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  #1  
Old March 17th, 2005, 12:30 PM
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nymph nymph is offline
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Dog Foods - Help in making the choice easier

I find this article extremely down-to-earth and very educating.

Hope you enjoy it too.

http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/dogfoods.html
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  #2  
Old March 17th, 2005, 12:38 PM
Trinitie Trinitie is offline
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Thank you. I'm going to use part of it in a post for newcommers.
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According to the Humane Society of the United States:
There are an estimated 3-4 million dogs and cats euthanized each year in the US alone! PLEASE - spay and/or neuter your pets!
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Old March 17th, 2005, 02:23 PM
Prin Prin is offline
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The ingredient list is good but some of the opinions at the bottom should be taken with a grain of salt.

I just hate to see people who need info read other people's opinions written as fact. It can be very confusing.

Like "dogs don't chew anyway" so food won't clean teeth and
Quote:
If you eat a bunch of crackers are your teeth cleaner?
, well, studies have shown that if you eat an apple then yes, your teeth are cleaner. My dogs certainly chew, maybe food vacuum dogs don't but there are millions of dogs who do and eating dry kibble helps them keep their teeth clean.

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Lite/Diet formulas. GIMMICK. Do you want to totally ruin your dog's coat? Feed a lite or diet formula. They are filled with fillers. That's how they keep the fat and protein levels down.
Uh... no. The good foods simply cut back the protein and fat and do not replace with fillers. Replacing with fillers just boosts the caloric intake which is the opposite of what you want in a diet food.

Quote:
Large Breed Adult foods. GIMMICK. Your dog should already be full grown if feeding an adult food. Why do you need to feed a LB adult food?
Answer: good large breed food is more dense so you don't have to feed like 10 cups. It's not about growing in an adult dog, it's about not getting bloat.

Quote:
I've been a "nutrition nut" for years.
That is what she says makes her qualified. Frankly, anybody who puts Iams on their "swear by" list... Iams lists Chicken Byproducts as the first ingredient. Really. And what works for this person's dogs (s/he seems to only use her own dogs as an example), may not work for anybody else. Dogs who do better on cheap foods are WAY less sensitive than the norm.

It's just so many people are trying to find info and they don't need opinions based on a couple of dogs and he-said-she-said stuff. I'm sure the foods your friends swear by and my friends swear by will be entirely different, there is no need to post our individual lists on the internet as fact. I haven't seen anybody on this forum swear by Iams... Does anybody else get annoyed by Royal Canin putting out breed specific foods that are full of corn? People think they are good for their dog because they are "formulated special for the breed". THe lab one has corn as the 3rd ingredient. How many labs do I know that develop allergies to corn at young ages? A LOT. Maybe I should stat my own "facts due to personal experience" web page...

I'm done my rant, I hope I didn't bug anybody.
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Old March 17th, 2005, 03:15 PM
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nymph nymph is offline
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Well I guess it all depends on how your pet reacts to the diet. I have friends who "swear by" that their pets are happy and healthy on Iams, so who are we to say Iams is not good.

What to feed your pet is largely an individual decision, much like raising kids, I think, there is not set rules, and PRICE has nothing to do with the actual nutrition. Costco's Kirkland brand (actually made by Diamond) Lambs & Rice looks pretty good to me, but only for a fraction of what a bag of Innova Evo would cost. My parents' 3 cats have been on the Kirkland brand for years, 2 are 11 years old, one just turned 7, all are wildly happy and healthy with shiny fur, bright eyes and clean teeth.

I find this article refreshing because it shows a different view: down to earth and with a lot of common sense (no offence to anyone). I did not find the author being authoritative, but rather informative.

I hope I didn't bug anyone.
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Old March 17th, 2005, 03:29 PM
Trinitie Trinitie is offline
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Intentions were good. I don't think anyone can claim you bugged them when you meant well!

After all, I used part of that website in a sticky didn't I?
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I'm firm - but fair. Mind the rules and enjoy your stay.

According to the Humane Society of the United States:
There are an estimated 3-4 million dogs and cats euthanized each year in the US alone! PLEASE - spay and/or neuter your pets!
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Old March 17th, 2005, 03:42 PM
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My post got in a sticky?

Thanks Trinitie.
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Old March 17th, 2005, 05:14 PM
Prin Prin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nymph
Well I guess it all depends on how your pet reacts to the diet. I have friends who "swear by" that their pets are happy and healthy on Iams, so who are we to say Iams is not good.

What to feed your pet is largely an individual decision, much like raising kids, I think, there is not set rules, and PRICE has nothing to do with the actual nutrition. Costco's Kirkland brand (actually made by Diamond) Lambs & Rice looks pretty good to me, but only for a fraction of what a bag of Innova Evo would cost. My parents' 3 cats have been on the Kirkland brand for years, 2 are 11 years old, one just turned 7, all are wildly happy and healthy with shiny fur, bright eyes and clean teeth.

I find this article refreshing because it shows a different view: down to earth and with a lot of common sense (no offence to anyone). I did not find the author being authoritative, but rather informative.

I hope I didn't bug anyone.
The thing that gets me is not price but if you could see a cooking show that showed the ingredients of your dog food being cooked together by Emeril, would you be disgusted or would you find it tasty? Chances are when you're watching the Iams show and they start putting the beaks and feet in, you may want to change the channel.
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Old March 17th, 2005, 05:56 PM
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I'm a Chinese and I eat chicken feet, it's actually quite tasty.

But seriously, that's what the author was saying (and I agree): it may seem quite inconceivable even disgusting for some, but is actually quite pleasant and OK for others. Do you know that animal by-products, i.e. liver, tripe (stomach), chitlins (intestines) and brain, are a rich source of protein? Chinese have been eating these for centuries. If I can eat it, my dog can eat it too.

It's really much like raising kids, no set rules, you do what you think is best for your kids/furkids, and there is certainly a learning curve and give or take some mistakes/lessons learned, but that's all part of parenting.
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