Grain-less kibbles?

[k9kreationz]

IMHO, dogs are more like hyenas. Scavengers and hunters. Probably because they've become domesticated. With that, I believe them to be omnivores, not pure carnivores.

I am feeding my dogs Dogwell Nutrisca (it's new). It's a grain and potato free dog food. With the lower protein (30%), we'll see how my dogs do on it.

I chose to feed grain free because I feel that when I was feeding a grained food, my older dog who has skin allergies, would be more itchy and dry. Since I started feeding him grain free about 3 years ago, his skin and coat are fabulous. He's no longer itchy all the time, doesn't have dry skin, nor does his coat get gross and oily.

I was feeding a higher protein level (40-42%) and I felt I should go down to a lower percentage...just in case the whole kidney thing is true. We're at 30% now and I'll see how that goes for awhile. I'm not keen on going to a grain food to get a lower protein level. Now's grain free is only 26% which I like, however, potato flour is it's second ingredient and I'm unsure about that part (mostly because I think that's one reason Miko's skin was so dry).

That's my reasoning. Can't say it's true or false, but it's how I feel.

 

[ClantyreSheltie]

My boss just got back from two weeks in Africa, he has some close up pictures of hyenas over a kill. No omnivores in those pictures. He has one of a male lion over a kill too, but the kill is a bit older.

 

[therwilBbarkng]

I'm feeding Acana and Honest Kitchen's Force, both grainfree. I'm trying to see if one of my dogs' allergies will clear up. It's too soon to tell.

Not quite related but I thought interesting. A family member recently got a puppy and I told her to feed him a premium food, after a visit to her vet for an initial checkup she put him on Science Diet because her vet sells it. The puppy doesn't really care for it and every chance he gets he tries to eat their larger dog's Costco brand dog food. I read the back of the package and the first ingredient in the Science Diet puppy food is corn. I actually thought the Costco brand had better ingredients. She only bought the Science Diet thinking it was the best available otherwise why would her vet sell it?

I'm not fond of a lot of fillers, too much p o o to pick up.

 

[KenRC51]

I feed Now!

I used to feed Orijen, and then Horizon Legacy, but had to move off both of those because the high protein levels were causing havok with Bacca's liver counts. Now! is 24% protein.

He was re-tested on Thursday but I have yet to get the results back. We'll see if the reduced protein as continued to make a difference in his ALS/ALT and bile acid counts.

If not difference, then the high protein is not the issue, and it would point to potentially more serious, congenital disorder, like a liver shunt.

We're crossing fingers and paws here.

24% protein is kinda low isn't it? Grain-less should be around the 30's. If i remember right my TOTW is 32% and EVO is 34%

That is the key right there. What somebody (or Purina) wrote in a wiki is irrelevant to the official classification. I can say that dogs should eat plants and are herbivores, but that doesn't make it true. We might treat them like herbivores, but again, that's not because they are, it's because it's convenient for us. Dog food companies will claim they are herbivores, because that's how they sell dog food. You could say they are opportunistic carnivores, since they will eat most anything, including freezer packs

Anyway, Orijen is my grain-free kibble of choice, and what I use for training treats. A $18 bag will last for months.

I've heard many great things about Orijen. I wish my local store sells them but they don't so I went with the second best IMO Innova EVO. MY local pet store have 2 sales a year of 20% off all kibbles, during those time I stock up to 6 months.

I feed grain free Merrick BG Chicken because quite frankly im not overly impressed with the "filler" grains most food companies put in dog food, why add them if they really have no value...just my opinion on it though.

I tried Merrick BG before and Sitch didn't really like it so I switched back to EVO

 

[KenRC51]

I'm feeding Acana and Honest Kitchen's Force, both grainfree. I'm trying to see if one of my dogs' allergies will clear up. It's too soon to tell.

Not quite related but I thought interesting. A family member recently got a puppy and I told her to feed him a premium food, after a visit to her vet for an initial checkup she put him on Science Diet because her vet sells it. The puppy doesn't really care for it and every chance he gets he tries to eat their larger dog's Costco brand dog food. I read the back of the package and the first ingredient in the Science Diet puppy food is corn. I actually thought the Costco brand had better ingredients. She only bought the Science Diet thinking it was the best available otherwise why would her vet sell it?

I'm not fond of a lot of fillers, too much p o o to pick up.

I think that Natural Balance have a low ingredient formula and grain-less. I think its called L.I.D they come in different meat choice. Never fed Natural Balance but used their big sausage stick as a treat. I buy the big stick and cut them up into pieces and use as treats, a cheaper alternative to buying treats in a treat bag.

 

[KenRC51]

So I recently switched Stitch back to EVO from TOTW and I do noticed more eye boogers. I'm probably gonna switch Stitch back to TOTW once she is done with the two big bags.

 

[BarbV]

24% protein is kinda low isn't it? Grain-less should be around the 30's. If i remember right my TOTW is 32% and EVO is 34%



I've heard many great things about Orijen. I wish my local store sells them but they don't so I went with the second best IMO Innova EVO. MY local pet store have 2 sales a year of 20% off all kibbles, during those time I stock up to 6 months.




I tried Merrick BG before and Sitch didn't really like it so I switched back to EVO

I had the boys on Horizon Legacy and Orijen - at 30%+++. Unfortunately, Bacca developed serious liver problems which we thought might be attributable to the high protein.

So I moved to Now! which is still grain free but lower protein. While his liver counts decreased substantially, they are still higher than normal.

The jury is still out.

 

[KenRC51]

I had the boys on Horizon Legacy and Orijen - at 30%+++. Unfortunately, Bacca developed serious liver problems which we thought might be attributable to the high protein.

So I moved to Now! which is still grain free but lower protein. While his liver counts decreased substantially, they are still higher than normal.

The jury is still out.

How did you find out that Bacca had liver problems? Was it from eating too much protein?

 

[AnuShelties]

Omnivore VS Carnivore

OK, I feed my guys a grain-free because it has a higher dose of protein in the diet. I usually have a hard time keeping weight on my younger shelties as they have such energy to burn what they eat. I have had the best luck with TOTW. I do occasionally feed a raw diet consisting of mostly meet. My older shelties do get veggies ONLY because they have a lower metabolism where they seem to gain weight much easier so the veggies act as a filler so they don't feel so hungry after dinner. The only way a dog would get nutrition out of a vegetable is if it was pureed where they don't have to chew it up. Otherwise, they wouldn't be gathering enough nutrition out of the vegetable to really count as eating one. Regardless if a dog is an omnivore or carnivore, you should feed the diet that BEST suits that specific dog.

An up-side to feeding a grain-free diet is not having to worry about a recall on the corn or wheat products.