Real advice needed? Calling anyone with experience?

Question

Ok so I have been asking about dog foods a lot recently, about which is the most preferred by other dog owners. I really want my 2 year old German Shepard/Lab mix to have the best food. He is missing a back leg, so he is at greater risk of ACL injuries and his breed is more susceptible to arthritis, and having only one back leg will exacerbate this in his later years. Anyway, I have been watching who gets a thumbs up or down when they recommend a food, and Eukanuba and Science Diet always get a thumbs down, along with store brands like Purina and Pedigree (too many fillers) I am asking because I want to keep his weight down throughout his life as recommended by the vet, to make hopping on that leg easier for him as he gets older. Innova, Canidae, Authority Oven Baked, and Natures Recipe Lamb and Rice mostly get thumbs up. So I am trying to weed through and make a better determination of the best food for him. I know it seems like I am making a big deal out of this sorry but I love him!

Answer 1

All dogs are different, I have a 10 year old Border Collie and he eats Wellness Senior Dry Food with about 1/3 can of Merricks "Grammy's Pot Pie" on top. Foods such as Wellness, Canidae, Merrick, Innova, Solid Gold, Chicken Soup for Dog Lovers are all excellent foods. I prefer the Wellness and Merrick as they use human grade ingredients in their products. Wellness also makes a great dog biscuit too. Once you have made a decision on the brand of food, I would check with your vet as to how much he/she would recommend you feed twice daily to maintain his weight. Good Luck to your and your pup!

I had a tripod cat and had to monitor her weight too!!

Answer 2

The better dog foods have less fillers (by products). Innova is a very good food, lots of natural ingredients. The breeder of my 2 dogs swears by Back To Basics. Unfortunately that brand is not sold around where I live. So I just took those ingredients and compared to foods that were available to me. Innova was the closest. It didn't work out for me bc it was to rich for my pups systems. They are now on Nature's Recipe, which is also a good brand. Mine are on the fish and potato but that is bc they have allergies and my one has epilepsy. So that is the best option for me. Maybe do some research to see what ingredients are best for preventing/helping deal with arthritis. Then see which food has the most of those in it. You can also give him doggie vitamins like glucosamine . . which is great for joints. Your vet may be able to recommend a food for him also.

Answer 3

ALL of those brands have too many fillers. the best thing to get is an all organic food like Life's Abundance. You have to order it and they deliver it to your door. It costs a little more than regular food, but I think it's worth it. My Australian Border Collie loves it. e-mail me at [e-mail] if you want the mailing information. And good for you caring so much about your dog. There's nothing wrong with that.

Answer 4

Here's a web site that can help you to read the labels on pet food. It shows several examples of a good ingredient list and a poor quality ingredient list. http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=betterproducts The foods you see getting the thumbs up generally have higher quality ingredients, and the ones with thumbs down have poor or mediocre ingredients.

I do have to add that a raw diet is better than the highest grade kibble, so reading up on it at http://rawfed.com/ or http://rawlearning.com/ would be a good idea as well.

Answer 5

My dog is a VERY picky eater, and is a little overweight. Well we finally found the perfect food for her in Wellness. It's very good stuff with absolutely no fillers. It's even got stuff like flaxseed in it, which makes me laugh because she probably eats healthier than I do now. We sometimes mix this dry food with some Science Diet wet food when she gets picky, but she really loves this Wellness stuff. Hope you find the right food for you little guy.


Here's the website for that Wellness

http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/wellness/

Answer 6

well ur dog is grown up dog already so don't worry he or she is going to be fine also having three legs is not that bad they can handle that situation. about food i don't know that much all i know is that caned food is not very healthy. i work In grocery store and sometimes when dog or cat food cans are open for a long period of time they stink like sh..well you got the idea. i would feed my dog with real food but well if there is no other choice i think Purina and pedigree are good but what your dog needs is something to make it stronger and of course exercise. don't over protect it because that is gonna turn it weaker and more dependable on you.

Answer 7

First off you need to settle on one because changing his diet all the time will mess up his digestive system and will give him the runs.

I myself have chosen Wal-Marts Old Roy. All my dogs seem to like it better than any other brand I have bought before. If you check the ingredient's you will be able to make a choice but it is really up to your dog and what he will eat.

Granted Old Roy is a cheap dog food but, again, check the ingredient's. It has everything that is recommended. If you don't think that a specific dog food has enough of what ever your think your dog should have you can always add a supplement.

Let's look at this in a different way, You can go out and spend $40.00 or $50.00 to eat out at a fancy restaurant or you could go to the local restaurant or coffee shop and eat for about $5.00 to $7.00. Which one is best for your nutrition?

Answer 8

Me personally, i feed my pets hills science diet, I found out it is more expensive but it is well worth it. My female German Shepard has a skin condition, and after i started with hill's her fur got nice and shiny and no more dandruff. My German Shepard male, has a very sensitive stomach, and again.. with that food.. no more "squirts". I guess it just depends on your dog it self, some dogs don't like the hill's food. But I would suggest to buy the more expensive food because it has less fillers and the corn meal in it. And about your dogs hip problem, try feeding him Ester-C w Hip rose, I was suggested that for my female, and it does help her...:) hope it helps ya

Answer 9

I like all of those last brands that you mentioned. Flint River Ranch and Wysong are also good ones.
There are holistic canine health practitioners all across the US - I see a great one in northern NJ who specializes in dogs who participate in canine competitive sports like agility and flyball. I'd recommend getting some time with one of these people - your dog will thank you!

Answer 10

I have been feeding my Lab Beneful from Purina for two years now. He is almost 10 and in fair health. He was heavy before I started feeding him The healthy weight formula. He is now down 25 lbs and looks better . I feed him a can of Savory salmon cat food in the morning with his dry food also. The fish oils are good for his joints and his coat. He loves it. I don't know if Beneful is the best food on the market but it makes Junior happy.