[DuckyNDogs]

Originally Posted by Sunshyne

I can't help with the certain health needs of your dog, but write down what you need and they'll help.

This is awesome advice. Sups and doses aren't my specialty, but if you write down what you are giving him (or bring the bottles) and tell them that as well as the SD, and let them know you are looking to save money, not spend more of it, any mom and pop shop worth its salt should be able to help you. You will find that the people that own those little shops aren't in it for the money, but a genuine love of animals.

[Sunshyne]

Ok, I read one of your replies again, and have another place for you to check out. If you are going to the Trader Joe's in Hanover, there is a Garden & Feed store 2 miles down the road on Rte. 139 in Pembroke. They are the nicest family and sell TOTW and a lot of other 5 star foods that are cheaper than Science Diet at Petco. Also, their bully sticks are only a dollar and they have tons of natural name brand chews CHEAP! Can't remember the exact name, but do a search for feed store in Pembroke and it should come up.

[Donna5503]

Hi....I give my dog Blue Buffalo Dry Food....$25.00 for a 15 lb Bag at Petsmart....it is a very good food and he loves it!

The Benefits of Our Exclusive LifeSource Bits®

LifeSource Bits contain a precise blend of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants selected by holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists. These include ingredients that have been shown to help strengthen your dog’s immune system, support their specific life stage requirements and protect them from the negative impact of environmental toxins. And, unlike other brands that add vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, LifeSource Bits are “cold–formed” to preserve their full potency.

I cannot express how pleased I am with your dog food. Harry, our 6–year old terrier/heeler mix is the most fussy eater ever. I literally was switching foods almost monthly because he would barely finish a bag before literally looking at me disgustedly and walking away from his full dish. It was so upsetting! But when I first bought BLUE, he was sticking his head into the bag before I could even pour it into his bowl! He's been eating it for almost 3 years now and it is doing phenomenally! I have done extensive research on pet foods for my "kids" and BLUE, by far, is the most healthy comprehensively formulated food out there! Thank you for caring so much!!
Karen

Ingredients

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Oatmeal, Rye, Whole Potatoes, Tomato Pomace (natural source of Lycopene), Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Flaxseed, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Alfalfa Meal, Kelp Meal, Taurine, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Yucca Shidigera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric, Garlic, Sunflower Oil (natural source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Herring Oil (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Dried Chicory Root, Black Malted Barley, Oil of Rosemary, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin C, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Beta Carotene, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Potassium Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Potassium), Cobalt Proteinate (source of Chelated Cobalt), Potassium Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Salt, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Bifidobacterium longum, Enterococcus faecium.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein 24.0% min
Crude Fat 14.0% min
Crude Fiber 4.0% max
Moisture 10.0% max
Calcium 1.0% min
Phosphorus 0.90% min
L-Carnitine* 100 mg/kg min
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* 0.25% min
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* 3.50% min
Beta Carotene* 5.0 mg/kg min
Glucosamine* 400 mg/kg max

*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.



Feeding Guidelines

Meal Frequency
Small Breed: 1 meal per day
Medium/Large Breed: 2 meals per day

Transition to BLUE
Start by mixing 25% of BLUE with your dog's old food, and gradually increase the proportion of BLUE over the next 14 days

Preparation Options
Dry—Crunchy nutrition nuggets and LifeSource Bits right from the bag.
Dry with Water—Add warm water and mix to fully release flavors and aroma.

Fresh Water
Be sure to have a clean dish of cool, fresh water available at all times.



RECOMMENDED DAILY FEEDING CHART
*Use a standard 8-oz. measuring cup.

Calorie Content (ME):
Kcal/Kg = 3,682 (calculated)
Kcal/Cup = 462.8 (as fed)

Note: Individual dog's requirements may vary from this chart due to age, breed, environment, and activity level. Adjust food as required to maintain optimal body condition, and ask your veterinarian if you are unsure.


†As “ by-products” are defined in The 2009 AAFCO Official Publication






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Where to buy BLUE

Find a store near you.



May Is Pet Cancer Awareness Month
PCA Logo For each bag of BLUE purchased in May, a donation will be made to pet cancer research.
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[InkedMarie]

Originally Posted by ClamRetriever

Thank you very much for the recommendation. I'm just not sure if I've seen that brand anywhere. Mostly Petco and Petsmarts here in New England.


