What kind of dog food do you guys use?

[rb11701]

For me, I use Orijen dog food. I used to use Timberwolf Organics but went with Orijen as it is cheaper and a better quality dog food. Wanted to see what everyone else uses.

I find the Orijen to be a super high quality food. My Shiba Inu's coat is gorgeous and her skin is real nice and pink. Not too mention the piles of poop have greatly diminished. Good stuff all around. The food that is. not the crap lol

[Monkeysuncle]

ole' roy from walmart....not. off the shelf iams for my fat little dachshund

[tigerfan00]

purina dog chow

[neontrail]

Lamb & Rice

[Burgman]

i forget... puppy chow... its in an all white bag

aha... Purina beneful puppy chow

[rb11701]

Just an FYI. A while back they had the Melamine (sp?) scare. My inlaws cat died from tainted cat food. Anyhows, I really started looking into the ingredients. Boy was I suprised. Nearly all the OTC dog food is like feeding your dog Burger King. Look at the first few ingredients. It should be some sort of meat product. Preferablly in a meal form (ie Chicken meal, lamb meal etc). Alot of dog foods have grains as the first ingredients. Dogs don't eat grains in a wild diet. If your dog poops alot, this is the reason why. There is alot of junk in some of OTC dog foods. Hence, more crap. (I know if I eat Burger Dirt, I crap for days)

Now I am not a dog food preacher, just trying to make people aware that the food they might be buying is not really that good for them. It may cost more, you will use less as more food gets absorbed thus the lesser need for more food. Cheaper food means they need to eat more to stay full. Higher qaulity food means less is needed.

Timberwolf is readily available and is considered a 5 star food, whereas Orien is a 6 star.

Iam Adult Chunks;

Ingredients
Chicken, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken By-Product Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Meal, Chicken Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Flax Meal, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Caramel, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), DL-Methionine, Rosemary Extract

Review:
The first ingredient in the food is a named meat product. This is not a meat meal, but is inclusive of water content (about 80%). Once this is removed, as it must be to create a dehydrated product, the ingredient will weigh around 20% of its wet weight. As ingredients are listed in order of weight, it is thus unlikely that this is truely the first ingredient in the food, but would be more accurately placed much further down the ingredient list as a minor ingredient in the food.


The main grain and main ingredient in the food is corn. Corn is a difficult to digest grain of limited value and that is commonly associated with allergy problems. Sorghum is decent quality, but this product is very heavy in grain content with little meat included for the canine.


The third ingredient is byproducts. It is impossible to ascertain the quality of by-products and these are usually products that are of such low quality as to be rejected for use in the human food chain, or else are those parts that have so little value that they cannot be used elsewhere in either the human or pet food industries. The AAFCO definition of Chicken by-product meal is “a meal consisting of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice.


The only true meat ingredient in this food is the 7th ingredient, which is far too far down the ingredient list to make any significant difference to the overall meat content or quality of this product.


Beet pulp is a controversial filler. It is a by-product, being dried residue from sugar beets which has been cleaned and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar. It is a controversial ingredient in dog food, claimed by some manufacturers to be a good source of fibre, and derided by others as an ingredient added to slow down the transition of rancid animal fats and causing stress to kidney and liver in the process. We note that beet pulp is an ingredient that commonly causes problems for dogs, including allergies and ear infections, and prefer not to see it used in dog food. There are less controversial products around if additional fibre is required. We would prefer to see the use of whole eggs rather than egg product in the food.


Orijen Adult:

INGREDIENTS
Fresh boneless chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, russet potato, fresh pacific salmon (a natural source of DHA and EPA), herring meal, sweet potato, peas, fresh lake whitefish, fresh northern walleye, chicken fat (naturally preserved with vitamin E and citric acid), chicken liver, salmon meal, fresh turkey, fresh whole eggs, fresh deboned herring, sun-cured alfalfa, salmon oil, chicory root, dehydrated organic kelp, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, saskatoon berries, black currants, choline chloride, psyllium, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, sea salt, vitamin supplements (vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, vitamin C, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12), mineral supplements (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium), dried Lactobacillus acidophilus, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

Review;

The first three ingredients of this food are all named meat products, two of which are in meal form. There are further meat ingredients fifth, sixth, ninth, tenth, twelth, thirteenth and fourteenth (10 in total) on the ingredient list. We can thus have a high level of confidence in the meat content of this food, which the manufacturer states to be 70% of the total.


This is an entirely grainless dog food. The major carbohydrate source is potatoes, which are also a good source of B vitamins and other minerals. There is a good range of fruits/vegetables in the food, whole eggs and a good range of probiotics.


This food is outstanding in that it contains no grains whatsoever. Grains are not a natural part of a canine diet and it is pleasing to see dog foods on the market that exclude grains completely from the diet. This is a far more natural food concept and combined with a complete lack of any low quality or controversial ingredients is the reason this food is placed in a class above the more conventional form dry dog foods.


The only caution we would make on this food is that the high protein content may make it suitable for adult dogs only, particularly in the case of large breeds.


The manufacturer has provided the following statement in regards to the use of Ethoxyquin (a chemical preservative often found in fish ingredients): "All ingredients are purchased ethoxyquin free and we maintain written quality protocols and supplier agreements to this effect. All ORIJEN fish meals are preserved exclusively with NATUR-OX (a blend of rosemary and mixed tocopherals), and our fresh fish are truly FRESH -arriving without any preservatives what-so-ever."


Note: This updated review is occassioned by minor ingredient changes by the manufacturer, arising from the confusion of some consumers over "zea mays" which the manufacuter had stated to be corn silk but that some individuals assumed to be corn grain.

Now I am not calling out Iams, just used that as an example.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ <-- Check it out.

