dog food

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Petsmart

Published October 17, 2013

Helen asks…

I’m looking for a healthy a healthy dry food for my dog?

I have a Chihuahua and I’m concerned about the typical dog foods available on the market that I’ve been feeding to him. I want to give him a dry food that is healthy, doesn’t have tons of ingredients(not to mention things I can’t pronounce), no preservatives, and perhaps something organic. Not to mention a food that has small pieces for my little dog. Does Petco, Petsmart, Wal-Mart or Stop and Shop have anything that you would recommend?

admin answers:

At Petsmart, Authority is rated high on consumer reports.
There is nothing at WalMart or the grocers that is worth feeding, and that includes Science Diet.

Betty asks…

What is the best organic dog food?

I currently feed my dogs Sceince diet sensitive skin, but have been thinking about changing to an orgainc food. Which is the best brand?
Thanks for the great info. I have tried Blue Buffalo sweet potato and white fish, but my boxer hates the little black bits and quit eating it all together. I have been feeding sceince diet for about three years now and it did help with the food allergy, but they tend to have loose stools sometimes and it gives one of them bad breath.

admin answers:

You don’t need organic, you just need a high quality food. Science Diet is crap.

Not all pet food is made equally. A lot of it is full of corn, by-products, dyes, unhealthy preservatives, filler grains and all sorts of nasty stuff. A lot of pet food companies are perfectly happy to the dump cheap leftovers and things that aren’t safe for human consumption (from human food processing plants) into their foods. Will it kill your dog? No, it has to be nutritionally complete and safe to even be marketed. Is it healthy? Not by a long shot.

Corn is a low quality ingredient you never want to see in your pet food. Corn and low quality grains are two of the biggest culprits when it comes to food allergies in our pets.

Thankfully, there are some excellent dog foods being made these days that include organic, human grade ingredients rather than trash not fit for human consumption.

Examples of low quality foods to avoid: Anything you can find in a grocery store will be low end, Purina, Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Royal Canin, Pedigree, Kibbles n’ Bits, Beneful, Ol’Roy.

Examples of high quality foods to look for: Innova, Wellness, Solid Gold, Canidae All Life Stages, Fromm Four Star, Merrick, GO Natural, Nature’s Variety Prairie, Nature’s Logic, Artemis Fresh Mix, Timberwolf Organics.

Although the high quality foods are more expensive, you’re getting what you’re paying for. Less filler material and higher quality ingredients means more concentrated nutrients… This means you typically need to feed far less of the high quality food than you would of the low quality one. Which also means less poop!

Seriously on a budget? Two of the most affordable of the higher quality foods would be Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul and Canidae All Life Stages.

Before following your vet’s food recommendation, keep in mind that vets get /very/ little nutritional training during their schooling. Besides that, what training they /do/ get is usually sponsored or taught by… You guessed it, the crappy pet food companies! They also often get kickbacks from the companies for pushing these products at their clinics (Science Diet, Royal Canin etc.)

A great option is to go with an entirely grain-free diet. Many of the high quality foods now put out grain-free formulas. Some good grain-free diets include: Innova EVO, Wellness CORE, Blue Wilderness, Nature’s Variety Instinct, Orijen, Horizon Legacy, Canidae Grain Free All Life Stages, Fromm Surf & Turf, Now!, GO Natural Grain Free, Sold Gold Barking At The Moon, Ziwipeak, and Taste of the Wild.

Some pretty decent foods can even be found in common pet stores. Petsmart carries Blue Buffalo products (such as the excellent grain-free diet, Blue Wilderness). Petco carries Wellness, Solid Gold, Natural Balance, Eagle Pack Holistic Select, Blue Buffalo, Castor & Pollux Organix, Pinnacle, and Halo.

If you can’t find a food, most of the high quality dog food brands have websites with store locators on them that will help you find the store closest to you which supplies their products. Simply type the dog food brand’s name into Google, go to their website, and type your zip code into their store locator.

Another option, if you can’t find anywhere around you that sells good foods, is to order your pet food online. Here’s an excellent place to do so: http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/

Remember that foods should be switched gradually (mixing the new slowly in with the old over the period of about week or so), especially when switching to a higher quality one, so as not to upset tummies. For example:
Days 1 & 2: 75% old food, 25% new food
Days 3 & 4: 50% old food, 50% new food
Days 5 & 6: 25% old food, 75% new food
Day 7: 0% old food, 100% new food

Another option for feeding dogs is to feed raw. This is something that should be thoroughly researched before being attempted:
http://www.rawfed.com/ (RawFed)
http://www.rawlearning.com/ (Jane Anderson’s Raw Learning Site)
http://rawfeddogs.net/ (Raw Fed Dogs)
http://www.rawmeatybones.com/ (Raw Meaty Bones)
http://rawfed.com/myths/preymodel.html (Raw Prey Model Diet Vs. BARF Diet)
http://community.livejournal.com/rawdogs/profile/ (Raw Dogs Livejournal Community, excellent raw feeding information on the profile page and overall helpful community for raw feeding questions)
http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html (Myths About Raw Feeding)

Also remember that freefeeding (leaving food down) is the fast lane to canine obesity. Make sure to have scheduled feeding times loosely based on the feeding guidelines on your dog’s food. Adult dogs are typically fed two meals a day.

More on dog food:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=main (Learn how to determine the quality of your dog’s food.)
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/ (Dog food reviews. Four stars is a decent food, five stars is a great food, and six stars is an excellent food.)

Edit: LOL Salt&Pepper. That’s a good one. Yup, a food made up primarily of corn is /totally/ equal to a food made up primarily of meat proteins. Thanks for the laugh!

Darksong~

Maria asks…

Can anyone recommend a healthy dog food?

My dog is now 10 years old and at this point I have only just realised the crap I have been feeding him: Sainsbury’s complete. After a bit of research I found that this dog food includes animal derivatives, cereal and all kinds of other crap and I am now looking to change that and feed him a more expensive, healthy dog food.

Any recommendations?

Btw, he is a lhasa apso, shih tzu and poodle cross.

admin answers:

Here are some examples of other good dog foods:
* Artemis Fresh Mix
* Blue buffalo
* California Natural
* Canidae
* Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
* Eagle Pack Holistic Selects
* EVO
* Fromm Four Star
* Innova
* Merrick
* Nature’s Variety
* Orijen
* Solid Gold
* Taste of the Wild
* Timberwolf Organics
* Wellness
* ZiwiPeak
I fed my dogs Blue buffalo, and they loved it, they were always happy!
So i recommend you feed your Dog blue buffalo!

List of BAD dog foods:
-Beneful
-Pedigree
-Iams
-Eukanuba
-Royal Canin
-Science Diet
-Kibbles ‘n Bits
-Dog Chow
– Ol roy
BAD dog food is sold in chain stores so be careful

GOOD dog food you can buy online or at petsmart or petco etc..
Good luck!

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Amazon

Published October 3, 2013

Lizzie asks…

What’s the best dog food for lab puppies?

I thought pro plan was good, but a friend told me that the ingredients (the top 5) should NOT include corn fillers are animal by products! Pro Plan does! What do you all think?

admin answers:

Hi Steph,
You definitely want to feed your pup a decent food. As such, you should definitely avoid the cheapo brands at the supermarket and Wal-Mart. They really are crap. And, quite frankly, the “scientific” brands like Science Diet, Iams, Eukanuba, Nutro, etc are not all that much better, especially for the price. The only “scientific” food I would recommend is Royal Canin Large Breed Puppy 32. Yes. It does have corn gluten meal, and some wheat. But, it’s primary protein source is chicken meal, which is the best for most dogs, unless they are allergic to chicken.

There are a variety of “holistic” brands out there. But, don’t let the words “holistic”, “natural”, or “organic” lull you into a false sense of security. A lot of those are crap too, but for different reasons. Unlike the large pet food companies like Purina and Mars, most of the small companies don’t manufacture their own food. Some manufacture their dry food. But, many use a company called Diamond (which also has a half dozen of its own brands, such as Chicken Soup, Premium Edge, etc). Diamond has a pretty shaky history of food safety. And, you are probably aware of the big Menu Foods scandal from last year. They make the wet foods for some of the biggest holistic brands, such as Innova, Wellness, Natural Balance, and Newman’s Own, to name a few. So, you should do a little web research on some of these brands in terms of recalls and safety.

We’ve recently switched to Pinnacle Chicken and Oats dry food for our Golden Retriever puppy. It’s not a Large Breed food per se, or even specifically a puppy food. However, it’s calorie (ME) content, as well as Calcium and Phosphorus content/ratio are just right for large breed puppies. The problem with most puppy-specific foods is that they are too high in calories and calcium, and have an improper calcium/phosphorus ratio for large breed puppies that cause them to grow to fast. Plus, a 7.5lb bag of Pinnacle is only $11.99 at a local feed store. That is just about the least expensive “premium” dog food I have seen, regardless of scientific or holistic.

If you want to stick with a food easily available at Petsmart, because that is where you go for all of your other pet needs, such as toys, training, etc, there are a few good brands amongst all the crap they have there. You can try AvoDerm Puppy formula, by the same company that makes Pinnacle (also with good calorie, calcium, and phosphorus numbers), Blue Buffalo Large Breed Puppy (a bit more expensive than AvoDerm), and By Nature Puppy. I would try them in that order.

Remember to avoid the crap treats, as well. Avoid the chemical and grain-filled garbage, and anything made in China. (Let me repeat that…AVOID ANYTHING MADE IN CHINA). Some Petsmarts carry Newman’s Own Organic treats, a good choice. Also, Active Care Joint Care Chews (from the makers of Pinnacle and AvoDerm) are great for large breeds prone to joint problems. They are kind of expensive. But, a great, natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin, better than synthetic supplement pills.

BTW, don’t put too much stock in sites like dogfoodanalysis.com. Their reviews consist wholly of a theoretical examination of the ingredient lists of the different foods. Unfortunately, by law, makers are allowed to deviate from the listed ingredients. (Sad, but true.) The owner of the site hasn’t actually used any of the foods. So, it is like reviewing a movie without actually seeing it, but judging it solely by the cast and crew credits. Check actual user reviews of the foods on the product pages of Petsmart, Petco, and Amazon websites, plus rating sites like rateitall.com, and dog owner forums, especially for your breed.

I hope that helps.

Michael asks…

Does anyone have any personal experience with fatigue caused by yeast-candida?

I am hoping to learn more about the possibility of fatigue caused by the over growth of yeast or “Candida”. I have been doing a lot of research on the internet, but have found so many different opinions on how to treat it, what the diet should look like and different symptoms that it may cause. A lot of it doesn’t seem to match up. I am looking to find the best sites to look for real information, possible facts, studies and personal success stories. Thank you.

admin answers:

Gidday mate, please please please buy the book “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About IBS” ~

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0446690910/healingchoice-20

Chapter 6 details precisely how to eliminate the yeast overgrowth known as candida albicans ……….. I personally eliminated a vast array of symptoms including fatigue and exhaustion, constipation, bloating, headaches and migraines, moodiness and irritability, achy bones, cramping, nausea, thrush, fingernail fungus all by simply eliminating the source of food for the yeast ie ~ yeast and processed sugar.

The classic telltale signs of a yeast overgrowth ……. Candidiasis …… Are those of a white tongue (thrush), toenail or fingernail fungus, jock itch or athlete’s foot, and vaginal yeast infections……….. An overgrowth of yeast can affect virtually every system of the body with the gastrointestinal, genitourinary, endocrine, nervous and immune systems being the most susceptible…. Common symptoms of candidiasis include:

Digestive disorders, including IBS;
Gastrointestinal symptoms: thrush, bloating gas, rectal itching;
Vaginal yeast infections;
Urinary tract infections;
Athlete’s foot or jock itch;
Fungal toenails or fingernails;
Cravings for sugar, bread, or alcohol;
Diaper rash;
Fatigue;
Irritability (especially when hungry);
Premenstrual syndrome and menstrual problems;
Fibromyalgia;
headaches;
Brain fog;
Skin problems or itching;
Numbness or tingling in the extremities;
Respiratory problems;
Depression;
Hypoglycemia;
Short attention span;
Loss of libido.

