What is a good quality "budget" dog food. My two dogs are eating me out of house and home.
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M$12 Answers
Little-known fact: dogs can't properly digest soy. This leaves their stools huge, soggy, smelly, and...persistent. Instead of quickly drying and then crumbling, they just sit there and stink for days. The dog probably does, too, because soy gives them gas. Soy can also affect their skin and other systems.
Good dog foods don't contain soy. I used to breed show dogs, and we used either Purina O.N.E. (which uses rice for the grain) or Nutromax. If we had a dog that had skin problems then we used Nutro's Natural Choice Lamb and Rice. There are many other more expensive brands with a similar recipe, but these were less expensive. Joy's Diamond dog food also used to be pretty good.
I know you're saying "but Wal-Mart's is so cheap!" Here's the thing: when you feed these better brands, you don't have to feed them so much. It's like the difference between you eating nothing but plain, untopped bread, or eating a regular meal. In order to feel full with the bread, you'd have to eat half the loaf, and a couple of hours later you'd need to polish it off, and then you'd need another half loaf a couple of hours after that. Whereas if you ate, say, a serving of chicken with a salad and vegetables, you'd feel full for quite a long time.
Essentially, the dog foods that boost their proteins by using a lot of soy are severely overstating how much protein there is in it, because the dog can't digest it. So a dog food that looks like it might have 15% protein actually has much less than that. It's like you eating a bowl full of bran, and does exactly the same thing for the dog.
Good Dog magazine has been doing dog food analysis and reviews for over 20 years. They have lots of great information about dog nutrition and what to look for. You might be able to find it at a pet supply store, or at the website below.
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M$http://dog-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/homemade_dog_food_recipes
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M$
I fed my cats a different food for years that I thought was good brand. Despite carefully measured portions, one became obese and developed health problems. The vet recommended switching him to an Iams produced specialty food that clears up his issues in no time.
Also, when you feed a good food to your dog, they will eat less because the food fills them up faster. My pets were eating large amounts of a "cheap" food, and when they were switched to a more expensive, better quality food, they ate about a 1/4 of the amount they did before.
Personal experience
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M$
The main reason for the switch was for puppy weight loss, but the added bonus is that the food lasts much longer. And Sunny (that is her name) absolutely loves the green beans. She treats them like a prized treat.
So you could save money that way.
I'd suggest talking to your vet before you do anything like this, to see how much you should really be feeding your dog and if he or she agrees that supplementation is a good idea. I have two vet friends who have disagreed that popcorn was a good idea, but they did agree that green beans and carrots were fine.
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M$
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M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$Kirkland Signature Range Chicken Full Ingredients List:
Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, cracked pearl barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and vitamin E), egg product, beet pulp, potatoes, fish meal, flaxseed, natural flavor, brewers dried yeast, millet, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, carrots, peas, kelp, apples, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, chondroitin sulfate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
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M$
Sorry, nothing specific. Just recent news stories.
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M$
Label reading.
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M$
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M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
FYI: I was feeding my Black Lab Nutro Max and noticed that at least once a week she was throwing up, but felt fine. Then I read where as of a couple of weeks ago, Nutro has been under a hidden investigation by the FDA. The food has been causeing vomiting even death in some dogs. I have now switched dog food and am going with IAMs.
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M$
Interesting find, thanks!! :-)
Actually, the idea that Sam's Club and Costco are always cheaper is a common misconception. While they are a good buy on some things, they can be higher on others. I learned that writing this article:
http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_Save_Money_on_Food#Step_3:_Know_Where_to_Go
For evidence, check out these sources:
http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/deals/8-ways-to-cut-your-grocery-bill-22641/?page=2
http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/deals/warehouse-club-shopping-guide/
Dang, I was going to answer but Tracebooks beat me to it.
What she says is absolutely correct. The cheaper the dog food, the more "filler" it contains. Filler goes right through your dog.
Read the contents on cheap dog food and you will find things like "peanut hulls" and "meat by-product" (which can legally be any kind of meat except human).
I used to work for a pet store and learned all about this and I've also written some articles on dog food.