Food Choices / Help me Pick a Food

[Kaleb124]

I am trying to decide what food to switch Kaleb to when we go to adult food. I have listed three choices by ingredients only. Please give me your opinions on these foods and why you think what you think. I have left the name brand off because I don't want the brand to sway your opinions...even though I know that some of you will recognize the ingredient list and know what brand it is.

Thanks a bunch!!

[color=green]
[u]Food Choice #1[/u]
INGREDIENTS: Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Potato Product, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E)), Dried Beet Pulp, Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Flavors, Flax Seed Meal, Egg Product, Fish Meal, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine, Carrots, Apples, Canola Oil, Alfalfa Leaf Meal, Celery, Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Bifido bacterium bifidium fermentation product, Streptococcus faecium fermentation product, Aspergillus oryzae fermentation product, Whole Clove Garlic, Spinach, Grape Seed Extract, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Panto-thenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Dimethyl-pyrimidinol Bisulfate (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate.

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:

Crude Protein, not less than .... 26.0%
Crude Fiber, not more than ...... 4.0%
Crude Fat, not less than .......... 16.0%
Moisture, not more than .......... 10.0%
[/color]

[color=darkblue]
[u]Food Choice #2[/u]
Ingredients :Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Brewers Rice, Fish Meal (source of fish oil), Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a source of vitamin E, and Citric Acid), Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Natural Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Flax Meal, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Vitamin E Supplement, DL-Methionine, Zinc Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, L-Carnitine, Beta-carotene, Manganous Oxide, Chondroitin Sulfate, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Rosemary Extract, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Folic Acid, Cobalt Carbonate

Caloric Distribution
Protein 27%
Fat 45%
Carbohydrates 28%
[/color]

[color=darkred]
[u]Food Choice #3[/u]
Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Ground Barley, Oatmeal, Rye Flour, Menhaden Fishmeal, Whitefish, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Millet, Canola Oil (preserved with Rosemary, Vitamin C & E), Flax Seed, Amaranth, Dried Peas, Dried Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Whole Apples, Whole Blueberries, Whole Clove Garlic, Alfalfa Leaf, Yucca Schidigera, Probiotics (Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus), Prebiotics (Inulin, Fructose), Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulfate, Beta-Carotene, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate (a chelated source of Zinc), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate (a chelated source of Copper), Copper Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate ( a chelated source of Manganese), Sodium Selenite, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid.

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:

Crude Protein, not less than .... 22.0%
Crude Fiber, not more than ...... 3.0%
Crude Fat, not less than .......... 12.0%
Moisture, not more than .......... 11.0%[/color]

[Kiger]

#3 is Wellness. It's good.
#2 has by-products which are pretty much frowned upon. It also has corn which is usually a filler, but is also a good source of fatty acids - the jury's still out on that one. Brewer's rice isn't great either - brown rice is better. And is that correct?? 45% fat?!
#1 is eh. Not a lot of meat in it. What the heck is potato "product"?

#3 all the way.

[Mary's Mama]

I say none of the above. Wellness is good but is really pretty low in protein and high in carbs. For a young adult I dont think I would go with it. The other two are completely weird. The second one with by-products and such is OUT. But the first one looks okay. I just question the guarateed analysis. The protein is good but the fat is way too high.

Got any others in mind?

[Carolk9s]

[quote=Mary's Mama]. Wellness is good but is really pretty low in protein and high in carbs. [/quote]

22% protein is NOT too low if the protein source is of good/high quality. If the dog is a performance dog, works hard, runs hard, does a lot of herding or police work or hunting or other such heavy activity, more protein could be needed. Otherwise, 22% is generally fine.

[Kaleb124]

Thanks for all of the replies.

The first food is Life's Abundance. [url]http://www.healthypetnet.com/products/food/dog/ingredients.asp?realname=10022310[/url]

The second food is Eukanuba Premium Performance for Large Breed Dogs.

And of course the third food is Wellness.

I am having a really hard time deciding on a good food. Kaleb is currently eating Eukanuba for Large Breed Puppies, (I know, I know, IAM's stinks...) but it is about time to change his food. Wellness is the ONLY food that I can get locally besides petstore brands. I have been told that Life's Abundance is a wonderful food, but I just do not know.