I've never seen Taste of the Wild at any stores in New England. I've mostly gone to Petsmart because they carried the prescription Hill's J/D. I just read the ingredients and think I've been paying way too much money for what my dog gets and I'm not sure it's the best way to help him keep his hips healthy. Do you use any supplements? I've been adding some Missing Link Plus, a Glucosamine/Chondroiton pill, and a fish oil capsule to each meal.

Suggestions on foods and supplements are all appreciated.

Thanks for taking time to write, R

I hate to break it to you but I'm in New England and stores here sure do carry Taste of the Wild. Do you have a Tractor Supply near enough to you? They carry it. Do a google search for Taste of the Wild dog food and you can find places that carry it. There are places that carry it that aren't listed as well. you've mentioned Pet Smart a few times. Is that the only place you're willing to get dog food? Pet Co and Pet Smart are not the best places to find a variety of quality dog foods. I can only speak for the ones in my area of NH but PetCo has a much better selection of foods than Pet Smart.

[ClamRetriever]

Originally Posted by InkedMarie

I hate to break it to you but I'm in New England and stores here sure do carry Taste of the Wild. Do you have a Tractor Supply near enough to you? They carry it. Do a google search for Taste of the Wild dog food and you can find places that carry it. There are places that carry it that aren't listed as well. you've mentioned Pet Smart a few times. Is that the only place you're willing to get dog food? Pet Co and Pet Smart are not the best places to find a variety of quality dog foods. I can only speak for the ones in my area of NH but PetCo has a much better selection of foods than Pet Smart.

You are right. TOTW is carried in several places. Odd how I've never noticed it before but wasn't looking for anything other than the Hill's J/D that the vet prescribed. I only mentioned Petsmart because it is the only place I could get it as they have a Banfield Vet Service in the store. Someone wrote and suggested a couple of smaller shops that are pretty close so I'm going to look tomorrow. Thanks for your help. Just need to get the gluco/chond supplement amount info and I think I'm set. Robert

[InkedMarie]

Originally Posted by ClamRetriever

You are right. TOTW is carried in several places. Odd how I've never noticed it before but wasn't looking for anything other than the Hill's J/D that the vet prescribed. I only mentioned Petsmart because it is the only place I could get it as they have a Banfield Vet Service in the store. Someone wrote and suggested a couple of smaller shops that are pretty close so I'm going to look tomorrow. Thanks for your help. Just need to get the gluco/chond supplement amount info and I think I'm set. Robert

I logged back here to apologize to you, I was afraid I came off snotty. TOTW is a very good food, I know so many people who's dogs are doing great on it. It's grain free so you should be able to feed less than what you feed now. As far as the gluco/chond supplement, I've used various kinds: Glycoflex, In Clover's Connectin and if you go to www.healthypets.com, I got one from there, I think it begins with an "A". I have one old dog who has arthritis and hip dysplasia, my 3yr old has a luxated patella, the third has no issues but he's 9 so he gets it too, just in case.

[ClamRetriever]

Thanks Marie. No offense taken. I will check on the supplements you recommended. Just wanted to make sure I wasnt giving extra glucosamine chondroitin unnecessarily.
Best wishes,
Robert

[Inga]

My dogs do very well on Taste of the wild and I do feed a whole lot less of it then I did of other foods. The dogs are not fat at all and look great. They are not skinny by any means either. Hopefully you can find something that works for your dog and find a job soon too. I am in the same boat. Good luck to you.

[Kali]

I generally feed Nutro Ultra but when I've been in a financial pinch in the past, I've dropped down to Purina One and didn't see any negative effects.

[txcollies]

Sams Club Exceed is a great food for someone on a tight budget. Fed it and loved it. Currently since my numbers are down, they are on Pro Plan Performance, but would go back to Exceed in a heartbeat if I had to.

[midnight mojo]

TOTW is a very good food. I'd also chime in on Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul if you aren't set on grain free. The price on CS seems to vary more than a lot of other foods based on your location but it's definitely worth checking out. Personally, I prefer grain free but I have fed Mojo CS and if I needed to go to an inexpensive dog food, I'd switch back to CS without hesitation or guilt!

[FilleBelle]

I have a lot of recent experience with canine joint and muscle issues. My orthopedic vet told me that the dosages in canine joint supplements are far too low for a medium to large sized dog. Sge okayed both my 90lb and 70lb Labs to receive the human dose of chondroitin and glucosamine. A supplement with MSM makes the combo even better. You can get a big ol' bottle of the human version of this supplement at Costco or even WalMart for not too much $$.

