dog food

riverlab · 10-18-2004, 08:28 PM

I hope this will get lots of hits. I am interested in what people think the best dog food is and why?

I have heard of NUTRO and NITRO and of course lots of the others but please send info.

Doc E · 10-18-2004, 10:32 PM

NUtro is a pretty decent food if you get their 30%P / 20%F variety. By far, the best dog food going is Eagle Pack (Power Formula). If you want to check and compare various brands, go to www.doberdogs.com

gselkhunter · 10-19-2004, 05:46 PM

Riverlab, A pro trainer freind of mine told me to use Diamond food. It is all I use now. I get it at Circle F stores.
Gselkhunter

TreestandEd · 10-19-2004, 07:39 PM

Eagle Pack Ekanuba are great but stuff I read and what field trialers in my area feed is Diamond is great food for good price

NHBuck · 10-22-2004, 08:06 PM

Nutro IMHO has gone down hill. They have reduced their price and added fillers over the last year or so. I breed Goldens and run agility with them and some recreational hunting. The two best I have found are Innova and Canadie. No skin problems, dogs are alert and active but not to hyper. Stools are firm and smaller ( the more that goes in the more that comes out). Innova is very rich and some dogs have a hard time adjusting and therefore have loose stools. Ingredients are what you need to look at closely. Wheat flour can cause allergies or skin problems. Also those that have fillers such as corn meal etc.. as one of their first 3 ingredients tend to lead to weight issues. Also you need to watch for sugars hidden under fancy names. My adult dogs get Canadie 2 cups a day and are perfect weight and are never hungry for extras. Eagle pack is great if you run your dogs a good deal due to the high protein content. If I were running my dogs more in the field Eagle would be right up there with the two I mentioned. However Goldens are prone to hip issues and I prefer to keep the protein level between 22 and 25% especially in the first 2 years. Good luck.

uplandchessies · 10-22-2004, 08:50 PM

I use Diamond Lamb and Rice and have no complaints. I do like that fact that it is one of the few feeds that doesn't use corn as a filler.

SWOSUMike · 10-22-2004, 11:11 PM

This sounds like a funny name, but Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, made by Diamond, is the best I've used. I get mine at Atwoods or any other country/farm store. I did use plain Diamond, but it gave my pup the runs, but the chicken soup worked great...here is why it is the best...It has a gauranteed analysis of 27% protein and 17% fat, excellent for a working dog. You've got to have plenty of fat for the working dog. Also, the main ingredients (first ingredient on list is usually primary ingredient) is Chicken and Turkey, NOT yellow cornmeal. It has OMEGA 6 to OMEGA 3 fatty acids and chelated mineral, and also includes fish and vegetables. Your dog will not poop much on this food, either, and it is black and hard and easy to pick up. Also, this food keeps the coat shiny. I have been using a maintainance food the last few weeks from the grocery since I needed food one night quick and had to go to a store that was open, and since then, his coat has been quicker to shed and has had less luster. Needless to say I will get the Chicken Soup food again my next time out for feed. It is great. Comes in a big white bag, and once again - it is made by diamond which is a trusted name among working dog feed. A dog on this feed should be out of the pen a lot, though, becuase it has a good amount of fat, but once again this is great for the working dog. During the offseason, a diamond maintenance is good for me, as long as it isn't giving my pup the runs!![:'(] Here is a picture of my pup when he was about 5 months old an on the Chicken Soup...Look at that coat

SWOSUMike · 10-22-2004, 11:14 PM

And here is a pic of Rem on the Maintenance food at about 6 months old...See? less shine. I'll be getting the Chicken Soup next time for sure. Not that a shiny coat makes a good squirrel dog, but I think it is healthier for him all around.

Roost em 1st · 10-25-2004, 07:17 AM

Riverlab
I use Diamond as well. At one time I used Science Diet, they have a plant here in Bowling Green, then I switched to Nutro. I switched to Diamond about 2 years ago because Nutro started running right through my dogs. No complaints with the Diamond 27% variety. I pick mine up at an independent feed store when I'm at home. When traveling I can usually find it at any TSC store which makes it easy to replenish. I can't knock the Nutro as my friend who keeps GSP uses it with no trouble at all but for the money I am content with the Diamond.

ratboy3124 · 10-26-2004, 02:49 PM

I also use Diamond Lamb & Rice after it was recommended to me. I have also heard that Kirkland Lamb & Rice which you can get at Costco is made by Diamond. Shop around your local feed stores first. I was buying it from one for about $23.00 a bag until I found one that sells it for around $16.00. Big, big differnce.