badams122390
New member
@motorcyclemichael The instagrams ads I see are so ‘guilting.’ It takes a special kind of company to do this, it’s quite disturbing.
Best natural dog kibble
- Thread starter judyperalta
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- dog food
dontajohnson
New member
@badams122390 For real. “Your dog is a beloved member of your family, so of you’d never feed them TRASH DOG FOOD! Feed them REAL FOOD instead!!” and it’s some boutique brand with all the buzzwords and none of the research to back it up.
mollypolly83
New member
@motorcyclemichael What do you use now
motorcyclemichael
New member
@mollypolly83 We switched to Pro Plan complete essentials, it’s been absolutely fantastic. Her body condition is amazing and her poops are perfect t
yodas_prodigy1
New member
@judyperalta Please don't fall for the "natural food" marketing gimmick of getting caught up in ingredients. It's about the actual bioavailable nutrition content, not about individual ingredients that sound nice/better.
Here are a couple of articles about this topic from the board certified veterinary nutritionists at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University:
https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/06/why-you-shouldnt-judge-a-pet-food-by-its-ingredient-list/
https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2019/03/stop-reading-your-pet-food-ingredient-list/
Here are a couple of articles about this topic from the board certified veterinary nutritionists at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University:
https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/06/why-you-shouldnt-judge-a-pet-food-by-its-ingredient-list/
https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2019/03/stop-reading-your-pet-food-ingredient-list/
imagebeastmarkbeast
New member
@judyperalta If you can get over the fear of Purina, the Sensitive Skin and Stomach line is corn/wheat/soy free.
I personally used to be a hardcore boutique food feeder for like 15 years. Probably the only thing that saved my dogs was the fact that I rotated/changed food constantly and when we first started feeding "grain free", it was before legumes overtook the formulas. I worked in pet retail and sold/believed in all the "natural" foods. I still wish I could trust them, but having spent some time going down the nutritional DCM rabbit hole and years of reading personal stories from people whose dogs were affected and some happily recovered after switching to the so-called "garbage" brands, I can no longer comfortably recommend or feed those foods. Frankly I'm grateful I no longer work in pet retail and have to wrestle with that moral dilemma.
It infuriates me that the boutique brands refuse to take it serious or put their money where their mouth is and PROVE their foods are safe. That's all we're asking for -- proof. Not slick marketing or empty assurances or hopeful theories about "the problem is taurine and our food is full of meat!" etc. Diets containing grains also have been associated with nutritional DCM just from being poorly formulated. For example, one of the reasons why taurine gets added to all cat food is because they learned the hard way back in the 80s that certain Lamb & Rice formulas were causing DCM due to taurine deficiency in cats and some dogs. Lamb is a naturally low-taurine meat. So while we know that can be a factor, it's not the ONLY factor. A poorly formulated diet or a diet that doesn't provide the nutrients as-fed vs on-paper can still cause problems.
I personally feed my dogs Royal Canin because they've done really well on it and I trust their quality control processes and of course they do a ton of research and testing. Most of their retail diets contain corn or wheat. There is nothing inherently bad about those ingredients unless your dog is allergic. Boutique companies like to say they're "filler" but my dogs have the smallest, least frequent poops on RC with all their so-called "fillers" than any "meat filled" boutique brand I've ever fed (short of straight raw food). If you read the research, wheat gluten and corn gluten is actually more fully digested and absorbed by dogs when prepared properly in dry diets than even chicken meal. And the chicken by-product meal that RC purchases is specifically rich in organ meat, which is highly nutritious. They also have grain-free prescription diets that are tested and safe if a dog has a legit grain allergy. Each animal I have is on the formula that works best for them. Every animal I've owned has thrived on RC, and I'm amazed at how consistently it feeds, looks, smells, performs etc. The drawback is that it's a little on the pricey side, particularly the prescription diets, but not any worse than something like Carna4.
One thing I will always say, and this was true even when I sold boutique foods with my whole heart believing in them, is that there is no such thing as "the best food". It really just depends on your dog's needs and your personal needs. Every food that one dog thrives on is another dog's worst nightmare.
If you are REALLY stuck on no "big name" brands, FirstMate does sell a grain-friendly line that is affordable and does not contain any legumes or potatoes. Their foods are not formulated by a veterinary nutritionist however and they do not do feeding trials.
I personally used to be a hardcore boutique food feeder for like 15 years. Probably the only thing that saved my dogs was the fact that I rotated/changed food constantly and when we first started feeding "grain free", it was before legumes overtook the formulas. I worked in pet retail and sold/believed in all the "natural" foods. I still wish I could trust them, but having spent some time going down the nutritional DCM rabbit hole and years of reading personal stories from people whose dogs were affected and some happily recovered after switching to the so-called "garbage" brands, I can no longer comfortably recommend or feed those foods. Frankly I'm grateful I no longer work in pet retail and have to wrestle with that moral dilemma.
