I have a large dog and a small dog. Until last month I fed Pro Plan, and was pretty happy with it, but it is very expensive. Don't get me wrong, I want a high quality dog food, but I would like to save a little bit of money if possible. I switched to Science Diet and have been very unhappy with it. My larger dog has gained weight on the same amount of food, and the chunks are too big for my small dog. I also think that they are pooping more and their coats ar not as nice. A friend suggested Nutro and I know there are three different types of Nutro. I am considering trying Nutro Max, but would love some input. Please only reply if you have some actual knowledge or personal experience. Thanks so much!
2006-12-31 08:23:20 · 22 answers · asked by katvelk 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Foods such as Science Diet, Pedigree, Alpo, Purina Dog Chow, IAMS/Eukanuba and especially Ole'Roy (Ole'Roy is extremely poor quality it is equivilent to feeding your dog gravy drenched sawdust) are low quality foods. They are loaded with cheap fillers & by products. They don't contain anywhere near enough meat protein which a dog needs and is designed to eat and digest. A good quality food does NOT contain corn, wheat, soy, beet pulp or by products. It also doesn't contain dyes or chemical preservatives. It DOES contain meat sources as at least the first 2 ingredients. feeding cheap foods doesn't save money. It is actually more expensive since it takes up to 3 times more of the cheap low quality foods for a dog to receive proper nutrition as it does a good qaulity food. Also more waste is produced by the cheap quality foods then the good quality foods.
Some very good quality foods:
Wellness, Canidae, Innova, Solid Gold, Blue Buffalo, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Percise, premium Edge, California Natural
Don't be fooled into thinking that if your dog is fat it is healthy and being fed a good food..that isn't usually the case..fat equals unhealthy and it also usually indicates the food is high in carbohydrates and sugars.
2006-12-31 08:58:55 · answer #1 · answered by Great Dane Lover 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Here's the 2006 list from the Whole Dog Journal. These are highest quality foods. Most of these are not carried at large chain stores but you can usually find them at small pet stores, feed and grain stores, etc.
Artemis: www.artemispetfood.com
Azmira: www.azmira.com
Back to Basics: www.beowulfs.com
Bench & Field Holistic Natural Canine: www.benchandfield.com
Blue Buffalo: www.bluebuff.com
Burns: www.bpn4u.com
by Nature BrightLife: www.bynaturepetfoods.com
California Natural: www.naturapet.com
Canidae: www.canidae.com
Canine Caviar: www.caninecaviar.com
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul: www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com
Cloud Star Kibble: www.cloudstar.com
Drs. Foster & Smith: www.drsfostersmith.com
Eagle Pack Holistic Select: www.eaglepack.com
Evolve: www.evolvepet.com
Firstmate Dog Food: www.firstmate.com
Flint River Ranch: www.flintriver-pet-food.com
Foundations: www.petcurean.com
Fromm Four Star Nutritionals: www.frommfamilyfoods.com
Go! Natural: www.petcurean.com
Hund-N-Flocken: www.solidgoldhealth.com
Innova: www.naturapet.com
Innova Evo: www.naturapet.com
Karma Organic: www.karmaorganic.com
Lick Your Chops: www.healthypetfoodsinc.com
Lifespan: www.petguard.com
Limited Diets: www.royalcanin.us
Merrick Pet Foods: www.merrickpetcare.com
Mmillennia: www.solidgoldhealth.com
Natural Balance Ultra Premium: www.naturalbalanceinc.com
Natural Choice Ultra: www.nutroproducts.com
Newman's Own Organics: www.newmansownorganics.com
NutriSource: www.nutrisourcedogfood.com
Organix: www.castorpolluxpet.com
Performatrin Ultra: www.performatrinultra.com
PHD Viand: www.phdproducts.com
Pinnacle: www.breeders-choice.com
Prairie: www.naturesvariety.com
Premium Edge: www.premiumedgepetfood.com
Prime Life: www.ompetproducts.com
Royal Canin Natural Blend: www.royalcanin.us
Timberwolf Organics: timberwolforganics.com
VeRUS: www.veruspetfoods.com
Wellness: www.oldmotherhubbard.com
Wellness Simple Food Solutions: www.oldmotherhubbard.com
Wenawe: www.wenawe.com.uy
Wysong: www.wysong.net
Zinpro: www.lincolnbiotech.com
2007-01-02 18:25:18 · answer #2 · answered by chris 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know what breed your large dog is but, there are some dog breeds that can not digest soy. Look at your local grocery store and find one with no soy and a high protein. The price is more reasonable and for a shiny coat you can add an egg.