[XyKo]

It's nice to see another local here. I fed my dog Blue Buffalo for a few months and just finally switched to Wellness. The reason for the switch was that my dog will pick out all the round black Life Bits whenever I fed him BB. With Wellness, he eats the entire bowl clean.

Also when buying at Petco/Petsmart for all the top brands, they usually will give you a full refund if your dog does not like the food. Just bring the bag with some food in there and get your refund. I found this out from one of the Blue Buffalo rep in Petsmart the other day and confirmed with the store manager.

Lastly since you are on a budget, use these coupons at either Petsmart/Petco. I'll post coupons whenever they become available.

[MaddieTheDog]

It may have been mentioned, but if your dog isnt sensitive to these foods, you can try using what you already have in the house, that's healthy. For example, after eating broccoli, cook the stems for your dog. Add the chicken, too. Maybe some eggs and oatmeal. Keep it consistent, though, for a healthy digestive system.

[MonicaBH]

I have been feeding my five dogs Diamond Naturals Chicken & Rice. I don't know if it will be what you need for your dog's hips; however, the food in and of itself is relatively inexpensive at ~$28/40# bag. My dogs do very well on it.

I have an 11 year old GSD that has bad hips; I supplement her with Cosequin DS twice daily (with a very rare dose of Rimadyl every now & then) and she gets along alright.

[ClamRetriever]

Originally Posted by MaddieTheDog

It may have been mentioned, but if your dog isnt sensitive to these foods, you can try using what you already have in the house, that's healthy. For example, after eating broccoli, cook the stems for your dog. Add the chicken, too. Maybe some eggs and oatmeal. Keep it consistent, though, for a healthy digestive system.

Thank you for the suggestion.

[txcollies]

Good luck on finding a new food. I was also laid off and I'm now going to probably have bump mine down from Pro Plan Performance to Diamond Naturals. You do what you gotta do, and thank goodness there are some decent foods that can be found for a decent price.

[justinser481]

Originally Posted by DuckyNDogs

You can get Taste of the Wild shipped from here, shipping to New England on a 30 lbs bag should be under $15

http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/p..._id=1074&Page=

The reason I recommend this food so strongly is that it is a fantastic price point that makes this affordable for a lot of people, its a 6 star food at dog food analysis, and its grain free. A dog with hip problems should ABSOLUTELY NOT be fed a lot of grains. Grains leads to obesity in dogs (at least it can when you have many low quality grains in a dog food, which any variety of Science Diet does) and, as was mentioned above, dogs with hip problems shouldn't be allowed to get fat.

Raw would be a great diet choice too. Just make sure to do plenty of research before you jump right in. There are a number of very knowledgeable people on this forum that can advise you on how to make the transition. And remember, no matter what you switch to you will need to do a gradual transition.

As far as supplements, I would stick with the fish oil (I hadn't heard about the degradation of the oil when it has surface contact with the air, if you have links to studies on that I would be interested in reading them, particularly if you have some hard numbers on the rate of degradation, as we have been using the pump fish oil for a while with great success) and maybe add a general joint support sup, something with glucosamine in it. Beyond that, if you are feeding a high quality food, you don't really need anything else.

Again, hope this helps

I would get it from: http://vippetsupplies.com/Taste_of_t...e_Formula.html for $68.99 including S&H vs Petfooddirect at $71.33 to New England

[bully]

Orijen 6-fish adult formula has some of the highest glucosamine and Gond levels plus all that fishy oil goodness. The food isn't cheap, but if you take into consideration you don't need supplements and you can feed less per feeding than some of the other foods it might make sense...

[wolfsnaps]

If you are unemployed, then lets be realistic. Maybe you CANT afford TOTW...Its ok, its temporary for now. I would suggest Pro Plan or Natures recipe. I have seen these foods for a dollar a pound or better. Not the best food but who can afford the best food when you are surviving on unemployment?


Also, instead of buying the expensive pet store supplements, you can get human grade ones at dollar general stores for much less. My dogs get fish capsules and glucosamine/chondoitin/msm pills daily for a steal!

Times are tough and we cant always have the best of everything but we can be smart and still do pretty good for ourselves and our pets/family.

Good luck.