Q&A: Which (non comercial) natural dog food is best? We have tried Cannidae and Cali-Natural?

Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review

6 Comments  Natural Dog Foods Review

Question by asweetangelseyes: Which (non comercial) natural dog food is best? We have tried Cannidae and Cali-Natural?
My dog was adopted in March. She had hot spots/bare patches. She was skin scraped and is mange free…I switched her from Science Diet (EWW) to Canidae. She improved so much, was so soft and hardly shed at all. For the last month, her shedding has increased a lot (again) and she has a few patches back. She was at the vet about 3 weeks ago (no visible patches) but the vet stated she wasnt happy with her coat/skin and told me to switch her food again. So this time we are on California Natural Chicken formula. She is in the process of switching over and is not on it 100% yet. She likes it so far…The vet doesnt want to test her for allergies yet (i dont either) bcz I think we can find a remedy on our own or at least try to. I dont want to put her on prescription medicine. I think my next resort will be wellness fish/sweetpotatoe or even a raw/barf diet… any ideas/suggestions for what to do?! I will ultimately take her back to the vet, but they dont want to test her yet.
she gets cod oil mixed with her food and an immunity booster with water (tasha’s herbs for pets)… she was also on prozyme but the vet told me the supplements dont do THAT much to help?! I am so confused. I did give her some shed defense pills but we ran out and not sure if i should continue those or not. I want to see if the diet alone could help her… All treats are natural (bilJac, old mother hubbard), or human food (very limited to p-nut butter, yogurt, small raw meats,etc.) No commecial treats with fillers..Could she also be having a reaction to her monthly FRONTLINE meds? YIKES! HELP!

Best answer:

Answer by abbyful
There isn’t one single dog food that is the overall “best” on the market for all dogs. For example, some dogs do best on grain-free diets, for others, grain-free is too rich and they need a little lower protein diet. What you want to find out is what high-quality dog food is the best food for your dog.

On choosing a dog food:
Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food. A grain should not be in the first couple ingredients ingredient (corn and such are mainly fillers, dogs don’t digest it well). Avoid foods that have a lot of “by products” listed.

Here is an article about byproducts:

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=ingrd

And an article on what ingredients to avoid:

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

—

Some GOOD foods are :
* Merrick – http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
* Solid Gold – http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
* Canidae – http://www.canidae.com/
* Timberwolf – http://timberwolforganics.com/
* Orijen – http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/orijen/
* Wellness – http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/
* Chicken Soup brand – http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
* Innova – http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.asp
* Innova EVO – http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp

Or check this website for good foods: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
(I recommend only feeding foods rated 4, 5, or 6 stars. Anything 3 stars or less, I would stay away from.)

—

Stay away from grocery stores brands. They are low-quality foods chalk full of fillers, preservatives, dyes, etc.. (Grocery store foods are those like Beneful, Old Roy, Alpo, etc.)

Beware “premium” foods. “Premium” does not mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. It has the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. (Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc..)

Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit from the brands they keep on their shelves, that’s why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don’t focus a lot on nutrition. It’s not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told “this is good food”, so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it’s good as well.

—

When switching foods, do it gradually. I do this over about a two week timespan:
25% food A, 75% food B
50% food A, 50% food B
75% food A, 25% food B
100% food A

Give your answer to this question below!

Related Blogs

Which (non comercial) natural dog food is best? We have tried Cannidae and Cali-Natural?

Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review

No Comment  Natural Dog Foods Review

Question by asweetangelseyes: Which (non comercial) natural dog food is best? We have tried Cannidae and Cali-Natural?
My dog was adopted in March. She had hot spots/bare patches. She was skin scraped and is mange free…I switched her from Science Diet (EWW) to Canidae. She improved so much, was so soft and hardly shed at all. For the last month, her shedding has increased a lot (again) and she has a few patches back. She was at the vet about 3 weeks ago (no visible patches) but the vet stated she wasnt happy with her coat/skin and told me to switch her food again. So this time we are on California Natural Chicken formula. She is in the process of switching over and is not on it 100% yet. She likes it so far…The vet doesnt want to test her for allergies yet (i dont either) bcz I think we can find a remedy on our own or at least try to. I dont want to put her on prescription medicine. I think my next resort will be wellness fish/sweetpotatoe or even a raw/barf diet… any ideas/suggestions for what to do?! I will ultimately take her back to the vet, but they dont want to test her yet.
she gets cod oil mixed with her food and an immunity booster with water (tasha’s herbs for pets)… she was also on prozyme but the vet told me the supplements dont do THAT much to help?! I am so confused. I did give her some shed defense pills but we ran out and not sure if i should continue those or not. I want to see if the diet alone could help her… All treats are natural (bilJac, old mother hubbard), or human food (very limited to p-nut butter, yogurt, small raw meats,etc.) No commecial treats with fillers..Could she also be having a reaction to her monthly FRONTLINE meds? YIKES! HELP!

Best answer:

Answer by abbyful
There isn’t one single dog food that is the overall “best” on the market for all dogs. For example, some dogs do best on grain-free diets, for others, grain-free is too rich and they need a little lower protein diet. What you want to find out is what high-quality dog food is the best food for your dog.

On choosing a dog food:
Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food. A grain should not be in the first couple ingredients ingredient (corn and such are mainly fillers, dogs don’t digest it well). Avoid foods that have a lot of “by products” listed.

Here is an article about byproducts:

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=ingrd

And an article on what ingredients to avoid:

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

—

Some GOOD foods are :
* Merrick – http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
* Solid Gold – http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
* Canidae – http://www.canidae.com/
* Timberwolf – http://timberwolforganics.com/
* Orijen – http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/orijen/
* Wellness – http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/
* Chicken Soup brand – http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
* Innova – http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.asp
* Innova EVO – http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp

Or check this website for good foods: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
(I recommend only feeding foods rated 4, 5, or 6 stars. Anything 3 stars or less, I would stay away from.)

—

Stay away from grocery stores brands. They are low-quality foods chalk full of fillers, preservatives, dyes, etc.. (Grocery store foods are those like Beneful, Old Roy, Alpo, etc.)

Beware “premium” foods. “Premium” does not mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. It has the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. (Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc..)

Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit from the brands they keep on their shelves, that’s why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don’t focus a lot on nutrition. It’s not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told “this is good food”, so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it’s good as well.

—

When switching foods, do it gradually. I do this over about a two week timespan:
25% food A, 75% food B
50% food A, 50% food B
75% food A, 25% food B
100% food A

Give your answer to this question below!

Related Blogs

Q&A: Has any one ever tried “Natural Way” natural dog food?

Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review

19 Comments  Natural Dog Foods Review

Question by bonniclarkson: Has any one ever tried “Natural Way” natural dog food?
I have been feeding my 4 month old Goldendoodle IAMS Puppy Formula (which is what my breeder was feeding her). However, I am not particularly happy with the ingredients in it because it has a lot of by products and contains a lot of grains such as corn.

My groomer told me that corn can cause allergies in dogs, and it can cause a “doggie smell” that is almost constant… as well as skin and digestion problems.

So I have been researching dog foods, and I came across a brand that is supposedly “endorsed” by Lassie, and it is called “Natural Way”. The first five ingredients seemed pretty good…

Lamb Meal, Rice Flour, Rice Bran, Ground Rice, Chicken Meal,…

I was wondering if anyone has tried it and what do you think of it??

You can view more info about this food at http://www.lassie.com/naturalway/index.html.

NOTE: This is not a debate about the best dog food… or why IAMS is good or bad… or anything like this. I am simply looking to find out if anyone has tried this food!!
Like I said, the ingredients in “Natural Way” seemed “healthier” that the IAMS. I found that IAMS had a lot of corn and by products while Natural Way did not. I am also wondering if anyone eliminated corn for health problems in their dog?

Best answer:

Answer by rebecca_11_f_ct
Yes my dogs are on that food now. They love it!