Candidiasis almost never occurs in people with healthy immune systems who eat a diet low in sugar and yeast….you need to avoid all yeast and sugar products to kill a yeast infection ……… Sugar will literally feed the yeast overgrowth allowing it to flourish……… Ditch the alcohol and sodas and diet sodas too if you drink any ………. Antiobiotics, especially broad – spectrum antiobiotics will also kill the helpful bacteria which you need for a healthy gut …….. Supplement with a good quality probiotic to rebalance gut flora ……… This part is absolutely essential for without the good flora your system will remain completely out of whack …… Eat more alkaline forming foods such as leafy and green vegies, fishes such as tuna, salmon, sardines and whiting, organic nuts and seeds such as almonds and brazil nuts…….. All these foods are rich in magnesium and will thus encourage the production of hydrochloric acid in your tummy aiding in digestion and effective elimination ……..the leafy greens and fishes are also rich in calcium and protein and the fish are a rich source of vitamin D too ……. Eat organic brown rice and quinoa (prounounced keen ~ wah) as they are both a rich source of the B complex of vitamins and will provide you with the carbs you need for sustained energy and the quinoa is also rich in calcium and iron ………. Don’t forget about getting enough iron on a daily basis too ie ~ lean red meats ….. Avoid sugars such as honey, molasses, fructose, maltose, lactose (that means all milk and dairy products) and fruit juices …… Avoid artificial sweetners and foods containing brewer’s yeast – ie – alcohol such as beer, wine, brandy, whiskey, rum, ciders and root beer…. Avoid baker’s yeast ie ~ breads and rolls and pastries …. Avoid mushrooms … Avoid fruits and vegies with any sign of mold growth on them …. Avoid fermented beverages and condiments including mayonnaise, ketchup, pickled vegies and pickles, salad dressings (use lemon and olive oil instead), soy sauce and vinegar …. Avoid all types of hard cheeses which are a pretty good source of mold…. Avoid processed and smoked meats and fish, including hot dogs, sausages, luncheon meats etc……. These meats are processed with sugar, spices, yeast and other preservatives …. Avoid canned bottled or frozen fruit and vegie juices cos they have loads of sugar and are commonly made from overripened or damaged produce; generally the skin of the fruit contains surface mold and rotten spots, which are pulverised into the juice… Avoid dried fruits…. Avoid coffee & tea as much as you can as caffeine will aggravate yeast overgrowth………………… You don’t need to use medications to kill a yeast overgrowth ….. Simply eliminate their food source and they will disappear on their own …… If you normalise the bacterial flora in the gastrointestinal tract you will feel much better and in most cases won’t need drugs ♥

truly, eat loads and loads of green and leafy vegies, squeeze lemon juice over it to spice it up and help torch bacteria and bolster both your immunity and digestive process ……..eat some low sugar fruits each day too such as strawberries, pears and watermelon and cold water fresh fishes and brown rice / quinoa and watch it clear up…….. Oh, drink loads and loads of fresh filtered water to … To ensure you are properly hydrated as the healthiest and happiest body will always be the most hydrated one .

Make sure that you only eat organic nuts and seeds like almonds, brazil nuts and sunflower seeds too as they “preserve” the commercial varieties with sulfites and other nasty chemicals that will upset sensitive digestive systems.

Hope you feel better soon

peace 2 you

William asks…

People that dont feed their dogs dog food, rather homemade health meals… is that safe?

Some people are against the dry foods because of what it is made out of, so Im wondering if you make them homemade healthy meals and if its working out?

I read this:

“The best way to know what goes into your dog’s food is to make it yourself. With the recent pet food recall, many pet owners are doing just that. Though some experts argue that a homemade diet is best for dogs, this is best done temporarily until you can consult your veterinarian, as canines have definite nutritional requirements.”

What if my veternarian says NO and wants her to eat purina or Iams or something though? I wont know how much meat and veggies I need to give her, if the vet doesnt discuss it with me.

Btw, theres been a lot of trolling going around. Id appreciate that if you are going to answer, that you act like an adult and give me mature input.

If you dont agree with looking for what I believe to be healtier alternatives for the dog, DONT RESPOND. Its that simple.
Wow Johnny D. Thank you so much for respecting me and doing exactly what I asked you not to do.

This is Q&A’s about NOT feeding them dog food.

admin answers:

The best thing you can do for your pet is make it’s own food. We’ve been feeding home cooked food for 6 months now and the results are so dramatic I still can’t believe it. I see so many people that “think” they know what their talking about on this subject and really have no idea the bad missinformation their putting out, especially to continue to trust and recommend ANY commercial pet food. (never again will we dish that trash out to our pets)

I gave you a link below to the vet/nutritionist/teacher/writer our book is written by that has all the different recipes. My GF got the book on Amazon.com (I linked his nutrition page first for you)

That book has NO DOUBT bought our remaining two Yorkies many more years now of extra life not to mention extra quality of life, our 11 year old is like a puppy now litterally the way he wants to play all day rather than just sleep like before. The first week on his new home cooked food his cloudy eyes I thought were from aging cleared up to a nice black again and crystal clear. You’ll see differences in the first two weeks and it only gets better over the months.

You’ll have to make a trip to the health food store to get a few things first, (kelp, nutritional yeast etc…) then we only had to get one thing online that we couldn’t find locally (a bonemeal/ phosphorous in proper ratio mix). Don’t buy any of the vitamins listed in the book from a Chinese made source.(only about 2 or 3 anyway)
The rest you buy at the grocery store. The book explains that your pets diet needs to be balanced and he shows you how with the recipes and supplements.

You sound genuinly interested and that’s why I decided to answer your question. Most people only ACT like they care but in reality can’t be bothered to properly take care of their pets, members of my own family do this as well and it makes me sick to see. My one brother still feeds “Old Roy” to his two dogs, pretty sad commentary on what that says about him after what he’s been told about that food.

So far a Chinese Crested I am helping care for that is dying of kidney failure has gained an extra 3 months of QUALITY in it’s life since being on the Pitcairns’ kidney diet he wrote. Prior the dog was starving itself and wouldn’t eat any type of other foods, this food he gobbled down so fast it was sad at first when he was introduced to it in his diet.

Most vets have very LITTLE to NO training in nutrition so they really are not the best source to ask. Also it puts them in a rock and hard place to say don’t trust the food we sell even though most I’m sure know it’s trash. Most vets if they take the class are tough nutrition from a pet food co. Rep. Anyway so do you want to trust that info? I won’t.

Just “an example” of what goes into some of the recipies is organic eggs, ground turkey, whole wheat bread, oil, oatmeal, supplements etc… Depending on what you want to make them.

Buy the book and get started, you won’t be sorry. Your pet will be healthier, happier and that will make you feel good as well knowing your doing your best for them and the results you’ll see very soon will surprise you.

Put your trust in this book because the research has been done by a professional in the field. I’d call this author “the Patch Adams” of the pet world. I intend to send this guy a thank you letter in the future for writing this book and let him know how much benefit our dogs recieved from his knowledge.
Don’t just try any recipie given out on here (Yahoo Answers).

The second Chinese Crested I’m caring for with the other, he lost at least 5-8 lbs. Of bloat after being on the Pitcairn diet after only 2 months, after his third month just recently the vet told me his body weight and shape are “perfect” right now. Again, his eyes were all cloudy and leaking gunk prior, he was sickly, now they are cyrstal clear and he is very healthy.

I generally don’t stop in here much anymore because I’m tired of seeing these idiots telling others things like “don’t feed your dog table food”, “make him eat his own, he won’t starve himself to death and he’ll eventually eat after a day or so”. That kind of info is cruel and sick!!!! God forbid your pet would want to eat something that tasted good and was actually nutritious, rather than ground up euthanised pets, roadkill and poisons just to name a few key ingredients in some of the commercial pet foods.

Edit: Large amounts can be made at one time and frozen, this doesn’t have to be a “daily” making of the food. Just heat and serve.

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Grain Free

Published September 12, 2013

Mandy asks…

What is the best dog food brand and why?

What would you think the best dog food is for your dog and mine. I have Basset hounds.

admin answers:

Scoring Your Dog Food
*Please note that the following is for entertainment purposes only and has not been researched by DAN and may not be a “true” grading of food. If you have any questions regarding the food you are feeding your dog consult your veternarian.
This is a very interesting way to check out the quality of the dog food that you are feeding. It’s interesting, because sometimes paying more, does not get you more and vice versa.
The scores are rather interesting.
How to grade your dog’s food: (Some brand reviews already calculated here)
Start with a grade of 100:
1.For every listing of “by-product”, subtract 10 points
2.For every non-specific animal source (“meat” or “poultry”, meat, meal
or fat) reference, subtract 10 points
3.If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4.For every grain “mill run” or non-specific grain source, subtract 5
points
5.If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five
ingredients (i.e. “ground brown rice”, “brewer rice”, “rice flour” are all
the same grain), subtract 5 points
6.If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2
meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7.If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8.If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points
9.If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10.If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2
points
11.If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic
to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12.If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13.If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to
wheat), subtract 2 points
14.If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to
beef), subtract 1 point
15.If it contains salt, subtract 1 point
Extra Credit:
1.If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2.If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or
nutritionist, add 5 points
3.If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4.If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5.If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6.If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3
points
7.If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2
points
8.If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9.If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10.If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11.If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12.For every different specific animal protein source (other than
the first one; count “chicken” and “chicken meal” as only one protein
source, but “chicken” and “” as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13.If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14.If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are
pesticide-free, add 1 point
94-100+ = A 86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D 69 = F
Here are some foods that have already been scored. If you don’t see your dog’s food here, ask and someone will score it for you.
Brand Dog Food scores:
•Authority Harvest Baked: 116 A+
•Bil-Jac Select: 68 F
•Canidae: 112 A+
•Chicken Soup Senior: 115 A+
•Diamond Maintenance: 64 F
•Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice: 92 B
•Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula: 99 A
•Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Ultra Premium: 122 A+
•Dick Van Patten’s Duck and Potato: 106 A+
•Foundations: 106 A+
•Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold: 93 D
•Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium: 73 D
•Innova Dog: 114 A+
•Innova Evo: 114 A+
•Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables: 110 A+
•Nutrisource Lamb and Rice: 87 B
•Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy: 87 B
•Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice: 23 F
•ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley: 103 A+
•Purina Beneful: 17 F
•Purina Dog: 62 F
•Purina Come-n-Get It: 16 F
•Royal Canin Bulldog: 100 A+
•Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult: 106 A+
•Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice: 97 A
•Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+: 63 F
•Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies: 69 F
•Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken: 110 A+
•Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold: 97 A

Linda asks…

whats a grain free dog kibble that comes in big bags?

found out that taste of the wild has ethoxyquin in it and dangerous soo im concidering switching to another grain free food… I have a few listed in my area are:

petcurean, and orijen, but is there anyothers?

fromm, evo, merrick, timberwolf, horizon, and natures variety is not in our area.

admin answers:

Any dog food with FIsh..herring…salmon…ocean…with meal after it has Ethoxyquin in it.!! IF people telll you different then they are misinformed. FRESH FISH is Ethoxyquin free.

I use TOTW as well. NO dog food is perfect so we have to do what we can to get the best food out there for them.. IF you have the time and money cooking your dog frresh human balanced diet organic meals is the best way to go . I dont know everything of course but i have researched Ethoxyquin in depth. And all fish that is shipped to the US has ETHO in it. IF you can find a grain free dog food with only fresh US fish in it will you please email me and let me know ?
YES Orijen has Etho in it (the same amout of TOTW) I called both companies !! They both said they do not use Etho but the suppliers they get the fish from do ..which is true in most if not all cases of dog food. (except dod food containin FRESH USA FISH)

Sandra asks…

Is feeding a cat Dog food bat for it?

