What's A Healthy Dry Food For Dogs?

Question

I have a medium sized Border Collie who's 3 years old. We've almost always had him on dry dog food. We tried Nutro canned (meat with gravy) a few times before (before the recall), but he would get really stinky gas.

He started out on dry Science Diet (that's what they were feeding him at the shelter), but he got tired of that, and we moved onto Beneful. I had always thought it was healthy, but now I know I was wrong. We've recently switched to "The Goodlife Recipe" and he loves it. On the bag, it says there are no fillers or preservatives, made with real beef or chicken (depending on flavor), and is 100% nutritionally balanced. However, after the pet food recall with wet food, of which some brands were supposed to be good for dogs, I find I'm having a hard time trusting dog food companies.

Can anyone recomend a DRY dog food brand that they know is good (and feed their own dog with it)? Does anyone know if the "Goodlife Recipe" is, in fact, healthy? Thanks!

I know that you're not supposed to switch dog foods a lot, but this is over a period of 2 years, switching the foods properly (mixing odl with new), and I want what's best for my dog.


Also, I don't care about spending more on him. Money is not important when it comes to my dog's health.

Thanks!

Well, thanks to all of your input, I've researched many of these brands online. Turns out that Timberwolf Organics and Canidae are by the far best, while ProPlan, Merric, Eagled Pack, Natural Balance, Wellness, and Innova are pretty good, but still behind the other two. I'm gonna try out Timberlake or Canidae--unless there are any other brands you'd recommend. Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi there I am a Veterinarian Tech and would like to recommend a wonderful dry food for your Border Collie. All of the vets and staff feed our dogs Timberwolf Organics and our clinic (and many others) recommend this brand to our clients. It is more expensive than pet store food, but you get what you pay for! This food is so so good for your dog. I am sure he will love it! www.timberwolforganics.com

Good luck!

Answer 2

I saw The Goodlife Recipe in our pet store recently but did not have a chance to look and see if it's any good. I can recommend a few brands though: Innova, Wellness, Natural Balance, Eagle Pack and Merrick. Those are all very good brands. Nutro isn't the worst food you can buy but it's not the best either. I just had to switch my Aussie off of it as he was allergic to it. Science Diet isn't good nor is Beneful, they are both full of fillers. For the same amount of money, or just a little more, you can get a high quality food such as the ones listed above.

Answer 3

Nutro is actually pretty good for dry food,
Proplan, Science Diet, Beneful etc aren't as good.
Generally look for the first 3-5 ingredients. They should be meat of some kind, NOT grains or "by products" (that means ground up chicken beaks or feet or something w/ no nutritional value).
Vegetables are actually not bad for dogs in dry food as long as they are later on the list.

Answer 4

You have a border collie so his furs appearance is important. I have 5 dogs 3 outside 2 smaller dogs for in the house. I have always used Nutro dry food and I have never had a problem. I realize that the wet food was recalled and everybody is scared right now. But I personally have never fed my animals wet food except on rare occasions like holidays just to give them a treat. Nutro's dry food is really good for his coat so this is my suggestion. I have not quit using it through all this and all my animals including my 3 cats who also eat nutro dry cat food are healthy as ever.

Answer 5

I feed my dog Verus Chicken Lifestyles. It's one of those foods that were NOT on the recall list. I live near to the plant so it's easy to find in the DelMarVa area. It's made with human quality ingredients and he is growing in a nice steady pace. He's a 13 month old Newfoundland. It doesn't have corn and wheat fiillers either. His poops are nice and firm (EWWW) which means that he is getting the nutrition needed and they don't stink. It's been a top food for dogs listed in the dog food journal since 1998.

Answer 6

Goodlife Recipe is crap full of grains,fillers,known allergens for many breeds and limited protien content.
Canidae is a great all stages dry kibble that is fairly easy to find(not in supermarkets or WallyWorld) and won't break your wallet. I feed the Solid Gold varieties.

Answer 7

I feed my Dog Canidae Kibble and sometimes mix in some Canidae Canned just to change it up a bit for her.....and she loves it...her stools are great and her coat is very shiny! Best food by far for her.....

Answer 8

My dog has issues with her digestive system and I just switched to Natures Recipe and she is doing quite well on it. It was recommended to me by a vet. I just couldn't bbear going back to Iams after they tested and killed all those dogs

Answer 9

You really should get your dog put on one kind of dog food and leave them on that. It's not good for their systems to switch on them. But I do recomend ProPlan. We have always used that for all our dogs! And they have different flavors and kinds. From puppy to senior to reduced fat..

Answer 10

these are the best brands http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showcat.php/cat/8