I'm having such a hard time deciding. Dog food quesion?

Question

I'm 16 and get 60 bucks a month. I have 2 dogs. A black lab mix (50 lbs) and a husky/chow/pit mix (32 lbs). My question is. Should I feed them Solid Gold:Barking at the Moon, which is grain free, and one of the best? It has a 6 star rating:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=892&cat=all

Or should I just feed them something I can afford better, like Chicken Soup, which has a 4 star rating?:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=907&cat=all

I also feed them some raw chicken twice a week. (Sunday's and Wednesdays) I HATE the smell of the Solid Gold. It smells like horrible fish (fish bait) or something, and then my dog's breath /and/ turds smell like it. -_- My real question is: Will feeding my dog a food with a few grains in it really kill him sooner, or what? I mean, it couldn't be that bad, right? Is Solid Gold really that much better? What should I go with?

And please don't reccommend Canidae or any other kinds of food, b/c the only high quality foods we have around here are Chicken Soup, Solid Gold, and Wellness (The store just started selling Wellness a couple weeks ago).

Well, it's better than CS, but also more expensive. But not as bad as Solid Gold. Maybe I'll go with Wellness, I dunno yet...

Thanks, Laura A! ^^ Heh, funny, my name is Laura, too. And my middle name is Ann. (Laura A) =P Yup, I've tried canned mackeral (sp?) before. I forgot about that. I think I'll get some. =)

Thanks for all your answers, everyone. ^^ I think I'll vary different foods. I've been thinking about it for a while. Sometimes Chicken Soup, sometimes Solid Gold, and sometimes Wellness. =P Along with the raw chicken and maybe some high quality canned food (like from Solid Gold) and some canned mackaral (sp?). I can never spell that correctly. xD

Answer 1

Any of those foods would be fine. Feed what you can afford and your dogs do best on. I like the idea of varying brands, just in case one is missing some vital nutrient -- at least they get it part of the time. I hate to rely on only one brand, especially since contaminated foods have recently come to light. Dogs in the wild will eat a little bit of plant matter -- both directly and by way of the stomach contents of their prey. You're not doing your dogs any injustice if you feed them food with some grain in it. They may not digest it quite as well, but it won't harm them. I'm not a nutritionist, but I've had dogs for over 35 years and never had any diet related health issues. In fact, I have a 12 year old lab mix who acts like a pup. He eats Nutro Natural Choice Lamb & Rice -- not the best food ever made, but the only one that keeps his joints pain free. There's plenty of grain in that food and he's never been sick. That's just my experience. You obviously care about your dogs very much. Good for you! Keep up with the raw chicken. Have you ever tried canned mackerel or sardines? Those are great additions, too. You're doing a great job. Don't feel like you need to spend all your money to feed your dogs right.

Answer 2

You need to pick a dog food that the first 3 of the 4 ingredients are a meat product, NOT a meat by product and not a filler such as corn or rice or grain. The less fillers you have in a dog food the less waste you have from the dog. I personally feed my dog Timber wolf, but it's quite pricey and can only be found at selected stores.

Answer 3

There are better options than Dog Power, and if you use Diamond, go with the Naturals. Diamond Naturals costs about $1 per pound. I'm not sure what Dog Power is going for. When considering your choices, compare feeding guidelines. Using a cheap food that requires you to feed more will not save you money. If they are available, look into Fromm Classic, Fromm Gold, or Eagle Pack. They are made by more reputable companies than Diamond, and offer better nutrition for your money. The different formulas will range in price, but will be $32-$40 for 33-40 pounds. You can also consider Premium Edge, another Diamond Product. 30-35 pounds is $30. These brands are usually available at small pet stores or feed stores. Look up their websites and use their store locators to find who sells them in your area.

Answer 4

First of all, the worst thing you are doing right now is feeding your dogs raw chicken. You are asking for problems when you feed raw food that carries dangerous bacteria, and other microorganisms present in raw poultry. The number one concern is food-borne illnesses such as Salmonella and E. coli, and the spread of these zoonotic pathogens to humans. (Zoonotic means a disease that can be transmitted from animals to people.)