Sometimes when i run out of cat food I just give my cat some dog food. Is it bad for the cat?
Thanks in advance.

admin answers:

It won’t hurt it short term, but long term will cause blindness and heart failure due to lack of vitimins that cats need in thier food that dog food does not have.

Let me share with you what I have learned about feline nutrition to help you make an informed decision on what diet you should feed your cat.

Many brands of manufactured cat foods claiming to be “healthy” really are not. In fact they are made of the lowest ingredients possible. I’m not saying that a cat can’t live off them… Just the same as you could live off hot dogs and Mac and cheese forever, but better choices can and should be made for your feline friends. I would not venture to say that any manufactured food is “best” for a cat but a grain free organic wet food would be a good start. Feeding canned is certainly better than feeding dry in all cases.

Cats were never meant to eat dry food, also known as cereals or kibble. We, humans, make them eat it for convenience to us. It has nothing to do with them or their nutritional needs. It’s completely species inappropriate.

All small domestic cats descended from desert cats. In the wild, desert cats derive their entire liquid intake from their prey. They do not have a thirst mechanism because they don’t need it when eating a species appropriate diet. They get all they need from what they eat. Additionally water was usually not available to them in their desert climate. So they do not often drink water. Regular ol’ house cats have descended from those same wild desert cats.

So in a home environment, your kitty does not get the moisture it needs from dry food and it’s almost always in a constant state of dehydration. Water fountains are encouraged to TRY to get your cat to drink more and your kitty may even enjoy it, but it will never meet its water intake needs drinking from a bowl.

Deadly feline illnesses such as diabetes, kidney failure, obesity, allergies, Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD), bladder stones, kidney stones, urinary tract blockages and Urinary Tract Infections (FLUTD), with and without deadly crystals run rampant these days. Cats are not taking in enough water to stave them off. Proper water intake through a species appropriate diet alone can prevent most of these conditions.

Overall, wet is all around better for any cats diet, be it canned or Raw and they should never be fed dry cereal kibble if we wish to most closely match their wild nutritional and dietary needs. Kibble meets our needs… not our cats.

It is also bogus that kibble cleans teeth. DRY FOOD DOES NOT CLEAN TEETH. It’s an old myth that has been scientifically disproved for years, but old-school vets drilled it into people’s heads for so long (and sadly still do) that people still believe it. Cats can not “chew”. They do not have flat “chewing” teeth. Their molars are not for grinding food. They have meat ripping pointy carnivorous teeth. You may see them “crunch” a piece of food once to crack and break it… but they are absolutely unable to chew a hard piece of food. Want your cat to have clean teeth? Give them an appropriately sized raw bone to chew on. :o)

I personally feed a Raw Meat and Bones based diet to my cats and they are very healthy on it. I HIGHLY recommend it. Once I got the hang of it and felt comfortable with it it’s a snap to prepare. It’s something you might want to consider someday. Cats are obligate carnivores after all and must derive ALL their nutrients from meat based sources. They are unable to absorb them from any other source. Despite thousands of years of domestication they remain strictly carnivorous. True and honest meat eaters and that is what they need most. Protein from meat!

If you are interested in feeding a raw diet some great places to start learning are http://www.catinfo.org/ , http://www.catnutrition.org/ , and http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/ .

If you would like to try raw with your cats and don’t want to get all technical about it but want to try a trusted, time tested and balanced raw diet you can order from http://www.felinespride.com/products/catfood.aspx . I purchased this myself when I first started and my cats loved it!

Another premade Raw you can try is Natures Varity. I personally have never used this but know many people that do and it’s pretty easy to find http://www.naturesvariety.com/content.lasso?page=1507&-session=naturesvariety:D04EC9250597c11908GJS417647E.

If raw is not an option for you please be aware that there are three Categories of manufactured Pet Foods:

-“Grocery store” foods – (Generic Brands and cheap name brands) Those foods found in grocery stores and mass-market retailers are made with lower-quality, less-digestible, inexpensive ingredients and are therefore a cheaper alternative. While easy on the pocketbook, “grocery store” foods normally do not provide your cat with the healthiest, most nutrient-dense ingredients.

-Premium foods – (Iams/Eukanuba, Purina One, Hills Science Diet, Nutro and such) Foods often found in grocery stores, pet stores, and veterinarian offices that contain higher-grade ingredients, but still include many elements of “grocery store” food, such as artificial colors, artificial flavors, chemical preservatives, and “filler” ingredients such as corn and wheat products, by-products and even animal digest. Yuck! Premium foods are usually more expensive than “grocery store” foods because their ingredients are sometimes of a higher quality, and are therefore somewhat more beneficial and digestible. But don’t be fooled, some of those same so called Premium brands are sometimes worse than grocery store foods, but they charge prices like they are better. They aren’t!

-Healthy foods – (Wellness, Merrick, Eagle Pack, Drs Foster & Smith) The newest addition to the pet food market – provide pets with the highest quality, healthiest, and most nutritious ingredients. They are typically available for purchase online or direct from the manufacturer. Some better retailers are starting to carry them now. Complete Petmart carries a few healthy brand foods. Foods in the Healthy class contain nutrient-rich ingredients. Formulated to provide optimum health benefits for pets, these foods often use real meat as the primary protein source, carbohydrate-rich whole grains like brown rice and barley and whole, fresh fruits and vegetables. They should not contain artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. They will almost always be fortified with additional vitamins and minerals, and will use the best natural sources for fatty acids to help build healthy skin and a beautiful coat. Because healthy foods use high quality ingredients, you should expect to pay a little more than you would for other types of pet food. Remember, though, with healthy foods you can feed less since healthy foods are more nutrient-dense than other types of food so it often evens out or cost’s les than feeding foods filled with cheap non-nutritional by-products fillers.

With all that information in mind, when you are choosing a new cat food, study the ingredients. All ingredients on pet food labels are listed by weight. Meaning whatever ingredients are listed first on the list, there is more in there. The first ingredients listed should be whole meat ingredients, protein sources, such as Chicken or Turkey. NOT just the word “meat”! Who the heck knows what that is? The word Chicken Meal is ok, but it should be a secondary ingredient, not first. Meal is the meat dehydrated and ground into a powder.

The ingredients also should NOT include any by-products or animal digest whatsoever. Those are disgusting left over animal parts that are scraped off the filthy floors of meat and poultry plants. They should just go into the trash but they put them into pet food instead. EW!!!! Also make sure there are no artificial colors or flavors. And make sure there is no BHA and BHT used preservatives. These preservatives have been shown to cause cancer in both cats and dogs. Bad Bad stuff and it’s in almost every cat treat on the market. 🙁

So, in summery of the ingredients… if you see the words by-products, Animal Digest, the word “meat” alone, Corn, Corn Gluten, Wheat Gluten, or BHA or BHT… stop reading, put down that product and move on to the next.

Be aware that when switching to a Healthy, Holistic or Organic food, you will pay for what you get. Good foods are not cheap. They are pricey and will cost you more than cheaper products, just like steak costs more than hotdogs. But again, you will be feeding a better food and improving the over all health of your pet. This in turn leads to less vet visits for illness now and more importantly later in life in their geriatric years. You will also feed less of this food on a per animal basis because a smaller amount of food contains what your cat needs. Overall healthy wet foods are well worth it, if only for the piece of mind that the ingredients are better for your cat than cheap crap.

You can start your research for a healthy cat food here if you are not ready to try feeding a Raw diet:
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com

If you want to buy in a store, Complete Petmart is a good store and carries quite a few natural, organic, and holistic blends. Also check with your local feed/grain stores.

I highly recommend you take the time to research for yourself, but the information I have given should get you off to a good start. Good luck choosing a healthy food!

********IMPORTANT*******Don’t forget to switch your Pets food slowly over a period of 10 to 14 days, if you can. Mixing 25% new to 75% old. Then 50/50… then 75% new to 25% old. And finally switch over to 100% new. Take it slow as not to upset their digestive system.

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Reviews

Published August 15, 2013

Donald asks…

Which dog food would be best for my Yorkshire Terrier?

I will be picking up my Yorkie puppy in a few days. The breeder is feeding him Eukanuba, I have been researching different types of dog food. I went to petsmart and checked out different brands. I went home and found Blue Buffalo would be the best as far as quality. Should I feed my puppy Blue Buffalo? Or is there others that anyone can recommend?

admin answers:

Go with a high-quality puppy or all-life-stages food.

Eukanuba is crap.

Blue Buffalo is a good choice.

Other good foods from Petsmart/Petco:
* Natural Balance
* Castor & Pollux
* Solid Gold

Some of my favorites from non-chain-stores are:
* Merrick Puppy Plate
* Wellness Just for Puppy
* Innova Puppy
* Canidae All-life-states
* Artemis Fresh-Mix Small breed puppy
* Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover’s Soul

Below the double line is my general advice on choosing dog foods.
=== === ===

Read the ingredients before you buy.

Here is my “short list” of rules when I am looking at dog food ingredients:
1) When I chose a dog food, I chose one high meat content. I want to see preferably at least 2-3 out of the top 5 ingredients be meat or meat meal (first ingredient must be!). Meal is simply the meat with the moisture removed.
2) I want to see higher quality grains, such as barley, brown rice, and oatmeal, instead of seeing wheat and corn. Or an alternative starch/carbohydrate such as potatoes or sweet potatoes.
3) I don’t want to see any byproducts.
4) I don’t want to see a lot of fillers.
5) I don’t want to see preservatives that are believed to be carcinogens (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin).
6) I don’t want to see artificial colorings such as the Red, Blue, and Yellow dyes.
7) I don’t want to see added sugars (sugar, corn syrup).
8) I don’t want to see mystery meats (meats identified only as “meat” or “poultry”.)

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

—

There is no food that is the *best*, different individual dog may thrive on different foods. What is best for one may not be the best for the next. And just because a food is good quality, it doesn’t mean it will jive the best for your dog.

What you want to find is the HIGH-QUALITY food that *your dog* does best on.

Here are some examples of GOOD dog foods:
* Artemis
* Blue Buffalo
* California Natural
* Canidae
* Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
* Eagle Pack Holistic Selects
* EVO
* Fromm
* Innova
* Merrick
* Nature’s Variety
* Orijen
* Solid Gold
* Taste of the Wild
* Timberwolf Organics
* Wellness
* ZiwiPeak

Or check this website; the 4, 5, or 6 star rated foods are all good foods. Http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
(For puppies, I recommend staying in the 4 & 5 star foods, so you don’t get to high of a protein level.)

—

Higher quality food may seem more expensive at first, but it evens out. The higher quality the food, the less fillers eaten (and therefore the less poop comes out the other end). Your dog eats more of a low-quality food to try to get the nutrition it needs, and most of the food just passes right on through. Also, higher-quality food will make your animals healthier, so you save money on vet bills in the long run.

—

What *NOT* to buy:

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, Pedigree, Purina, etc.)

Beware “premium” foods. “Premium” does not always mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. Most of these foods have 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, Bil-Jac, Royal Canin, 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.

Hills company, the makers of Science Diet, are heavily involved in vet schools. “Hill’s scientists author more than 50 research papers and textbook chapters each year and teach at leading schools of veterinary medicine” (Source of quoted section: http://www.hillsvet.com/zSkin_2/company_info/company_info_general.jsp?JSESSIONID=HMz2B3Jn3hv0rnSoxCobfbBhOec35ODG7yh5t3P0vcvhOtzRlQ9M!598359213!167846923!7005!8005&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302026072&bmUID=1196192566575 )

—

“Big box” petstores like Petco and Petsmart rarely have quality foods. (I do believe that PetCo sells “Solid Gold” and “Natural Balance” brands and Petsmart sells “Blue Buffallo”, which are all higher quality foods, but most of the foods aren’t.)

Also, grocery stores and Walmart aren’t good places to buy food either.

Your best bets for getting quality dog food are:
– small, locally owned petstores
– dog boutiques
– farm supply stores

—

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
.

Sandra asks…

What kind of puppy food do you give your puppy?

