help me find a healthier dog food for my golden retriever?

Question

my dog is a golden retriever about 10 months old...i would like to avoid commercial dog foods

Answer 1

There is no single food that is "best". For example, some dogs thrive on grain-free foods, while grain-free is too rich for other dogs. What you want to find is the high-quality food that *your dog* does best on.

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On choosing a good dog food:

Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food. A grain should not be in the first couple ingredients ingredient (corn and such are mainly fillers, dogs don't digest it well). Avoid foods that have a lot of "by products" listed.

Here is an article about byproducts:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=ingrd

And an article on what ingredients to avoid:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

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Some GOOD foods are :
* Merrick - http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
* Solid Gold - http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
* Canidae - http://www.canidae.com/
* Timberwolf - http://timberwolforganics.com/
* Orijen - http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/orijen/
* Wellness - http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/
* Chicken Soup brand - http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
* Blue Buffalo - http://www.bluebuff.com/
* Innova - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.asp
* Innova EVO - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp

Or check this website for good foods: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
(I recommend only feeding foods rated 4, 5, or 6 stars. Anything 3 stars or less, I would stay away from.)

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Stay away from grocery stores brands. They are low-quality foods chalk full of fillers, preservatives, dyes, etc.. (Grocery store foods are those like Beneful, Old Roy, Alpo, Pedigree, Purina, etc.)

Beware "premium" foods. "Premium" does not mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. It has the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. (Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc..)

Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit from the brands they keep on their shelves, that's why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don't focus a lot on nutrition. It's not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told "this is good food", so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it's good as well.

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Higher quality food may seem more expensive at first, but it evens out. The higher quality the food, the less fillers eaten (and therefore the less poop comes out the other end). Your dog eats more to try to get the nutrition it needs, and most of the food just passes right on through. Also, it will make your animals healthier, so you save money on vet bills in the long run.

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"Big box" petstores like Petco and Petsmart rarely have quality foods. Also, grocery stores and Walmart aren't good places to buy food either.

Your best bets for getting quality dog food are:
- small, locally owned petstores
- dog boutiques
- farm supply stores

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When switching foods, do it gradually. I do this over about a two week timespan:
25% food A, 75% food B
50% food A, 50% food B
75% food A, 25% food B
100% food A
.

Answer 2

I agree with Goldengal & Basettnut. If her weight is good then leave her on this amount. If she's underweight feed her another half a cup. At her age a healthy weight for her should be between 30/32 kilos. As Goldengal said, a few more details might help. Add:- I would say she is overweight at 80 lbs. It might be wise to follow Goldengal's advice and get her on to a better food than Beniful although I have never heard of this food in the UK.

Answer 3

See there,,, ask 8 people about dog food and get 8 totally different answers.
That should tell you something.
Since you don't want commercial foods I guess you will need to make your own.

I feed plain ole Purina One. With ten dogs here with their CH I would venture to say that what most say is nothing but an opinion. The reality is that dogs are true omnivores and will at least survive on any diet. Find the proper balance of carbs, fat, and protean that your dog does best on, and don't worry about what all of us idiots say.If your dog has allergies, switch one ingredient at a time. IE if feeding lamb & rice switch to chicken & rice. If that doesn't work try lamb & beat pulp, and so on.

Answer 4

I buy my Labs Innova dog food. It has all natural ingredients and has no fillers or corn meal which reduces their waste matter too. Everyone always comments on how shiny their coats are and how good they look. It is mainly sold in specialty pet stores or farm bureaus. Just about all the dog food sold in Petco, Petsmart, Supermarkets, etc. I wouldn't feed to my dogs because it is all junk.

Answer 5

I have my 8 month old boxer on Canidea Life Stages, it has no fillers or corn and it is made here in the U.S so there is not a risk of all the China Crap put into it.
You have to get it a specialty shop or online. Its high in price but worth the money for the piece of mind that your feeding your dog good stuff.... www.canidae.com

Answer 6

The BEST dog food is Solid Gold. It is all natural. It's only sold at Pet stores (not commercial, like PetSmart). It's about $35 for the large bag.

Answer 7

I personally feed my dogs Canidae. I searched company websites and reviews and looked for brands available locally. (We live in the Philippines.) My dogs, specially our MinPin, thrives on it. He's really shiny and very energetic.

Whole Dog Journal publishes a list of commercial food they recommend, and they have a Top Ten list. Canidae is one of them :D

Of course, every dog is different, so you'd have to try it to see for yourself. Wish you they best for you and your puppy!

Answer 8

Royal Canin make a speciality food for retrievers.....
www.royalcanin.co.uk
:)

Answer 9

DO NOT USE BENEFUL.
The best food to chose is Innova which doesnt contain wheat or corn or any fillers which your dog doesnt need in its diet.

Answer 10

eagle pack, addictions are both quite good and top of the list; just a lil expensive compared to others.