[Kiger]

Wait... I know! Go raw! :wink:
I will go flog myself now.
[img]http://mywebpages.comcast.net/blancm3/images/whack.gif[/img]

[ellieangel]

I swear by James Wellbeloved,sorry haven't got a bag handy to put up the ingredients :roll:

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='Kaleb124']
The second food is Eukanuba Premium Performance for Large Breed Dogs.

[/quote]

I have been feeding my 90 pound American Bulldog this food for about a year. He is pretty active in protection training and other activities so I felt the "Premium Performance" would be great. I have never been very happy with his energy level, or his stool quality while feeding this, but I thought it was about the best food I could find.

I recently discovered that there were much better foods out there, and I am looking at switching to Canidae, Wellness, Innova, or Solid Gold Holistic.

Bob

[Kaleb124]

I have thought about BARF, but I am nervous about finding enough information to make sure that Kaleb gets a balanced diet. AND I hear that it takes a lot of time.

I am a little concerned with Wellness because it is not a calorie dense as what he is currently eating...and he is already on the skinny side. Is this a rational concern? He will only eat his fill and stop. I know that in and of itself is good...I would rather him be like that instead of being a chow hound. He is going well, 73 plus pounds, and has energy to burn, but I just don't like feeling his back bone. (You cannot see it, but you can feet it.) He is not too skinny. The vet says he is perfect, especially for a large breed dog that is prone to joint problems.

Life's Abundance has been suggested to me by a couple of dog owners, but you cannot get it without buying it through a private distributor, (like amway). And it is EXPENSIVE! But I have been told that health problems alltogether stop because it is such a superb food.

Eukanuba -- well no one likes Eukanuba because 1.) it is made by Iams and 2.) it is overpriced. I get that too. But I can get it locally and (at least) it is better than Science Diet which was what my vet suggested (he sells SD)

I don't know what to do. I want to feed Kaleb the best food possible. But I need direction.

[Kiger]

If you are worried about calories, you could try Canidae or Innova. Both of them are high calorie.
I don't fix the raw food myself - ick. I'm lazy and buy the pre-made frozen stuff. However, for the past 2 days Kato has been having the same problems that he had on kibble so I don't know what I'm going to do now. :(

[Rosebud]

:D

[quote name='Carolk9s'][quote=Mary's Mama]. Wellness is good but is really pretty low in protein and high in carbs. [/quote]

22% protein is NOT too low if the protein source is of good/high quality. If the dog is a performance dog, works hard, runs hard, does a lot of herding or police work or hunting or other such heavy activity, more protein could be needed. Otherwise, 22% is generally fine.[/quote]

Actually if you are going to supplement your dog's diet with real meat you would want a kibble that is lower on protein count. Also, large breed dogs don't really need high protein, you run the risk of the bones growing faster than the muscle/tendons and that can lead to problems later in life. The byproducts that I would be concerned about are chicken by-products, personally I'm not to wild about feeding my babies chicken heads and feet.

[quote][size=2][b]Meat By-Products/Beef By-Products/Lamb By-Products[/b] The clean parts derived from mammals. It may include lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, liver, blood, bones, stomach and intestines. It does not include hair, horns, teeth or hooves. If from a particular source it may state so (i.e. beef by-products, lamb by-products). A good source of protein, and fat. [/size][/quote]

[quote][size=2][b]Poultry By-Products/Chicken By-Products[/b] The clean parts of poultry including bone, heads, feet or entrails. Does not contain feathers. If from a particular source it may state so (i.e. chicken by-products, turkey by-products). A good source of protein, and fat.[/size][/quote]

If you are concerned about weight then I would suggest getting an all-natural yogurt made with whole milk (not non or low fat). This will help with digestion, coat and weight.

I would say go with the Wellness, if you dog is too active for a low protein count of 22% supplement with real beef.

I will say that I use Eagle Natural and I'm looking at switching to the Holistic, no complaints with the Natural just more impressed with the results I've seen on the Holistic.

:angel:

[Mary's Mama]

I dont have big dogs so I wasn't thinking about the growth issues with them.

Have you considered Solid Gold Mmellinia? It really is an awesome food with a moderate calorie level around 450/cup, Innova is well over 500. Go! Natural is about 600 calories. While Wellness is only about 350. Some believe that the higher the calorie count the better the quality of food. It is just more nutrient dense and you can feed less.