My vet was no help…..has anyone used Bil Jac dog food before, some reviews says it’s great others not so good…thanks in advance.

admin answers:

I would not use Bil-Jac. It containes by products and preservatives and corn, all of which are bad for your dog. In addition to the corn, other fillers include beet pulp.

I personally like using Taste of the Wild for both my pups and adults. The only difference is you feed pups more and adults less.

Other brands to check out — Timberwolf Organics, Solid Gold, Canidae Grain Free, Orijen, Innova EVO, Wellness Core

Many of the good brands of dog food are what is known as “ALS”… All Life Stages. Puppies eat much more than adults to compensate for all the energy they are using in growth and development, so we feed them more of these. Adult dogs get less, as do Senior dogs that are going inactive.

@Mama Tex: Yeah that makes perfect sense… Lets all feed our puppies crap while at the stage in life where nutrition is more important than it ever will be, and then think about a decent diet when they are older and done growing. As I said, makes perfect sense! [/sarcasm]

Ruth asks…

Whats is the best dog food for French Bulldogs?

We currently feed him Blue Buffalo, what is the best dog food? Even if it is very expensive.

admin answers:

What you want to find is the HIGH-QUALITY food that *your dog* does best on.

—

Here is how to choose GOOD, HIGH-QUALITY dog food:

1) When I chose a dog food, I chose one high meat content. I want to see preferably at least 2-3 out of the top 5 ingredients be meat or meat meal (first ingredient must be!). Meal is simply the meat with the moisture removed.

2) I want to see higher quality grains, such as barley, brown rice, and oatmeal, instead of seeing wheat and corn. Or an alternative starch/carbohydrate such as potatoes or sweet potatoes.

3) I don’t want to see any byproducts.

4) I don’t want to see a lot of fillers (brewers rice, beet pulp, etc).

5) I don’t want to see preservatives that are believed to be carcinogens (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin).

6) I don’t want to see artificial colorings such as the Red, Blue, and Yellow dyes.

7) I don’t want to see added sugars (sugar, corn syrup).

8) I don’t want to see mystery meats (meats identified only as “meat” or “poultry”.)

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

—

Here are some examples of high-quality foods:
* Artemis
* Blue Buffalo
* California Natural
* Canidae
* Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
* Eagle Pack Holistic Selects
* EVO
* Fromm
* Innova
* Merrick
* Nature’s Variety
* Orijen
* Solid Gold
* Taste of the Wild
* Timberwolf Organics
* Wellness
* ZiwiPeak

Or check this website; the 4, 5, or 6 star rated foods are all good foods, 3 or less stars I would stay away from. Http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

—

What **NOT** to buy:

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, Pedigree, etc.)

—

When switching foods, do it gradually so your dog doesn’t get diarrhea. 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
.

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Brands

Published August 1, 2013

James asks…

What are some brands of dog food that do not contain animal by-products?

I am looking to switch dog foods (yes, I know to introduce it gradually) since I found out that when “by-product” is listed it could include ground up organs/bones and even euthanized animals, like cats and dogs. Do you know any brands of dog food with out any by-products that I can buy in a store (not order off the web)? I know Authority is one, but if anyone could provide different brands, it would be appreciated so that I can look over each one and choose. I’ve also checked a lot of websites, but I can’t seem to find a good list. If you know of any sites, feel free to paste a link.

Those of you that want to criticize my choice to buy food without by-products, please save your breath…or fingers in this case.

admin answers:

There are many many many premium dog food choices out there, it would drive one crazy.

Canidae is a good all-life stages food that is fairly cheap if you shop right.
Merrick is also all-life stages, but is more on the pricey side
Wellness also all-life stages
Innova
DVP’s Natural Balance
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul
Artemis
Timberwolf Organics (might have to look online, not sure where you are located)
Castor & Pollux
Blue Buffalo (sold only at PetsMart)
Nutro (but often contains wheat and corn and soy and should be avoided)

Here’s a key–avoid corn, wheat, soy, by-products (so you know), any animal source that is not specific (animal fat…animal digest) because it can come from any animal whose quality and origin is unknown (euth’d shelter animals, horses, goats, geese…)

And kudos to you for looking out for your dog’s health! The skin and coat will thank you!!

Jenny asks…

What are some good dog food brands?

I was just reading about how Purina, Iams, and several other well-known brands are not good dog foods. What are some good, healthy dog foods?

admin answers:

Here are a few that are good: Solid Gold, Wellness, Canidae, Timberwolf Organics, Innova, and Artemis Fresh Mix, there are several more but these are really good foods. They may be a bit pricey initially but they come out cheaper because you feed less. These are 100% human grade dog food with NO corn, wheat, soy, grain fractions, fillers or by products – and naturally preserved.

Http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/brand…

The link I have provided sells dog food online but you can also look up the ingredients (on this site) to any of the ones I have listed plus any other dog foods you may be interested in, they have many brands listed.
The best thing you can do is research the different brands. Meat should be the first ingredient and the foods should NOT contain corn, wheat, soy, beef or by-products and it should also be made from human grade ingredients.

George asks…

What is in the dog food that makes my dog scratch so much?

I was told that my dog may be alergic to certain dog food. She does not have fleas and still scratches alot, I’m trying different brands of food to see which one will help. Anyone have any ideas what I could do or what type of shampoo to use or not use?

admin answers:

Your dog could have been biten from a different kind of insect like a mosquito. Your dog might have dry skin which is really quite nasty. If she/he does you should use special flaky skin shampoo for dogs or organic shampoo for dogs. Aloe vera rubbed into the skin is not a good thing to do( most people say it does) but it just makes matters worse. Your dog may be lactose intolerent aswell. Make sure you check with your vet. You could also give your dog one sardine per meal. The oil in the sardines help your dogs coat to become shiny and healthy looking. Plus the Omega 3 in the sardines are great for your dog.

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Recipes

Published July 18, 2013

Carol asks…

How do I keep my dog out of the trash can?

Short of putting my trash in the pantry ( only place I have to put it away) I cannot seem to keep my rat terrier out of the trash unless we are physically at home. I know she just misses us and above that, does not seem to like her dog food, but something has got to give… and it will not be me

admin answers:

It’s not the dog, it’s you. Someone has to be smarter! Get a trash can with a locking lid on it,or put it where you have to open a door to get to it.

Try feeding her some Nature’s Recipe organic food, your probably feeding her some commercial dog food that she doesn’t like, why don’t you try eating it yourself!

Chris asks…

Can anybody tell me a recipe for raw dog food?

I don’t want a website, I have already looked at all of them. I want to know if anybody can tell me how much of each thing to put in the food.

Eg.
1 cup raw chicken
2 cups vegetables
and so on.

If anybody could help me that would be great, but I’m thinking of mixing it with kibble, so if anybody can tell me how much of kibble and how much raw would be awesome!

Thanks

admin answers:

75% – 6 ounces (3/4 cup) coarse-ground or chopped meat, raw or cooked. A variety of meats, poultry and fish (organic is better) should be rotated: Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Turkey, Rabbit, Venison and their organ meats. Salmon (no skin) Sardines, Smelt and other whole fish. Ground meat mixes better with the vegetables. Chopped meat is also excellent.

25% – 2 ounces (1/4 cup) ground, mixed vegetables, raw or cooked. Any and all of the following vegetables can be used. The more veggies you combine in one meal the better. Feed what’s in season. Asparagus, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chicory, Green Beans, Greens (at least one of the following per day: Dandelion, Kale, Swiss Chard, Parsley), Kohlrabi, Okra, Parsnips, Peas, Pumpkin, Sprouts, (Alfalfa, Bean, Sunflower), Squash (Winter and Summer), Sweet Potatoes, Yams, Turnips, Rutabagas.

Optional Ingredients: Whole eggs (including shell) Alfalfa, Kelp, Barley or Wheat Grass, Garlic, Chlorella, Spirulina, Apples, Pears, Bananas, Parsley, Nettles, Walnuts, Almonds, Sunflower seeds. 2 ounces (1/4 cup) purified water (especially if you are going to freeze.

Daniel asks…

Benefits/ problems related to home made dog foods?

After doing my research, I’ve learned that its fairly healthy to feed dogs homemade dog foods. The stuff that goes into dog food is sick!
However… I need to try and convince my mother to let me make the food, and prove to her why it will be healthier for our Cockapoo.

But, now I’m wondering. Is it really healthier for them? What are problems with feeding home made dog foods? Are there any benefits?

I could buy a quality dog food; but my mom refuses to spend the money. Our dog has been living on Purina and Beneful for 9 years, and she claims shes not dead/ sick. While she does have some minor issues I’ve been concerned about (will give them in More Details) I’m not sure if they’re food related.

Please help me out and give me as much information AND sources as to why I should (or shouldn’t) make my own dog food.

Thank you!
My dog has some breathing problems occassionally; especially when shes on a leash. She makes sounds like she is choking and breathes very strangely.

She also has small bumps on her skin that about less than a centimeter in width and about the same/ a little bit more in their height. The bumps are the same color as her skin if not a bit pinker.

Her energy level is also very poor. She never plays and sleeps all day, even though I take her for a walk almost every morning.
Is it alright to feed them canned peas and canned tuna?

admin answers:

Most of the people on this site DON’T want to know about facts like you do because I guess to them ignorance is bliss, your concern for your pet is refreashing to see for a change. Tell your Mom I said she has reason to be very proud of you, most kids just don’t care about anything but themselves these days.

I can help you quite abit and get you going in the right direction. We have been home cooking our pet food now for about 3-4 months and within just the first 2 weeks the results were dramatic, and that’s putting it mildly, far more than I ever expected. We fed “premium” pet foods which are also garbage, they all are. My GF just showed me plastic parts in one brand and hair in a brand called Innova. (dog or cat hair?, we have the pics)

We have my Mom doing the home cooking now for 2 abused small dogs she is caring for along with us. They only have been on the home cooked diets for 3 weeks and are doing fantastic now, no more fear now that the one is going to loose his eye site anymore because his eyes are crystal clear again and the injured eye is so much better. (we also medicated his injured eye w/ anti biotic). His bloated body is also quickly returning to normal shape.

The first thing you need to do is check out this site, he’s a vet, PHD, writer, and studied nutrition as well, this mans book is saving our dogs lives no doubt about that and the other 2s.
Http://www.drpitcairn.com , read the nutrition page definiatly.

As far as is it hard to do, no, my girlfriend enjoys making up the food, freezes about a weeks worth and we feed twice a day (once daily feeding causes bloat). The neglected dogs are getting fed 3 times a day as one is very under weight, we worked him up to it gradually. It’s sad, he refused all commercial foods prior and was starving to death, the first night I brought him the real food he goobled it like he’d never eaten before. Now he cries before feeding like to say “don’t forget me”.

Tell your Mom uncooked oatmeal is not expensive.(ingredient in one recipe) Ground turkey or chicken, nutritional yeast, kelp, a few select vitamins , organic eggs, whole organic milk, wheat bread, small amount of garlic, calcium/ phosphous (balanced amounts), a few other minor ingredients, they make a doggy meatloaf,lol and they really love it. The best part, it’s nutritionally balanced, your pet will start getting healthier and less vet bills in the future. There are other meals to make in the book also.

Tell your Mom you can’t SEE liver or kidney damage that is happening in a pet till it’s to late, your dog is way to young to be that lethargic (tired). This book also has natural flea remedies and I’ll give you 2 links about the dangers of Frontline etc…(listed on sources below).

I told my GF, your gonna give them diarreah when you make them their own food before we got the book, what a FOOL I was and addmit that now. I told her get it if you want (she would have anyways,lol), it was the best $$ we ever spent. No diarreah in 4 months, actually they go less, totally normal, and drink less water. Our 11 year old Yorkie is like a puppy again now playing a lot more and much more energetic, he no longer looks old anymore either.

