[Leading_Husky]

Hello, my 7 month old husky puppy has been feeding on Taste of the Wild for some months now. He was unfortunately kept on Pedigree by their Breeders but I switched him as soon as I could.
After doing more research I started seeing online a lot of controversy surrounding TOTW and its quality. It got a high heart disease rate by the FDA and some claims of it containing a dangerous amount of lead. However, its still a leader brand.

I know that every dog is an individual and will do great on different types of foods, but I just want to avoid drowning my dog on risky synthetics that might give him an early death down the road.

I want to know your opinion on the following brands:

-Orijen and Acana: Top rated foods that if Im not mistaken were bought by Purina? In that case yikes.
-Wellness and Wellness Core
-Instinct Raw
-Canidae, All life stages and Under the Sun.

- I’am also gravitating towards Victor for food

Should I stick with TOTW, or switch to another?

I would greatly appreciate your advice. Thank you.

 

[RonE]

There is some evidence that feeding grain-free exclusively can lead to cardiac issues with some dogs. My own vet has had several clients that apparently experienced this. At her urging, I switched from TOTW to Purina Pro Plan. My younger dog is on a ProPlan weight management kibble and my senior dog is on Proplan Senior. I tried Victor, but it is performance kibble (at least the one I got) and way too rich for my two dogs.
TOTW has a grain inclusive variety which I've bought at Petco, though I'm sure it's available elsewhere.

BTW, that same vet advises against All Life Stages food. She insists there isn't a single kibble that's equally appropriate for puppies, adult dogs and seniors. Your vet may have different opinions and some here will say that a vet isn't an expert on canine nutrition.

 

[LeoRose]

The best food is one you dog does well on, likes to eat, and you can afford to feed.

Orijin and Acana are not owned by Purina, but rather by a private equity firm that bought a major share of the Champions Brands company that produces them. I've always been of the opinion that they are over-priced and over-hyped.

Instinct raw is okay, if you've got the money and are squeamish about doing a DIY prey model raw diet. (Hearing those bones being crunched can be pretty unnerving.)

I've fed a lot of different foods over the years, from grocery store brands to high end "super-premium" foods, with a variety of results. Currently, my dogs are on Purina Pro Plan, usually the Focus Sensitive Skin and Stomach Salmon and Rice formula.

This is a good book, written by an actual canine nutritionist. Dog Food Logic - Making Smart Decisions for Your Dog In An Age Of Too Many Choices It's not overly long, but is packed with information.

 

[pandora]

we feed our dogs raw I know this is not for everyone and it does take a bit of work more work than just scooping out some kibble into a bowl . There is a hygiene protocol , storage protocol, we have separate freezers, separate bowls and separate dishwashing equipment for the dogs bowls and we make sure of course that all surfaces and our hands are thoroughly washed with hot water and soap every time we come into contact with any of their food or the bowls but you know what it is so worth it ....I don't care , I will never feed another one of my dogs kibble because I've had too much trouble with it , too many changes to the ingredients, too many hidden ingredients , too many problems with allergies but when I feed raw I know exactly what my dogs are getting.

 

[storyist]

For those like me who only read ebooks, that Dog Food Logic book is available for Kindle at Amazon for $8.69.

 

[3GSD4IPO]

Puppy food is not the best food for puppies. It tends to encourage over growth which can lead to Panosteitis.

Panosteitis is a painful inflammation of the outer surface or shaft of one or more long bones of the legs. It is sometimes called growing pains. Panosteitis may occur in more than one bone at a time or may move around, causing a shifting lameness that goes from one bone or leg to another.

I feed RAW now but of the brands listed Wellness and Canidae were my choices. What made me SWITCH to raw was the Grain Free foods shifting from Potatoes to Peas as their base. Peas will show a High crude protein for the food.. and that protein source is not easily digested by the dog. So, yes, the crude protein may be quite high but with peas in there digestible protein is a different, lower, number. Both Wellness and Canidae have gone to a pea base.

If I were to feed kibble today I would go to rice based food (which is a grain). Even that has it's issues.. so I feed a raw mix and add delights (to the dog!) and a supplement (I use Vertex).