Which is the best dog food?

[LateX'Dog]

We have a new puppy and at the moment we are feeding him husse which is what the breeder gave us.
http://www.uk.husse.com/dog-food-products/dry-food-for-dogs/?product=108

Does anyone know if its any good and if not what is the best food we can buy.

He is only a small dog so cost is not a huge issue.

Feeding a dog the right diet is extremely easy.

BARF (Bones and raw food) is probably the best, but its the hardest to get right and has a lot of things you need to take into consideration, like correct vitamin intake and so on.

Then you have the holistic foods, like Burns and Skinners. Skinners is what i feed my dog, its used by the best gun dog breeders (who don't use BARF).

Its all about the ingredients.

ALL supermarket meat is extremely low quality and full of additives, preservatives and high amounts of toxic chemical dyes you use to dye your clothes with.

For example check Pedigree Chum's ingredients. The beef flavour has 4% beef derivatives which means it can contain any part of the cow. Then the rest of the "meat" is animal derivatives which means it can come from any animal, any part and in any condition.

Never ever feed your dog this food.

Skinners contains brown rice and duck breast.

http://www.burnspet.co.uk/petcare/burns-pet-nutrition-advice.html

Has a lot of good information and advice.

 

[Brookert]

Chappie!

 

[The Halk]

I find Chappie is a bit too salty for my taste, although it's fine with potatoes - just don't salt the water when you cook them. Cesar is great with rice.

 

[LateX'Dog]

Pedigree isn't that great, but one of the better of the general brands. Also, the dental chews are a bit of a myth (would chewing a stick ever be sufficient for our teeth?). Simply giving a dog dry food is the best for its diet and dental care (although a proper dental at the vets is necessity).

A lot of miss information here. Pedigree chum contains nothing but rubbish and chemicals.

Feed a white haired Shi Tzu or a Maltese that food and the fur around there eyes and mouth will start to discolour (normally red) and there fur becomes extremely smelly.

Dogs secrete some "waste" through there fur, if you feed your dog poor quality food, the fur will be the first indication as to the nutritional health.

You should very rarely need to wash your dogs coat with anything but water, if you do wash your dog with more then water you are also damaging there coat.

The best are: Science Plan, Iams, Royal Canin. Look at the ingredients

Yes please do go and look. Tell me if it lists "Animal Derivatives" as the top ingredient. Labelled so that the companies don't need to change there labelling every time some cheap "meat" becomes available. Derivatives are just that, random animal parts that are going cheap. Chicken faces, feet and beaks, cow hoofs, ears and tails. All extremely poor quality "meat".

Premium foods like science plan contain less padding and have a far higher nutritional value.

Science Plan is no better then dry Pedigree Chum. Owned by Colgate-Palmolive, pretty sure they couldn't give a flying toss about your dog.

That's not the issue. Dogs will love poor quality, high-volume, low-nutrient foods. It pretty much solely comes down to cost; the more you pay, the better it is for your dog.

Complete rubbish, i pay around £25 for a 15kg which lasts around 2-3 months. And its probably one of the best dry dog foods on the market.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

We fed our english springer James Wellbeloved puppy food, then switched to Burns dried food after she had a bad case of colitis.

She's currently on something a bit cheaper though, as £50 for 15kg is robbery.

 

[LateX'Dog]

This isn't actually true

WHAT!? Fresh meat is not better then dried meat? Where did you magic this fact from?

- in the same way humans can use technology and science to optimise our diets for longevity (ie increasing certain amounts of something which is hard to come by naturally), the same can and has been done for animals. Just because it is primitive and 'natural' doesn't mean it is better.

You go and eat your chemically enhanced food, I'll stick with how nature has been doing it for 100 of thousands of years. Nothing on the face of this earth is better for a dog then fresh meat. They evolved to eat fresh meat.....i mean

It's tapping into a myth and fallacy people all too often fall for. That's why you'll find a lot of sentences on BARF sites and BARF vendors' sites start with 'we believe'

They say we believe because thats there opinion and there not trying to force it upon others.


This guy has got to be trolling.

 

[Hatter The Mad]

LateX'Dog - the only thing you're right about is Pedigree Chum (et al) being full of ****.

The rest you're so fundamentally wrong about it makes my brain hurt, and I don't have the time to explain basic animal nutrition and the science of it to you.

 

[panyan]

Which is the best dog food?

one minute, ill just ask him...

 

[LateX'Dog]

I am sure this is what a lot of BARF followers would like to believe in order to discredit what scientists say (in the same way that doctors are in the hands of 'big pharma' in the same way, pushing unnecessary vaccinations, right?).

Actually its true, the vet literally 2 mins walk from my house is a childhood friend, he tells me all the time about there pushy selling and subsidies.

Or wait, have I been bribed by the Dry Food Consortium in order to perpetuate a bunch of myths!? I didn't realise!

No, your completely bat **** crazy and full of **** lol.

