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NV is produced by Menu Foods. Menu has had a history of recalls for bad products. Menu also outsources the recipe to many packing plants reducing control over the final product.
Taste of the Wild is made by Diamond. Again a decent food but there are better options. Diamond had had many issues.When you research food you will see that many products are made by the same packers with different names. It is tough on the public to figure out who makes what.Thanks for all of the info. We are going to go with Taste of the Wild. We often give our dogs raw food as a treat (our new vet suggested feeding raw but we do not have the fridge space for it yet) and this food seems to be as close to that as we can get. I also love it because its sold at several of the no chain pet stores in our area.
Given the ingredient list, I think it's a tad disingenuous to call TOTW "decent". Decent is average, and TOTW is not close to average. The Diamond issues were with aflatoxin, a grain based contaminant. No grain, no risk of aflatoxin. Plus the TOTW is made at a different plant than the plants where grain based foods are made. I know a lot of animal food nuts, and none of them have objected to TOTW, and none would classify it as an average dog food.Taste of the Wild is made by Diamond. Again a decent food but there are better options. Diamond had had many issues.When you research food you will see that many products are made by the same packers with different names. It is tough on the public to figure out who makes what.Thanks for all of the info. We are going to go with Taste of the Wild. We often give our dogs raw food as a treat (our new vet suggested feeding raw but we do not have the fridge space for it yet) and this food seems to be as close to that as we can get. I also love it because its sold at several of the no chain pet stores in our area.
The key is to find companies that produce their own food at their own packing plants.
Do you have a dog in this fight?Given the ingredient list, I think it's a tad disingenuous to call TOTW "decent". Decent is average, and TOTW is not close to average. The Diamond issues were with aflatoxin, a grain based contaminant. No grain, no risk of aflatoxin. Plus the TOTW is made at a different plant than the plants where grain based foods are made. I know a lot of animal food nuts, and none of them have objected to TOTW, and none would classify it as an average dog food.Taste of the Wild is made by Diamond. Again a decent food but there are better options. Diamond had had many issues.When you research food you will see that many products are made by the same packers with different names. It is tough on the public to figure out who makes what.Thanks for all of the info. We are going to go with Taste of the Wild. We often give our dogs raw food as a treat (our new vet suggested feeding raw but we do not have the fridge space for it yet) and this food seems to be as close to that as we can get. I also love it because its sold at several of the no chain pet stores in our area.
The key is to find companies that produce their own food at their own packing plants.
Nope. No interest, financial or otherwise. I just went through all of this last year when we were deciding on a dog food for our two and I was stunned at the crap that's in most foods. I figured I'd be feeding them Iams or Science Diet until I looked at the ingredient list as saw they weren't much better than Purina, both having by-product and corn meal in the top 5 ingredients. Our local pet store owner is a nutrition fanatic, and he carries only two or three dry foods along with several raw. The dry foods he carries are Canidae, TOTW, and something else, as he said they were among the top half dozen dry dog foods available while still being a price people would purchase. Since then I look at ingredient lists every time I hear of a new food, and I haven't found many that are as good as TOTW.Do you have a dog in this fight?Given the ingredient list, I think it's a tad disingenuous to call TOTW "decent". Decent is average, and TOTW is not close to average. The Diamond issues were with aflatoxin, a grain based contaminant. No grain, no risk of aflatoxin. Plus the TOTW is made at a different plant than the plants where grain based foods are made. I know a lot of animal food nuts, and none of them have objected to TOTW, and none would classify it as an average dog food.Taste of the Wild is made by Diamond. Again a decent food but there are better options. Diamond had had many issues.When you research food you will see that many products are made by the same packers with different names. It is tough on the public to figure out who makes what.Thanks for all of the info. We are going to go with Taste of the Wild. We often give our dogs raw food as a treat (our new vet suggested feeding raw but we do not have the fridge space for it yet) and this food seems to be as close to that as we can get. I also love it because its sold at several of the no chain pet stores in our area.
The key is to find companies that produce their own food at their own packing plants.
No. It's not a good choice.
hi genedoc,we pay $40 for a 30# bag of innova.what does the totw cost?
It's better than Purina, but not much. Here's the ingredient list for Iams Healthy Naturals Lamb & Rice:
Look at the top 5 ingredients. Lamb meal is good. Lamb would be better, but lamb meal is a solid #1 ingredient. Brewer's Rice, Corn Meal, Sorghum, and Chicken Meal by product? Yikes. All grains and dreck. Either would be a deal breaker for me. Both, and it's really not impressive. Here's the top 5 of a very good dog food. I'll use Orijen just so it doesn't appear I'm a Taste of the Wild shill.
1-5 are chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, potatoes, and salmon. You'd be hard pressed to find a better top 5 ingredients list.
Don't remember exactly, but I think it's pretty comparable to this. Maybe a touch more, maybe a touch less, but very comparable.
thanks.
Blue Buffalo is another quality product.
Really? This surprises me a little. Here was my reply before I saw yours:
Depending on where you shop Pinnacle is a little more expensive. You are looking a 40-44 for Chicken and Oats. 44-48 for Trout and Sweet Potato, 48-55 on the Duck formula. Those ducks are hard to catch!!All for the 30lb bag. I think it comes in 7.5 as well, but I have two Labs so I always buy the 30lb.
The key is "no corn, soy or wheat" Those are known allergins to dogs. Oats, Flax, barley and brown rice are healthy additions..plus many dogs on grain free products have been known to get constipated. Dogs also need fat in their diets.
Tried many of the top brands and this is the best. 6 dogs and they all love it. A little on the pricey side but they seem to eat a bit less of this and much less "waste" to clean up.