I saw you have an email listed, (if you didn’t I was going to give you mine), tell your Mom if she won’t get you this book, I will, I’m not rich by any means but if she won’t help you save your dog we will. This book will tell you all you need to know about your pet, how to cook for it, dangers to it, conditions and how to treat, etc…

I’ve had to euthanize 2 of my little guys in the past two years over kidney/ liver problems, I have no doubt if we had this book 12 years ago we’d still have them now, it’s something you never want to go thru. Our 3rd died in surgery 3 years ago. Eventuually when you do loose your pet, at least you’ll have peace of mind knowing you tried your absolute best to give it a happy and HEALTHY life. You can tell your Mom we have spent $6,500.00 in the last 3 years on our vet costs, that should make her feel better about buting you this book so you’ll know from reading it how to truly take care of him/her the best you can.

My name on the email that will show up is “Jim D”, like I said, tell your Mom I’ll get you the book if she won’t. If I can help just one more pet not suffer from commercial pet food that will be well worth what it may cost me. Good Luck. You can write me back and I’ll have my GF answer any questions you have, she’s researched 4 months steady now and is up on a lot of what’s really going on.

One more benefit to the book, you’ll be able to educate other people as well about helping their pets, it’s a great feeling to help when someone wants to know the truth about whats really going into pet foods etc… . And no more worries when the recalls of the pet food garbage crop up again, it’s allready starting again w/ one brand.

Edit: I missed the part earlier about the tuna, NO, it’s heavily laden w/ mercury.

Edit: The first post has very good points but the book tells you how much of each etc… Also, as for running that by your vet, most vets do not take nutritional classes and if they do it is usually an IAMS or some other pet food rep. Giving them the info, WRONG info I might add.

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Coupons

Published July 4, 2013

Susan asks…

environmentally safe or green healthcare products?

I’m looking into getting more environmentally safe products such as laundry detergent, dishwashing liquids, soaps, lotions, auromatherapies, and even maybe stuff like toothpastes for my personal use. I’m wondering those types are still reliable to the stuff I can just buy at the local drugstore if so which ones? and some key benefits that you’ve recieved from buying those kinds of products. if you have a good site feel free to send it in the answer, which will help me in my buying decisions……

-thanks

admin answers:

I like “Seventh Generation” for most of the products that I buy. There is also “Earth Friendly” and “biokleen” that I have found to be really effective for household cleaning products.

As to personal care products, there are lots to make choice of. “Dr. Bronner’s” is one that has been around for many years and is a high quality totally safe product for personal body soap. Their line of body lotions – I am not too crazy about, but others seem to like them that are marketed under the name of “Dr. Bronner’s & Sun Dog’s Magic Lotion”. There is also “Avalon Organics” and Nature’s Gate” that have a line of personal care products that are totally environmentally conscience.

Almost forgot, “Mrs. Meyer’s” has household and personal care products that have been around for years as well

I buy all of them at the local Kroger store. Have also seen them at the health food stores (which tend to have higher prices). You will find that they cost more than the ‘regular’ products. I have taken to writing to the companies about that and actually have gotten some coupons from “Seventh Generation” when I did that – so something that you might want to consider doing and see what happenes when you write.

Benefits? Well, the products are not animal tested. They are natural made and have little to no effect upon the environment. While having both of those pluses, they also actually work.

If you can’t find them in your area, you can buy all of them online at a place like “Amazon” even. I will see what I can find on the products themselves and put any of their websites listed from the products below in the “source” section for you to check out.

Ken asks…

how can i help my cats infected leg?

My cats leg is infected and there is puss coming out of it and i cant get him to the vet until tomorrow
i was wondering if there was any thing i could do to make if feel better and clean it out. I think a dog bit him but there was not blood or any thing like that he is just limping around

admin answers:

When my cats have infections, and if it has reached the point of pus coming out of it, I press the area to drain the pus (using clean rags or paper towels). I wipe off that area with a wet (almost hot) cloth. I do not give him/her commercial cat food (as it feeds infections), but give him a high protein diet of fish/chicken, maybe a little pasta/rice, and a little vegetable [though straight fish is good for a food days]… And, I always add pure (nothing added) cranberry juice to the fish. [Tuna and Salmon mix best with Cranberry Juice, flavorwise.] From then on, the cat pretty much keeps it clean (licking)… And the holes heal quickly, even if he/she scratches it. I do not take my cats to a vet for an abscess (infection), but do what you think is best. [Homecooking for my cats is the general rule here.]

Also, if my cat (with an abscess, limp feels like walking, etc., I let him/her… I feel a cat knows whether the can walk in that condition or not. Too, I make sure he/she has clean water at all times, and prefer to give hi/her Spring or Distilled water.

Hope this is of some help.

Oh, BTW, Cranberry Juice is excellent for infections, fevers and a lot of other things. It can be found at health food stores and, usually, in natural/organic sections of grocery stores. It’s about $7 to $9 per 32 oz. Bottle. Stores well. (Keep it in the fridge.) I use about a capful per oz. Can of fish. RW Knudsen Juice offers coupons on the website which might help defray the cost a little. I think there’s a $.75 /1 coupon being offered now.

Laura asks…

What are the best and healthiest kinds of organic dog food?

My husband and I try to eat organically as often as possible, and we were considering switching our dogs and cat to dry organic food as well, but we want to be sure that we’re giving our dogs enough nutrition and everything. What are the best brands of organic dog and cat foods? Personal experiences or vet opinions would be very much appreciated.
Thanks everyone for your answers! We have decided to try to alternate between the Wellness brand Weight Management food (we have a pug and a shih tzu) and home made food. We are currently looking for a complete nutritional recipe to make our own, after reading and watching about what horrible things there are in commercial dog food, so I appreciate everyone’s input!

admin answers:

I have researched this in depth since my poor dog died of kidney failure due to poor quality dog food!!(this is the only reason I answer these questions … to try and save a dogs life or at least to not let him/her suffer because of bad food)
Fromm Dog Food is Great for dogs and cats …http://www.frommfamily.com/ $42- $45 per 30 lb bag
NO fillers….some good quality grains….NO corn….gluten or by-products or wheat
ALL human grade food….fruits…veggies and probiotics!!WHOLE fruits and veggies!!!! Just like the kind we get at our grocery stores!
Check it out you wont regret it !FROMM 4 STAR product line is the best!!!!!!!FROMM is a 100% holistic dog food.FROMM also has a grain-free option called surf & turf

http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/TOTW has a high protein content (not recommeded for non athletic dogs)
Taste of the Wild contains Ethoxyquin which is a toxic fish preservative. (TOTW says that the cooking process kills all of it but it scared me away from their product)
around $42 for a 30 lb bag …. Its the cheapest 6 star food ..

Http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ lots of great dog food choices on this site !!

Orijen and Welness are great but it is $60 – $80 for a 30 lb bag…high protein as well ..not good for non athletic dogsOrijen is WAY to high in protein for a non working/non-agility dog ..
Fromm Is what my puppy gets it has a lower protein % and great ingredients! 5 outta 6 stars due to lower protein (but most dogs should not have high protein levels …. It makes their kidneys work overtime for no reason)
You can get it online and if you go to the website you can find stores near you .. They wont be at walmarts and the like… They are in feed stores .. Agway..tractor supply stores etc

IF your dog is not going to be a hard working/agility dog all this high protein can do more harm than good in the long run,,, you wont notice it now but it can take its toll on a dogs kidneys as it ages.

Http://4healthdogfood.tripod.com/
there is also a brand called 4health at the tractor supply store.. It is only $30 for a 30 lb bag.. And it seems to be of good quality. (not as good as the foods mentioned above but it good for the price if you are on a tight budget.)
It is very close in ingredients to the more expensive brands
also of you go to http://www.tractorsupply.com you can get a printable $5 off coupon!!
They have tons of low and high end foods there(including TOTW and 4 Health)

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Petsmart

Published June 20, 2013

William asks…

Labrador Retriever has a sensitive stomach and keeps vomiting?

Our Chocolate Lab is 5 years old and seems to get bouts of vomiting/sickness constantly. This has been going on since he has been about 2 years old. We have tried organic dog foods and foods for, “Sensitive Stomach’s.” He does good for 6-12 months than gets this continual vomiting. He refuses to eat and mopes around the house. Our vet has checked him out and says there is nothing wrong with him. We also do not allow him to eat any table foods and his treats are home-made organic from scratch. Any ideas on how we can help him?

admin answers:

If the vet says there’s nothing wrong with him, I’d think it would be because of the food he’s eating. You can get food that says it’s organic, or whatever, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a good-quality food. Nor does it mean that it is a food that’s made for a dog with food allergies. These foods, what the bag says, what the commercials say, can be so misleading, and I think it should be illegal, but that’s a whole nother thing.. Lol! It could also be the bowl he’s eating out of. Try using a glass or plastic food bowl, if you don’t already. But back to the food, I don’t know what you feed your dog, but I would strongly suggest you try something like Canidae Grain Free All Life Stages Dry Dog Food.. Http://www.canidae.com/dogs/grain-free-als/dry.html

It is a very good-quality food, and it’s still affordable. Also, because it’s grain free (or just has a lot less grains than other foods), it is better for dogs with food allergies. My husband and I own 3 APBTs, all of which have very bad food allergies and are prone to skin infections too! We feed them the Canidae that I post above and they do great! You want to stay away from anything that has any type of by-product or animal digest in it. Those foods are going to be low-quality foods. You also want to stay away from foods that are packed with grains, and foods that have fillers like corn in them because dogs can’t even digest corn. Now, Canidae can’t be found at larger pet stores like Petsmart and PetCo, as far as I know anyway. I don’t know about Petsmart because I will not spend a penny at a store that is against my breed of choice, but I do know that up until recently, the only good-quality food that PetCo sold was Natural Balance. Natural Balance is a good-quality food as well, and they also have the grain free formulas for dogs with food allergies. Here is the Natural Balance website..
Http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/dry.html

All that being said, I normally shop at smaller pet stores because in my experience, they sell more good-quality foods than larger pet stores. But, my mom owns 2 Mini Schnauzers that both have food allergies and insanely sensitive stomachs, and she feeds her dogs the Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Fish (she does sometimes switch them to a different allergy food from NB though). And, she gets he food from PetCo. The other day, I went with my mom to PetCo to get her dog food, and I saw a big display of Solid Gold dog foods! That is another great food, so I was shocked to see it there. My mom is actually trying a Solid Gold food for her dogs now. And when I got home, I went on the PetCo website to see if they had other good-quality foods now, and they do! Here is their website.. Http://www.petco.com/Dog-Food.aspx?CoreCat=LN_Shopping_DogFood Go down to where it says “Featured Brands”. Now, the big commercial brands on there, like Science Diet, Pro Plan, etc, are crap! But, the Natural Balance, Wellness Core, Halo, Organix, Solid Gold and Blue Buffalo are all good, but especially, Natural Balance, Wellness Core and Solid Gold.

Check all of those out and see what you think, but this is what I personally think you should do. I think you should try your dog on something like the Canidae Grain Free, or if you shop at PetCo, try your dog on one of the Natural Balance Allergy Formulas, one of the Wellness Cores like maybe the Wellness Super5Mix Large Breed Adult Health Dog Food, or one of the Solid Golds like maybe the Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken Adult Maintenance Dog Food. I’d probably try the Solid Gold first, if I were you, and if you haven’t already. But yeah, just definitely check out the NB, SG, Wellness, and Canidae, if you haven’t already, they are all great! Oh, and a big tip, stay away from beef, a lot of dogs have allergies to beef, just like with all the grains.

Another great thing that my husband and I do for our dogs, and my mom does for her dogs, is get some of this.. Http://www.petco.com/product/15189/In-Clover-Fresh-Digest-Daily-Intestinal-Aid-for-Dogs.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch My husband and I, my mom, and my best friend who also owns APBTs with allergies issues, all use this for all of our dogs and it’s great!

So, that’s all I can think of to do, but hopefully this helps. Keep in mind that when you switch your dogs food, if you are going to try that, even if you switch them over gradually, it may still take some time for him to adjust. So, just don’t rush it and hopefully you will be able to figure it out. Good luck to you and your dog! : )

Carol asks…

What is the best food to feed your dog?

