Why is my dog doing better on Science Diet than Canidae?

Question

Canidae is a great food.It is human grade and does not have any by-products or corn,wheat,and soy.Yet it has not benefitted my 6 month golden retriever.When we left her at the kennel for 8 days they fed her science diet and when I came back she got much bigger, stronger, and her coat was more beautiful and fluffy than it had ever been. Is it possible she does better on a lower quality kibble instead of high. Should I maybe feed her science diet untill shes grown up and switch back to healthy food.I know science diet has bad ingredients but tis really working for her.I'm so dissapointed with Canidae. I'm open to suggestions

she was never groomed and science diet is filled with by-products

she was never groomed and science diet is filled with by-products

Tritanbear, how do you know Science diet has ethoxyquin.I looked at then ingredients and its naturally preserved with rosemary extract.No BHA or stuff like that.

Any other suggestions for not very expensive but good dog food?

Answer 1

There is most likely outside factors involved. Such as possibly a bath or grooming, more exercise, etc. Or maybe you just didn't see your dog for a week and were so happy to see her, you thought she looked better even though she looked the same.

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But for food, if you really don't think your dog is doing as well as you like on Canidae, that is not a crazy thing to think. Not every dog does well on every food. Canidae is an excellent quality food, but it may not be the best food for *your dog*.

(Science Diet, on the other hand, is a very LOW quality food, even worst than foods like Pedigree. I do not recommend using Science Diet at all.)

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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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Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food.

Here is my "short list" of rules when I am looking at dog ingredients:
1) When I chose a dog food, I chose one high meat content. I want to see preferably at least 2-3 out of the top 5 ingredients be meat or meat meal (first ingredient must be!).
2) I want to see higher quality grains, such as barley, brown rice, and oatmeal, instead of seeing wheat and corn. Or an alternative starch/carbohydrate such as potatoes or sweet potatoes.
3) I don't want to see any byproducts.
4) I don't want to see a lot of fillers.
5) I don't want to see preservatives that are believed to be carcinogens (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin).
6) I don't want to see artificial colorings such as the Red, Blue, and Yellow dyes.
7) I don't want to see added sugars (sugar, corn syrup).
8) I don't want to see mystery meats (meats identified only as "meat" or "poultry".)

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 :
* Artemis - http://www.artemiscompany.com/
* California Natural - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/california-natural.asp
* Canidae - http://www.canidae.com/
* Chicken Soup - http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
* EVO - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp
* Fromm - http://www.frommfamily.com/
* Innova - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.asp
* Merrick - http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
* Nature's Variety - http://www.naturesvariety.com/
* Orijen - http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/orijen/
* Solid Gold - http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
* Taste of the Wild - http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/
* Timberwolf Organics - http://timberwolforganics.com/
* Wellness - http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/

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, 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. (I do believe that PetCo sells "Solid Gold" and "Natural Balance" brands and Petsmart sells "Blue Buffallo", which are all quality foods, but most of the foods aren't.)

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

Science Diet and the Hills Prescriptions food is definately Veterinary approved. The key is: Diarrhea isn't normal. Re-check him for parasites. Get a fecal float done on him, most vets don't charge too much for it. Most will even let you just drop a sample off. Wet food can also loosen up his stool. I would try and stop the wet food as soon as possible. Especially since he is having problems. Remember, if you switch foods too quickly he could get diarrhea from that as well. If you do go to Science diet, which I would recommend. Make sure you slowly integrate the new food in with the old until after a week or so, its only the new food. If you change food too often this will re-occur. Another thing is, sometimes pet's have food allergies. But diarrhea is a symptom of so many other things. Best idea is fix the diarrhea first, then decide on the food, make sure you slowly integrate and you'll be fine. Have fun with the lil guy =) He must be super cute =)

Answer 3

Canidae is suppose to be a good food, but my dogs did awful on it. I have no idea why but they did. I have my dogs on Wellness Core, which is 5 USDA grade meats, no preservatives, no by products no wheat, no corn, just all protein. My dogs do EXCELLENT in it. But as far as Science Diet goes even if my dogs did good on it I would never use it because it is loaded with carcinogens. BHT, BHA, and Ethoxyquin are all carcinogens. I know some people feed commercial foods and their dogs do well and I always say if it works than stay with it but the ingredients of Science Diet are the absolute worst.

