Author Topic: multi-dog households...  (Read 4872 times)

Offline Guardian Angel's White lightning

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multi-dog households...
« on: May 24, 2008, 11:03:43 am »
we are running into a financcial problem with feeding such high quality foods...now we have 4 dogs...so... what food could i feed that is a high quality food...and yet is cost effecctive? Is nutro an ok food? Or blue buffalo? or any of those? How about the new one i have seen Halo?

Offline amberdoggoneit

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Re: multi-dog households...
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2008, 11:18:41 am »
Personally I feed Purina Pro Plan.  They know come in 50 lb bags. I have used Nutro and Blue Buffalo but have always come back to pro Plan. 
They have Salmon which is great for me because Bell has sensitive skin. 
When we had a litter with Bell we signed up for Pro Plan club which gives you off on food and other products and gave us these really neat packages that went home with every puppy! 
Good Luck I know finding a new food is tough
Lilypie 1st Birthday Ticker" border="0
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Baxter 3 yr old English Springer Spaniel
Buble 10 month old English Springer Spaniel

Offline Leah...

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Re: multi-dog households...
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2008, 12:38:23 pm »
I would definitely suggest Blue Buffalo. My guys have been on that for a while now, and it is great for their skin and activity level. I love it! Sky has been on a couple different foods, including pro plan, nutro, solid gold, and others...this one is the best for him.
Leah
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Offline ruffian

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Re: multi-dog households...
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2008, 07:59:00 pm »
Take a look at this and grade out the different foods, and see what you can get in your price range.

DOG FOOD GRADES

www.PetPalsInc .org



Alpo Prime Cuts - Score 81 C

Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy - Score 114 A+

Authority Harvest Baked - Score 116 A+

Authority Harvest Baked Less Active - Score 93 B

Beowulf Back to Basics - Score 101 A+

Bil-Jac Frozen - Score 74

Bil-Jac Select - Score 48 F

Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice - Score 83 C

Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice - Score 106 A+

Burns Chicken and Brown Rice - Score 107 A+

By Nature puppy formula - Score 99 A

Canidae - Score 112A+

Chicken Soup Senior - Score 115 A+

Diamond Maintenance - Score 64 F

Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice - Score 92 B

Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula - Score 99 A

Diamond Performance - Score 85 C

Eagle Pack Holistic Chicken-114 points A+Flint River Ranch: 92 (non-specific fat source) B

Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Puppy: 94 A

Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium - Score 122 A+

Van Patten's Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice - Score 106 A+

Van Patten's Duck and Potato - Score 106 A+

EaglePack Holistic - Score 102 A+

Eagle Pack Natural: 94 A

Eukanuba Adult - Score 81 C

Eukanuba Large Breed Adult: 83 C

Eukanuba Natural Lamb and Rice-87 points B

Eukanuba Puppy - Score 79 C

Flint River Senior - Score 101 A+

Foundations - Score 106 A+

Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold - Score 93 B

Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium - Score 73 D

Iams Large Breed: 83 C

Innova Dog - Score 114 A+

Innova Evo - Score 114 A+

Innova Large Breed Puppy - Score 122 A+

Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, & Vegetables - Score 110 A+

Member's Mark Chicken and Rice - Score 84 C

Merrick Wilderness Blend - Score 127 A+

Natural Balance Duck and Potato-114 points A+

Nature's Recipe - Score 100 A

Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Venison & Rice - Score 116 A+

