Dog Food Brands

Discussion dedicated to promoting the well-being of your dog through diet, exercise and general health tips.

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AliceGrimm
Posts: 105
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 10:38 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Dog Food Brands

Post by AliceGrimm »

Fundog wrote:As far as bacteria: practice the same level of hygiene and sanitation that you would when preparing meals for yourself and your family. It really doesn't have to get complicated. :)
That is awesome. lol It is all complicated to me. I have a hard time figuring out human nutrition.. It is about the same as being confused about doggy nutrition. However, I do feel dogs are similar to cats but not, as in they need meat. They aren't vegan type of animals or vegetarians. But I have a lot of reading and catching up to do, if I am to understand more.

When you do do frozen meat, did you do veggies and grain with that? Is it the grain itself.. or byproduct grain (like rice husk)?

Also, is there one source that is awesome for foods that are awful and bad for dogs? I have found lots of different sites, and most agree. But like.. are there certain types of fish dogs can't have? And or spices?

I am also worried about the plants outside.

I am glad it isn't something to worry about. The raw food and puppy kisses.

Erm... do you guys just shop and try to get the freshest bits you can at the grocery store? Do you go to a butcher for doggy meals?

lol I don't have nice hunting friends, but that is awesome!!!
JudyN
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Re: Dog Food Brands

Post by JudyN »

Don't worry - humans survived and thrived for millennia before they knew anything about carbs, fats, 5-a-day, and advice about them changes all the time too :lol: You only need to give your dog a 'good-enough' diet, nothing will go wrong because you do/don't feed the latest 'wonder foods'.

And again, there is no complete authority on the best diet so if someone tells you you should/shouldn't be feeding veggies, grains, eggs, fish, whatever, you can take it with a pinch of salt (not literally at all - salt is best avoided :wink: ).

There is a theoretical risk if your dog eats raw food and then licks you - if mine has something stinky like tripe or fish he likes to wipe his face clean on my jeans after :roll: But I've never heard of anyone getting ill through this. My hygiene standards aren't great, but I reckon we're all a bit too germ obsessed now and our immune systems have suffered as a result.

And don't forget, whatever you feed your dog, he will still lick his bum and then lick you. You can only do so much.

Some people source their raw meat from butchers, supermarkets, etc., some use raw dogfood suppliers - it depends really on what's available at what price in your area. Quality of raw dog food varies - I find some minces look like grey mush, whereas that from the supplier I use looks pink and fresh.

In terms of what dogs can & can't eat, I've seen a lot of incorrect information out there. The foods I would definitely avoid are grapes, raisins, salty food, avocados, peanut butter containing xylitol, chocolate, onions, and large quantities of garlic. But though it's best to avoid these completely, small quantities aren't likely to pose a problem so there's no need to panic if it happens accidentally. My dog (being a thief and tall enough to reach high shelves) has eaten a panful of sauted onions, a bag of muesli containing raisins and a whole box of chocolate hazelnuts (not all at the same time :lol: ) and had absolutely no ill effects at all.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Erica
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Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:35 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Dog Food Brands

Post by Erica »

On the east coast, Raw Feeding Miami and Hare Today are good quality raw suppliers with online ordering, if you go that route. Let me know if you want to use RFM as they have a referral reward system now ;)

I'll tell you what I tell myself about my new fish: people who have done a lot less research than you have gotten dogs and done fine. Doing research is great, and I certainly encourage you to keep asking questions! But it's easy to get overwhelmed, so remember to breathe and know that you, having prepared ahead of time, will be miles more prepared and knowledgeable than many pet owners who, nevertheless, do fine.
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
Shalista
Posts: 1363
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 10:04 pm

Re: Dog Food Brands

Post by Shalista »

WOW O.o it is like... astronomically cheaper for me to buy from these people and have it shipped O.o :shock: :shock: :shock:

EDIT: nope did my math wrong, still cheaper to feed bax people meat
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
AliceGrimm
Posts: 105
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 10:38 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Dog Food Brands

Post by AliceGrimm »

I am still thinking and researching what I should feed my pup. But I think RFM might be an option. Bit unsure how much space 45 lbs or meat take up in a freezer. lol And I am still a tad bit wary of poisoning or parasites.

I have also thought about just making home cooked meals and such or even doing raw at home like Shalista does (by the way, I absolutely love the thread you made of your process and how you do it and even the price. Yes a girl has to have her icecream!!!)! But I am worried if I will be able to provide the nutrients that the dog or pup will need.

I was also recommended this as well, but I wanted to see what you guys thought... https://www.orijen.ca/foods/dog-food/?lang=us

Orijen Dog food. I was curious about their dehydrated dog food. Do you guys think it is any good?

Thank you so much for helping me on this journey of knowledge.
Also, she is being made this month of love <3
She will be born in April and be ready to come home sometime in June <3
JudyN
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Re: Dog Food Brands

Post by JudyN »

I typically buy around 62lb mince along with 40 small chicken carcasses (that's the backs, not a whole chicken), and it takes up just under half a chest freezer.

