What Dog/Cat food and why?

[Bamboo]

Some basic info on Jade and Rasputin:

Jade is a 12 year old GSD. No allergies or intolerances. She is lucky not to have the characteristic sensitive stomach or horrible joints that have become far too common within her breed. She gets glucosamine and a kelp supplement once a day, on her breakfast.

Rasputin is a 15 year old cat. No allergies or intolerances and no special concerns, such as crystals. He has kibble available at all times and he gets a can of Weruva every morning.

I'm having some issues finding both of them new foods. They had both been eating Orijen for years and doing fantastically on in. Unfortunately, Orijen overhauled their formulas earlier this year and it does not agree with them. Rasputin stopped eating his kibble until he was hardly eating at all. And he was obviously hungry because he started stealing food from the kitchen, which he's never done in the 14 years that I've had him. Jade loved the new formula but it did not love her back. She got horrible, horrible diarrhea. She would run to the door but she would not be able to hold it. She had accidents almost every day for 2-3 weeks.

So, I have to find them a new regular food. It sucks because I really liked Orijen. I'm even more pissed because they were doing so well on it for so long and then the damn company gets greedy and changes to formulas to make a quick buck. Pretty lame, if you ask me...

I tried Acana for a while and they did alright on it. I kept looking because, from what I can tell, it's not that much better then a lot of the other foods out there but sometimes can be close to twice as much. I don't mind paying what needs to be paid (I used to spend $85 on bag of Orijen every 2-3 weeks. I'm not put off by the $60-70 every 2-3 for the various types of Acana) -I just don't like paying for a name when there isn't substance behind it. And, I'm still a little irritated at Champion, so I don't like paying into their brand at the moment...

I tried raw 2 years ago and I didn't like the results. Rasputin was being fed 4 times a day but he seemed hungry all the time. He would wake me up in the night by meowing and whenever I would go to see if anything was wrong, he would run to his dish. I even tried upping it to 5 or 6 times a day but nothing changed. Jade loved it but, similarly to the Orijen, it did not love her. Only that time, she could hardly poop at all. She was always constipated and half the time, when she could get it out, it was just dust and chunks of bone. I lowered the amount of bone she was getting but it didn't help.

I've tried both of them on Natural Balance as an 'in-between' food.. Rasputin really seemed to like it, so I got him another bag. He seems to be doing well on it, though he is getting bored of it. I've gone back and forth between the Green Pea+Duck and Green Pea+Salmon and there doesn't seem to be a preference. I don't think I'll be getting it again.

He's had Taste of the Wild before and he seemed to love it. (Picky cats always do, so I do wonder what they do to it :? ) I'm not too fond of TotW, what with all the recalls in the past but I may look into it again. I haven't ever tried Jade with it.

Right now Jade is finishing up a bag of Go Natural (Lamb). She loves it and actually seems to be doing great on it. Her poops are firm and consistent and she never strains. I might continue with this for a while. I do like that you can get different flavours of it. My main concern is the "Natural Flavour" in the ingredients.

Also, every time I ask people's advice and tell people that I'm feeding Go, it's recommended that I try Now (which is by the same company -Petcurean) Everyone talks like it's so much better then Go, but I've looked at the ingredients and the Go looks superior. If anyone has any experience with Now, I'd be interested to hear about it.

So, my question for you guys is: what do you feed and why?

 

[kathleenford]

my cat's are on the new Nutrience that is out. it's improved and so much better. doesn't have wheat, corn, etc. it's grain free! and i'm not sure what to suggest for the dog, as my dog was on food from the vet due to her teeth problems. but they have a dog Nutrience too that just came out, grain free as well.

 

[victoria]

I don't know what brands to suggest but I know with carnivores, we always suggest a mix of two or more types in case a brand or formula is ever unavailable or discontinued. I'm sure you know this already but wet food seems to be much better for cats than kibble.

 

[kathleenford]

every vet usually suggests more wet food then dry. mine does anyways, my cats get wet food 3 times a day and just a bit of hard food. so like, a 50 lb bag does me like, 6-7 months and i have 4 cats.

 

[Bamboo]

Yeah, he gets the large can of Weruva in the morning and he does get a can (or two, if he eats it fairly quickly) of Almo Nature in the evening. The Almo cans are smaller and they're not nutritionally complete so he does need a staple to accompany it. He doesn't like the pates so it's hard to find wet foods that he'll eat. I've tried him with even the chunkier pates but he still doesn't really eat them.

I haven't even looked at the Nutrience but I did here that the new formula is supposed to be pretty good. Do you know the origin of the ingredients? I personally try to avoid anything from China.

 

[amanda1472]

Hi! im in vet tech school, and its sucks, but my cat and dog nutrition course is only next semester. But from what I know now, maybe getting your dog in a vet diet, for joint management, like Purina JM. For your cat, i'm not too sure, many cats in our clinic eat dental diets, even if they dont have dental problems, since most cats hate having their teeth brushed. Maybe try purina DH?

