# Do you feed Victor kibble?



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

If you feed Victor kibble, which one of their products do you feed? 

I feed Fromm LBP and am looking to switch. I find I have to feed Remi 5 cups a day to maintain weight, he was about 79 lbs (20 months old now)....but then he started to have soft poop, I cut back on the food to 4 cups, and poops are better, but he seems to have lost some weight. He needs more calories, but I don't like the idea of feeding him 5 cups or more a day. Now I'm looking for a food that can deliver the needed calories, in fewer cups. I was looking at victor since it has been recommended here often. 

I'm not sure if I want to do grain free...I tried Orijen GF once and he had terrible runs from it. Maybe Victor GF won't have the same effect????????????

I was looking at their site and found Ultra Pro 42 has 479 kcal/cup. But its GF...The other one that caught my eye is their 30/20 Hi-Pro which has 450 kcal/cup. 

Need to do some more research on this brand to determine ash levels, etc. 

Thanks


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Yes. I"m not a believer in GF. Think it's a fad. I feed the purple bag. Professional.


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Jax, how much of it do you feed per day and how much does yours weigh? 

thanks


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Going to try the Victor 30/20 and see how it goes. I HATE switching foods. But need something with more calories so I can feed less.


----------



## VanLee (Sep 6, 2014)

I have in the past and I am not impressed at all. The mineral content is very high which tells me the protein sources like Beef Meal is just bones. Also it has an artificial stool hardener, clay.

In the summer I switched to Pro Plan Select/Naturals Chicken and the results with several dogs are uniformly great.

I had been using Farmina but as time went on it wasn't performing well and the bags were old.

Pro Plan Select is really excellent food.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

eddie1976E said:


> Jax, how much of it do you feed per day and how much does yours weigh?
> 
> thanks


2 cups per day. 42#. She's a Boxer. The Shepherds get raw


----------



## Ashley_M (Feb 19, 2003)

My two setters (40-45lbs) are halfway through a bag of the ocean blend (2 cups a day each). I'm thinking about trying a different blend next (likely what Jax08 feeds). I'm happy with the results so far (solid stools, relatively minimal stool output, etc) but it's too soon to tell re: coat quality etc. I was feeding Fromm Gold Adult previously and really like it; just wanted to try something different.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

I use Victor hi pro in conjunction with raw, hi pro and the ultra 42 would probably be great for dogs who have trouble keeping weight on. My intact male(75lbs) does some pretty rigorous herding every week and I only need to feed him 2 cups a day along with about a half a pound of raw. You can also supplement in raw eggs to help keep weight on.

Dr. Tim's momentum and pursuit are a bit higher quality and used for highly active sled dogs.. Also great for dogs who can't keep weight on but not for a dog with chicken or grain sensitivies.


----------



## VanLee (Sep 6, 2014)

High protein foods are NOT good for underweight dogs. Protein is highly entropic and has the opposite effect. I wish people would stop saying this on forums.

If a dog has a really hard time with weight, the best foods are those with 25% - 30% protein and about 20% - 25% fat.

BTW Dr. Tim's is more than a bit better in quality than Victor.

OP start with Pro Plan Performance or Pro Plan Select/Naturals and see how it goes.

Or order Dr. Tim's Pursuit or Annamaet Ultra on-line, unless you can get it locally.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

I find it hard to understand you don't like Victor but are promoting Purina? I get that their pro plan lines aren't as horrible but they still have unnamed meat by products and animal digest. Now I think this whole grain free thing is a bit of a fad and I have celiac disease but I refuse to support a company that makes such garbage as Beneful.


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Victor 30/20 is highly rated on dogfoodadvisor...I trust their ratings. Dr. Tim's is also highly rated. I like the idea of meeting his calorie/nutritional needs in 3 cups a day. I don't like that I can't get it at a local store...The idea of spending that kind of money, knowing that it may not agree with my dog, is not appealing to me at all. 

