# Opinions on dog food brands?



## Alexandra333 (Dec 19, 2015)

I have tried my dog on various different brands ranging from bakers, royal canin or iams however I'm just not sure what is best. I know that feeding them a raw diet is preferred, but that would be too expensive. My puppy is currently being fed on royal canin, and they are providing a bag when he comes home. I don't know whether to keep him on that or transition him over.. So basically I would love to know peoples opinions and reviews on what you think is the best yet reasonably priced brand out there? Thanks


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## Alinos (May 19, 2014)

I would have tried atleast 8 different brands. So much wasted kibble! Zorro finally liked Fromm. So that's what we are going with right now till he gets bored with it. 


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## Lindor (Feb 3, 2014)

I have Maggie on Fromm too. The grain free ones. I buy the small bag and switch proteins every time I get a new one.


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

I think if you feed the highest quality you can afford you are doing your best. Obviously the dog has to like it as well. In my opinion foods like bakers, iams, Royal canin, science diet are all full of many additives, chemicals, grains and filler and I'm not convinced these are best for a dog to eat over a long period of time, despite vets promoting some of these brands. Vets are generally not the best for nutritional diets, they just know what the reps have told them and they get a commission for selling food in clinic. They are getting better though and some are starting to focus on nutrition as an addition to their areas of expertise. You will get a really good idea of what kind of make up your dogs diet should be by looking at some of the food comparison websites. I will get you a link now.


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

This is my favourite website... http://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

If you are in US I think Dog Food Advisor is a good website for you guys. Although the link I gave has all the major global brands.


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Yay, a chance for me to play devils advocat and go off on a rant.

By law (at least in North America) all commercial dog foods must contain all the nutrients dogs need. If they can't do it with food alone then they must supplement with micronutrients. Of course people, being people, will jump on bandwagons and pay more for raw/home made/organic/grain free/free range/wild caught/heirloom variety and on and on and on. Will your dog care if the carrots he is eating are certified human grade? No he won't. The difference is down to something like their shape. Will the people doing the marketing try to convince you that their products are healthier/more ethical/better quality/fresher/more digestible etc, etc.....of *course* they will. That is why they studied marketing at uni for four years.

All this to say buy dog food your dog will eat and then don't sweat it. If all you can afford is the cheapest kibble out there then ounce for ounce he is still getting all the nutrients he needs and I am tired of ordinary people being made to feel guilty for not paying through the nose for the "top" quality stuff. 

Rant over.


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

I agree with you Fairlie in terms of the food having to be suitable for a dog/cat or whatever animal it is intended for, ie have an accepted amount of nutrients, and GRAS ingredients (generally recognised as safe). The amount of colour and filler is generally not regulated, I don't know much about the FDA regs but here in the UK there is no regulation around how much colour (some foods are multicoloured - I am yet to be convinced as to why this is needed, the dog doesn't care for the colour) and filler are added which per weight of portion can dilute the said nutrients, both of which can affect a dogs digestive system and activity levels. 

Like with any diet and lifestyle, it is a personal choice. I like how the forum can show both sides of the opinion poll. 

My dogs are fed a mixture of food because Nina is so fussy and what I give them varies in terms of what myself and others think of the quality of the food, but I like to keep the food as simple as possible with the least ingredients to provide what they need. 

No one should ever feel pressured or guilty for food choices and that's certainly not what I set out to do.


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Phew, I was afraid you might think my comments were directed at you Ruth. Certainly the fillers and food dye are not great, but then again I just ate twice my weight in sugar and fat and I am still standing (well I am sitting but I could stand if I had to).

Rufus gets good quality food too. I just felt sorry for people who feel guilty because they cannot afford the top quality brands.


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Not not at all. The world would be awfully boring if we didn't have different things to offer in terms of points of view. I am sure the OP will find the differing opinions useful. 

My dogs are my kids and I know if I had human kids things with colour and sugar would be kept for special occasions or treats. So it is for that reason I refuse to feed my dogs a regular diet of coloured, filler laden (which coverts to pure sugar in their teeth and liver) food. They do get treats and the odd junk food, just as you would with a kid. I just want them strong and healthy for as long as possible, and with minimal dental issues.


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

fairlie said:


> Phew, I was afraid you might think my comments were directed at you Ruth. *Certainly the fillers and food dye are not great, but then again I just ate twice my weight in sugar and fat and I am still standing (well I am sitting but I could stand if I had to).*
> 
> Rufus gets good quality food too. I just felt sorry for people who feel guilty because they cannot afford the top quality brands.


Haha - good Christmas then  you have a choice though, you can floss your teeth and go to the hygienist regularly without needing an anaesthetic (or a set of dentures if worse comes to worse) and you also have a much longer life expectancy (hopefully) with a system that is much better at working with a wide range of food stuffs


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

From a trainer point of view too the wrong food can have an adverse affect on dogs behaviour and a certain popular food in the UK is renowned for high levels of sugar, food colourants and other additives of no value to the dog which can seriously affect some dogs behaviour - although the dogs generally love it. 

My friend used to board dogs and would feed them whatever the owner usually fed. One of her dogs would go to huge lengths to steal this brand of food at any opportunity and his behaviour would be awful if he had as he could not settle and was just totally loopy. 

It is not a particularly cheap food and you can certainly feed dogs well on a budget.

The food begins with the letter "B" and ends with "akers"


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

I think the difference between dogs and humans has to do with the fact that they have much smaller bodies and frankly they lack the variety of foods humans eat. Put those together and a constant dosage of food coloring and additives has a more detrimental effect on their little livers and kidneys than what we consume. It impacts us too don't get me wrong. The difference in my book is I choose what I eat, they get no choice. So I agree with Ruth's suggestion to feed the healthiest/highest quality option you can afford. 


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## Alexandra333 (Dec 19, 2015)

*Dog food brands.*

Thank you so much for everyone's opinions, it's all so helpful. I understand that feeding our dogs is a controversial topic, and everyone has their own take on it all. However I will be searching the internet to make sure I research each brand before buying anything else, of course they deserve the best I can provide them with


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Alexandra, you know where we are if you need any more help or want anymore thoughts/opinions. It's a very personal thing choosing what we and our families/animals eat. I have read up lots and lots on food and feeding, I am by no means an expert, nor do I claim to be but I do know that from doing many many comparisons, the food which looks to be more expensive tend not to be in the long run, as the quantity you feed is much less than the quantity of a less expensive food. Obviously this is because you need to feed less per gram to get the nutrients in the "more expensive" food, whereas you are feeding 10-20 grams on average (at a minimum) more per meal on a less expensive food to meet the dogs nutritional need. Also less food and filler = less poop and the poops you do get are smaller and easier to pick up.


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## smush87 (Dec 30, 2015)

I've had this recent quandary myself, however after a fair bit of research (I think someone mentioned the allaboutdogfood website already) as well as speaking with our dog walker initially about food options, I've settled on Akela 80:20.

Whilst it is quite dear at £35 for 10kg, this tends to last Bella about 8 weeks currently, due to the reduced amount required owing to the high quality content.

So far so good, transitioned well with no adverse affects and can certainly see a difference in her stools for the better. Although she has never been a fan of dry foods so a bit of warm water first seems to be a must!


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## alexdo (Oct 26, 2013)

My cockapoo is very fussy, I started her off on Orijen, but she just refused to eat any more one day and that was that.
After trial and error she has decided that Barking Heads is the kibble for her!


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