The emergence of raw diets has created a bit of a controversy. Because raw diets are still considered "alternative" and not mainstream, and because like anything else in this world, risks are involved.

The issue of feeding raw meat as part (or the entirety) of a domestic dog's diet has proven to be very dangerous. What started out as an unresearched and unsubstantiated diet that qualified veterinarians dismissed as a fad, has now become a real threat for the well-meaning dog lovers who are striving to give their dog's the best.

Veterinarians across the United States have grave concerns about bones and raw food (BARF) in a dog's diet. History and current statistics show us that both wild and domestic dogs that eat BARF can and do become very ill for a number of reasons.

There has been a significant increase in a variety of illnesses due to a raw meat diet. Some dogs become ill right away and others have severe pancreatic, kidney, heart, and brain illnesses due to a long-term raw meat diet. Most dogs that die from a BARF diet do not show signs of illness until a few days before it kills them. This is true with pancreatitis, and with the raw chicken or turkey necks and backs, which injure the stomach and intestines. I recommend feeding only commercial brands of raw foods that take measures to control against the presence of these dangerous organisms, if you insist on feeding your animal raw food.

Second of all, If the only dog foods available to you are the ones you listed, feel good about feeding any of them. They are all better quality dog foods. I would suggest that you read the labels. The first ingredient listed is the primary ingredient (the highest %), it goes down from there. If Solid Gold smells like fish, it probably is fish based. Read the label.

Grains are not dangerous for dogs. The grains in dog food are used as fillers to form the bulk of the kibble. Some are just better than others. Wheat and corn are common allergens to dogs and people. They cause coat loss, thinning, skin problems, diarrhea, vomiting, etc. If you notice any of these symptoms, don't feed these two grains. Beet pulp is a better filler, since it's easily digested and doesn't cause allergies. Soy and milk products can also cause allergies.

The bottom line here is, read the labels before you decide on a food.

Good luck.

Answer 5

Try Timberwolf http://timberwolforganics.com/pet-foods
It has a 6 star rating as well and you can order it online with no shipping charge.
It is $60 for 33 lbs. but a 33 pound bag will last a long time. It is very concentrated, just like Solid Gold, and it actually smells appetizing. My dogs love it!!!! The southwest chicken and herbs smells like chicken and herbs, and the wild and natural smells like meat.
I don't reccommend feeding a lower quality becuase you have to feed more, and not to mention higher vet bills with lower quality foods.
Out of the ones you mentioned, I would do Wellness, but I really like TImberwolf, and I love the fact that I can order it online. It comes in about 3 days and they don't charge for shipping.

Answer 6

I commend you for wanting to feed your dogs well!!!

My dogs HATE Barking at the Moon ... weird because they'll eat most anything. Are any of the other Solid Gold products available?

If you cannot feed another type of Solid Gold I would go with the Chicken Soup... but maybe check out the Wellness.

For what it's worth: If there is a dogshow in your area there are occassionally food representatives there.. they have TONS of free samples and coupons (I even get the catfood samples for dog treats). .. great secondary reason to go to the dogshow!

Answer 7

I'd go with wellness like DP. And a few grains in the dog food won't kill your dog. It's like us eating fruit snacks as in, they're not really all that great for us, but they're not going to kill us. It's the overly processed animal byproduct that you have to watch out for.

Answer 8

You are the best kid

Wellness over the chicken soup if you don't like the solid gold.

Perhaps you could try a Barf diet for a month and see how that goes for you.

Good Luck
H.O.T. Dog
Handler Owner Trainer of GSD's
Member U.S.A & A.W.D.F

Answer 9

Solid Gold - Been using for 5 years - great results. Price you spend on this food will save you 10 times that amount by not having to visit a vet for common poor food ailments.

Answer 10

Another good food is Bill Jack. I'm not sure how much it costs but it is a lot better on their stomach. If you take a not as good brand of dog food and put some in water and take Bill Jack and put some in water the Bill Jack gets softer and breaks up better and the other food doesn't change. I have done this test before and it works. I feed my dogs this and I also use it sometimes when I do agility with them. Hope this helps!