Of course I will, but only if you'll validate your claims rather than perpetuating myths. But really, it sounds like you're the one who won't listen to anything anyone else has to say.

I'm more then happy to validate any of my claims.

On the other hand, i would like you to validate how high toxicity chemical dyes are needed for a dogs nutritional needs.

Or how extremely poor animal derivatives provide more nutritional benefit to a dog then fresh meat.

I don't feed BARF, but i wish i could. I don't have the time, knowledge and facilities to do so, otherwise i would.

 

[LateX'Dog]

LateX'Dog - the only thing you're right about is Pedigree Chum (et al) being full of ****.

The rest you're so fundamentally wrong about it makes my brain hurt, and I don't have the time to explain basic animal nutrition and the science of it to you.

Go for it. There is no reason to be butt hurt because everything you've said is very easy to disprove.

Tear staining is usually seen in light coated small and toy breeds such as the Bichon Frise or Westie.

These dogs often have runny eyes where the tears stain the hair on the face a pinkish-brown colour.

It is our experience that this problem can be corrected by proper feeding. The discolouration of the fur is a result of an accumulation of toxins in the tears which usually results from an unsuitable diet.

This means either too much food, the wrong type of food or a combination of the two. The same can happen when toxins in the saliva stain the fur around the mouth or the fur on the feet and legs where the dog licks.

Runny, sticky eyes may accompany this problem. This is a sign that the body is trying to expel toxins from the system.

Funny that, i just said that a second ago.

 

[LateX'Dog]

 

[LateX'Dog]

Here is a paper from a Harvard student:

http://leda.law.harvard.edu/leda/data/784/Patrick06.html

"The labels of several different brands of pet foods revealed that common ingredients such as corn gluten meal, corn meal, brewers rice, oat meal, ground barley, and whole grain corn represent at least two of the top three ingredients. Often three of the top four ingredients consist of grains. The surveyed brands include Iams, Purina, Science Diet, Purina One, Whiskas, and Meow Mix."

Oh look Science Plan is in that list. There's a shock.

 

[LateX'Dog]

Meat and Animal Derivatives:

This is a term that you will find on many pet food labels. So what exactly are "meat and animal derivatives" and why should they be avoided?

This is a generic term for animal proteins - It can sourced from any animal. i.e. Chicken? Horse? Rabbit Emu? Rat? Giraffe?

Your guess is as good as mine! It can also be from any part of the animal, generally they are derived from the undesirable parts such as the heads, feet and guts.

Why do companies use meat & animal derivatives?
Because meat and animal by products are some of the cheapest protein sources and manufacturers can choose different sources depending on the cheapest available at the time of manufacture.

So what's the problem with these unspecified ingredients?
Because they aren't chosen for their quality. Pets that are intolerant to certain proteins may be fine with one batch but have problems with the next as it's impossible to know which is in each bag

"Meat and animal derivatives" is a generic term that covers all animals and parts such as heads, feet, guts, lungs, hair, feathers and wool! This term can be used to hide undesirable ingredients and allows the manufacturer to change the meat source from batch to batch to whatever is the cheapest available at the time of manufacture. Meat and animal derivatives are used in many successful pet foods because most consumers don't know any better. Avoid!

Official definition of meat and animal derivatives:
All the fleshy parts of slaughtered warm-blooded land animals fresh or preserved by appropriate treatment, and all products and derivatives of the processing of the carcase or parts of the carcase of such animals.

http://www.best-dog-food-review.com/67901/67927.html

The term "EC permitted additives" covers a large range of different chemicals, allowing a pet food manufacturer to use any of them without having to individually name any of them. This includes artificial colours and flavourings which are known to cause hyperactivity. More worryingly, pet foods using this term can contain preservatives such as BHA, BHT and Ethyoxquin which have been shown to cause cancer.

http://www.best-dog-food-review.com/67979.html

 

[Traffic_Warden]

+1

Orijen is the best brand of dry food I've used for my Jap Akita. Bit more expensive but worth it!

 

[LateX'Dog]

So lets go at it.

Science plan Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity™ Medium Vs Skinners Duck and rice

Science plan Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity™ Medium:

http://www.hillspet.ie/products/product.aspx?pid=14&packform=Bag&sc_lang=en-GB

Ingredients:

Ground maize, ground wheat, chicken and turkey meal, animal fat, digest, dried beet pulp, pea bran meal, vegetable oil, flaxseed, L-lysine hydrochloride, potassium chloride, salt, calcium carbonate, DL-methionine, L-threonine, L-tryptophan, taurine, vitamins and trace elements. Naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols, citric acid and rosemary extract.


The very first ingredient is Maize, which means its the most used ingredient.

Corn is a frequently used pet food ingredient, however it can be difficult for dogs to digest. Used as a carbohydrate source, it is cheap and could be described as a filler.

So its a filler, no nutritional value at all.


Ground Wheat is the second ingredient!

