I've got two small dogs. They weigh 10 and 12 lbs. They're about 5 yrs old and I feed them Blue Buffalo senior weight maintainance. Dogs this size should get 350-400 calories a day. The small dog should weigh 9 lbs. I am concerned about her because she's got a luxating? Patella which is common to the breed. The extra weight is a problem because it exasorbates the problem. The food I buy is not sold anywhere but major pet stores which means a trip anytime I need some. Are any of the groc store, Walmart available foods any good?

__________________
SOS USA

I think the Blue is about as good as you'll find.

My wife is the one to tell you but she just left for work. We'll see where this goes and maybe she'll have something to add.

__________________
Dum vivo cano

we feed our dog cesar dog food and she likes it very much.

Blue Buffalo is actually one of the better brands out there. Walmart stuff isn't the best. You'll have to check the ingredients. If the first ingredient is corn/corn meal or any type of grain then skip it. Specialty pet stores will be better than any grocery store brands even among brands, ie. Purina Pro Plan is better than Purina One. Pro Plan is sold in pet stores while Purina One is sold in grocery stores.

I have a Boston Terrier. She'll soon be 5 years old. The breeder had her on Purina Puppy Chow and we kept her on that. We switched her to Purina Dog Chow a few years ago. She thrives on it. We do give her a fish oil supplement every day (Eicosaderm) and it helps her skin and coat.

Dog Food.

Our JRT likes Rachael Ray now,

We used to feed him the Wal Mart Premium. It was a high rated chow but only comes in big bags now. The chicken and Rice or the Lamb and Rice, First ingredient is the MEAT.

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

There is an interesting website that has a rating for many a dog chow.
Dog Food Reviews | Dog Food Ratings
Our Lab gets Diamond Natural, beef or lamb, a daily denta bone-also known as toothbrush-and occasional bits left over from meals. I think the bits of egg she gets on a regular basis keeps her coat shiny.

Does anybody give their dog people food anymore?

__________________
2 Blessed 2B Stressed

I think some people pay more attention to what they feed their dogs than what they feed themselves.

I feed my 'Duke' Purina something or other from Petsmart... Big yellow bag, supposed to be pretty decent. He seems healthy, eats it and poops it out just fine, guess it works.

I have 1 Beagle, who weighs about 25 pounds, we feed her Holistic Select Adult Chicken Meal and Rice. Kind of pricey about $47 for a 30lb bag, but it takes her about 3 months to finish off a bag. We store it in a air-tight Vittles Vault stackable container.


Gamma who makes the Vittles Vault is an excellent company, we lost the seal on our container after owning for 4 years, I contacted their Customer Service and they mailed me 2 replacements for free. Excellent product and excellent Customer Service.

For over ten years now, based on both my vet and the breeder's advice, we've been using Kirkland brand, from Costco.

It's reasonably priced, lamb and rice [with lamb and lamb meal the top two ingredients, followed by rice] and has glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health included, among other vitamins.

The dogs thrive on this stuff. I'll never use another type of food for them.

FWIW, I hear it's made by Blue Diamond, but I can't verify that part!

Len

__________________
Qui me amat, amet et canem meum

turnip greens

__________________
WILL WORK FOR AMMO!

Angus likes to sneak a Kitty McNugget or two from the litter box when nobody is looking. Keeps his coat shiny I guess

__________________
Forum consigliere

We've been using the Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul for a couple years.

We haven't used Purina since I had a project near one of their plants. There was a big pile of sawdust outside the doors. Don't rightly know what they used it for, but I'm not takin' chances with my critters.....

__________________
Even older, even crankier....

Mine gets Blue Buffalo Large Breed adult dog food... and he seems to like it (which is an improvement over his occasionally turning up his nose to his previous dogfood, Eukanuba)

Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Venison. Stay away from sawdust sweepings off walmarts floor. (That's what a vet once told me)

Have had Labs for about 30 years. My current 120 lb (trim, not fat) Chocolate eats about what the others ate:

Whatever comes out of the bag labeled "Dog Food"
plus

Road Apples
Pasture Pies
small furry animals
cock roaches, grass hoppers, locusts
whatever the cook drops to the floor
paper towels
rubber gloves
panty hose

and there is a local cat that went missing about the time Dog ate lightly for a day or two

Pedigree Little Champions Ground Dinner Pouches. Not sure what's in it, but the dog like it and the vet says their diet is fine. No weight issues.

I started Bubba out on Innova due to the ingredients and it being made here with all USA ingredients. I've weened him off that about a year ago when big brother Proctor and Gamble took over as I remember reading what they had done to Iams and Eukanuba so, he no longer gets Innova or any Natura products...shame as it was good.