And like Rosebud said, Eagle is great food. If you are interested in a feeding program for large dogs you might want to read [url]www.greatdanelady.com[/url]. Even though she breeds great danes her methods can be used for all dogs. She has some excellent information and it will give you specific feeding instructions.

[sheesh]

Has anyone heard of Premium Edge?
I just adopted a part Saint Bernard, part foxhound (he's a CUTIE) from Rescue and he is about 145lbs .... and growing :o and the foster mom rec'd this food b/c of the added glucosamine. I checked out the ingredients and it seems pretty good. What do you guys think? Also - compared to other ultra premiums - it is pretty cheap at $25/35lbs.

From [url]http://www.premiumedgepetfood.com/DogFormulas.html:[/url]
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein 26.0%
Crude Fat 15.0%
Crude Fiber 3.0%
Moisture 10.0%
Ash 6.0%
Calcium 1.0%
Phosphorus 1.0%
Omega-6 Fatty Acids 2.5%
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 0.4%
Glucosamine Hydrochloride not less than 300mg/kg*
Chondroitin Sulfate not less than 100 mg/kg*

*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile.

Calorie Content
3,777 kcals/kg (353 kcals/cup calculated) Metabolizable Energy

Ingredients
Chicken, chicken meal, rice flour, oatmeal, whole grain brown rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), beet pulp, flaxseed, egg product, natural chicken flavor, brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, glucosamine hydrochloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganese oxide, chondroitin sulfate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese proteinate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, menadione dimethylpyrimidinol bisulfite (source of vitamin K activity), riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

[ILuvmydog]

Hello ! the best food I have found for my Rottie has been the Nutro lamb and rice or Chicken and rice. I notice the difference in a day on her coat and stool! I also recommend it to my Mom who has a Shepard and it really worked for keeping her longer coat looking beautiful. I am totally sold on Nutro,and no,I don't work for the company!! The large bag lasts us 6 weeks and costs 35-40 dollars. So it works out to be fiarly reasonable as well. They also make good bisciuts for cleaning teeth etc. They also have Glucosamine and Chondriotin in the food to help with joints for large dogs. I really recommend this food. The stool is well formed as well!! Good luck in finding what works for you. Woof Woof !!

[Kaleb124]

Wellness! After looking at these foods again, I have decided to go with Wellness. I really hope that Kaleb likes it because it is the only Super Premium food that I can get locally.

Thanks for all of the input.

[nadooshkinz]

[quote name='K']I am not up much on the food analysis thing Newfiemom is your best bet for that BUT I DO WANT TO SEE A PHOTO!!!!!! :D



WUFFU![/quote][b]
I could not agree more! :lol: [/b]

[DogPaddle]

[quote]Have you considered Solid Gold Mmellinia? It really is an awesome food with a moderate calorie level around 450/cup[/quote]
I love Mmillenia, it did wonders for the boys coats. It does however have a little bit higher protein and fat content - its well suited for very active, actively working, performance dogs or maybe adolescent dogs but might be too much for some dogs. Good if you want your dog to put on a touch of weight too I guess.

[Elsastarr]

I wish I could list all the info on Eagle Pack Holistic, it is in my humble opinion the best kibble.

I do supplement like Rosebud.

My babies coats shine like the sun & they stay completely "regular", plus 3 of 4 of my babies are fixed and I don't have a weight problem w/ this food even w/ less active some weeks.

[url]www.eaglepack.com[/url]

I hope you'll check it out :kciuki:

[mjriggl2]

Here is a comparison of many dog foods, very useful:

[url]http://www.pawgear.com/vet/foodchart.html[/url]

[Kaleb124]

Thank you for the food comparison. I have decided to go with Wellness and, in addition to that, have started adding raw meats to his diet. His stools are fine (so far), he is drinking less water, and he has energy to boot. Also, he is putting on additional muscle mass. :o ...I mean I have only been feeding this for a week, but I swear his shoulders and legs all look more muscled up. Surely it is his age (10 months) and not the food. But if it is the food (after only 1 week) I can't wait to see what he looks like in a couple of months. :P