It infuriates me that the boutique brands refuse to take it serious or put their money where their mouth is and PROVE their foods are safe. That's all we're asking for -- proof. Not slick marketing or empty assurances or hopeful theories about "the problem is taurine and our food is full of meat!" etc. Diets containing grains also have been associated with nutritional DCM just from being poorly formulated. For example, one of the reasons why taurine gets added to all cat food is because they learned the hard way back in the 80s that certain Lamb & Rice formulas were causing DCM due to taurine deficiency in cats and some dogs. Lamb is a naturally low-taurine meat. So while we know that can be a factor, it's not the ONLY factor. A poorly formulated diet or a diet that doesn't provide the nutrients as-fed vs on-paper can still cause problems.
I personally feed my dogs Royal Canin because they've done really well on it and I trust their quality control processes and of course they do a ton of research and testing. Most of their retail diets contain corn or wheat. There is nothing inherently bad about those ingredients unless your dog is allergic. Boutique companies like to say they're "filler" but my dogs have the smallest, least frequent poops on RC with all their so-called "fillers" than any "meat filled" boutique brand I've ever fed (short of straight raw food). If you read the research, wheat gluten and corn gluten is actually more fully digested and absorbed by dogs when prepared properly in dry diets than even chicken meal. And the chicken by-product meal that RC purchases is specifically rich in organ meat, which is highly nutritious. They also have grain-free prescription diets that are tested and safe if a dog has a legit grain allergy. Each animal I have is on the formula that works best for them. Every animal I've owned has thrived on RC, and I'm amazed at how consistently it feeds, looks, smells, performs etc. The drawback is that it's a little on the pricey side, particularly the prescription diets, but not any worse than something like Carna4.
One thing I will always say, and this was true even when I sold boutique foods with my whole heart believing in them, is that there is no such thing as "the best food". It really just depends on your dog's needs and your personal needs. Every food that one dog thrives on is another dog's worst nightmare.
If you are REALLY stuck on no "big name" brands, FirstMate does sell a grain-friendly line that is affordable and does not contain any legumes or potatoes. Their foods are not formulated by a veterinary nutritionist however and they do not do feeding trials.
@judyperalta Purina Sensitive Skin and Stomach was a game changer for my dog.
@raelynn58 Ugh we did raw for almost his whole first year with one of our dogs. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I feel bad about that, but we thought we were doing the “best” thing. We switched from that to Honest Kitchen dehydrated “doggie oatmeal” to save some money for the next almost year. Now we’re on the mainstream WSAVA foods.
Even our (now ex) vet was all “feed raw or you’re a mediocre pet parent!” (Current vet says the foods we’re feeding contribute to me doing a great job caring for my dogs) He is still skinny (maybe his age- only nearly 2), but what’s nuts is that the last few weeks that I’ve been experimenting with the major brand foods- even though he didn’t tolerate the Hill’s well & we’re still working on finding his sweet spot food-, his fur is growing in thicker, shinier, & softer! Coincidence? I’m not sure.
ETA: my Cav just jumped up to hang out with me & I noticed he doesn’t even have tears all over his face anymore either! His face used to always be wet from tearing constantly. Again. Coincidence? Probably not.
Even our (now ex) vet was all “feed raw or you’re a mediocre pet parent!” (Current vet says the foods we’re feeding contribute to me doing a great job caring for my dogs) He is still skinny (maybe his age- only nearly 2), but what’s nuts is that the last few weeks that I’ve been experimenting with the major brand foods- even though he didn’t tolerate the Hill’s well & we’re still working on finding his sweet spot food-, his fur is growing in thicker, shinier, & softer! Coincidence? I’m not sure.
ETA: my Cav just jumped up to hang out with me & I noticed he doesn’t even have tears all over his face anymore either! His face used to always be wet from tearing constantly. Again. Coincidence? Probably not.
dontajohnson
New member
@tumrub Yep, diet and water are huuuge contributors to tearstains. I wish I’d known it a long time ago because my first dog dealt with them for years before I learned about it. His tearstains decreased a lot with a diet change. My current dog’s tearstains seem mostly linked to water quality, so he gets bougie RO water from the water store lmao.