Have to think about it some more.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

eddie1976E said:


> Victor 30/20 is highly rated on dogfoodadvisor...I trust their ratings. Dr. Tim's is also highly rated. I like the idea of meeting his calorie/nutritional needs in 3 cups a day. I don't like that I can't get it at a local store...The idea of spending that kind of money, knowing that it may not agree with my dog, is not appealing to me at all.
> 
> Have to think about it some more.


Buy through chewy, they have amazing customer service... If it doesn't agree with your dog I'm sure they'd give a refund or replacement.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

A lot of times you can also contact the company and ask for samples.


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Carriesue said:


> A lot of times you can also contact the company and ask for samples.


I emailed them 5 minutes ago and they already responded! I can't believe how fast it was. They are sending me a sample. If their food is as good as their customer service, they will become my new favorite company.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

eddie1976E said:


> I emailed them 5 minutes ago and they already responded! I can't believe how fast it was. They are sending me a sample. If their food is as good as their customer service, they will become my new favorite company.


Dr. Tim? He's a great guy, responds in person a lot of the time.


----------



## atravis (Sep 24, 2008)

I know you're not really looking for other suggestions, but if you want high calorie, one I've had very good luck with is Canidae's Pure line. The "Sky" especially... it sits right at 520 kcals/cup. I started using this when EVO became scarce and I wasn't doing raw.


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Carriesue said:


> Dr. Tim? He's a great guy, responds in person a lot of the time.


Yes, Dr. Tim's.


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

atravis said:


> I know you're not really looking for other suggestions, but if you want high calorie, one I've had very good luck with is Canidae's Pure line. The "Sky" especially... it sits right at 520 kcals/cup. I started using this when EVO became scarce and I wasn't doing raw.


Will look into this as well.


----------



## DTS (Oct 19, 2010)

I tried the hi pro plus formula for Titan because of its high calories and we also tried the Yukon flavor for Jasmine. 
We were feeding orijen 6 fish and wanted something cheaper, but Titan needs as much calories as possible. 
Jasmine did fine, no change, but Titan got a nasty skin infection. Real nasty lesions and pus pockets on his stomach which led to a vet visit and a steroid shot and some antibiotics. 
We ended up going back to orijen for a while for both of them. 
A couple months ago we switched Titan to the honest kitchen base mix and we add cooked meat. His coat is the best it's been and it's decently cheap even with buying meat.


----------



## Kahrg4 (Dec 19, 2012)

I've had Cafall on all different types of food but he's done the best on Victor. I feed the purple bag as well. I've have no complaints and both my dogs have done very well with it.


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

The purple Victor is in my kibble rotation too.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

I hear people talk about the purple bag a lot, is there something special about it?


----------



## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

I use Victor Grain Free Joint Health Formula Dog Food:

CountryMax.com :: Pet Supply Center :: Dog :: Dog Food :: Dry Dog Food :: Victor Dog Food :: Victor Grain Free Joint Health Formula Dog Food 30 Pounds

I can get it locally for $45.00 but they have to order it. I waited to late so it was back to Nature's Domain from Costco for this month.


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

The only thing I don't like about Victor right now is the Ash level. I emailed them and they said it is 7-8%, which I believe is on the high side (could be wrong). Dr. Tim's is 6%. Will give the Dr. Tim's a try. It ends up being cheaper than what I'm feeding now, given that you feed much less of it.


----------



## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

I'm a little confused about the Dr. Tim's. I looked at the ingredients and on most it only has one protein listed....the grain free has two listed and another down the list a bit. The grain free is also less calories. and ash is 8.9 %. I'm looking for something myself as I'm not sure that Varik isn't a bit sensitive to lentils (doing a bit of scratching, nibbling). He's on Acana now, which he loves .... just not sure about the lentils. Maybe I'll try Nature's Variety Instinct next ... or THK ... I dunno. I hope you find something that works for you!


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

Galathiel said:


> I'm a little confused about the Dr. Tim's. I looked at the ingredients and on most it only has one protein listed....the grain free has two listed and another down the list a bit. The grain free is also less calories. and ash is 8.9 %. I'm looking for something myself as I'm not sure that Varik isn't a bit sensitive to lentils (doing a bit of scratching, nibbling). He's on Acana now, which he loves .... just not sure about the lentils. Maybe I'll try Nature's Variety Instinct next ... or THK ... I dunno. I hope you find something that works for you!