Nature's Variety Raw Instinct - Score 122 A+

Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice - Score 81C

Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy - Score 101 A+

Nutrisource Lamb and Rice - Score 87 B

Nutro Chicken, Rice, & Oatmeal: 85 (non-specific fat source) C

Nutro Max Adult - Score 93 B

Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice - Score 98 A

Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy - Score 87B

Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free - Score 86 B

Nutro Natural Choice Senior - Score 95 A

Nutro Ultra Adult - Score 104 A+

Ol Roy-9 points F

Pedigree Complete Nutrition: 42 F

Pedigree Adult Complete-14 points F

Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice - Score 23 F

Premium Edge Chicken, Rice & Vegetables Adult dry - Score 109 A+

Pro Nature Puppy - Score 80 C

Pro Plan All Breed: 68 F

Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach - Score 94 A

Purina Beniful - Score 17 F

Purina Dog - Score 62 F

Purina Come-n-Get It - Score 16 F

Purina One Large Breed Puppy - Score 62 F

Royal Canin Boxer - Score 103 A+

Royal Canin Bulldog - Score 100 A+

Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult - Score 106 A+

Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ - Score 63 F

Science Diet chicken adult maintainance-45 points F

Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies - Score 69 F

Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice - Score 97 A

Solid Gold - Score 99 A

Solid Gold Bison-123 points A+

Summit - Score 99 A

Timberwolf Organics Lamb and Venison-136 points A+

Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry - Score 120 A+

Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken - Score 110 A+

Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold - Score 97 A



This is how the grades were determined:

Start with a grade of 100



1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points

2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points

3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points

4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific rain source, subtract 5 points

5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. ground brown rice", brewer's rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points

6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points

7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points

8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points

9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points

10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points

11) If lamb is the only animal protein source unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points

12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points

13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points

14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to beef), subtract 1 point

15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:

1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points

2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed goup or nutritionist, add 5 points

3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points

4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points

5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points

6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains) add 3 points

7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free add 2 points

8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points

9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds) add 2 points

10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point

11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point

12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources) add 1 point

13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point

14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide free, add 1 point



Blue Buffalo scores very high, and have heard many people who use it and like it, and Chicken Soup is supposed to be reasonably priced as well, and a good food.


jesday

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Re: multi-dog households...
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2008, 08:48:02 am »
Wow, I'm surprised Science Diet got such a low score. That is the brand my vet recommended. It's not all that cheap either.
This is great information. Thanks

Any thoughts on the 'raw' diet. My neighbor has 3 Great Danes and feeds them nothing but raw chicken wings, eggs, sometimes raw stew meat. No grain of any kind. I think sometimes she throws in a bit of yogurt. She says it actually works out cheaper especially if buying in bulk from any Costco, Sam's club type of stores. The Danes look great but I'm not sure I want to go that route.

Offline ruffian

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Re: multi-dog households...
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2008, 10:50:34 am »
I used to feed my Shibas RAW, you have to be diligent to make sure they are getting all the nutrients they need.  I used a recipe I found online and mixed their food.  It was very time consuming, and you have to be careful when you add organ meat, too much can make them sick.  I still give them chicken and turkey necks and backs, good chew stuff, and beef bones too.


Offline Guardian Angel's White lightning

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Re: multi-dog households...
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2008, 04:16:18 pm »
titan does get raw...and we went to a nutritionist for him...but besieds that...raw for him i guess we are going to stick with.....but.. ..with the other dogs who have no tummy issues i think we are going to go with timberwolf for right now....i have to go to my favorite store in NH though ...and i will see!

Offline Guardian Angel's White lightning

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Re: multi-dog households...
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2008, 04:17:16 pm »
also...going with a recipe is not the best because variety is the spice of life....and i would never mix raw with kibble because they are digested in two completely different ways.

Offline KiraNGunnersmom

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Re: multi-dog households...
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2008, 04:57:41 pm »
would one feeding of raw, say AM then the PM feeding with kibble, would that be better digestion wise than mixing the 2 together at the same time??
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Offline Guardian Angel's White lightning

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Re: multi-dog households...
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2008, 05:08:31 pm »
Yes...but the thing is if i do that with titan...that means i get booty blowout at night...when no one else is home!!!!! So we don't go that route....the other thing is feed the full raw portion only once a day... Titan eats once a day...not because i wont give him more, but because he is actually full still.  It is great!! But expencive for big paws!