Fat is important to a dog. Unlike humans, dogs get most of their energy through fat and not through carbs.ETA: Also, unless there are allergy issues, the grains are helpful. Oatmeal, for instance, is widely used for healthy skin and coats for dogs. However, the #1 allergy issue for dogs are grains.
Wellness was bought out recently. My sister best friend is a pet food industry watchdog. I get all the good and bad info from her.
Old Mother Hubbard was bought? Or are you talking about Old Mother Hubbard bought Wellness? I do not think the food had changed at all and that is what matters. For the food that is widely available, Wellness is highly respected.
Thanks. We've had no problems with grain free diet, though I'm sure some dogs do. Also, I agree dogs need fat, I'm just at all impressed with chicken fat as an ingredient, especially a top 5-10 ingredient. When poultry fat is listed as an ingredient, it can come from a rendered or extruded product and it can include dead, diseased, disabled, or dying animals. The fat should come from the meat sources.
While I think a grain-free diet isn't the best, it's definitely a better choice than a lot. I just know that such high protein levels can cause serious kidney/liver issues, long-term, in a lot of dogs.Also, a big
to the community here. I'm quite surprised how knowledgeable some here are about their dog food. And here I thought I was alone when it came to being so protective of what Asher eats 
Grain free isn't necessarily "high" protein. For instance, Taste of the Wild Bison/Venison formula is 32% protein, 18% fat, which means it's 50% carbohydrate, but not grain. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are the primary carbohydrate source and both top 10 ingredients. Carbs and fiber also come from fruits and berries included in the food. Similarly, Orijen adult formula is 40.0% protein, 16.0% fat and the primary carb sources are again potatoes and sweet potatoes. And if you're really interested, Orijen has a white paper that pretty aggressively assaults the notion that higher protein levels in dog food leads to health issues.While I think a grain-free diet isn't the best, it's definitely a better choice than a lot. I just know that such high protein levels can cause serious kidney/liver issues, long-term, in a lot of dogs.Also, a big
Vets have a contract with SD, ignore them. SD is subpar at best. The only way to know if you are buying good food is to read the ingredients.Well now, that is quite interstng. To be honest, I never fully read the ingredients. My vet reccomended the food to us when we first got our dog as a puppy. I just figured it was a good diet for him. I will need to look at this more closely. Any reccomondations for a 10 year old lab. He has done well with the SD thus far.While SD isn't the worst food out there, reading thru the ingredients and it's pretty horrible.
Ingredient list: Ground Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Soybean Oil, Chicken Liver Flavor, Flaxseed, Iodized Salt, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Dried Chicken Cartilage, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E
3 of the first 4 ingredients are things that are either bad for your dog (Corn, Soy) or in the case of Animal Fat, can be from diseased animals. Unless it specifies which animal the fat came from, it's the lowest grade possible.
Not preaching, just trying to inform y'all. It's your pet, do as you see fit!
Well then...I learned something new today. Thanks for the info and link!Grain free isn't necessarily "high" protein. For instance, Taste of the Wild Bison/Venison formula is 32% protein, 18% fat, which means it's 50% carbohydrate, but not grain. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are the primary carbohydrate source and both top 10 ingredients. Carbs and fiber also come from fruits and berries included in the food. Similarly, Orijen adult formula is 40.0% protein, 16.0% fat and the primary carb sources are again potatoes and sweet potatoes. And if you're really interested, Orijen has a white paper that pretty aggressively assaults the notion that higher protein levels in dog food leads to health issues.While I think a grain-free diet isn't the best, it's definitely a better choice than a lot. I just know that such high protein levels can cause serious kidney/liver issues, long-term, in a lot of dogs.Also, a big :( to the community here. I'm quite surprised how knowledgeable some here are about their dog food. And here I thought I was alone when it came to being so protective of what Asher eats
The two best things dog (and cat for that matter) owners can do are:
For the most part, this is true, but not always.California Natural is quite a bit cheaper then Orijen, but is a quality product. Just sayin'....
my chocolate lab had exact problems with itching, etc. she gets 1/2 TOTW and 1/2 avoderm. took a month or so but she hardly ever itches. noticeable improvement in all 6 dogs since we ditched purina.
Wellness was not bought out recently. Old Mother Hubbard merged with Eagle Pack and is now called WellPet. Old Mother Hubbard operates Eagle Pack now. The Wellness food has not changed and will not change. Also, Purina is not a bad pet food. Purina has always made good products and still does. Is it premium food? They have some premium lines, but their regular lines are good. If a dog has food allergies of course they will switch to another brand that doesn't include what the dog is allergic to. There aren't enough studies yet to determine if holistic pet food is more beneficial than regular pet food with a pet without allergies. My dog ate purina his whole life and lived to be 20.
W/D is a very good diet dog food. It's low in calories and high in fiber.
The more common allergy amongst dogs is grains. After that is chicken and/or poultry. And then finally bringing up the rear is other (protein sources). Natural Balance is usually the go to brand for dogs with food allergies. Petsmart does not carry it (actually, Petsmart has a fairly limited premium brands as they carry) but Petco and independent stores do. You also need to be aware that food allergies are not always the problem.
i was told that lamb meal is better than lamb. Lamb would be guts/meat, while lamb meal was just meat.
Try mixing the Avo-Derm with Pinnacle as well. Pinnacle is one of the top rated foods for dogs with allergy problems. Avo-derm is very good for skin and coat.
"Meal" is higher protein. It is the meat with all the water sucked out.i was told that lamb meal is better than lamb. Lamb would be guts/meat, while lamb meal was just meat.