It's a mushers food, most of them are chicken and rice. What I like about Dr. Tim's is that most of the protein in the food comes from MEAT not peas or lentils and other plant matter used to boost protein levels that a lot of the higher end grain free foods seem to be doing.


----------



## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Galathiel said:


> I'm a little confused about the Dr. Tim's. I looked at the ingredients and on most it only has one protein listed....the grain free has two listed and another down the list a bit. The grain free is also less calories. and ash is 8.9 %. I'm looking for something myself as I'm not sure that Varik isn't a bit sensitive to lentils (doing a bit of scratching, nibbling). He's on Acana now, which he loves .... just not sure about the lentils. Maybe I'll try Nature's Variety Instinct next ... or THK ... I dunno. I hope you find something that works for you!


Great Life is working for our Grand-Dog. He was horribly sensitive to the binders in the "non-grain" foods such as Lentils/Peas, both kinds of potatoes, all grains and almost all meats!

It has single source proteina, US Ingredients, non-GMO, gluten free.

*GREAT LIFE SUGGESTED DAILY FEEDING DIRECTIONS*

PUPPIES Free Choice
UP TO 25lbs ¼ - 1 CUP
26-50LBS ¾ - 1 ½ CUPS 
51-75LBS 1 - 2 CUPS 
76+ LBS 2 - 5 CUPS 

Here is the Buffalo 
% Basis
Crude Protein(min) 30
Fat (min) 13
Fiber(max) 4
Moisture(max) 10
Ash 6
Calcium 1.27 
Phosphorus 1.17
Carbohydrates (min) 25

ME KCAL/Cup 431
ME KCAL/LB 1723

*Ingredients*
Buffalo, Tapioca, Jicama, Freeze Dried Buffalo, Freeze Dried Buffalo Liver, Freeze Dried Pumpkin, Freeze Dried Squash, Freeze Dried Parsley, Freeze Dried Papaya, Freeze Dried Chia Seed, Freeze Dried Kale Sprouts, Freeze Dried Broccoli Sprouts, Freeze Dried Barely Sprouts, Inulin, Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Yams, Blueberries, Cranberries, Parsley, Artichoke, Rosemary, _Probiotics_Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Bacillus Subtillus Fermentation Product Dehydrated), Wild Salmon Oil, _Vitamins_ (Lecithin, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamone Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), DL-Methionine, _Minerals _(Calcium Pantothenate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acids Chelate, Manganese Amino Acids Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acids Chelate). natural pet food, holistic dog food, organic dog food, premium dog food, healthy dog food, pet treats, dog treats, greenies, eagle pack, nutro dog food, primal dog food, raw dog food, premium dog kibble, freeze dried treats, canned dog food, puppy fo 

Moms


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Carriesue said:


> What I like about Dr. Tim's is that most of the protein in the food comes from MEAT not peas or lentils and other plant matter used to boost protein levels that a lot of the higher end grain free foods seem to be doing.


94% of the protein comes from meat. I was very impressed with that. I should be getting my sample in the next few days. I hope it agrees with him.


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

To close out this thread, I bought Dr. Tim's from Chewy (great service, they said they would take it back on their dime if it didn't work for my dog), and so far he seems to be doing well on it. It has only been a few days and I'm at 25% Dr. Tim's and 75% old food. He seems he likes it, but he is a pig and will eat anything (thank God he only eats edible things...after the two CD eating incident I was beginning to wonder about him)


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

I had to switch off it and Victor, they were both making my male super itchy and causing lots of ear gunk. He doesn't tolerate many kibbles though and that's why I switched to raw initially. For now we'll be going back to Orijen 6 fish, one of the few that works for him. Dr. Tim's is still an excellent kibble though, just not allergy friendly lol.


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Carriesue said:


> I had to switch off it and Victor, they were both making my male super itchy and causing lots of ear gunk. He doesn't tolerate many kibbles though and that's why I switched to raw initially. For now we'll be going back to Orijen 6 fish, one of the few that works for him. Dr. Tim's is still an excellent kibble though, just not allergy friendly lol.


