetic, but the Acana seems to agree with him.

I also have a couple of dogs who eat Diamond Premium. It seems to compare to Eukanuba. I know this food does not rank high on analysis lists. But, I don't want the two dogs on it to feel any better. Jk . They are hard, energetic and slamming on this "cheap" food.

The long haul is the important part. Longevity, health, functionality. I don't know which foods would best contribute to that. Perhaps it is a raw diet. Ingredients are fresh in that one! Do people buy organic and additive free meats mostly? I don't have a reasonable source for that currently. 

For sure there are kibbles with ingredients that are suspected carcinogens etc. I would stay away from those. In that regard, I don't think kibble is kibble.


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## Witz (Feb 28, 2011)

I have been using Acana Wild Prairie with my 2 adult dogs and my up. I have been very happy with how they all are doing on the same food. It is on the expensive side but less then Orijen. I am very confident that grain free is the way to go. I use to use TOTW and was pleased with that food also, at a much more reasonably priced alternative.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

I haven't had time to read every reply , but want to comment about competitors in field and hunting trials feed Purina and /or Eukanuba . 
So what do they really feed at home though? wink.

I was approached to have my dogs image emblazoned across some bag of dog food . I flat out said no. Don't use, won't endorse it .

I know competitors who put the logo on their vehicles , wear the logos on wind breakers and tee shirts -- and they don't feed the stuff .

Carmen


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

I think you can design a lot of foods to give a good coat. I also think that a lot of dogs (as with people), can look good eating suboptimal food, for quite a long time. It's the aging process, down the road, that I'm concerned about. The cancers, the degenerative considitions, etc.

I've always had dogs with health issues - no magic bullet fights genetics and over vaccination, but I do like it when they get to the senior age, and when folks find out how old they are, they do a double take. 

I think that you are missing a group in your first post. Group B actually describes so many different owners, they could include all the folks that feed in Group A. A raw (or homecooked diet) doesn't mean that the owner doesn't believe that their dog can eat and do well on a variety of foods.

Group C would describe those owners that really think all of this nonsense is overblown, don't distinguish between ingredients in dog foods, and as long as the dog looks okay and the stools are firm, what's the bother? In that category, you'll find the Ol' roy dogs - their owners often really do think their dogs look good. Same with so many dog foods that are fed and their dogs really don't look good, but they do to the owner.


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## Josie/Zeus (Nov 6, 2000)

I'm in the "feed what works for your dogs" camp too. If you feel your dogs are happy and healthy with your food of choice, then go for it.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

There are 2 levels of grain foods. There are quality foods like wellness, acana, fromm, blue buffalo, etc... and there are plain crap foods like alpo, pedigree, beneful, kibbles & bits, etc...

I fed Royal Canin and my pup didn't do well on it. He had gunky eyes, itches, and his coat seemed in poor condition..he also didn't care for the taste. I switched to Orijen and he has been doing great since and loves it. I am in the feed the best you can afford camp. When I have more freezer space I will feed raw. I will not feed anything made by a company that makes both high quality grain free foods and the cheapest lowest quality foods - like Diamond and Proctor & Gamble. Their goal is not to provide quality dog food it is to make money.


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## crackem (Mar 29, 2006)

feed whatever you want. I feed real raw foods, because it is what I think is best over processed anything, any day. for myself and my dogs. I do grind for my cats, but they mostly eat kibble, I guess I don't love them as much as my dogs  I'm kidding of course. I grind, but my wife doesn't often feed. I don't have to grind for the dogs and I'm in charge of feeding them anyway.


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## DeeMcB (Nov 28, 2010)

I'm afraid I'm another that blows your dichotomy out of the water. I feed my 2 GSD's raw and my cats Wellness Core. I tried switching them about a year ago, but they were so finicky that I gave up. 

My long coat GSD (Maxx) came as a rescue on Pedigree in February and I switched him immediately (and with GI consequences) and I love the way he looks now. Ezra (black GSDx) has been on raw since about 16 weeks and he has a brilliant coat, pearly white teeth and is lean & fit. I wouldn't ever go back to kibble (raw is so easy!) but I would also never tell anyone else that my way is the only way.


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

Feed what works....I've been on both sides of the camp  No surprise there! 

I remember when Angeles was a puppy I gave him Orijen LBP as a treat...oh my God - loose poops - liquid poop...not fun! I'm not suggesting it is not a good food...just not for Angeles.

Jack - well, he has been on multiple things through his seizure journey. So far his last episode was on April 10 of this year. He just needed more meds in his system since he had gained some weight. 

He gets mostly Pedigree with chopped beef in the Large can (its all meat except the brewers rice). He gets some dry to add some extra calories since I only feed him twice a day now. That dry has been Pedigree Healthy Longevity, Kumpi, Grain-Free from Pinnacle, Iams and Pro Plan Performance. He did well on all of them. I get small bags to start on most of them to see how he does....also throw some out for the birds and squirrels :wild: They love my house. 

The cool thing is I ran out of canned the other week and so I ground up a chicken for him. No issues. Came out like his other poop - formed well. Have had lots of issues with my pipes so I'm rarely washing off chickens in the sink anymore...too much fat goes down the drain (liquid that is)....but at least I know he can switch foods with no issues now. And food wasn't his issue it was the right dosage of Phenobarb he needed.

Did yall know that Pedigree uses* Proteinated* minerals in their dry? I guess the old excuse of charging more for *Proteinated *in dry dog food is just an excuse for more profit.


