Dog Food - Lets Talk About it

Discussion in 'Labrador Health' started by RyanRJ, Mar 12, 2019.

  1. RyanRJ

    RyanRJ Registered Users

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    Hello everyone. I wanted to start a discussion on dog food to see what everyone is feeing their dogs. What are the attributes in dog food brands that you look for (ingredients, recalls, price, etc.). Secondly, did you start you puppy on a different dog food brand and then later change to another, and if so why?

    The first dog I had I started on Science Diet, because at the time I thought that was the best brand of food for him, but after researching the dog I learned that wasn’t necessarily true.

    I then switched to Diamond’s higher end, I think it was Diamond Naturals. I did that at the request of a breeder I had adopted a Great Dane from. Great Danes are unique in how they grow, and due to the rate at which they grow their diet has to be monitored as not to create bone/joint problems as they mature.

    From Diamond (I learned Diamond has a recent food recalls at the time) I moved on to Taste of The Wild – Wild Boar. I found this to perform wonders for the skin problems by English Bulldog, Fathead had, nearly eliminating the skin issues he had for so long. The problem with this food is that it seemed to cause bladder stones in my other English bulldog, Goober. I learned after bladder stone had formed in Goober and a $5,000.00 surgery later some dog food ingredients are more prone to causing these types if issues I dogs.

    Now, I have never had any issues with Labradors and dog food, but, seeing as how I am getting a new Labrador puppy in the coming weeks I am open to new foods I haven’t tried that you all have had good luck with.

    Thanks, I’ll be looking forward to your replies.
     
  2. Jade

    Jade Registered Users

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    I feed my dogs Victor. www.victorpetfood.com
    It's a private label dog food. It's made by Mid America Pet Food in their own facility in Texas. The kibble is great. They have several formulas to choose from. They've never had a recall.My dogs do great on it.
     
  3. AlphaDog

    AlphaDog Registered Users

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    Yes, Victor is a highly rated kibble but it's still nutritionally "dead" post processing. Though more work get your pup on a raw diet. 3 years for mine and he's healthy and strong.
     
  4. Browse

    Browse Registered Users

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  5. Ruth Buckley

    Ruth Buckley Registered Users

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    Raw works well for us. He came to me on cheap kibble and I switched to an expensive organic tinned food in the hope it might help with his behaviour. I eventually switched to raw once I'd got a new freezer sorted and havent looked back. His behaviour is better but I'm sure there's lots of factors there ( age and training etc). He absolutely loves his food and it keeps him busy and quiet for longer. My recycling bin is no longer full of tins. It works out cheap for me as I have friends who supply me with venison, squirrel, pheasant, etc that would otherwise go to waste. It isn't ideal when you want to use a large proportion of your dog's diet for training - I use cooked or deydrated meat for this mostly - but the benefits far outweigh this one disadvantage.
     
  6. Jo Laurens

    Jo Laurens Registered Users

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    I feed raw.
     
  7. Shadow

    Shadow Registered Users

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    Breeder is having me use Eukanuba large breed puppy kibble then to the breed specific Labrador Retriever adult type Eukanuba makes. Also, they suggested Fido-Vite, Sportz Dog vitamin and pro biotic supplement powder on kibble. Past Labradors, I've used Purina kibble, but, ended up having to add salmon oil and a weekly egg for the Labrador's skin and coat.
     
  8. WillowA

    WillowA Registered Users

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    I give a teaspoon of well baby to Willow's food daily it's made her coat really shiny.
    She is in great condition since being on the vitamins.
     
  9. Benf64

    Benf64 Registered Users

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    Is Raw ok for a puppy? My 5 month old has been on Orijen Large Breed, but have issues with gas and loose stools. I constantly have to supplement pumpkin and probiotics. If I don't go raw, what is an excellent large breed puppy food to switch to from the Orijen?

    For my adult Golden retriever I have fed Raw using Healthy Dogma mixed with ground beef I get at my local food store. I don't believe they have anything specific for a puppy.
     
  10. Cupcase

    Cupcase Registered Users

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    Feeding a fresh diet is more than feeding one protien.

    I've fed a raw diet for years and started my first pup on raw. So yes you can feed a pup raw. However all dogs irrelevant of breed or age need a varied diet of meats.
     
  11. Benf64

    Benf64 Registered Users

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    My older Golden was given the raw as her second meal, she is still given Acana dry food as her first meal of the day. I always changed up the formulas.

    I have never gone raw and made everything, I always buy a premix that requires the added protein. Anybody have comments on which brand of premix is best for a puppy if I go that route? Also which brand of dry ranks up there with the Orijen I have been using? I was thinking Instinct, comments?
     
  12. Ruth Buckley

    Ruth Buckley Registered Users

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    Lots of people wean straight onto raw. It's the ideal diet for puppies. Variety is key though, it is not like feeding processed food where you give the same thing everyday. Broadly speaking you need to keep to the 80 10 10 percentages (meat, bone offal) but this balance can be achieved over time. Here in the UK there are lots of raw dog food suppliers that do balanced meals but I prefer to use my local butcher and have friends who shoot.
     
  13. Jo Laurens

    Jo Laurens Registered Users

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    Our litter this year will be weaned directly to raw.
     
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  14. Sunnytee

    Sunnytee Registered Users

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    We started out on orijen as well and had the same issues. I switched to firstmate Pacific ocean fish large breed puppy. It's limited ingredient mostly fish protein, herring anchovies and sardines. No gas I mean she doesn't pass wind at all and her digestive issues cleared completely. Her coat is amazing shiny and she has no odour, which when we got her from the breeder she smelled quite strong... The only thing I have noticed is that her breath had a slightly fishy smell... I'm most happy with the food though, I've tried a lot of other foods with my dogs over the years and I've never had a dog with no wind and sick a glossy coat... I feed some raw mixed with a smaller helping of kibble for dinner when we have it, but where we live raw is hard to maintain because we are remote and travel for fresh and getting it here still frozen and then storing enough to last a month or more is a problem..
     
  15. Keithmac

    Keithmac Registered Users

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    Our pup was weaned on raw, she's just turned 1 year old and in excellent health.

    We feed Naturaw now and it's excellent imho.

    Our new pup is being weaned onto raw as well.
     
  16. Christina2807

    Christina2807 Registered Users

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    I have just purchased Simpsons 80/20 premium puppy food for our puppy arriving next week. This was within out budget and offers a 90% nutritional rate on https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/

    We will transition her onto this over the first week from what the breeder has been feeding her.
     

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