[Fletcher's Dad]

I am currently feeding my dog Life's Abundance from healthypetnet.com

http://www.healthypetnet.com/Healthy...oductID=401041

Great stuff...I think it's the best stuff ever.

However, I am looking for something in a store that might be cheaper to buy (the shipping and handling is what really kills the value). I have a PetCo closest to me but there is also a Pet Smart not far from where I work.

Price is not an issue, but preferably I'd like to stay around $50.00-$60.00 for a 40 pound bag at the most.

For the ingredients, these are the ingredients of Life's Abundance:
Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Potato Product, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E)), Dried Beet Pulp, Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Flavors, Flax Seed Meal, Egg Product, Catfish Meal, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine, Carrots, Apples, Canola Oil, Alfalfa Leaf Meal, Celery, Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Bifido Bacterium Fermentation Product, Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Product, Spinach, Grape Seed Extract, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Selenium Yeast, Calcium Iodate.

I've checked some listings online but really can't find anything to compare that I can find in an actual store.

[briteday]

Go to the food sub-forum here on the board and read the stickies at the top of the page about rating dog food.

You won't find any of the premium foods at Petsmart since they produce their own product line and prefer to avoid competition. Petco in my area has been offering a few premium foods. They have always carried Natural Balance. And recently I saw some Wellness brand foods.

Please do your research in the food forum and follow some of the links to other sites that analyze dog food. You can find a ton of good products in your price range. But you may have to do some research on who carries them in your area as well. The easiest way is to go to the product website and they usually have a feature that helps you find a retailer in your area.

[Fletcher's Dad]

Originally Posted by briteday

Go to the food sub-forum here on the board and read the stickies at the top of the page about rating dog food.

You won't find any of the premium foods at Petsmart since they produce their own product line and prefer to avoid competition. Petco in my area has been offering a few premium foods. They have always carried Natural Balance. And recently I saw some Wellness brand foods.

Please do your research in the food forum and follow some of the links to other sites that analyze dog food. You can find a ton of good products in your price range. But you may have to do some research on who carries them in your area as well. The easiest way is to go to the product website and they usually have a feature that helps you find a retailer in your area.

Ok...I just might need a bit more help than that, because your post confuses the hell out of me.

I am posting this in the dog food sub forum. I am unsure if there is a sub-sub forum for dog food, but if there is I am not able to locate it.

Second, the only two stickies at the top of this forum....one about the dog food recall and something about a dog food calculator. I don't see much help in either of those.

My post was a fairly simple question: are there recommended foods at either of those stores that meet the quality of Life Abundance. Somebody here must have some suggestions without trying to send me back to research on the Internet. Obviously, I've done that already if I managed to find out about Life Abundance. I just am at a block in trying to find quality food in a regular store.

[Dogmom07]

I have not been able to find a quality dry food at Petsmart, PetSupermarket or Petco.

I have just switched my dogs from Science Diet to Canidae - I had to go on their website to find a local distributor. Fortunately there is a pet shop close to my office that carries this food. Great quality food. I looked into several types of food and this came out on top for me. I will find the ingredients and post them for you.

If you can find Merrick or Blue in one of those stores, those would be the only ones that I have actually researched that the chain stores carry.

Here are the ingredients in the Canidae dry:

All Natural Ingredients
Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Lamb Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Herring Meal, Flax Seed, Sun Cured Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil, Chicken, Lecithin, Monocalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Linoleic Acid, Rosemary Extract, Sage Extract, Dried Enterococcus Faecium, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract, Inulin (from Chicory root), Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Fermentation Solubles, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (source of B2), Beta Carotene, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, D-Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Papaya, Vitamin B12 Supplement.

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein (min.) 24.00%
Crude Fat (min.) 14.50%
Crude Fiber (max.) 4.00%
Moisture (min.) 10.00%
Lenoleic Acid (Omega 6) (min.) 3.70%
Vitamin E (min.) 200.00 IU/kg
Calcium (min.) 1.20%
Phosphorus (min.) .90%
Alpha Linolenic Acid (Omega 3) (min.) .60%
Ascorbic Acid (min.) 50.00 mg/kg
Cellulase (a) (min.) 100 CMCU/kg
Magnesium (min.) 0.14%
pH 6.0

[TheChinClique]

If you want to feed a high quality food, you will either have to go to a feed store that sells high quality dog food, or have it shipped to your home. I feed the highest quality food I could find (Orijen) and each bag costs me around $40 and if you order $50 you get free shipping. I always order the cat and dog food at the same time, totaling around $80.00. The foods I recommend are Orijen, Innova Evo, Timberwolf Organics, Canidae All-Life Stages, Innova Red Meat Formula, California Natural (for dogs with allergies) and Nature's Variety (the medallion formula).

