If any of you think you can help me out, feel free to try...

Haha im going to stay outta that... ^ So I have been looking at Acana Lamb and Apple. It has 27% protein, 15% fat, it is an all life stages food, it contains one grain which is steel cut steamed oats which is a low gycemic quality grain and only one protein sorce that is free range new zeland lamb. It is a hypoallergenic food, though lacey is only allergic to pork, it can't hurt to have a hypoallergenic food am i right? It is the cheapest out of the bunch and the ingreidents look top notch (it is Acana:wink2:) and it is a 5 minute drive to go get.

New Zealand lamb meal, steamed oats, peas, sunflower oil, de-boned New Zealand
lamb, red delicious apples, natural lamb flavor, flaxseed, alfalfa leaf, pumpkin, turnip
greens, cranberries, saskatoon berries, organic sea vegetables (kelp, bladderwrack,
dulse), burdock root, marshmallow root, juniper berries, fenugreek, sweet fennel,
angelica root, sea buckthorn, chicory root, stinging nettle, red raspberry leaf, milk
thistle, peppermint leaf, marigold flowers, chamomile flowers, Lactobacillus
acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium.

Vitamins (vit. A, vit. D3, vit. E, niacin, riboflavin, lysine, thiamine mononitrate, vit. B12,
pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin). Minerals (iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese
proteinate, cobalt proteinate, copper proteinate).
http://www.championpetfoods.com/acana/show-product.php?formulation=la

The kibble size is probably large like the grain free but i guess i will add water and brush her teeth more often. What do you guys think? thumbs up?
 
turns out this food isnt all life stages... my girl is 8 months, 9 pounds, 11 inches at shoulder, active and appropriate weight. The bag says for dogs one year and older... is it ok for me to switch her before then? Other then added fat and minerals is there really any huge difference?
Ugh just when I thought I found the perfect food.
 
SheltieChe said:
Labgirl brings a valid point- lets not forget that kibble was invented by the humans for the human convenience! If dogs were meant to eat cooked food, Mother Nature would have taught them to use stove and lit the fire...
Now another misconception which I think many people follow is feeding one type of kibble for the rest of dog's life...
when babies are born, human or furry ones they do not have well developed digestive system, so we introduce new food very slowly and gently... but as adult you do not go to the restaurant and order 1/8 portion of some exotic food because you need to introduce that food gently to your body...
Adult body of the dog is developed well enough that dog should be able to tolerate wide variety of food and switch between kibble at instant notice. So we do a great disservice to our dogs and many of those " sensitive stomach problems" ARE human created when dog eats same kibble day in and day out. Generally dogs on raw food diets have "cast iron stomachs" mostly because they get a wide variety of food. Many people, me included, mix and match what meat we buy and add kibble for convenience to load up treat pyramids and buster cubes or when traveling without fridge.
I have no issues with grains because I think Nature strives for balance in everything and some amount of carbs in a way of fruits, veggies and wholesome grains is needed to digest protein well, as well as good fat content.
I give my dog bits of human food when I eat at the computer but not at the table, and my dog knows the difference... not that he would not counter surf anything that left within his reach:smile2:
Click to expand...
I know dogs who ate the same kibble for 15 looong years, no problems at all.
Karen
 
Lacey'sMamma said:
turns out this food isnt all life stages... my girl is 8 months, 9 pounds, 11 inches at shoulder, active and appropriate weight. The bag says for dogs one year and older... is it ok for me to switch her before then? Other then added fat and minerals is there really any huge difference?
Ugh just when I thought I found the perfect food.
Click to expand...

She should be fine on this. We usually take them off puppy food by 6 months of age. Shelties are such easy keepers that they just pack on the pounds. This is a good protein level with good ingredients and should work well.
 
Emmasmom said:
We had kibble in the 60s here in Canada for the dog. I must say, it tasted good - my siser and I used to eat it, to our Mom's horror. She did laugh about it later in life.
Click to expand...

You don't know how bad I needed that laugh. You really don't. :sadsmile: :lol:
 
I know dogs who ate the same kibble for 15 looong years, no problems at all.
Click to expand...
Oh of course, I agree and I think it does very much depend on the dog. Some dogs are just more into their food than others. Just like people. Some people eat the same thing day in and out and don't care, then there are people like me who can't bear the same food two days running!:lol:

Same with dogs. Some just aren't bother, but then others are.

Take Cadbury, he is a serious foodie and loves variety (well he is a lab), but that doesn't mean sheltie pup will be the same.

