Natures Domain (Kirkland signature) vs Taste of the Wild, Blue Buffalo, Wellness, etc.

[Anonymous]

Getting a new puppy soon. Want to get the best food, but also don’t want to overpay.

I’ve read I want grain-free premium dog food, but can an expert weigh in here?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Paying more doesn't always get you better food. My dog's breeder fed their puppies Purina Pro Plan, so I bought some because I didn't want to change his diet right off the bat, and the checkout guy at Petsmart shamed me for it. Acted like it was dog abuse. I asked my vet about it and she said that Purina Pro Plan was actually really good food. She said do NOT buy any food with "Blue" in the name.

[Anonymous]

Not an expert by any stretch, but once we switched to grain free for our previous dogs, we noticed better, predictable poops, shinier fur, and no adverse effects. Our current dogs are grain free except for the occasional treat (vet snack, me giving an errant pizza crust bite) and again, predictable poops, no adverse effects.

We've done Taste of the Wild and also, for our dogs with allergy issues, Nature's Balance - Limited Ingredient. All good.

[Anonymous]

Our vet says whatever works for our dogs and their coat looks healthy. I'd keep feeding what the puppy is used to for now, and if you're changing, mix the new in to gradually switch over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our vet says whatever works for our dogs and their coat looks healthy. I'd keep feeding what the puppy is used to for now, and if you're changing, mix the new in to gradually switch over.

+1

Start with whatever food the puppy is already eating.

[Anonymous]

OP, the Costco brand to which you refer is very similar to TOTW and I believe is made in the same facility (Diamond). I feed my dog the canned Nature’s Domain (red can) and she’s doing great on it. I may switch over the dry as well.

[Anonymous]

Not PP but our breeder also recommended Purina ProPlan. Our dog has thrived on it (we tried "fancy" brands but his energy/coat/skin/gi system are best on ProPlan).

[Anonymous]

TOTW, because that's what the breeder used.

[Anonymous]

Our puppy was eating TLC puppy food when we got it, and graduated to the dog food version at 1 year.

But we are going to make a change over to Blue Buffalo (same flavor and ingredients) because instead of paying $64 for 30lbs we can pay $40 for the same and like everything that difference adds up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, the Costco brand to which you refer is very similar to TOTW and I believe is made in the same facility (Diamond). I feed my dog the canned Nature’s Domain (red can) and she’s doing great on it. I may switch over the dry as well.

Yes, the Kirkland salmon formula is almost, if not exactly, the same as TOTW, and is a great food for adult dogs. For puppies under 1, esp. of medium- to large- size, you do want a puppy-specific food for the different fat/calorie/nutrient mix.

[Anonymous]

I like this website for dog food reviews: https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/

We did Taste of the Wild delivered from Amazon until we got a Costco membership, then switched to Kirkland Signature. Both are good prices for higher quality food.

[Anonymous]

The American College of Veterinary Nutritionists are qualified, practicing veterinarians who've taken additional training to become
board-certified veterinary nutritionists.

I like BalanceIt.com posted by the doctor who taught at the University of California at Davis Veterinary School and now runs the Davis Veterinary Medical Consultancy.

Their website allows one to design a diet for one's pet, see how it isn't complete and balanced, and remedy it. They consult with primary care vets and with pet owners.

I have been without a cat now for about ten weeks. Lifelong ailurophile. Am not getting another cat until I know how to feed it properly.

If you * really want to know * the technical details, you can spring for Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats, part of the Animal Nutrition Series, published by the National Research Council of the National Academies.

It's about $150 published locally in Sterling, VA.

If you're determined to go canned, look into The Honest Kitchen. Also Ayrshire Farms, in the Virginia horse country.

I believe the high quality food I fed my last cat sickened him and contributed to his premature death. I plan to make my own cat food at home, and feed him nothing but.

But only upon the advice of DVMC and using BalanceIt supplements.

Oh yeah...canines and humans are omnivores. Their nutritional needs are different, they can eat a wider assortment of foods with biological benefit, than can felines.

It's pay now or pay later. Speaking of felines here, *the best* food one can feed them comes from the butcher at Whole Foods, not from the "pet food" aisle. But it's *your* pet, do what you will.

Just be aware that the marketing blather of a $72 billion dollar industry has us all believing a lot of claims that just aren't true.

You can also spring for the Association of American Feed Control Officials 2018 Publication. About $120. if you really want to know. Pay attention to their definition of what those "foods" in those cans really are. They aren't the prime quality things humans eat.

Cross reference that with Susan Thixton's works.

[Anonymous]

Our vet discourages grain free diets for dogs unless there is a known allergy. Apparently, it's being investigated as a possible cause of heart disease in dogs.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2018/08/29/grain-free-exotic-dog-food-linked-to-heart-disease

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our vet discourages grain free diets for dogs unless there is a known allergy. Apparently, it's being investigated as a possible cause of heart disease in dogs.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2018/08/29/grain-free-exotic-dog-food-linked-to-heart-disease

OP here. I actually did read about this. I asked the breeder and she uses Nutro Ultra (which is not grain free but also highly rated.) So I’ll start with that and see how it goes.