can't decide on dogfood.?

Question

my dog has always been eating light science diet dogfood. i found out there is food made just for labrador retrievers. i want to change to that food but he's doing so well i can't decide. should he stay on that food or should i get him the new food?

Answer 1

Breed-specifc diets aren't always the best. Make sure to look at the ingredient panel of both the food you want to buy, and the food you already feed.

Look for: All Natural, Human-Grade Meats, High Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, and Glucosamine and Chondroitin (good for joints)

Avoid these: Wheat, Corn, Soy, By-Products, Gluten, Ethoxyquin (EQ) BHA, BHT, and Dyes.

Labs often have joint problems, so it might be smart to go to a large-breed diet. If anything, there are a lot of high-quality foods out there that are "all-life-stage" diets, meaning you can feed it from puppy to senior...

Here are some links to a few top-quality dog foods...

http://www.canidae.com
http://www.naturesvariety.com
http://www.naturalabalanceinc.com
http://www.primalpetfoods.com
http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com

Hops this helps. With any change in your dog's diet, talk to your vet. They will let you know the best way to make a transition.

Good luck!!

p.s. - Looking at Royal Canin's Lab Formula, corn gluten is their #3 ingredient. They also add salt to the mix, which isn't necessary. If I had to strongly recommend 1 or 2, I would say either Canidae or Chicken Soup. Both have Lite formulas if your dog is overweight, and both are chock full of goodness...

Answer 2

Someone who advertises that they have the market cornered for a certain breed is probably hiding something. Science Diet is the gold standard of dog food. Royal Canin is definitely number two. I trust these two and do not carry anything else in the animal hospital I manage. I have visited the Science diet plant outside of Topeka and would go back at any opportunity. The amount of money they pour into their research instead of their pockets is a tribute to themselves and to you. They are a little expensive but I would want the best for my pets. Not just a lot of salt so they would eat it. They supply food for the health of your dog.

Answer 3

Science Diet is owned by Colgate-Palmolive and I can't buy a pet food in good conscience from a company who tests their detergents etc on animals.
Have a look at the ingredients in a bag of Science Diet Light.
from their own site :

"Corn meal, soybean mill run 16% (a source of fiber), chicken by-product meal, peanut hulls 10.8% (a source of fiber), corn gluten meal, soybean meal, chicken liver flavor, vegetable oil, dried egg product"
These are the first several ingredients they list, there are other "things" that they use, vitamins and whatnot I suppose...
But anyway, I copied the top of the ingredient list for you to really learn what you're feeding your dog.
1. Corn Meal - Medium quality protein - not meat
2. Soybean Mill Run - Low quality Filler and top allergen
3. Chicken by-product meal - heads, feet, feathers,
intestines etc
4. Peanut Hulls - indigestible cattle food bulk
5. Corn gluten meal - MORE CORN???
6. Soybean meal - MORE SOYBEAN???
7. Chicken liver flavor - not REAL chicken liver, just the
FALSE FLAVOR of such
8. Vegetable oil - AHH...a decent ingredient !!
9. Dried egg product - including shells and unborn chicks

You are paying such a premium price for food that is no better than bulk Ol' Roy from Walmart !
Do your dog better, and try weaning him onto Royal Canin. It is such a better food that after he's been on it for a couple of months, you'll see such an improvement you'll never return to SD. It will take at least this amount of time for his system to completely "flip over" from SD to RC.
Best Wishes!
K
PS - Since RC doesn't make Labrador Less Active, you might try their Maxi Light line. Either way , you'll have to adjust food portions accordingly.

Answer 4

give him the lab food as treats for a few days and see how he reacts, if he seems to like it more than science diet, then slowly change science diet over to the new dogfood. honestly, sometimes dogs will get bored with their food. so spicing it up a bit never hurts.

Answer 5

Always look at the ingredients on the package of dog food. Make sure that meat is one of the first ingredients, and that fillers like corn are not one of the first four ingredients.

Any dog food brand that has corn in the first three to four ingredients, is just filler and makes your dog poop more, and eat more, and it doesn't do anything for your dog.

Products with meat or rice in the first three to four ingredients is better and healthier for your dog. They get more from the food and poop less, they also eat less of the better food.

Dogs will have runny poop every time you change their dog food. Make sure you mix old food with new food to get the dog used to the new food.

Answer 6

If I ain't broke, don't fix it!
If your dog is healthy, happy and doing well with the current food, why would you want to change it? You could always buy some of the new food and mix it with the old, that way he is getting a little variety and his diet isn't completing changing to a new food.

Answer 7

He is probably doing just fine on the Science Diet brand, but if you want to change, don't just change bags on him. You'll be sorry. it could upset his stomach. If you want to change, buy two bags. the new stuff and the old and mix together, that way he gets a little of both and the shock will not upset his system.

Answer 8

nearly all namebrand dog foods now days are so far above a dogs nutritional needs there is no need to change unless illness or old age or perhaps pregnancy.if you"re dog is maintaining good health&energy on his present feed it would be foolish to change his diet.

Answer 9

If he's doing well on his current food, I wouldn't change it (unless the vet reccomends doing so). You know the old saying"if it's not broken, don't fix it"

Answer 10

it will be fine to change just do it slowly mix just a little at a time and gradually put greater amounts of the new stuff till it is just that