What healthy,dry or other dog food is the best. I’ve heard you should buy it from the vet.

admin answers:

If you can afford a raw diet, that is definately the best way to go. It’s the healthiest and has been proven to eliminate all kinds of health issues such as allergies, ear infections, and skin conditions that we often need to treat with medications. There are some available prepared already and sold at many pet stores, both Prairie & Primal are excellent. If those are above your budget, look for a high quality dog food such as Orijens, Innova Evo, Wellness Core, Organix, Evanger’s, or Timberwolf Organics.

There are many good dogfoods, but make sure to always read the label. Ingredients are listed by weight, so meat should be the 1st ingredient (even better if there is more than one meat source listed first). Avoid food that has meat by products since that indicates low quality, or a food listing corn high on the ingredients. Corn has no nutritional value for dogs & is just filler.

Don’t by food at the grocery store or at any Target/Walmart type of store, they don’t carry good quality foods. Go to your local pet store, or to PetCo or Petsmart, and read the ingredients. It so worth it after all the deaths that happened with the pet food contamination to do a little extra work.

Lisa asks…

What are some good stores or online merchants to buy healthy dog treats that won’t break my wallet?

I’ve become a little more conscientious about feeding my dog healthier foods (natural, organic, low fat). Seems to me Petco/Petsmart/Pet Supplies offers some options, but they are so expensive.

admin answers:

You can make your own dog treats. I bought the Three Dog Bakery cook book and use it often to make my own treats. They are easy and cheap to make, plus my dogs love them!

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Delivery

Published May 30, 2013

Sandra asks…

Organic dog food delivery service?

I have heard about a franchise that specializes in organic dog food delivery. Does anyone know the company name and where I can find some info?

admin answers:

It all depends on where you are located. West Coast Pet Supply has numerous kinds of quality organic and all natural dog food and they deliver to all states. Check them out for more info.

Ken asks…

My dog has gastritis. What food is best for him?

The vets recommend the science diet but I have seen bad reviews online about that food. I have fed him Castor and poullox organix but he still gets gases. I have a 3year old chihuahua. Any help? Thanks.
He has been having gases for about a year. And his stomach makes very loud noises 🙁
I tried the science diet and it does nothing for him.

admin answers:

We had the same trouble with our dog. We had her allergy tested and found she’s allergic to corn and soybeans along with many other ingredients that are available in the foods that are organic like barley and oats… Corn and Soybean oil are in everything! When the vet gets the test results, he include a list of foods you can feed your dog.

We use Hill’s Science PRESCRIPTION dog food. It’s called Hill Science d/d Rice and Egg. The “d/d” is important when asking your vet about it. This isn’t available at pet stores so check with your vet and online to find a list of local distributors who can special order it for you. Our vet gets weekly deliveries from Hill’s.

I know there are some bad reviews about Hill’s but when you see 100% improvement in your dogs health, you will know you are doing the right thing. And your food list will offer a variety of choices.

Mostly, I think you would benefit from the allergy test. That way you’ll know what foods are causing the upset stomach. Also, my vet has recommended small doses of Tagamet and Pepto Bismol and that helps when you know your dog has eaten something that isn’t in his diet and it’s causing upset stomach.

Good luck. When you fing the right food, you will be sooo relieved and the symptoms will go away.

Mary asks…

How do I earn money quickly?

I am doing competitive dance right now which as already almost $3000. I also go to summer camp, which is another $3000, and I’m trying to start competitive cheer. To convince my Mom I need to find a way to earn money very quickly and pay for parts of it. How can I earn money quickly? I’m only 13 so I can’t really get a real job.

admin answers:

1. Have a garage sale. By using a few easy tricks, like posting fliers at grocery stores and Laundromats, making signs that can be seen from nearby busy streets and displaying your items in a department-store style, you can increase the amount your sale brings in.

2. Sell homegrown fruits and vegetables. You don’t have to have a farm to produce delicious, organic produce. By presenting your goods in an appealing way (save the plastic or cardboard produce containers from the grocery store and tie them with a distinctive ribbon or desktop-printed label), you give them niche appeal, and you can sell them much the same way as baked items, listed above.

3. Have a bake sale. Do you make killera chocolate chip cookies? Chocolate chip cookies? Are yummy breakfast burritos your specialty? If so, why not bring in your items once a week to your job and sell them to coworkers and other businesspeople in the vicinity? If you don’t have a job, what about a friend’s workplace, a community center or a nursing home? Put the word out beforehand and gauge the response as you go, so you don’t end up with a lot of leftover food. By talking up your home-baked goodies and arriving at the same time every day or every week, you may find that people start to anticipate your arrival.

4. Perform household services. You can earn some money informally by letting friends, family, church members and others in your community know that you’re available to clean their houses or apartments, or to take in ironing. If you find you have a knack and stamina for cleaning quickly and thoroughly, you can turn this into a regular, reliable way to earn extra money every month.

5. Put clothes on consignment. This is an especially good way to get rid of clothing like fancy dresses (think old prom gowns and cocktail dresses you’ll never wear again), but anything in good condition can be put on consignment. You share the money from the sale with the consignment shop, but it’s an easy way to squeeze some money out of clothes that would otherwise just take up closet space.

6. Do gardening services. Mowing lawns is a perennial summer job for kids. If you have a mower, encourage your children to launch a business—or do it yourself. In addition, you can also weed or haul gardening rubbish to the dump (often garbage services won’t remove it).

7. Get a paper route. While we often think of paper delivery as a job for a boy on a bike, all kinds of people pick up extra cash this way. Because papers are delivered in the morning, it’s possible to complete a route before the regular workday starts, or before your kids are up. (Just make sure you catch up on your sleep by going to bed early at night!)

8. Dog walk and pet sit. Owners are always looking for reliable pet-care services. Plus, if you stay home with your kids during the day, a regular dog-walking gig is a great way to get everyone out of the house for some fresh air and earn extra money. Put the word out at pounds, the ASPCA, the local veterinarian’s and dog runs. Be prepared to provide references from anyone you’ve ever sat for before.

9. Babysit. To provide regular child care in your home, you’ll often need to be accredited and registered with the state. But occasional babysitting in your home or someone else’s is more straightforward. You might already babysit for friends for free, but by reaching out in your community you can find parents whom you would feel comfortable charging a reasonable fee — such as those belonging to common churches, PTAs or playgroups. Depending on your schedule, you can position yourself as a last-minute resource, a Saturday sitter while Mom does errands, a date-night sitter and so on.

Hope this information usefully..

GOOD LUCK!!

You can find more information about earn money idea here http://www.earnmoneyidea.com

Thanks

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Grain Free

Published May 9, 2013

James asks…

what is the best commercial dog food in the market?

Doing my research, I believe Great Life Dog/Cat food is top on the list. They use a freeze dry process, use organic ingrediants, add probiotics and emzymes, and have grain free formulas. For your basic, good quality dog/cat food Canidae/Felindae is the smart choice. For organic, Newman’s Organic is a worthy one, and for raw food diet, Nature’s Variety is winner. Others to consider are Timberwolf and Blue Buffulo. Do you agree? Give your comments Check out the websites.

admin answers:

Personally, I like Science Diet. Check out their link http://www.hillspet.com/hillspet/products/scienceDiet/scienceDiet.hjsp

George asks…

What dog foods that are not tested on animmals have smaller bite size pieces?

I’m taking my dog off imas because I herd they donate dog food to places that do animal testing. So she’s going to a grain free organic diet. She’s a very small dog about a 9 lb small breed and can only chew small bites. Thanks:>

admin answers:

I think you’re saying you don’t want to feed iams because they support companies that test other products on animals.
Iams is a bad food anyways…
I like wellness small breed. Blue buffalo was a close 2nd place for me, until they had to recall a bunch of different things.
Be careful when you feed a small dog grain free. That amount of protein might not mix well with such a small dog. Grain free diets are often greater than %40 protein. Where as a regular premium dog food such as wellness is around %28. How old is your dog? A young puppy probably shouldn’t be on a grain free diet either.
I have a yorkie and he has done great on wellness.

Richard asks…

How does Organic pet food help my pet live longer? Is there a difference between Organic and all natural food?

I have been thinking about feeding my dog Organic pet foods, then I see something called “all natural foods.” What is the difference if any?

admin answers:

Organic means grown without herbicides or pesticides. All natural means everything in it is natural… Eg. A plant, animal or grain.

Pesticides are made to kill things… Anyone who thinks they can kill the bugs and weeds but are perfectly safe to consume should really think about it. I know they are consumed in minute quantities, but over time I tend to wonder why we have so much more cancer and immunodeficiency ailments these days such as asthma and severe allergies.

Whichever you go with be sure it is a good quality animal diet… As far as cost goes you are better off buying a grain free (or at lease wheat and corn free) diet over an organic diet with wheat or corn in the top 5 ingredients. If you can afford an organic grain free diet…then your pup is one lucky dog!

Wheat and corn are much harder on your animal than the small amount of pesticides are…

And this is coming from someone who buys organic LOTS and truely understands the difference.

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Reviews

Published April 11, 2013

Carol asks…

What is the best dog food to switch from a prescribed fish and potato dry food?

My dog is ready to start wheening her off her prescribed fish and potato diet of dry dog food. Do you have any ideas of what brand and type of dry food that would be best for her. She has been dealing with allergies and has been on shots for the past year.
The dermatogist could not find exactly what she is allergic to regarding foods. I wastold that there is no testing that can rule this out. She has been on the fish a potato doet for 1 year. She is allergic to mold, various grasses, and leaves, etc.

admin answers:

Here are some high-quality, fish-based dog foods:

– Fromms Four Star whitefish and potato – http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=13&cat=3

– Fromms Four Star salmon a la veg – http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=12&cat=3

– GO Natural Wild Salmon & Oatmeal – http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=1086&cat=3

– Nature’s Variety Prairie Salmon Meal and Brown Rice – http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=863&cat=3

– Timberwolf Organics Ocean Blue – http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=484&cat=3

– Blue Buffalo Fish & Sweet Potato – http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=530&cat=4

– Eagle Pack Holistic Select Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meal with Oatmeal – http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=98&cat=4

– Flint River Ranch Premium Fish & Chip – http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=448&cat=4

– Wellness Fish & Sweet Potato – http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=324&cat=4

…
Below the line is my normal shpeel on choosing a dog food.

—————————

On choosing a good 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, Pedigree, Purina, 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..)

—

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

Maria asks…

What is the best kind of dog food? Your personal opinion?

I have been feeding my dog Purina brands of dog food, the higher quality types purchased in places such as Petsmart, etc.,however have been reading articles on dogs in certain foreign countries living alot longer and healthier lives because the dog foods are a much better quality.

I am looking for the best diet for my dog. 11lb. Jack Russell, 18 months old. I would like something with less grain, especially corn. Ones without corn are hard to find. Any suggestions? With or without corn, if they’re good.

admin answers:

What you want to find is the high-quality food that *your dog* does best on.

For my dog, I feed primarily Merrick foods. This is what my dog does excellent on; great coat, solid stools, no excessive or smelly flatulence, etc.
Http://www.merrickpetcare.com/

.
Below the double line is my shpeel on how to choose a good dog food.
=== ===

Read the ingredients before you buy. Go with a high-quality dog food.

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

—

Here are some examples of high quality foods:
* Artemis
* California Natural
* Canidae
* Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
* Eagle Pack Holistic Selects
* EVO
* Fromm
* Innova
* Merrick
* Nature’s Variety
* Orijen
* Solid Gold
* Taste of the Wild
* Timberwolf Organics
* Wellness

Or check this website; the 4, 5, or 6 star rated foods are all good foods, 3 or less stars I would stay away from. Http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

—

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, Pedigree, etc.)

—

Also, grocery stores and Walmart aren’t good places to buy food either.

Your best bets for getting quality dog food are:
– small, locally owned petstores
– dog boutiques
– farm supply stores

—

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
.