Orijen is a great food. I've not come across their freeze-dried food before but it looks excellent. It will work out cheaper than it seems as you only have to feed a small amount. Mind you, when I did feed Jasper their standard kibble for a while (no kibble agreed with him), he was appalled at the small amount he got and was convinced I was starving him :lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Erica
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Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:35 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Dog Food Brands

Post by Erica »

It depends how you package it...if you use flexible bags, you can probably fit it to one or one and a bit shelves in a stand-up freezer. If you use partially full containers, that will expand a bit.

A word of warning when it comes to flexible bags -- make sure they're frozen through before stacking them all together, or they'll insulate the interior bags, which can cause the food to stay warm enough to rot. That's one of the reasons I went for round tupperwares, despite the greater space they use -- you can't stack them in such a way that they don't get good air circulation. :) (The other is wastefulness. Some people reuse the bags until they get holey, but even then that's only a few uses before you're throwing it away.)

Orijen tends to be a very well-liked brand, high quality and dogs like it too.
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
AliceGrimm
Posts: 105
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 10:38 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Dog Food Brands

Post by AliceGrimm »

JudyN wrote:I typically buy around 62lb mince along with 40 small chicken carcasses (that's the backs, not a whole chicken), and it takes up just under half a chest freezer.

Orijen is a great food. I've not come across their freeze-dried food before but it looks excellent. It will work out cheaper than it seems as you only have to feed a small amount. Mind you, when I did feed Jasper their standard kibble for a while (no kibble agreed with him), he was appalled at the small amount he got and was convinced I was starving him :lol:

Mince? I don't see that on there. lol Is it cheaper to pick and choose what you want and how much? Or better to buy in bulk? I guess I can see what can fit in my freezer. lol I was thinking of maybe trying their grinder pack. It is about 20 pounds for 80 bucks. I guess it is more with shipping. It is a deal seeing that I couldn't get the same amount for less. Well I guess it depends on what I choose to do. I should also see how it amounts money wise I suppose. What costs more.

I did look at their normal kibble food. It looks amazing. No fillers and or preservatives. I really like their freeze dried food. But I can only get it in 16 oz at 30 dollars. lol

Jasper sounds adorable. I mean how dare you feed him so little. lol I am not sure what I will do. I guess it will depend on income and schedule. I am looking for work now! But I did graduate. I know raw feeding means you can feed less.
AliceGrimm
Posts: 105
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 10:38 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Dog Food Brands

Post by AliceGrimm »

Erica wrote:It depends how you package it...if you use flexible bags, you can probably fit it to one or one and a bit shelves in a stand-up freezer. If you use partially full containers, that will expand a bit.

A word of warning when it comes to flexible bags -- make sure they're frozen through before stacking them all together, or they'll insulate the interior bags, which can cause the food to stay warm enough to rot. That's one of the reasons I went for round tupperwares, despite the greater space they use -- you can't stack them in such a way that they don't get good air circulation. :) (The other is wastefulness. Some people reuse the bags until they get holey, but even then that's only a few uses before you're throwing it away.)

Orijen tends to be a very well-liked brand, high quality and dogs like it too.
I think if I did do raw.. I would have to re-package them anyways to make them be mixed or in portions. I am still unsure what would be best. I have thought about cooking but I worry about nutrition needs, especially for a puppy. I am glad to hear that Orijen is well liked. It seems like it is quality.

I just recently asked my breeders about the raw diet. And they like it, but they (are from Russia) don't trust American food (neither have some of my European friends).. and have said there have been recalls. Are there recalls from suppliers that you know of?

Thank you for the tip about the circulation!!! <3
Erica
Posts: 2697
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:35 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Dog Food Brands

Post by Erica »

Mince is also known as ground meat. :) Typically it works out much cheaper to buy in bulk, if you can store it or divvy it up among other local raw feeders. In bulk, I can find 40 lbs chicken necks for $0.40/lb, but in 2.5 lb chunks it's closer to $1.00/lb.

Freeze dried raw tends to be incredibly expensive. DIY raw will be cheaper by miles! As to how it compares to kibble, it is difficult to figure. For 45-lb Delta, raw is about $2.50 a day. I haven't calculated kibble costs because it gets complicated, figuring out how long each bag lasts, and figuring in the wet food I feed him as well.

There are recalls on food for many reasons. I don't know of any from my supplier - Raw Feeding Miami or Hare Today - but for some of the prepackaged raw branded products there have been recalls. There are also recalls on kibble and wet food. DogFoodAdvisor has a good list of dog food recalls since 2009.
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
Shalista
Posts: 1363
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 10:04 pm

Re: Dog Food Brands

Post by Shalista »

DIY raw was cheaper by miles for bax but he was on prescription kibble for his colitis so his kibble prices were much higher

and kibble recalls are very common - here's a list http://www.petful.com/recall-lists/dog-food-recalls/
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
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