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

It just seems when I find what I can think of as the best, someone has to say there is a problem with it. when really there is no right answer, is what I have came to find because everyone has a negative or positive opinon on a food.I asked for recommendations for a dog food with everything I looked for, some gave me recommendations and some just told me why i shouldnt fed what im wanting to fed when really maybe no one knows what they are talking about because 98% of this thread said to to high protein when i have yet to read an article that says high protein is bad. thats why i said thanks but to thanks because really I can't believe what anyone says... Im new to this... im 17 and this is all really confusing to me. Im trying my hardest here putting alot of time and effort into this... should i maybe email champion pets and ask for a list of all the herbs and the positve effects they so called have...
 
HERBS... in Acana

Acana Dog Food contains herbs designed to strengthen both body and spirit: You may have noticed that dogs instinctively eat grass and plants. This enhances their life force and they intuitively know which ones to eat. The gap between good nutrition and top quality well-being is bridged with botanicals that aid in eliminating toxins from the body. They also act as tonics to make organs, tissues, and glands stronger.

If you care about your dog, your faithful friend and companion, you may want to consider Acana Dog Food as a part of your dog's diet.

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A truly special part of the entire Acana Dog food experience is the tonic herbs it contains that will strengthen the dog’s body and spirit. There is also a variety to meet different types of dietary needs.
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In the wild dogs and cats instinctively consume grasses and plants which enhance their well-being. Acana cat food contains a special selection of herbal and botanical extracts, such as juniper berries, angelica, red raspberry leaves, dandelion root, peppermint leaves and marigold. These natural extracts help to eliminate toxins from the body and act as tonics, helping to strengthen organs such as the heart and digestive system.

I typed in "herbs in acana dog food" into google, this is what i found.

http://www.championpetfoods.com/acana/show-principal.php?principal=five
This is a link to Acana website listing SOME of the herbs they use in the dog food and the purpose of them. (to the person that said burdock is poisnous, burdock ROOT is explained there as well...)
 
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Lacey'sMamma said:
It just seems when I find what I can think of as the best, someone has to say there is a problem with it. when really there is no right answer, is what I have came to find because everyone has a negative or positive opinon on a food.I asked for recommendations for a dog food with everything I looked for, some gave me recommendations and some just told me why i shouldnt fed what im wanting to fed when really maybe no one knows what they are talking about because 98% of this thread said to to high protein when i have yet to read an article that says high protein is bad. thats why i said thanks but to thanks because really I can't believe what anyone says... Im new to this... im 17 and this is all really confusing to me. Im trying my hardest here putting alot of time and effort into this... should i maybe email champion pets and ask for a list of all the herbs and the positve effects they so called have...
Click to expand...

Choosing food for your pet is one of the hardest things. It will make you go crazy. The fact that you are researching and taking the time to make this decision, shows that you are a wonderful furmom.

I've done plenty of googling and reading books on dog food and nutrition. Trust me, for every well sourced article that says a dog needs high protein, there's the same amount of well sourced articles that say a dog doesn't need high protein. And that goes for pretty much every other debate on dog food.

Do what you think is best and that's all that Lacey can ask for :biggrin2:
 
I agree food are usually are most heated discussions because everyone thinks that came up with best deal and their way of feeding dogs is the best...
My concern regarding using so many herbs in the standard diet for the dog- those are not your usual kitchen digestive aid variety of herbs, like oregano, chives, parsley etc
Dog food you are looking at has several MEDICINAL herbs

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.

Medicinal herbs are same as pills, just different shape and form. It would be similar for you to go to pharmacy and buy 10 most commonly used drugs and sprinkle them over your food just because they good pills and help with various causes...
does your dog needs them? Those are great herbs, have thousands years of medicinal use and I have used several of them. When Che gets diarrhea or abd discomfort Marshmallow/ Althea officinalis/ is my staple because it is very soothing digestive aid herb. Milk thisle is excellent if your pup just had antibiotics treatment, or elevated liver enzymes- excellent cleanser of the liver- but again, does your dog needs it? Red raspberry leaves are great for pregnant bitches - but does your dog need to have those herbs day in and day out?
You really do not need a degree to google those herbs and see for yourself whether your dog needs to be fed all that.
 