Mark asks…

What is the best brand of dog food you will find in a grocery store?

All those organic foods are too excpensive.I already have bills to pay and paying tons of money for holistic and organic food is just too much. What are some cheap but good quality and easy to find foods?

admin answers:

Nutro Natural Choice or Pro Plan Selects you can get them at petco, petsmart, and most pet stores.
Whatever food you get make sure they don’t use
“BHT/BHA and Ethoxyquin: These are preservatives in some dogs food that have been banned from use in human food because they are linked to many health problems such such as liver/kidney damage, cancerous skin lesions, loss of hair, blindness, leukemia, fetal abnormalities and chronic diarrhea. In animals it has been linked to immune deficiency syndrome, spleen, stomach and liver cancer, as well as the above mentioned diseases.

Propylene Glycol
This potentially harmful chemical is added to many products to maintain the right texture and moisture. Along with the use of Ethoxyquin, these humectants tie up the water content and thus prohibit the growth of bacteria. These preservatives allow dry food to stay on the shaves for up to five years, and canned products indefinitely. As well as inhibiting bacteria growth in the product, they inhibit proper and necessary growth of friendly flora in the digestive tract, which aids in the assimilation of nutrients. They also decrease the amount of moisture in the digestive tract, which has led to intestinal blockage and a host of serious digestive tract problems such as cancerous intestinal lesions.
”
By products (that stuff is discussing)

Also some dogs are sensitive to corn, which appears to be in a lot of lower grade dog foods.

You best bet is to learn how to analyze dog food and read labels . For example this is why Iams is considered a 1 Star dog food

Review of Iams from http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=145&cat=7
The first ingredient on the listed is a named meat product, but since this is chicken inclusive of its water content (about 80%) and this ingredient will weigh only about 20% of its wet weight once water is removed (as it must be to make kibble) it is unlikely that this is the true first ingredient in the food and would be more accurately placed much further down the ingredient list. Fish meal, at 5th on the ingredient list, is a second named meat product in the food, but this is far too low down toelevate the meat content to an acceptable level. We note that the manufacturer does not claim to use ethoxyquin-free sources (ethoxyquin is a chemical preservative commonly added to fish destined for meal, and is believed to be carcinogenic).

The next two ingredients are low quality grains. Corn is a problematic grain that is difficult for dogs to digest and thought to be the cause of a great many allergy and yeast infection problems. We prefer not to see this used in dog food. Sorghum is a carbohydrate source low in digestibility. We consider it primarily filler.

The next ingredient in this food is by-products. It is impossible to ascertain the quality of by-products and these are usually products that are of such low quality as to be rejected for use in the human food chain, or else are those parts that have so little value that they cannot be used elsewhere in either the human or pet food industries. The AAFCO definition of chicken by-product meal is “a meal consisting of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice.”

Beet pulp is further filler and a controversial ingredient – it is a by-product, being dried residue from sugar beets which has been cleaned and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar. It is a controversial ingredient in dog food, claimed by some manufacturers to be a good source of fibre, and derided by others as an ingredient added to slow down the transition of rancid animal fats and causing stress to kidney and liver in the process. We note that beet pulp is an ingredient that commonly causes problems for dogs, including allergies and ear infections, and prefer not to see it used in dog food. There are less controversial products around if additional fiber is required.

Here is the ingredients list of Iams

Ingredients:
Chicken, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken By-Product Meal, Fish Meal (source of fish oil), Corn Grits, Natural Chicken Flavor, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of vitamin E, and Citric Acid), Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), DL-Methionine, Rosemary Extract

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (minimum) 26%
Crude Fat (minimum) 14%
Moisture (maximum) 10%
Crude Fiber (maximum) 5%
Omega-6 Fatty Acids not less than 2.8%

You can read about other foods on the website above.
And just keep in mind, more expensive food maybe only a few dollars more for a 20 pound bag, but the quality and your dogs health is worth it.

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food

Published March 28, 2013

George asks…

What kind of organic dog food is good for a 8 year old chihuahua?

I am going to get rid of my dry dog food because of what I was told on tv. Only thing is if I get rid of old dry food and buy or make organic dog food how will I give it to him at first. SO CONFUSED!

admin answers:

Any kind of organic brand is better than what you were feeding her, do a search on google it should come up with a few. I know they carry some at Petco, introduce it slowly into her diet, adding little by little to her current food for a period of about 1-2 weeks. If you can supplement with things like raw egg, cottage cheese or plain yogurt.

Mark asks…

What is the best organic dog food?

I have a Yorkie who just turned 3. I want to get him eating healthier food. The vet recommended Science Diet, but my dog won’t eat it. He has to be one of the pickiest dog ever! Sometimes I boil him chicken and he usually loves it but if he’s not in the mood he won’t eat it. Right now I’m feeding him chef michael’s wet food. He likes it. I have try diff foods but I waste money bc he won’t eat it! I wanna know if there are real organic dog food. Any recommendations?

admin answers:

I really don’t know of any dog foods that are certified as organic but there are plenty of foods that are good and healthy for your dog.

High quality dog foods will have named meats as the main ingredients and no grains. Grains are hard on a dog’s digestive system and are just cheap ingredients used to fill the dog up. Avoid foods that have corn, soy, wheat, by products, unnamed meats, unnamed fats, animal digest, added sugar, glutens, and artificial flavors/colors/preservatives.

I feed my dogs Orijen, the Regional Red kind in particular. I feel Orijen is the best dry dog food out there, so long as the dog’s digestive system agrees with it. This food is loaded with meats which is what a dog is supposed to eat. All of the ingredients put into the food are inspected and passed fit for human consumption before using them.

I also mix in Before Grain canned dog food with their food often for added moisture content. High quality meat based canned foods are even better because of the moisture, it’s less processed, and most have no preservatives. The food is more in its natural state. They also get the occasional Tiki Dog canned food alone, which is actually passed fit for human consumption straight out of the can.

Other high quality foods are Acana Grain Free, Nature’s Variety Instinct, Before Grain, Wellness Core, Canidae Grain Free Pure, and EVO.

A good rule of thumb is avoid any foods sold in a grocery store. No food sold in a grocery store is going to have high quality meats in the food and be grain free.

Steven asks…

If you were going to feed your dog a natural/organic dog food, which would you choose?

I really want to feed my dog something with REAL ingredients. I try to eat natural and healthy food, so I want my dog to be able to do the same. Can anyone tell me a good natural/organic dog food and give me reasons for why you like it? Thank you so much 🙂

admin answers:

I use Acana Grasslands, It’s not organic but it is natural ingredients. I like it because the ingredients put in are fit for human consumption and it is all meat based. It’s grain free which is all I feed because grains are not needed by dogs and are high in unnecessary carbs. Also the food has no by products, animal digest, added sugar, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. I also feed canned and the brands are Tiki Dog and Weruva Human Style, both passed fit for human consumption straight out of the can. All of these foods have all needed vitamins and minerals. What more can I ask for.

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Sensitive Stomachs

Published March 14, 2013

Donna asks…

What is a good dog food for sensitive stomach and easy digestion?

I have an 18 month Maltepoo that seems to easily get tummy issues. She has had bouts of colitis and has difficulty going potty. I have found on canned foods she digests it a little better but I am not sure which is the best food for her stomach and one that isnt full of a bunch of added stuff.
Has Anyone ever used Nature’s Variety food?

admin answers:

It really depends on what she is sensitive to in the food. Have you ever tried Merrick dog food? It is organic can be found online even if you can’t find it locally. If you can make her food at home you can feed boiled chicken and white rice and see if her tummy settles down.

David asks…

What is the best dog food to feed a dog that rarely has recalls.?

I am currently feeding my dog pedigree, which has a lot of corn and I want to switch her dog food.

How would I go about switching, and what dog food do you recommend? Last time I switched to Innova but my dog got sick.

admin answers:

Congrats on wanting to help your dog! A lot of people think it’s okay to feed their dogs crap food…

When switching your dog’s food, make sure to keep a reserve of her old food. I like to use 20% increments–so the first day of the switch, use 80% Pedigree, and 20% new food. From there, you can change the levels to 60/40, 40/60, 80/20, and then finally 100% new food. You can also do it in 25% increments. Ideally this should take about a week (or two weeks if your dog’s stomach is sensitive). If your dog got sick last time you switched her, it was probably done too quickly. Innova is a fantastic food; it’s just really hard on a dog’s system to immediately go from a cruddy food to a high-quality one since there’s way more protein in the good food. It may take your dog the full two weeks to get her used to the new food.

Some great, premium/ ultra-premium foods are EVO, Blue Buffalo/ Wilderness, Pinnacle, Acana, Instinct, Wellness, Solid Gold, Taste of the Wild, Timberland Organics, Fromm Family… A good site to peruse is http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com Check out all of the 4-6-star foods they have on there–you local pet store (or farm supply/feed store) is bound to carry a couple of them.

(Science Diet is crud, by the way. Sorry, kids.)

Betty asks…

What is a good brand of puppy food to help with diarrea and vomiting?

I have been feeding my puppies pedegree. One does fine, but the other gets diarria and vomits randomly. I dont know if she just has a sensitive stomach, cause it is random. The last time was after a bone I gave her. I just want to know what foods may be better for her, but I cant spend a ton cause I have two dogs that will both be eating it. Thanks

admin answers:

There is no food that is the *best*, different individual dog may thrive on different foods. What is best for one may not be the best for the next.

You can do MUCH better than Pedigree. Pedigree has a lot of fillers, byproducts, low-quality grains, and overall just bad ingredients.

What you want to find is the high-quality food that *your dog* does best on.

If you are on a budget, I recommend Canidae and Chicken Soup brand dog foods. They are very reasonably priced, and are still high-quality.

=== ===

Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food.

Here is my “short list” of rules when I am looking at dog ingredients:
1) When I chose a dog food, I chose one high meat content. I want to see preferably at least 2-3 out of the top 5 ingredients be meat or meat meal (first ingredient must be!).
2) I want to see higher quality grains, such as barley, brown rice, and oatmeal, instead of seeing wheat and corn. Or an alternative starch/carbohydrate such as potatoes or sweet potatoes.
3) I don’t want to see any byproducts.
4) I don’t want to see a lot of fillers.
5) I don’t want to see preservatives that are believed to be carcinogens (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin).
6) I don’t want to see artificial colorings such as the Red, Blue, and Yellow dyes.
7) I don’t want to see added sugars (sugar, corn syrup).
8) I don’t want to see mystery meats (meats identified only as “meat” or “poultry”.)

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 :
* Artemis – http://www.artemiscompany.com/
* California Natural – http://www.naturapet.com/brands/california-natural.asp
* Canidae – http://www.canidae.com/
* Chicken Soup – http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
* EVO – http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp
* Fromm – http://www.frommfamily.com/
* Innova – http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.asp
* Merrick – http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
* Nature’s Variety – http://www.naturesvariety.com/
* Orijen – http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/orijen/
* Solid Gold – http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
* Taste of the Wild – http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/
* Timberwolf Organics – http://timberwolforganics.com/
* Wellness – http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/

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, Pedigree, etc.)

—

Higher quality food may seem more expensive at first, but it evens out. The higher quality the food, the less fillers eaten (and therefore the less poop comes out the other end). Your dog eats more to try to get the nutrition it needs, and most of the food just passes right on through. Also, it will make your animals healthier, so you save money on vet bills in the long run.

—

Also, grocery stores and Walmart aren’t good places to buy food either.

Your best bets for getting quality dog food are:
– small, locally owned petstores
– dog boutiques
– farm supply stores

—

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
.

