I need advice on my puppy's diet and DOG FOOD!!!?

Question

I BEEN HEARING AND READING BAD STUFF ABOUT COMMERCIAL DOG DRY DOG FOOD LIKE: PURINA, DOG CHOW, PEDIGREE, ALPO, ETC. AND IT'S JUST MAKING ME MORE CONFUSED....

I'M CURRENTLY USING PURINA BENEFUL BUT IT GOTS TOO MUCH FILLERS AND MY DOG DON'T WANT TO EAT AS MUCH, AND THAT KIND OF WORRIES ME.

SOME POEOPLE BEEN TELLING ME TO FEED HIM WITH PEDIGREE, BUT THEN THEY SAY THEY EAT TOO MUCH AND THE DOGS GAIN WEIGHT, SO THEY DON'T REALLY CONVINCE ME AS MUCH.

ANYWAYS, I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THERE'S REALLY A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE COMMERCIAL BRANDS AND OTHER BRANDS, FOR EXAMPLE: IAMS, SOLID GOLD, WELLNESS, EUKANUBA, BLUE BUFFALO, ETC.........I MEAN, I DON'T WANT TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON DOG FOOD THAT WOULD BASICALLY GIVE ME THE SAME RESULTS AS THOSE OTHER BRANDS.

PLEASE GUYS, IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S UP THEN LET ME KNOW, 'CAUSE I'M VERY UNEXPERIENCED AND CONFUSED........

Answer 1

Science diet is the best!!! (www.science diet.com) you can find something on any type of problems (weight, oral problems, sensitive stomach...)
DON'T try Iams!

http://www.hillspet.com/zSkin_2/owner/owner_science_diet.jsp?JSESSIONID=FHgRoJkzuUqurRuC4d1bXLIwm6TiGAxWgXngPbb3Lv62AGo5Tn7c!-1978660413!167846924!7005!8005&bmUID=1158111377481

Answer 2

I don't think any brand is enough better than any other to go through the problems people often do when they change a young puppies food. I would stick to the Life's Abundance at least through a bag or 2. If you have to buy it online, it can't be more hassle than housebreaking a puppy with diarrhea. As for the protein level, don't worry about it. A dog will burn excess amino acids for energy or excrete them. Because I am taking 7 week old puppies in public places from the time I get them, I can't live with digestive problems. I have never had problems sticking with the food the puppy was eating even though it was a common brand. 23 for 23 puppies.

Answer 3

There is a HUGE difference in these brands!! I have a 15, nearly 16 year old mut (42#) who has been on a prescription diet food (Science Diet) since she was maybe 5 or 6. I truly believe that along with regular vet visits, preventatives and her great food, she is still healthy and happy today. Since she is on a prescription food and it's so expensive, I feed my other dog Purina ONE (vet recommended!). If you want to buy your food from a grocery store, buy the most expensive for the best quality. Stay clear of kibbles and bits or chunks!! If you want to go to the pet store for food, research several of the brands and find the one that appeals to you most. Remember, the pricier, the better quality. Also, with the better quality foods, you should feed less, have less yard waste and have an overall healthier pet. Another good store bought dog food is Purina Pro plan. Remember, read the ingredients and read the feeding amount instructions. If the dog starts to put on weight, cut back. Also, after being altered, a pet can go on an adult food, no more puppy food. The best information though, comes from your vet.

Answer 4

This applies to cat food, but it is the same with dogs.


Do not buy any food that you would be able to find at a grocery store. They have absolutely NO nutritional value and consist of nothing but fillers and chemicals. These foods include: Iams, Purina, Meow mix, and all that stuff. Treat your pets like you would treat your child. You go extra lengths for your baby`s well being. It should be the same for your pets. PERIOD.


To insure that your little furball gets the best life possible, you MUST provide him with the proper food. I only buy my animals premium food, even my rodents.
Some good foods are: Wellness, Nutro Natural Choice, Innova, Royal Canin, Felidae, and Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul. If you happen to choose Nutro, it would be better to buy Natural Choice instead of Max. Max has a lot of fillers and grains in it.


Please keep in mind that vets get little or no nutritional training. They only recommend Science Diet because thats what they were told to sell.

Answer 5

Dog food is full of diseased meat, ransomed grease, horrible things from what I have researched. The cheaper the dog food the worse it is. The government should make the dog food companies have more restrictions. I watched a program on tv once about the dogs in Germany. Their dogs live many years longer than ours. Average about 27 years (I think- it was a long time ago). In Germany, the government does not let the dog food companies get away with the crap that our government lets our dog food manufactures get away with. Iams, science diet, etc are the best that we have for our dogs. I would switch if I were you. You'll be able to tell the difference within a few weeks. Their coat will be shinier, more energetic and less waste. Also I would like to say that another point from that tv show- is on flea collars. Putting a flea collar on your dog - that poison is going into your dogs skin then into their organs every day all month long. I do not use poison on my dogs and I feed them the best dog food America offers. I even make my own dog food occasionally. My dogs ages range from 12 years to 4 months old. My dogs are healthy, happy and wonderful. They are also pure breeds, so they have the problems associated with the breed. I have nine of them. They all live in the house and sleep under the covers in my bed- They're my best friends, my family and the loves of my life.

