# Questions concerning food!



## Grangeristhename (Jan 20, 2011)

Hello all!
Granger is finishing up his purina one puppy chow (the breeder started him off on that and it was my mistake buying the biggest bag). I go half and half with Kirkland Signature puppy food. My question is what food do you guys suggest I should feed Granger. There is the innova, Orijen, Acana, Blue Buffalo, etc. I know there isn't a right way to go and is about preference, but I would love to hear what you guys feed and why?

On a side note that's kind of related. When Granger pees in the backyard, the areas where he pees eventually turn brown. This isn't a problem in my house but when my girlfriend takes him when I have my long hours of work, it is a problem (due to her dad). I wanted to know if changing to a higher quality food will actaully stop the grass from turning brown. I make this hypothesis because I hear that feeding higher quality food actually decreases the incidence of UTI's in dogs.

Thank you all for your help! I really appreciate ALL insight. Thank you!


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Willie eats Wellness Super5Mix. I rotate him through three types: chicken, lamb, and whitefish. I read somewhere that alternating protein sources is a good thing. I have read on another thread that Wellness gave their dog gas, but I haven't had that experience at all with Willie. I guess every dog is different.

Regarding the brown spots in the grass, the simple solution is to keep the garden hose handy and dilute the area where the dog just peed. Viola! No brown spot! I realize this wouldn't work for everyone, because you have to be there, and also be willing to do it. But it does work like a charm.


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## tiggers mum (Jan 6, 2011)

Hi, I feed Fish4dogs and alternate at times between the salmon and the cod. I started feeding this diet years ago when I had a dog with a red meat intolerance and never looked back. Both of my dogs have the most amazing gleaming coats and look extremely healthy and never turn their nose up at their meals. I sometimes add the fish4dogs salmon mousse depending upon whether they have a sale on their website and always use their treats when I'm out and about and training.....it must be the smell !!


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## Mischa (Feb 17, 2010)

UTI 's can be prevented by feeding grain-free foods, but that won't change anything to help grass stay alive. 

We were feeding Mischa Orijen, but recently switched to Wellness Core. The protein seemed like it was too much for her, so we're trying something with similar ingredients with a lower protein level.

www.dogfoodanalysis.com is an excellent site for help finding a food that suits your needs.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

I don't know why but Copper hates Wellness. He has even stopped eating the Wellness treats!


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## kellygh (Oct 25, 2010)

Pumpkin came to us from the breeder on Blue Buffalo. She didn't seem to care for it, and we switched to Wellness. Pumpkin wasen't too keen on Wellness either, and she has been on Orijen for 3m now. We still have to mix the Orijen up a little, so I'm not sure any brand would be devoured consistently. We picked Orijen, because it is a gold standard food; however, there are plenty of good quality foods. Unfortunately, the better foods are not cheap. If $ is not an issue, I would consider Orijen, Acana, or Taste of the Wild. After those, Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Innova, Evo etc. All are high quality foods. I believe Dog Food Advisor gives a very good rating to a Kirkland brand of food. I wish I could remember if it is the pup formula. I think it's grain free too. I'm not a food snob, but I do think ditching the Purina is a wise move.


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## kellygh (Oct 25, 2010)

After looking up the Kirkland brand, you could better. That is if you care about the dog food advisor/analysis reviews. If


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## 1notenough (Sep 6, 2008)

i feed them taste of the wild.they now have four formulations of the food and all have basically the same fillers.The only thing they change is the meats there is the bison venison formulation witch i feed regularly then there is the waterfowl witch makes for a nice change of pace they do not seem to like the fish,and the newest food in the lineup is a lamb based food.there are no ill affects by the sudden change of food.So if i think they are getting tired of one ill switch to another and there good to go.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

Which food to use? I would use the one that he likes! These dogs can be very picky eaters! Copper is currently eating 4 different foods. A high quality food is better of course.  The only way to save the grass is to keep him OFF the grass.


