[Kaitie9906]

Ok with all this recal on dog food what's a good brand like puruna? And also cheap too:p :confused: :D :eek:

[rachelcm1994]

Ekuniba is what I give my dog I know that it is one of the best dog foods out there

[labman]

There are many more opinions on dog chows than facts to support them. Much of what you read is put out by those selling something. I am in a position to see how large numbers, thousands, do on a few brands. My son is feeding his Fox Hound Purina, because he remembers how well the dogs he saw while still at home were doing on it. Currently we are feeding the 2 dogs in our home Pro Plan. I have also seen dogs doing fine on Iams, Science, Purina 1, and Eukanuba.

None of the recalls included any of the major brands dry dog chow. It was mostly the canned and semi moist chows, plus some of the more expensive specialty chows.

I know very little either way about storebrands and cheaper brands. Many people condemn them, but may do so knowing no more than that they are cheap. I know of no controlled studies of how dogs do on different chows that are available to the general public.

The only downside I know of the regular Purina is the dogs produce larger, softer stools that are harder to clean up than the more concentrated, meat based chows. That may or may not be much of a concern to you. It has no effect on your dog's health. It is very important with service dogs. If you are vision impaired or in a wheel chair, and have to clean up after your dog and carry it off to dispose of it, you want the small, firmer stools.

For more on dog chow, see https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/d...ht-154467.html

[shygrneyzs]

Cheap is not always good for the dog. Dog foods, such as Old Roy's (from Wal-Mart) cause the dog to have a lot of stools. You may think the dog food you are supposed to buy might be expensive, but in the health of the dog, is a best value. Check with your Vet.

[labman]

So can you document that the larger stools cause the dog any problems? An example of an opinion with no facts behind it.

[shygrneyzs]

I was told, by my Vet, that the larger and more frequent stools were due to the cheap dog food, mostly because of the fillers in the dog food.

[froggy7]

Since the recall was because of wheat gluten, it affected canned and semi-moist foods. So any dry food is relatively safe. (I wouldn't ever say it's 100%, no more than all spinach grown in the US is safe from e. coli.) But it would be something besides the China fiasco causing the problem in that case.

[labman]

I was told, by my Vet, that the larger and more frequent stools were due to the cheap dog food, mostly because of the fillers in the dog food.

Yes, but in what way does that harm the dog? An inconvenience to the owner perhaps.

[shygrneyzs]

There are additives in some of that cheap dog food that have very little nutritional value, mostly added to bind food together - such as corn gluten. Cereal food fines are also added, that could have chemical residues, poor quality, and sweeteners. There are the food dyes, which the FDA says the "evidence of harm" is not conclusive but also says there are problems. The FDA just cannot figure it all out yet. Then there are the poultry additives - have you toured a rendering plant lately? Do you know where those sick and diseased chickens go? Same with sick and diseased lamb and beef. My ex husband used to haul those animals to plants in Sioux Falls and in Denver. I went with him a few times and asked the foreman what happens to those animals. He told me.

About fiber sources - cellulose is used and that is just fibrous plant materials - dried wood. Ingredients like rice hulls and oat hulls and peanut hulls have little, very little nutritional value, same with wheat middlings.

Preservatives like BHA and BHT have been linked to animal carcinogen.

Yes, some of those items are not directly unhealthy but they provide nothing but a filler. Something to fill up the stomach and not much nutrition.

You have your opinion and I have mine.

[labman]

Again, any proof?

[bushg]

Then there are the poultry additives - have you toured a rendering plant lately? Do you know where those sick and diseased chickens go? Same with sick and diseased lamb and beef. My ex husband used to haul those animals to plants in Sioux Falls and in Denver. I went with him a few times and asked the foreman what happens to those animals. He told me.

Shygrenys, I have read that in many articles,
I have also read that they are allowed to add dead cats and dogs that have been euthanized into food. So those chemicals are in there as well. Is this true.. I don't know but I have read it many times. Would all dog food companies stoop to this level? Probably not, I hope they would not want to kill off some of their customers to make a few extra bucks. Maybe they figure at the rate people let them breed that there'll be plenty to go around. But on the other hand some would probably be willing to take their chances. If this is true maybe a dog's digestive system has the ability to withstand this or maybe that is why we see all the health problems in them. Who really knows...

[shygrneyzs]

From what I saw at the times I went with my ex, there were cats and dogs on the hooks too, not just cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens. The plant in Sioux Falls only took the cattle and swine in for processing. The Denver one had the other animals, along with the main ones. The foreman told me that once the animal was skinned and gutted, it went through the grinder. There are many smaller scale places like that, saw one north of Denver, and they just processed the beef.

Now it would be great if things have changed in that industry in the last 15 years. I would gladly stand corrected.

I found the following article interesting, from The Dog Food Project, on label information. The article cites credible resources such as the FDA, Center for Veterinary Medicine, and the Association for American Feed Control Officials.
The Dog Food Project - Dog Food Label Information 101

[froggy7]

One of the most important things when reading a pet food label, in my opinion, is to be wary of foods that list "meat", "animal", and "poultry" in the description. Chicken fat must be made from chicken. Poultry fat could be pure chicken (but why would you call it "poulty" instead of "chicken" in that case?), but is allowed to be any mix of fats that come from birds. It gives you a bit more control, I think, if all the ingredients are named.

I am, however, much less stringent regarding treats. I figure those are such a small percent of the diet, that a little "junk food" won't hurt.

[labman]

More whining about ingredients. I like to look at dogs eating the chow. Years ago, I actually had a Lab we were having trouble keeping his ribs hidden. 4-H started about the time I decided I had to do something. The leaders were selling a speciality brand of dog chow. I paid more attention to their Dobe than the chow bag.