What do you think? Answer below!

Related Blogs

Tried everything to get rid of Fleas on my dog!!! Need other ideas.?

Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review

12 Comments  Natural Dog Foods Review

Question by Rachel B.: Tried everything to get rid of Fleas on my dog!!! Need other ideas.?
To start off, my 11-year-old Chow/Shih-tzu mix has skin allergies (we think it may be seasonal), so when we saw her itching alot a couple of months ago, we thought that it was because of that. So we switched her food to Nutro Natural Choice dog food along with a half can of wet food at night which we mixed in an all-natural supplment powder, fish oil, and a multi-vitamen pill for senior dog. During the day, we would give her a fish oil pill, and twice a week she would get a bath with a anti-itch shampoo that I got from PetSmart. We tried that for about a month, and didn’t really notice any difference.

The next month, we kept her on the all-natural diet with the supplements; but, this time when I gave her a bath, I noticed a couple of fleas on her backend. So I immediately went out and got a flea spray from PetSmart to see if that would work—-it only works to kill the fleas that are on her; it doesn’t stop them from coming back though. So I then went back to PetSmart, and got another flea product to put on her back—that didn’t work. Then I got another flea product that had more good reviews then the last one, along with a all-natural anti-itch spray and anti-chew spray for my dog. The anti-itch spray only works when it’s wet so that doesn’t last long; and the anti-chew spray didn’t really deter her from chewing on herself, and after we sprayed it, everyone in the house was able to taste it.

A couple of weeks ago (after trying everything), I took her to the vet to see if they could finally get rid of the fleas. They gave me a shampoo for irritated skin, predisone, and a steroid pill along with advantage flea treatment for her and my inside/outside cat (which has shown no sign of having fleas on her). They told us that we should Fog the house and outside—–my parents said that we can’t fog the house because we have an in-home daycare business so it would just create a big mess for us to clean up in the daycare, ect. And they thought the backyard was pointless, because my dog goes everywhere outside (different neighborhoods, dog park, downtown, woods in the back of my house)—and we doupt that those people fog their own homes, so when my dog comes into contact with that area there will probably be fleas there. So they went out and got this flea spray (recommended to us by a couple different people) for inside the house—-we washed everything, moved alot of stuff around, and then vacummed everything. We then vacummed the carpets and everwhere that my dog went for the next week, and sprayed again on Sunday. Whenever I do wash (every coupl of days), I always wash my dog’s bedding too. She still has fleas.

Now, my dad thinks that it would be best and easier for us to get my dog shaved down so that we can start from scratch with trying to fight off these fleas; along with buying her and my 12-year-old cat flea collars. I asked the vet about shaving my dog down, and the vet said that it would only irritate my dog’s skin more which I told my dad and other family members—–they all seem to agree with my dad now because we did try everything that the vet said (besides fogging the house and yard), and that didn’t work. So any ideas would be greatly appreciated because I really don’t want to pay someone to shave my dog when that’s not really going to work or help make the process of getting rid of fleas easier. Thanks!
I don’t allow my dog to roam by herself—-whenever I go out, she goes out with me on a leash. When you live in the city, it’s very important to keep your dog socialized; and that’s why I tend to take her everywhere with me.

Best answer:

Answer by Syd *Dedicated SPCA Worker*
Frontline Plus. Or i have to use Pro Meris for my PB because she has skin allergies. It works great. It is a little more expensive then the frontline. Take your dog to the vet and they will give it a cap star to kill all the fleas that are on it now. Then get a topical flea medication, like Pro Meris, and that will keep the fleas off.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Related Blogs

Has Anyone Tried California Natural Dog Food?

Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review

4 Comments  Natural Dog Foods Review

Question by jeannie_brim: Has Anyone Tried California Natural Dog Food?
Please tell me what you think of it. Did it help woth any allergies?

Best answer:

Answer by fuzzysparkle182
i dont eat dog food so i wouldnt know.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Related Blogs

    Has Anyone Tried California Natural Dog Food?

    Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review

    No Comment  Natural Dog Foods Review

    Question by jeannie_brim: Has Anyone Tried California Natural Dog Food?
    Please tell me what you think of it. Did it help woth any allergies?

    Best answer:

    Answer by fuzzysparkle182
    i dont eat dog food so i wouldnt know.

    What do you think? Answer below!

    I have a Bullmastiff who has food allergies, I have tried several Natural Foods, does anyone have advice?

    Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review

    10 Comments  Natural Dog Foods Review

    Question by Belle Z.: I have a Bullmastiff who has food allergies, I have tried several Natural Foods, does anyone have advice?
    I have a 2 year old Bullmastiff who seems to develop a food allergy about 5 months after he is eating any dry dog food. I have tried Nutro Natural Choice, Nature’s Recipe, Costco Lamb & Rice, ect. The vet suggests Benadryl, which is fine, but I need to find some food he will do well on forever.
    His ears, eyes and mouth get very red when he is allergic and he becomes itchy. Please post any advice you have, Thanks!

    Best answer:

    Answer by OyVay!
    california natural, wellness simple diet.. both have limited ingredients, wellness has alternative protiens and carbs.

    I have a dog with severe food intolerances, and these have worked out well for me. (no wheat, Barley, rye, potato, beef, chicken, duck, turkey, lamb, corn, whitefish, or soy, casein, etc. for him. I call him my little puppy celiac! Which he is!)
    And yes, it is intolerance. My pup gets severe bleeding ulcers and yes, the endoscopy found small intestinal damage as well as an ulcer the size of a softball. They almost had to do a re-section of his tum! He has allergies as well that show up as skin issues like the dog above.
    Here is the article on food intolerance in dogs:

    http://dogtorj.tripod.com/id32.html

    What do you think? Answer below!

    Related Blogs

    Has anyone tried any Nutro Natural Choice Ultra dog and puppy food products?

    Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review Natural Dog Foods Review

    3 Comments  Natural Dog Foods Review

    Question by ❤H£R RÕ¥ÄL ÇÕ܇ÛR£ JÛÏǥѣ§$ ❤: Has anyone tried any Nutro Natural Choice Ultra dog and puppy food products?
    I have read many reviews on Nutro Ultra products and there are serious mixed reviews like how their dogs started vomiting and passing yellow bile and some bloody stool, and near deaths,(this has been happening across the country in many many households) but on the other hand some peoples dogs and puppies have improved in their health, like in digestion, weight gain, growth, and having a shiny coat and bright eyes when they switched to Nurto. The FDA did some tests to see if they can find and bacteria and none were detected there was nothing seemingly wrong with the food. So i think the dogs probably had an allergic reaction or something but idk. So I need some educated opinions and personal experiences please because i don’t wanna risk anything. (also Nutro max, natural choice, and ultra.) thnx in advance! =)
    also what are the foods that were affected by any recalls in the past 5 years
    what about wellness, solid gold, and innova

    Best answer:

    Answer by bloomorningglory
    I used to feed Nutro Natural Choice to my puppy. She did well on it but after doing a lot of research I realized that the food had too much rice in it. Dogs don’t need that much rice. My dog is now on a grain-free diet and she eats less and poops less and still maintains her weight. There are worse foods to feed your animal but there are many better foods in that price range. Taste of the Wild, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul, Premium Edge are a few of the better foods that are similarly priced. Keep in mind some are a bit more expensive per pound of food but it works itself out when you consider that they have to eat less.

    If you do decide to feed Nutro, skip Max and go for Natural Choice or Ultra. Also keep in mind that lots of foods have had recalls. An isolated incident is not that bad..

    On a side note, I also had my cat on Nutro Natural and one of the bags actually made him ill – vomiting/diarrhea ill. The problem cleared up when I switched him to a new brand. The bag was not included in the recall but just outside the recall period. Nutro made no attempts to refund my money or give me a free bag or anything. For more eye-opening see this site – http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/nutro.html

    Add your own answer in the comments!

    Related Blogs