Anyway, sorry I cant help much, but maybe i gave you two ideas you can look into.

 

[kathleenford]

i don't know the ingredients off by heart just because i put them in a huge bin (my cats like to destroy bags..) the new formula is good though! i've noticed a difference in my cats coats, too. also, my cat, Tubby, doesn't have hairballs anymore lol that's a big plus for her, as she cleans herself 24/7 and has very long fur.

 

[Bamboo]

Hi! im in vet tech school, and its sucks, but my cat and dog nutrition course is only next semester. But from what I know now, maybe getting your dog in a vet diet, for joint management, like Purina JM. For your cat, i'm not too sure, many cats in our clinic eat dental diets, even if they dont have dental problems, since most cats hate having their teeth brushed. Maybe try purina DH?

Anyway, sorry I cant help much, but maybe i gave you two ideas you can look into.

The only thing with vet diets is that they aren't, except under extreme circumstances, meant to be lifelong diets. They're made to be transition the animal from recovery back to a normal life. Unless there is a reason for them, animals shouldn't really be on vet diets. And, I don't really know why, but all the vet brands I've encountered are little more then corn and by-products.

Maybe your course next semester will explain if there's a reason for this because I've never understood it. I'd love to know -Seriously, if you remember can you either come back here, start a thread or even just message me once you really get into it? I'm very interested what vet techs are being taught about nutrition these days! Animal nutrition is a hobby or mine lol

i don't know the ingredients off by heart just because i put them in a huge bin (my cats like to destroy bags..) the new formula is good though! i've noticed a difference in my cats coats, too. also, my cat, Tubby, doesn't have hairballs anymore lol that's a big plus for her, as she cleans herself 24/7 and has very long fur.

Interesting! I did some looking into them and I am impressed. This is better then I expected (I had a bad experience with Nutrience once but, to be fair that was almost 10 years ago at this point...maybe I need to let it go a little) They do say that they "Prioritize Canadian and American growers" which is great but that sounds like they're referring to the fruits, veggies and cereals they use. I do like that but I am still wondering where the meat comes from. Still though, that looks good!

PS: I think I literally said these exact words while looking it up...that's how surprised I was lol.

(I know I probably sound like an über-snob about petfood...I'm sorry, everyone lol)

 

[victoria]

You should PM Moon, she's a good person to ask about cat and dog nutrition.

Vet diets are really not great for the most part. They're a bit better than the stuff sold at the supermarket but they aren't the best available. Because you can only buy vet diets from clinics, vets have an incentive to push them other than them being the best choice for an animal. It's a brilliant marketing tool on the part of the manufacturers.

 

[amanda1472]

Before my dogs where put on metabolic, (for weight loss), they ate Bluebufallo, have you thought of this food?
And at least what i have seen in vet diets, is that the animal stays on it for life, like purina joint-management for a dog with joint problem, they would eat it for life to help with their joints etc. My dogs will stay on metabolic, unless something else arises. It doesnt make them loose weight if they are at a healthy weight, it will just help keep their metabolism stable. And I do hope I remember to message you when I do start my dog and cat nutrition course.

 

[jorats]

My sister's dog is on a Motility diet from the vet's. She's been on it now for a few years. The reason why she was put on it, she is full of arthritis and has hip displasia on both sides. Before the food, she was requiring weekly shots for pain management but since on the food and daily exercise, she doesn't need it anymore. Reading the ingredients on the bag makes me cringe but it's what works for Roxie.
My mom's poochon is on a kibble for digestion from the vet as well. He will be on it for life because of his circumstances with lack of bladder control and broken back before he came to them. Again, the ingredients don't seem the best but so far, it's keeping him in the best shape. My mom did try changing him over to other high quality dog brands like Nature's Variety but he only became very sick again.
I really believe you need to find a food that works for your dog and for you. My dogs are on V-dog. A vegan dog kibble. The reason I tried it was because I was at my wit's end about Gypsy. She kept chewing her paws raw. I changed her diet to other exotic meats but she still was itchy. Finally, I tried the vegan dog food and it did it. She stopped chewing herself. Both my dogs are on it now and are doing great.

 

[eagle]

I currently feed Merrick grainfree beef to my dogs as so far it is the only thing my one dog Sparky can eat without scratching himself to death. He is allergic to chicken, duck, turkey, white fish, salmon, rabbit, wheat, corn, soy and green beans ( the boy loves his green beans so that one was hard). I am currently adding some bison/lamb dry from Canidae (employees are getting it for half price to try). He is a bit scratchy, but I don't know if it is the food or the change in seasons. I do also feed raw 2X week to Sparky and Charlie ( this is how I found out he was allergic to the rabbit). The other 2 dogs I don't change their diet much Kasey can't handle change he has a very sensitive stomach. My kittens are feed a combo of Merrick and Canidae and are doing great on it.
It is hard to find a food that works, I spent alot of money on trial and error. If Sparky starts to have issues with the current food, I will probably end up trying the V-Dog that Jo feeds her dogs.