Good to know. I will keep an eye out. He already has a gunky ear (before we started Dr. Tim's). I would do raw but wife is not into it. 

I found Fromm Game bird agrees with him, so if Dr. Tim's isn't working I will go for that.


----------



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

I'm looking into switching my puppy off the original he came with. Our local stores don't carry a lot of these brands and I don't want to be dependent on ordering online. One store suggested Now Fresh, I think it's called, but it's very expensive. Are there any good mid-priced foods for a puppy? I have two recommendations from dog nutrition experts. One says only feed Large Breed Puppy. The other says only feed adult food with supplements. My pup is a little picky already so I want one food that I don't have to supplement because he doesn't care for additions to his food. 

I noticed Dogfoodadvisor has a paid site. Is that worth the cost?


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

LuvShepherds said:


> I'm looking into switching my puppy off the original he came with. Our local stores don't carry a lot of these brands and I don't want to be dependent on ordering online. One store suggested Now Fresh, I think it's called, but it's very expensive. Are there any good mid-priced foods for a puppy? I have two recommendations from dog nutrition experts. One says only feed Large Breed Puppy. The other says only feed adult food with supplements. My pup is a little picky already so I want one food that I don't have to supplement because he doesn't care for additions to his food.
> 
> I noticed Dogfoodadvisor has a paid site. Is that worth the cost?


With chewy.com you can actually set up an auto delivery so you don't have to worry about picking up food or running out. I did do the editors choice for DFA, it does give you a little more information but honestly probably not worth it. They have food on that list that I'd never feed and I'm not sure why it's on there, Evo for example. Bought out by proctor and gamble, not a kibble I'd feed. Victor is not on there either, with its high ash I'm concerned about the quality of the meat and why it's so cheap.

Horizon legacy and pulsar are both budget friendly Canadian made, locally sourced and family owned food.


----------



## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

I really like chewy's customer service. I get my food very quickly and last year when Varik didn't like (or something was wrong with) the bag of Fromm I had just received, they promptly gave me a refund ... no need to return the food.


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Carriesue said:


> I had to switch off it and Victor, they were both making my male super itchy and causing lots of ear gunk. He doesn't tolerate many kibbles though and that's why I switched to raw initially. For now we'll be going back to Orijen 6 fish, one of the few that works for him. Dr. Tim's is still an excellent kibble though, just not allergy friendly lol.


Did you find that when on Dr. Tim's the dog drank more water than usual? It seems like mine is drinking more since I started giving him the Dr. Tim's.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

Not that I noticed, they drink a lot more water on kibble in general(I'd recently switched from raw), they hardly drink any water on raw so they seem to drink a lot to me no matter what kibble I use. It's a good kibble though so I'd stick with it at least a few months to truly be able to tell how your dog tolerates it. Mine seems to have issue with chicken, grains and white potatoes otherwise I'd still be using it.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

I feed Dr. Tim's canned and kibble to my cats though, my female Siamese put on a TON of weight after her spay and I tried so many things to get her to lose but nothing worked until I put her on Dr. Tim's. She's lost quite a bit! My female GSD doesn't seem sensitive to anything yet so I will probably try her on the momentum when she's old enough(calcium is too high for LB puppies).


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Carriesue said:


> I feed Dr. Tim's canned and kibble to my cats though, my female Siamese put on a TON of weight after her spay and I tried so many things to get her to lose but nothing worked until I put her on Dr. Tim's. She's lost quite a bit! My female GSD doesn't seem sensitive to anything yet so I will probably try her on the momentum when she's old enough(calcium is too high for LB puppies).


I will give it some time and see how he does on it. I'd also like to alternate between protein sources too...seems like that is a good idea. But I haven't researched it enough yet. Luckily, he seems to have a great GI system so far. The only thing that didn't agree with him was Orijen (kinda glad...I don't want to pay $100+ for 28 lbs). If only I could switch to raw....


