[sheltiemom]

I know this is an old thread, but I felt compelled to point out some incorrect information.....the first post states that Iams recommends feeding 4 cups of food to a 25 lb dog, and this is simply untrue. The feeding instructions for the origional formula on the website recommend feeding 1-1 1/4 cups for a 20 lb dog, and 1 1/4-1 3/4 for a 30 lb dog.

I have tried many dog foods and it is an absolute myth that you feed less of "premium foods". It has to be looked at on a food by food basis. Something like EVO is very high in calories and you will probably feed less, but I feed less of Purina One than I did of both Canidae and Natural Balance. Every time I hear "You save money by feeding less" it drives me crazy. Maybe you will on some foods, maybe not.

Another incorrect assertation in this article is that the first ingredient in Science Diet is corn. Nope, in the origional formula it's chicken, and in the lamb and rice, it's lamb meal.

When you lie about other dog foods that happen to be on your "bad list" to make your case appear stronger, you loose credibility, at least with anyone who bothers to do their own research.

[Lab159]

I know that no one really posts in this thread anymore but I would like to write what I have experienced with dog food. I have had dogs my whole life from my younger years until now. I have feed my dogs all different kinds of dog food ranging from Solid Gold to a bowl of leftovers from dinner. No matter what I seemed to put in front of the dogs they all seem to enjoy whatever is feed to them. Our first dogs (when I was a kid) were feed only scraps from dinner or some meat here and there and they lived 12+ years. I also believe that what you feed your dog is your personal opinion and someone that does not like commercial dog food will naturally make it sound bad to prove their point that the dog food they like is better. Unless you can actually prove what animal by-products are in dog food you can't make the statement that their are other dead dogs and cats in them. I really do not think our 4-legged friends mind by-products anyways, I can't count the times I would catch our farm dogs with some dead animal they caught whether it be a bird or a barn cat. They never came down with any illnesses and always died peacefully in their sleep. I believe dogs these days have been breed to be more of a house animal then the natural outdoor animals they once were. But anyways back on point. I now live in town with enough room in our backyard for my new lab I recently got. I feed it Hill's Science Diet Lamb Meal and Rice for Large breed puppies. I got her at 8 weeks old and she is now 13 weeks. She enjoys it and has firm stool movements and has plenty of energy. She is gaining the proper amount of weight every week and is not growing to fast. She will probably be feed commercial dog food her whole life along with scraps like all the dogs I have had that have lived long happy lives. I believe that if your dog likes the food that it is being feed and is not having any problems associated with it keep feeding it and if your dog does not like it and is having problems switch dog foods. There are plenty enough out there these days for every kind of picky eatter.

[Kathyy]

I totally agree with you. If the dog is fine feed that food.

I have found my dogs both do far better on fresh foods than kibble however. The spaniel mix seemed just fine on any kibble offered but on fresh he is a different dog. His very personality is better, less reactive and more sensible. The lab mix was always stinky on kibbles and she is nearly stink free on cooked. food. Those aren't minor changes.

I fed Iams, Science Diet, Royal Canin, Natural Balance, Canidae, Wellness, Pinnacle and Evo that I can recall. Fresh works better than any. I don't think the brand made a bit of difference, it is the type of food that matters here. Meat meals, dried vegetables and fruits, all that grain variety and huge numbers of added minerals and vitamins extruded and sprayed with rendered fat aren't as good for my dogs as wet meats gently cooked or raw.

[flipgirl]

I enjoy ice cream, a quarter pounder and fries and chocolate but it doesn't mean they're good for me. If I was younger, I could probably survive on them but as I get older, my body will start to break down. I'm not criticizing anyone's choice of food; just the logic behind the choice.

With regards to by-products, if they were so good for your dog, why not name what they are? I can criticize by-products because I don't know exactly what's in them. Hill's defends their use of by-products because they include vitamin E, organ and muscle meats and another ingredient I can't recall (this is according to a brochure that was sent to the animal hospital where I work). Yes they may include these but what else? How do we know that is all they include? And if they are so good, why not name them? It's because Hill's doesn't know either or they don't want us to know. That's what I, as a consumer, can only assume if they are going to hide behind by-products. Some companies use 'meat meal' or 'animal digest' - what meat and what animal? If a company cannot answer these questions or simply specify them in their ingredients list, then I must assume they don't know or they don't want me to know. I emailed Hill's a while ago asking about their by-products and other ingredients. I got their automatic email thanking me for my question and that I would receive a response when their representatives were available, but I haven't received any response at all. I emailed Purina regarding the inclusion of propylene glycol and hydrochloric acid in their Kibbles n' Bits food and I received a response. The rep didn't mention the hydrochloric acid but I did get a response. As far as I'm concerned, if they can claim their ingredients are so good, then they can name them in their ingredients list, not hide behind the name 'by-products'. (sorry repetitive)

I have fed my dog kibble, canned, homecooked and raw. I saw the biggest difference between kibble and homecooked (I went from kibble to homecooked to raw - sometimes canned when money runs out). Her tear stains diminished significantly, she was leaner and I didnt' have to force her to eat. Between grain-free raw and homecooked with grains, it's a toss up. Her poops are smaller on raw but her coat and tear stains were better on homecooked. But believe me, I often think of kibble as it is more convenient and I don't have to think about whether she's getting all her nutrients.

I think you have to feed what works for you and your dog. You feed what you can afford, have time to prepare and what your dog likes. It sounds like everyone here thinks about what they feed their dog so that's what counts.