Now, he gets Fromm products to include Chicken a' la Veg and their Whitefish and Potato formula. I go back and forth on both sometimes mixing the two. Less calories than Innova was and from all research a super food for him. Of course I always add to his kibble including boiled chicken or grilled salmon and unsalted green beans or shredded carrots. Tonight he gets treated to NY strip steak with his kibble and cottage cheese and a sweet potato later for snacking!

You generally aren't going to find the greatest foods at Walmart but Ol' Roy is considered by most to be about the worst.

Blue Buffalo is about as good as it gets. If your dog is doing well on it I wouldn't change.

Might have a look at your local feed store. They usually carry the good stuff for less than a pet store.

x2 on the Vittles Vault for keeping the food fresh. It's good gear.

Here's a great website for food comparisons.

Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble

Generally speaking the way to get a dog's weight down is to feed to the desired weight as listed on the bag. Most people do overfeed their dogs.

We might have been over this already but I R old & forgetful...

Have you checked to see if your food is covered by any of the Salmonella recalls?

Chicken Soup is included.

chicken soup for the dog lover's soul recall - Google Search

Pet food recalls back in the news - Boston.com


We feed Kirkland Nature's Deli Salmon & Sweet Potato but supposedly California is not affected. I would feel better if I hadn't tossed the bag when I filled the Vittles Vault.

I'll be saving the bag from now on.

Merrick Pet Foods : merrickpetcare.com

Labradors get this all natural dog food made with human grade ingredients and no artificial ****. You could literally dump their 'grammy's pot pie' into real pot pie and serve it to people

anything she wants! She is a 120 pound half Rottweiller, who happens to love brocolli, actually anything off the table.

I have to keep an eye on her though in case a Politician who edited a cookbook "Bow Wow Chow" comes by.

Steak, pizza, ice cream, green beans, hamburger, hot dogs, Frosted Flakes, Super Crisp, cheese dip, salami, grapes, lettuce (only with salad dressing), fish, pork, cookies, cake, etc.

Muenster Milling. Made in TX!

Brocolli?!

That could get ugly....

When my Dingo gets into the cat food... :barf:

I gave in and drove to Petsmart for the regular stuff. It's a 12 mile round trip. 6000 traffic lights and one hour later I arrived home. Thankyou all Illinoisans that moved here and have turned farms into houses you can't afford and totally screwed up traffic. The dogs were actin vicious from hunger, but luckily I locked them in the POPIEL Chihuahua handcuffs I got off the shopping channel before I left out the house.

Thankyou for responses and info

Jim

__________________
SOS USA

Slow moving neighborhood children.

We have English Setters (3) , a Newfoundland, an American Water Spaniel, a Clumber Spaniel -- We use Diamond Professional/Performance with protein content of at least 26%, fat content 16% -- we supplement with bacon grease, peanut butter
bologna (which we buy in bulk) as coat supplements. We also use Iams/Eukanuba.

I heard this on TV this morning. About Diamond

Missouri company recalls more pet food : News : ConnectMidMissouri.com

__________________
SOS USA

There are foods you should NOT give your dog-grapes and raisens are just two of them as is chocolate, garlic and Macadamia nuts.

"Grapes and raisins have often been used as treats for dogs. But it's not a good idea. Although it isn't clear why, grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. And just a small amount can make a dog ill. Repeated vomiting is an early sign. Within a day, the dog will become lethargic and depressed. The best prevention is to keep grapes and raisins off counters and other places your dog can reach."

Dangerous Foods That Dogs Should Never Eat - WebMD Slideshow

ASPCA | People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets

Here is a interesting link to PAST dog food recalls. It's amazing how many dogs have been raised from pups, thrived and survived on the so called cheap brands and none of those have been recalled yet many of the Premium have been
Dogs are Omnivores and have survived thousands of years on eating garbage. You never should feed you dog chicken bones or fish bones but how many have survived raiding the garbage?(not condoning the practice, just saying)

Most chain or outlet "Pet Stores" devote how much floor space to just food? Probably close to 50 to 75%. There is big money in hyped ads and claims for Dog Food.

Of course you can prepare your own homemade food for your pet and follow the teachings of holistic Dr Michael Fox (who also prescribes Prozac for some dogs)

Dr. Michael Fox's Homemade 'Natural' Food for Dogs

Dr. Michael W. Fox - Essays, Reviews, Articles on Pet Behavior, Care and Health

Dog Food Recalls | Dog Food Advisor

We take Fluffy to the Natural Foods Bistro at the Yuppy Puppy for fine dining.

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

Pugsters is fed skinless chicken breast, peas, carrots, brocoli and rice... and of course her daily vitamins.

I had frozen pizza last night.

Some folks need to read this.

What

Why Iams? | IamsCruelty.com

IAMS and animal testing

I give my guys a supplement of salmon pate' for the oil, just divide one can among the three once a day. I also divide up a large can of Purina Chop House in either Filet Mignon or steak. After that I give them mid-range dry like Kibblesnbits, Pedigree, Beneful. Snacks include marrow bone and a coupla hadfulls of miniature biscuts.