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

Haha figures one of the few kibbles mine tolerates is Orijen! Orijen is just very nutrient dense and I think most people just feed too much(hense stool issues). My 75lb male only needs about a cup and a half of Orijen a day, maybe 2 during times of high activity. So far it's the only kibble that he looks as good as he did on raw... His coat got a lot more dull and oily on Victor.


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Carriesue said:


> Haha figures one of the few kibbles mine tolerates is Orijen! Orijen is just very nutrient dense and I think most people just feed too much(hense stool issues). My 75lb male only needs about a cup and a half of Orijen a day, maybe 2 during times of high activity. So far it's the only kibble that he looks as good as he did on raw... His coat got a lot more dull and oily on Victor.


Tried Orijen when Remi was a puppy...gave him about 20 pieces as treats and he had explosive BMs. So I never tried it again. About nutrients denseness of Orijen, its high protein, but calorie wise, it isn't as high as Dr. Tim's. I don't see how your 75 lbs dog can survive on 1.5 cups. That can't be more than 700 calories (haven't looked it up). Remi seems to need much more and his activity level isn't even that high. He gets 1.5 mile walk in the morning and 20 minutes of high intensity tug and fetch. He was getting 1600 calories on the Fromm LBP (4 cups roughly). Which is why I changed...All his ribs show, even from 10 feet away. I want him to live up to his genetics, I feel like he has been held back since he hasn't gotten more calories.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

Every dog is different, he might just have a slower metabolism... Right now I'm actually trying to get a few pounds off him! He's not overweight, just more a pet weight and since we herd and he works hard I'd rather he be a leaner working weight. He seemed to have gained a bit on Dr. Tim's but hopefully that will work I'm favor for your pup!


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Nice dogs! We are trying herding for the first time this weekend....Will see how it goes.


----------



## alexg (Mar 22, 2013)

atravis said:


> I know you're not really looking for other suggestions, but if you want high calorie, one I've had very good luck with is Canidae's Pure line. The "Sky" especially... it sits right at 520 kcals/cup. I started using this when EVO became scarce and I wasn't doing raw.


+1 on Canidae. And available in local pat stores in CT


----------



## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

alexg said:


> +1 on Canidae. And available in local pat stores in CT


Is it still made by Diamond? 

I'm trying Dr. Tim's right now, but who knows what we will be on down the road. I'd like to rotate a few foods/proteins.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

Some of their formulas are made by diamond but I'm not sure which unfortunately but I know many allergy dogs do well on the Pure line.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

eddie1976E said:


> Nice dogs! We are trying herding for the first time this weekend....Will see how it goes.


Thanks! Herding has been a struggle with my male, he gets super frustrated working small numbers of sheep, I got lucky enough to find a place that offers tending style so we are giving that a go! My female is much easier to work than him, more sensitive to the handler so I think she will title faster lol.


----------



## alexg (Mar 22, 2013)

eddie1976E said:


> Is it still made by Diamond?
> ...


I might be missing some info, but I don't know of any connections between Canidae and Diamond. Always thought it is its own brand.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

alexg said:


> I might be missing some info, but I don't know of any connections between Canidae and Diamond. Always thought it is its own brand.


Some of their formulas are made by diamond and some are made at their facility. From what I've read they don't have the means at their facility to manufacture all their different lines. They are a separate company but some of their food is manufactured by diamond is what I meant to say. Several brands do this, Solid Gold, Taste of the Wild, etc.


----------



## alexg (Mar 22, 2013)

Carriesue said:


> Some of their formulas are made by diamond and some are made at their facility. From what I've read they don't have the means at their facility to manufacture all their different lines. They are a separate company but some of their food is manufactured by diamond is what I meant to say. Several brands do this, Solid Gold, Taste of the Wild, etc.


thank you

how do companies disclose this info, my guess they are obligated to do so?


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

alexg said:


> thank you
> 
> how do companies disclose this info, my guess they are obligated to do so?


I read about it on dogfoodadvisor.com, there is a discussion on the pure lines page about people calling the company and asking which forumals were manufactured where and having a difficult time with the company getting that info which bothered me.


----------