It's like taking a multi vitamin daily, it has been proven that it is healthy, not cause damage so yes, I do think she needs them and should have this food. Either way its not like its BAD for the dog, unnessesary maybe? But i don't really care to spend the extra money for a good food even if im paying for unnesseary ingreidents/herbs/vitamins.
 
my take on dog foods

I feed Acana, well half Acana and half a wet food, typically Honest Kitchen. I change them around because that is what I feel comfortable doing and my dogs love it and do well on it. What works for my Sheltie may not work for your Sheltie. I know when I fed only Innova kibble my Sheltie had dry skin above his tail (no fleas) and his fur was a little brittle. It's considered a premium food, it just didn't work well as a sole source food for my dog, he had different needs. I think most things in moderation are fine for humans and animals. My dogs like the Acana and I've fed them three different types, they like them all.

Kibble does not keep my Sheltie's teeth clean, he doesn't chew it, he swallows it whole (your dog may chew the food, mine doesn't). I give him things to chew on, nylabones, those sinew stick things, toys with knotted rope, carrots once in a while and I still have to brush or use Petzlife sprays. My Sheltie builds tartar and the other dog doesn't and they're on the same food.

I think choosing food is hard, really hard, it makes me crazy trying to find new foods. I think it's best to get something you can find locally, affordable for you (some of the foods are really expensive) and works for you and your dog. I think if you're taking the time to research foods and you're looking at premium brands, I doubt you'll go wrong, you care too much to let that happen. So best of luck to you. If something doesn't work, try something else, maybe a combination will work best. Honestly the fact that you care so much shows you're a good owner.

:biggrin2:
 
SheltieChe said:
I agree food are usually are most heated discussions because everyone thinks that came up with best deal and their way of feeding dogs is the best...
My concern regarding using so many herbs in the standard diet for the dog- those are not your usual kitchen digestive aid variety of herbs, like oregano, chives, parsley etc
Dog food you are looking at has several MEDICINAL herbs

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.

Medicinal herbs are same as pills, just different shape and form. It would be similar for you to go to pharmacy and buy 10 most commonly used drugs and sprinkle them over your food just because they good pills and help with various causes...
does your dog needs them? Those are great herbs, have thousands years of medicinal use and I have used several of them. When Che gets diarrhea or abd discomfort Marshmallow/ Althea officinalis/ is my staple because it is very soothing digestive aid herb. Milk thisle is excellent if your pup just had antibiotics treatment, or elevated liver enzymes- excellent cleanser of the liver- but again, does your dog needs it? Red raspberry leaves are great for pregnant bitches - but does your dog need to have those herbs day in and day out?
You really do not need a degree to google those herbs and see for yourself whether your dog needs to be fed all that.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with Sheltie Che - these are not herbs you would use in cooking. They are herbs used in alternative/holistic/homeopathic medicine. My concern would be if a dog did need to go on regular medicine, how would these herbs affect it and affect it they do. Also some parts of these herbs ARE poisonous (case in point -burdock). I would not want to feed my dog any herb taken from a poisonous plant UNLESS it was processed under strict conditions. Emma has had reactions to medications and I would not put her in the position of taking a chance on a medicinal herb. I would also not want to be in the position of an emergency visit to the vet and have to try and think what herbs would be included in the food that they have to look at when treating a sick dog. I work in the medical field and see this from a human perspective. To me, my dog is no different.

It is your dog and your choice. Just don't discount what others who are older and wiser and have had dogs for a long time and have had health issues with them are saying. One bit of advice included by one of them may be what keeps your dog alive in the rare event of a reaction to something in the herbs. All the research on the web does not always match real life. Taking herbal medication is not like taking a multivitamins. And one can take too much of a vitamin.
 
This is not directed at anyone in particular....I just want to make sure that this thread stays in line.

The truth of the matter is....no one really knows the right answer. We all think that we personally have the right answer on what to feed our dogs, and hence we will argue the reasons for our choice.

But in reality....the true right answer is not known.

So what do you do?

You take everyone's advice as advice.

Nobody is telling to that you have to feed one way or another. They are just giving your their opinions. You can take it or leave it.

What you can't do is get snarky because someone doesn't give you the answer that you want, or has another opinion other than your own:wink2:

Personal insults, are just not tolerated.
 
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