what are the really high quality brands of dog food?

Question

what are the really good brands of dog food and where do you buy them? does petsmart or stores like that have them?

how expensive are they? do they really even out becuase you feed them less?

Answer 1

High quality foods have high levels of meat, low levels of grains, and are made with ingredients that the USDA certified as human grade.
Some brands of high quality dog foods include: Wellness, Innova (especially Innova EVO, as it contains no grains), Natural Balance, Canidae, Nature's Variety, Merrick, California Natural, Solid Gold, Fromm, Blue Buffalo, and Newman's Own.

You're more likely to find high quality foods at small and independent pet stores. If you're having trouble locating a store with these foods, perform a quick Google search and find the company's website; most pet food companies have store locaters on their sites that can point you in the direction of a store that carries their product based on your zip code.

Answer 2

I like Evo, Wellness, Solid Gold, Oma's Pride. They can be bought online and at some pet stores.
http://www.naturapet.com/
http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/
http://www.omaspride.com/
http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
Food brands that are better than most and easier to find are: Royal Canin, Nurto and Natural Balance. Most petco's and the like will have them. They do cost more, but you do feed less. And your dog will be healthier, have better teeth, eyes, coat. So yes it all does even out.
Better than all of this is making your own food. I feed my dogs the Raw Foods Diet, and I have found a DRAMATIC difference in there health and overall apperance. And I actually spend LESS than buying premium dog food. I buy in bulk, and it does take more time. But for me it works. I also understand that people might thing I am weird, or that it is not for everyone. Here are some website that can give you information on the Raw Foods Diet (developed by Dr. Ian Billinghurst) if you would like to learn more:
http://www.barfworld.com/
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_feeding
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/barf.html

Answer 3

There are as many opinions on this site as there are dog foods. Some commonly cited ones are Innova, California Natural, Canidae and Wellness. I feed California Natural but any of these is a good food if it works for you and your dog. Petsmart carries several of these brands.

It does even out because you really do feed less. And in the case of my allergic dog, we go to the vet less.

Answer 4

I use Innova....for like a 30lb bag it is about 45 dollars.

Other good foods are Wellness, Canidae,etc. It is definitely better to feed your dog a high quality food...it may cost more but the serving size is smaller b/c there are not all those fillers like corn meal you would find in cheap brands.

PetSmart and Petco don't sell the ones I listed. The best thing is to go online to the Innova website for example....and search for the closest stores near you. They will give a list. Usually they sell these foods at smaller stores.

Answer 5

I've been using Innova for years. People are always commenting on how great my labs look, shiny coats, nice teeth, clear eyes, etc. Not only do you feed your dog less food but it is much better for him and the waste product (poop) is less too! There is no crap (filler, cereal, etc.) in this brand of dogfood, only natural ingredients (fruit, meat, fish, veggies, etc.). They don't sell ANY healthy brands of pet food in Petco, Petsmart, or grocery stores. I buy from a farm bureau store and a 16# bag is about $23, 33# bag is about $47.

Answer 6

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Dog Food. It's great - not that pricey (in comparison to brands like Innova which you'd probably have to order online) and they have 100% natural ingredients with no fillers.
Canidae is okay but my dog didn't care for it and it made her extremely constipated.
Nutro Ultra also doesn't contain corn - and that's what I'm feeding currently but only because they were out of Chicken Soup the last time I went to get food :)

Just make sure Corn/Corn Gluten/Wheat/Wheat Gluten isn't a top (or at all) ingredient.

Answer 7

For me the big payoff in feeding premium dog (or cat) food is a healthier pet. The dog is getting the nutrition he needs to stay strong and healthy. Kind of like feeding your kids a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables versus feeding them hot dogs, soft drinks and french fries.

In addition to the foods others have mentioned, Breeder's Choice makes several excellent foods, including AvoDerm and Pinnacle. I feed AvoDerm because we live in a dry climate, and it is especially effective in combating dry skin.

They are usually available at both Petco and PetsMart. The cost is $35 to $40 for a 35 lb bag.

Answer 8

Petsmart has some good brands, as does Tractor Supply and feed stores.

I use Canidae chicken and rice (dry), but anything with meat listed as the first ingredient, without corn or starch fillers or additives is fine.

Ideal breakdown is 30 percent protein, 18 percent fat - but close to that is o.k.

Don't buy supermarket junk or the Science Diet some vets carry - they get paid for doing that and it is mostly corn, not good nutrition at all.

Answer 9

I think that the best foods out there come from Natura: Innova, Healthwise, California Natural, and Karma. Some other great foods include Wellness Super5mix, Solid Gold, Organix, Prairie, Pinnacle, and Taste of the Wild.

Answer 10

Canidae costs me about $8 for a 6.6lb bag.

The largest bag they carry where I go is 40lb and costs $35.

For comparrison, we used to use one of the Nutro varities which was $6 for a 5lb bag and $30 for a 40lb.
Before that we used Science Diet for awhile which was $10 for a 5lb and $55 for a 40lb.

He eats alot less now, even when we do straight kibble he eats a max of 3/4 of what he did with the Nutro and about 1/2 of what he did with the Science Diet.
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Consider your breed and age when looking at percentages. Rescue Member's protein number is a bit high for many dogs, especially if you have a larger puppy. 30% protein for a Great Dane puppy or other large breed would cause him to grow too much and contribute to joint and bone problems later in life.