 

[Bamboo]

I currently feed Merrick grainfree beef to my dogs as so far it is the only thing my one dog Sparky can eat without scratching himself to death. He is allergic to chicken, duck, turkey, white fish, salmon, rabbit, wheat, corn, soy and green beans ( the boy loves his green beans so that one was hard).

Wow! That's a lot of allergies!! I'm sure you have but have you tried lamb? I know of a lot of dogs with allergies who do really well on Acana's Lamb and Apple formula. I know I was being female-dog-y about Champion, but I do have a lot of respect for this particular formula just because I've seen the results. Even though Jade doesn't have any allergies, I was considering putting her on this food.

http://www.acana.com/products/singles/lamb-okanagan-apple/

INGREDIENTS
Lamb meal, deboned lamb, steel-cut oats, peas, whole apples, whole potato, sunflower oil, oat flakes, lamb liver, sun-cured alfalfa, whole pears, algae meal (source of DHA, EPA), pea fiber, sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, spinach, cranberries, blueberries, kelp, chicory root, juniper berries, angelica root, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, lavender, rosemary.

SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin, riboflavin, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

My dogs are on V-dog. A vegan dog kibble. The reason I tried it was because I was at my wit's end about Gypsy. She kept chewing her paws raw. I changed her diet to other exotic meats but she still was itchy. Finally, I tried the vegan dog food and it did it. She stopped chewing herself. Both my dogs are on it now and are doing great.

Interesting! Does she have allergies? Also, I looked into it but I was wondering: do you know of any unbiased information in regards to dogs and vegan diets? I, personally, don't understand how dogs could thrive on a vegan diet (except in cases of allergies) longterm. However, I've seen claims (such as yours) that have piqued my interest. Unfortunately, I've only been able to find one review that I consider to be neutral and it doesn't seem very thorough...everything is either on one extreme or the other. While I respect the dedication to the lifestyle that many vegans have, I can't, in good concious choose an integral part of my dog's health on beliefs. Same goes for people who feel like dogs should have nothing but meat. I just want a fact based study. I know nothing 'official' ever happens in terms of pet foods but even somebody who really knows their stuff about canine nutrition and doesn't have an agenda to promote. (I'm not saying that about anybody on here btw! I'm trying to say what I mean without sounding like a jerk lol. I'm sorry if I did sound like a jerk...I really tried not too!)

 

[eagle]

I currently feed Merrick grainfree beef to my dogs as so far it is the only thing my one dog Sparky can eat without scratching himself to death. He is allergic to chicken, duck, turkey, white fish, salmon, rabbit, wheat, corn, soy and green beans ( the boy loves his green beans so that one was hard).

Wow! That's a lot of allergies!! I'm sure you have but have you tried lamb? I know of a lot of dogs with allergies who do really well on Acana's Lamb and Apple formula. I know I was being female-dog-y about Champion, but I do have a lot of respect for this particular formula just because I've seen the results. Even though Jade doesn't have any allergies, I was considering putting her on this food.

http://www.acana.com/products/singles/lamb-okanagan-apple/

INGREDIENTS
Lamb meal, deboned lamb, steel-cut oats, peas, whole apples, whole potato, sunflower oil, oat flakes, lamb liver, sun-cured alfalfa, whole pears, algae meal (source of DHA, EPA), pea fiber, sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, spinach, cranberries, blueberries, kelp, chicory root, juniper berries, angelica root, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, lavender, rosemary.

SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin, riboflavin, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

My dogs are on V-dog. A vegan dog kibble. The reason I tried it was because I was at my wit's end about Gypsy. She kept chewing her paws raw. I changed her diet to other exotic meats but she still was itchy. Finally, I tried the vegan dog food and it did it. She stopped chewing herself. Both my dogs are on it now and are doing great.

Interesting! Does she have allergies? Also, I looked into it but I was wondering: do you know of any unbiased information in regards to dogs and vegan diets? I, personally, don't understand how dogs could thrive on a vegan diet (except in cases of allergies) longterm. However, I've seen claims (such as yours) that have piqued my interest. Unfortunately, I've only been able to find one review that I consider to be neutral and it doesn't seem very thorough...everything is either on one extreme or the other. While I respect the dedication to the lifestyle that many vegans have, I can't, in good concious choose an integral part of my dog's health on beliefs. Same goes for people who feel like dogs should have nothing but meat. I just want a fact based study. I know nothing 'official' ever happens in terms of pet foods but even somebody who really knows their stuff about canine nutrition and doesn't have an agenda to promote. (I'm not saying that about anybody on here btw! I'm trying to say what I mean without sounding like a jerk lol. I'm sorry if I did sound like a jerk...I really tried not too!)

I did try a small bag of bison/lamb not sure if Sparkys itching was from that or not, the other dogs seemed fine with, I will probably get a couple small bags to add to their current food.