2006-12-31 08:38:08 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a Labradoodle and a Rottweiler. I feed Nutro Natural Choice. I did try feeding Nutro's new line of food Nutro Ultra, but I really didn't see much of a difference in the quality of their skin and coat. They do excellent on Natural Choice lamb & rice. Their coats are very shiny :)
2006-12-31 08:40:36 · answer #4 · answered by mommy of 2 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would go with Purina One. Nutro Max is a horrible brand and it is very low quality. Purina One is easy to get (you can get it at Walmart, Target, Petco, and Petsmart) and it isn't very expensive (a 35-40lbs bag is about $25). All of my dogs (except one) are on it, and they have very small poops, don't have to eat as much, and have a beautiful coat. The other dog is on Pro Plan Selects because he is a picky eater and doesn't like the Purina One.
2006-12-31 08:37:04 · answer #5 · answered by iluvmyfrenchbulldogs 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
First off becareful feeding them the same food because they have different requirements please remember that a large breed needs large breed dog food because it is fortified with GLUCOSAMINE and CHONDROITIN which is crucial for a large dog and important for them all to protect against joint and bone issue without this your large dog could suffer greatly in his years.The small you really want to watch their diet because they are a little delicate and you dont want and overweight small dog who could develope diabetes,HBP OR HIP DYSPLASIA so I would suggest a high quality such as NUTRO,BIL JAC,INNOVA or DIAMOND.And Diamond has a product that will be good for both dogs it is high in protein but low in fat and has the nutrients mentioned which is healty for both dogs as for the cost well it cant be beat a 35lb bag will cost 19.99 online but local pet or feed stores it may be 15.99-18.99 which is outstanding for a high quality dogfood.And yes I use Diamond and Innova .Good luck and REMEBER FAT IS NOT HEALTHY FOR ANYONE EXCEPT WHALES AND POLAR BEARS.......
2006-12-31 08:51:47 · answer #6 · answered by dawgpoundcenter 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My vet said that Purina is a very good food. However, my dog is allergic to it so he recommended Dick Van Patten's (available at Petco) and my dog's have never been healthier.
2006-12-31 10:01:27 · answer #7 · answered by deccaf 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wellness puppy food, needs to be on puppy food for the first entire year atleast, if not longer. try that brand with the fish in it and mixed with broth or water, moisture is excellent for a dogs diet and will probably love you for it.
2016-03-14 00:04:38 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My dogs ate Max a few years ago, and I was VERY unhappy with it. The poop was kinda orange and they didn't look really good. I returned it. We had no luck with a recent trial of Natural Choice either. Some dogs love it and do great, but mine didn't.
We are just die-hard Eukanuba people!! It is not the greatest, but if my dogs do the best on that, then it IS the best for THEM!!
You will find the best for yours too!!!!
2006-12-31 08:28:20 · answer #9 · answered by ARE YOUR NEWFS GELLIN'? 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Good food costs a lot BUT lowers vet bills by providing healthy food for your pet.
By the way...science diet is very poor.
If you want cheap...just don't have a dog at all. Dog care is expensive. You could go with raw fed but that may cost you more or less since meat can be expensive but if you live near a butcher then it can be incredibly more cheap!
but seriously...Innova and other pricy foods are the best
2006-12-31 08:27:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