Wheat is a grain used as a carbohydrate source in dog foods, however it is associated with causing allergies in many dogs.

Then Animal Fat which is the forth ingredient, which is described as follows:

Animal fats are a mixture of fats rendered from different animals. The source of these are diverse and include restaurant grease and factory by-products. The mixture of different animals makes it hard to avoid particular ingredients if your dog has an allergy or intolerance. First you can never be sure which animal fats are present and secondly they can vary batch to batch so that even if your dog can tolerate it, this could be different in a later batch of dog food.

Due to the nature of animal fat, they tend to be preserved with artificial preservatives such as BHT, BHA or Ethoxyquin to prevent rancidity as it is hard to preverse them naturally. Avoid!

Digest? WTF is digest?

The rest i have no idea of what they are.


Lets have a look at Skinners Duck and Rice:

http://www.skinnerspetfoods.co.uk/products/field---trial-products/duck---rice/

Ingredients:

Whole rice (40%), duck meat meal (20%), naked
oats, peas, whole linseed, sunflower oil, beet pulp,
vitamins and minerals.

Not one of them ingredients is listed as having any negative effect on a dogs health. And are in fact listed as being extremely good sources of nutrition for dogs.

Rice

Rice is the most digestible of all grains and is known to be low in allergy risk and so is found in many "hypo-allergenic" pet foods. Rice is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and B Vitamins.

Oats:

Oats are a versatile ingredient used as a fibre source, also providing a good source of energy.

Peas, well there peas.

Beet Pulp:

Beet pulp is a good source of insoluble and soluble fibres.

I mean this hatter guy has got to be trolling.

 

[Winky_The_Winking_Turtle]

Teh one with a Golden Retriever on the front. Royal Canine or sumtin'

 

[LateX'Dog]

+1

Orijen is the best brand of dry food I've used for my Jap Akita. Bit more expensive but worth it!

Orijen is probably the best dry dog food on the market. Just you pay a price for it.

COMPOSITION
Deboned chicken (25%), dehydrated chicken (17%), deboned salmon (10%), dehydrated turkey (7%), dehydrated herring (7%), russet potato, peas, sweet potato, deboned turkey (3%), whole eggs (3%), chicken liver (2%), deboned lake whitefish (2%), deboned walleye (2%), alfalfa, pea fiber, chicken fat (2%), organic kelp, pumpkin, chicory root, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, blueberries, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary.

Just check out the ingredient list, its incredible.

 

[PermaBanned]

In my experience - depends on the dog. You'd have to try a few to see what they eat, but bear in mind that at some point, months or years down the line they might just get bored or go off it and stop eating it.

 

[GAC]

got my alaskan malamute on dr johns platinum although if you read various forums on pets people call the stuff for fun saying its cheap for a reason, i got put on to it by a friend who races siberiens and he swears by it.

iv had her on a few different dry foods but this has been the best by far, biggest problem with dogfoods is all dogs are not the same and before you just go and buy the most expensive because someone on a forum claims its the best find out what your dog requires, malamutes (and siberiens but to a lesser extent) can have iffy stomachs if they arnt getting enough zinc and can even get crusty growths on there pads, ears and around there eyes.

 

[Doctor McNinja]

+1

Eukenuba is the best food by a mile.

James wellbeloved is another good one.

Eukenuba has consistently been linked with kidney problems, cancer and allergies. I wouldn't feed that rubbish to my dogs even if I was well paid to do so (I'd use stronger words in this post if I wasn't sure I'd fall foul of the profanity filter). Mass produced dog foods are made by manufacturers of human food. Eukenuba (and many more like it) are produced from the by products of human food production. The unwanted, un-sellable rubbish that no one wants. In the sixties, certain companies cottoned on to the idea opf selling their unwanted rubbish (I use "rubbish" as a substitute for the C word) and started selling this... waste, as pet food. Think about it logically, if we ate just animal byproducts, cartilage, connective tissue, beaks, hooves, ears, snouts and god knows what, we'd have all sorts of health problems. That's not to mention the grain in dog food that dogs would never eat in the wild. Well, the same is true of dogs and cats and any other animal. Kidney problems, cancer, allergies... all of them have risen since the advent of mass produced pet food. I'm not some crazed PETA fanatic, I don't go around marrying cows and saying fish should have the same rights as us but one thing I am evangelical about is feeding dogs and cats on raw food. Since We started our animals on raw food, they've been healthier, more energetic. they've itched less, their breath has been better.... hell, even their you know what doesn't smell as bad. I see it as a choice between feeding them a balanced diet and feeding them the lowest grade fast food you can find.

+1 for the BARF diet. My diogs are fed on a BARF diet having been fed on a dry diet originally and it's the best thing I've ever done for my dogs. If anyone wants to know anymore about the BARF diet, my mom chairs a health committee and I'm sure, would be happy to answer any questions/point people in the right direction.