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Coupons

Published February 14, 2013

Daniel asks…

What is the best store bought dog food for my Chihuahua and are there coupons?

admin answers:

Our pets need quality food. Read the ingredients list and learn what the stuff on there is and what it does (or does not do) to/for our pets. A quick pet food 101. If the pet food contains corn/corn products or by products it is a poor quality food. Corn is a filler that can trigger skin problems. (allergies, skin problems, itching and excessive shedding) By products is anything from an animal not fit for human consumption, including cancerous tissue. Do not pay attention to advertising, they all say there food is great. “Vet approved” means they have a vet on staff to approve their product. In other words, someone paid to approve it. Same with foods most vets recommend. Salesmen “gift” vets then the vet recommends the food. Most vets are not nutritionists! Quality foods have meat as the first ingredient Wellness, Solid Gold, Innova and Merrick are a few of the best brands available. If you want to learn more check out: http://www.sagekeep.com/petfood.htm www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359& more=1 http://animalark.eapps.com/animal/PetFoods.nsf/$$PetFoodsByRating?OpenForm

Blue Organics is great but pricey.

Carol asks…

Why is Kate of Jon and Kate plus 8 considered mean?

Once again like my other question, I don’t watch the show but I can’t avoid the news and there’s always something talking about the people in this show. Anyways why is everyone saying the mother is a bitch or mean?

admin answers:

Oh gee i dunno..where do i begin?

1. She shut out her parents b/c they gave them mismatched cribs instead of cash.
2. She wouldn’t let aunt jodi get paid from tlc, and even went behind her back to prevent it from happening.
3. She treats her husband like a dog/disobedient child
4. She takes any handout she can get, and worse than that feels she’s entitled to every free offer on the planet
5. She is so money hungry that she doesn’t care that the publicity from the show is ruining her family.
6. She berated jon over not using a $20 coupon, but spends thousands of dollars on her new hideous look, which includes a rooster/80’s/lesbian hairstyle, at least 20 pairs of new shoes that i’ve seen over the last 2 months, tanning, spa treatments and new clothes.
7. She pretends she does everything herself, when she’s had a LOT of help from day one…more than our grandmothers ever would have dreamed of! (my grandmother had more kids than that…naturally…and NO help)!
8. All she does is take her kids on free vacations and treat others like total garbage.
9. It was HER idea and HER idea alone to continue the show and be followed by cameras. That didn’t “just happen!” she’s willing to put up with it b/c she’s a money-hungry animal.
10. She went through fertility treatments knowing she would have multiples, but went through with it anyway, assuming that her family would be magically provided for.
11. And as far as the organic food, they have been seen drinking frappuchinos and eating fast food for the last couple of months. Do you really think she feeds them organic food on their dozens of vacations each year?
12. The kids college educations are already paid for. In addition to that, they get 75 grand per episode…plus money from autographs, books and speaking engagements.
13. She fires every helper that comes into the house!
14. She is a fraud.
15. She alienated all of her family and closest friends.
16. There are other families of mutliples who have chosen to provide for their families on their own………

Ruth asks…

Moms- How much do you spend on groceries per week?

And for how many kids / people? I have 3 kids, but only 2 who consume groceries.. and a very hungry husband. I am thinking I could be cutting costs somewhere, so what is your average?

admin answers:

For me, my husband and son I can do 2 weeks worth of grocery shopping for dinners and other meals on $165 which boils down to about $80 a week… And no, we do not eat hamburger helper and pasta either. Mostly I buy alot of fresh things when I can, no processed junk foods or sodas. I do not buy organic (which allows you to buy less because it costs more and therefore the healthy food you need you don’t get enough of). I coupon clip, compare sales ads for the stores near me for the best prices and double coupon offers(when they have them). I look for buy one get one free offers in my market on things I need, buy store brand things for more pricey fair if it is something I need on my list etc.. If your store has a shopper card that allows you discounts or special buy pricing get one. They are usually free at places that have these and you can use them with coupons. I find it also helps to sit down before grocery day and plan my menus out. I do several “cook once and eat twice” type meals, especially in summer weather (left over chicken makes a great salad topper for dinner salada OR you can make your own pizza with it, sandwich wraps or even chunk or shred it to make soup etc.. ). Taking a pantry inventory and then planning my menus accordingly not only saves me money at the market but it also guarantees that there is minimal to no waste.
My son is a toddler and eats table foods like we do, but at least for now it doesn’t add much to the final total (and I don’t consider an extra gallon of milk here or there for my little milk-a-holic to be a big deal).
My bill includes ALL items, including home items and pet supplies (5 cats, 2 dogs). I use petco for my pet food because every 10 bags I buy there I get a free bag which can save me about $20 on those trips for pet food. My husband and I are major foodies so we tend to shop accordinly. I use publix as my main market but I also use Brunos (like a whole foods market ), Whole Foods. When travelling and in need of a grocery store I look for either a Whole Foods, Central Market or somewhere comparable. I also find that using COSTCO for certain items like paper goods, common staple items, cleaning items and meats about 3 times a year helps. It’s alot on those trips (usually $500) but we only do it 3 times a year and in the long run it saves us money because I am not continually buying things like meat, flour, sugar, paper towels, laundry supplies etc.. At the market all the time which can add up. There are just some items that buying in bulk makes sense for us to buy it large, store it in our pantry and then worry about just what we need week to week for meals. I am in the South Eastern US.

Nancy asks…

i need to switch cat food?

i use vet cat food and it is very expensive. i use it for one of my cats who used to have bad hairballs. the vet food works well but i need something less expensive. please help.
i went to vet today and she suggested i keep the vet brand cat food. i have heard that the better more expensive foods do pay dividends. ie. litter box waste, healthier cat, etc. am i wrong?

admin answers:

You know, getting a good all around naturally balanced healthy and complete food will take care of hairballs and more! First off, for the health of your cat i would suggest avoiding any ingredient labels that contain byproducts, wheat, corn, soy, BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, dies, artificial flavours and preservatives. These are pointless fillers, additivies, and things that are for human appeal and bad for animals kidneys and livers! Allright ill lead you in the direction of Eagle Pack Holisitic Select, this is what we recomend at the hospital i work for and i recomend it from experience with my cats and dogs. It eliminated hairballs naturally, firms up stool, decreases odor, miracoulously improves skin conditions and is amazing!! All natural, usda organic, the vitamins come from naturally occuring things like carrots, blueberries etc…. Not a chemical formula that can not be metabolized. They are not expensive and always have BOGO coupons.

Donald asks…

Where to purchase dog food?

I have searched NUTRO and Innova website and can not find anyone close to me who sell their food. Does anyone know how I might purchase either one of these?

Thanks
I have found Nutro for puppies at petsmart website, Thanks
http://www.premiumfoodsonline.com

admin answers:

I work for nutro! Yay! Well we do sell at petsmart, petco, and D and B Supply also local CO-OP ( organic stores ) carry our holistic type “Ultra” food. We have food for both dogs and cats, and several options such as puppy, adult, senior, largebreed, largebreed puppy, and holistic for dogs. Check us out… Almost each weekened, depending on where you live, we have live demonstators at the above stores to give out coupons, pamplets and show you charts with ingredient comparisions and other great info! Can always go to www.nurtoproducts.com or call the 1-800-833-5330 information hotline!
Good luck and enjoy the results- they are amazing!
Less backyard clean up
shiney coat, and healthy skin
dogs eat less
and mine really seems to enjoy the flavor over his old brand!

Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Recipes

Published February 2, 2013

Jenny asks…

Who knows of a good homaid dog food recipet?

Regular dog foods that u buy at the store ar dangerous 1 of my pets died from it. I don’t want to take that risk again does anyone know any recipes. Preferable organic thanks~

admin answers:

I found a great one a year or so ago called Mable’s Meatloaf. My dogs LOVE it.

Http://fiascofarm.com/herbs/Mables_Meatloaf.htm

there are links there to a meaty version and a vegetarian version.

Lizzie asks…

What dog food should i be feeding my new dog?

I just rescued a 3 year old tricolor sheltie. He is the cutest guy ever and i want to feed him the right dog food so he doesn’t get sick. What dog food should i feed him? I know there are alot of crap food out there. What dog food do you feed your dog and they do awesome on. I would like to find something that he would like but has no corn and soy in it. Frist few ingredients must be meet. Preferabble fish or turkey. Meat that shelties would eat in the wild. He is about 15 pounds.

admin answers:

If you have the time and the interest, you could consider home cooked meals. Here’s one site with dog food recipe: http://www.monkeysee.com/play/6572-serving-dog-food
This way, you pick out the content yourself and have complete awareness of quality of product.
If you want a dog food, consider something that has no recent history of recalled product or repeat recalls in the past years. Some to consider:
http://www.sojos.com/europa.html
Some dog foods are labeled “organic” or “holistic” but some of these have been recalled due to inferior gluten products that were in other foods recalled during the massive series of recalls that started some years ago.
Here’s a site to keep updated on recalled dog foods:
http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/default.htm

Thomas asks…

What are your opinions on this dog food?

I recently switched my 3 year old Golden Retriever Jack onto a grain free diet. I bought Blue Wilderness Dog Food, the duck recipe. (I chose the Wilderness rather than the Regular because I do agility with Jack, & the Wilderness has higher protein levels, etc.)

I have 2 questions actually!
1: What does holistic mean? I’ve seen it before, but I’m not entirely sure what it means.
2: What are your opinions on this food? Is it worth it’s price, etc?

Thanks for your help ahead of time! 🙂

admin answers:

Hi Abby,

You have some great questions. The word “holistic” doesn’t really mean anything at all when applied to dog foods. It sounds good to buyers, because they assume that the food is organic, natural, healthy, or human-grade. Here’s a good website that defines the terms you may be seeing on dog food bags: http://www.canadianpetconnection.com/organic-holistic-natural-does-all-mean/.

This food is expensive because of the ingredients used, the fact that it’s grain free, and the high protein content. I don’t believe that dogs are strict carnivores and that they absolutely need grain-free diets, but you should do some research for yourself and decide what you want to believe about this highly controversial topic. In my opinion, high protein foods for dogs are a waste of money – you’re paying for extra protein that just isn’t doing your dog any good. The AAFCO has done research on the appropriate amount of protein in dog foods, and some foods, like Blue Wilderness, are very high in protein, and exceed normal amounts. Having said that, it’s not a bad food, but there are probably cheaper options that are just as healthy for Jack. But don’t take my word for it – there are plenty of resources out there that have nutrition information for dogs.

Carol asks…

Where is the best place to find organic meat?

I want to have a dog, and I want to feed them right, not with that cheap dog food.

I live in southern california, and I want to feed a yorkshire terrier maybe a mix of the following:

(all organic)

beef meat, grounded up veggies, (somehow…) grounded up bone, and maybe any organs in the cow or something.

I also gotta find out how to grind up bone.

But I want a label besides the USDA to certify they’re organic.

admin answers:

Most of the grocery stores sell organic meats these days. There are always the natural markets too. I agree with you and feeding a dog right. I have 3. One of them is allergic to corn and wheat ( mostly what plain old pet food is made of with very little meat) I took all 3 of them if commercial dog food and feed them the european stlye dog food. Sojos.com is where you can get it. It’s a dry mix of grains and other nutrients. You mix a said amount with water and soak it,then add veggies and meats. It can even be made ahead and frozen. I took their recipe and tweaked it to make my own mix. My dog’ s health, coat, energy level and overall well being has greatly improved. The one with the allergies is all clear now. If you don’t want to mess with all that there are some wonderful organic dog foods on the market usually available in natural markets. They can be kind of pricey, but if you have a small dog it won’t be that bad. Price isn’t always important when it comes to our beloved pets.

Susan asks…

What is a good dog food to fatten up my rescued Pit Bull/Boxer mix?

I recently rescued a Doggie from Abusive owners. He is wonderful and luckily has a clean bill of health. Only Problem is he is very underweight! What are some good quality Dog foods that will fatten him up and also taste good? (he is a picky eater)

admin answers:

Blue Buffalo is a great, high quality, fair priced food if your looking for doggie food.
However, consider people food.
(Always make it plain, no spices, etc.) Broiled chicken, plain white rice, turkey, cheese, some dogs like cream cheese, peanut butter, carrots, green beans, dog meatballs (google for the recipe, can’t remember where I found it.) and other wholesome, organic foods.
Just make sure the meals are balanced and that he gets ALL of his food groups!

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