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## irvinaca (Aug 8, 2010)

We found that Orijen was just too rich in protein (i think) - Luda's stomach never settled on it anyway. She looks good on Fish4dogs.

As for the lawn patches, can't you put something in their water to counter that or am i making it up?


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## Macaroni (Jan 19, 2011)

We switched Mac off Purina Puppy almost right away to Acana. It really impoved his stools and gas and he seems to like it. We switch the protein type (chicken, lamb, bison, fish) - grasslands, pacifica, etc. when the bag is done. I read this helps prevent developing an intolerence to any type of protein (may not be true, but doesn't matter) and the different proteins all help in different ways (ie fish is better for the coat). It's a 5 star and is made by same producers as Orijen w/ very similar ingredients, it's just not as high in protein, which I prefer.

Lots of good ones out there. Just depends on finding one Grnager likes and how much you want to spend.


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## lilhoosier32 (Feb 23, 2011)

Mischa-- how could you tell there was too much protein with your v? Sometimes I wonder about that but not sure how to tell.


I feed mine Blue Buffalo and have never had any issues so far. Super soft coat, and she always eats it all at once. She has gas at least once a day but I'm assuming that's normal? She came from the breeder on Candidae and that seemed to be great too.


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## JillandDan (Sep 8, 2010)

lilhoosier32,
We found that the way to tell if too much protein is loose stool. We have that issue with Holley. The puppy foods all have high protein and not alot of fiber so we add pumpkin to counteract it. We had the worst issue with the Wellness. Holley's gas was horrible and we could never get her tummy to adjust. Blue Buffalo was a little better but not much for her. Now she is on Nutro Natural Lamb and we still mix with pumpkin. This seems to be working for her although she doesn't eat as much as I would like her to.


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## Mischa (Feb 17, 2010)

lilhoosier32 said:


> Mischa-- how could you tell there was too much protein with your v? Sometimes I wonder about that but not sure how to tell.


Constant farts that clear any room! 
And really soft stool.

Both have improved marginally since we switched to a lower protein food, but it may still be too high because pretty well every day after her regular poop, she'll have a small bit of diarrhea 2-4 times during an hour long run.
Apparently running contributes to that as well though.

A V breeder told us that we should look for something in the mid 20%'s for protein content, not 30+% like we have bee feeding her.

Our trouble now is finding a really high quality food with a lower protein content.


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## Grangeristhename (Jan 20, 2011)

Mischa said:


> lilhoosier32 said:
> 
> 
> > Mischa-- how could you tell there was too much protein with your v? Sometimes I wonder about that but not sure how to tell.
> ...


Have you tried Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Canine formula. The protein is 25% and it is what I use now. I barely got it last week. http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/products/dogs/dry_food/pacific_stream_canine_formula/


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## kellygh (Oct 25, 2010)

I am confused about all of this protein stuff! I understand why people think too much protein is an issue, especially in grain free foods; however, when you read articles re: protein, many state high protein causing loose stools is a misconception. Many link it to fiber & intolerance issues. Noting oa wild dogs natural diet would be meat (higher meat content in grain free food) I do not know. I read arguments on both sides, research too, so I just go with what works for my dogs. I'm looking into switching Pumpkin to Go! Natural. Like Orijen, it is rated a top tier food, but the price is a little nicer with a shorter hike to purchase; in addition, it has a lower protein content (not the reason we might switch). I do think it is important to look at the amount of fillers associated with foods having less protein. Like people, the less fiber, vitamins, & protein, the more junk. No, I am not saying quality foods w/ much lower protein don't exist, but it is something to examine w/ your decision. Finally, if you have a dog that is weird about eating like our Pumpkin, they may ultimately make the decision for you! Protein or not, Pumpkin let's us know what she will & will not eat ;D


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## Mischa (Feb 17, 2010)

Grangeristhename said:


> Mischa said:
> 
> 
> > lilhoosier32 said:
> ...