Answer 4

Just because it is a good food, doesn't mean your dog will do well on it. My dogs didn't do well on Innova or Canidae, but I still refuse to feed them something like Science Diet. There are a lot of other great foods out there... keep trying different ones until one works well with your dog! I just switched my dogs over to Nature's Variety Prairie Venison, but Timberwolf Organics, Wellness, etc are also good foods. Go on dogfoodanalysis.com and take a look at their reviews.

Answer 5

Some dog foods work for some and don't work for others....you really just have to find what is right for your dog. However, I can't imagine science diet really being that good for her. Perhaps she got bigger because she was fed larger portions or because that food is filled with garbage that will add weight in no time. Also...did they maybe groom her so that her coat appears shinier? You could try some other high quality foods (be sure to feed the appropriate amount for a puppy,) and see if those work better. www.dogfoodanalysis.com

*What works well for my dogs is EVO...it took them a while to get used to it (we had some interesting potty breaks for a while,) but now I am more than pleased. Plus my vet is happy because one of the dogs was 5 pounds overweight, but is getting back down to a healthy size with the Evo. But, as I said...it may not work for your dogs.

Answer 6

Let me start off by saying CHALICE is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!! I don't trust *most* vets, PERIOD. Especially when it comes to nutrition. Nutrition is an ELECTIVE to become a vet, and most don't take the time to study it. If they did, they would admit that is is GARBAGE!!! They recommednd SD for 2 reasons:#1- it's the only food they learn about in school, #2- they get paid to recommend it (scholarships, free food, etc..) 8 days in not long enough for you to make a conclusion about a food. It is NOT possible for their to be a change that drastic in that short of a time period. Keep her on the good food (try asking a GOOD vet-ie.-Naturopathic) and I, along with science and everyone intelligent on here, can guarantee you will have a happier, healthier dog. As far as other inexpensive otptions, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul is Holistic and cheap, and Merrick isn't too bad price wise and my dogs do fantastic on it! PS- It used to be preserved with ethoxyquin, but it's still packed with garbage and the meat protien is by-product and dreid egg product-ewwwww

Answer 7

Well, she may look good now, but, she may fatten right up if fed it for an extended period of time.. They also may have groomed her while she was there... You'd be amazed what a blower will do to a dog's coat.. Eight days wouldn't be long enough to see it in the coat, so I would assume some grooming went on.. It normally takes about three weeks to see any great difference with a change of food..
Not every dog does well on any particular type of food.. One of my dogs is at her best on California Natural, another one does better on Innova..

Answer 8

Ever considered the possibility that your dog grew and got more exercise while it lived at the kennel for those eight days?

I would suggest you stick to the higher quality food, ensure your dog has enough exercise (physical AND mental) and see what it does for you.

This is also a great thing to talk with your vet about.

I personally prefer Solid Gold and Innova over Canidae.

Answer 9

Sorry but any changes can't be attributed to the food...it takes considerably longer then 8 days for any food to make any kind of noticable changes.
Believe me the Science Diet is not really "working" for your dog.

Answer 10

Here's a couple of sites that might help you find a suitable food:

http://www.dogfoodproject.com
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/index.php

If you can find it, you might try California Natural. It's pretty competitive, price wise, and is a good quality food.

Answer 11

Not all foods are best for all dogs (or cats).
I've met dogs who do terrible on the more expensive, holistic brands, and those who look in tip top shape on the cheapest garbage around.
I always say start at the top brands and work your way down if your pet isn't doing well on a more expensive brand.
Science Diet isn't a "bad" food, there is just better out there. If she's doing well on it, I suggest keeping it (at least for now).