Options not owned by the big 3?

[reallybadsinner]

For 10-13 years I fed my dogs Taste of the Wild and switched to Solid Gold once they were aging and needed to lower their fat intake. They’ve since passed and I adopted a new guy this week so I decided to shop around.

I keep ending up on threads here and in r/dogs recommending only Purina, Hills, Royal Canin, and Iams. Owned by Nestle, Colgate-Palmolive, and Mars - brands I try to avoid (Less Colgate as much as the other two). Are there really no smaller brands that come even remotely close to the recommended guidelines?

 

[sevilodorf]

@reallybadsinner There really are no small brands that come remotely close

https://www.reddit.com/r/DogFood/wiki/index/start/

Go with Hills if you have fewer objections to their parent company

 

[babatunde]

@reallybadsinner I distrust the big ones as well. But at the same time recognize that they produce science backed food. I may not like how their ingredients sound but they are selected for a purpose. That being said, smaller boutique brands may have good sounding ingredients but why are you trusting them more than the big ones? Their kibble isn’t even science backed. Everyone outside the big 5 wants to take a different approach to dog food formulations, which I welcome, but they don’t show any evidence that it is better than the big 5. In fact, there are so many boutique brands that have caused DCM and growth issues in dogs. I may not like Nestle and Mars but the science doesn’t lie. They have a track record of producing dog food that is nutritionally sound and safe for the dogs. Many working and show dogs are fed Hills, Purina etc. and grow old without major issues. I choose safety even though I’d like to feed my dogs something else. I currently feed Hills sensitive stomach and my dogs are doing very well on it. Especially Maya is doing well on it. Her sensitive tummy has settled while on this brand. I add additional goodies like pumpkin puree with apples or blue berries and sometimes I add goat milk kefir. And they love it.

 

[reallybadsinner]

@babatunde Not so much distrust as much as don’t want to give them my money with their practices around bottled water, use of palm oil, child labor exploitation, etc. sometimes it’s impossible to not spend with them but prefer not to when it’s a choice.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@babatunde I would like to see the proof that the small boutique brands were the cause of DCM.

 

[sevilodorf]

@imagebeastmarkbeast You are more than welcome to check out our wiki page on DCM which provides a ton of resources including current veterinary consensus on the topic and more than a dozen peer reviewed studies supporting a link between poorly formulated diets high in peas, potatoes and legumes and DCM.

https://www.reddit.com/r/DogFood/wiki/index/dcm

 

[norwegianvikinh]

@reallybadsinner I always fed Authority (PetSmart brand) to my previous pups (and cats) and they all had long, healthy lives. I tried Hills and Iams and such on my new pup but she did horrible to the point the vet thought she had chicken allergies. I moved her to Authority Salmon and Rice SSS topped with Iams puppy wet food and she is thriving!!!!

 

[sarada]

@reallybadsinner I’m new to this Reddit but not new to deeply researching dog food and nutrition. The schools of thought surrounding the “best diet” is just as controversial in our pets as it is for us humans!
The Mediterranean Diet is arguably one of the best for humans, but some people would disagree and say vegan, or even carnivore for example. The “science backed” USDA food pyramid recommendations are arguably not created by unbiased science whatsoever. And, there are no solid scientific studies (other than observational) to support the Mediterranean Diet being the best for humans, but the majority of doctors will tell you it is. So sometimes, it’s wise to be cautious when the reason “science backed” is used. Science can be biased by who is funding it! It’s always important to look into the studies conflict of interests, and funding. I respect anyone’s choices on what they’re feeding their dogs but I don’t believe that only the “science backed” dog food is always the best answer because “science backed”… hope that makes sense