[f18fdg]

Someone told me that I should be giving a balance of wet dog food and dry dog food each week and not just dry dog food all the time. He told me that too much dry food can cause constipation. Is this true? Also, which brands are considered low grade dog food?

[labman]

I suspect I have a more reliable source than your someone. Much of what I know about dog care I have learned the last 15 years from the dog guide school my family raises puppies for. They have an enormous amount of information available and a huge incentive to see that their dogs get the best possible care. Their dogs are fed dry Pro Plan chicken and rice. The dry foods give the jaws and teeth the exercise they need. The dry food also helps scrap the tartar off the teeth improving dental health and breath.

Low grade chows? Well Old Roy doesn't get much respect or the stuff in the supermarkets. All the corn based chows produce larger, softer stools. However, many of them are fed to dogs in controlled large scale tests, and the dogs thrive. I am sure Purina can tell you how dogs do on the 2 dozen or more brands they sell. I am not sure they would be completely objective. I have never seen the results of any scientific tests comparing different grades of dog food. I do know that many of the service dog schools feed dry Pro Plan, Eukanuba, and Iam's. Much of what you read about dog chow comes from people selling dog chow. Much of the price of the most expensive brands goes not to manufacturing it, but to the fat margins in their distribution system. Many of them depend on a network of small dealers.

Constipation is rare in dogs. I don't remember it with any of my dogs. I seldom see questions about it on the net. It never comes up in the monthly meeting I go to or the annual all day training sessions I go to. There are hundreds of people there feeding dry chow. It can be the sign of a serious problem. Giving a dog, that hasn't been checked by a vet, a laxative could kill it.

[fredg]

Hi, f18,
Have you consulted with your Vet on this question?
I am sure you have visited a Veterinarian for your dogs shots, etc. Why not call him/her? They can give you good information on what to feed it.
To answer your question about "low grade" dogfood, it could be any brand that lists the ingredients as starting with "corn". If you look on the package, find the "Ingredients", then any listed as "Corn" as the first ingredient is a lower quality dog food.
Those with "Turkey", or "Salmon" listed first, are usually more expensive, but are better quality.
I do wish you the best of luck, and have fun with your dog, love it.

[labman]

A few comments. My answer above is based on information from a school with a couple of vets on their staff. They have access to far more information on all phases of dog care than the average vet.

Second, while you are talking to your vet about feeding your dog, likely you will be directed to their display of Hill's Science Diet. Note the first ingredient on the chow commonly sold by veterinarians, that horrible, nasty corn. I have posted this point here within the last week. I have also pointed out the lack of any scientific studies condemning corn.

As for salmon and turkey, a quote from my manual, ''Stay away from premium foods and special diets like lamb and rice or turkey and barley.'' This from the same people that have been mentoring me for 15 years. In that time, they have only bred and followed through their life about 4,000-5,000 dogs.

More expensive things are not always better.

[mjsalinas]

Does anyone know anything about the Chicken Soup for the Soul dog food brand? I saw that for the first time and it seems a lot of people like it because it is not made with chemicals and preservatives. It is natural with a whole variety of ingredient and contains some fish oil for antioxidants. It also contains vitamins they say a dog needs. Has anyone tried it here and if so how do they feel their dog does on it?

mjsalinas

[labman]

There are many glowing reports on it available. I never fed it and don't personally know anybody that has. I have seen a report recently on another forum of somebody's dog on it having digestive problems. It certainly is no cure all. It is one of a number of specialty chows sold at high mark ups by small dealers. They talk about how well their dogs do on it, but never respond to my requests for data from a large, controlled test showing dogs doing better on it than anything else.

I do not claim that what goes into standard chows makes good mealtime reading. Some chows use food grade meat, no byproducts. At the meat processing plant, all the nutritious insides including the organ meats are removed. They are sold to the commercial dog food producers. Have you ever seen a predator eat a kill? What do they eat first? Right, all those nasty byproducts that go into the commercial dog food. I do claim there is a large body of knowledge showing many dogs thriving on the standard chows.