Weird. dogfoodanaylsis.com has it listed as 32%, so I haven't bothered looking at it twice...
Their website says 25% though. I think I'll pick some up to see what happens. 
Thanks!


Kellygh:
I have a co-worker on a high protein diet, and lets just say I'm very glad on days that I don't have to work next to him... 
I was under the impression that too much protein could be a bad thing, but I still want to give my dog enough because she is quite muscular and protein is what builds muscle. I'd like her to build on her strength, not decrease it.
We've only given her top quality foods so I don't think her nasty poops are from fillers or a lack of vitamins/minerals. Too much fibre, maybe??
For the most part, Mischa eats whatever we give her. She seemed to get bored with fish, so we went back to chicken and she gobbles up every morsel.

I'm confused about all of this protein stuff myself, so any info you come across, please share.


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## kellygh (Oct 25, 2010)

Mischa--The two reasons I have heard people give against high protein foods is stools & strain on kidneys & liver (particularly in larger breeds). As for the latter, everything that I have read suggest strain on the kidneys/liver is a non issue, unless the protein source is of poor quality. High quality proteins should have no impact, and guidelines (at least those I read via Purdue U Vet School & Merrick Vet Med Manual) do not suggest a low protein diet as a general rule even in senior dogs w/ compromised function. That is not to say a low protein diet is never needed; however, higher protein of good sources can not be blamed for kidney/liver conditions. Joint & bone issues are mainly attributed to overfeeding. Less kibble of high quality, rich foods are needed. As for loose stools, after browsing FAQs, blogs, NC State U Vet School, dog food manufactures, dog food rating sites, & Merrick Veterinary Medicine Manual, it seems more likely loose stools are related to the protein source not the level of protein. Pups have more sensitive stomachs anyway. In fact, Wellness states on their own website that they have not increased their protein levels, because their studies indicate a dog does not absorb protein beyond 34%. If that is true, and I do not know, then no matter what brand we feed, our dogs are not absorbing, what has been called excessive protein, in some brands like Orijen. I personally am skeptical of any claims made by dog food manufactures. All of them have a product to sell & a good line to go with it ;D I do not doubt anyone's loose stool experiences, nor am I trying to be argumentative, but I'm just not convinced it is protein. It just makes more sense to me that it is the protein source rather than the level of protein. Protein has been the primary source of food for dogs for 100rds of yrs, not grains etc. Honestly, I do not know, but I know for whatever reason, some foods are not going to agree with some dogs. Go with what works, and stick with quality. I'd love to see more scientific studies from Universities re: this issue. It's interesting, and it is obviously a concern.


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## Mischa (Feb 17, 2010)

I always questioned the protein issue as well, because in the wild a dog would eat a lot more meat/protein than they'll ever get in kibble.
In the last few weeks I also read that over feeding could cause loose stool, so we've dropped her intake from 4 cups/day, down to 3. That seemed to help, but the problem still lingered. 

Regardless, our girls issue seems to have disappeared in the last couple days, so I plan on sticking with Wellness Core. From what I have read it is chock full of quality ingredients, with no corn/grain fillers.


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## kellygh (Oct 25, 2010)

Wellness CORE is a fine food, & I am glad you found one your girl can tolerate. There is a list of 10 foods I can think of right off that bat, I'm sure there are plenty more, that are quality foods. Out of plenty of choices, we all just have to find one your dog will eat & thrive while eating it. I don't know the answer to the protein debate, but I am very skeptical that it relates to the amount of protein. As I said, I tend to think it is the source of protein that cause issues. Just like dogs have intolerances to grains, they can also have/develop them to proteins. Beef & eggs are very common in quality foods, and they also make the top 10 list of food intolerances. Wellness is a good example of a quality food that some Vs on this board won't eat or can't tolerate while others do exceptionally well. Go figure  ! If anyone does have any solid scientific research on this topic, I would love to see it.


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