I used to feed Merrick and I don't really like it much now that I've switched to Orijen...there is really no comparison. The best in store brand I can think of is Nature's Balance. I believe it is a three-star food...but you can check for sure at www.dogfoodanalysis.com. Nothing you can be in the regular grocery store will be good. PetSmart/Petco may have something decent, but certainly not premium quality.

Good luck!

[briteday]

If you read my post at the end of the dog food calculator you can figure out for yourself how Life's Abundance scores on a quality scale. At the very end of that post their is a list of very common foods and how they rank.

Since we don't know where you live and what stores you have near you, none of us can tell you what to feed or what is available in your area. However, you can always order your food from an online source, often the manufacturer, and have it shipped to you as mentioned by another member.

[Fletcher's Dad]

Originally Posted by briteday

Since we don't know where you live and what stores you have near you, none of us can tell you what to feed or what is available in your area. However, you can always order your food from an online source, often the manufacturer, and have it shipped to you as mentioned by another member.

D'OH!!! I knew I forgot to mention that...

I live in Kansas City.

Yeah, I got the online supplier...I am trying to find someplace to buy locally.

I went to visit family in Minnesota last month and there is a HUGE privately owned pet store up there (in Mankato) and they had a huge selection of high quality dog food up there. I guess I should have stocked up!

[briteday]

Most of us consider Canidae to be a quality product. And if the following retailers carry Canidae they most likely carry other quality products. This is from the store locator on the Canidae website, stores near KC...

Miles Name & Phone Address
1 E
Natural Pet Food & Supply
785 856-7387
3025 W. 6th St
Lawrence, KS 66049
map and directions
6 SW
Brookside Barkery & Bath
816-333-2275
118 W 63rd St
Kansas City, MO 64113
map and directions
8 E
Dogs Day Out Grooming
816 478-2276
17201 E. 40 Hwy
Independence, MO 64088
map and directions
13 NW
Barkville Pet Boutique
816 587-1200
6325 Lewis St. Suite 106
Parkville, MO 64152
map and directions
13 SW
Natural Pet Food & Supply
913 498-1600
12116 Stateline Road
Leawood, KS 66209
map and directions
14 SE
Pet Planet KC
816 246-5738
201 SE Grand Ave
Less Summit, MO 64063
map and directions
14 N
Go Pet Go (New Mark Shopping Center)
816 734-1535
10201 North Oak Trafficway
Kansas City, MO 64155
map and directions

13 NE
Creative Marketing, Inc.
913 845-2435
24283 State Ave
Tonganoxie, KS 66086
map and directions
35 SE
Absolute Pet
913 294-4053
103 N Silver St D
Paola, KS 66071
map and directions
37 E
Barkville Pet Boutique
816 587-1200
6325 Lewis St. Suite 106
Parkville, MO 64152
map and directions
37 E
Natural Pet Food & Supply
913 498-1600
12116 Stateline Road
Leawood, KS 66209
map and directions
38 E
Brookside Barkery & Bath
816-333-2275
118 W 63rd St
Kansas City, MO 64113
map and directions
44 NE
Go Pet Go (New Mark Shopping Center)
816 734-1535
10201 North Oak Trafficway
Kansas City, MO 64155
map and directions
49 E
Dogs Day Out Grooming
816 478-2276
17201 E. 40 Hwy
Independence, MO 64088
map and directions
50 E
Pet Planet KC
816 246-5738
201 SE Grand Ave
Less Summit, MO 64063
map and directions

I would call them first and see if they carry more brands and have samples.

[luvntzus]

I recommend Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul; it's $29.99 for 35 pounds. That and Canidae are the most reasonably priced holistic foods. Chicken Soup's ingredients are more similar to Life's Abundance. Here's the ingredient list for their Large Breed adult food:

Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, oatmeal, millet, white rice, ocean fish meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potatoes, tomato pomace, duck, salmon, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, choline chloride, glucosamine hydrochloride, dried chicory root, chondroitin sulfate, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, L-carnitine, Enterococcus faecieum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Saccharomyces cerevesiae fermentation solubles, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin Dsupplement, folic acid.

Here's their website, there's a store locator on there. It's usually available in small petstores and feed supply stores.
http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/

[Fletcher's Dad]

Thanks for the info! I really appreciate it!