Best & healthiest Dog Food

[Denaluvscorgis]

I'd like to get some opinions on what the best & healthiest brand of dog food is? I have my dogs on a brand called "Exclusive", I buy it at a local feed store. It is made with fresh Chicken and rice. They seem to do very well on it. They're both really healthy, and have "good poop"...never runny or yucky. :D

[pitbulliest]

I've never heard of Exclusive. I know that Wellness is a high quality food but I recently found out that it certainly isn't the best when it comes to dry food. I like to feed my dogs cooked diets whenever I get a chance. Its alot more work since you're making the food for them and you have to prepare everything, but I just couldn't imagine my dogs eating dry kibble for their entire lives. Its not fair and no matter how good a dog food is, its still DOG FOOD.

I was feeding my pooches Wellness but I just recently switched over to the Timberwolf Organics brand. I find it to be excellent. Its really high in protein (well, they do have a "lite" version if you will), so its great for dogs that are really active or if you have an underweight pooch.

I feed my dogs the Black Forest formula. Its lower in protein and great for dogs that aren't that active.

Have a look at their site:
http://www.timberwolforganics.com/

[Denaluvscorgis]

I'll check that site out. What kind of cooked food do you do? When Chloe was pregnant, I baked chicken for her, she also had scrambled eggs & cottage cheese.

It really doesn't seem fair to feed them kibble only.

Thanks,
Dena

[Renee750il]

I've had my tribe on Innova - Shiva and Kharma have been on it since they first came home. Recently I switched them from the Puppy kibble to the Innova EVO and have been soooo impressed with it and their response to it.

[Denaluvscorgis]

Thanks Renee...I'll check that food out. I did a search on it, and there are quite a few places not to far from me where I can buy it.

[pitbulliest]

When I feed cooked I usually use chicken. Then I'll cook brown rice and chop raw veggies like carrots and celery and some squash (I rotate veggies so that there is more variety). I use ground up eggshell for the calcium (gotta regulate the ca : ph ratio)...and then as a supplement I add a mix that I made and keep in a big jar (got that from pitcairn's book). I'll add a tablespoon of it to the serving, not the entire recipe. These are my ingredients for the mix:

2 cups nutritional yeast / 1 ½ cups bone meal powder / ½ cup kelp

And you can also make an oil mix which is a good idea; it adds extra protein and fat...something you need when you're making a home cooked diet, as it will usually lack in fat (add about 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons to the serving):

1 ¾ cups vegetable oil / ¼ cup cod liver oil / 50 I.U vitamin E (prevents spoiling)

If you need more information on home cooked diets and whatnot, just let me know and i can post some additional information for you.

[Denaluvscorgis]

Thanks Renee....I'm really interested in doing this for my animals. I don't want them to get bored with the dry all of the time.

[Brattina88]

I had my dogs on Eukanuba until I got real and relized what's in dog foods. I did TONS of research and then switched to raw & cooked food (mostly cooked). The funny thing is is not only are the dogs eating Much healthier; I am too! :D

Anyone look at the 'new' eukanuba natural lamb and rice stuff? Is is any different from the 'old' stuff :confused:

pitbulliest I LOVE the new pics in your siggy, they rock!

[candy722]

I've never heard of Exclusive.

[pitbulliest]

Brattina..lol thanks..they're quite recent.

[Renee750il]

The new photos are awfully cute, but I still think the one you've used in your avatar is IT! :D

[gell914]

any other homemade recipes for dog foods? i cook my puppy some chopped beef with carrots and rice sometimes and the rest is dry food.

[Blondie]

I fed Blondie Eukanuba until I got to read some of the posts here and switched him to home-cooked food. He eats mostly chicken but also liver from time to time (he's still a pup), and he loves beef. I don't feed raw vegetables because he won't eat them, and besides I've heard something about the glucose not being properly broken down if you feed them raw (not sure, though). He loves maccaroni, but not rice. And of course I feed them supplements like cod liver oil and vitamin E.

I've noticed he's eating more, and looks healthier than he used to look while feeding Eukanuba. However, if someone has some interesting recipes, I'd love for you to share ;) Blondie will appreciate it, too.

[Renee750il]

Why don't you make him some stew? That gets some good vegetables in him in a way that he should like. You can use unsalted beef broth for the base and cook it in a crock pot. Just leave out the onions.

You can give him spinach noodles instead of plain macaroni, and I've never seen a dog that didn't like marinara sauce! There are lots of good things in cooked tomatoes.

[Brattina88]

that makes me hungry lol! It would be awsome if someone could give links to a site of recipies or post a new thread with recipies *hints*

[Blondie]

Thank you Renee, you made _me_ hungry, too. I agree with Brattina, how cool would that be? A site of Recipes or a thread with one. (double hints)

[Renee750il]

Are we talking dog recipes or people recipes, or recipes that both would like? :D

I've got stacks of cookbooks and files of recipes and scads of bookmarked recipe sites, but the awful thing is that unless I'm baking, I almost never use a recipe; just make it up off the top of my head. :rolleyes:

[bogolove]

I just found this link looking around and thought I would share it.

http://www.greenpets.com/page/18-399.htm

[Renee750il]

Nice link; thanks!

[PawsRanch6]

I feed Nutra Nuggets, Eukanuba Premium Performance and Iams Puppy! Have been feeding these foods for YEARS now to old and young dogs! Have never had any problems with any of it! I do cook a chicken occasionally and add rice to it and top dress the food with it for a "change" have also been told to wet the dry food to aid in digestion in the stomach. I am feeding 6 dogs and no way could I cook for them or buy $50 a bag food! Not to mention I drive 3 hrs each way for the Nutra Nuggets and the others are 1 1/2 hrs away! I think I do my part! I feel as though any Premium food from a pet store or vet is better then Wal mart food or the grocery store! We all do what we can and what works for us! But come on Dogs have been eating trash for years and living! think about what your grandparents fed their dogs...mine fed their poodles table scraps...doesn't make it right I know but they lived to be 16 and 17! I am not bad mouthing anyone that has the time to cook for their dog but...is that as balanced and healthy as something that has been scientifically developed to feed a dog not a human? Just my personal opinions hope I do not offend anyone with it!