[Simon's Mom]

Originally Posted by Monkeysuncle

ole' roy from walmart....not. off the shelf iams for my fat little dachshund

I got one of those... Simon loves his Blue Buffalo chicken and rice!

[chris4x4]

Allpo....

[Brunes]

I'll have to look at what my wife is using. My number one factor in the decision has been "What will the dog eat??"

But that Food Analysis site has a lot of good info...Might have to look at making some changes.....

[rb11701]

Originally Posted by chris4x4

Allpo....

[chris4x4]

Originally Posted by rb11701

No good?

[tigerfan00]

Originally Posted by Brunes

My number one factor in the decision has been "What will the dog eat??"

this is what i went thru when i first got my dog

she was super picky and i tried all the "good" foods and she wouldnt eat enough or much of any of them...

i took her to my moms house for a weekend and she INHALED the purina dog chow they had there...and she's been gobbling that down ever since

[lsocoee]

Originally Posted by chris4x4

Allpro....

you feed your dog crappy bumpers?

[paintdiddy]

oh shit i forgot to feed my dogs this week............................
we give them table food( chicken,burgers,steak) with a little dog food.(cant recall what brand right now)
my maltese lived 18 years and never ever ate dog food. only table food...unhealthy table food. never got sick never saw a vet until it was time to let him go. dog food is no good for dogs.

[Brunes]

Originally Posted by tigerfan00

this is what i went thru when i first got my dog

she was super picky and i tried all the "good" foods and she wouldnt eat enough or much of any of them...

i took her to my moms house for a weekend and she INHALED the purina dog chow they had there...and she's been gobbling that down ever since

Yeah...Took almost 8 months to get my last dog to shit explosively shitting all over the house- but some off brand did it...Took us a while to find it.
The pooch my wife and I just adopted seems to be doing pretty well with whatever my wife has been stuff her with.

[rb11701]

Originally Posted by Brunes

I'll have to look at what my wife is using. My number one factor in the decision has been "What will the dog eat??"

But that Food Analysis site has a lot of good info...Might have to look at making some changes.....

Seriously man look into it. When I first did I was shocked to find out how crappy my food was. I used to use Iams or Beneful (sp?). Shocked was an understatement. It really is like Burger Dirt. I can't believe that food is allowed to be sold like that. If it were humans there would be a public outcry.

[Brunes]

Originally Posted by rb11701

Seriously man look into it. When I first did I was shocked to find out how crappy my food was. I used to use Iams or Beneful (sp?). Shocked was an understatement. It really is like Burger Dirt. I can't believe that food is allowed to be sold like that. If it were humans there would be a public outcry.

Yeah...It's alot harder to quantify when the consumer (the dog) can't tell you that it tastes like sweaty ass and it makes their stomach rebel every time they eat it or whatever.
I sent that link to my wife and posted it up on my Facebook for people to look at. Nice find man-Rep for yooz.

[rb11701]

Originally Posted by chris4x4

No good?

Alpo =

Ingredients:
Ground Yellow Corn, Digest of Chicken By-Products, Poultry By-Product Meal, Animal Fat(stabilized with BHA), Lamb Meal, Brewer's Rice, Ground Barley, Soybean Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Chicory Root, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E, A, B12 & D3 Supplements, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamin Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (minimum) 22%
Moisture (maximum) 12%
Crude Fat (minimum) 12%
Crude Fiber (maximum) 5.5%
Linoleic Acid (minimum) 1%
Calcium (minimum) 1%

Review;

This food receives a 1 star rating simply because there is nothing lower.


The primary ingredient in the food is corn (it should be meat!). Corn is a problematic grain that is difficult for dogs to digest and thought to be the cause of a great many allergy and yeast infection problems. We prefer not to see this used in dog food.


The next ingredient is by-products. It is impossible to ascertain the quality of by-products and these are usually products that are of such low quality as to be rejected for use in the human food chain, or else are those parts that have so little value that they cannot be used elsewhere in either the human or pet food industries. The AAFCO definition of chicken by-product meal is “a meal consisting of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice.” Digest is material from poultry by-products which results from chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean and undecomposed tissue.


The next ingredient if further by-products, this time poultry (unidentifiable source). The AAFCO definition of poultry by-product meal is “a meal consisting of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice.”


Animal fat is a further low quality ingredient and is impossible to determine the source. Unidentified ingredients are usually very low quality. AAFCO define this as "obtained from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry in the commercial processes of rendering or extracting. It consists predominantly of glyceride esters of fatty acids and contains no additions of free fatty acids. If an antioxidant is used, the common name or names must be indicated, followed by the words "used as a preservative".


This food uses chemical preservatives (BHA) which is believed to be carcinogenic, and is banned from use in human food.


Lamb meal is the sole named meat ingredient in the food. At 5th on the ingredient list, this is insufficient to make any appreciable impact on the food.


Brewers rice is a waste product – a spent grain that is a by-product of the alcohol industry. The AAFCO definition is “the dried extracted residue of rice resulting from the manufacture of wort (liquid portion of malted grain) or beer and may contain pulverized dried spent hops in an amount not to exceed 3 percent.”


Soybean meal is a poor quality source of protein in dog food, and a common cause of allergy problems. Some believe that it is the number 1 cause of food allergies in dogs (outstripping even wheat).


Corn appears a second time as corn gluten meal. The AAFCO definition of corn gluten meal is “the dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm”. In plain English, that which remains after all the nutritious bits have been removed.

That was the Lamb Meal, Rice & Barley food. That might be even worse than Burger Dirt.

[chris4x4]

Originally Posted by lsocoee

you feed your dog crappy bumpers?

No. Just the UCA's.

[chris4x4]

Thanks, for the Info, Rob. Im gonna be changing it This weekend.