The reason I switched from dry food is that most brands contain preservatives and antioxidants that have an undesirable effect on Cadbury. Basically they have him flying around the ceiling on a perpetual high!

I didn't want to switch to completely canned as I worried about his teeth. So raw slotted in the middle and worked for me. But it isn't for everyone nor for every dog. Its just the way my family is. All our pets have had titbits, my gt auntie feeds her cat on prawns and fish, though he does have biscuits left down so he gets a balanced diet.

Now my brother would no way feed raw - considers it too much fuss and his pup will be on a dry food and that's that.

As in all things its personal choice and what works for the dog.:wink2:
 
Lacey'sMamma said:
Haha im going to stay outta that... ^ So I have been looking at Acana Lamb and Apple. It has 27% protein, 15% fat, it is an all life stages food, it contains one grain which is steel cut steamed oats which is a low gycemic quality grain and only one protein sorce that is free range new zeland lamb. It is a hypoallergenic food, though lacey is only allergic to pork, it can't hurt to have a hypoallergenic food am i right? It is the cheapest out of the bunch and the ingreidents look top notch (it is Acana:wink2:) and it is a 5 minute drive to go get.

New Zealand lamb meal, steamed oats, peas, sunflower oil, de-boned New Zealand
lamb, red delicious apples, natural lamb flavor, flaxseed, alfalfa leaf, pumpkin, turnip
greens, cranberries, saskatoon berries, organic sea vegetables (kelp, bladderwrack,
dulse), burdock root, marshmallow root, juniper berries, fenugreek, sweet fennel,
angelica root, sea buckthorn, chicory root, stinging nettle, red raspberry leaf, milk
thistle, peppermint leaf, marigold flowers, chamomile flowers, Lactobacillus
acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium.

Vitamins (vit. A, vit. D3, vit. E, niacin, riboflavin, lysine, thiamine mononitrate, vit. B12,
pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin). Minerals (iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese
proteinate, cobalt proteinate, copper proteinate).
http://www.championpetfoods.com/acana/show-product.php?formulation=la

The kibble size is probably large like the grain free but i guess i will add water and brush her teeth more often. What do you guys think? thumbs up?
Click to expand...

Lacey's Mamma,
I would be concerned regarding feeding my dog with this amount of herbals day in and day out. It appears to me that those herbs added to kibble are riding marketing wave of " wholistic food". Mishmash of every "good healthy herb" they could find. Why do you need to feed it on everyday basis? As much as they all have some therapeutic properties they ARE HEALING herbs and should be used as such and not as supplement for everyday feeding.
 
First question: When you're quoting prices, is that in CAD? or USD? Also, which size bag is that?

Second question: Does Lacey not like any hard treats? I'm wondering if 1. she has tooth issues. at 8 months, she may have loose teeth still and that is the reason she dislikes the hard kibble. or 2. she has teeth issues in general. I have used some hard kibble (can't recall which it was, it was triangular and hard as heck, couldn't even crack it with a butter knife) and Miko still ate it. I stopped cuz it just seems crazy (that was some hard kibble).

Third question: I wonder if she's really this picky, or if all this food is making her more picky. Wonder what would happen if you just waited her out to eat it. I know my friend did this with her dog (waited out for almost 3 days - but she was also refusing her usual food - she was healthy). And now, the dog loves the food. Weird, I know.

I think you have a lot of standards, which is good. However, I feel they are unrealistic. By that, I mean go watch the documentary Food, Inc. It'll make you want to give up food period. Even if you fed raw, you have no clue where that meat is coming from, how humanely they're being treated etc. All the food we eat (this was a US documentary, so things in CA may be different), is basically "harvested". I don't care if it's cows, rabbits, fish, etc. They animals are not treated humanely. They are probably not dying humanely either. I'd become a vegan after watching it, if 1. I didn't love burgers so dang much and 2. veggies are treated just as badly. You can only find the most well-respected companies and even then, you're just hoping they made good choices themselves. Unless you plan on raising your own food, there's a slim chance you'll find out where it all comes from. And with dog food, probably even less.

I really wish I had some suggestions, but I don't. I know a lot of foods beyond the ones you listed, but they don't meet your criteria (i.e. Nature's Variety Instinct is a really good food, they don't believe in "dog food for stages", they do believe in rotation diet. But I don't think you'll like the ingredient list - although it's a good list).

(anyone else, I'm trying to find the thread on protein and am having issues, if any of you know of it off hand, I'd love to read it - as I feed my pups Orijen and it has a LOT of protein. May think about switching to Now! or Go!)
 
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