Answer 6

Those foods do have a lot of fillers. They're not too good for dogs and can give your dog skin allergies. Trust me, you want to avoid those at all costs. I feed my dogs Nutro brand dog food. They sell it at Petsmart of Petco, but it's not that expensive. I pay about 20-25 bucks for the largest bag. I also get the canned food to mix in, but if you buy canned food, your dog will not want to eat plain dry food again. I would stay away from Iams, for sure. They do lots of animal testing and things like that. You can look it up if you want. Anyway, I would spend a couple more bucks on the dog food so your dog can live long and be healthy.

Answer 7

Purina, Iams, and Science Diet are all but poison to dogs. Read "Foods Pets Die For" by Ann N Martin for all the gruesome details.
Look up Artemis, California Natural and Innova (look up naturapet.com), Wellness, and Canidae. They all have websites by those names.
They are a little more expensive but worth it in the long run. You will pay less in vet bills your doggie will live a longer and healthier life.
I hope this helps.


EDIT
Never trust "vet recomedations". The food manufactures pay the veterinarians and give them free stuff to sell their products. I know from first hand experience.

Answer 8

Foods such as Pedigree, Purina Dog Chow, Beneful, Alpo, Science Diet, IAMS/Eukanuba, etc are loaded with cheap fillers and by products. Some of them also have dyes and chemical preservatives in them. They are loaded with corn, wheat, soy and beet pulp. Corn is pretty much indigestable for dogs and is a bad source of nutrition.Soy is a gas producer and is actually a bad ingredient for dogs prone to bloat. Corn, wheat & Soy are common allergens. Beet pulp has no nutritional value and only adds unnecassary sugar to the diet. There are also some prelim studies being done that are pointing to corn, soy and beef causing unexplained seizures in dogs.
A good food for dogs contains meat in named sources such as Chicken, Turkey, Lamb, etc. It also has a meat source as at least the first 2 ingredients. Dogs were designed to be meat eaters and to get most of their nutritional value from meat proteins not grains. The better the food the less you will need to feed of it for your dog to get the optimum nutritional value from it.
Foods such as Wellness, Solid Gold, Blue buffalo, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Canidae, Premium Edge, Innova, just to name a few are the best foods to feed.They contain the proper ingredients for a dog.

Also keep in mind that vets only get general nutrition classes which takes in everything from Cats to Rats, Dogs to hogs.Unless they actually go on to take species specific classes (which most don't) they aren't good sources for food advice (except prescription diets for specific medical conditions). Many sell Science Diet but they aren't "told" to sell it, nor do they get "paid" to sell it or get "free" stuff for selling it . It is their option to sell or not and to sell any brand they wish. Vets like any other pet business must buy any foods including Science Diet from the company at wholesale prices and then they sell it to clients at retail.Vets tend to sell/recommend products they are familiar with.

Answer 9

It's so much easier to feed a dog a raw or home-made diet than it is a cat. I feed my cats a raw meat diet. You cannot cook the meat for cats and you can cook the meat for your dog. Actually your pot roast dinner is a great meal for your dog -- meat,, potatoes, carrots, peas, and a lovely gravy for them. Even if you feed quality meat and things you would eat yourself only a few times a week you will be doing your dog a great favor.

Go to: BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) and read about this sort of diet. There is no commercial food that can touch a home-made diet for optimum health, skin coat, vitality, etc.

I am sure there are BARF groups on Yahoo too. You can join one and educate yourself on how to provide your dog with the best diet. Breeders and homeopathic veterinarians totally support this sort of diet for your dog.

Answer 10

Your vet should be able to give you some options. Very often, the types they sell in the grocery store, especially the cheaper brands, can have more fat in them which might not be so good to dogs. One vet told me that it's like eating McDonald's to healthier food. Brands that several vets have turned me towards are Iams and even better (and sometimes more expensive) is Science Diet. Petsmart, Pet Supermarket, and Petco all sell these brands, and many of them offer a free bag after you buy so many.

Answer 11

First of all.. take a deep breath.. count to 5... exhale.. now relax!!! Feeding a dog doedn't require a bachelor's degree *g*. All the top name brands are good and are healthy .. it all comes down to what you and your dog prefers *s*.. one general rule of thumb you can keep in mind when you buy food is to look at the Protein percentage, anything above 25% protein and you're looking at a good food......... dry dog food tend to be better for dental health and breath, although you have to remember to keep lots of water at hand. Have fun!