@dontajohnson 
we have an RO system for the humans in our house, so it was automatic for me to use it for the dogs, but the food I had no idea til super recently.
we have an RO system for the humans in our house, so it was automatic for me to use it for the dogs, but the food I had no idea til super recently.judyperalta
New member
Thank you for all your comments, and being very understanding and informative,
Social media is a killer, and I only worry as their is no emergency vet here, the nearest one is 4 hrs away, so if anything were to happen iam screwed as I currently don’t drive due to a previous health issue,
When my Belgian Malinois was a puppy, she was on o’l Roy dogfood and did good on it, until I was told that I was a bad dog mom feeding her that, then switched to grain free natures recipe, then people telling me grain free leads to heart issues specially Malinois that already are prone to heart issues ??,
But she’s super itchy currently on this dog food,
So with my anxiety and wanting the best for her, I will try out your suggestions and try to get over the purina issue,
Social media is a killer, and I only worry as their is no emergency vet here, the nearest one is 4 hrs away, so if anything were to happen iam screwed as I currently don’t drive due to a previous health issue,
When my Belgian Malinois was a puppy, she was on o’l Roy dogfood and did good on it, until I was told that I was a bad dog mom feeding her that, then switched to grain free natures recipe, then people telling me grain free leads to heart issues specially Malinois that already are prone to heart issues ??,
But she’s super itchy currently on this dog food,
So with my anxiety and wanting the best for her, I will try out your suggestions and try to get over the purina issue,
snowshard14
New member
@judyperalta Social media is just… terrifying. And everyone who loves their pets is unfortunately susceptible to the tactics employed (including everyone commenting here- we only learned because we were once stricken with fear about the same thing). I have settled on outline pro plan, sensitive skin and stomach. My dog has struggled with health issues and it was well recommended by her different vets who I would trust with both my life and hers. If you have a vet you trust, it’ll make a world of difference in being able to ignore the craze of social media.
Side note, please have a plan for if you ever do have an emergency. I know you mentioned the nearest emergency vet is 4 hours away but you do not want to be scrambling for a plan if your pup’s life is in danger. You could even ask your regular vet if they have a recommendation. Maybe they know of a place with an emergency line?
Side note, please have a plan for if you ever do have an emergency. I know you mentioned the nearest emergency vet is 4 hours away but you do not want to be scrambling for a plan if your pup’s life is in danger. You could even ask your regular vet if they have a recommendation. Maybe they know of a place with an emergency line?
imagebeastmarkbeast
New member
@judyperalta Purina or Hills Science Diet are the best. They’re formulated based on years of research and testing rather than formulated to market buzzwords like open farm, honest kitchen, or other boutique brands.
Always consult your veterinarian about your dogs diet and the risks of boutique diets.
Always consult your veterinarian about your dogs diet and the risks of boutique diets.
@judyperalta After 15 years of fooling around with every boutique brand available to try to resolve my poor old dog's gastric issues, she lived out the last 2 years of her life happily and safely and healthily on Hill's science diet g/d.
Our little guy who is 12 now has done great on Purina One Small dog lamb and rice. Then we adopted a second small dog, and for some reason I was convinced that I should put him on a really high-end food. So I tried everything from Honest Kitchen to Red Barn to cooking for him. He had loose stools, terrible gas, itchy skin and virtually no appetite for 6 months. I switched him onto the same food my other little dogs on and he has done great for the last 6 months - absolutely no issues.
Purina for the win.
Our little guy who is 12 now has done great on Purina One Small dog lamb and rice. Then we adopted a second small dog, and for some reason I was convinced that I should put him on a really high-end food. So I tried everything from Honest Kitchen to Red Barn to cooking for him. He had loose stools, terrible gas, itchy skin and virtually no appetite for 6 months. I switched him onto the same food my other little dogs on and he has done great for the last 6 months - absolutely no issues.
Purina for the win.
professorab
New member
@judyperalta Purina did a ton of the original research and testing on pet foods. They learned a lot and came out with improved purina one. They never stopped researching and testing, learned a lot more, and came out with pro plan. Basic purina gets a bad rap because it's available everywhere, is affordable, and has been around a long time, but it's still fine. The improved pro plan is excellent. Hills is also very well researched and tested. I hear Royal canin is too, but I haven't looked into it. FYI, natural isn't a thing. Tar is natural. Rubber is natural. Arsenic is natural. To a great extent, sugar is natural. Natural has no legal definition, and the use of the term is a red flag for many, as it's inherently misleading. Whatever "Natural" means to you, i guarantee that it doesn't mean the same thing to food companies, human or canine.
@judyperalta This is the best thread I’ve found ANYWHERE on dog food.
@judyperalta Why do zero of these comments recommend victor? Meal isnt bad thats a myth.
@judyperalta Not only is victor just as good they source every single thing in their food from the US.
@judyperalta Same boat, we feed orijen amazing grains red regional