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

There are two kinds of PG, one is pharma grade that is used in medications. It is totally harmless.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

carmspack said:


> I know competitors who put the logo on their vehicles , wear the logos on wind breakers and tee shirts -- and they don't feed the stuff .


I have often wondered about this. I remember those Pedigree "recommended by top breeders" commercials and always thought, no way are those people feeding Pedigree to their show dogs... you can pay someone to SAY you feed your dogs whatever, but I don't think there's any way they can actually force you to feed it.

You would have to pay me a loooooot of money to endorse a kibble I wouldn't feed to my own dogs.


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## mkinttrim (Jul 3, 2011)

Propylene glycol is the stuff I just drank before my colonoscopy! Wasn't fun.


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## Redhawk (Jul 8, 2011)

About grains versus no grains, I think a lot could depend on the level of exercise your dog gets. To me, processed grains are unnatural foods (for both humans and other animals) which spike the glucose levels abnormally higher than other foods. I don't eat them myself, I'm worried that the long term high glucose spikes would have effects on my health (ie - diabetes). 

HOWEVER - my friend is an ironman triathlete and trains a lot everyday. Her diet is made up almost exclusively of processed carbs/grains. But then she is constantly using the glucose because of all the exercise she does, and thus this diet probably doesn't affect her badly the way it would me. In fact, she needs to eat processed carbs just to get enough calories into her system. 

I wonder if the same can be said about companion dogs versus sports dogs/hunting dogs?

I know the non-grain foods are higher in phosphorus than grain based foods, just because there is a lot more meat. It is said that high phosphorus/calcium is bad for large breed puppies, making them grow too fast, but I think it's inevitable if you aren't feeding grains that you have to have more phosphorus, because you're going to replace the grains with meat/fish.

So its a more natural diet, but then wolves didn't have to worry about large breed wolves growing too fast, so whatchagonnado?

Personally I will take my chances with higher phosphorus/calcium rather than the high levels of glucose. It seems as if you have too choose whatever you feel is the lesser evil, but nothing in life is really safe, so its just another decision to make.

And yeah, I hate it how groups bash each other. It seems people in general are just so insecure that they cant wait to get around another group that has different opinions than them so they can try and feel better than someone else. Over DOG FOOD???? REALLY?! :wild:

Sigh...

RH


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

Redhawk said:


> About grains versus no grains, I think a lot could depend on the level of exercise your dog gets. To me, processed grains are unnatural foods (for both humans and other animals) which spike the glucose levels abnormally higher than other foods. I don't eat them myself, I'm worried that the long term high glucose spikes would have effects on my health (ie - diabetes).
> 
> HOWEVER - my friend is an ironman triathlete and trains a lot everyday. Her diet is made up almost exclusively of processed carbs/grains. But then she is constantly using the glucose because of all the exercise she does, and thus this diet probably doesn't affect her badly the way it would me. In fact, she needs to eat processed carbs just to get enough calories into her system.
> 
> ...


Most people overestimate the amount of grain in a high quality traditional kibble. The amount of carbohydrates is far lower in a 30/20 or better kibble than many of the "grain free" diets sold as low carbohydrate. Most 30/20's will have about the same calories from carbohydrates as Orijen because fat has a multiple of calories per gram. I know of several where the calories from carbohydrates is less than 15%. 

So, if you pick the right kibble the amount of grain is quite low. Most grains are scored low/medium on the glycemic scale. Diabetes in dogs is not caused by diet, rather lack of normal exercise and the big factor is neutering, especially in males. A neutered male is at least 3 times as likely to become diabetic. 

As for your question on hunting & sport dogs, the answer is no. A dog's primary source of energy is fat in a process called "fat adaptation". This is especially true of dogs that get quickly into an aerobic rhythm, where fat is burned more efficiently. That is why these kibbles have 20% or more in fat. Some dogs, lets say a trial Labrador, that uses energy in quick bursts, will benefit from more carbohydrate. Labs perform noticeably better with lower fat and higher carbs.

Carbo loading dogs has been proven to produce the opposite effect, with very few exceptions. Also, how often a sporting or working dog is fed influences endurance. Most will feed only once a day to simulate starvation, forcing the body to store glycogen in the liver.


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## Melgrj7 (Jul 5, 2009)

I just put my dogs back on raw, but when feeding kibble (which I have done for the last couple years mostly) Lloyd does best on grain free with a novel protein (nature's variety rabbit formula he does best on) and Nash seems to do best on purina one lamb and rice. I know Lloyd does good on raw, but have never had Nash on only raw, so we shall see how he does. If for some reason he doesn't do well on it (given a few months to know for sure), then back to purina for him. I guess I'm in the feed what works for your dog camp.


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## Alois (Feb 4, 2011)

I am currently switching dry dog foods constantly and it is working. No bad side effects. My pack loves everything we feed them it seems. We often crack a raw egg over the dry food. They like that too.

So far I have fed them and we basically mix two foods each meal


Diamond Naturals
Wellness Super mix 5
Innova Large breed puppy (purple bag)
Merrick Wilderness blend
Holistic Giant and large breed puppy
Blue Buffalo chicken and rice (blue/pink bag)


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

It depends on the dog. I have done home cooked with grains, home cooked without grains, all raw, raw and kibble, raw and home cooked, grain free kibble, kibble with grains...every dog has been different. I do feed the higher quality foods when using kibble but, again, each dog has been different in terms of which food they did best on. 

For cats I recommend grain free (since they're obligate carnivores) and either canned or raw. Kibble really isn't beneficial for cats (although it certainly is easy for humans).


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