[parmed]

Hey Guys,

My breeder has suggested that I use Life's abundance Premium puppy food for my new dog. I'm a first time dog-owner...anybody have any experience with this dog food brand?

Thanks!!

[RawFedDogs]

Originally Posted by parmed

Hey Guys,

My breeder has suggested that I use Life's abundance Premium puppy food for my new dog. I'm a first time dog-owner...anybody have any experience with this dog food brand?

It's a mediocre food at best sold at above premium prices. It is mostly rice and oats with very little meat. It also has dried beet pulp which is used as an artifiial stool hardener.

[UrbanBeagles]

Originally Posted by RawFedDogs

It's a mediocre food at best sold at above premium prices. It is mostly rice and oats with very little meat. It also has dried beet pulp which is used as an artifiial stool hardener.

That is completely false information! Beet pulp is a fiber source, plain & simple. It does not swell up and cause bloat or artifically harden stools. It's not only a misunderstood dog food ingredient, but is also has quite the propoganda surrounding it in horse feed as well. Start digging behind the nonsensical sites that promote holistic diets & you will begin to find the truth.

I have always liked beet pulp in a feed for the simple fact that it is probably one of the best regularors of blood sugar levels. This is vital when dealing with hunting dog hypoglycemia, which did not strike me once when I was using Eukanuba, a feed high in beet pulp. Their stools were firm, yet NEVER hard on it.

Life's Abundance (or any feed) should not automatically be crossed off the list due to any inclusion of grains. Sorry, but grains in kibble do not automatically make that food high in carbs - take Eukanuba again, for example. Their small breed *dry* puppy food used to be about 28% carbs, and their maintenance feeds were approx 34% carbs. Their old Premium Performance 30/20 was about 30% carbs. I believe that just abot matches the carb levels of these grain free foods on the market today, as well. But back to LA, oats and rice are probably the two most useful and well digested grains in a dog's diet. Oatmeal is the staple grain of my pup's diets during the weaning period. I don't even cook it - just soak it in warm water and it gives beautiful coats, is gentle on the stomach, as is rice. Oats are a quality source of protein w/o excessive phosphorous. Everything you've mentioned about LA would make it a quality feed in my book, not a mediocre one, as you call it

[RawFedDogs]

Originally Posted by UrbanBeagles

That is completely false information! Beet pulp is a fiber source, plain & simple. It does not swell up and cause bloat or artifically harden stools.

I did not say it swole up. I did not say it caused bloat. I said it artificially hardens stools. By that, I don't mean it creates hard stools. I mean it keeps stools from being diarrhea. It absorbs water in the intestines. That is the only reason it's there. There is an abundance of other fiber in the diet so that beet pulp isn't needed as fiber. Dogs fed a proper diet, use bone for fiber and don't need plant based fiber.

It's not only a misunderstood dog food ingredient, but is also has quite the propoganda surrounding it in horse feed as well.

So has it ever occured to you that maybe every one else is right and you MIGHT be the one who is wrong?

Start digging behind the nonsensical sites that promote holistic diets & you will begin to find the truth.

I didn't get my information from holistic sites. I have never seen a site anywhere that wasn't put up by a dog food company that uses beet pulp in their diets that indicate in any way that beet pulp is a desirable ingredient in dog food.

Life's Abundance (or any feed) should not automatically be crossed off the list due to any inclusion of grains. Sorry, but grains in kibble do not automatically make that food high in carbs - take Eukanuba again, for example.

I didn't mention anything about carbs in my post. Grains are very difficult to digest, particularly by carnivores. They are difficult to digest by humans but more so by dogs. Rice has almost no nutrition at all. Oats are a questionable food at best for a carnivore.

I believe that just abot matches the carb levels of these grain free foods on the market today, as well.

Actually MOST kibbles are close to 50% carbs but that is not part of the discussion here.

But back to LA, oats and rice are probably the two most useful and well digested grains in a dog's diet.

No grain is useful nor easily digested by a dog. These may be what you say but it means nothing if neither is of any use nor easily digested. Rice isn't even a useful food for a human, let alone a dog. It's no more than a filler.

Everything you've mentioned about LA would make it a quality feed in my book, not a mediocre one, as you call it

Seeing what you feed your puppies, I'm not surprised at your statement. I still maintain because of the low amount of meat and high amount of grains and the inclusion of beet pulp, its a very mediocre food to feed a dog or puppy.