I see Pedigree has a type called "Healthy Weight" that contains no corn meal. After I use up my earthquake stash, I may switch to that.

Heh, got a 2 week supply of dog food and water and nothing for myself. If the ball drops now, well, I'll eat anything if I'm hungry enough.

__________________
9tenz

Sir, our dogs, both Lab mixes, get California Natural dry kibble every day, and a couple times a month they get Merrick canned stuff as a treat. When Sadie was a puppy, we had her on Wellness, with Taste of the Wild occasionally. Both are expensive; California Natural isn't so bad. All of these are available at our local feed store.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

__________________
Wishin' don't make it so.

I happen to work at a pet store and have since 2008. blue buffalo is a great great product. Nutrisource is good... We feed it to our pups in the store. Taste of the wild is a great brand to. Prob our top seller.. a bit pricey but no biproducts so they don't poop out sawdust every 5 min. The junk foods like puppy chow, science diet, Beniful, kibbles,etc. Are all equivalent to poison in a bag. You should also mix your dogs dry food with a good quality canned moist food twice a week.

Also.. diamond did a VOLUNTARY recall for POSSIBLE salmonella. And it was not at all of their plants.... Just sayin...

Yeah, it's simply amazing that my Boston Terrier has survived nearly 5 years on Purina Puppy and Dog Chow "poison".

My lab gets a can of Ol Roy in the morning and three handsful or so of Beniful in the afternoon along with treat bones for good behavior, she ain't died yet. I think what we feed our dogs is way overblown and we overdo it. They are used to eating in the wild, out of garbage cans and mud puddle water. Their stomachs are a lot stronger than ours.

BTW, have you looked at the ingredients of some of the stuff YOU eat every day? Might shock you.

__________________
Dick

my lab eats table scraps, and whatever bag of dog food is on sale at the grocery store. For drinking, he has an affinity for toilet water.

Actually... I only eat pure foods. I don't feed any of those chemicals or preservatives to myself. Or my family. Don't drink pop. ONly spring water. We only eat non hormone injected meat. Only eat vegetables from our own garden which are grown with no chemicals or fertilizers... SUre its a little more expensive.. but worth it in the long run. Same with dogs and their foods...

Feeding Pugsters regular food isn't all that expensive compared to some of the more expensive dog foods. We get skinless chicken breast on sale for $2lb. Big bags of store brand frozen vegetables are pretty cheap and rice doesn't cost much. I figured it up one time and I think the cost was actually less per pound than some of the top brand dog food she was puking up after eating. Interesting that Pugsters does so well on chicken, rice and vegetables that I cook, but the chicken rice and vegetables than come in a dog food sack make her sick.

Science Diet Lamb & Rice.

My boys get Fleet Farm's finest, Sprout 26. Gracie gets the same if shelly forgets to pick up her special stuff that smells like fish. Every week or so, I treat them to beef soup bones from Shuang Hur asian market, $1.09/lb. If I ask for dog bones, I get the same thing, $2.69/lb., just like in all the other grocery stores.

Today, my dog has eaten leftover pepperoni pizza, and a baby bird he ran down in the barn.

Grocery store brands often have corn or corn meal as the first ingredient. Dogs don't digest corn well but it is used in dog food because it is a cheap filler. Many dogs have wheat allergies which many of those brands also have.

A simple and cheap food is boiled chicken and rice. My dog did well on it but I did not, too much work and stunk up the kitchen. I couldn't look at a piece of chicken during this period. But I stopped and eventually overcame it. It was either the dog or me, guess I won.

I boil about 10lbs of chicken at a time, toss it into a blender then use several small freezer bags to store in the freezer until needed. Also boil about a weeks worth of veggies and rice at a time and keep in the fridge. 23 seconds in the microwave.... done. Pugsters is only 30lbs so it's not too difficult to keep up with.

The whole topic is like a lot of issues. It's all anecdotal opinion.

Where is some real valid science, tests, etc that proves something one way or another???

Believe CR or not, it's amazing how many dogs and cats have survived/thrived in the past 50 years or more on so called "junk pet food, it's all marketing, yuppy hype. Remember when it was pretty much only Purina or Alpo??

Don't pay a premium for 'premium' pet food

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

Cats.













That's a joke, people! I would never feed a cat to a dog. The smaller bones can get caught in their throats and choke them.

__________________
Insert short witty words here

Everybody should read this. It's what I've been saying all along. Some people feed their dogs better food than they do themselves and their children.

__________________
Dick

If the cat is raw it should be OK. The problem begins when the cat is cooked. Cooking turns the bones brittle and that is when they can cause problems.

Dogs are omnivores. They have been eating other critters bones & all for thousands of years.

When you go to the butcher for soup bones & whatnot, you want raw, not cooked bones.